Guest Post and Giveaway: Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

8 July, 2014 Blog Tours, Giveaways, Guest Spotlight 62 comments

kiss-of-deception

 

*clears throat*
*taps conductor baton*
*bursts into song*
(it’s a more accurate mental picture if you assume I am also horribly off key)

HAPPY BOOKBIIIIRTHDAY TO KISSOFDECPTION
HAPPY BOOKBIIIIRTHDAAAAAAY TO KISSOFDECEPTIOOOON
HAPPYYYY BOOKBIIIIRTHDAAAAAY TOOOO KIIIISSOFDECEEEEEPTIOOOOON
HAAAAAAPPY BOOOOOKBIIIIIRTHDAAAAAY TOOOOOO YOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUU!

bowing

 

Right, you can come out now, the performance bit’s over. As you may have guessed, it is the long-awaited release day of Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson, the first book in a fantastic new fantasy trilogy.

We are huge fans of this book and are quite pleased to welcome Mary here today to talk about writing a sneaky twist (Meg’s working title: How To Trick Your Readers In The Sneakiest Of The Sneaky Fashions).

I fear you're underestimating the sneakiness, sir
(Working title comes with gif because obviously)

So come along gentle reader and learn about how Mary E. Pearson will pull the rug out from under you and cause you to question everything you think about how you perceive characters and what are you doing making assumptions anyway? Go home Meg, you’re drunk. (That last bit may just be me but what can I say, I’m dramatic.)

 

 

As I got a closer look, my own attention perked up. I watched the newest arrivals step inside and search the crowded room, their eyes roaming over customers and corners . . . I sidled closer to the shadows of the alcove to watch them.

“Now that’s an interesting pair,” Gwyneth said, swishing in beside me.

I couldn’t deny they had captured my attention.

When I first started writing The Kiss of Deception I started it in third person point of view, but I realized it would be impossible for me to have the reader experience what Lia’s does, without using trickery. I didn’t want to do that. I just wanted to write the story and let readers assume what they would.  

So I switched to first, but even that was still tricky for me, because I had to be careful each character, Rafe or Kaden, didn’t have any internal conversations with themselves about their backgrounds, and then when we knew by the chapter titles that the Assassin or Prince was speaking, I had to be careful about how they referred to prior scenes that only Rafe or Kaden would know.  Does that make sense? 

It took several revisions to make sure I hadn’t inadvertently let the cat out of the bag.  In those revisions I also made sure that on a reread, what the guys said and did would all add up to who they really were.  Because I really wasn’t trying to trick anyone. I just wanted all of our assumptions about people to come into play, and also for readers to become invested in both characters, just as Lia was, before they found out for sure who was who.

Another challenge in writing the two male viewpoint characters was making sure Rafe and Kaden each had distinct mannerisms and voices so they weren’t confused. It was helpful that they had chapters all their own early on because that got me into their heads quickly—and I have to say it was a fun place to be ; ) I actually grew to love them both for very different reasons, no matter who or what they were.

 

Kiss of Deception by Mary E. PearsonIn this timeless new trilogy about love and sacrifice, a princess must find her place in a reborn world.

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

[about-author]

 

 

The lovely people over at Macmillan are so excited about this book, they want to give you a copy of your very own for you to treasure always. So go, enter! You do not want to miss this book.

Contest Rules:

  • To enter, please fill out the Raffelcopter form below.
  • We ask that all entrants be at least 13 years or older to enter.
  • The giveaway is open US/CA Only.
  • When the winners are chosen, it will be announced here and the winners will be emailed.
  • Please enter your email address in the Rafflecopter form and not the comments.
  • Also, please understand that giveaway sponsors reserve the right to disqualify any entries they find gaming the system. Cheaters never prosper.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

62 Responses to “Guest Post and Giveaway: Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson”

  2. Destiny R

    My day is going pretty well so far! This book looks really amazing!

  3. Samantha Wallace

    My day is wonderful and thanks for the chance to win this awesome book!! 🙂

  4. Kelsey

    I’m so excited to read this book! I can’t wait to see the sneakiness and twists that she talked about above hehe. Also my day is going amazingly-well so far 🙂

  5. Kelley

    My day is going good, but would be better if I were reading this book right now!

  6. Chenise J.

    It’s alright, rainy where I am, but that just means I should be snuggled up reading!

  7. Katie

    My day could be better, but I’m not one to complain.

    But this interview is awesome! I write in third but follow several PoVs in my books, including more than a few males, and being a female, I thought it would be harder to get into their heads than it really was. My male characters are just surprisingly easy to write. =)

    Thanks for the giveaway!

  8. Britt

    Hi cuddlebuggery! My day could be better, but that could also be because I haven’t eaten yet. Whoops…

    Thanks for another awesome giveaway and guest post 🙂

  9. Becky

    My day is great…..I’m reading Lady Thief so I’m in HEAVEN. I can’t wait to read this book. It looks so amazing.

  10. Ryver

    My day is going great. I have day off of work spending it with my family.

    This books sounds amazing. Thank you for the giveaway. I have my fingers crossed.

  11. Jen B.

    My day is great! I’m not going to get everything done but I finished a book that I really enjoyed so it’s a good day anyway. I wouldn’t have given this book a second look on the shelf but your review makes me really want to read it!

  12. Brittany T

    My day has been absolutely lovely. how is yours? i don’t like heat and bugs suck but we have a nice swimming pool so all in all EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!!

  13. Kelly L.

    So far, my day started off horrible. D:
    I only got 5 hours of sleep, a kid spilled chocolate milk on my leg, I saw a HUGE fly, and it is boiling hot today. Hopefully my day will get better!
    How was your day? 😀

  14. Daphne Trumps

    This book looks so great & the cover is gorgeous. my day is okay, i have a bit of a headache, thanks for asking.

  16. Holly U

    Hello! My day’s been pretty laid-back and nice. I’ve just been checking out Top Ten Tuesday memes and reading everyone’s confessions. 🙂

  17. Carl

    Pretty dang awesome! Two of my friends just drove clean across the continent to come visit. We’re gonna hang for a while. Thanks!

  20. Susan T.

    My day has been pretty great. It was sunny and hot so I sat outside and read a good book!

  21. Rida

    I have been hearing soo much about this book and the description has me excited!!Can’t wait to read this one.. thanks for the giveaway! 🙂

  23. Jenny

    So excited for this book! And obviously my day was made better because of this awesome giveaway!

  25. Andrea L.

    My day was good. Thank you for asking! I’ve been so excited about this book coming out, you made it even better when you decided to put up this giveaway. You’re awesome! Thank you and you have a good day yourself! Kay?

  26. Vannah Batista

    My days been stressfully HOT!!! Luckily now it’s nighttime and it’s cooling off a bit! Then I went outside to get in our pool, and it was GREEN!! Yuck!! (I forgot to clean it yesterday, Oops 😉

    BUT…one good thing about my day is….IT’S KISS OF DECEPTIONS BOOK BIRTHDAY!!! That right there is enough to brighten my day!!! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!!!

  27. Amanda @ Late Nights with Good Books

    Do I sense unreliable narration here? Or, at least, unusual narration? Color me intrigued! I’ve heard nothing but good about this book and can’t wait to read it for myself.
    Thanks for the giveaway!

  28. Chelsea B.

    My day was pretty good! Caught up on some DVR TV (Chasing Life, True Blood, Reckless…) Thanks for asking! 🙂

  30. Abigail B

    I want to read this book so badly! I loved the Jenna Fox Chronicles greatly so I just know I would love Kiss of Deception.

  31. erinf1

    My day’s just starting so it’s going alright 🙂 Thanks for asking!!! This book sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing!

  33. Brenna

    I cannot wait to read this book. It looks right up my alley except for the love triangle.

  34. Vennie M.

    My day has only just begun, but, I sure do hope it will be a good one.

  36. Keira

    My day would be lovely if I weren’t so tired! Summer hours aren’t as easy as people say.

  37. Zareena

    Today was pretty good for me! I finished school and then went for an awesome lunch with my friends 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway!

  39. Sarah K.

    I’ve been sick all day, so not so good. This book might make it better though. 🙂

  42. Lori Hopkins

    My day is awesome, as I hope all of yours is too! I really want this!!! I received an ARC of it, now I need an official copy to go with the rest when they are released. I have to have my books match. Go crazy when they don’t and they are from the same series.

  44. Giaochau N,

    My day has been great! I have been reading all day. I love summer break.

  45. Sarah F

    My day was great! I worked at my job at my local library and now I’m home and ready to read! Thanks for the giveaway!

  46. Priscilla

    Great day out and thank you so much for this! Love summer readings and this would be an amazing addition ^_^

  50. Christine

    My day’s going well, albeit a bit exhausting–I helped move my parents’ old bedroom furniture downstairs and the new furniture upstairs. And it was all very, very heavy!

  53. Ariel T

    My day has been pretty good! It’s been raining for most of the evening so I haven’t really done much. We had an open house this afternoon (we’re moving at the end of July), so we had some people over looking at the house. I hope you had an awesome day!

  56. Christy

    My day has been okay so far, but it’s still morning..

  60. kelly

    It’s a bit toasty today but hey the tomatoes love it and I’d love to be sitting in the backyard reading this book. Thanks for the chance to enter

  61. Emma

    My day could have been better. My mom had her thyroid removed and when I saw her I almost passed out, but tomorrow will be better when she is able to come home from the hospital.