Amy & Becky chat with Teri Brown: interview with the author of Born of Illusion + Giveaway!

Hello, all!  Amy & I recently had the opportunity to do a joint interview with Teri Brown, author of Born of Illusion.  If you haven't checked this book out yet, I highly recommend it! It easily became one of my favorite reads of this year! Check out my review here.

Because I loved this book so much, I want to spread the joy! :)  I've giving away a copy of Born of Illusion---be sure to enter at the bottom of this post!

~Interview with Teri Brown~

♠ Did you have a love for stage magic before writing Born of Illusion, or is this a new knowledge you acquired while writing this book?
Who doesn't love magic? I've always enjoyed watching stage magic, but I guess  I didn't have the appreciation for it before that I do now. Writing the book definitely opened my eyes as far as how much time, effort and thought actually goes into it.

♥ Was Harry Houdini always a character you wanted immersed in the storyline? If so, which character came first Harry or Anna? 
 I guess I would have to say Harry--in a way.  I first thought of doing a book about Harry Houdini's illegitimate daughter, but I didn't know Anna at all when I first thought of the  concept. She developed along with the plot. So Harry came first.

♦ Your inventions were perfectly described for the readers mind, were they your own creations?
The magnetic invention was  completely mine… I needed something that would add atmosphere to Anna's séance. The levitation table is a real  prop that is used now, though I think it would have been very new back in the twenties.

♣What helped you stay immersed with the 1920’s?  Was there a certain movie, book or music?  
I surrounded myself with research books. I  may do a lot of my research on the web, but I really like having hard copies. It makes the time period more visceral for me. I also listened to a lot of old time jazz while writing Born of Illusion and Born of Deception. It set the mood for me, I guess.

♠ The mother daughter relationship only endeared you more to Anna’s character, was it challenging to write such a complicated relationship between them, or was it one that came naturally as the characters developed?  
It actually came pretty naturally. I think mother daughter relationships are always complicated no matter how strong and normal the relationship is. If it isn't normal, than the complications and issues can be endless. The relationship Anna and her mother have has a lot of nuances, partially from circumstances and partially due to differences in personality.

♥ Was it planned from the beginning who the antagonist would be?  
Yes and no… The original conception was very flat and then the idea of including a fictionalized version of the real life group, The Ghost Club, emerged and things just grew from there.

♦ What were you doing when the idea for the story came to you?
You know, I can't really remember the exact moment it came to me…. is that weird?

♣ What is your favorite thing about writing a Y.A. novel over an adult novel?  
My heart belongs to YA, but I am not sure that means I enjoy one over the other… and it's hard for me to differentiate. I just tell the story as it comes to me! 

Win Born of Illusion!

Now you know the scoop on this amazing book---enter to win a copy!  

Open internationally • Must be 13 or older • Ends 8/30/13 

a Rafflecopter giveaway