Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes Release Party! (Interview/Giveaway)

It's finally here! Today FALLING KINGDOMS hits bookstores!!

As most of you know, I am completely obsessed with FALLING KINGDOMS and have  been ranting and ranting on and on about it! You can read my review here --- DEE'S REVIEW

Today, author Morgan Rhodes, celebrates her release virtually, and right here on Good Choice Reading! 

We have an amazing interview to share with everyone, plus an out of this world giveaway! A giveaway that not only US readers can enter, but international as well. More details at the bottom of this post. 

Huge thank you to Morgan Rhodes taking the time to answer our questions and celebrating her release with us today! 

Hi Morgan!

Welcome to GoodChoiceReading!

Thanks so much! Happy to be here!

Today your book, Falling Kingdoms, is out in stores! How do you feel?

Amazing! I’m so thrilled to have this book out on the shelves and available on e-readers. I hope readers really enjoy it!

I don’t know if you know this, but I actually got the chance to read Falling Kingdoms back in July and for months I’ve been ranting on and on about how amazing it is. I could not wait for my review to go live on GoodChoiceReading. Tell me, how hard was it to create the world you pull readers into?

I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Creating the world and magic of Falling Kingdoms has been an adventure…one that still evolves with each day that passes as I uncover new information about the characters and the mysteries of Mytica. It’s definitely a juggling act to make sure everything is laid out in a way that readers can get into…with so many characters and such a rich and diverse world to play in, I need to make sure that all my subplots line up just right. I’m creating a “bible” of characters and terms, places, descriptions, and other miscellaneous items for myself, so I can keep track of everything going forward into the next books of the series.

Falling Kingdoms is written in four points of view. Did you find yourself confusing characters? Was it hard or easy for you to do?

I had never written in so many points of view before, so I was a little intimidated by the prospect in the beginning. However, once I got into it, I found that it flowed just fine – each character was different from the next and they all had their own agendas and ways of speaking and thinking. I never got them confused. I thought it was very important to have these different points of view to really create a bigger feel and a larger playing field for the series rather than following just one or two characters.

Out of all your characters, who do you feel is most like you? Why?

Out of all the characters in Falling Kingdoms, I’m probably the most like Princess Cleo. I’m a bit of a brat who likes things my way and I get really confused when I can’t have what I want! ;-) However, I like to think that I’m a good person who wants the best for my friends and family – just like Cleo does. Also, I enjoy sparkly tiaras. :-)

Which character was your favorite to write?

Each character has something about them that made me look forward to their scenes… but I haven’t kept it secret so far that Prince Magnus is my most favorite to write. He really comes alive for me on the page in ways that surprise even me!

How many books can we expect in this series?

At the moment, Falling Kingdoms is set to be a four book series and I can’t wait to see where the story leads me next.

Can you share a small teaser with us?

Sure! Here’s a snippet from chapter one… an incident at a market that sets the tone and conflict for the entire book:

“I could kill you for saying such a thing about my sister.” Aron gave him a thin smile. “Try it.” Cleo finally cast a look over her shoulder at a frustrated-looking Theon, whom she’d basically commanded not to intervene. It was clear to her now that she had no control over this situation. All she wanted to do was go back to the ship and leave all this unpleasantness far behind. But it was too late for that now. Powered by the insult toward his sister, Tomas flew at Aron with fists clenched. Mira gasped and put her hands over her eyes. There was no doubt Tomas would easily win a fight between the two and beat the thinner Aron into a bloody pulp. But Aron had a weapon—his fashionable jeweled dagger he wore at his hip.
 It was now in his grip.
 Tomas didn’t see the knife. When he drew closer and grabbed hold of Aron’s shirt, Aron thrust his blade into Tomas’s throat. The boy’s hands shot up to his neck as the blood began to gush, his eyes wide with shock and pain. A moment later, he fell to his knees and then fully hit the ground. His hands clawed at his throat, the dagger still deeply embedded there. Blood swiftly formed a crimson puddle around the boy’s head. It had all happened so fast. Cleo clamped her hand against her mouth to keep from screaming. Another did scream—Felicia let out a piercing wail of horror that turned Cleo’s blood ice cold. And suddenly the rest of the market collectively took notice of what had happened. Shouts sliced through the market. There was a sudden rush of bodies all around her, pushing and shoving. She shrieked. Theon clamped his arm around Cleo’s waist and roughly yanked her backward. Jonas had started for her and Aron, grief and fury etched onto his face. Theon pushed Mira in front of him and pulled Cleo under his arm, Aron close behind. They fled the market while Jonas’s enraged words pursued them. “You’re dead! I’ll kill you for this! Both of you!”
 “He deserved it,” Aron growled. “He was going to try to kill me. I was defending myself.” “Keep going, your lordship,” grunted Theon, sounding disgusted. They pushed their way through the crowd, making their stumbling way onto the road back to the ship.
 Tomas would never live to see his sister get married. Felicia would never see her brother again—instead she’d witnessed his murder on her wedding day. The wine Cleo had drunk churned and soured in her stomach. She yanked away from Theon’s grip and threw up onto the path.
 She could have had Theon stop this before it got so far out of control. But she hadn’t. No pursuers seemed to be following them, and after a while it became clear that the Paelsians were letting them leave. They slowed to a fast stride. Cleo kept her head down, holding on to Mira for support. The foursome walked through the dusty landscape in absolute silence.
 Cleo thought she’d never get the image of the boy’s pain-filled eyes out of her mind.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I cannot wait for others to read Falling Kingdoms so I can talk spoilers with them!

Thanks so much, Damaris and GoodChoiceReading! You rock! :-)

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About FALLING KINGDOMS

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:
Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.
Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.
Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.
Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...
The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

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You can find Morgan Rhodes...

Website † Twitter † Facebook † FK on Facebook † GoodReads

Morgan put together a giveaway you do not want to miss out on! What's up for grab? Check this out!

Winner (US addresses only) can pick from:
--Kindle Fire HD, 16GB (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GGCAVM/ref=fs_ta)
--Nook HD, 8GB (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-hd-barnes-noble/1110060426)
--Kobo Vox, 8GB (http://www.kobobooks.com/kobovox)
--$200 eGiftCard to the online book retailer of their choice

--Non-US winner will receive a $200 eGiftCard to the online book retailer of their choice.

How awesome!!!! How do you enter? Follow the Rafflecopter below! :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway