Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Synopsis:
Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…
and secrets hide in every shadow.
Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.
Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.
Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…
And she’ll need to play.
Hello Amanda! We are super excited to talk to you about ACE OF SHADES and to have you in our FFBC tours.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Favorite Book?
I resent this question—it’s too hard! If I had to pick, I would obviously pick Harry Potter—it was hugely influential to me as a writer. And of the series, definitely the Order of the Phoenix. It has some of my favorite elements: the character angst, Dumbledore’s Army, Umbridge, the Order…It just has so many moving parts, and I love big, complicated books.
Favorite TV show?
Avatar: the Last Airbender! It’s a childhood fav.
Favorite movie?
I have three: Spirited Away, The Devil Wears Prada, and Kingsman: the Secret Service.
Favorite Song?
Another question I resent. Probably “Changing of the Guards” by the Gaslight Anthem.
Favorite Food?
Buffalo sauce. On anything.
Name 3 fictional places you would move to in a heartbeat.
Hogwarts (obviously), the Pokemon world, and … potentially a world I’ve written? That sounds silly, but hey—I wrote them for a reason!
What were your favorite books growing up?
Harry Potter, Agatha Christies, the Pendragon series, the Clique series, Warrior cats, Anne of Green Gables… There were honestly so many. I also went through so many phases with my interests that it’s hard to remember and keep track.
Favorite Quote?
“The best advice I’ve ever received is, ‘No one else knows what they’re doing either.’” – Ricky Gervais – Unsure this is a favorite, but it’s something I tell myself a lot.
What are your fandoms?
I have a lot of TV shows and such I like, but I wouldn’t consider myself a fandom person. I didn’t even know what fanfiction was until I was an adult.
Name a recent book you read that you would recommend to our YA fans?
TESS OF THE ROAD by Rachel Hartman. It’s beautifully and humorously written, and it’s made me shed many tears.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about ACE OF SHADES?
ACE OF SHADES is about three characters. The first is Enne Salta, a girl from finishing school who aspires to become a lady. Second—Levi Glaisyer, a street lord and notorious con man. And last, Vianca Augustine, the ruthless donna of a casino and drug crime Family. When Enne arrives in the “City of Sin” searching for her lost mother, all three of their stories become knotted with secrets, intrigue, and murder.
Can you tell us 3 interesting/random things about Enne?
Enne knows how to pick locks with hair pins. She has a minor obsession with cookies—or really, sweets of any kind. She comes across so prim and proper in the beginning, but really, Enne is incredibly non-judgmental and ruthlessly practical. She’s also petty. Petty Enne is my favorite Enne.
What are your fave fantasy tv shows or movies?
For TV shows, I love Game of Thrones—the complex web of plot and characters fascinates me. My favorite fantasy movies are anything by Miyazaki. The worlds are always so wondrous and interesting! I especially love the mix of tech and magic.
What 3 hashtags would you most associate with your book series? (Could be a word or phrase or anything that would instantly make you think of ACE OF SHADES).
This is…so challenging. The word “Iron” makes me think of one of the gangs in my book. Also terms like “miser” and “volt.” They aren’t really hashtags, but there definitely are some words that have a lot of weight and context in these books and none of that in the real world.
How did you come up with the story? Did you find inspiration in any other story/movie/show and how has this affected your writing?
The three main characters of the novel are based upon Chihiro, Haku, and Yubaba from Spirited Away. As for the other elements of the story, I have a fascination with criminal history—I even took a mafia course in college. A lot of actual historical events play into the plot of the trilogy.
Tell us your favorite quote from ACE OF SHADES.
“The difference between her and him was that she’d given up everything to save someone, and Levi had given up everyone to save himself.”
Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write? Or which part was the most difficult to get through?
I had a lot of fun writing the ultimate climax scene—it’s very intense, and I was so stressed my hands were sweating as I wrote it. The first four chapters were the most challenging. There is a huge amount of information I need to convey to the reader early and efficiently. It was like info dumping Jenga.
If you had to pick one song to be the Theme Song for ACE OF SHADES– Which one would you pick?
“City of Sin” by Linus Young.
Are there any recommendations you could give your readers to be in the “perfect mood” to read ACE OF SHADES (specific music, snacks…)?
I can’t exactly recommend whiskey to my teen readers… Perhaps saltwater taffy? That is the signature New Reynes treat. And maybe a gangster movie or two.
What’s next for you?
Writing more of the Shadow Game series! Also writing more books that feature magical worlds and probably murder.
Thank you so much for everything, Amanda! Order of the Phoenix was my fave Harry Potter book for a long time. I think I changed over to Goblet of Fire when I did a recent reread, but OOTP had a 10 year run as #1 for me!! Also, don't feel bad... I didn't know what fanfic was until I was like 30 >.<
Amanda Foody has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After spending her childhood longing to attend Hogwarts, she now loves to write about immersive settings and characters grappling with insurmountable destinies. She holds a Masters in Accountancy from Villanova University, and a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from the College of William and Mary. Currently, she works as a tax accountant in Philadelphia, PA, surrounded by her many siblings and many books.
DAUGHTER OF THE BURNING CITY is her first novel. Her second, ACE OF SHADES, will follow in April 2018.
- 5 finished copies of ACE OF SHADES (The Shadow Game #1) by Amanda Foody
- There will be 5 winners
- US/ Canada Only
- Please read the rules in the Rafflecopter
a Rafflecopter giveaway
AHHH I love Avatar as well! Great taste in tv shows obviously. Kingsman: The Secret Service and The Devil Wears Prada are obviously awesome. I can't wait to read this book. It sounds awesome.
ReplyDeleteYes!!! I am looking forward to reading it so much!
ReplyDeleteOn my TBR and wow is this going to be unique and fun to read.
ReplyDelete"What do you think about ACE OF SHADES? Will you be adding it to your TBR?" I think it sounds imaginative and I have added it to my TBR!
ReplyDeleteI’m really pumped for this one. Especially now that I know the character are based off characters from Spirited Away!!!
ReplyDeleteI like different and this definitely fits that, I haven't seen many mafia type of YA books, plus this has a futuristic element, too. It's been added to my TBR.
ReplyDelete