Love Fortunes and Other Disasters Blog Tour {interview and giveaway}

I just LOVE that the Love Fortunes and Other Disasters Blog Tour is stopping by today...

Love Fortunes and Other Disasters

by Kimberly Karalius

5/12/15

Swoon Reads

In the tradition of Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic, one girl chooses to change her fortune and her fate by falling in love.

Love is real in the town of Grimbaud, and Fallon Dupree has dreamed of attending high school there for years. After all, generations of Duprees have successfully followed the (100% accurate!) love fortunes from Zita’s famous Love Charms Shop to happily marry their high school sweethearts. It’s a tradition. So she is both stunned and devastated when her fortune states that she will NEVER find love.

Fortunately, Fallon isn’t the only student with a terrible love fortune, and a rebellion is brewing. Fallon is determined to take control of her own fate—even if it means working with a notorious heartbreaker like Sebastian.

Will Fallon and Sebastian be able to overthrow Zita’s tyranny and fall in love? 

goodreads / amazon / b&n / indiebound

Praise for Love Fortunes and Other Disasters

“This book was a pure delight! The premise of it is just so adorable, I couldn’t stop reading it! The narrative was full of rich, beautiful language, the characters were all super adorable, and the setting was creative and interesting.” — Becca

“Kim’s work is full of magic, wonder, adventure and excitement.” – MochiManiac

“The writing is delicious, and the plot clever and new. The story rings true, consistent and soundly set in the realm of magical-realism. Defintely swoonworthy!” – Janelle

“I adored this novel. I read it while my high school students took their final exams, and I was bursting inside to share this curious world–this romantic world of magic, loyal friendships, and romantic possibility–with my students.” – Jenni N.

“a whimsical, dreamy breath of fresh air” – Kristianna

“Having just finished this magical masterpiece, I am literally curled into a ball on my bed trying to figure out how I can feel so sad (that it’s over) and yet so deliriously happy (that I got to live briefly in this wondrous world) at the same time. This story is downright charming. The magical world of Grimbaud is built flawlessly, with so many perfect details that help it come to life that I’m still having trouble convincing myself that it’s not a real place.” – Samantha Chaffin

“Words are lacking for the beauty of this novel. The effortless magical realism, quirky characters, and beautiful prose weave together to create a truly captivating work.” – Christina Im

What three words best describe Love Fortunes and Other Disasters?

Whimsical, romantic, adventurous.

Can you give us your best one sentence pitch to convince readers to give Love Fortunes and Other Disasters a try?

After receiving a devastating love fortune, Fallon Dupree joins a rebellion of fellow unlucky-in-love teens determined to put an end to Zita’s love fortune-telling; she must work together with notorious heartbreaker, Sebastian, if they have any hope of changing their fates.

Grab a copy of Love Fortunes and Other Disasters and answer the following:

favorite chapter? "Chapter 11: Kissing," in which Fallon tries to prevent public displays of affection from happening in the library and Camille's machinations come to light.

favorite page? Page 268 - Because I love how the note Femke and Mirthe shoved underneath Fallon's door looks handwritten, as if they had scribbled it out on the page.

favorite place/setting? My favorite setting would have to be the Spinster Villas. The villas are not charming; stigma haunts the property, along with obvious signs of neglect. But at the same time, the women have made the best of it, creating a home with their warmth and (sometimes eccentric) personalities.

flip to a random page and give us a 1-2 sentences teaser:

"If she couldn't see his face, maybe his hands could provide answers. His palms were rough and warm, a little slippery. Was he nervous?" - Page 97.

What inspired Love Fortunes and Other Disasters? How did the story come to be?

Swoon Reads inspired Love Fortunes and Other Disasters; I wrote the manuscript specifically for the site. The manuscripts I had written before had romance in them, but not as the main focus, so I decided to just tackle love straight on – Love with a capital “L.” Love became a voice, a person, so to speak, and watched over a charming town. Until a new bargain was struck, and Zita’s love fortunes came on the scene. Fallon’s own journey was inspired by a few silly conversations my fellow English majors and I had while staying up late in the dorm lobby, reading classics and ruminating on spinsterhood.  

Can you tell us a bit about your character, Fallon? What makes her special and sets her a part from other YA heroines?

Fallon has a strong sense of self. Her parents are health inspectors, and her older brother is a clothing inspector, so she’s been raised to scrutinize and value quality. For example, Fallon shies away from processed food, preferring only the freshest ingredients for her meals, and is not a fan of polyester *laughs* She’s almost like a little adult, but going to school in Grimbaud will be a learning experience for her.

Fill in the blanks:

I’m really awesome at  writing with a miniature poodle sleeping on my lap.

I’m really embarrassed to admit that I avoid nail salons like the plague (too many bad experiences, no thanks).

The last great book I read was A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab.

If you were to create and bake a cupcake inspired by Love Fortunes and Other Disasters, what would it look and taste like, and what would you call it?

A Love Fortunes cupcake would have to have rose-flavored icing, with heart-shaped trees and little cupids made of white chocolate on top. And a gooey chocolate middle. You really can’t have a Love Fortunes cupcake without chocolate (and the roses, for the delicious, ominous scent the town is wrapped in). I’d call it “A Taste of Grimbaud.”

website * goodreads * twitter * facebook *instagram

If you gave her a wish bone, Kimberly would wish fervently for snow in Florida. Her love for 90s cartoons (or any cartoons, really) knows no bounds. She might be the only person you know who can be completely engrossed in watching silent films. Being in Florida certainly has one big perk: going to Disney World. Which she does. Frequently. 

Kimberly holds an MFA in fiction from the University of South Florida. Her fiction has appeared in literary journals such as Luna Station Quarterly, The Medulla Review, and Hogglepot. Her chapbook, POCKET FOREST, was published by Deathless Press in August 2013.

LOVE FORTUNES AND OTHER DISASTERS (Swoon Reads/Macmillan May 2015) is her debut novel.

Win a copy of 

Love Fortunes and Other Disasters!

Swoon Reads has generously offered one copy for one winner.

Details

-US only

-ends 5/10

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FULL BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

5/1: Stories and Sweeties

5/4: Endlessly Reading & Word Spelunking

5/5: Lost in Literature

5/6: The Escapist

5/7: Jasmine Pearl Reads

5/8: Book Rook Reviews

5/11: Bumbles and Fairytales

5/12: Books & Cleverness