Blog Tour + #Giveaway: Elemental Lies by Elle Middaugh @ElleMiddaugh @XpressoTours

Elemental Lies
Elle Middaugh
(The Essential Elements, #2)
Publication date: July 24th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Valerie Moore is an Elemental, a person who commands one of the classical elements of wind, water, fire, or earth. She’s special, though. She controls two—fire and water—though sometimes it seems like they control her.

After the accidental exposure of Elementals to humanity, Valerie finds herself—and all of her kind—struggling to attain equality. Three different groups fight to secure leadership, and with all of their hidden agendas, she doesn’t know which side to choose. The balance between peaceful cohabitation and all-out war is precarious, at best.

When a chance meeting brings Val and earth Elemental Cade Landston back together, everything changes. She realizes what she knew in the beginning—that he’s the one she wants. Her desire to win him over draws her closer to him, and his vengeful mission to hunt down her murderous grandfather brings them both closer to trouble.
From mysterious doppelgangers to reckless rescue missions, scapegoat bombings, and evolving Elemental powers, Valerie strains to keep up.

All she knows is she must stop her grandfather at all costs. To do so, she has to figure out the truth, but how can she do so when almost everyone she knows has been telling lies?

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Sequel to:

Interview with Elle Middaugh

What inspired you to write Elemental Lies?

Well, since it’s a sequel, I guess the inspiration was book 1, Elemental Secrets! But as for inspiration on the entire series... I hate being cold. lol! I was looking out the window one wintery day, thinking about how awesome it would be if I couldn’t physically feel the cold. The idea grew from there. Like, in order for me to avoid being negatively affected by snow or ice or cold, I’d probably have to have a very special relationship with it. Maybe I could even control it? What if I wasn’t very good at controlling it, though? etc.

Can you tell us a little bit about the next books in the Essential Elements Series or what you have planned for the future?

Absolutely! The next book in this YA Fantasy Romance series is Elemental Betrayal (I think it’s going to be the final book, too). Basically, the lies Valerie unearths in book 2 force her to make a choice which instantly marks her as the enemy of many different people. Throughout the story, she has to figure out a way to not only survive, but to eliminate these enemies, and somehow create a climate of lasting peace between humans and Elementals.

I also have ideas for a series following two female assassins in a magical world, a series of seven books revolving around the seven deadly sins, a series on unlikely royals in a magical world, etc.

I once took a questionnaire by K.M. Weiland that asked me to pick my top four favorite novels, then choose my three favorite elements of each, and then circle what they have in common. What you’re left with is what you’re interested in reading and passionate about writing. Mine were: magic, romance, immortality, assassins, and royalty. LOL! So I suppose that’s what you can expect from most of my upcoming novels! ;)

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Elemental Lies?

Sure!

Valerie Moore is the main character. She’s an Elemental (someone who can control one of the classical elements of earth, fire, water or wind.) But she’s Gifted with TWO elements to control: Fire and Water. The whole series follows her physical and moral struggle to do what’s right in the face of danger and uncertainty.

Cade Landston is Val’s love interest. He’s an Earth Elemental with a hard exterior, but a kind soul inside. He and Val always have each other’s backs. There’s more to him than meets the eye...

Holden Michaels is Val’s ex-boyfriend and friend. He’s a Wind Elemental following in his father’s political footsteps. His unrequited affection for Valerie, and jealousy of Cade, is an ugly combination that eventually causes him to make poor decisions (which you’ll see in book 3).

Sienna Aeris is Val’s best friend, and also Holden’s cousin. She’s a Wind Elemental with a carefree spirit and a kickass attitude. She develops a thing for Cade’s older brother, Xavier, which definitely makes things interesting!

Nicholai Prett is Valerie’s grandfather, a political Elitist, and the epic villain of the story. He’s the most powerful Elemental on earth (which happens to be the element he controls), and he’s hell-bent on domination.

Loren Marlowe is an Elitist Water Elemental with her sights set on a relationship with Cade. She is a dangerous thorn in Valerie’s side, and a surprisingly efficient adversary.

>>> There are SO MANY more awesome characters in this book, too! But I suppose these are the main-ish ones lol

You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

Hmm... I have a lot of favorites! The first two I have to mention are: Sabaa Tahir (author of An Ember in the Ashes & A Torch Against the Night), and Chelsea Fine (author of the Archers of Avalon trilogy). Sabaa is a totally awesome person who uses her fame for good, and whose writing inspires me to strive for greatness in my own stories. And Chelsea is just an amazing person! She talked to me and helped answer my questions back when I was an unpublished nobody. Her kindness and attention is something I’ll not soon forget.

I also enjoy books by Sarah J. Maas, Suzanne Collins, Keri Arthur, Bella Forrest, etc!

If you could time-travel would you travel to the future or the past? Where would you like to go and why would you like to visit this particular time period?

Good question! I think I’d have to choose the future! I have all these theories about what the future will be like, and I totally need to see it for myself! In fact, I have an idea for a different series which takes place in the future...

Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

I do not have any pets, actually, but I do have three small children who run around the house like wild animals... Does that count? Haha!

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us today.

Absolutely! It was my pleasure! <3

Author Bio:
Elle Middaugh lives in the Allegheny Mountains outside of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, with her wonderful husband and three beautiful children. Most of her time is spent raising kids, writing stories, playing video games, reading, and attempting to keep a clean house.

She’s a proud Navy wife, a frazzle-brained mother, a fan of health and fitness, a lover of hot tea and iced tea, and a believer in happily ever afters.

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