Expected publication: May 17th 2016 by Feiwel and Friends
Being Jinn is Azra’s new reality. As she grants wishes under the watchful eye of the Afrit council, she remains torn between her two worlds—human and Jinn. Soon, secrets spill. Zars are broken. Humans become pawns. And rumors of an uprising become real as the Afrit’s reach extends beyond the underground world of Janna.
Straddling the line becomes impossible. Aware of her unique abilities, Azra must not just face but embrace her destiny. But when the role she must play and those she must protect expand to include a circle of Jinn greater than her own, Azra will be forced to risk everything. A risk that means there’s everything to lose, and at the same time, everything to gain—for herself and her entire Jinn race.
In this dramatic sequel to Becoming Jinn, Azra’s story comes to a heartfelt and thrilling conclusion.
Lori Goldstein was born into an Italian-Irish family and raised in a small town on the New Jersey shore. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Lehigh University and worked as a writer, editor, and graphic designer before becoming a full-time author. She currently lives and writes outside of Boston. Lori is the author of the young adult contemporary fantasy series Becoming Jinn (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, April 21, 2015, sequel, Circle of Jinn, May 17, 2016). You can check out her editorial services here and visit her online at www.lorigoldsteinbooks.com.
What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
Writing with humor comes naturally to me. It’s easy for me to make a play on words, create a silly pun, or have a running joke. I have a sarcastic side that I fully admit to drawing on when writing, especially when writing my main character in the BECOMING JINN series, Azra.
In BECOMING JINN, one of the things I had to do was learn to harness this tendency to infuse humor in the more serious and emotional scenes. Deflecting with humor is a defense mechanism for both myself and for Azra, but even so, there are times when cracking a joke adds to the scene and times when it detracts. Reining this in is one of the things I worked on while writing book one.
Which is why the scene I’m most proud of in CIRCLE OF JINN is an extremely emotional one. Writing it should have been hard for me and outside my comfort zone, but I think it shows my growth as a writer as well as being conscious of my strengths and weaknesses that writing this scene actually came quite easily to me.
The scene I’m referring to is one at the end of CIRCLE OF JINN between Henry and Azra. In the writing, I put everything on the table—expect for the jokes. Emotions rule, and it had me bawling while I wrote it, while I revised it, and just about each time I re-read it. It’s strong and powerful and gets to the heart of who these characters are, what they mean to each other, and what they are both willing to sacrifice for everyone they care about. It’s the culmination of all they’ve been through together and highlights the uncertainty of what’s to come.
So it’s not just my growth as a writer that makes me proud of this scene, it’s what the scene represents for these characters, the story arc, and the theme of both books. It’s what I’ve been building to since the first “A hammer, a chisel, a wrench” line of BECOMING JINN. It might be my favorite scene of the entire series, but that’s all I can say because it’s a major spoiler!
PREORDER GIVEAWAY!
The sequel to BECOMING JINN, which VOYA Magazine named one of the Best Science, Fiction, Fantasy or Horror of 2015 in a starred review, releases on May 17, 2016.
Advance praise for CIRCLE OF JINN from Booklist says “book two takes a sharp turn into high fantasy . . . Romance and wish granting take a backseat to friendship, political intrigue, and Azra’s maturation and ongoing discovery of her heritage. Fans of the first book should be satisfied by this conclusion.”
Preorder or buy a new copy of CIRCLE OF JINN by May 27, 2016, and you’ll automatically become a genie* yourself!
Every preorder, including signed preorders from Lori’s local indie, Porter Square Books (both books available for signed orders), will be mailed a signed bookmark, signed bookplate, and metallic bracelet tattoos.
But wait, there’s more! You’ll also be entered into the grand giveaway to win one of the exact shiny silver bangles featured on the cover of both Becoming Jinn and Circle of Jinn. Details: http://www.lorigoldsteinbooks.com/2016/04/18/preorder-time/
* Swag includes temporary bracelet tattoos; the power to become a Jinn must already be inside you.
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