Blog Tour Interview, Excerpt, & Giveaway: Treasure Darkly by Jordan Elizabeth!

Beware a Treasure Darkly…

(The stunning cover art is thanks to Amalia Chitulescu)

Seventeen-year-old Clark Treasure assumes the drink he stole off the captain is absinthe…until the chemicals in the liquid give him the ability to awaken the dead. A great invention for creating perfect soldiers, yes, but Clark wants to live as a miner, not a slave to the army—or the deceased. On the run, Clark turns to his estranged tycoon father for help. The Treasures welcome Clark with open arms, so he jumps at the chance to help them protect their ranch against Senator Horan, a man who hates anyone more powerful than he.

And he is not alone. His new found sister, Amethyst, thinks that's rather dashing, until Horan kidnaps her, and all she gets is a bullet through her heart. When Clark brings her back to life, she realizes he's more than just street-smart - and he's not really a Treasure. Amethyst’s boring summer at home has turned into an adventure on the run, chock full of intrigue, danger, love, and a mysterious boy named Clark.

TREASURE DARKLY, book 1 of the Treasure Chronicles

The young adult novel is a dark mix of steampunk, the paranormal and romance in a “Wild West” setting.

Below is an excerpt from TREASURE DARKLY. You can read more on the Curiosity Quills Press website.

“Looks like he did drink it up.” The general client spoke from the right. “Must’ve interacted with all that bloody hertum. Look at ‘im, he’s bleeding already.”

“What’s it gonna do to him?” the guard from the morning asked.

“Lots of stuff.” The general laughed. “When he touches the dead, he’ll be able to bring them back, and exchange that life for another. Perfect soldier, huh? We only have one vial ready and I was going to give it to a lucky fellow. Guess it will be this boy.”

“Whatcha gonna do with him?” The guard snickered.

“Have to be a test subject,” the general said. “Sure thought it was that Judy who stole my bottle. Pity I killed her. She sure knew how to make my pecker sing.”
Judy.

Clark’s mother.

Clark bolted off the ground and ran. He could hide in the hole under the shed behind the brothel. Mable never found him under there. He might be cursed with raising the dead—he’d already done that to the poor mine worker—but it didn’t mean he’d let them take him for tests.

Interview with Jordan Elizabeth:

What inspired you to write Treasure Darkly?

My mom made me watch the old “Westerns” with her. She was a huge fan of them when she was a child, even had a rocking horse and toy pistols. I grew up with the “Little House” books and touring forts, so the old westerns weren’t totally out of my comfort zone. So I was watching these old shows and movies with her, and I got to thinking how cool it would be if they included steampunk elements.

Steampunk is definitely gaining steam (no pun intended) as a genre. What are some of your favorite books in this category?

Steampunk! (an anthology) is definitely my favorite. I can reread those short stories and never grow tired of them.

Are any of your characters based on people that you know in real life?

How weird – usually I base every character on someone I know, but for TREASURE DARKLY, these people took on minds of their own. I guess they could relate to characters in those old westerns.

Who would you like to see play these characters in a film adaptation?

I was just discussing this with my editor the other day. Jensen Ackles needs to play Jeremiah, the headstrong older brother. Ian Somerholder would be perfect for Clark.

Well I'm sold. I adore Ian! Clark thinks that he's drinking absinthe- a drink that people seem to either love or hate. Have you ever had it, did you enjoy it?

I was in New York City about two years ago with my cousin – he lives in Manhattan - and a friend. My cousin took us to a Goth bar and they were serving absinthe. I had to try it just because of this book. We opted for it not flaming, and we ended up all three of us sharing it. I can tell why people compare it to licorice. It really wasn’t my thing, and neither is licorice. We opted for it not to be flaming, so maybe the flaming version tastes better.

I prefer it non-flaming myself, but it's definitely an acquired taste. Did you have a favorite character to write? A least favorite?

My favorite is Amethyst. She’s so shallow and spoiled. My least favorite would have to be Zachariah. He tries so hard to be accepted; I feel so bad for him.

I've heard that some authors have to use a very specific pen or drink only one tea while they write. Do you have any writing quirks like these?

I have to be alone. I will lock myself into my bedroom to avoid distractions.

Can you describe Treasure Darkly in five words?

Wild West, Paranormal, Romance, Steampunk

Do you have any other books/projects in the works?

My first novel, ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW, came out October 29, 2014, and my steampunk anthology, GEARS OF BRASS, was released November 10, 2014. The sequel to TREASURE DARKLY comes out September 21, 2015, and I have two other books with to-be-released dates. Right now I’m working on book four in the Treasure Chronicles.

What is one piece of advice that you wish you had known when you started out as an author?

Edit with critique partners! It’s nice having family read a rough draft, but you need a critique partner, who will be honest and knows about the business.

Thank you so much for talking with me today, Jordan!!

You can read more about Amethyst Treasure in GEARS OF BRASS, a steampunk anthology from Curiosity Quills Press available now from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Jordan Elizabeth, formally Jordan Elizabeth Mierek, is the author of ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW, available from Curiosity Quills Press. Check out Jordan’s website, JordanElizabethMierek.com, for contests and book signing locales. Jordan is represented by Belcastro Agency and she is president of the Utica Writers Club.

Giveaway:

No blog tour is complete without a giveaway. Enter below for a chance to win a paperback copy of GEARS OF BRASS.

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