Rockstar Tours: OF GLASS AND ASHES (T.M. Franklin), Interview & Giveaway! ~ US ONLY

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the OF GLASS AND ASHES by T.M. Franklin Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:

Title: OF GLASS AND ASHES (Magically Ever
After #3)
Author: T.M. Franklin
Pub. Date: May 16, 2023
Publisher: Calava Press
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 255
Find it: https://books2read.com/OF-GLASS-AND-ASHES

Buy direct from T.M. Franklin – https://store.tmfranklin.com/products/of-glass-and-ashes

Use the code ASHES10 at checkout to get 10% off. Or grab the
series bundle and get 20% off with the code BUNDLEME.

A glass blower with a unique ability. 

Ember Farrow breathes magic into every piece of glass she
makes. It’s a gift handed down through generations in her family of fire
elementals– all the way back to when her great-great-grandfather created
Cinderella’s slippers.

But then the slippers are stolen. . . and Ember is the prime
suspect.

An FBI agent determined to crack the case.

Every criminal claims to be innocent, and Agent Calder Ford
isn’t easily convinced. Still, his gut tells him there’s more to this case than
meets the eye . . . and the same goes for the fiery woman who challenges him at
every turn.

She may not be a crook, but she’s definitely hiding something
. . . and Ford’s going to figure out what it is.

A family legacy that could set the world on fire.

Ember must clear her name while hiding a dangerous family
secret: The slippers are more than a relic from a fairy tale. They have a dark
history and a deadly power of their own. As she and Ford follow the clues to
find them, she begins to fear the thief knows exactly what they have and how to
use them. 

If that’s the case, they’ll be coming for the only other
person on earth with that knowledge. 

Ember.

Interivew:

YABC Q&A

What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

I’ve always been interested in the darker side of fairy tales – the Brothers’ Grimm versions, or the Hans Christian Andersen version of The Little Mermaid where she doesn’t really get the Disney happily-ever-after we all know and love (which I explore in the second book in the series, Of Songs and Seashells).

When I thought about how I’d like to handle Cinderella, I knew I wanted it to be about the glass slippers, so that led me to the idea of the main character being a glass blower who was a descendant of the creator of Cinderella’s slippers. Then I thought, what if those slippers had a darker story? And what if Cinderella was not quite as innocent as we think?

And what if the descendant, Ember Farrow, was tasked with keeping all of that a secret, as were her father and grandfather before her? If the slippers were to be stolen, and she was a suspect, how could she balance keeping that secret with finding the slippers? That’s what we find out in Of Glass and Ashes.

Who is your favorite character in the book?

Ooh, that’s a tough one. My first instinct is to say Ember. She’s strong and independent, devoted to her family and to the greater good. She also has cool powers as a fire elemental, and doesn’t sit around and wait to be rescued. But at the same time, I kind of love Ford. He’s dedicated to his job and to justice, but he’s not a strictly by-the-book kind of FBI agent. His family always said he wasn’t a typical go-with-the-flow water elemental, but he does have an aspect of that. He follows his gut more than procedure. And his gut tells him Ember may not be guilty, but she’s definitely keeping secrets. He bends the rules a bit to get the job done and find the thief.

Which came first, the title or the novel?

The title came first, although I had the concept of the novel initially. The series is all set up to be Of _____ and ______ . . .  so Of Glass and Ashes was a natural fit. Glass is obvious, because Ember is a glass blower and of course the glass slippers play a huge part, and Ashes as an homage to Cinderella sleeping in the ashes. And of course Ember’s name is related to that as well. Ember is obvious, but Farrow is a surname that originally came Middle English and Old French terms for a blacksmith or ironworker.

What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

Ah, I love the climax – actually there are two climaxes. One is in the past, where Ember’s ancester, Henri Farrow teams up with the “fairy godmother” to stop Cinderella from wreaking havoc. The other is at the end of the book when Ember and Ford finally figure out who actually stole the slippers. I can’t give too much away, but Ember is definitely the hero of this fairy tale, and the way she stops the thief is something I’m particularly happy with.

Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

That you write for the people who enjoy your books. I used to get very bummed out when I’d get a negative review until my editor once said to me, “That person isn’t your audience.” Not everybody loves the same thing. It’s simple, but it’s important.

What do you like most about the cover of the book?

The covers for the whole series were designed by The Book Brander and I’m in love with them. They’re very magical and fairytale-esque. I love the image of the woman in the glass ball. It’s like a fortune teller’s crystal ball – or like the one the Wicked Witch of the West has in The Wizard of Oz and really adds to that surreal, magical feel. And then you have those subtle hands around the ball that you can barely see . . .  and you’re left wondering, “Who’s hands are those?” Love that!

What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2023?

It’s already out, but Emily Henry’s new one – Happy Place. I enjoy her books a lot and they’re great fun for summer.

What was your favorite book in 2022?

Oohh . . .  good question. I really enjoyed Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. I actually loved this whole series. Love it when I can binge right through a series!

What’s up next for you?

I have two sweet, small town romances I’m working on to finish up a series for my other penname, then back to fantasy, although I’m still trying to decide what’s up next. Either a soulmates AU maybe . . .  or I could return to my first trilogy, MORE. I have an idea for a couple of additional stories in that universe.

Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?

Oh drafting, for sure. It’s so easy. You just write. You don’t have to worry about whether what happened in Chapter Two conflicts with what happens in Chapter Eight. It flows and it’s fun and you can just let everything happen.

Then you have to go back and make sure everything makes sense!

What would you say is your superpower?

Turning coffee into words. LOL!

Is there anything that you would like to add?

No, just a big thank you to you, and to everyone who’s given my books a chance. 🙂

About T.M. Franklin:

T.M. Franklin writes stories of adventure, romance, & a
little magic. A former TV news producer, she decided making stuff up was more
fun than reporting the facts.

Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National
Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days. She’s
since written seventeen additional novels, as well as several bestselling short
stories…and there are always more on the way.

T.M. also writes Clean & Wholesome romance under the
penname Tami Franklin.

Connect with
T.M.- https://linktr.ee/tmfranklin

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive their choice of a $50 Gift Card from Amazon or Barnes & Noble, US Only.

Ends June 13th, midnight EST.

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