Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein Blog Tour + Giveaway

Becoming Jinn
Author: Lori Goldstein
Publisher: Feiwel + Friends
Publication Date: April 21, 2015

Synopsis:

Forget everything you thought you knew about genies!
Azra has just turned sixteen, and overnight her body lengthens, her olive skin deepens, and her eyes glisten gold thanks to the brand-new silver bangle that locks around her wrist. As she always knew it would, her Jinn ancestry brings not just magical powers but the reality of a life of servitude, as her wish granting is controlled by a remote ruling class of Jinn known as the Afrit.

To the humans she lives among, she’s just the girl working at the snack bar at the beach, navigating the fryer and her first crush. But behind closed doors, she’s learning how to harness her powers and fulfill the obligations of her destiny.

Mentored by her mother and her Zar “sisters”, Azra discovers she may not be quite like the rest of her circle of female Jinn . . . and that her powers could endanger them all. As Azra uncovers the darker world of becoming Jinn, she realizes when genies and wishes are involved, there’s always a trick.

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Becoming Jinn Playlist

When I’m writing, listening to music with words distracts me from the words I’m trying to extract from my brain and get down on the page. And yet pure silence causes my mind to wander. My sweet spot is listening to instrumental music, sometimes classical, sometimes something like Bonobo, but most often, it’s one thing played on repeat: the Downton Abbey soundtrack.

I listened to those songs nonstop while writing Becoming Jinn and they’ve become the soundtrack to my writing life (minus the few songs with vocals!). The two albums together last for almost two hours, and when the first few notes sound, I’m instantly in writing mode. The familiarity and repetition allow me to push out all other distractions and focus solely on my writing. 

While I don’t have a playlist that I’ve listened to while writing or revising Becoming Jinn, the playlist here is a musical journey through the novel. Each song in this list represents a pivotal scene in the book in chronological order. I’ve kept it spoiler-free, so you’ll have to see once you read the novel if you can you figure out which scenes the songs toward the end go with. And here’s a link to a Spotify playlist with them all: https://play.spotify.com/user/lorigoldsteinbooks/playlist/46n9E5IBJuF0SSHLzXbjOm 

1. Not Ready to Make Nice by the Dixie Chicks – When Azra wakes up to find her life changed and she’s now tied to the Afrit, she doesn’t give herself over to this life easily: “I'm not ready to make nice; I'm not ready to back down; I'm still mad as hell, and I don't have time; To go 'round and 'round and 'round.” 

2. You Make Me Feel by Cobra Starship – I cannot hear this song without picturing a room full of people dancing and having a blast at a party. While that’s not exactly the party scene in Becoming Jinn, this still fits for me: “You make me feel so; La la la la la….” 

3. My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson – The friendships Azra begins to develop with Henry in a couple of important scenes couldn’t be summed up better: “You got a piece of me; And honestly; My life (my life) would suck (would suck) without you.” 

4. Pompeii by Bastille – Toward the middle of the book Azra grants a wish, but it doesn’t turn out the way she hopes. It’s her first real glimpse into the responsibilities associated with being Jinn: “How am I gonna be an optimist about this?” 

5. Feel Again by One Republic – A brief moment of calm precedes the storm that Azra faces at the end of the book that leads into book 2. The happiness in this song is what Azra feels before tragedy strikes: “I'm feeling better ever since you know me; I was a lonely soul but that's the old me; A little wiser now from what you've shown me; Yeah, I feel again; Feel again...” 

6. Smile by Mikky Echo – There’s a scene toward the end of the book in which Azra is hit with the weight of something that happened in her past and it hits her hard. But as this song says “the worst is yet to come.” 

7. Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons – And then the worst comes. The lyrics here are perfect for what Azra must face: “Oh, you tell me to hold on; But innocence is gone; And what was right is wrong.” 

8. I Won’t Back Down, version by Johnny Cash – Azra at the end of Becoming Jinn, ready for what’s to come in book 2: “There ain’t no easy way out; I’ll stand my ground; and I won’t back down.” 

About the Author

My debut novel, the Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy Becoming Jinn, is a modern spin on the traditional tale of wish-granting genies. It will be released on April 21, 2015, by Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s. The sequel will follow in Spring 2016. I am represented by Lucy Carson of The Friedrich Agency.

Too much of my day involves chatting books, obsessing over The Vampire Diaries, and perfecting the art of efficient writing through Twitter. Find me at @loriagoldstein and follow my blog at www.lorigoldsteinbooks.comor my Tumblr at http://lorigoldsteinbooks.tumblr.com. Like my author page on Facebook for fun book-related photos, tidbits, and happenings as well as news on Becoming Jinn.

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Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein Blog Tour + Giveaway