Blog Tour: Circle of Jinn by Lori Goldstein + Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on Circle of Jinn tour for Lori Goldstein. This tour is hosted by Fantastic Flying Book Club.

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Circle of Jinn
Author: Lori Goldstein
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: May 17 2016
Review Source: Feiwel & 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.

10 Random Facts about the Series

1. The name Azra was inspired by a real-life news report of an infant baby pulled from the rubble of an earthquake in Turkey in 2011. Both she and her mother miraculously survived.
2. The Jinn are a real-life spirit creature core to the beliefs of cultures in North Africa and the Middle East. Lore about the Jinn spans centuries.
3. Names from my own family populate Becoming Jinn and Circle of Jinn, from my grandmothers to my sister to my friends to my first cat (who was also demonic as is the Slinky in the book).
4. Other names were chosen for what they mean: those inclined, look up Henry Carwyn and Nathan Reese.
5. The beach where Azra works is based on my favorite beach in Massachusetts: Crane Beach in Ipswich.
6. I am a huge Vampire Diaries fan. There are veiled references to the show throughout both books (hybrid, anyone?).
7. The bangles featured on the covers were purchased in the retail chain Ten Thousand Villages.
8. Azra loves a food I love: mint chocolate chip ice cream.
9. Azra loves a food I hate: coffee.
10. The first page and the last page of Becoming Jinn never changed from the day I signed with my agent. Ditto for Circle of Jinn.

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My debut novel, the Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy Becoming Jinn, is a modern spin on the traditional tale of wish-granting genies. The sequel, Circle of Jinn, releases May 17, 2016 (Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan).


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.com, my Tumblr athttp://lorigoldsteinbooks.tumblr.com, or my Instagram athttp://www.instagram.com/lorigoldstei....


Like my author page on Facebook for fun book-related photos, tidbits, and happenings as well as news on Becoming Jinn.


I am represented by Lucy Carson of The Friedrich Agency.

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Book Review: Circle Of Jinn by Lori Goldstein

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Circle Of Jinn
Becoming Jinn #2
Author: Lori Goldstein
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: May 17 2016
Review Source: Feiwel & 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.

Azra is still trying to figure out how to be a Jinn. She's learning that granting wishes isn't that easy, she's also learning that granting peoples wishes might make a deeper connection between her and the people she's granted wishes for. On top of that she has to deal with the possible uprising that might be happening because of the Afrit's rule and their plans for the future.

New characters in existing stories are always my favorite, and when they become my favorite character it's even better! Zak! He's amazing and his role in this story is one that is unforgettable. At first warding Azra from the troubles that might happen from not granting wishes, only to turn into a central piece of the game. It was amazing seeing how he played his part.

I would've loved for there to be more action with what was happening with the Afrit. I'm hoping the next book will be all action. Yes I love the love scenes - but sometimes the characters you wanted to get together were driving you insane and not getting together. So I wanted the action to distract me from the romance that was always on the fence!

Book Blast: Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein + Giveaway

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Becoming Jinn
Becoming Jinn #1
Author: Lori Goldstein
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: April 21 2015
Review Source: Feiwel & Friends

One of the Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror of 2015 by VOYA Magazine

Harry Potter meets Twilight in debut novelist Lori Goldstein’s magical tale of sixteen-year-old Azra, a teenage girl whose Jinn ancestry transforms her into a modern-day genie. With the power to grant anyone’s wish but her own, Azra pretends to be human, spending her days at the beach, enjoying a budding romance, and evading her Jinn destiny. But when she discovers she may not be like the rest of her circle of Jinn, will her powers save or endanger them all?

"This well-written title . . . will not stay on the shelf." -- VOYA Starred Review

"The only thing it left me wishing for was the sequel!" -- New York Times best-selling author Anna Banks

"A fresh, gently subversive tale with a new strain of paranormal problems at its core." -- B&N Teen Blog

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Born into an Italian-Irish family (hence the short temper and the freckles), Lori Goldstein up in a small town on the Jersey shore and now makes her home outside of Boston in a place close enough to the ocean that on the right day, she can smell the sea from her back deck, and yet it still takes an hour to get to the beach. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and worked as a writer, editor, and graphic designer before embracing her love of fictional people. When not writing or reading (preferably from a sandy local), Lori can be found chatting books,  obsessing over The Vampire Diaries, and perfecting the art of efficient writing through Twitter.

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Book Review: Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein

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Becoming Jinn
Becoming Jinn #1
Author: Lori Goldstein
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: April 21 2015
Review Source: Feiwel & Friends

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.

Azra has known that this day would be here her whole life. She just didn't want to believe that it would happen. Not wanting to become a wish granting Jinn like her ancestors, but there's really no way around it. After turning 16 she realizes that she may be more powerful than even she expected.

I enjoyed this book, I honestly really liked the different take on genies that was presented within this story. There's always the genies like the one in Aladdin, where obviously they explain that they want to be free. But this one takes you through the night of Azra turning 16. The book starts with her waking up to find the bracelets that indicate her place in the world. She thinks back to the night before if only to wish there was a way to get out of the bracelets. I liked this because in most of the other genie books that I have read they all are already 'slaves'.

I also liked the idea that once the bracelets were on and they were of age that their appearance changed. Honestly, I think I would be one of the girls happy that I turned 16. I'd love to have long gorgeous hair, darker skin complexion, and to be taller. It all sounds good to me, and I loved Azra's reaction to how it made her feel. Her fitful attempt at cutting her hair short, making the changes she would like to her body, just to have the power that's coursing through her bring it back to the standards of the Jinn.

This story goes takes readers on so many twists and turns, I wasn't able to guess what would happen next. And I love when a story is able to keep me guessing while I'm reading. It gets boring to guess the ending halfway through a book, so I was glad that this was not the case.

Blog Tour: Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein | Excerpt | Interview

Welcome to our stop on the Becoming Jinn tour for Lori Goldstein. This tour is hosted by Fantastic Flying Book Club.

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Becoming Jinn
Author: Lori Goldstein
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: April 21 2015
Review Source: Feiwel & Friends

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.

Excerpt

Chapter 1

A chisel, a hammer, a wrench. A sander, a drill, a power saw. A laser, a heat gun, a

flaming torch. Nothing cuts through the bangle. Nothing I conjure even makes a scratch.

I had to try, just to be sure. But the silver bangle encircling my wrist can’t be removed.

It was smart of my mother to secure it in the middle of the night while I was asleep,

unable to protest.

Though my Jinn ancestry means magic has always been inside me, the rules don’t allow

me to begin drawing upon it until the day I turn sixteen. The day I receive my silver

bangle. The day I officially become a

Today.

I slam my newly acquired accessory against my bedroom closet, leaving a rounded

indent on the wood door. The pristine, gleaming metal mocks me. For the rest of my

life, I’ll go where I’m told, perform on command, and do it all without question.

Screw that.

Barefooted, I can’t kick the pile of tools without impaling myself. I settle for shoving

the saw, but in the blade, a flash of gold reflects back at me. I’ve ignored the unusual

sensation of hairs tickling my bare shoulders all morning . . . the new tap, tap, tap of my

nails against the conjured metal . . . the hem of my pajama pants now flirting with my

calf. Ignored just in case. Just in case this bangle wasn’t here to stay. But even my talent

for denial is no match for my curiosity when it’s been piqued.

Standing at the bathroom mirror, my breath catches in my throat.

The deepening of my olive skin, the angling of my cheekbones, the lengthening of my

torso. I’ve seen them all before. On my mother, who wears them like she owns them.

Unlike me, who wears them like a rented Halloween costume.

Where did you get your inspiration for Becoming Jinn?

Becoming Jinn started with a character. I knew her before I knew the story I’d put her in. A few years ago, there was a devastating earthquake in Turkey. A mother and her infant daughter were pulled from the rubble and both miraculously survived. That baby’s name was Azra, which is my protagonist in Becoming Jinn. When I heard this beautiful name, I began to picture the world this girl would live in. YA paranormal and supernatural has always been a genre I loved, and in hearing this name and thinking of what would be a cool story for this girl, somehow it all sparked the idea of writing a book featuring Jinn, which for some reason I knew was the term for spirits derived from North African and Middle Eastern lore. A fan of contemporary, I decided to merge the fantasy elements with our modern world and drop Azra and her Jinn (genie) family into the world in which I live—quite literally into my home state of Massachusetts.

Tell me a little about a couple of characters in your book. What kind of personalities do they have?

My main character is Azra, and she’s snarky on the outside but vulnerable on the inside (which is where the sarcasm comes from, as it does for many of us). She’s strong, mentally and in her powers, but she resists this initially. As she forms relationships with her human friends and her Jinn sisters, she begins to accept who she is and what she is capable of. Azra’s best Jinn friend is Laila, who is sweet, generous, and loyal, having stood by Azra even when Azra wasn’t being someone necessarily worth standing by. And yet, Laila, to Azra’s surprise, isn’t the pushover she initially may appear to be. Azra’s human best friend is Henry, the boy next door with smarts and a sense of humor to rival Azra’s. They are kindred spirits, even if they are technically different species.

Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?

Inspired is the right word here because none of the characters are wholesale people from my own life. I may take a certain trait or quirk of someone I know and give that to one of my characters, but no one is ever a carbon copy. However, having a little piece of someone I know in a character helps that character come alive for me and is a great way to build what will become their unique personality. Once I have a foothold, I can turn them into entirely distinct individuals separate from their inspiration.

Do you incorporate yourself into your characters' personalities? If so, which character are you most like?

I think, like most authors, there are bits and pieces of people I know, including myself, in most of my characters. Personally, while it’s easy to think I’m most like Azra, my main character, I’m probably more like a cross between Azra and Laila. While I tend toward the use of sarcasm like Azra, she’s more defiant than I’d have the guts to be. I think I’m more like Laila with her quiet loyalty, but the ability to step up when need be, especially for my friends and family.

Which scene(s) did you enjoy writing the most?

I loved writing the ending. I knew what was going to happen from the very beginning, and once I got there, it was so much fun to write. It’s the one scene I’ll say “wrote itself.” And it matched what I had in my head from the very first one-page, plot-point outline I wrote, which is rare and pretty amazing—especially since it basically stayed the same from initial draft through final draft save for some very minor edits.What do you aim to teach your readers through your books?I want readers to have fun while reading—reading is an escape. It’s meant to be enjoyed and to take you some other place and away from real life for a bit. But I also want readers to return to that real life and feel like whatever they are going through, they aren’t alone. I think that feeling of being alone is something everyone, especially teens, feels—even ones who at first glance seem to be surrounded by friends. Internally, we all have our worries and struggles that make us feel alone, as do the characters in my books. I hope by reading about characters who ultimately come out the other side, it will help readers tackle the issues in their own life.
What one thing do you need to have when you write?

Tea. I drink so much tea, I should really have British blood in me instead of Italian.

Describe your book in 5 words?

Modern spin on wish-granting genies.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.

1. Being under five feet tall means I need a step ladder to reach the clothes in my dryer.

2. Half my shoes are technically kids’ shoes.

3. I eat almost anything, but the two foods I can’t stomach are celery and parsley.

4. I detest clutter.

5. I love The Vampire Diaries above all else.

What scene in Becoming Jinn are you most proud of, and why?

The first chapter because it was the most difficult for me to write. There’s a lot of pressure on first chapters, and they need to do so much. It took me weeks to get my first chapter to where it is, and there were times when I wanted to give up, but in the end I’m really proud of it and couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.

Thanks so much for having me!

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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.

Lori's hosting a pre-order giveaway. 

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