The Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY!

A little about Lisa:

Lisa Mangum has loved and worked with books ever since elementary school, when she volunteered at the school library during recess. Her first paying job was shelving books at the Sandy Library. She worked for  five years at Waldenbooks while she attended the University of Utah, graduating with honors with a degree in English. An avid reader of all genres, she has worked in the publishing department for Deseret Book  since 1997. Besides books, Lisa loves movies, sunsets, spending time with her family, trips to Disneyland, and vanilla ice cream topped with fresh raspberries. She lives in Taylorsville with her husband, Tracy.


Let's get down to the interview, shall we? Then scroll down, read the blub and find out how to win this book!

Thanks for coming over Lisa!

Tell us in one sentence about The Forgotten Locket.

In this exciting conclusion to the love story of Abby and Dante, Abby must travel to 16^th-century Italy in order to save Dante from destruction, restore her family to reality, and stop Zo from destroying all of time, but doing so will require her to journey beyond the origins the hourglass door.

Was it harder writing the first or last book of The Hourglass Door Trilogy?

Hands down, it was harder writing the last book of the series. I think it was due in part to the fact that during the writing process, I’d often say, “Ah, I’ll figure it out later. Save it for book 3.” But then when book 3 rolled around, I had to answer all these questions and tie up all these loose ends. That proved to be more challenging—and more rewarding—than I’d anticipated.

Which character would you like to spend the day with? Why?

This might surprise you, but I think I’d pick Leo. He was such an interesting character for me to get to know while I was writing the story and I think there is more to his story than even I know. Plus, he lived all those years through some of the most interesting times in history; I bet he has some wonderful stories to tell.

If a movie was made about your book, who would play the main character(s)?

Hmm, I might pick Ben Banks to play Dante. And one of my friends thinks that Ian Somerhalder would make the perfect Zo. As far as who would play Abby . . . maybe Emma Watson? I really have enjoyed her work in the Harry Potter movies. Or Emma Stone.

Are you a night owl or early bird?

Night owl. I am not a morning person (though oddly enough I do a lot of my best work in the morning) and I much prefer the evening hours.

Do you listen to music while you write?

Yes. I have a wide variety of music on my iPod that I listen to when I write—mostly pop and rock. Sometimes it helped to play a specific song during a specific scene to set the mood or enhance the emotion.

Do you have a favorite writing snack?

I usually don’t eat snacks while writing, though I do enjoy a hot bowl of popcorn while watching a movie after I’m done writing for the day.

If you had sixty seconds to grab something from your home, what would it be?

Assuming all my loved ones are safe (including my cat), I’d grab my computer, family photos, and my collection of Disney pins.

Is there one author or book who changed your writing or viewpoint?

On Writing. It was amazing to see how he approaches writing and to learn more about his path to becoming an author. Even though I don’t agree with everything he suggests, I learned a lot from him about the craft of writing.

Is there book that hasn't been written yet that you would like to read?

I’m eagerly awaiting A Dance of Dragons by George R. R. Martin. I’ve been waiting five years to read the next part of that story!

Any advice to aspiring writers?

My best advice comes from a quote I found at Disneyland: “Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. Don’t stop.” Don’t hurry through the process. Take time to learn your craft. Take time to enjoy the journey. Don’t worry if you make a mistake. Don’t worry if other people don’t understand. Most important of all, though, don’t stop.

What are your writing goals now?

I’m working on a new contemporary YA novel about sisters. And after that I have a fairy story I want to do. I don’t think I’ll ever run out of ideas. :)

 Thanks again, Lisa, for taking time to answer questions. 
Does anyone else have a question for Lisa?
Would you pick different actors for the characters?
How many of you had a book or author who changed your perspective?

The future is uncertain. The battle to control the past has begun. The final book in the riveting Hourglass Door trilogy begins when Abby steps through the black door, and she doesn't dare look back. Though it means leaving Dante—wounded, bleeding, and possibly blind—she knows it is the only way to save her family and stop Zo from manipulating the river of time and throwing the future into chaos. In the end, Abby must face a final confrontation that will take her to the very origins of the hourglass door.

The third and last book in the series, The Forgotten Locket, will make you want to reread the whole series. A good, clean young adult read!
The world in the Hourglass Door Trilogy is different than any I've read. I enjoyed reading the two worlds and I have to admit sometimes the intelligence of it all went over my head. But the time travel were intriguing.
I wanted to go back and read more about Leo and the relationships he has/makes from the beginning. I like reading about him, his past and the choices he made that rippled through time.
The love story is just right; not a tons of "poor us! how will we ever be together? Wah! Wah!" Their relationship was something they had to fight for, which strengthened it.
Zo is intense, charming and psycho. He tries everything to stop Dante and Abby and disrupt time.
A big part of the books that I LOVED was how important family was to the characters and story.

Rating: PG 13
V:Some fighting
L: None
S: Kissing

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25% test (p. 91):
""Interesting question. We'll have to save that impossible situation for another round." Orlando said with a grin.
I laughed. "And playing this game helped your brother sleep?"
"Actually, no, not very often," Orlando said. "What did work, though, was when we'd come down to the fireplace, and I would brew up a warm drink for him to help him sleep." Orlando nodded at the empty cup still in my hands. "He was particularly fond of Father's special tea, too. Though when I made it for my brother, I always mixed in a wish."
"A wish?" I repeated. A quiet memory chimed inside, a feeling of light and the taste of pink.
Orlando nodded. "He always took his wishes very seriously. He would stop and think for a long time about exactly what he wanted to wish for. And his working was always exact--it wasn't 'I wish for happiness,' but 'I wish for the sun to shine tomorrow so that the flowers will bloom and make Mother happy.'" He shook his head in fond memory. "He was always more concerned about other people then he was about himself."
"What kinds of things did you wish for?"
Orlando turned his attention to the fire, avoiding my gaze. "Oh, I never made a wish myself."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. Maybe it was because I didn't want to look at my life and see what was missing.  Once you identify what you lack, then it's all you see anymore. Wanting something  couldn't have would only lead to unhappiness, so I tried to be content with what I had."