The time it was about The Hearts We Sold

I signed up for the blog tour of The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones before I had even read it.  Between the cover and the synopsis, I felt like there was no way I was going to do anything but obsessively love the book. And I was right.  I absolutely devoured and loved the story and it’s probably going to be one of my top books for the year.

Before we get to Emily’s interview, let’s check out the book!

Title: The Hearts We Sold
Author: Emily Lloyd-Jones
Pub. Date: August 8, 2017
Publisher:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 400
Find it: Little, Brown | Indiebound | B&N | Amazon | Goodreads

When Dee Moreno makes a deal with a demon—her heart in exchange for an escape from a disastrous home life—she finds the trade may have been more than she bargained for. And becoming “heartless” is only the beginning. What lies ahead is a nightmare far bigger, far more monstrous than anything she could have ever imagined.

With reality turned on its head, Dee has only a group of other deal-making teens to keep her grounded, including the charming but secretive James Lancer. And as something grows between them amid an otherworldy ordeal, Dee begins to wonder: Can she give someone her heart when it’s no longer hers to give?

In THE HEARTS WE SOLD, author Lloyd-Jones returns with a complex, thought-provoking Faustian tale for the modern age that will capture your heart. With horror elements and fantasy elements set in a recognizable, semirealistic world, THE HEARTS WE SOLD is a great fit for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black. The book also features a diverse breadth of topics, ranging from sexuality, transgender transitions, race, and familial abuse.

“Readers will devour this romantic, Faustian fable. A dark fantasy brimming with passion and peril.” –Kirkus Reviews

Sounds good, right?

1. Please give the elevator pitch for The Hearts We Sold.

In a world where limbs can be traded for wishes, a girl loses her heart for the chance of a future.

2. What sparked the idea?

My big idea for this novel began with a daydream. A teenage girl meets a demon to make a trade—one of those ill-fated deals I loved so much in fiction. The kind of deal that would likely turn out badly and the girl knew it. But she’d make the deal regardless.

As this scenario played out in my head, I asked myself, “What does this girl want? And what is she willing to give up in order to get it?”

Escape, I thought. She’s running from something.

And I thought about my own teenage years—as terrible as most teenage years usually are. A time of transition and uncertainty and so much fear.

If a demon had offered me the chance to escape my own life, what would I have been willing to trade?

The answer came to me at once: I’d have carved out my own heart.

That rather grisly thought had the ring of truth about it. And if there’s anything I’ve learned as a writer, it’s that true things make the best speculative fiction.

3. Why do you love Dee and why should we root for her?

I love Dee because she’s a mess. And she’s well aware of it.

Like most people coming out of abusive situations, she’s focused on one thing: Survival. And that means she has some unhealthy coping techniques. She isn’t close friends with anyone, lies to keep her past a secret, and makes demonic deals. But there’s also a warm streak to her; she wants to connect sometimes, even if she isn’t sure how.

4. What was the weirdest thing you Googled while researching?

I’m pretty sure I’m at least one watch list because of the things I’ve Googled in the name of research. For this book, it was probably “process of body decay” and “length of time before a filing missing person report.” I probably shouldn’t have searched those terms in the same week.

5. Without spoilers, what was your favorite scene to write?

I love all of the scenes with Gremma. She is Dee’s roommate and by far the snarkiest character in the whole book. Unrepentant, pushy, and fiercely protective of those she cares about, Gremma ended up being my favorite side character.

Speed {ish} round:

1. You find out that you’re being published for the first time. Describe the next 5 minutes.

I stumble into work and promptly start shrieking, “Book! Book! Sold book!” to my coworkers’ delight and my customers’ confusion.

2. What three things would you take to a desert island?

An iced pumpkin spice latte, a book, and a cell phone so I can call for help when I want to go home.

3. You can only read one book for the rest of your life. What is it?

Either the Harry Potter series (yes I count that as one) or the Bartimaeus Sequence trilogy.

4. What book character would you want to date and who would you want to be your BFF?

This is going to make me sound so old but one of my first literary crushes was Numair from the Tamora Pierce books. (Swoon.) In terms of best friends, I feel like Ginny Weasley would be pretty amazing.

5. What is the one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

It’s 90% waiting and 10% WAAAAAH EVERYTHING’S MOVING SO QUICKLY.

6. You wake up and discover you are Bella in Twilight. You know how it plays out. What do you do differently? {Huge thanks to Bookish Broads for letting me use this question}

“Hi, dad? Yeah, I’ve decided I’m staying in Phoenix.”

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Emily Lloyd-Jones grew up on a vineyard in rural Oregon, where she played in evergreen forests and learned to fear sheep. After graduating from Western Oregon University with an English degree, she enrolled in the publishing program at Rosemont College just outside of Philadelphia. She currently resides in Northern California, working in a bookstore by day and writing by night.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

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Huge thanks to the ladies at Rockstar Book Tours for the invite and to Emily for taking the time! Make sure you’re checking out the rest of the blog tour and keep scrolling for a giveaway!

**Good Luck!!**

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