Thursday, September 20, 2012

Character Interview + Giveaway: Theta from The Diviners


As part of the promotional blog tour for Libba Bray's The Diviners, I have the pleasure of welcoming rising star Theta to Supernatural Snark today. To borrow a word from main character Evie, I'm "pos-i-toot-ly" thrilled to have Theta here to answer a few questions about what it's like to make a living on stage as a Ziegfeld Girl in New York City in the 1920's, but you'll want to be sure and visit the other participating blogs as well to get more character interviews and inside scoop on life during the time:

9/17 - Evie visits Forever Young Adult
9/18 - Sam visits The Book Smugglers
9/19 - Memphis visits Good Books and Good Wine
9/20 - Theta visits me
9/21 - Uncle Will visits Novel Novice

Let's all give a huge round of applause for Theta! *stands up and claps*

When you walked into the theatre for the first time and saw the stage, what ran through your mind?

Gee, that’s a lot bigger than the Palace back in Kansas City.

If you had five minutes alone with Flo to tell him every idea you and Henry have for the show knowing he would listen and take them under advisement, what’s the first thing you’d suggest?

I’d tell him to get rid of those jokes that were stale before my mother was born (whoever she was). Then I’d tell him to head uptown to the clubs to see what’s really hot, fellas like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong. He should give a listen to records by Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey or to songs by Harold Arlen and George & Ira Gershwin. Naturally, I’d give a plug for my pal, Henry—not the Dumbdora songs Hen has to write to keep our rent paid but the beautiful, secret songs he’s always scribbling down in the middle of the night. Last but not least, I’d tell Flo to can that tomato, Daisy Goodwin he put in the big number: She can’t act; she can’t dance; and she sure can’t sing—a real triple threat.

What aspect of your elaborate costumes do you love most? Like least?

You call those skimpy glad rags costumes? It’s barely enough material to cover a flea’s a—um, a flea’s derriere. And the headpieces weigh a ton! Pal, if it were up to me, I’d be performing in my pajamas every night.

If Henry was going to write two songs about your life, one from the time before you met him and one from the time after, what might the title of each song be?

Before: “I Got Them Stuck-in-Kansas-With-A-No-Good-Man-Need-To-Get-Out Blues.”

After: “Everything’s Jake (Knock Wood).”

The title of a Ziegfeld girl is something a lot of young girls dream of attaining. What advice might you have for someone who longs to join you onstage under the bright lights?

Move to the left kid. The spotlight’s mine.

Thanks so much for popping in Theta! More information about this fabulous book (read my review HERE) can be found at these links:

The Diviners Series Website
The Diviners on Facebook

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the fantastic people at Little, Brown I have a truly amazing giveaway for you guys today. Included in this epic prize pack is not only a signed finished copy of The Diviners, but also a Diviners necklace, a 1920's headband and a few Bit O' Honeys (I've never had one of these, but anything with sugar in it is a win with me!). To enter, please just leave a comment telling me one aspect of life in the roaring twenties you would have loved to experience - the fashion, the music, the shows, etc. and be sure to include a valid email address so I can contact you if you win. This giveaway is open to US residents only and will run through Friday, September 28th after which time a winner will be chosen and emailed. Good luck everyone!


THE DIVINERS

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City–and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult–also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."
 

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer–if he doesn't catch her first.


60 comments:

  1. I would have loved to experience the fashion! Thanks for the giveaway!
    amandarwest at gmaildotcom

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  2. I would've loved the music!! The fashion isn't really my thing, I'm not very gamine. Thanks for the giveaway. Lindseyaylward@yahoo.com

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  3. The fashion, the music, the dancing...everything! Thanks so much for the giveaway, this story sounds incredible!

    mcrs_venin(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  4. What a wonderful post! That's why I love character Interviews so much, they get you a feel about the tone of the book! The whole world sounds so lush, now I know why you and Pushy are so excited about this book!

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  5. The fashion was absolutely gorgeous of course, and I would have loved to visit a speakeasy!
    kyoto.now at gmail dot com

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  6. I would love to experience the fashion! And the parties back then. So that would include music too. :D

    -Len of Musings of a Reader Happy
    maidenveil(at)gmail(dot)com

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  7. True story: when I was really young, my mom taught me a dance that she learned from HER mom, back in the twenties called 'The Black Bottom' - almost as famous as the Charleston was. Anyway, since my grandmother died before I was born, it was special to me to learn the dances of that time period from my mom. AND I have one awesome tinted pic of my grandmother in a short, short dress with her hair in one of those 20's boy cuts - it was 1923 and she was *expecting* my mother (though you couldn't tell in the pic lol).

    SO - I've long been fascinated by the wild music and the dance frenzy from that time, thanks to learning the Black Bottom many years ago <3

    I also loved a very awesome book from that time, called *Chickie* - I think they may still have a few vintage copies on Amazon. It was such a neat romance novel, written from so long ago.

    Thank you for this very sweet giveaway, I'd love to read The Diviners <3

    GFC: Mary DeBorde M.A.D.
    zenrei57 at hotmail dot com

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  8. This is such a great giveaway! Thank you!

    I would have loved to experience the fashion, the short hair, the music and the literature. I think I would have loved it! :)

    Chris327@mac.com

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  9. I love movies so I'm going to go with visiitng the speakeasies. I also think it would be cool to meet F.Scott Fitzgerald too. His books beautifully capture that time period so well.

    rummanaha at hotmaildotcom

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  10. I loved the interview and thanks for the giveaway!

    bwithbite at gmail dot com

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  11. OMG seriously awesome contest.
    Perhaps I should try this book soon.
    GREAT post.
    (not an entry)

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  12. PS I bet BitoHoney is great with coffee.

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  13. I love character interviews! Still not sure if this book is for me but it's certainly on my radar! (Not an entry)

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  14. I don't know much about the roaring twenties. Only what our social studies teacher taught us. The only thing I know for sure is the abundance of cars. ROAR Hahahaha. Great post, Jenny ;D

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  15. The shows! The fashion! I don't know, every bit of it fascinates me!
    That little interview with Theta has me thinking there's no way I can wait till next year to read this book, I'm chomping at the bit to get my hands on the book NOW! And what a fab giveaway! I'm keeping my fingers crossed cause I SO need to win this one!
    candace_redinger at Yahoo dot com

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  16. I would LOVE to experience the fashion, every looked so dapper and I think I would just love dressing like that every day. I probably wouldn't want to actually live in the 1920s (I like technology too much) but I sure would love to visit. Thanks for the giveaway! :)

    my email is soundselena (at) gmail (dot) com.

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  17. How awesome that you got to be part of the blog tour. Jealous! I would have loved to wear the clothes. And the music.
    alisoncanread at gmail dot com

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  18. I keep getting more and more excited for this book, eek! (not an entry)

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  19. The fashion of the 1920s would definitely be fun to experience but I'm sure like all things, eventually I'd get sick of it and want to wear pajamas too. Great interview, Jenny!

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  20. About about the whole Great Gatsby life!

    books4susie@aol.com

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  21. Oh I think the fashion and music were my fave aspects of that time. Love the vid and I'll move over... but I'm next in the spotlight. ;)

    Would love to win. Jenny convinced me yesterday that I wanna... ;)
    books (dot) things (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  22. Oh my gosh I had forgotten about Theta, so many characters to keep track of in this one. I absolutely adored the way Ms. Bray brought the full flavor of the roaring twenties to light in this book. So many expressions and such that I had never heard before.

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  23. I do like character interviewer :D It's the best way to get under the skin of characters :)

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  24. Theta seems like SUCH a wonderful character that I just HAVE to meet, Jenny! I'm not one for fashion, but I do think the style back then would have been tremendously fun to experience although I'd be yearning for my comfortable jeans for sure. You've made me so excited to start this one, Jenny! If I hadn't just received a slew of upcoming ARCs, this one would have been right on my list after Crown of Embers, so I can't wait to read this soon! :D Wonderful character interview, dear! You always ask such phenomenal questions! ;)

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  25. I would have loved the fashion in the twenties.
    ElleDrumheller@gmail dot com

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  26. Absolutely the fashion!!

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

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  27. I love the 20's dialect of Theta and can't wait to read this one. This one is yet another one staring at me from my bookshelf...one of those fab BEA scores that have been sorely neglected recently!

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  28. I would have loved to experience the fashion.
    molly dot frenzel at gmail dot com

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  29. I would have loved being a flapper girl and learning all the fun dances in the twenties! I also would have loved to watch the Ziegfield Girls Shows on stage. Thanks for an exciting giveaway! My email address is Lindytgomez@gmail.com

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  30. I vow to start using the word derrière more often. ;) Thanks for sharing the lovely interview with Theta! I'm very intrigued by her character and look forward to finding out more when I read the book.

    Great post, Jenny! :)

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  31. Great post and I'm looking forward to reading The Diviners. I love the fashion, the clothes were fantastic, especially those flapper dresses. I also love the art deco style in buildings and furnishings. And Bit O'Honey's are great, you can usually get them during Halloween candy time. They're honey-flavored taffy with almond bits in them, yummy.

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

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  32. The fashion. I would love to see how it was, especially after reading the first 262 pages of The Diviners. :D

    spoonwood [at] naver *DOT* com

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  33. I would love to experience the music. Please enter me in contest. I am a follower and email subscriber. Tore923@aol.com

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  34. The fashion, especially the hats : ) supergirlbn18@aol.com

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  35. The fashion! Loved it all :D

    katvela12345 At hotmail Dot com!

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  36. I would have to say the music. It was unique! Thanks for the giveaway. compelledbywords@live.com

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  37. I really love the fashion of the roaring twenties, especially the headbands. Great character interview and music taste (makes me think of the jazz history class I took). I look forward to reading The Diviners. Thank you for the awesome giveaway :)
    amethystfaerieATmsnDOTcom

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  38. As a musician it would be the music of the "Roaring Twenties" that interests me most.. It's the beginning of the "Jazz" era. A change in attitudes, and a change in styles.

    NoraAdrienne(at)gmail(dot)com

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  39. Definitely the music! I would have loved to go to a speakeasy and hang out with all the bad boys there!

    I have to say that the trailer above totally freaked me out! It's about midnight and I'm up all alone and it scared the pants off of me, which bodes well for the book! I'm really psyched to read it after watching that! Now, if I can just get that creepy music out of my head so I can go to bed without the crazy dreams I'm sure I'll have .... thanks a lot, Libby!! lol

    jwitt33 at live dot com

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  40. Thanks for a fun post and giveaway! I'd have to say the music and dancing ;) The dancing clubs would be awesome to visit!

    efender1(at)gmail(dot)com

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  41. I would have loved the parties with the fashion and the music! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!!

    stephward84(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  42. I would have loved the fashion, music, and parties! I think I would have been a flapper, since I love to dance :D. Thanks for this amazing giveaway.
    email: ssweett_rebelde@hotmail.com

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  43. I think I would like the fashion best.
    Thanks for the contest!
    mdondero@sprynet.com

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  44. The fashion!! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

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  45. Oh that was awesome and I haven't even met her yet in the Diviners. I'm not very far along. Of course I'm not entering, but I loved that interview!

    Heather

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  46. I'd love to experience the movie culture! It's so classic, so elegant.

    This book sounds awesome:)

    Thank you:)

    ccfioriole at gmail dot com

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  47. I would've loved the shows!!!
    Thanks :)
    cassinz10 at gmail dot com

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  48. Thanks for the great interview, I look forward to meet Theta, she's definitely something ! I'm hoping my copy of The Diviners will arrive soon :)

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  49. I would have loved the fashion (flappers!) and the music and the dancing. What a wonderful time period to experience! Thanks! kbackhaus@manitowoc.org

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  50. I appreciate the interview! Styles in fashion during the 20s would be fun to try, but I think the music would be my favorite aspect of the time. Every era has it's unique style of music and that fascinates me. I can't wait to read this book!

    wendyrailey@yahoo.com

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  51. Heather Miller curlysueshi@yahoo.comSeptember 22, 2012 at 11:22 AM

    I would have loved to experience the entertainment of this era! Shows such as the Ziegfeld follies of course, and the outrageous parties with everyone dressed to the nines. Such decadence and glitz!

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  52. Awesome interview! Love the trailer. (not an entry)

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  53. DEFINITELY the fashion. I'm not normally a "fashion" type of girl, but OMG I love flapper dresses to death. ;)

    Great great GREAT giveaway! Can't wait to read this book!

    Sierra @ Yearning to Read
    organica_11@hotmail.com

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  54. Definitely the music...or fashion...or music?! When I watched the 20's scenes in Midnight in Paris I swooned. Thanks for the giveaway :)

    Cornucopiaofreviews (at) gmail (dot) com

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  55. I'm dying to really understand the fashion. Exoticism and chinoiserie was at its height so some of the pictures I've seen make me go "did people really wear that?"

    Poisongrl@sbcglobal.net

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  56. I seriously love 1920s fashion. There's just something about it that I like, although I'm not quite sure what that "something" is. Anyway, thank you for the giveaway!

    :).

    lisalueddecke at yahoo dot com.

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  57. I think I'd love to dance and drink bootleg liquor at a speakeasy:) With Evie, Theta and Henry of course:)

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  58. The refined ambiance and clothing would be enough for me to bask in!

    ashtreygonesmokeya@yahoo.com

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  59. The Fashion!!
    Tia
    videoclimber(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  60. Definitely the dancing :)

    kxw116[at]gmail.com

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