EJ: When did you begin writing?
Colleen: I always wanted to be a writer – in fact, in 4th grade I declared to my parents that I was going to write books. Being a novelist was always in my mind, but I had things to do, like graduate from college, get married, learn about wine, you know, important things. In 2007, I was living in St. Louis, working at an insanely busy florist. One night, after working late, I was driving home and the idea for Elly in Bloom (my other series) occured to me. That night I sat down and wrote the opening chapter, and the writer that always nestled under my heart came bursting out in a gloried, insane frenzy.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Colleen: There are definitely paranormal elements to Queen of Hearts. I have always been drawn to the darker, more macrabre side of stories. I like a little scare, a creep, an unanswered mystery. It was so gratifying to write them into Wonderland which is already a very strange place. Someday I would love to write a really good ghost story - it's on my bucket list.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Colleen: I would love to be able to move things with my mind, or with my hand. I would hope to be like Jean Grey, but I would probably turn out all power hungry like the kid from Chronicle.
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Colleen: I believe that Queen of Hearts is different than any other fairy tale retelling out there, simply because it's the story of a princess who became a villiain. We are going to see a girl being very, very bad and very, very heroic. I think that prism of her character will attract readers who are looking for a little bit more dimension in their characters and in their Wonderland.
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Colleen: I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to this, it's probably over-the-top. Dinah, without a doubt, would be cast as the extremely talented Mae Whitman, who stars in Parenthood. She was my inspiration for Dinah from the first pages of the novel. I would love to see maybe Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Wardley, Michael Caine as Harris and Tom Hiddleston as Cheshire.
Queen of Hearts (Queen of Hearts #1) by Colleen Oakes
Not every fairytale has a happy ending. This is the story of a princess who became a villain.
A Father’s Betrayal. A Kingdom with a Black Secret. A Princess Slowly Unraveling.
As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah’s days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts — and the love of her life.
When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she’s ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It’s up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe.
Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinahs furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath.
Familiar characters such as Cheshire, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter make their appearance, enchanting readers with this new, dark take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Release Date: February 14, 2014
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Happy release day Colleen! Thank you so much for sharing it here with us at From the Shadows.
To learn more about Colleen Oakes, please visit her website.
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