5 Magical Twinchantment Facts + GIVEAWAY!
Get ready for a world filled with twin princesses, dark magic, and intriguing creatures. Twinchantment is out today from Disney-Hyperion, and we’re celebrating in a HUGE way. Author Elise Allen is sharing 5 magical facts about the book, and we’re giving away an enchanting Twinchantment Prize Pack!
A Note From the Author:
Thanks for checking out my Fun Facts! One more thing: to celebrate Twinchantment’s release – and in honor of my favorite writing spot — I went to Disneyland with my daughter Maddie and her friend Casey. We took pictures and videos for a YAYOMG! Instagram takeover (and we did it in advance because my daughter assured me I couldn’t be trusted to handle social media in real time), so check that out at @yayomgofficial! (If you miss it – it’ll be in their Story Highlights!)
YAYOMG! is hosting a seriously awesome giveaway for the book release. Scroll down for your chance to enter to win a copy of Twinchantment and a Potion Purple Mini Backpack!
Author Elise Allen Shares 5 Magical Twinchantment Facts:
- I wrote most of the book at Disneyland
-
Yup, it’s among my favorite places to write! When Twinchantment started, I was on the writing staff of the Disney Junior show The Lion Guard, which meant I was an official Disney cast member. This was a major dream come true because it entailed me receiving a Silver Pass – an I.D. card that got three guests and myself into any of the Disney parks… for free! (“Silver Pass” is actually not the accurate name for what I had – it’s just what I’d always heard it called. Technically I think I had a “Blue Main Gate Entry Pass For Cast Member And Guests,” but that name has way less pixie dust. I’m sticking with “Silver Pass”.)
So every time I had the chance, I’d grab my daughter and one or two of her friends, bring us all to Disneyland, then let them hang at the parks and do their thing while I plugged in my laptop, pulled on my noise-canceling headphones and wrote… with periodic ride breaks throughout the day. I have several preferred writing spots at Disneyland, but first and foremost is upstairs at The Golden Horseshoe. There are outlets, tables and chairs, it’s never crowded, and when it’s hot outside… the place is blissfully air-conditioned.
- Over the past decade, I have become Twinundated (inundated with twins)
-
Growing up, I was always fascinated by twins (I mean… who isn’t?), but I didn’t really know any, nor were there any in my family. And while my own kid is an only child, she seems to be a twin magnet. Two of her closest friends from preschool are identical twins; two of her closest friends from Kindergarten are fraternal twins, and soon after she was born I would up with fraternal twins as stepsisters (long story, but it has a happy ending). That’s three pairs of twins suddenly in my regular orbit, and I owe them all a big thank you. They all taught me things that helped me navigate the complexities of Flissa and Sara’s relationship
- It’s all in the names (and my love of Harry Potter)
-
One of the zillions of things I love about J.K. Rowling is the way she plays with the names of people and things. The “pensieve” is a thing that helps you dive into memories, but it also makes you “pensive,” and thoughtful. Narcissa Malfoy’s name tells you she thinks quite highly of herself and her family, like a narcissist.
I played with a little of that in Twinchantment, though some of the names may or may not be leading you astray. “Rouen,” for example, certainly sounds like a character who’s plotting our heroines’ “ruin,” just like the first syllable of Maldevon’s name absolutely signals that he shouldn’t be trusted. They’re signposts, but are they truthful, or misleading? I’m not sayin’. It’s all in the book!
- Raya the Lion was originally Phloughy the Goldendoodle
-
When Flissa and Sara go into the Twists (not really a spoiler alert – it’s on the book jacket summary), they encounter a supremely intimidating lion named Raya. I don’t want to give away too much, but suffice it to say Raya is a serious problem for our heroines. Originally, however, I wanted Raya to seem much less daunting than she actually is.
I named her Phloughy – pronounced “Fluffy” – and made her an almost impossibly adorable Goldendoodle puppy. I had a whole scene that I loved where this ridiculously cute, tiny, “fluffy” dog got more and more annoyed because no one would take her seriously. I laughed out loud the whole time I was writing it, and couldn’t wait for my editor (Kieran Viola a.k.a. Kieran Scott, an awesome author in her own right) to read it… but she was nowhere near as amused as I was.
Instead, she pointed out that Raya comes in at a pretty dramatic point in the book, and I was doing the book a disservice by undercutting it with the whole Phloughy thing. She was right and I changed it, but Phloughy the super-adorable but super-tough puppy still amuses me to no end, and I might have to find a place for her in the sequel, Untwisted.
- Three of my favorite characters weren’t even in the first draft of the book.
-
Whenever I do school visits, I show off the folder with all the drafts of my latest novel… and it’s always an eye-poppingly large number of files. That’s because writing is great and all, but to me, the magic comes in rewriting. Sure, getting words on a blank page is an incredible pendulum ride between joy and despair, but it’s only after that the real fun begins.
When I rewrite, I always find characters and moments so integral to the story that I’m stunned I ever thought the story was complete without them. Twinchantment in particular was a second draft book. It’s also my first Fantasy novel (magic, dragons, a faraway land… I think that qualifies it as Fantasy, right?), so it took a while for me to crack. My first draft writing process was basically me running around my house, yanking out my hair, screaming “AAAA!!!! The deadline is coming! Just get something on the page!!!!”
Gus, Klarney, and Loriah were all second draft characters, which now seems crazy – how could I have ever imagined Twinchantment without them? The moral of the story? Embrace the rewrite! It’s totally your friend!
Since I took WAAAAAY too many pictures, you can also check some out the gallery above.
Finally, I love hearing from readers, so if you want to reach out and say hi, or ask for Disneyland tips, you can find me at my website; on Twitter @EliseLAllen, or on Instagram @EliseLAllen1.
Thanks again – hope you enjoy Twinchantment!
Twinchantment Prize Pack Giveaway:
WHAT DO I WIN?:
ONE lucky winner will receive a Twinchantment Prize Pack! The prize pack includes:
– ONE (1) copy of Twinchantment by Elise Allen
– ONE (1) Minnie Mouse Potion Purple Mini-Backpack from Loungefly
HOW DO I ENTER?:
Grab a parent or guardian and have them fill out the form below by April 23, 2019 at 11:59pm ET.
Giveaway runs from 4/09/19 at 02:00 pm ET through 4/23/19 at 11:59 pm. Open to US residents ONLY. Be sure to read the fully detailed rules HERE before entering.
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND THE WINNER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.
*You must be 18 or older to enter. Please, only ONE entry per person. If selected as a winner, we will provide your parent/guardian with an affidavit to confirm that you are a valid winner who has permission to win. They will be REQUIRED to sign and return the affidavit to YAYOMG! to claim your prize. Prizes will not be mailed out without signed parental consent.
Need even more amazing reads in your life? Click here for lots of amazing recommendations!
