Blog Tour: The Treachery of Beautiful Things - Character Interview + Giveaway

I've got a treat for you guys today!  It's my stop on The Treachery of Beautiful Things Blog Tour, and the Faerie Realm's own Jack o' the Forest is here for an interview.  But first, a little about the author and the book:



A lifelong fan of fantasy, romance, and ancient mysteries, Ruth Frances Long studied English Literature, History of Religions, and Celtic Civilization in college and now works in a specialized library of rare and unusual books. She lives in County Wicklow, Ireland. The Treachery of Beautiful Things is her first novel for teens.

Find out more about Ruth Frances Long and her books:

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Title:  The Treachery of Beautiful Things
Author:  Ruth Frances Long
Series:  n/a
Publisher:  Dial Books
Publication Date:  August 16, 2012
Purchase:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A darkly compelling mix of romance, fairy tale, and suspense from a new voice in teen fiction.

The trees swallowed her brother whole, and Jenny was there to see it. Now seventeen, she revisits the woods where Tom was taken, resolving to say good-bye at last. Instead, she's lured into the trees, where she finds strange and dangerous creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with secrets of his own. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where stunning beauty masks some of the most treacherous evils, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice--and not just her own.

An Interview with Jack

So, Jack, without spoiling anything for those who haven't read your story yet, can you tell us how you came to be a Jack and what exactly a Jack is?

I came to be a Jack because I lost a war, and a love, through many failures—my own and others. To be a Jack is to be a slave, and to be forever cut off from yourself and what you truly are.


You go by many names -- Jack o' the Forest, Jack in Green -- but what name best suits you?  What name would you choose for yourself if given the opportunity?

I am simply Jack. That is, after all, what Jenny calls me.


Your loyalty is questioned time and again throughout this story, but in the end, Jenny seems to trust you.  What do you attribute that to?

Jenny’s heart is so great it gives her the ability to see things in others that they can no longer see in themselves.


Speaking of Jenny, what was your very first impression of her, faerie politics aside?

I noticed her freckles first, a small imperfection which made her so much more real. I saw that she was mortal, a brief flame, but that inwardly she is a fire beyond anything the Realm can kindle. Where she sees imperfection, I see all the wonderful things that make her unique.


In our world, we've heard many a tale spun about Puck, or Robin Goodfellow, as he is also known.  You consider him a friend, even though his loyalty ultimately lies with Oberon.  So, what's he really like?

Ah, the hobgoblin. Let me tell you about Puck and heed my words. You can only trust Puck if you have him tied in a sack, and even then he’ll lie to get you to let him out. But he means well, and would do good if he could. He’s the closest thing I have to a friend.


What's your favorite thing about the Faerie Realm?  Least favorite?

The Realm is my home, the place that made me. I cannot help but love it. To deny its beauty is to deny breathing. My least favorite thing is the way it corrupts good intentions and twists them until they decay into something dark and terrible. That, and its Queen.


Describe a typical day for a Jack.

I wake with a hole inside me, part of myself gone forever, as if I am trying to remember something I have lost. Throughout the day, as I guard the Edge, it seems that I might grasp this lost thing, but the course of a day never changes. As the sun goes down and night draws in, I know I will lose it again.


If you had it to do all over again, which would you choose:  to go back to your life before you were a Jack, or are you happy with how your story ended?

As long as I can be near Jenny, I’ll be happy. To go back might mean losing her, or succumbing to the decay at the heart of the Realm. I couldn’t do that. Some things are best forgotten.

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Awww!!! That Jack is just a big ole softy at the core, at least when it comes to his Jenny.

Be sure to check out my review of The Treachery of Beautiful Things and enter below to win your own copy!  The Treachery of Beautiful Things releases next week on August 16th.

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Labels: blog tour, character interview, faeries, giveaways, penguin, ruth frances long, the treachery of beautiful things