Blog Tour: Author Interview with Yelena Black (Dance of Shadows)

Today, Lis Les Livres has a special interview with the lovely Yelena Black, author of Dance of Shadows!!!

Book Summary: Vanessa Adler isn't so sure she really belongs at the School of American Ballet. But dance runs in her family. It's been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. Her grandmother and mother were prima ballerinas, and her older sister Margaret was, too. That is, until Margaret mysteriously disappeared from school three years ago. Vanessa is heir to the family's gift and the only person who can fulfill her sister's destiny. She has no choice. But she never could have guessed how dangerous the school is. The infamous choreographer, Josef, isn't just ruthless with his pupils, he guards a sinister secret, one in which the school's dancers-prized for their beauty, grace, and discipline-become pawns in a world of dark, deadly demons.






And now for the interview!

1. Describe Dance of Shadows in three words.
Elegant. Sexy. Scary!

2. What movie title would Zep, Justin, and Josef use to describe his relationship with Vanessa?
Zep: Sleeping With The Enemy
Justin: Little Secrets
Josef: Lolita

3. Between the ballet terms and Josef's dialogue, there is a lot of French in the book. Do you actually speak any French?
No! I wish I did. But I did do lots of research and ran a bunch of the phrases by a friend who is fluent. I also need to add more French to the sequel so I have a good excuse to travel to Paris…

4. When Vanessa looks at Zep, she feels an immediate attraction, thinking, "It already felt like they were intimate, that they had known each other, maybe even loved, each other in some previous life." Do you believe in love, lust, or neither at first sight?
I certainly believe in attraction-at-first-sight. I know what it feels like to take one look at someone and be completely smitten. Love, to me, requires hard work and truly getting to know a person … but the idea of being pulled toward someone by something completely inexplicable … I believe in that.

5. Choose a song as a theme song for Dance of Shadows.
World on Fire by Sarah McLachlan—haunting and romantic.

Thanks so much, Yelena! Best of luck, and I look forward to the sequel:)

Author info: YELENA BLACK is a recent MFA graduate of Columbia University. She currently resides in New York City and is a full-time writer. She has a keen interest in dance and all things devilish.