Tour Stop & Interview: Phantom by Laura Deluca

Name of book: Phantom
Author: Laura Deluca
Publication: March 30th, 2012 - Pagan Writers Press
Genre: YA Thriller
Source: Kindly provided by author...

The “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card.

Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.

Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom finally be revealed.

-- My Rating --

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review.*

-- My Thoughts --

     I have never read The Phantom Of The Opera, many of  my friends said it was good, but I never gave it the chance. After reading this book, I am definitely going to read The Phantom of The Opera. I cannot begin to describe this book, it's a mix between horribly beautiful and magically creative.

     Rebecca's obsession was always the musical "Phantom of The Opera", when her high school chooses the Phantom as their annual production, she jumps at the chance. With her exotic voice, she gets to play the role of the heroine, Christine, who is caught between the darkly seductive Phantom and the rich lord who are both in love with  her.

     What Rebecca didn't know is that her life was about to mirror the famous play. She is caught between the two boys, the  mysterious, seductive, Gothic Justyn and the All-American jock,Tom.  What's more? Someone is turning the scenes from Phantom into reality, and is using verses from the musical to threaten Rebecca. It could have been a joke but people are ending up dead in Phantom style.

     Can Rebecca stop the series of deaths? Can she find out who is threatening her? And who willl che choose: Tom or  Justyn? Find out much more  when you read this terrifying, ground-breaking read, Phantom...

     I  liked this book very much! Laura Deluca took the original idea of  the play. She twisted and turned the idea like an elastic band to produce this electrifying version of The Phantom. I have to say that the characters are all very typical, some of them are even one-dimensional.  Like, I don't know anything about Rebecca's life outside the school. She doesn't speak about her parents, her house nor  anything else outside of the play and the rehearsals and her two love interests.

      The story is unique and the writing style of the author is organized, I liked it! This book is really terrifying and horrible, in a good way. The end is really scary and the  phantom will end up being someone you haven't expected AT ALL! Although this book won't make it to my top favorite books,  it is still a wonderful addition to my reading list, you better try this or you're missing out!

-- Interview with Laura Deluca --

Me: Hello, and welcome to my blog. I am very happy to have you here. I would like to know, how long have you been writing?  
Laura Deluca: I have always wanted to be a writer. As far back as I can remember I had a pen and paper in my hand and was jotting down short stories.  I finished my first book when I was thirteen, but I didn’t actively pursue getting published until I became a stay at home mom a few years ago.


Me: Where did you get the idea for "Phantom"? Did anyone inspire it? 
Laura Deluca: Much like Becca, I have always been obsessed with the beautiful music in The Phantom of the Opera and the love story behind it.  I thought a few times about trying to write a modern day version, but I wanted it to be something unique.  Then I met this amazing actor and musician named Lord Justyn. We spent a lot of time chatting online before I met my husband.   One day, I was listening to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack while I was cleaning, and I thought to myself, “Wow, Justyn would make a great Phantom.”  And that was how it all started…


Me: Which character is your favorite? Which character has more "you" in it? 
Laura Deluca: Justyn is my favorite character. Like the original Phantom, he is darkly seductive, and even if you think he’s doing horrible things, it still easy to fall for him. Don’t tell my husband, but I still fantasize about him at night. Rebecca is the most like me. We share the same nurturing nature and nervous energy.  I even mentioned her playing the violin in the orchestra like I did in high school. Unlike Becca, I was a much better violinist than a singer, and everyone should be grateful I stayed hidden in the orchestra pit.


Me: What is your favorite scene in "Phantom"?  
Laura Deluca: I have a few favorites, but the only one I can talk about without giving too much away is the belly dance scene. When Justyn finally gets Rebecca to go out with him, he takes her to an Indian restaurant where they watch an exotic belly dance routine. This scene was inspired by my friend Laura “Tempest” Schimdt, who is a world renowned Gothic belly dancer.  I actually wrote most of that scene on napkins while I was watching her perform at a local restaurant. 


Me: If you were Rebecca, would you do anything she has done, differently? If you had the chance, who would you choose; Justyn or Tom?  
Laura Deluca: Tom was actually based on a real surfer boy that I dated back in high school. I liked him a lot, just like Becca liked the All-American Tom. But if a musical genius like Justyn had shown up in town, he would have swept me away in a moment. The artist in me wouldn’t be able to resist him.  His dark side wouldn’t scare me at all. If I had been in Becca’s place, I would have trusted my instincts instead of listening to my friends and worrying about what other people thought. I was never one to follow the crowd.


Me: Do you have any other works on the way? Can you give us some hints? 
Laura Deluca: I am currently working on a fantasy novel called Morrigan. Morrigan is a teenage witch who has been shuffled from one foster home to another all her life.  Now she is about to discover she is a princess from the mystical land of T?r Na N?g. The handsome werewolf Filtiarn guides her through countless perils to find her mother, Ceridwyn, and grandmother, Hecate. Only together can they complete the magical triad and save their world.  
I also just started a sequel to Phantom tentatively titled “Demon” which draws inspiration from the musical, Sweeney Todd.


Me: And now for some quick Q & A
Favorite drink?  
Laura Deluca: Coffee. with amaretto creamer. 


Favorite book? 
Laura Deluca: The Mists of Avalon by Marion  Zimmer Bradley


Favorite singer / musician? 
Laura Deluca:  It’s a toss-up between Enya and Josh Groban. 


Me:  Thank you very much for being here with us today, do you have any last words? 
Laura Deluca: Thanks so much for chatting with me and sharing my book! It was an honor to be a part of your fabulous blog.

-- About Laura --

     Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart.  In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years.

Contact: 

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon