"I don't do patrols, I don't go hunting, I just stick close to you. You live your life. I'll keep you safe," Tamani said, sweeping a lock of hair from her face. "Or die trying."

Laurel hasn't seen Tamani since she begged him to let her go last year. Though her heart still aches, Laurel is confident that David was the right choice.

But just as life returns to normal, Laurel realizes that a hidden enemy lies in wait. Once again, Laurel must turn to Tamani to protect and guide her, for the danger that now threatens Avalon is one that no faerie thought would ever be possible. And for the first time, Laurel cannot be sure that her side will prevail.

'ILLUSIONS', by Aprilynne Pike, is the HIGHLY anticipated third book in the Wings series. If 'Wings' and 'Spells' had romance and love triangularity, this book multiplied the respective tension by a thousand!

I recently had the opportunity to speak with author Aprilynne Pike about her new book, 'Illusions,' and I first wondered - being that it truly is fantasy at its finest, both rich in content and romantic in scenes - that it seemed she had taken her already-acclaimed series and, quite noticeably, turned the burners up on them! So, did she write 'Illusions' with that purpose, to crank the knob to 11, so to speak? "Oh, definitely! Spells included a lot of world building and exploring the faerie realm and with Illusions I wanted to pick the pace back up. More fighting, more drama, more kissing!:)"

'Illusions' actually picks up a fair bit after where Spells left off - but was this intentional, or did you write something to begin closer to the end of Spells, but just decided it was too close in the end?! "Funny you should ask. There is a scene in Illusions where Klea introduces a new character. This was originally the end of Spells. But the same amount of time had passed. So, regardless, there was going to be that chunk of time, but which book exactly it fell into did change."

'I don't do patrols, I don't go hunting, I just stick close to you. You live your life. I'll keep you safe' - words spoken by Tamani to Laurel. What great lines, what great depth in such few words. But, with much-like words/sentences having come within Wings and then Spells, does it get harder to write in this very same vein, perhaps? "Actually, I think it gets easier in many ways. There is a rhythm to voice and after three books I think I’ve got a hold of it. The challenge—especially as I am wrapping up the series—is to keep the tension high while still catching and wrapping up all of my loose ends!"

Aprilynne, you spare no expense when describing the beauty of Avalon as well as everything that attracts readers to Faeries and their "wings". Where was all this first born within you, and where (do you hope) it will all take you ie: your ultimate goal? "I think the descriptions of Avalon hearken back to my girlhood days when I loved everything about faeries that was pretty and sparkly! However, as readers already know, under the lush beauty of Avalon runs a dark undercurrent. Ultimately, I want to remind readers that what you see on the outside is not necessarily truth, beautiful or ugly. In the next book, readers will see a lot of the ugliness of Avalon come to the surface."

Finally, as this book/series brings with it a rather dramatic conclusion, which will obviously leave readers anxious for the next installment, as we're not called Exclusive Magazine for nothing, what can you tell us about what is forthcoming - and what is its title?! "I have literally been apologizing for this ending for a year! I’ll do it again now; I’m sorry!! But in reality, there was no better place to end it. The fourth book begins about an hour after 'Illusions' ends and lasts a day and a half. It is a roller-coaster ride with a whole lot of running, fighting, killing, yelling, kissing, and yes, dying. There will be a lot of hard choices and by the end of the book, they will all be made. The title is . . . up in the air right now. I’m afraid I can’t share it. But I will as soon as I can!"

Interviewed by: Russell A. Trunk

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