This is a special edition of WoW as... well, I can't wait for Wednesday to post this. I've been wanting to read this since I've heard of it, but the trailer really just put the "WHAM! BAM!" in "WHAM! BAM! Thankyoumummydaddyforbuyingthisformeafterthemonthsofwhining. This book is friggin' AWESOME!"*.
Behold, the trailer for Fallen by Lauren Kate.
There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.
Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.
Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.
And check out the cover! Dang, I have to wait 2 months for this?! Tis too long to wait. Thy (Thee?) shall hath to resorth to Olde English Speakth for this.
*I hope. I haven't read it yet. x)
Disclaimer: Credit for the implementation of WoW posts go to Jill at Breaking The Spine. Credit goes, and will always go, to her, for this and future WoW posts. I take no credit for this meme, and future WoW posts wouldn't exist without her. It should be taken note of that there might be times where I won't be writing this for every WoW post. That does not mean that I am taking credit for it. It just means that I'm just too lazy to write it down.
Welcome Chelsea! She's here today on LiyanaLand to talk more about how close the release of The Rise of Renegade X is. Less than 200 days close. Damien-is-so-going-to-freak-out-close.
Chelsea M. Campbell: My countdown widget tells me there are now less than 200 days until my book, The Rise of Renegade X, comes out. Some days I look at the countdown meter and think, “Wow, the days are just flying by—it won't be long at all!” And some days I look at it and think, “199 days?!? Are you freaking kidding me? Do you know how long I've been waiting, and there's STILL over six months of waiting left to do?!?”
As Tom Petty says, the waiting is the hardest part. And there's a lot of waiting in publishing. It's kind of like how the human body is made of 70% water or whatever—publishing is made of 70% waiting. But fortunately, waiting doesn't mean *just* waiting. Sure, I am chomping at the bit for this book to be out so-people-can-read-it-OMG. I love this book. I used to feel kind of weird telling people I love the book I wrote—and, okay, I still do feel a little weird about it—but if the author doesn't even love it, how is anybody else supposed to? But anyway, there are lots of little stops along the way. I got the offer to publish fifteen months (to the day, actually) of the publication date. So half the waiting is over already, and in that time I've signed contracts, done revisions, copy edits, joined the Tenners, made tons of new author and blogger friends, seen my book go up on Amazon and Goodreads, reworked my website, and called my parents every time anything even remotely exciting happened.
And now I have my ARC (Advanced Readers Copy, a paperback copy that may contain typos and formatting errors, but that comes out early so reviewers and sales reps can get a sneak peek), with more coming. Getting my ARC seems like the last little milestone on the path to publication, and I've still got six months of waiting. But when I stop and think about it, it's not. It marks the end of revisions, other than one more pass on typos and such before the real thing hits the shelves, but really it's the beginning of other people reading my book.
A twitter friend of mine just posted a pic of a bunch of Egmont ARCs she won at a YA event, and mine was one of them! So there's proof that my book is out and about in the world, and people I don't know could be reading it, and I won't necessarily know they're doing it! How exciting is that? Like most exciting things, it's also kind of scary—funny how those two go together so well—but still awesome. I guess you could say that since revisions are over, now the really exciting stuff gets to start. Soon I'll have more ARCs to give away in contests and to take to bookstores and libraries to see if they want to get a sneak peek and maybe, ya know, order some copies.
(I will pause here to admit that going to bookstores and telling them I'm an author and would like to leave a copy of my ARC for them to read is terrifying. Stomach flopping, toe tingling terrifying, and I also can't wait, because I think once I get the hang of it it'll actually be fun and not scary, just a little thrilling. I hope. Plus what are they going to do, say no? Oh, no! Please, God, no—don't leave that free book with the awesome cover here! Get it away from me! Aggghh!)
Soon I'll also have pretty bookmarks to give out and a launch party to plan and signings to set up. (Did you know authors set that kind of stuff up themselves? For the most part, unless you're famous, it's DIY.) Not to mention other books I'm working on or have on submission, which means that while all this debut stuff is happening with Renegade X, the process is starting all over again in the background with other books. So even if I can't wait to get to read the first chapter to a room full of people, and I can't wait to see it on the shelves at the bookstore (if next May you see some twenty-something girl standing in front of the superhero/villain book with the hot cover, screaming or crying or just smiling like an idiot, that's probably me), and even if I can't wait to see how my book does out in the world, all aloney on its owney, at least I've got some stuff to occupy my time for the next six months. And as much as I hope the days tick by really fast on my countdown meter, you only get one debut, and I think I'd be really sorry if I didn't also savor all the moments between now and then.
Thanks Chelsea! Check out a trailer for The Rise of Renegade X made by Chelsea herself! Complete with epic music and a cool voiceover. :D
Rampant by Diana Peterfreund Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns…
The sparkly, innocent creatures of lore are a myth. Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. And they can only be killed by virgin descendants of Alexander the Great.
Fortunately, unicorns have been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.
Or not.
Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed ather eccentric mother’s stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend in the woods – thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to prom – Astrid learns that unicorns are real and dangerous, and she has a family legacy to uphold. Her mother packs her off to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.
However, at the cloisters, all is not what is seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to – perhaps most dangerously of all – her growing attraction to a handsome art student… and a relationship that could jeopardize everything.
Skinned by Robin Wasserman
Lia Kahn was perfect: rich, beautiful, popular. Until the accident that nearly killed her. Now she has been downloaded into a new body that only looks human. Lia will never feel pain again, she will never age, and she can't ever truly die. But she is also rejected by her friends, betrayed by her boyfriend, and alienated from her old life.
Forced to the fringes of society, Lia joins others like her. But they are looked at as freaks. They are hated...and feared. They are everything but human, and according to most people, this is the ultimate crime - for which they must pay the ultimate price.
Intertwined by Gena Showalter
Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:
One can time-travel.
One can raise the dead.
One can tell the future.
And one can possess another human.
With no other family and a life spent in and out of institutions, Aden and the souls have become friends. But now they're causing him all kinds of trouble. Like, he'll blink and suddenly he's a younger Aden, reliving the past. One wrong move, and he'll change the future. Or he'll walk past a total stranger and know how and when she's going to die.
He's so over it. All he wants is peace.
And then he meets a girl who quiets the voices. Well, as long as he's near her. Why? Mary Ann Gray is his total opposite. He's a loner; she has friends. He doesn't care what anyone thinks; she tries to make everyone happy. And while he attracts the paranormal, she repels it. For her sake, he should stay away. But it's too late..
Somehow, they share an inexplicable bond of friendship. A bond about to be tested by a werewolf shape-shifter who wants Mary Ann for his own, and a vampire princess Aden can't resist.
Two romances, both forbidden. Still, the four will enter a dark underworld of intrigue and danger - but not everyone will come out alive..
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
Scarlett is the third of four children in the Martin family. The Martins live in and manage a shabby hotel in NYC that dates back to the 1920s. When Scarlett turns 15, she is put in charge of one of the hotel's 27 rooms- the Empire Suite. Into this room moves Mrs. Amberson, a failed 1970s starlet who has returned to New York to write her memoirs. Soon, Scarlett is taking dictation, running around town with Mrs. Amberson, and getting caught up in her Auntie Mame-meets-Bianca Jagger adventures.
In the midst of all this, Scarlett falls in love - or so she thinks - and it takes Mrs. Amberson to help her see the light.
Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle
In 1837 London, young daughters of viscounts pined for handsome, titled husbands, not careers. And certainly not careers in magic. At least, most of them didn't.
Shy, studious Persephone Leland would far rather devote herself to her secret magic studies than enter society and look for a suitable husband. But right as the inevitable season for "coming out" is about to begin, Persy and her twin sister discover that their governess in magic has been kidnapped as part of a plot to gain control of the soon-to-be Queen Victoria. Racing through Mayfair ballrooms and royal palaces, the sisters overcome bad millinery, shady royal spinsters, and a mysterious Irish wizard. And along the way, Persy learns that husband hunting isn't such an odious task after all, if you can find the right quarry.
Storm Glass by Maria V Snyder
Untrained. Untested. Unleashed. With her unique magical abilities, Opal has always felt unsure of her place at Sitia's magic academy. But when the Stormdancer clan needs help, Opal's knowledge makes her the perfect choice - until the mission goes awry. Pulling her powers in unfamiliar directions, Opal finds herself tapping into a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. Now Opal must deal with plotters out to destroy the Stormdancer clan, as well as a traitor in their midst. With danger and deception rising around her, will Opal's untested abilities destroy her - or save them all?
Disclaimer: Credit for the implementation of IMM posts go to Kristi of The Story Siren and Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Credit goes, and will always go, to them, for this and future IMM posts. I take no credit for this meme, and future IMM posts wouldn't exist without them both. It should be taken note of that there might be times where I won't be writing this for every IMM post. That does not mean that I am taking credit for it. It just means that I'm just too lazy to write it down.
I read Care's tribute to Dewey and I was touched. This is not the first time I've heard of Dewey, and sadly I've never had the chance to meet her. From what I know of her, she sounds like a lovely person, full of love and wisdom. It makes me sad that I've never met her, and won't, but her legacy still lives on, especially for people like me who's taking part in the readathon.
My five favourite children books have to be:
a. Nancy Drew! Any one from the series, I love them!
b. Enid Blyton's fairy tales. Awh, come on. Who wasn't affected by the magic in those books, and spent the whole day looking for talking teapots? Err, not me.
c. Hardy Boys! The boy version of Nancy Drew? xD
d. The Famous Five. Mysteries and mayhem. Another amazing series by Enid Blyton.
e. Tamora Pierce's books. I read them when I was 10. Does that count?
23.5 Hours In Title of book(s) read since last update:
Pokemon Comics 1 -8
Prophecy of the Sisters audiobook used to get some brain rest (incomplete)
A School of Sorcery(incomplete)
I gave up on the heavy heavy books.
Whew!
Number of books read since you started:
18!
Pages read since last update:
2016
Running total of pages read since you started:
4708
Amount of time spent reading since last update:
5.5 hours!
Running total of time spent reading since you started:
23.5 hours! So there was this guy in love with this girl living in Paris, and she turned into a Zombie Queen when there's a blue moon in a paper town, going around dancing with Ana and the Defenders of The Scrolls because everything sucks.... then they leave Gee's Bend for a School of Sorcery where she turns into a demon chick but we have to wait till twilight twill that happens... zzz...
Other participants you’ve visited - No of comments:
No one. After a nap.
Prize you’ve won:
Zero.
Mini-challenges completed:5
-
18 Hours In Title of book(s) read since last update:
Defenders of The Scroll by Shiraz - 330 pages
Foreign Tongue by Vanina Marsot - 384 pages
Paper Towns by John Green - 320 pages
Demon Chick by Marilyn Kaye - 224 pages
Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby (Love this book!) - 208 pages
Whew!
Number of books read since you started:
10!
Pages read since last update:
1466
Running total of pages read since you started:
2692
Amount of time spent reading since last update:
6 hours!
Running total of time spent reading since you started:
18 hours! Brain iz dizzy.
Other participants you’ve visited - No of comments:
No one. Full out reading spree.
Wait until twilight, undercover demon chick leaving Gee's Bend.
(Shhh.) Just listen, Humpty Dumpty was pushed where rainbows end.
Just listen, undercover Zombie Queen of Newbury High dancing with Ana.
-
9 Hours In Title of book(s) read since last update:
Wait Until Twilight by Sang Pak -240 pages (Review here)
Dancing With Ana by Nicole Barker - 170 pages (Review up soon)
Blue Moon by Alyson Noël - 304 pages (Review up soon)
Alibi Junior High by Greg Logsted - 256 pages (Review up soon)
Number of books read since you started:
4!
Pages read since last update:
970
Running total of pages read since you started:
970
Amount of time spent reading since last update:
9 hours!
Running total of time spent reading since you started:
9 hours!
Other participants you’ve visited - No of comments:
1. Anastasia (Birdbrained( ed) Book Blog) - 1
2. Deborah (Books, Movies and Chinese Food) - 2
3. Amy @ My Friend Amy - 0
4. Jenn's Bookshelves - 1
5. Amanda (The Zen Leaf) - 2
6. Trish's Reading Nook - 0
7. Eva (A Striped Armchair) - 2
8. Melissa (Scuffed Slippers and Wormy Books) - 0
9. Marie (Boston Bibliophile) - 0
10. Heather (Capricious Reader) - 2
Why haven't I signed up for the 24 hour Read-a-thon, which is going to start soon?! (Okay, 9pm, which is in...10 hours. Nevermind, now. It's noon.) Whhhyyy?! Okay, I have no idea why too. I've signed up both as a reader and a cheerleader, so I'll probably be spamming your inboxes with lots of updates and comments. Here's the list of books I'm planning to hit in the next 24 hours:
3 facts about me …
I'm taking French as an extra module in school just because. :D
I just turned 18... oh wait, 20 days ago. Hee!
When people ask me "Why do you like blogging about books?", I have to resist the urge to ask them "Why do you like to blog about your life?"
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
5, but my reading speed is pretty fast, so we'll see!
Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
At least 10 books, 2000 pages, 24 hours, 361 comments.
If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time?
It's not my first time taking part in a readathon, so my advice would be that an audiobook (of allowed) is helpful if you need to do chores or have some shut eye; you don't waste any reading time!
Well, are you? ...uh huh. Yeah. Well, let's welcome Hiro today. He's an actual ninja-in-training, and he's here to tell you more about himself.
He may stand a head – well, maybe three heads if you want to be exact – shorter than your average ninja, but Hiro doesn’t let his lack of stature deter him from training to be a full fledged ninja. Tough yet vulnerable, Hiro kicks butt though he often lets his tender side get the better of him. Hiro makes up for his shortcomings by working extra hard. His cuteness is just a diversion from his lethal prowess. Hiro is certainly a force to be reckoned with.
You know ninjas; they like to talk about themselves from the third person POV. Okay, now let's meet Hiro's partner Ono. He's not just a sidekick, he's a top cat with kick ass abilities like you won't believe it.
Ono is Hiro’s partner. Not contented to simply be Hiro’s sidekick, Ono will employ everything within his power to show everyone who’s the top dog, er, cat. Probably the only cat in town with a sweet tooth, Ono will do just about anything for strawberry milk. If you have a pesky brother or friend whom you want taught a lesson, that can be arranged.
Errrr, I think he takes after his partner really well too. ;)
Now that you've met the two cute characters, let's cut to the chase. Tactical Urban Gears(T-U-G) is offering five lucky readers a $10 gift certificate each to spend on their merchandise (T shirts). Imagine wearing those cute characters! All you have to do is:
+1 Leave a comment along with your email.
+1 Link this contest up anywhere. Leave the link.
+10 Blog about this contest
Even better? Wait, there's more! By entering this contest, you get 20 entries to win either an iPhone or an iPod! You can also get more entries by buying a T-shirt from the shop (more designs there), referring someone to the T-U-G site or posting and blogging about the iPhone/iPod contest T-U-G is having. Just email contest@t-u-g.com and you're in!
1st prize: 64gb iPod Touch 2nd prize: 32gb iPhone 10 consolation prizes: Ono sticker card set
Ain't that cool?! More details on the points system here. Both contests are open internationally. So what are you waiting for? Oh, pics of the merchandise? Coming right up!
My contest ends 13th November.
The T-U-G contest ends on 12.00am (GMT +8) on 25 January 2010.
All the best to everyone! Any bloggers interested in hosting this contest, please email me at liyanaland@gmail.com with the subject "T-U-G Contest Hosting".
Let's welcome Anastasia Hopcus, author of the soon to be released Shadow Hills as she reminisces on birthdays past with a special guest post. What, you didn't know it's Anastasia's birthday today? Now you do! Happy birthday Anastasia!
Anastasia: So I was thinking about birthdays---strange, I know---and I couldn’t help noticing that the ones that really stuck out in my memory weren’t the ones that went smoothly and perfectly. The ones I really remembered were the ones where everything went wrong, but I was with my friends and we had fun anyway. Looking back on it, I think my favorite birthday was the one that got screwed up the most. It was my 17th birthday, and my mother was letting me go on my first overnight trip with just my friend Katy. (It seemed to make her feel better that I was supposed to meet up with my Uncle Doug, but from what I’d heard about Doug’s youth, he was more likely to be a bad influence than a good one.) Katy and I already had our Halloween costumes, so we decided to dress up and drive six hours to go to the Renaissance Festival. (Can you say massive geeks?)
We set out with two horrible senses of direction and our friends' tent that we had lost the instructions for. The ride started off great--the music was loud, there was a lot of giggling and we were on our own. And, after a short while, completely lost. Thankfully, I’d remembered the car charger for my phone and we were able to call my mom for directional advice. Which, we realized an hour later, had gotten us even more lost. This is when we decided to stop and ask for directions at a gas station outside of a little Texas town... while wearing our Halloween Japanimation costumes. I had a toy machine gun strapped over my shirt---a shirt that I’d spray-painted with faux-chrome from Pep Boys so it looked like metal---and I was wearing one very squeaky pair of pleather pants. Katy was wearing an actual metal bra (I didn't even want to ask where she got that) under a fishnet top, and the large chains she’d worn as necklaces were clanging against her Mad-Maxian undergarment. So, in we walk, clanking and squeaking and generally looking like two complete weirdos. (I’d bet that Stop and Shop cashier still remembers those two insane city girls trying to find the Renaissance Festival.) Luckily, despite our appearances, they gave us directions.
A few hours later we arrived and set out to look for my uncle, who thought a cell phone would ruin the authenticity of his outfit. Thanks to this incommunicado stance, we spent the rest of our day walking around trying to find him instead of watching cheesy juggling shows and buying chainmail. We never did manage to locate my kilt-wearing, bag-pipe-playing, Harley-riding uncle---who for this event was going by the name King Doug. Surprisingly, this isn’t an uncommon name at Renfest. We ended up meeting several nice King Dougs, but I was fairly certain I was in no way related to any of them. By the time we gave up the search, it was time to go back to the car and set up camp---with a borrowed tent that neither one of us knew how to assemble. Even better, we now had to assemble it in a torrential downpour that came upon us so unexpectedly that one moment I was a dry Japanimation character, and the next I was a bedraggled girl covered in running rivers of silver paint. The girls in the car next to mine took mercy on us and---after I donned a shirt that wasn’t dripping spray-on metallic auto paint---offered to let us share their tent. We did some turbo-bonding with our new friends and found out that they went to high school with three of our other friends. In the end, after everything had gone wrong, we had a lot of fun.
Anyone up for a doomed road trip to a fake medieval village?
There's 1 hour and 46 minutes left of Wednesday, so let me squeeze in this bunch of books to make up for the lack of... waiting the past few weeks. I was going to limit myself to ten books, but well, you see! A whole bunch of Tenners and Elevensies are being featured this week.
Over-wanting may cause side effects, of which I am not totally clear about, so please, take a deep breath before proceeding down this list.
The Deathday Letter by Shaun Hutchinson
All fifteen year-old Oliver Travers wanted to do when he woke up Thursday morning was squeeze in a little underwear gymnastics before school, until his mom called him downstairs to tell him he had received a Deathday Letter, which sort of ruined the mood.
Content to spend his last day of life at school (where the girls are), Oliver's best friends Shane Grimsley and Veronica (Ronnie) Dittrich convince him to burn his books and ditch school to, you know, have a little actual fun before he kicks the bucket.
In a world where only taxes, Deathday Letters, and teenage boy's hormones are certainties, Oliver, Shane and Ronnie embark upon a bus ride that takes them from the post office, to a house filled with college-aged anti-Deathday Letter activists (and Dave Matthews fans), and nearly to prison. And as the end draws near Oliver learns that living is way tougher than dying…and that kissing is wetter than he'd expected.
(Note: Check out that gorgeous cover! I love the font that seems so mysterious, whereas the smiley face seal brings a touch of mischievousness and cheekiness. Also, on second look, does the envelope seem a bit wonky to you? Like the flaps don't stretch over to the left. Hmmm... Oh wait, I see the slight outline of the other side of the envelope, but only if I tilt the laptop screen back. It's more prominent that way, and has a nice effect! *must adjust brightness of computer*)
A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis
Her mother was a scandalous witch, her brother has gambled the whole family into debt, and her Step-Mama is determined to sell her oldest sister into a positively Gothic marriage to pay it off--so what can twelve-year-old Kat Stephenson do but take matters directly into her own hands? If only her older sisters hadn’t thwarted her plan to run away to London dressed as a boy and earn a fortune! When Kat makes a midnight foray into her mother’s cabinet of secrets, though, she finds out something she never expected. Her mother wasn’t just a witch, she was a Guardian, a member of a secret Order with staggering magical powers--and Kat is her heir.
Of course, there’s no chance of Kat choosing to join the Order that forbade her parents’ marriage...but Mama’s magical mirror doesn’t seem to understand that. It keeps following her wherever she goes, even when the family travels to Grantham Abbey to meet the sinister Sir Neville, her oldest sister’s chosen fiancé. And what with Sir Neville showing a dangerous interest in Kat’s untapped powers, her mother’s old tutor insisting that she take up her mother’s position as a Guardian, and her sister Angeline refusing to listen to her about anything, as usual...well, it’s a good thing Kat kept her boy’s clothing, because she may well have to use it--especially if the rumors of a highwayman are true.
The book trailer was made by film-maker, David Burgis aka Stephanie's brother, and I think it just fits the whole story perfectly!
(Note: I can't believe I've never WoWed this before! Check out the excerpt here.)
Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus
Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.
After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.
But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.
(Note: I'm intrigued yet slightly creeped out. Also, check out Anastasia's guest post tomorrow. What's the occasion, you ask? It's her birthday! *throws glitterfetti*)
All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab
ALL UNQUIET THINGS centers around the murder of teen heiress Carly Ribelli, who was found shot to death a mile from her house in a wealthy Northern California suburb. Carly's uncle, a dissolute alcoholic, was convicted of the crime, but a year later his daughter still doesn't believe her father is guilty. Determined to prove his innocence, Audrey Ribelli contacts Carly's ex-boyfriend, Neily Monroe, the boy who found Carly's body. She is convinced that he knows more than he thinks about the events that led up to Carly's death. Despite Neily's initial reluctance, he and Audrey begin their investigation at the posh private school they attend, identifying prime suspects from among their spoiled classmates and digging up secrets about Carly's past to get to the truth behind her murder.
(Note: A YA murder mystery. I haven't read any of this sub-genre before!)
Princess For Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
After a humiliating encounter with her long-term crush, ex-best friend, and a groundhog costume, thirteen-year-old Desi Bascomb finds herself in the back room of the pet shop where she works, staring into a fish tank. Her boss claims the tank is magical and Desi sure could use a little magic in her life right now.
That night as Desi soaks in the bath, Meredith Poofinski - a no-nonsense agent scouting substitutes for vacationing princesses - pops out of a bubble. Now Desi is about to learn first hand what it feels like to be royalty as she subs for princesses desperate to go AWOL. Soon Desi is dancing in an Amazonian tribal festival and dodging a prince with just a little too much ‘Eastern promise’. But nothing can prepare her for the magic of falling for a real prince - a prince who has no idea that back in Hicktown, Idaho, Desi is just a girl in a groundhog suit.
(Note: This. Is. Freaking. Cool. Reminds me a bit of the DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) Princess Protection Program, starring Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato.)
The Witch's Alphabet by Caitlin Kittredge
It is 1955...but not the 1955 you know. The Witchcraft Scare polarizes America. Magic is outlawed and practitioners are burned. And one girls has discovered that magic is neither fiction nor fairy tale, but very much alive...
Aoife Grayson is a month shy of sixteen, the age when everyone in her family goes mad. An orphan in the steam-powered city of Lovecraft, Massachusetts, Aoife escapes the confines of her repressive boarding school and along with her best friend Sam and outlaw guide Dean, sets out to discover the secret of her family's madness. What she discovers is a world of forbidden magic and faerie curses, and a dark secret that has shadowed the Grayson family for generations. Aoife must choose between keeping the secret or keeping her sanity, and unravel the dark machinations of the Winter Court of the Fae before it's too late to save her city...or herself.
(Note: Dark story. Love it!)
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
Sophie Mercer thought being a teenage witch meant flying broomsticks, talking cats, and awesome spells. Instead, her mom still makes her ride the bus, she’s allergic to pet dander, and the one big spell she attempts at prom goes seriously bad-like, Carrie-levels of bad. As a result, Sophie is shipped off to Prentiss Academy, a boarding school for Witches, Shapeshifters, and Faeries. At Prentiss, Sophie discovers that the traumas of regular school have nothing on the goings-on at “Freak High,” what with the trio of Dark Witches who want Sophie to join their coven, her futile crush on Prentiss’s hottest Warlock, and her roommate, Jenna, who just happens to be Prentiss’s only Vampire. When members of Sophie’s coven are attacked, she finds herself trying to exonerate Jenna and solve the mystery, which might be more connected to Sophie than she ever could have guessed.
(Note: I love stories about boarding schools, especially when there's magic and mysteries.)
Escape From Camp David by Dee Garretson
Just once Luke Brockett would like to do something slightly dangerous, but when your father is the President of the United States, that is not an option. Always surrounded by Secret Service agents and kept in a bubble of safety, Luke sees Camp David, the presidential retreat in the woods of Maryland, as the only place where he can almost normal. For one week in August, Luke's mother has arranged for Luke to have a 'summer camp' experience, if summer camp had only three kids and the counselors carried automatic weapons. The experience comes to a quick end when a forest fire surrounds Camp David. Luke and his friends are trapped inside, left on their own, the Secret Service agents incapacitated, forcing the three to outwit security systems designed to be unbeatable before the fire gets to them.
(Note: I haven't read anything like this before. Seems fun. Also, boy POV? Bring it on!)
The Unidentified by Rae Mariz
Kid knows her school’s corporate sponsors not-so-secretly monitor her friendships and activities for market research. It’s all a part of the Game; the alternative education system designed to use the addictive kick from video games to encourage academic learning. Everyday, a captive audience of students ages 13-17 enter the nationwide chain store-like Game locations to play.
When a group calling themselves the Unidentified simulates a suicide to protest the power structure of their school, Kid’s investigation into their pranks attracts unwanted attention from the sponsors. As Kid finds out she doesn't have rights to her ideas, her privacy, or identity, she and her friends look for a way to revolt in a place where all acts of rebellion are just spun into the next new ad campaign.
(Note: Isn't this just one of the coolest plots ever?!)
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White:
Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone--or something--starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal.
(Note: Oh come on! How come I've never WoWed this before? Tardy, tardy!)
The Ghost and The Goth by Stacey Kade
After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she’s stuck as a spirit (DON’T call her a ghost) in the land of the living with no sign of the big, bright light to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser outcast who despises the social elite. He alone can see and hear her (turns out he’s been “blessed” with the ability to communicate with the dead), but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High.
Alona has never needed anyone for anything, and now she’s supposed to expose her deepest, darkest secrets to this pseudo-goth boy? Right. She’s not telling anyone what really happened the day she died, not even to save her eternal soul. And Will’s not filling out any volunteer forms to help her cross to the other side. He only has a few more weeks until his graduation, when he can strike out on his own and find a place with less spiritual interference. But he has to survive and stay out of the psych ward until then. Can they get over their mutual distrust—and the weird attraction between them—to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don’t exist?
(Note: Something like the Ghostgirl series by Tonye Hurley, but with a bang.)
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
While other teenage girls daydream about boys, Calla Tor imagines ripping out her enemies’ throats. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. Calla was born a warrior and on her eighteenth-birthday she’ll become the alpha female of the next generation of Guardian wolves. But Calla’s predestined path veers off course the moment she saves the life of a wayward hiker, a boy her own age. This human boy’s secret will turn the young pack's world upside down and forever alter the outcome of the centuries-old Witches' War that surrounds them all.
(Note: The first thought that ran through my mind was "Buffy Junior!".)
Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis I’d love a cup of coffee. I wish she knew how pretty she was. I wish I could drop this kid in the dryer sometimes. I just want her to be happy. I hope she didn’t find out what Ben said about her. I wish I knew how many calories were in a bite of muffin…
Joy is used to hearing Whispers. She’s used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people’s deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good, to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people’s lives—especially Joy’s—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears Jessica whisper: I want to kill my Hearing dead, and kill me too if that’s what it takes, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.
(Note: I wanna know more about the family dynamics.)
The DUFF(Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger
Seventeen-year-old Bianca knows she’s the Duff (the designated ugly, fat friend). So when Wesley, a notorious womanizer, approaches her at a party she knows he wants to score with one—or both—of her hot friends. God, the man-whore’s arrogance really pisses her off! But Bianca needs to escape from some personal drama, like her mom’s abandonment and her dad’s denial, and a steamy fling with Wesley seems like the perfect distraction. Bianca makes it clear she’s only using Wesley, as if he cares. He’ll sleep with anything that moves after all. Unfortunately, the enemies-with-benefits plan totally backfires.
When her mom files for divorce and her father stumbles into a downward spiral of drinking and depression, Wesley proves to be a surprisingly good listener, and Bianca finds out that his family is pretty screwed up, too. As sickening as it sounds, she has to admit that she and Wesley are a lot alike. Soon she becomes jealous of the pretty girls he flirts with and his cocky grin begins to grow on her. Suddenly Bianca realizes—with absolute horror—that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated.
(Note: Reminds me a bit of Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie, so heck yeah I wanna read this!)
Now, Elevensies!
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
For Nicholas Pardee and Silla Kennicot, the cemetery is the center of everything.
Nick is a sarcastic city boy, angry at being forced to move back to the nowhere town of Yaleylah, Missouri. Here, he can’t help remembering his mom and the blood magic she practiced – memories he’s tried for five years to escape. Silla, though, doesn’t want to forget; her parents’ apparent murder-suicide left her numb and needing real answers. When a book of magic spells in her dad’s handwriting appears on her doorstep, she sees her chance to unravel the mystery of their deaths.
In the cemetery between their houses, Nick watches Silla use three drops of her blood and ancient words to bring an autumn leaf back to life. The magic is real, and it promises power that can transform stone into water, heal flesh, and even resurrect the dead. Nick is too familiar with the dangers, but Silla throws herself whole-heartedly into them.
Now Josephine Darly, who has used the magic for her own selfish purposes for a hundred years, has come hunting the spell book. Josephine is a skilled body snatcher, able to use her blood to possess others. She wants the bones of Silla’s parents and the spellbook in order to make a spell that will let her live forever. If Silla and Nick want to stop Josephine, if they want a chance to be together and protect the ones they love, they’ll have to learn to let go of everything they believe about who they are, the nature of life and death, and the power of blood.
(Note: Do I really have to make a note about why I want to read this?)
The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
Freak. That’s what they called seventeen year-old Dona Underwood in high school after a horrific fey attack that killed her father when she was just a child. Her injuries and rehabilitation resulted in magically enhanced strength, thanks to the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms.
Now, after ten years of wishing for a normal life, she finally has to accept her role in the centuries-old war against the darkest outcasts of Faerie – the Dark Elves. Aided by a gorgeous half-fey dropout and a depressed biker-chick vampire Dona must race to save her best friend’s life, even if it means betraying one of the world’s greatest secrets and confronting the very thing that destroyed her family.
(Note: Faeries? *nods*)
The Cabinet of Earths by Anne Nesbet
All Maya really wants is for her mother to be well again. But when her baby brother James goes missing, 13-year-old Maya has to take on the magical underworld of Paris, in which houses have bronze salamanders for door handles, the most beautiful people are all hooked on the sweet-smelling “anbar,” and a shimmering glass Cabinet of Earths has chosen Maya to be its next keeper. With the Cabinet’s help, Maya may be able to do for her mother what doctors cannot: save her from death, once and for all. But now that the clock is ticking for James, the price the Cabinet demands may be too high.
(Note: The bronze salamanders convinced me.)
Revenant by Sonia Gensler
Seventeen-year-old Willemina Hammond thinks it'll be simple to assume a new identity far away in Oklahoma Territory. Anything would be better than laboring on her mother's failing farm in Tennessee. "Borrowing" the credentials of a local schoolteacher, she secures a position at the Cherokee Female Seminary and eagerly sets out toward an easier life in the summer of 1896.
But the Seminary is not what Willie expected. It's more like a castle than a school, and it houses refined young ladies who couldn't be less like the rustic natives she imagined. Divided by prejudice, the school community still reels from the recent murder of a mixed-blood student by a spurned full-blood suitor. Spooky noises, cold spots, and violent accidents have convinced the students that the dead girl haunts them. All this makes for an uphill battle as Willie struggles to establish control over her high-strung pupils.
To make matters worse, the ghost seems to be reaching out to her, and its communications are growing more frequent and intense. Willie determines to learn more about the girl's death, thinking it the only way to quiet the angry spirit. But the more she learns, the more difficult it is to maintain her secret identity. And the closer she gets to unraveling the secrets behind the murder, the closer she is to becoming a victim herself.
(Note: Brrr...)
Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey
A deadly supernatural feud divides the town of Belle Dam, Washington. The powers of magic have flowed down into two lines, two families who have never had peace between them. And Belle Dam has flourished.
In the search for secrets from his past, seventeen-year-old Braden returns here after abandoning the only family he’s ever known. It's one thing to deal with being gay, but its quite another to grow up as a freak. The risk is great – his eyes must always remain covered, and the slightest slip could put his life in danger. ‘Witch eyes’ his uncle calls them. A birthright that makes his magic exceptional, but is killing him a little more each time he draws upon it. He is immediately drawn between the two rival witch dynasties, each of whom hope to use him to end the feud once and for all. His life gets even more complicated when the one guy he's interested in turns out to be the only guy in town he can't have.
(Note: I wanna know more. Also, Cyclopsy.)
Warped by Maurissa Guibord
Things get weird after Tessa Brody's father buys a dusty old unicorn tapestry at an auction. The wild, handsome creature woven within it draws Tessa, and frightens her too. One day she pulls a silver thread from the tapestry and releases the unicorn. Only he isn’t one at all. He’s William de Chaucy, a young sixteenth century English nobleman with gorgeous eyes, a weird accent and haughty attitude to spare. Will was trapped in the tapestry by Gray Lily, a sorceress who stole the thread of his life and relies on its energy for her eternal youth. Now Gray Lily wants her unicorn back and she’ll do anything to get him.
If that isn’t bad enough “his lordship” de Chaucy seems to think Tessa is someone she’s not: the girl who trapped him so long ago in the forest. Despite the sparky chemistry between them he seems to have the strange idea that she’ll be his undoing once more. Maybe she will. Because there’s a connection, an attraction to Will that Tessa can’t deny. She’s even beginning to dream about events in a forest of long ago. Or is she reliving them? But Tessa knows one thing for sure. She could never be some heartless twit of a virgin who would trap a unicorn.
(Note: Unicorns that turn into hot guys? I WANT ONE.)
The Shadows Cast By Stars by Catherine Knutsson
Two hundred years from now, the great cities of the west coast of the United Americas are under water. Blood has become the most valuable commodity on the planet – especially the blood of aboriginal peoples, for it contains antigens that protect them from the plagues that ravage the
rest of the world.
Sixteen year old Cassandra Mecredi might be aboriginal by blood, but without a totem animal, she cannot make sense of her visions or walk the paths of the spirit world. When her family is forced to leave their reservation, they flee east to the Island: a mysterious and idyllic territory free from the depredations of industry and sickness and under the control of the Band, a group of guerrilla warriors. There, Cassandra will become the apprentice to a wise woman, fall in love, and find her destiny when the creatures of spirit claim her as their own. For the spirit world is angry... and they have chosen Cassandra to be their voice and instrument.
(Note: Being chosen as a voice and instrument sounds mighty dangerous.)
Disclaimer: Credit for the implementation of WoW posts go to Jill at Breaking The Spine. Credit goes, and will always go, to her, for this and future WoW posts. I take no credit for this meme, and future WoW posts wouldn't exist without her. It should be taken note of that there might be times where I won't be writing this for every WoW post. That does not mean that I am taking credit for it. It just means that I'm just too lazy to write it down.
Love this interview? Buy the shirt! Any designs you want, sound off below!
Hi Patch! It’s great to get to interview you. *cough* Describe yourself--what is your best quality? What is your worst?
Best – math. I'm a stone-cold logic kind of guy. Nora would tell you the worst thing about me is my lifestyle. It doesn't lend itself to relationships.
What is the one thing you wish other people knew about you?
The less people know about me the better.
How would you convince someone who has never seen an angel that such entities do exist?
I wouldn't. There are advantages to flying under the radar. Makes my job easier.
What is Nora’s most annoying quality? Her most admirable quality?
Most annoying – she likes to eat out at these organic coffee shops. They're usually desolate at night, and in the run-down section of town. It's asking for trouble. Her most admirable quality is her determination to fool everyone around her into thinking she's this rigid schoolgirl.
What is your biggest secret--the one thing you don't want ANYBODY to know?
You wouldn't want me to tell you. There's a dark side that comes with knowing my secrets.
What are you most afraid of?
Hell.
What do you want more than anything?
A human body.
There are some people out there who think that you’re... not so nice. Then, there are people out there who think that bad boys are sexy. Are you a bad boy, and what do you have to say to these people?
I'm not bad – I've just got a flexible code of ethics. I'm not afraid to cross a moral line to do what needs to be done.
Hi Nora, thank you for agreeing to do this interview. Unfortunately I’ve got a nasty flu so you’ll have to excuse me if my voice sounds a little weird. *coughs pathetically*
What’s your worst subject in school, and is this in any way related to Patch?
Science is my worst subject, and my biology grade wasn't helped any by sitting beside Patch. Let's just say it's hard to concentrate on school with him sitting twelve inches away.
Okay, I know there are girls out there who think that having a guy who knows everything about you is pretty darn sexy, especially if the guy in question is as hot as Patch. What are your views on that?
Patch wishes he knew everything about me! I would kill him if he ever looked inside my underwear drawer (but I have a total double standard going on, because if I was ever alone in his bedroom, I would so look. I mean, does he even wear underwear?!) Oh, and he's never read my journal, and he's never going to either. I don't believe in secrets (unless absolutely necessary), but I do believe in boundaries.
What are some of the articles that you’ve written for the school eZine?
I'm in charge of writing up movie and theater reviews, nothing big or earth shattering. It's a backseat position, but I don't mind. You won't see me applying to be the next editor of the eZine. (Vee is, though! But I swore not to tell!)
Vee is your un-twin in many ways. Will you give us five reasons why this is so?
1. We both would kill for peanut-butter ice cream
2. We were born seven hours apart
3. We have the same middle name – Colette
4. When we were eight, we swore a blood oath to get married on the same day and be each other's bridesmaids.
5. We're constantly finishing each other's sentences
What’s the best part about being friends with Vee?
Nothing! She's crazy! She's always getting me in trouble! Okay, seriously, though. It's hard to put it into words. It's kind of like when you just know you love someone. We've been best friends so long, it would be hard to peel us apart and not have parts of me stuck on her, and vice versa.
Tell me about your parents. How well do you get along with them?
My dad passed away last year, but my mom's cool. We used to be pretty close, especially right after my dad died, but she works a lot now. I don't resent it, it's just...different. Life happens. What can I say?
What were three things you liked to do when you were a child?
Go Easter dress shopping with my mom, go to the zoo with both parents and build forts in the woods with Vee.
I have to ask this: Edward from Twilight, Jacob from Twilight, Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, or Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
Xander. He's sweet and funny. (Patch is in the room, and for some reason finds this very funny.)
Hi Becca! Thanks so much for agreeing to take part in this interview! Pitch Hush, Hush to us in a one liner. Becca Fitzpatrick: A darkly romantic tale about a girl who falls for a fallen angel with a dark agenda to become human.
When and how did the idea of Hush, Hush come about? How did it go from there to publication?
The very first inspiration for the story came from an experience in my own tenth-grade biology class. We must have been studying human reproduction, because my teacher asked me, in front of the whole class, to name characteristics I would be attracted to in a mate (I know!) The experience always stuck with me, and when I sat down to write Hush, Hush, that little piece of my history evolved into an early scene in the book. I wrote the first three chapters in the fall of 2003, but I was a brand-new mom, and time was short. It wasn't until I went to Left Coast Crime (a conference for suspense and mystery writers) in March 2008 that the story really came together for me. That conference was magical. I was away from home for a few days, hanging out with friends, and I outlined the entire plot. I went home and wrote the story, and three months later signed with my agent.
Were there any notable changes from the first drafts of the book to the published manuscript?
Yes, quite a few. For one, the writing improved quite a bit! And in the early drafts, Nora's character didn't really exist – she was originally a cheerleader named Ellie. Also, there wasn't a mystery in the first draft.
Tell us more about research for the book.
I relied on Judeo-Christian mythology, then used my own creative license to flesh out details and make them relevant to the story.
What experiences, if any, did you draw from in your own life in order to create Nora? Is there anything in the books that happened exactly the same way in real life?
While writing Hush, Hush, I spent a good deal of time reading my own journals from my high school days. Hush, Hush is fictional, but relies on how I viewed the world as a sixteen year old. Most of my friends and I were wacky, impulsive, always on the lookout for fun and trouble, and making memories to last a lifetime. They were fun, scary, wild years.
Besides the originally inspiration for the story, which came from something that happened in my own biology classroom, there's a small scene in the sequel, Crescendo, involving a hot dog that I stole from my real life. Other than that, the stories are fictional.
Would you say that you’re more like Patch, Nora or Vee, or an insane mix of all three?
*Laughing!* I don't think I'm really like any of them. Patch is loosely based on a guy I knew a long time ago, and Vee's character was inspired by two of my childhood friends. Both Patch and Vee are very strong characters, and Nora is the calm between their storms.
What would Patch see if he met a Boggart? (In the Harry Potter series, a Boggart is a shape-shifter that takes on the form of its intended victim's worst fear.)
Patch's worst fear is being doomed to hell for eternity, and he feels the threat constantly breathing down his neck. If hell came at him in the form of a Boggart, he'd probably hold tight to the memory of who he used to be, who he is around Nora, and who he wants to become.
How did the transition of cheerleader Noelle transform into who Nora is now? (http://beccafitzpatrick.com/outtakes.html)
Oh, wow. That was a five-year transformation. I started Hush, Hush in the fall of 2003, and Noelle (or Ellie) was a self-absorbed and ditzy character who, in some ways, resembled the character that is now Marcie Millar. She was very into how she dressed and looked, and in the end, it was hard to spend a lot of time with her. Plus, I couldn't see Patch going for her, because there was nothing very redeeming or challenging about her. Five years later, after quite a bit of rewriting, I'd replaced Ellie with Nora, a girl who appears to be the epitome of normal.
What would you do if saw an angel fall from the sky?
I'd probably run over and see if he needed help. Especially if he was shirtless and wearing hot pants.
Who are your top three choices respectively to play Nora, Patch and Vee?
Patch: Steven Straight Nora: Leighton Meester
Vee: Nobody's good enough for Vee!
Do you view Nora as someone girls can relate to or someone they should aspire to be?
Nora is doing the whole high school thing, trying to be true to herself, figuring out who her friends are, and falling in love. I think most girls can relate to that.
What are your views on Nora and Patch’s relationship?
It's complicated...just kidding! Their relationship is intense and messy, for sure. It's a bit crazed at times. As the author, the scenes between them are never boring to write. Patch is an interesting boyfriend, mostly because he's not boyfriend material. He's not what you usually see in teen fiction, at least, that's my opinion. It's easy to make readers like a charming, boy-next-door, feel-good kind of guy. It's much harder to make them like a deviant. (Not that Patch is deviant, but he's definitely not the norm!)
What’s your pick for the overall theme song for Hush, Hush?
This song isn't on my playlist, but a friend sent it to me, and I think it's PERFECT. Trouble is a Friend by Lenka.
So I’ve heard that there is a different ending in the finished copy of Hush, Hush as compared to the review copies given out to reviewers. Will you tell us more about that?
The last page in the hardback is different than the ARC ending. Not a huge change, but I think the new ending leads better into the sequel. I think the consensus is that the new ending is better. Oddly enough, it was the original ending, which I changed during edits. Just before the book went to print, my editor asked if I'd mind changing it back.
Thank you for that interview Becca! Is there anything you’d like to add?
Just a huge thank you for having me here today! I'd love to know who your readers would cast for Patch, Nora and Vee.
The lovely Becca Fitzpatrick has offered a signed hardcover copy of Hush, Hush up for grabs. It's open internationally, so whatchu waiting for?
[Updated 17 October:]
The wonderful, wonderful Becca's given us more prizes for the giveaway! Lookie! So here's the prize list
Winner 1:
One signed copy of Hush, Hush
Winner 2:
One signed copy of the Hush, Hush audiobook
Winner 3:
One signed Hush, Hush t-shirt (*squee!*)
Winners 4 - 8:
Hush, Hush bookmarks and postcards
Rule: Along with your email, leave a comment that makes sense and that is NOT repeated(i.e. normal comment, quote, song lyrics, poems, chat back and forth). Every comment will count as an entry.
Open until 31st October 2009 Extended until 11.59pm Sunday, 1st November 2009.
Here's the synopsis for Hush, Hush:
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.
This post is scheduled for 12 midnight where I am, meaning that it's about noon way over there. Julie's one of my favrit Tenners. She likes books (duh), games, Final Fantasy (!!!) and sushi and it's offspring: sushi cakes.
More importantly, she's the author of The Iron King, scheduled for release on 1st February 2010. Here's the synopsis:
MEGHAN CHASE HAS A SECRET DESTINY— ONE SHE COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED…
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.
But this is more interesting. Josh Berk gave my sister a personalised BerkMark. It made my sister's day, and thus my day too. Thanks! :D
Disclaimer: Credit for the implementation of IMM posts go to Kristi of The Story Siren and Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Credit goes, and will always go, to them, for this and future IMM posts. I take no credit for this meme, and future IMM posts wouldn't exist without them both. It should be taken note of that there might be times where I won't be writing this for every IMM post. That does not mean that I am taking credit for it. It just means that I'm just too lazy to write it down.
In a school run by gangs, staying out was harder than joining.
We knew who our friends were, and were careful what we said. If people thought we were haters, it would only be a matter of time. Lines are clearly marked at South Bay High School. It's mixed territory for the Crips and the Bloods, which means the drama never stops.
Julia DiVino wants none of it. No colors, no C-Walks -- it's just not her thing.
But when Eric Valienté jumps into her life, everything changes. Lines are redrawn. And then they're crossed.
I didn't have high expectations for Snitch. Comparisons to Raven, another YA novel by Allison van Diepen, was inevitable. How would Snitch hold up to Raven, which isn't one of my favourite books but had an interesting setting and plot.
I've never read a book involving gangs before so I didn't know what to expect. But when you remove the gangs setting, you find that at heart it's a book about having to make choices. Not really original in that aspect, but it was written wonderfully.
Julia's going along fine in her life. She's an all around good girl, with good grades and graduation right around the corner. She has friends in major gangs, but she's steered clear of being a part of it so far. When she falls for McHottie Newbie Eric, who's involved in a gang faster than you could finish reading this, she gets thrust into the action. What's a girl to do?
What struck me the most about Snitch was the gang proceedings. I liked reading the inside scoop on what happens in gangs. It was informative, but it wasn't preachy at all. Gang proceedings aren't embellished, are prettied up in this novel. You get to see all the harsh truth in one book, and for someone who's a goody two shoe herself, this is probably as close to knowing about gangs as I can get.
Heidi R Kling just got a box of SEA ARCs! Here's a Twitterview (Twinterview?) with Heidi and the pweeeety ARC #3.
Me: How does it feel like to have your hands on the ARCs of your very first novel? Heidi: Very surreal. And exciting! I'm so grateful to the people at Putnam for creating such a lovely image for my words.
Me: How does it look like, RIGHT NOW? Shineee, in a box, hiding in a safe... Heidi: One ARC is sitting next to me on the couch. The other one is sipping tea. Another is watching Gossip Girl..they are all here with me.
@SharonLovesCats: Are you petting them? Heidi: YES. They are more purpley in real life--the back cover color is remarkable. I want to drink it. And it's 336 pages! Also, the chin is on the first page!
Me: Ahh, Gossip Girl ey? Hey, ARC! Who are you most a fan of on Gossip Girl? Heidi: ARC #3 is a fan of Hillary Duff. She especially likes her hat. When she takes human form she is going to buy one just like it.
Me: Do you have a fight to see who gets to meet Heidi first? ARC #3: Fortunately, I was at the top of the pile so I get Top Notch COUCH positioning. My bros and sisters are piled on the wicker trunk.
Me: You have a lot of people wanting to meet you. Wanna do a shout out to them? ARC #3: Hey everybody! For the next two seasons I will do everything in my power to escape from my master's cruel grip so I can get to you!
Me: Thanks so much for that interview, Heidi and ARC #3! Have a great day ahead! Heidi: You too! Me and the ARC's thank you. =))
This is one in a line of depressing movies I watched when it first came out. First was Cloverfield, then I Am Legend and more. The family banned me from making any movie choices for a while after that. Two sad choices, and then you're judged for life. .___. LOL.
Will Smith's portrayal of Robert Neville, the last man alive, was heartbreaking. Set in 2012, everyday he has a routine: watching reruns of the news along with man's best friend (and also his only friend on Earth). As the only man who is immune to the cure-for-cancer-that-turns-people-into-zombies, one would think that he'd be thankful. But his life is far from blissful. His family is dead, killed in a helicopter while escaping from the zombie-infested city three years before. He's all alone in a metropolis, with the Darkseekers (called so because of their aversion to light and preference for dark places) hiding in every possible alley and apartment, just waiting for someone (*cough* Robert *cough*) to feast on.
Which makes me wonder, how do they survive if every living being has either been eaten or turned into zombies? Do they feast on each other or inorganic materials? What about plants and trees?
I digress.
The part that affected me the most was when his dog Sam, got infected and he is forced to euthanise her. With all that has happened to him, you'd think he'd at least have something to hang on to. But nooooo. Dang you, writers, making me cry like that!
..it was so ungainly. The crying, not the movie. :/
Soon after, he loses the will to live, but wait! Salvation comes in the form of a woman and a child, and Robert finds out that he's not the last man alive on Earth. Hah! They came to seek out Robert, who has been broadcasting daily on the hopes that there was someone out there, somewhere, that might possibly be alive.
Somehow the duo are unharmed and uninfected, and they brought news that there's an enclosed community somewhere where humans still live.
I won't spoil the ending for you. I prefer the alternate ending. It was better in many ways, giving more than a hint of hope for humanity.
(spoiler)
And needless to say, Will Smith doesn't DIE! GEEZ! I hate movies where Will Smith dies! (/spoiler)
The Demon's Covenant (out June 2nd, 2010) Mae Crawford always thought she was in control. Now she's learned that her little brother Jamie is a magician and Nick, the boy she'd set her heart on, has an even darker secret. Mae's whole world has spun out of control, and it's only going to get worse.
When she realises that Jamie has been meeting secretly with the new leader of the Obsidian Circle, and that Gerald wants him to join the magicians, she's not sure how to stop Jamie doing just that. Calling in Nick and Alan as reinforcements only leads to a more desperate conflict because Gerald has a plan to bring Nick down - by using Alan to spring a deadly trap.
With those around her torn between divided loyalties and Mae herself torn between her feelings for two very different boys, she sees a chance to save them all - but it means approaching the mysterious and dangerous Goblin Market alone...
I'm happy that there's a sequel to The Demon's Lexicon, of which my review can be found here. And I'm a member of the forum Lexiconix, which is just made of awesome, because we can grill ask Sarah more questions! Here's Sarah's twitter, if you want to stalk her for more Nick tidbits.
Disclaimer: Credit for the implementation of WoW posts go to Jill at Breaking The Spine. Credit goes, and will always go, to her, for this and future WoW posts. I take no credit for this meme, and future WoW posts wouldn't exist without her. It should be taken note of that there might be times where I won't be writing this for every WoW post. That does not mean that I am taking credit for it. It just means that I'm just too lazy to write it down.
