Mundie Moms

Saturday, July 31, 2010

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! We share the books we've received this past week for review, borrowed from friends or the library, received as a gift and/or bought for both Mundie Moms and Mundie Kids (our Children's Book Review Site).

For Review:
* Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick, published by Simon & Schuster, TBR September 30th, 2010, received from the publisher
* Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols (signed), *contains both The Boys Next Door and Endless Summer*, published by Simon Pulse, Released May 25th, 2010, received from the author
* The Mark by M.R. Bunderson (signed), published by Bonneville Books, released on March 8th, 2010, received from the author
* Glimpse, by Stacey Wallace Benefiel, published by CreateSpace, published May 9th, 2010, received from the author
* Chasing Happiness by Chance Block, published by Infinity Publishing, received from the publisher

Borrowed:
* Over The Moon by Diane Daniels (thank you Georgia)

Bought:
* Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (signed via her signing)
* City of Glass (paperback with the CWA and COFA teasers) by Cassandra Clare
* The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Thank you to Simon and Schuster, Jennifer Echols, M.R. Bunderson, Stacey W. Benefiel, Infinity Publishing and Scholastic (for our Mundie Kids books) for our wonderful reads.

Maggie Stiefvater Linger Signing


Thursday night we had a great time meeting Maggie Stiefvater in Austin. We meet up with a few friends and enjoyed meeting some new blogger friends. *WAVES* to our new blogger friends! It was a fun night and very laid back. Maggie's signing felt more like we were all gathered around a family room visiting, which made it a lot more laid back.

(Maggie giving me her crazy eyes. Maggie, Myself and my little girl. Thank you to Girls In The Stack for the picture)

I recored part of Maggie's Q&A, and once I have a chance to edit it, I'll post it here on the blog. Maggie is so much fun to meet in person. She had us laughing through out her Q&A. She talked about her writing, her wolves, a tiny bit about Forever, her "secret" project and yes there will be a third book in the Lament series, but at this time there is no release date. If you ever get the chance to go meet Maggie, I highly recommend it!! She's larger than life, hilarious, and totally down to earth.

(Our friend Stephanie, Maggie Stiefvater and our amazing Graphic Designer Chairman Meow is on the right. Yes, Jennifer totally hand MADE these rocking Linger shirts that Maggie really liked).

When Maggie heard how many people entered our signed Linger bookmark contest, she graciously signed a couple more for us to give away. So, leave us a comment on the post and you'll automatically be entered to win! *We'll post the winner names on Monday, at which time they'll have 48 hrs to email us with their contact info*

(Girls In The Stacks, part of the MM Admin Team, Arena (the nerds wife) and Stephanie)

Thank you to Girls In The Stacks and Jennifer for the pictures.

Box Of Book Winners

Thank you to everyone who entered our box of books giveaway! Random.org has selected our winners and they are....

#1-Ashley Lecroy-who will be receiving:
* Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
* Borderline by Allan Stratton
* Guardian of The Dead by Karen Healey
* The Sons of Liberty by
* The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott (ARC)
* Inside Out by Maria Snyder (ARC)
* The Turning, What Curiosity Kills by Helen Ellis (ARC)

#43- JP Sullivan- who will be receiving:
* Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
* The Chronicles of Nick, Infinity by Sherilynn Kenyon
* Grace by Elizabeth Scott (ARC)
* I Kissed A Zombie and I Liked It by Adam Selzer (ARC)
*Siren by Tricia Rayburn
* Wicked, Witch and Curse by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Congratulations Ashely and JP!! You'r books will be sent out to you shortly. Thank you to everyone who entered. Don't forget about our other giveaways which are listed on our right hand side bar.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Clockwork Angel Celebrations

For the whole month of August, we'll be celebrating the August 31st release of Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel. Clockwork Angel is the first book in the Infernal Devices series which is set before The Mortal Instruments Series.

Next month on Mundie Moms you'll find our interview with Cassie, character blurbs Cassie has written up for our site, character quotes, Cassie's CWA playlist, giveaways and more. At the end of the month we'll be giving away a copy of Clockwork Angel!! On September 8th we'll be chatting with Cassie in a live Mundie Moms author chat!! Mark your calendars :)

To kick off our Clockwork Angel celebrations we've added our Clockwork Angel banner (which will be up the whole month of August) and we're starting our CWA giveaways early with a CWA Freebie Friday!


One winner will receive a CWA poster and journal that has a quote from the book on the back, along with a CWA book mark made by Hebel Designs (pictured above). To enter, please fill out the form below.


Thank you to Simon and Schuster for giving us the Clockwork Angel posters and journals to giveaway.

Lemniscate Cover Reveal

Recently Jennifer Murgia revealed her cover to Lemniscate. Lemniscate is the sequel to Angel Star, which we really enjoyed reading.

Here's the synopsis for Lemniscate:

For Teagan, these last few months have been heaven on earth—especially now that Garreth, her boyfriend and guardian angel, is earthbound. But perhaps Garreth is becoming a little more “human” than either of them expected.
Now, Teagan must realize that her world is once again about to shift, as she questions the faith she held in others against those once considered enemies.
In this continuation of Angel Star, Lemniscate will draw you even deeper into the world of dark and light as Teagan realizes the angel who could possibly save them all is the one angel she feared the most. (taken from Jennifer's site)

You can visit Jennifer's web page to find out more about her books Angel Star and Lemniscate.We're looking for March 2011 when Lemniscate is released.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

*SIGNED* Linger Bookmark Winners


WOW! We had over 160 entries for this giveaway. We wish we had enough bookmarks to send to everyone. Here's our 5 winners:

#154- Emma Davies
#7- Ana Carla Ponte
#57- Debbie Penny
#137- Koriann Riggenbach
#158- Zoe Bestel

Congratulations to everyone who won!! You'll be receiving an email from us shortly. Thank you to everyone entered!

If you're in the Austin area tonight, be sure to stop by Maggie's Linger signing @Book People, at 7 pm! We'll see you there!!

13 District Mockingjay Blog Tour Announcement

I am so excited that today we are announcing some exciting Hunger Games news! You all know that Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (easily the summer's most anticipated release) will be out very soon. Did you know there's a going to be a 13 District blog tour for Mockingjay!?!?

Here's the exciting thing, Mundie Moms is District 11! That means with each blog stop there will be an exciting post about the series, and giveaways you don't want to miss. We can't wait to share with you what we're giving away. On AUGUST 25th, be sure to come back and take part in our District 11 post and giveaway!! If you're a huge Hunger Games fan, you don't want to miss what we're giving away!!

We'll have our District 11 badge posted on our side bar, so all you'll have to do is click the badge to be taken to our blog tour posts.

With the excitement of the Mockingjay 13 District blog tour and the release of Mockingjay, an Official Hunger Games facebook page has been set up! Make sure you join the page here http://www.facebook.com/TheHungerGames to see which blogs are part of the 13 District Blog tour, watch the video, talk to other fans, find the latest news and more.

In the mean time, don't forget to pre-order your copy of Mockingjay. I'm dying to know who Katniss will choose, Peeta or Gale? Let us know who you think she'll choose.

Book Review- The Shadow Project

By Herbie Brennan
Published by Harper Collins Childrens
Released January 1st, 2010
Source: Publisher
4 stars- It was a good read.

Something powerful reached deep inside to pull Danny out of his body. It seemed as though he was gripped by invisible hands, then extracted, like a cork from a bottle. And when he came out, he could see the doorway. It hung in space directly in front of him., an unearthly luminous green triangle like nothing he had ever seen before. When you looked into it, strange shapes pulsed and writhed.

Danny felt twisted, as if something had taken him and turned him inside out, and he was now facing in a direction no mortal human was supposed to face. It was a hideous sensation, but while he wanted to desperately to turn away, something held him firm. His fear ramped toward downright terror. There was a pounding in his ears,. The writhing shapes swam closer to the surface of reality and reached for him....

Despite himself, Danny stepped into the doorway.

If you like a little thriller, mixed in with paranormal activity and a CIA and MI-6 match up, then The Shadow Project is a must read for you. The Shadow Project has the CIA and MI-6 teamed up together to not only track terror suspects, but paranormal activity that has been going on with a particular terror cell. This activity has it's terror coming from the astral plane and the likely candidates to reach it are three teenagers.

I liked that it's fiction mixed with a little bit of fact. While I was a little lost when I first started the book, I quickly realized there a few character voices who tell story. I like that each chapter is titled with the character's name, so you know who's telling the story. I didn't mourn the fact that I didn't feel a connection to the characters, as the story is non stop action and quickly flew by.

I did like Danny, the main character. He's a bit of a broken boy who's grown up with his Nan, who's just suffered a major stroke. I do love her character, as you get to know more about her in the book. Danny has taken to being a thief, which is how he stumbles upon the hide out of the project. Danny isn't just some street smart kid who's had his fair share of fights, he's also very intelligent and was recently accepted to Cambridge University. He also has a gift which is needed in aiding MI-6 and the CIA. He has no idea what he's gotten himself into when MI-6 offers him a deal he can't refuse.

I don't know if I'd classify this book as sci-fi, action, paranormal, or mystery. Having this mix made for a quick, easy read that I enjoyed more than I had anticipated. With the very mild language and the fast pace action, I think this a book those 12 and older would enjoy.

You can visit Harper Collins Children's site for more information about The Shadow Project and Herbie Brennan http://tinyurl.com/2ups82j

Thoughtful Thursday-LFA (Lupus Foundation Of America)

This week's Thoughtful Thursday is the Lupus Foundation of America. Thank you to our MM follower, Erin for letting us know about LFA. Here's what she told us,

"It's estimated that about 80% of the general population knows nothing or very little about lupus. Which I find a very surprising statistic since lupus impacts the lives of 1.5 million Americans and when we think worldwide that number jumps to 5 million. The Lupus Foundation of America (www.lupus.org) is all about spreading awareness and raising money for lupus research so we can one day find a cure for this disease. The LFA is trying to educate people on what lupus is, how it's diagnosed, as well as how it's treated. They also sponsor events such as the Walk for Lupus Now event in cities all across the United States."

What Is Lupus?
Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys. (taken from LFA's site)

Lupus affects both children and adults and to help educated people on Lupus, LFA has a great site where you can find out more information about what Lupus is, what the symptoms are and more here http://tinyurl.com/cdw8oe

Thank you Erin for brining LFA to our attention. LFA has a wonderful site with tools to help those looking to find out more about Lupus, ways they can help from getting involved to donating money to help them find a cure. Be sure to visit LFA site here www.lupus.org

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Author Signing with Christina Diaz Gonzalez and Friends


This Sunday, August 1st at the Glendale Borders (100 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, Ca 91204) The Red Umbrella author Christina Diaz Gonzalez, along with Sea author Heidi R Kling and Tortilla Sun author Jennifer Cervantes will be SIGNING their books!!

The event is from 2-4 pm. To find out more specific requirements, like can you bring books from home etc please be sure to call the book store. You can find out more information about the signing here http://tinyurl.com/2cxxr8y and the here http://fb.me/CX9kFVaq

If you're in the area, be sure to stop by and tell them hi!!

Book Review - Princess for Hire


By: Lindsey Leavitt
Published by Disney Hyperion
Released March 29, 2010
Source: Bought
4 stars- I really liked this book. Go pick it up.

Synopsis (from www.princessforhire.com):
When a flawlessly dressed woman steps out of an iridescent bubble and wants to know, like, now if you’d like to become a substitute princess, do you

a) run
b) faint
c) say Yes!

For Desi Bascomb, who’s been longing for a bit of glamour in her Idaho life, the choice is a definite C–that is, once she can stop pinching herself. As her new agent Meredith explains, Desi has a rare magical ability: when she applies the ancient Egyptian formula “Royal Rouge,” she can transform temporarily into the exact lookalike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?

Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras. Like, what do you do when a bullying older sister puts you on a heinous crash diet? Or when the tribal villagers gather to watch you perform a ceremonial dance you don’t know? Or when a princess’s conflicted sweetheart shows up to break things off–and you know she would want you to change his mind?

In this hilarious, winning debut, one girl’s dream of glamour transforms into something bigger: the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.


Sometimes when you read a book, you feel like you're watching every scene as it unfolds. You know the feeling when details jump out at you and you can see and hear the characters so very clearly? Well, I certainly experienced just that when I read Princess for Hire.

I was so moved by Desi, a girl who wants to be accepted as her tee-shirt-creating, classic-movie-watching self but is relegated to working an after school job dressed up as a groundhog for a local mall's pet shop. It's the kind of job where you're bound to stumble into your crush and his girlfriend who just happens to be your former best friend. But it's this very job at Pets Charming that leads to a change in Desi's life. Sometimes when you make a wish, well, it can lead to an entirely different life. Can't it?

In this case, it does. Desi is transported out of her everyday, humdrum life and through the help of Meredith Pouffinski, Princess Agent Extraordinaire, Desi becomes a Princess Sub. You see princess live exciting lives but sometimes they need a break. So who can step in for them? Why a Sub, of course.

You can imagine that this leads to some very funny and unexpected situations. I loved every one of them. I also loved the idea that princesses needed a break. It reminded me of one of my favorite movies, "Roman Holiday". You know the one where Audrey Hepburn plays a princess who needs a holiday? Well, it'll come as no surprise that it's one of Desi's favorite movies, too.

Lindsey has a delightful way of presenting the whimsical magic system, a plot line that pulls you in and a completely relatable main character. So if you feel like you always wanted to try your hand at being a princess, be sure to read Princess for Hire; it'll open up that What If moment for you. I know it did just that for me. And much to my relief, there is a sequel in the works which will be released on May 3, 2011. I now need to know what happens between Desi and a certain boy.

I also want to mention that this is a perfect book for a mom and a tween daughter to share. My 7.5 year old has been glancing at the cover and, although she's not an official tween yet, it's just the kind of book that we would read together.

Take Me There Blog Tour & Giveaway


This past week I had the privilege of meeting Take Me There author, Carolee Dean. She was on a blog tour meeting various bloggers through out Texas. While in Austin, we had the chance to meet and visit at our local Barnes and Noble. It was so much fun visiting with her about her book, as so much of it takes place in TX. I have say Hook Em Horns, as Carolee even mentions the Longhorn Football team in her book. It was a lot of fun talking to Carolee about Take Me There, the research she did for her book, her Texas ties and what writing has been like in general for her.

Here's a little bit about Take Me There, which was release this past week by Simon and Schuster.

Sometimes sexy, sometimes sad, and always intense, Take Me There is a dark and surprising novel about a boy on the run who's headed nowhere fast.

Dylan has a bad-boy past and a criminal record. He knows that rich, beautiful Jess is way too good for him—but she has always been the one person who sees through his tough exterior and straight to his heart, and he has been hopelessly in love with her from the first time they met. He would change his life for a chance with her.

But trouble follows Dylan wherever he goes, and a deadly mistake soon forces him to hit the road and leave his dreams behind. He’s on the run and in search of answers—answers to questions he wishes he’d never asked.

During our visit, I asked Carolee a few questions about Take Me There. This is an edited version of our Q&A as we visited for awhile and talked in detail about the book and the importance of literacy. Take Me There has a powerful message about literacy. *please note the Carolee's answers were a summary of our discussions, as we talked in detail about each of the questions*

Do you find it's hard to write from the point of view of a teen boy?
It's like acting. It's easier taking on a character who's different than me, as I have to step away from myself, and immerse myself into the character. If forces me to think and do things differently.

What has Dylan taught you?
Being adults, it's easy for us to see what kids should do, what paths they should take. When you're the teenager and you're in the middle of it, it's hard to see which direction to go in. Dylan helped remind me of their limited choices.

What inspired you to add poems to the story? Are Dylan's poems ones you wrote?
Jimmy Santiago Baca is the inspiration behind having Dylan be a poet. Jimmy Santiago is from New Mexico and taught himself to read and write while he was in prison. There he began to compose poetry. Yes, I wrote Dylan's poems.

What is something you learned in your research for Take Me There?
That prisons are built around areas who have a high 3rd grade literacy rate. Many of those in prison have a literacy level no higher than a 3rd grader.

We talked about literacy for awhile and how little is being done to change the fact that there are so many people living within our country who can't read higher than a 3rd grader. One of the many messages in Take Me There is the importance of an education and especially learning to read. Dylan and his father are powerful reminders of the limited options people face when they can't read. Their future isn't as open and privileged compared to those who can.

Each blog stop along the tour will have a Texas trivia question. If you know the answer, than be sure to visit this site here http://tinyurl.com/28mdwz3 for your chance to win some cool prizes like this-
TO ENTER (to win the items pictured above):
Please let us a comment with your email address and we'll pick the winner @ 6 pm CST on August 30th!

On August 30th, Carolee will announce the grand prize winner and their prize pack.

Have you read any books lately that you would recommend to our followers?
I love the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. It's fantasy but it's gritty and realistic. I can't wait for the release of Mockingjay on August 24th. I love that Collins created a mutated form of a mockingbird, especially since To Kill a Mockingbird is getting so much attention these days with its 50th birthday. Mockingbirds are just one of those fascinating and symbolic creatures. No wonder it's the state bird of Texas.

Your Texas Trivia Question:
What is the State Bird?
a) Mockingbird
b) Roadrunner
c) Bluejay
d) Crow

*a hint was provided in Carolee's answer to my question*

Be sure to check out the other blogs Carolee will be visiting through out the rest of this week and into next week here:

You can find out more about Carolee, and where you can buy signed copies of Take Me There at her site here http://caroleedean.livejournal.com

You can find my review for Take Me There here http://tinyurl.com/2g2tpzm

Waiting On Wednesday- Kiss Me Deadly

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week we can't wait for Kiss Me Deadly, 13 Takes of Paranormal Love. It's written by a variety of authors we love and Edited by Trisha Telep. It's published by Running Press and set to release August 3rd, 2010.

Full of dark seduction and modern romance, this short story collection presents a variety of talented voices sure to satisfy every werewolf, ghost, fallen angel, zombie, and shape-shifter’s dark desires. (from goodreads)

Here's a description from Running Press, along with a list of author's who's short stories you'll find make up Kiss Me Deadly.

If you can possibly thirst for more mysterious metaphysical accounts of love, TrishaTelep has organized some of the greatest and most thrilling tales of paranormal paramours since The Eternal Kiss. She presents the acclaimed literary talent of thirteen unique authors, creating a collection of stories that will undoubtedly capture the imagination of every soul who dares to read them. Werewolves, ghosts, zombies, vampires, and fallen angels drive the plot of these riveting romances.Kiss Me Deadly includes the exceptional writings of several authors, including: • Sarah Rees Brennan (faeries) • Becca Fitzpatrick (angels) • Caitlin Kittredge (witches) • Karen Mahoney(vampires: sequel to story from The Eternal Kiss) • Daniel Marks (ghost kids) • Justine Musk (sorcerers) • Diana Peterfreund (unicorns) • Michelle Rowen (demons) • Carrie Ryan (zombies) • Maggie Stiefvater (werewolves) • Rachel Vincent (banshees) • Daniel Waters (zombies) • Michelle Zink (gothic ghosts)

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