Mundie Moms

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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