Mundie Moms

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Author Interview with David Levithan

This past weekend was AWESOME! The Texas Book Festival weekend kicked off with me having the opportunity to interview Every Day author, David Levithan


David was in town for the festival, and had a signing on Friday night at Book People. I invited my friend Stacy with Girls in the Stacks to interview David with me. You wouldn't be able to tell from this video that she was internally fan girling over this interview. I on the other hand has issues talking. That might have had to do with the fact that along with David, whom I view as a YA power house, Rebecca Stead and Kristin Cashore were also there. Yep, major fangirling happening. I seriously adore David! If you ever get the chance to meet him, do! He's fascinating, and amazing to talk to.Prior to the filming of our interview I said David's last name perfectly, but once the cameras turned on I got so tongue tied..... here's the video (take 3).




Thank you to David for the interview and to his publisher, Random House for making this possible. Also thank you to Stacy (Girls in the Stacks) for coming down and doing the interview with me, and filming it. I'll have a post up soon about the book festival, along with a giveaway! 



About the Book:





In his New York Times bestselling novel, David Levithan introduces readers to what Entertainment Weekly calls a "wise, wildly unique" love story about A, a teen who wakes up every morning in a different body, living a different life.

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. 

There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

With his new novel, David Levithan, bestselling co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day -quoted from Goodreads

Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book People (who may still have some signed stock left)

Book Reviews (good Halloween Reads): Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake / I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga / Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Happy Halloween! What's just as as good as a haunted house, a haunted hay ride or watching a scary movie? Reading a scary book! Today I'm featuring a few books that may either make you jump at the sounds that go bump in the night, or leave your feeling a little squeamish. If you're a looking for a few good haunting reads, pick up:




Released on: September 18th, 2012
Source: book from publisher to review
4 stars: I Enjoyed It
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

SHHHH!
Don't spread the word!
Three-day weekend. House party.
White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do NOT want to miss it.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine? -quoted from Goodreads

This is one of those creepy, thrilling reads that from the moment you start to read it you know something bad is going to happen. I mean ten teens going out to a remote Pacific Northwest island cut off from the rest of the world with no adult supervision scream creepy horror story. Yes, it's one of those stories that you know things are going to quickly go from the party scene to something horrific, but your not sure how. I'm sure we've all read a book similar to that right or at least watched a movie about a group of teens where things start happening to them, and even though you know bad things are going to happen you can't look away. That movie was Scream for me (I know I just dated myself). Ten was much the same way. 

I knew things were going to happen, just not by whom, why or how. The not knowing, and wanting to know how was staging the murders, and the motive behind it is part of what made me keep reading this book. That and I had to know who got off the island, if anyone. Because someone had to survive right?! Maybe.... I'll admit I wasn't a fan of all the characters in this book, but Meg and T.J. become the two characters that I had hoped would survive the weekend. Even though the over all storyline was predictable, I had no idea who the murder was until the moment they were revealed. Gretchen did an awesome job at keeping me guessing up until that heart pounding moment. This is definitely a read I'd be pick up if you're a fan of thrilling, murder mysteries. There is underage drinking, some mild language, violence and sexual references in this book. 





Published by: Tor Teen
Released on: August 7th, 2012
Source: Book from publisher to review
4 stars: I Enjoyed It
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Series: Anna #2

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on. 

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor. -quoted from Goodreads

I can't mention Halloween reads without having a good ghost story on my list. Even though I know ghost stories with some sort of romance or romantic interest involved never end well, I still get suckered into them, because of the "what if". What if something changes and the ghost and their human love find a way to end up together. Without fail, I fall for these well written stories each time. Picking up where Anna Dressed in Blood leaves off, Girl of Nightmares has Cas mourning over the loss of Anna and her sacrifice for him and his friends. Unlike how dark the first book was, this story has a lot more mystery to it. Don't be fooled though, there are still some deliciously dark moments, and a scene or two that might have made me jumpy at every sound I heard around my house the night I stayed up and read this book. 

Girl of Nightmares gave me more of a history and a better understanding of Anthame, which was fueled by Cas's quest to uncover the mystery of what happened to Anna. At first I was a little surprised this book wasn't as dark as Anna Dressed in Blood, but once I got more into the story I completely let that go, and found myself wrapped up into Cas's anguish and determination to help Anna. I adore Cas, and Anna, and I wanted nothing more than for Cas to figure out what was happening to Anna and who was making her suffer. I totally forgot about how vivid and detailed this series's world is. Kendare does an amazing job at the world she's created and bringing it to life within the pages of her books. One of the other things I like about this book is the way it's written. Mixed into the darker undertones are moments of humor, and those two elements worked hand in hand to create a read that was hard to put down. I totally forgot this is the last book in this series, and wow, what very bitter sweet ending. I don't think Kendare could have given it a more fitting ending, and I'll just leave it at that. If you enjoyed Anna Dressed in Blood, I'd recommend picking this one up. There are darker scenes, and some language in this book making it suitable for mature readers.





Published by: Little Brown
Released on: April 3rd, 2012
Source: book from publisher to review
4 stars: I Enjoyed It
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows? -quoted from Goodreads

I am a complete wuss when it comes to horror movies/books or books that have a lot of violence in them. As you can imagine this is one book that's intrigued me based on all the things I've heard about from friends of mine, but not enough for me to pick up it. With it being Halloween I for some unknown reason decided to put my big girl pants on and sit down and read this book. WOW, not at all what I was excepting, and yet it was. Horror fans, and fans of thrillers will enjoy this one. There's gore, violence, and there's a slight undertone of humor in this book due to the story's main character Jazz. After all, when your dear or dad is a notorious serial killer who's murdered way more people than you can count on both hands, you'd have to have some sort of warped sense of humor to cope with all of it.

The thing that surprised me about this book was Barry's writing. It's dark, it's humor filled and his character is not at all what I was excepting. Jazz is a teener who's grown up in the shadow of his father, who's now behind bars. Jazz surprisingly is a character I immediately liked and wanted to get to know more. He's a charmer, he's smart, and a little broken in the sense that thanks to his dad, he's forever on the police radar. Jazz is nothing like his father. His struggle with trying to over come the automatic assumptions, and accusations that come his way because of his dad, and his quest to prove he's good by working the police to solve the mystery behind the latest serial killer, in many ways make him a character that broke my heart, and had me cheering for him all at the same time. 

The humor part of the story is what hooked me as a reader. Jazz's inner voice is at times laugh out loud funny. While the humor kept me reading, the darker, violent scenes almost had me putting this book down. I give huge kudos to Barry though for not shying away from taking readers into the mind of this story's killer. These scenes are violent and disturbing, and Barry doesn't sugar coat what's going on. Barry's writing is one that balances both the humor and dark side of this story well. A word of caution, this is NOT a book I'd recommend to younger readers. It's graphic, there's a lot of violence, language, and contains things I don't think are suitable for young readers. I feel the content in this book is one older readers have been more exposed to via the news, tv shows, and movies, and might have an easier time reading about vs those who haven't. If this were a movie I'd definitely be to much of a wuss to watch it. haha.

Waiting on Wednesday: CRASH by Lisa McMann

Happy Halloween! Welcome to this week's edition of Waiting on Wednesday, featuring Lisa McMann's upcoming release, CRASH, which will be out on 1/8/13 from Simon Teen. 




If what you see is what you get, Jules is in serious trouble. The suspenseful first of four books from the New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy.Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode...and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more she sees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.

In this riveting start to a gripping series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa McMann, Jules has to act—and act fast—to keep her vision from becoming reality - quoted from Goodreads

I'm a huge fan of Lisa's writing and I can't wait to see what's done with Jules's story. Plus, look at this cover! It's stunning! This is a galley that's currently sitting on my bookshelf and I am itching to pick it up right now and read it. I can't wait to share my thoughts on this book with you guys. 

You can pre-order this book from Amazon | Barnes & Noble

What book are you currently waiting on? I'd love to come check out your WOW. Please leave me your link to your wow, so I can stop by and check out your pick. 

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Rebel Heart Blog Tour: Interview with Author Moria Young / Giveaway

I am SO EXCITED to share my recent phone interview with Blood Red Road & Rebel Heart author Moira Young with you guys today! Recently myself and couple other bloggers had the chance to chat with Moira over the phone about Rebel Heart, which is out TODAY!!! This is a cut and paste of the transcript from our phone interview. You'll be able to read what the other bloggers asked via their sites today. 



Ms. Moira Young:  Blood Red Road tells the story of Saba, an 18 year old girl living in the Dust Lands, a vast, dry, lawless place.  It starts off with her search for her kidnapped brother and goes on from there.

And it's basically a hero's journey. A western set in the future, I think, I would describe it as, amongst other things.



MMs:  Moira, what do you feel is an important characteristic in a heroine?



Ms. Moira Young:  What do I feel are important characteristics in a heroine?  Well, there are a number of things, and I would call Saba a hero rather than a heroine.  I feel like a heroine is slightly diminished.  It's not using the root word hero, so it's obviously standing to one side.  So, I call her a hero, a female hero.



And the main attributes that she has to have are determination, resourcefulness, and courage.  And probably the most important hallmark of a hero is self-sacrifice, willingness to give up something of importance to you for the greater good.  

MMs:  Thank you.  I can definitely see Saba having all those characteristics. And I like your definition of a hero, too.  I agree.  I should have said hero, not heroine.  

Ms. Moira Young:  It's surprising how many people wouldn’t think of calling a female character a hero, that they automatically would call her a heroine.  But that always has a lady tied to the railway tracks feel to me.

MMs:  I'm gonna have to change my vocabulary and not use heroine any more because I like that.

So, your characters have grown quite a bit in the sequel.  Which of your characters surprised you in terms of how much they've grown and changed with Dust Lands?

Ms. Moira Young:  Surprised?  When I started to write Rebel Heart, I really didn't know what was going to happen at all.  My starting point for the story was that everyone would obviously be somehow changed and affected by what had happened to them during the action of Blood Red Road. And I really didn't know where the book would go or what would happen within it.

I think the biggest surprise to me was Saba, actually. All I knew is that there would be fallout from what had happened in the first book.  You can't go through the sorts of experiences she did without having some kind of major reaction to it once everything quiets down a bit.

So, she did surprise me, I must say, as the book went on.  I admired her a lot for hanging in there because it was very, very tough for her.

And she made some interesting decisions, which were surprising.  So, yes, she constantly surprises me.

MMs:  Thank you very much.
Ms. Moira Young:  That's all right.  My pleasure.


MMs:  Moira, I have a question outside kind of the more technical questions that we've been asking, which I've loved.  And I love asking this question because I like hearing what authors say.  If you could pick any fictional character of yours and add them into your series, who would you pick and why?

Ms. Moira Young:  Oh, my goodness.  That’s the hardest question anybody has asked me tonight.  That is so unfair.  Do you know what time it is here, Katie?  You are such a mean person. I'm in my pajamas.  I've been up since 6:30.  Right.
Let me think now.  That's quite a good question, actually.  But, it would take me a while to think of this, and I'll give you an answer, and then I'll think, no, that's not the right answer at all.
Do you know who I'd like to put in just because she'd probably be really annoying would be Scarlett O'Hara.
Can you imagine how annoying she would be in this book?  What would Saba make of her with all of her fiddle--dee-dee's and--oh, my goodness me’s.  

MMs:  I think she would annoy most everybody in the series.

Ms. Moira Young:  She really would, but she'd be tramping after them, complaining and wanting this and that and demanding things.  It would be pretty hilarious, actually.

MMs:  That’s the first time anybody's ever mentioned Scarlett.  I love that answer.  Thank you.

Ms. Moira Young:  I just think she would really upset things, and the whole thing would grind to a halt.  And they'd end up, I don’t know, eating fried chicken and sewing dresses for her or something.

MMs:  Now, I'm gonna end up reading book three picturing Scarlett in the book at some point.

Ms. Moira Young:  Well, I do have a strange little idea about my characters, which is that when I leave them, they're like a bunch of actors on a set.  And when I leave them for the day, they all go, is she gone, yeah, she's gone, and then they sit and they put their feet up and they read newspapers and they become very theatrical.  I don’t know if you've ever seen actors when they're in the dressing room or heard them or anything like that, but they gossip.  And people who play very butch characters generally are quite, you know--they might be gay.
So, you'd get the very camp one who plays a very masculine one and you'd work against type.  And people knit.  I imagine that's what they do when I'm not around, you see.  But, I think that just might be my very strange mind.

MMs:  Not at all.

Ms. Moira Young:  Not at all, they say, backing away from the phone.

MMs: Thank your Moira for chatting with us. Thank you Chelsy for making this interview possible.

Ms. Moira Young: Thank you very much. It's been absolutely great talking to you all. Thanks a lot for your questions.


*******

Thank you to Moira Young, Simon & Schuster and Big Hancho Media for making this possible!



About Rebel Heart
Nothing is certain and no one is safe in the second book in the highly praised Dust Lands trilogy, which MTV’s Hollywood Crush blog called “better than The Hunger Games.”

It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise.

What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? In this much-anticipated follow-up to the riveting Blood Red Road, a fierce heroine finds herself at the crossroads of danger and destiny, betrayal and passion.


About Blood Red Road
Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

You can find out more about the series by visiting the Dust Lands Website.

The GIVEAWAY:


Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Big Honcho Media, I've got this awesome Dust Lands prize pack to giveaway. To enter, please fill out this form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

** Rafflecopter is having some technical difficulties. If the giveaway form isn't showing up, please go here http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YWIyYzBmMWMyNTk4MzcwNWNkMzU1Y2FhYjM0NDM3OjQz/ to enter.

Cover Reveal: PRAEFATIO by Georgia McBride

I'm excited to be revealing Georgia McBride's cover for her upcoming debut release, PRAEFATIO, today on the blog! CHECK OUT THIS COVER!



WHEN ALL YOU HAVE IS YOUR WORD, HOW DO YOU PROVE WHO YOU ARE?

Seventeen-year-old Grace Ann Miller is no ordinary runaway. After missing for weeks, Grace is found on the estate of international rock star Gavin Vault, half-dressed and yelling for help. Over the course of twenty-four hours Grace holds an entire police force captive with incredulous tales of angels, demons, and war; intent on saving Gavin from lockup, and her family from worry over her safety. But instead, authoriries bleieve that Grace is ill, and suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, the victim of assault and a severely fractured mind. Undeterred, Grace reveals the secret existence of dark angels on earth, an ancient prophecy and a wretched curse steeped in Biblical myth. Grace’s claims set into motion an ages-old war, resulting in blood, death and the loss of everything that matters. But are these the delusions of an immensely sick girl, or could Grace’s story actually be true? Praefatiois Grace’s account of weeks on the run, falling in love and losing everything but her faith. Who do you believe?


Month9Books, a publisher of speculative fiction for teens and tweens, announces the much-anticipated release of PRAEFATIO, a debut dark fantasy from debut author Georgia McBride.


ABOUT PRAEFATIO
Title: PRAEFATIO
Publication date: May 21, 2013
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Georgia McBride
Pre-Order from: Barnes & Noble

Available in print and e-Book wherever awesome books are sold. Available from your favorite wholesaler, or via SPU, a subsidiary of IPG. Posters, postcards and bookmarks are also available! For more information please contact Kelly P. Simmon, Public Relations Manager, at publicity@month9books.com.
                                                                                     




ABOUT GEORGIA MCBRIDE
Georgia loves a good story. Whether it’s writing her own, or publishing someone else’s, story is at the heart of everything Georgia does. Founder of Month9Books, YALITCHAT.ORG and the weekly #yalitchat on Twitter, Georgia spends most of her days writing, editing, or talking about books. That is, of course, when she is not blasting really loud music or reading. Born and raised in NYC, she now lives in North Carolina with four dogs, a frog, a parrot, 2 kids, parents and a husband. PRAEFATIO is her first novel.

ABOUT MONTH9BOOKS
Month 9 Books, is a publisher of speculative fiction for teens and tweens . . .  where nothing is as it seems. Month9Books will donate proceeds from the sale of the first 5,000 copies of each of its annual anthologies to a deserving charity. Individually, authors may donate his or her advances and royalties to a charitable organization. Month9Books will also release 12-14 non-charitable titles annually. TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES: DARK RETELLINGS OF MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES is Month9Books’ first release, scheduled for October 2012. Month9Books is distributed by Small Press United, a division of IPG. You may visit www.month9books.com for more information.

The Giveaway:
Thank you to Georgia McBride, I've got a PRAEFATIO journal and two signed post cards packs to giveaway today. 1 winner will win the journal and post card pack, and the 2nd winner will win the other signed post card pack. TO ENTER, please leave me a comment telling me what you think about the cover and the book trailer. Don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact.
-1 entry per person
- Open to residents of the US and Canada

Good luck!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Mundane Monday #160: Book Review; The Infernal Devices, Clockwork Angel Manga #1

Happy Mundane Monday! We're keeping all of our followers and friends along the East Coast who are in the path of monstrous storm Sandy, in our thoughts and prayers this morning! We hope everyone stay safe. For today's post I'm sharing my thoughts on the recent release of Cassie Clare's The Infernal Devices, Clockwork Angel graphic novel, which release TOMORROW! 


By: Cassandra Clare
Illustrated by: Hyekyung Baek
Published by: Yen Books / Little Brown
To Be Released on: October 30th, 2012
Source: book from publisher to review
4.5 stars: I Really Enjoyed It
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A manga-adaption to the prequel of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Devices is the story of Tessa Gray, a sixteen-year-old American girl traveling alone to Victorian London who runs afoul of the city's sordid supernatural underworld. Rescued by the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, Tessa quickly finds herself caught up in an intrigue that may very well destroy her new friends - including the two enigmatic young men, Jem and Will, who have taken her under their wing..... -quoted from Goodreads

Infernal Device fans will enjoy this adaption of Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel. Really I should say, "Will and Jem in magna form, need I say more", and be done with my review. haha. I don't know what it is about seeing my favorite characters illustrated, but man it made me sigh over the Jem scenes and want to slap Will up side the head and tell him to just kiss Tessa already. Oh yes, wait till you read/see their kissy moments. These scenes will have you sighing all over again as will a Jem and Tessa scene. I'm a huge Will fan, but secretly I'm torn between Jem and Will. They're both such fabulous character, and after seeing them illustrated in manga form I'm even more torn over them. I don't envy Tessa and the choice she has to make in picking between the two, because I couldn't choose. 

I loved the way Will, Jem and Tessa were illustrated. Over all I enjoyed most all of the illustrations in this book. I felt like Hyekyung captured the look and feel of this book perfectly. I'll admit it took me a bit to get used to Magnus's look, but once I did I felt that his long hair fit for the time period the book is set in. I just never pictured him w/ that kind of hair style, but it ended up working for him. I was not impressed with Henry's illustration at all. His illustration is my biggest complaint with this book. I felt the rest of the cast were illustrated perfectly. Will, Tessa and Jem had that manga look I really like. I felt that Hyekyung captured the look I had excepted with them, along with Charlotte, Jessamine, Nate and the rest of the cast, but Henry's look was, I don't even know how to explain it. It was bad and didn't fit in with the rest of the cast's illustrations. At all. I'm not sure if the intent was to make Henry feel awkward, or have him stand out, or what. It didn't work for me for at all. In fact I'm surprised someone didn't catch it and have it re-drawn. Being with a cast of well illustrated characters, Henry stood out like a sore thumb, and not in a good way. 

I thought they did a good job on the scene selection for the book. Being an adaptation I know not every scene can be included, though I'm a little surprised there was no mention of A Tale of Two Cities in it. I liked how each chapter was separated, making it easier from me to know where one chapter ends and the next one begins. I enjoyed the illustrations, and I like that the first 6 pages are in color. I had hoped the rest of the book would be in color, but when you're reading Jem and Will in manga I'm not going to complain about them being in black and white or color. Oh and you know who else was in this book, Brother Enoch, and he's just as frightening looking as I had pictured him. Over all I really enjoyed this 8 chapter book. It's the perfect size to get that refresher of the events that happened during the first part of Clockwork Angel. I'm really looking forward to reading the second manga in this series! I'd definitely recommend this book to Infernal Device fans, and I wouldn't hestiate to call it a must have for ID fans. I would recommend reading the Clockwork Angel before you pick this one and read through it. 

Sunday, October 28, 2012

The Blessed Blog Tour: Author Interview & Giveaway



It's day 2 of Simon & Schuster's The Sinner's to Saints, The BLESSED Blog Tour, and I'm thrilled to have author Tonya Hurley on the blog today to talk about her newest release. 



Hi Tonya! Thank you for being on Mundie Moms today. How would you describe Blessed in 5 words or less?

Supernatural Bachelorette with blood

Out of your three main female characters, Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy, who do you feel your most connected to?

I definitely feel a connection to all three – either to myself personally or people I’ve known in New York.  Agnes is the hopeless romantic, I think there’s a bit of her in all of us.  Lucy is the attention seeker.  But, Cecilia is probably most like me.  Moving to New York from the Midwest hoping to make it in the music industry.  I can definitely identify most with her struggle.

What inspired your story, The Blessed?

I’ve always loved martyr stories and art – the gruesomeness and the glory.  When I went back to read some of these legends, I realized that they are probably some of the first YA stories we have, supernatural romances in the most literal sense with strong female characters.  I think people often mistake their martyrdom for passivity, but in their patriarchal world, at that time, the refusal to submit to authority, to compromise your values, was the ultimate act of defiance.
Also, the idea of fame, the pursuit of it, how people deal with it and respond to it, fascinates me and is a strong undercurrent in The Blessed.   It really allowed me to explore and experience these characters in a modern context in a way that I thought was completely relatable.  These girls were superstars, influential not just in their own day, but ever since, outshining even the brightest of today’s tabloid stars. 
Who were some of your favorite authors as a teen?
As a teen, I loved V.C. Andrews, Judy Blume and S.E. Hinton and of course, Stephen King.

With Halloween around the corner, what's one of your favorite Halloween traditions?
I love creating murderous silhouette scenes out of paper and taping them to my windows!

Speed round questions: 

* Sinner or saint? 

Sinner in life, saint at heart.

* A Knight in shinning armor or the bad boy? 

BAD BOY.

* Comedy or horror movie? 

I love humor mixed with horror, so black comedy.

* Cold or warm weather?  

Cold.

* Audiobooks or physical book?
I definitely get the book before the audiobook.  However, both formats allow you to experience the story in a totally different way.  As I did for the ghostgirl series with Little, Brown, I spent so much time with the S & S designers on The Blessed hardcover and reverse jacket by Natalie Shau, on the interior art, even the logo and typefaces because I believe all these elements add value for the reader.  It’s such an intimate experience – to hold a book in your hands  - and I think it’s the little extra touches that make reading an even more enjoyable experience .  Likewise for the audiobook.  Vince Clarke created the score and Moonrise Kingdom star Kara Hayward voiced the characters and the vibe perfectly and brought an almost cinematic quality the text.  Vince and Parker Posey did the same for the ghostgirl audio, so it is getting to be a sort of tradition for me.


About the Book:
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Released on: September 25th, 2012
Series: The Blessed #1
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
From the author of the New York Times bestselling ghostgirl series, the start to a captivating and haunting teen trilogy about three girls who become entangled with an enigmatic boy—a boy who believes he is a saint.

What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?

Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is Beyond Belief -quoted from Goodreads

About the Author:

Tonya Hurley is the New York Times best-selling author of the highly acclaimed “ghostgirl“ book series; creator, writer and producer of animated and live action hit television series; writer and director of independent films; writer and director of commercials for Playstation, Gameboy and Warner Home Video; and creator of groundbreaking videogames. Her new young adult trilogy, THE BLESSED, will be released by Simon and Schuster in Fall 2012.

Follow Tonya via her Website | Twitter | Facebook

The Giveaway:

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, each stop featured on this tour will be giveaway a copy of BLESSED. In addition to the books, the first 3 winners will also receive a BLESSED candle. To enter, please fill out the form below:

Weekly Round Up in the Stacks (IMM #145 / Stacking the Shelves #9)

Wow, what a crazy Sunday! I hope everyone in the path of Hurricane Sandy stays safe, as well as those in the area were the large earth quake hit in Canada, and were the Tsunami warnings are issued. 

Welcome to this week's edition of my weekly round in the stacks. This weekend was such a blast! Friday night started off with my interview with David Levithan, which was AWESOME! My friend Stacey with Girls in the Stacks came down to do the interview with me and she filmed it. That will be up later this week. Kristen Cashore and Rebecca Stead where also there, and can I just say how awesome they are. I adore Kristen! 


I had the opportunity to be a moderator at this weekend's Texas Book Festival, for Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's panel. What a blast!! I love these two. The entire experience was so much fun. Friday night after David's interview/signing the festival kicked off with a fabulous author/moderator together out at The Writing Barn. TONS of fun. I'll write up a separate post about it soon. Here's a picture from each event: 

Pic 1: Lisa McMann, Maggie Stiefvater, Cinda Williams Chima, and Bree Despain / Pic 2: Becca Fitpatrick, Kami Garcia & Maragaret Stohl prior to our panels. 

Can I just say how awesome all these women are that are in both pictures. Seriously, if ever get the chance to meet them, please do! I'm not just saying that as some of them are my friends, I seriously admire each one of them. They're inspirational, strong, fun and down right awesome! And they're all amazing writers.

Okay, now on to books....


For Review:

Harper Teen:
Penguin Teen:
Penguin Books:
Simon Teen:
Little Brown
Tor Teen:
Fierce Reads:
Other:
 Purchased / Gifted:

I'm so excited to share this with you guys, we're quoted in The Lost Prince! It's Sophie's quote from her review of The Iron Daughter!!

Gifted: Thank you K!
Won: from the YA Sisterhood (thank you!)



A few of the books I got signed at the TX Book Festival. Can I tell you guys how excited I am over getting my RAVEN!!! I love Maggie's illustrations. Thank you Maggie!!!

Thank you to:

Penguin Teen, Penguin Books, Harper Teen, Simon & Schuster, Kristen Simmons, Little Brown, Fierce Reads, the YA Sisterhood, and K for this week's awesome reads.

What goodies did you receive this week?

Weekly Re-Cap: There was a ton happening on the blog this week. Don't miss this week's:
Thank you for stopping by this week! Please leave me a link so I can come check out your mailbox feature and see what books you got. 

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