Mundie Moms

Friday, January 31, 2014

TABULA RASA by Kristen Lippert-Martin, COVER REVEAL

Happy Friday! I'm so thrilled to help debut author, Kristen Lippert-Martin reveal the cover to her upcoming release, TABULA RASA! Check out this cover!



What do y'all think? That eye is totally intriguing and creepy all at the same time. I would totally pick up this book based on the cover alone. Be sure to leave us a comment and let us know what you think about the cover below in our comments section.

Here's a little bit about the book:


TABULA RASA

The Bourne Identity meets Divergent in this heart-pounding debut.

Sixteen-year-old Sarah has a rare chance at a new life. Or so the doctors tell her. She’s been undergoing a cutting-edge procedure that will render her a tabula rasa—a blank slate. Memory by memory her troubled past is being taken away.

But when her final surgery is interrupted and a team of elite soldiers invades the isolated hospital under cover of a massive blizzard, her fresh start could be her end. 

Navigating familiar halls that have become a dangerous maze with the help of a teen computer hacker who's trying to bring the hospital down for his own reasons, Sarah starts to piece together who she is and why someone would want her erased. And she won’t be silenced again.

A high-stakes thriller featuring a non-stop race for survival and a smart heroine who will risk everything, Tabula Rasa is, in short, unforgettable.

Out on 9/23/2014 from Egmont USA
Add it to Goodreads

About The Author:

I’m a mom of four, a practicing geek, a holder of many opinions (which I’m more than happy to share with you—really, just ask). I earned my MFA from Columbia University. My debut YA thriller, Tabula Rasa (EgmontUSA), Fall 2014, is about a girl whose memory is forcibly stripped from her and so naturally she must kick everyone’s butt in retaliation. I live with my husband and merry band of misfits in Arlington, VA.

Visit Kristen via: her Website | Twitter | Facebook

Run To You (Part Three: Third Charm) by Clara Kensie, Book Review


By: Clara Kensie
Published by: Harlequin Teen
To Be Released on: February 15th, 2014
Series: Run To You (Part Three)
Source: e-arc from publisher to review
Rating: 4.5 Stars - I Really Enjoyed It!
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

Part Three in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that will transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Betrayed, heartbroken, and determined to save her family, Tessa Carson refuses to give in to Tristan Walker’s pleas for forgiveness. But her own awakening psychic gift won’t let her rest until she uncovers the truth about her family and her past. And Tristan is the only one who can help her sift through the secrets to find the truth hidden in all the lies…


An addicting romantic thriller, Part Three: Third Charm was a book I couldn't put down. Kensie continues with her great plot twists, and shocking truth. With each new installment the suspense thickens, and betrayals continue to be that much more heartbreaking. Yeah, I did not see that one coming! Part One: First Sight hooked me. Part Two: Run To You, kept me wanting more. Part Three: Third Charm gave it all to me and then some. 

Wow, talk about a shocking turn of events. I still can't get over the truths that Tessa discovers. I was not excepting that, at all. Everything that Tessa has been lead to believe for the past eight years comes crashing down, and now she has to piece together the truths hidden behind all the lies. She finally discovers the truths for herself as her own powers come to light. Tessa has a very hard time coming to terms with everything that's happen around her. Tristan's betrayal, what she's being told about her parents, her own powers coming to light, and trying to wrap her mind around what she's been lead to believe vs what's she been told now. It's during this time that I started to get a little annoyed with her. I understood her emotions, but after her awhile he constant hot and cold emotions were getting a little annoying, especially when it came to Tristan.

Oh Tristan. Given all we learn about him, and everything else (no spoilers) that's happened, and been going on, I didn't think I'd like him as much as I did in part one. He's proved me wrong. He continues to surprise me, and intrigue me. I've moved past the I can't believe he that, to understanding why he did what and why he did what he did. I now understand his motives, and his reasoning behind his decisions. I have to say, he's definitely a great leading male character. His strengths out weigh his flaws. His love for Tessa is definitely his driven force behind all he does. Without saying too much, I have to admit he totally melted my heart when given the chance to leave, he doesn't leave Tessa's side. *sigh* 

I've now become a fan of serial novels, well at least Clara Kensie's one. This series does not disappointment! Her world building is fabulous, her characters are well written, and plot twists keep me coming back for more. Sure some things are predictable, but even then things that happen are still shocking, and add a lot of excitement to the story. I loved how Kensie tied the first three parts of her story together. There's something that Tristan confides in Tessa early one in the series that is again mentioned at the very end of this book, and ooh it's so fabulous. 

Romance, danger, shocking discoveries and intrigue. This series has had it all. I can not wait to read the other parts of this story when they're out this summer. Read my review for Part One, HERE and Part Two, HERE. 

RUN TO YOU (Part 2: Second Glance) by Clara Kensie, Book Review



By: Clara Kensie
Published by: Harlequin Teen
To Be Released on: February 8th, 2014
Series: Run To You (Part Two)
Source: e-arc from publisher to review
Rating: 5 Stars - I Loved It!
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

Part Two in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that will transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Tessa Carson has unlocked her heart and her secrets to Tristan Walker—but Tristan has secrets of his own, and his might just mean the end of Tessa’s family. Unaware, Tessa embraces falling in love and being herself for the first time since she was attacked when she was only eight years old. But secrets can’t be run from forever, and sometimes love is too good to be true…


A thrilling, and dangerous sequel, Second Glance picks up right where First Sight ended. Now that we've gotten a small dose of what Kensie's writing style is like with Part One: First Sight, she doesn't hold back with Part Two: Second Glance. She amps up the action, danger, secrets and romance. Unlike part one, this one has one heck of a heartbreaking betrayal that definitely turns everything I thought I had figured out, upside down. I figured things would lead into this direction, I just wasn't excerpting everything that happened, and the way it did.

Tessa finally feels free. For the first time in her life she can finally let her guard down a little bit, and be herself with Tristan. Not only that, for the first time she's allowed to go do some normal teenage things, like attend her school's Winter dance. All good things only seem to last so long. Tristan has a secret, and his secret is about to destroy everything Tessa has so carefully guarded. Gah, Tristan. I knew it! That still doesn't make the truths that get revealed any easier. I still think there's more to him than we're seeing. Like Tessa, now I'm totally torn with him. 

Talk about gut wrenching, and thrilling. This sequel has all that, and then some. I love it when I think I have something figured out, and then find out that now I have no idea who I can trust. Now I get what Tessa is feeling. Like Tessa, now I have no idea what to believe. Now throw in a broken heart on top of that, and you've got yourself one heck of an exciting read. I'm loving the direction this story is going in. This story is definitely getting better and better with each installment, and I'm loving Kensie's writing style. 

This is definitely worth taking the time to read! Read my review for Part 1 here.

Fan Art Friday

The TMI/ID fandom artists are so talented! Here is some of the fan art that Cassie posted on her tumblr this week::

Stephen Herondale by Cassandra Jean

Cassie added this comment to the above picture:
Interesting (I hope?) revelation about Stephen Herondale in City of Heavenly Fire.
Ooooooh, we're dying to know what is so "interesting" about Stephen??? And here are two updates to the Shadowhunter Tarot Card series by Cassandra Jean:

Here's what Cassie said about the latest cards:
It has been a really long while since I have updated mine and Cassandra Jean’s The Shadowhunter Tarot! The last post was the six and seven of runes. This is the eight and nine of runes. The first one is the binding rune, symbolized by Helen and Aline. The second is the rune for mania, symbolized by poor damaged Maureen. Hmm, what’s she done to Simon there…?

Thursday, January 30, 2014

RUN TO YOU (Part 1: First Sight) by Clara Kensie, Book Review


By: Clara Kensie
Published by: Harlequin Teen
To Be Released on: February 1st, 2014
Series: Run To You (Part One)
Source: e-arc from publisher to review
Rating: 4 Stars - It Was A Good Read
Pre-Order From: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

Part One in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that will transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Sarah Spencer has a secret: her real name is Tessa Carson, and to stay alive, she can tell no one the truth about her psychically gifted family and the danger they are running from. As the new girl in the latest of countless schools, she also runs from her attraction to Tristan Walker—after all, she can’t even tell him her real name. But Tristan won’t be put off by a few secrets. Not even dangerous ones that might rip Tessa from his arms before they even kiss…


The perfect blend of mystery, romance, paranormal thrills, and danger. Run To You part one was a read that kept me on the edge of my set the entire time I read it. I was pleasantly surprised with this book, as I didn't except to read this in one sitting. Nor did I except to be as hooked as I was with it. The writing, the characters, the plot twists, and the way the story flowed were all great. Everything Clara incorporated into her story worked beautifully together. I got to a point where I seriously couldn't stop reading it. I had to know what was going to happen next. Wow, a lot happens. 

Tessa's family is far from normal. Her family members have some pretty cool paranormal powers, but they come at a cost. Constantly on the run, her family is never truly safe despite her father's telekinetic ability. Being able to see danger before it arrives Sarah's dad is always keeping an eye on his family, and the possible threat of the man who's after them. 

I liked Tessa. It was easy to see how rough it was to constantly live on the edge. Being that her family is always on the run from danger, there's never enough time to make friends, to feel like she really belongs any where, and because they want to blend in and stay off the radar, there's never telling anyone her real name, or does she get to have all the things normal teens have. She basically lives out of a bag, like the rest of her family, so they can pick up and go on a moments notice. Not only that, Tessa is the only member of her family who doesn't have any paranormal powers. None. 

Once again Tessa and her family find themselves in a new town, surrounded by new students, at a new high, and they have to do the best they can to blend in. Things start to get complicated when Tessa meets Tristan. There's something about him that draws them together. I loved him and Tessa together. He would not take no for an answer from her, as she kept trying to not let him get together. After being on the run so long, that came as second nature to her. His pursuit of her was sweet. I can't wait to see what happens with them as the series continues. I will say, while Tristan seems like a fabulous guy, there is something about him I can't quite figure out. He's got this air of mystery about him, like he's hiding something. I'm really curious to find out more about him as the series goes on. Regardless of my conflict over him, I loved the chemistry that he and Tessa have.

What a great way to kick off a series. Run To You part one was a great read. It has suspense, romance, action, and a whole lot more that kept me hooked the whole time. This is a great first book in what has the makings to be a fabulous series. There are plenty of secrets to still be unlocked, and I'm guessing those will only lead to heartache, and trouble. I can't wait! I'm looking forward to reviewing books two and three in this series. 


Upcoming Blog Tours: New Adult Books; Be With ME & Shredded

Hey New Adult fans! I've got two really exciting Mundie Moms Blog Tours kicking off next week. One is for BE WITH ME by J. Lynn and the other is SHREDDED by Tracy Wolff. Both tours are closing today, and if you're interested in being apart of them, please fill out the form here *please note that not everyone who signs up will be selected to be on the tours*





Stay tuned for more exciting tours! Sign ups will open up shortly for Amy Plum's newest release, AFTER THE END. Sign ups will be on both the Mundie Moms Blog Tour page and Mundie Girls Tours. 

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

It's HERE! The Fault in Our Stars Movie Trailer!


It's here! Check out The Fault In Our Stars movie trailer that EW revealed just a short time ago (here).



Okay, now I want to go see this movie.... What do you guys think? Like the trailer?
The movie is set to hit theaters on June 6th.

Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine - Exciting News

Rachel Caine fans, check out out the exciting news about her upcoming release, PRINCE OF SHADOWS below!

PRINCE OF SHADOWS

Out February 4th!

In the Houses of Montague and Capulet, there is only one goal: power. The boys are born to fight and die for honor and—if they survive—marry for influence and money, not love. The girls are assets, to be spent wisely. Their wishes are of no import. Their fates are written on the day they are born.

Benvolio Montague, cousin to Romeo, knows all this. He expects to die for his cousin, for his house, but a spark of rebellion still lives inside him. At night, he is the Prince of Shadows, the greatest thief in Verona—and he risks all as he steals from House Capulet. In doing so, he sets eyes on convent-bound Rosaline, and a terrible curse begins that will claim the lives of many in Verona…

…And will rewrite all their fates, forever.


And make sure to check out the PRINCE OF SHADOWS OFFICIAL TRAILER!

COMING TO YOU!

In celebration of PRINCE OF SHADOWS,  Rachel is taking to the road, hopefully to a bookstore near you. Please join her if you can to celebrate this romantic, vibrant adventure set in Shakespeare's Verona, featuring Benvolio, Romeo's cousin and close friend.

Tour stops:Feb. 3
BookTalk Nation, online event with Melissa Marr -  (sign up here)

Feb. 4
Barnes & Noble SMU, Dallas, Texas

Feb. 5
The Book Spot, Round Rock, Texas
Feb. 6
Books-A-Million, Exton, Pennsylvania

Feb. 7 
Anderson's Bookshop, Chicago, Illinois 

Feb. 8 
Books & Co, Dayton, Ohio 

Feb. 9 
Hasting's, Tullahoma, Tennessee 

Feb. 10
Books & Books, Coral Gables, Florida 

Feb. 11
Larry J. Ringer Memorial Library, College Station, Texas

Feb. 15
Adventures In Fiction, Dallas, TX - all day, followed by the not-to-be-missed PRINCE OF SHADOWS MASKED BALL!

From Kirkus Reviews (starred review):"Should a successful author of vampire novels (Black Dawn, 2012, etc.) attempt to write an alternative Shakespeare? Thankfully this one did, as the results are delicious. Choosing Romeo and Juliet as her base, Caine expands the story from the viewpoint of Benvolio, Romeo’s Montague cousin. While Shakespeare’s plot clearly anchors Caine’s, the novel focuses on providing context for the well-known story rather than embellishing it ..." read more

US/Canada order from:Barnes & Noble | Booksamillion | Amazon.com |Indiebound | Hastings 

UK order from:Waterstones | Foyles | WH Smith

Australia/New Zealand order from:Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | Kinokuniya
Mighty Ape | Fishpond

Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg, Waiting on Wednesday #202


By: Elizabeth Eulberg
Published by: Point (Scholastic)
To Be Released on: 2.25.14
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?


Here on Mundie Moms we are huge fans of Elizabeth's. Her books were some of the first contemporaries I read and fell in love with. I can not wait for her upcoming release, Better Off Friends. This sounds like it has all the makings of another fabulous Elizabeth Eulberg book.

What book are you waiting to get your hands on?

Flirting with the Monster: A Review of Ellen Hopkins' CRANK play + Giveaway of SMOKE

Post-show Q & A. Back row: "Flirting with the Monster" cast. Front row: two addiction specialists,  Ellen Hopkins and director, Holly Natwora 

It's a rare thing when my husband comes home and is excited about a YA book I love. I know, Mundie Moms, miracles do come true! One day last week, he came home all excited about a play called "Flirting with the Monster" and he wanted to see it because it was an incredibly honest depiction of teenage addiction. Little did he know that I already planned to take him to this play. You see I've been watching Ellen Hopkins' tweets about adapting her New York Times best-selling book, CRANK, into a play, and I knew that it was debuting in our biggest, little city in the world, Reno, this January/February.

We went to the play this weekend, and we both kept over-using the word "powerful" to describe it. As parents to a freshman in high school, we both felt that it's a must-see for all 15-year-old or older kids and their parents. I know that we are not alone in thinking about our children's safety, especially since the world has changed so much since we were in high school (when incidentally drugs were already readily available). I promise you that this play will open your eyes even more on this subject and it will definitely make you think.

There were two haunting lines that struck through both of our hearts: "Doesn't everyone party?" and "Everyone tells me to slow down, but no one tells me how." Those words resonated with us, and they still haunt us. 

I want to give huge props to Ellen for adapting her novel into a stage play, and the director, Holly Natwora,  for choosing an incredibly gifted cast as well as staging an adaptation that kept the momentum going seamlessly. The actor who plays Kristina, Hannah Davis, is an incredible artist. She delivers us Kristina in her innocent, sweet, coy, desperate, pleading, heartbreaking moments. And she is so talented that she pulls the audience through the full spectrum of those emotions.

I cannot praise this adaptation enough. If you can make it to Reno this weekend, you can still catch it. Here's the direct link to dates, times and ticket information. If you can't make it, don't worry. I asked Ellen and she said there will be a few more performances this summer, and this time they will be in Carson City, NV. These performances will be fund-raisers for Ellen's non-profit organization,Ventana Sierra (webpage twitter | Facebook), which provides youth, who have aged out of the foster care system, with safe housing, food, medical care and further education. Ellen also let me know that these performances will be filmed, edited and then available for download. So eventually everyone will be able to view this, yes, powerful play. 

In the mean time and to tie you over until the download is available, I managed to snag two copies of Ellen's latest book, SMOKE (Burned #2). And guess what? She signed them for you! So enter away, Mundie Moms (the giveaway is open to international entries)! 

Here's the synopsis of SMOKE (buy at amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound):
Pattyn Von Stratten’s father is dead, and Pattyn is on the run. After far too many years of abuse at the hands of her father, and after the tragic loss of her beloved Ethan and their unborn child, Pattyn is desperate for peace. Only her sister Jackie knows what happened that night, but she is stuck at home with their mother, who clings to normalcy by allowing the truth to be covered up by their domineering community leaders. Her father might be finally gone, but without Pattyn, Jackie is desperately isolated. Alone and in disguise, Pattyn starts a new life, but is it even possible to rebuild a life when everything you’ve known has burned to ash and lies seem far safer than the truth?

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Cassie Book Signing + Midnight Launch of City of Heavenly Fire


Cassie re-tweeted this yesterday, and it gives us the date and place of her New York City signing for City of Heavenly Fire's release! It's getting closer, Mundie Moms.


Here are the details and ticket information at 92Y.com:

This is the book launch of the final book in The Mortal Instrument series. A midnight signing will follow the talk. 

Date: Mon, May 26, 2014, 10 pm
Location: Lexington Avenue at 92nd St
Venue: Kaufmann Concert Hall
Price: from $22.00

Okay, all of you New York Mundie Moms, click on over and get those tickets!

Holly Black's DOLL BONES Wins Newbery Honor


Huge congratulations to Holly Black on winning a Newbery Honor for her gorgeously written, middle grade book, Doll Bones.

What is a Newbery Honor you ask ('cause yes, I did ask a few years ago when I was new to book blogging and I was confused by all the different types of awards)?
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
There is one Newbery winner and four Newbery Honors books selected each year. Here's what they had to say about Doll Bones:
In this distinctive coming-of-age tale, best friends Zach, Poppy and Alice set out on a life-altering quest driven by the presence of a sinister bone china doll who haunts their dreams and waking hours. Black explores complex questions of sto-rytelling, imagination and changing friendships in this superbly haunting narrative.
My tween and I loved this story so much that we both wanted to give it more than 5 stars (our review on Mundie Kids).  I highly encourage parents of tweens to sit down and read this together with their kids. It's a story that will make you remember that special time between childhood and your teenage years, when you were still a kid, but the landscape of friendship was beginning to change.

Huge congratulations to Holly from all of us here at Mundie Moms!

'The Fault in Our Stars' Trailer Premieres Tomorrow

Guys - tomorrow the trailer for the adaptation of John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars" releases. We are not sure that we are prepared for this. All the feels - all the emotions. As soon as the trailer drops we will put it up here on Mundie Moms! SOURCE

UNINVITED by Sophie Jordan, Book Review


By: Sophie Jordan
Published by: Harper Teen/Epic Reads
Released on: 1.28.14 - TODAY
Series: Uninvited #1
Source: arc from publisher to review
4.5 Stars: I Really Enjoyed It!
Purchase it from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.


This was a book I devoured in no time. I liked the concept of the story. In true Sophie Jordan style she gave me the right amount of action scenes, sizzling character chemistry, and introduced me to characters I enjoyed reading about.  I was totally fascinated by the premise of this story. Being labeled and branded as a certain kind of person in her society, Davy and those like her are all deemed outcasts in their society. After all, who wants someone with a homicidal tendency gene running in their society. 

Davy had it all. A great family, good friends, a great boy friend, and the chance of attending Juilliard. This talented girl followed the rules, and never did anything she wasn't suppose to. When a test comes back, confirming that she carries the killer jean, known as HTS or Homicidal Tendency Syndrome, everything in Davy's life gets turned upside down. Fear gets the better of those Davy thought were her friends, and soon she has no one she can really turn to. That is until she's sent to school to be around others just like her. I liked that no matter how screwed up things seem to be around Davy, she refuses to believe she'll become what society has now labeled her. I liked how Sophie Jordan got me to feel for Davy during this time. I felt so bad for her as she does her best not to give into what society views her as. She soon realizes that thanks to the government, the way she's viewed by others make it impossible for her to carry on with her old normal routine. Though she's definitely not well educated into the troubling world of those with HTS, she's a quick learner. 

Enter the Sean..... the hottie who is not only labeled and branded as Davy is, but is one of the very few people who is there for her. Can I just saw I loved the chemistry between these two. It was obvious they had an immediate attraction to each other, but Davy sees Sean as dark and dangerous, and Sean, while there for Davy, tries to keep her at a distance. While that may sound a little cliche, it's not. It's something that made sense given all that's going around them. While society deems people with HTS as dangerous, society and some of those with HTS turn on each other. Hence the reason why Seas was always around Davy. The way Sean acted only fueled the mystery that surrounds him making him more enticing. Even if Sean is as dangerous as Davy things he is, he also does and says things to her to protect her. 

One of my pet peeves in real life is the way society labels people. I thought Jordan did a great job at showing her readers all sides of what happens when people are labels. She shows readers what it's like for those like Davy to be labeled as something they're not, how society quickly learns to fear these people, and how that fear makes them view these people, and how some of those who are labeled choose to embrace what they're told they are as an excuse to feed into their own evil desires. Sophie Jordan is one of my favorite story tellers. She has a knack for creating intriguing worlds, giving me a strong plot, and allows everything within her story to just flow. Uninvited is a story that flows well. Everything about it kept me hooked. I can not wait to get my hands on this sequel. 



Monday, January 27, 2014

Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Sheperd; Blog Tour: Author Interview / Giveaway


Hello & welcome to today's tour stop for HER DARK CURIOSITY. I'm so thrilled to have author Megan Sheperd on the blog today. But I share my interview with Megan, here's a little bit about her sequel, which hits shelves TOMORROW.



About HER DARK CURIOSITY
By: Megan Shepherd
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
To Be Released on: January 28, 2014
To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn’t forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

With inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is a tantalizing mystery about the hidden natures of those we love and how far we’ll go to save them from themselves.



***************


Hi Megan! Thank you for being on Mundie Moms today. I love the cover for Her Dark Curiosity. Did you have a say in your cover?

I did! HarperCollins has been great about showing me early concepts and taking my thoughts into consideration. For this cover, they used the same model from The Madman’s Daughter and held the shoot in London. We went back and forth a bit on finding the perfect moody background, and I adore what the designers chose. The colors and design are a perfect compliment to the first book. I’ve had an early peek at the third book’s cover as well, and it’s gorgeous!

In what ways has Juliet changed from the girl we first met in The Madman's Daughter to the one we'll read about in Her Dark Curiosity?

In The Madman’s Daughter, Juliet is wise to the ways of the world but still a bit naïve in regards to herself. She thinks she can reconcile with her father and live happily ever after, and well, that clearly doesn’t happen. So in Her Dark Curiosity her innocence is gone and she’s a bit lost, struggling to find her identity, making lots of mistakes, spiraling into sickness and madness. I think it’s safe to say she hits rock bottom a few times and does some very questionable things, which she is going to have to atone for in the third book.

What do you feel is Juliet's greatest character trait?

I love that Juliet isn’t afraid of life in the way many people are. She can operate in the gray areas between right and wrong, and do ruthless and sometimes violent actions others can’t—whether they need to be done or not. Amid it all, she struggles to hold onto her humanity. She doesn’t always succeed, but I admire the fact that she’s trying.

I've been fascinated by your series, and the inspiration behind it from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. How fun has it been for you to create your own story based on the characters from Robert Louis Stevenson's story? 

I adored it, though it was challenging. Jekyll & Hyde is a difficult story to retell, since the action is told through somewhat unrelated narrators and letters that span several years’ worth of events, and it’s also quite a short novella. I always knew Her Dark Curiosity couldn’t be a straight retelling because it had to fit with Juliet’s story, but I loved pulling out inspiration wherever I could. The characters of Jekyll, Hyde, Inspector Newcomen, Sir Danvers Carew, and some of the victims all make an appearance, as does the science of serums and chemistry, and the themes of humanity’s dual nature.

Is there a book you've read as an adult that you wish you had, had when you were a teen?

When I was a teen I mostly read adult fiction, so I seemed to have missed out on lots of teen classics like VC Andrews and fantasy of Garth Nix and Tamora Pierce. I’ve enjoyed going back and reading some of these classics, though the writing style has changed, and I wished I’d read them when I’d been the real target age.

Are you working on anything at the moment that you're able to tell us about?

As of today (!) I’m completing the final revision for the third Madman’s Daughter book. It’s my favorite out of the three. It’s based on Frankenstein and takes place in a mysterious manor on the Scottish moors and is where all of Juliet’s darkness comes to a head. It’s a strange, satisfying, but also melancholy thing to finish my first series. However, I’m already hard at work on my next series, a YA sci-fi called The Cage, about six very different teenagers taken by an otherworldly race and put into a microcosm of Earth they discover is a “human zoo”.

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About Megan
Hello! 
I’ve been many things, like a professional exchange student, park ranger in Montana, and LOST enthusiast, but what I am now is a writer.
I think it’s fair to say I was born into it. I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, raised behind the counter of my parents’ independent bookstore, Highland Books in Brevard. Ah, so many free books. But I never thought being a writer could be a real career. After college I thought I’d end up as a foreign service officer somewhere dashing and exotic, like Canada. I studied French, Spanish, German, and Russian and still speak a few of those. Then I joined the Peace Corps and spent two years in Senegal, where I learned a few more languages I’ll never speak again and lived in a mud hut with no electricity or running water. You can probably imagine how that experience went, but if you’re curious, here are the dirty details
It wasn't until a chance aquaintance read something I wrote and said, "have you ever considered being a writer?" that something clicked and I realized it was possible. My husband encouraged me, and I quickly fell head-over-heels in love with writing and children's literature in particular. I started out writing articles, which have appeared in Faces, Appleseeds, and Calliope magazines, and stories for younger children. I soon realized I wasn’t sweet enough to write fiction for that age and found myself writing young adult literature instead, which doesn’t require nearly as many tender moments and includes a lot more cursing.
When I'm not writing, I can usually be found horseback riding, day dreaming at coffee shops, or hiking in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. I love to hear from readers, so please drop me a line!
I am represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary.
Author Photo by Kristi Hedberg Photography


Giveaway Details
1 grand prize pack a paper back of Madman's Daughter, hardcover of Her Dark Curiosity, a tea canister for both books, and bookmarks. US/Canada Only
5 Tea prize packs that will include individual custom book tea bags and bookmarks! US/Canada Only
a Rafflecopter giveaway



Tour Schedule
Week One:

1/20/2014- A Backwards StoryInterview
1/21/2014- Crossroad ReviewsReview
1/22/2014- Step Into FictionInterview
1/23/2014- Chapter by ChapterReview
1/24/2014- Tales of the Ravenous ReaderInterview

Week Two:
1/27/2014- Mundie MomsGuest Post
1/28/2014- All Things Urban FantasyGuest Post
1/29/2014- Bookhounds yaReview
1/30/2014- Confessions of a ReadaholicReview
1/31/2014- Two Chicks on BooksGuest Post

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