Mundie Moms

Monday, April 6, 2015

Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins; Blog Tour: Author Interview


Hello and welcome to today's Miss Mayhem blog tour, hosted by Penguin Teen. I am thrilled to have author Rachel Hawkins on Mundie Moms today. Last year we were honored to reveal the cover for Miss Mayhem, which is being released TOMORROW! Today I'm thrilled to share my interview with Rachel, about her new release. 



Hi Rachel! Welcome back to Mundie Moms! I'm so thrilled to have you on the blog today. Congrats on Miss Mayhem's release. Before we talk about your book, can we talk about the cover for just a second? This cover is made of awesomeness! What was your first thought when you saw it?
There was a fair amount of squeeing, not gonna lie! I have always been so impressed with how well the cover designer gets these books, and this time was no exception! I also- to be totally shallow- loved the yellow and how it looks against the pink of Rebel Belle.


I really enjoyed Miss Mayhem. What was one of your favorite scenes to write? Why? 
There is a scene late in the book set at a pageant that literally made me giggle with delight as I wrote it. It was one of the first ideas I had when I sat down to plot out the book, so actually getting to write it was especially fun. Plus it has all my favorite elements- girls, a fight scene, and a truly ridiculous setting.


There is a lot that goes down in this book with Harper, Bee and David. As in, wow, I didn't see that coming. Where you surprised with some of the choices your characters made, and things that happened between them? I'm totally trying to be as vague as possible.
Haha, and I appreciate that! ;) No, nothing really surprised me because I knew that Book 2 would have a lot of changes in store for everyone, and, like I always say, the best thing you can do to mix things up in a plot is to make things as difficult for your characters as possible (I know! So mean!) So the things that happen to Harper, David, Bee, Ryan, EVERYONE, were all things that felt like natural progressions, buuuuut also things I knew would make things harder for them (and therefore more fun for my readers!)


One of the things I love about our books, is the humor. Do you have any favorite lines from your book? 
Harper gets a little bit sassier in this book, and she has some lines to Alexander that I'm particularly fond of!


Okay, let's talk about kissy scenes. You know you can't be on Mundie Moms without talking about them. What was one of your favorite kissy scenes to write between the two the books?
And this is why I love you ladies so much! I still think the first kiss in Rebel Belle is one of my favorites I've written. By the time it happens, I wanted readers to be like, "FINALLY!" There's a similar moment in Miss Mayhem, although it's not a FIRST kiss....


I totally love the title of this book. How did you come up with the title for it? Did you come up with a title before you started writing the book, or do you start writing and then pick a title?
I am the worst at titles. Like, the LITERAL WORST. I very, very rarely have a title in mind when I start out, and this book was no different. I knew I wanted something that pointed to the pageant aspect, and then a reader suggested "Maids of Mayhem." I loved that, tweaked it, and was thrilled when everyone at Penguin was 100% down with Miss Mayhem!


What's something you've come to admire about Harper?
She's fiercely loyal and protective of those she loves, and she doesn't give up. She may not always make the right call, but she's always trying to do her best.


What was one of your "must haves" while writing Miss Mayhem? 
I go through a LOT of yellow legal pads when I write. I can do without tea and music (although I like to have both!), but being able to quickly jot things down or unsnarl a plot thread is the only true necessity. 

Thank you Rachel for stopping by Mundie Moms today. If you haven't already, be sure to put Miss Mayhem on your TBR list! Trust me, it's good!

About the Book
By: Rachel Hawkins
Published by: Putnam
To Be Released on: April 7th, 2015
Series: Rebel Belle #2
Pre-Order from: Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads

Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and best friend Bee has been returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can return her focus to the important things in life: school, canoodling with David, her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie, and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant with Bee.

Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they'd rather train David than kill him.  The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can't stay David's Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her . . .  or make her more powerful than ever.


About The Author

Rachel Hawkins is the author of Rebel Belle and of the New York Times best-selling series Hex Hall. She was born in Virginia and raised in Alabama. Though she was never a homecoming queen or a debutante, Rachel does have an extensive tiara collection and once came very close to being and Azalea Trail Girl (it’s a thing, trust us). Find Rachel online at Twitter as @LadyHawkins or on Tumblr at therealladyhawkins.tumblr.com. 


YA Book News: Upcoming Book Events in Texas

Happy Monday! Here is some of the latest YA Book News featuring upcoming book events in Texas! Wow, there are a lot of awesome events coming up this month. Check out all the authors who will be visiting the great state of Texas over the next couple of weeks. 

I will be at each of these events! If you're going, let me know. I'd love to see you there!


Epic Reads is coming to Book People! Join authors Sara Raasch, Danielle Paige, Heather and Victoria Aveyard THIS Thursday, April 9th, at Book People! I'll thrilled to be moderating a panel with these four amazing women! The event kicks off at 7 pm at Book People. If you can't attend, you can purchase a signed book from Book People, who ships world wide. Get more information the event HERE.



A fantastic YA event is happening in Houston, Texas THIS Saturday, April 11th! Houston's TEEN BOOK CON! If you've never been, I highly recommend attending this free event for teens (and YA fans too). The event opens at 9 am and ends at 5 pm. It will be held at Alief Taylor High School. 

Authors attending this year's book con include:
  • Gayle Forman
  • David Levithan
  • Ally Carter
  • Josephine Angelini
  • Susane Colasanti
  • Sarah Cross
  • Jason Reynolds
  • Kristen Simmons
  • Elizabeth Wein
  • Scott Westerfeld
  • and many more
Check out the complete author list, get the schedule, FAQs.


TLA (Texas Library Association) is happening here in Austin this year! The event kicks off on Tuesday, April 14th, and wraps up that weekend. 

Some authors whom will be signing at TLA this year are:
  • Jonathan Auxier
  • Ally Carter
  • Kiera Cass
  • Andrea Cremer
  • Trish Dollar
  • A.C. Gaghen
  • David Levithan
  • Marie Lu
  • Sarah J. Maas
  • Melissa Marr
  • Lauren Oliver
  • Mary Pearson
  • Marie Rutkoski
  • Carrie Ryan
  • Rachel Vincent
  • Becky Wallace
  • Suzanne Young
  • and many more!!
Check out the exhibits, author schedule, and don't forget to register



This year the Romantic Times (RT) Booklovers Convention is happening here in Dallas!  RT has a TEEN DAY! There will be a Giant Book Fair, panels, games, and parties. If that's not enough, 100 Young Adult authors will be signing in YA alley at the Giant Book Fair! Trust me book fans, you won't want to miss this. 

Some of the authors attending TEEN DAY include:
  •  Meg Cabot
  • Stephanie Perkins
  • Jennifer L. Armentrout 
  • Kiera Cass
  • Scott Westerfeld
  • Tamora Pierce
  • Lauren Oliver
  • Richelle Mead
  • Melissa de la Cruz
  • Alyson Noel
  • Becca Fitzpatrick
  • Kasie West
  • Kami Garica
  • Margaret Stohl
  • And many more!
Mark your calendars! Saturday, May 16th, is TEEN DAY at RT! Fans will be able to purchase autographed copies of the author's latest books at the Book Fair. To attend this event, purchase a Teen Day pass. The cost of the ticket is $30. Check out the Full Teen Day workshop scheduleFor more information on Teen Day, please go hereDon't forget to register

I'm thrilled to be the assistant for this year's YA Track. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, as we're counting down to Teen Day with some AMAZING giveaways each week! Don't miss my huge giveaway here on the blog, on May 1st. 

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