BIR2010 Day #3-Author Interview & Prize Pack #1 (The Exiled Queen, Dust City, My Ridiculous Romantic Obsessions, Rot & Ruin) Giveaway

It's now Day 3 of our BIR celebrations. If you're just joining our celebrations, here's a little history about it- we, along with 8 other bloggers have come together to collectively bring you our favorite reads for 2010. Each blog came up with a small list of their favorites and every blog will be featuring the list. We, along with the other bloggers will be featuring BIG giveaways, I'm talking more than 30 books, along with author interviews. This event will be running from now through December 14th, though on MM's our events will be running now through Friday. That means more giveaways each day! To follow all of our BIR2010 posts, just click on the BIR2010 button on the top right hand corner of our blog.

I have feel so bad that we haven't had any international giveaways like we always do, but today we have one. Next week when we post our MM favorite reads of 2010 we'll have more. Today we have two great author interviews, another favorite 2010 book of mine giveaway, Nightshade and some great giveaways.

All giveaways are open to residents of the US only, unless other wise noted. If you are an International follower and have someone in the US we can send your winnings to, please feel free to enter. All giveaways will end on December 15th. All winners will be announced on Monday December 20th. This is to ensure that we don't have winners winning the same books on the other participating blogs. **Publishers will be mailing out most of the winnings and with Christmas and the holiday rush, books may not be received until after the first of the year.

Thank you to all the wonderful publishers and authors who have allowed us to host such wonderful giveaways!

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The Exiled Queen

By Cinda Williams Chima

Published by Disney Hyperion

Cinda's website: http://www.cindachima.com/

Book Summary:

(from Goodreads - Warning contains spoilers if you haven't read the 1st book in the series)

You can't always run from danger...

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean danger isn’t far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

The Exiled Queen is an epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.

If not a writer, you would have been?

I have already been. I am a registered dietitian, and practiced nutrition for years. I've been a department head in a large healthcare system and run a diabetes education program. In my last nutrition job, I was a college professor, and I love teaching. But I left my day job 21/2 years ago, and am now a full time writer.

If you could re-write the ending to a book written by someone else, what would it be?

I wouldn't dare. I'm amazed that I can rewrite endings to my own books. I changed the ending of The Gray Wolf Throne three times (at the behest of my agent and two different editors.) That's one thing I've learned through the revision process. I used to think that a book or movie was a kind of organism, whole unto itself, and the notion of changing the ending was like hacking off a limb and sewing an artificial one in its place. Now I know that there is more than one successful way to end a book. And sometimes the first notion you have is not the best one.

What is your favorite book that has been made into a movie?

I loved what they did with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I thought Peter Jackson translated that to the screen very skillfully.

What do you do when you are in-between books?

I am never in-between books.

Where is your favorite place to read/write?

I usually write in my den, though I wish it had a better view. There is a bird feeder outside, and I like to watch the bird/squirrel smackdowns. I have a laptop with a cinema display and ergonomic keyboard. If I'm working on a first draft, I often go to a cafe, so I can focus and not get on the Internet. I love the Internet, but it is something that makes you think you're doing work when you're not.

Thank you Cinda for being with us today and to Kathy with I Am A Reader, Not a Writer for the questions.

Cinda has graciously allowed us to host a giveaway for The Exiled Queen. This giveaway is open to residents of the US & Canada.

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Day 3- Prize Pack #1

Dust City

by: Robert Pual Weston

Published by: Razorbill

Robert's Website:http://www.robertpaulweston.com/

Book Summary:

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

His son, that's who.

Ever since his father's arrest for the murder of Little Red Riding Hood, teen wolf Henry Whelp has kept a low profile in a Home for Wayward Wolves . . . until a murder at the Home leads Henry to believe his father may have been framed.

Now, with the help of his kleptomaniac roommate, Jack, and a daring she-wolf named Fiona, Henry will have to venture deep into the heart of Dust City: a rundown, gritty metropolis where fairydust is craved by everyone and controlled by a dangerous mob of Water Nixies and their crime boss leader, Skinner.

Can Henry solve the mystery of his family's sinister past? Or, like his father before him, is he destined for life as a big bad wolf?

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My Ridiculous Romantic Obsessions

By: Becca Wilhite

Published by: Shadow Mountain

Website: http://www.beccawilhite.com/

Book summary: Sarah Howard's first year at the university is everything and nothing she expected especially when a very cute boy named Ben in her Art History class starts to show interest in her.

Sarah feels like she's an average, normal, everyday girl. So, when Ben (to whom she secretly refers as Adonis because she thinks he could be a Greek god) begins to take interest in her, Sarah is in denial. For one thing, last year she was deeply crushed and humiliated by Jesse James a guy who she thought liked her.

She's determined not to get burned again. But in her heart of hearts, what she really wants is a Jane Austen kind of romance. Ridiculous, right? That kind of romance doesn t exist anymore . . . or does it? Sarah is smart and fun to be around and even pretty, despite her Medusa-like red curls. She even plays the guitar. (So does Ben!) Yes, Sarah is everything Ben has wanted. He's crazy for her, but Sarah is just not getting it. She's playing hard to get, and if she s not careful, she s going to lose a real hot gentleman -- her 21st-century Mr. Darcy.

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Rot & Ruin

By Jonathan Maberry

Published by Simon & Schuster

Released: October 5, 2010

http://jonathanmaberry.com/

In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

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Today we are going to do things a little differently. We are going to pick 4 different winners! One winner per book. The 1st winner will receive The Exiled Queen, the 2nd Dust City, and so on. Just select which books you'd like to be enter to win when you fill out the form.

Thank you Cinda Williams Chima, Simon and Schuster, Razorbill and Shadow Mountain for these wonderful giveaways.