Mundie Moms

Friday, August 31, 2012

Mundie Moms LIVE Twitter Chat with Gretchen McNeil- TONIGHT


Tonight I'm excited to do something I rarely do, I'm hosting a LIVE author chat on TWITTER! Normally I host live chats here on the blog, but a few weeks I hosted a very successful chat on Twitter for Tor Teen, and really enjoyed it, as well as hosted one a month or so ago with Cassie. I'm really looking forward about tonight's chat as it's with TEN author Gretchen McNeil! I know, I'm all giddy. THANK YOU to everyone who's been promoting tonight's chat. 

The chat starts at 3 pm PST and will end at 4 pm PST. Be sure to follow #GretchenLive to join! 



There's been a lot of buzz surrounding TEN. I'll be featuring it shortly here on the blog, and tomorrow The Story Siren will be debuting the book trailer for TEN! Here's a little bit about the book:

To Be Released on: September 18th, 2012

And their doom comes swiftly.

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


GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!!

Congratulations to my recent round of giveaway winners! The following people have won:


Skylark winner is: #74- Andrea B


Pushing the Limits winner is: #483- Robyn M


Survive winners are:

1) #226- Carl S
2) #23- Danielle C
3) #189- Linda


Anastasia Forever prize pack winner: #357- Kayla B



1) #28- Christas
2) #67- Joy

My Life Undecided winner:

3) #404- Holly


Onyx giveaway (Lux series) winner: #1275- Megan


CONGRATULATIONS to all my WINNERS! Each winner has been notified via email and has 48 hrs to reply or a new winner will be chosen. THANK YOU to everyone who entered! Please be sure to check out more of giveaways currently going on, in the right hand side bar of the blog. 

Flashback Friday - Paper Towns by John Green

Author: John Green
Publisher: Dutton Books
Release Date: September 22, 2009
Source: Purchased

Rating: 5 stars - I loved it!

Synopsis: Two-time Printz Medalist John Green’s New York Times bestseller, now in paperback!

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge— he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues— and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew.


I finally listened to my friends Heather W. Petty and Stacie (from Whimsical-Ficery) who have over the years tempted, prodded and begged suggested that I read any and all of John Green’s books. Heather, in particular, challenged me with a warning that John writes the kind of fictional boys I love. I, of course, did the least sensible thing ever and nodded and ignored their suggestions.

Then in the Summer of My Contemporary Reads (yes, I’m still on that kick), I picked up Paper Towns and didn’t put it down except to go pick up the kids from school and refill my iced tea glass. Oh Quentin, darn it, Heather was right. I adored him, immediately. I related to his do-the-right-thing-always (and his resulting anxiety) personality. And I will admit that his infatuation with Margo had me worried. Margo – starter of all-night revenge sprees, expert runaway, next-door-neighbor. The mom in me disliked her. The reader in me loved her. John builds such a delicious, believable tension between Margo and Q that yes, I fell in complete love with the two of them.

John’s writing flowed so beautifully as he pulled at the back story string that linked Q and Margo and threaded it expertly into the mystery of clues Margo left behind (yes, I obviously loved the theme of paper towns and the use of "strings" to explain relationships). Then there’s the small matter of the ending. No spoilers, trust me. But, I did tweet and text and tell everyone I knew that they should read the book because the ending was “whoa”. The ending suited the story so perfectly and it was filled with “whoa”. Not an elegant critique on my part and yet, that’s the only word I was left with after turning the last page. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.

If you haven’t picked up a John Green book, do so. It’s everything you’ve heard it would be – funny, sweet and filled with “whoa” moments. I’m almost done with An Abundance of Katherines which should tell you that yes, yes, yes Heather and Stacie you were right…I adore John’s stories.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

TMI Movie News: Filming Re-Cap Day 8

TMI Movie Filming continues today with more scenes being filmed at the Hotel Dumort via the Royal Cannaught Hotel. While I've not seen a whole lot of pictures from today's filming surface, TMI fbpage treated TMI fans to this:


The Mortal Instruments movie page posted a picture of Director Harald Zwart (left) and director of photography Geir Andreassen (right) bring the City of Bones to life on set! Check out this picture here:


The page promises fans that more stills from the Mortal Instruments talent and crew to come! I can't wait to see more pictures.

Fortune Magazine Interviews Cassie & Her Dad

Yesterday I read this seriously awesome interview that Fortune Magazine did with Cassie and her dad. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall in the room they were interviewed in, because this is one of my most favorite Cassie interviews to date, and I love that it was done with her and her dad. 



I was really tickled that Fortune wanted to do an interview with me and my father, because though we both write books, he writes books about business strategy and I write books about teenagers whacking demons with swords. My dad cracks me up (as I’m sure you can tell in the photo) as he has a snarky sense of humor. Sadly the end of the interview got cut off, in which Fortune asked me if I was ever worried about writing young adult books because there were already too many.

My dad: Aren’t you ever worried that there are too many magazines?

Me: Oh, Jesus. *drags Dad out of office*



(picture from Fortune Magazine's article)

David A Kaplan had the chance to interview Cassie, along with her successful author and professor father, Richard Rumelt. The interview that was posted yesterday was seriously fabulous! I can only imagine what it's like to be in a room with Cassie and her dad together. 

Here's just a few examples of the Q&A:

Per FM:  Richard, you're a well-known academic and have sold tens of thousands of books. Cassandra, you're a well-known author for a certain segment of the mass market—and have sold even more books. Is there a connection between the two careers?

RUMELT:  It's all genetics [laughter]. I'm very proud of her. She's blossomed fantastically.

CLARE: My father is a big believer in nature over nurture.

******


Per FMWill Richard have a cameo in the movie?

CLARE:  No, but there is an evil dad in the movie.

RUMELT: I'd rather have my own film. I'm actually beginning a project of trying to video CEOs about certain strategy issues.

CLARE:  I have asked specifically that they include my cat.

**********

This is also one of many examples of why I love Cassie. She is so charismatic and real. Check out the entire interview here

Book Review: ORIGIN by Jessica Khoury


Published by: Penguin Teen/Razorbill
To Be Released on: September 4th, 2012
Source: ARC from publisher to review
4 stars: I Liked It
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home—and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.


Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia’s origin—a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.


Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost. This is a supremely compelling debut novel that blends the awakening romance of Matched with the mystery and jungle conspiracy of Lost. -quoted from Goodreads

With it's original storyline and mix of science fiction, mystery, and fantasy, ORIGIN is debut I think a lot of YA fans will enjoy. Set in the heart of a tiny village in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, this story introduces readers to wide range of characters/scientist who's controversial work is both secretive and dangerous. At the heart of their project is Pia, a timid teenage girl who's had zero contact with the outside world and was born/created with an extraordinary gift. Despite the fact it was a little slow during parts of the beginning, it quickly turned into a high stakes, fast paced read with a lot of action, danger, and moments of suspense.

The story's incredibly beautiful, yet extremely reclusive setting really set the tone for this book. It's dangerous, secretive and adds that feeling of the unknown to the book. Jessica's vividly detailed writing made it incredibly easy for me to picture the lush, humid Amazon rainforest where Pia lives in her glass room at the compound where she's been raised. Ironically the jungle at first seems more secluded, secretive and dangerous than that of the walled place Pia lives in. As the story progresses further and as Pia starts to uncover the horrible truths about the place she thought was her home, and discover more about herself, the jungle is what starts to offer her safety and a glimpse of what the future can hold. I liked how the story and the mood of the book changes and shifts with setting, and Pia's discoveries. 

Pia for me is a character who I normally would have had a hard time liking. For someone who's immortal, she starts off being incredibly naive, yet at the same time someone who's very book smart. She has zero experience with anything and anyone outside her compound, yet her quest for wanting to know more of what goes on outside the walls that confine her is one of the things that interested me the most about her. It made her more human like in many ways. Her quest for wanting answers gave me a small glimpse into the person Pia grew into. I admired the fact that she didn't always accept no as an answer or the half truths she was sometimes given. 

Eio, the "wild" guy from the jungle on the other hand intrigued me from the moment he was introduced into the story. I really enjoyed getting to read about him, and learning about the ways of him and his people. I loved how strong, fearless, and resourceful he is. His mannerism, his actions and even his thought process fit the profile perfectly of someone who was raised in the jungle. The relationship between Pia and Eio grew in the way I had expected and hoped it would. At first it's timid and unsure, and then grows into something sure and fierce. It's accepting, promising, and real. 

If you enjoy a well written storyline full of twists, secrets, and plenty of danger this one is for you! ORIGIN is a great stand alone read, and one I'd recommend picking up!



Don't miss today's ORIGIN blog tour stop here. You can read an excerpt from the book and read Jessica's thoughts on ORIGIN. 

ORIGIN Blog Tour

I'm thrilled about today's tour stop and to be apart of Penguin Teen's The Breathless Blog Tour for debut author Jessica Khoury's ORIGIN. You can read my review for ORIGIN here. Today I not only have an excerpt for Jessica's book to share with you, but Jessica's has stopped by to share her thoughts about ORIGIN with us!



ORIGIN excerpt:

Now, there is only one thing I want: someone else who knows. Knows what it is to never bleed. Knows what it is to look ahead and see eternity.

Knows what it is to be surrounded by faces that you love, faces that will one day stop breathing and start to decay while your own will remain frozen outside of time.
None of them know. Not Mother, not Uncle Paolo, not any of them. They think they can understand. They think they can empathize or imagine with me. But all they really know is what they can observe, such as how fast I can run or how quickly bruises on my skin can fade. When it comes to the hidden part of me, the inner, untouchable Pia, all they can really know is that I’m different. (Origin, page 7)


Thoughts from Jessica

Whether or not I would want to be immortal is something I’ve thought about quite a bit since writing Origin. It’s a fascinating question and there’s no easy answer. I’d love to live forever just because I want to see how the world will change, for better or worse. I want to know if we ever cure cancer or walk on Mars. But I think immortality would grow stale after a time; I can imagine that even our magnificent planet would soon run out of wonders and I’d grow restless and impatient to move on. There’s a whole other world after this — I wouldn’t want to be held back. So maybe if there was a compromise available, and I could live for three hundred years or so and then move on, I might say yes to that — as long as I could take someone with me. As Pia recognizes in Origin, it can get awfully lonely being the only immortal.

About ORIGIN:

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home—and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.


Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia’s origin—a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.



Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost. This is a supremely compelling debut novel that blends the awakening romance of Matched with the mystery and jungle conspiracy of Lost. -quoted from Goodreads




Links:


Breathless Reads: Facebook | Tumblr | Scribd Sampler

Jessica on the Web: Website | Twitter | Facebook





Follow The Tour

Monday 8.27 - The Book Smugglers
Tuesday 8.28 - Pure Imagination
Wednesday 8.29 - Steph Su Reads
Thursday 8.30 - Mundie Moms
Friday 8.31 - Forever YA

Monday 9.3 - Novel Thoughts
Tuesday 9.4 - Page Turners
Wednesday 9.5 - Frenetic Readers
Thursday 9.6 - Bookshelf Banter
Friday 9.7 - The Story Siren

Monday 9.10 - Green Bean Teen Queen
Tuesday 9.11 - The Book Muncher
Wednesday 9.12 - The Book Cellar 
Thursday 9.13 - Book Chic
Friday 9.14 - The Compulsive Reader

Tonight's Author Chat w/ Kiersten White *rescheduled*



I am so excited about tonight's chat with the bleeping awesome KIERSTEN WHITE! This will be a spoilery chat and we'll be discussing everything about her fabulous series. Join us tonight at 8 pm CST! *more details will be posted soon* 





If you haven't already, be sure to pick up Kiersten's Paranormalcy series! You won't regret it!

**UPDATE- You guys I am extremely bummed, that due to my not feeling well we are having to reschedule tonight's chat. I feel horrible about having to do this, and with the over 100 author chats I've hosted I've never had to reschedule a chat due to being sick. THANK YOU to Kiersten for understanding and to you guys for promoting tonight's chat and understanding. I can not wait to chat with Kiersten in the coming weeks!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

TMI Movie News: TMI Nominated for one of 2013's Most Anticipated Summer Movies / Filming Re-Cap Day 7


In other movie news, The Mortal Instrument is nominated for one of the most anticipated Summer movies of 2013! Which is seriously crazy considering this movie only started filming last week. The hype around this movie goes back to 2009 when it was first announced there would a movie. Set to releasee on August 23, 2013, this movie is sure to be a HUGE SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER! Be sure to go cast your VOTE! *when I cast my vote, TMI currently was holding 79.55% of all the votes*


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

With this week's filming set photo's have been scarce, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because they're filming a lot of inside scenes. The club scene was filmed earlier this week and this hotel scene was shot yesterday. I found two photos posted by clarissawayland with the new set locations:




********

Totally unrelated to the movie, I saw this on Tumblr and totally had to share this.  If The Mortal Instruments were written from Jace's perspective:

City of *falls in love*

City of Crap she’s my Sister

City of Total Incest 

City of Nightmares 

City of Total Incest ft. Sebastian

City of Hope I don’t die…


Book Review: Hidden by Sophie Jordan


Published by: Harper Teen
To Be Released on: September 11th, 2012
Source: ARC from author to review
5 stars: I LOVED It!
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Firelight series: Book 3, last book in series
Read my reviews for: Firelight | Vanish

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy. -quoted from GoodReads


What a heart pounding, exciting, suspenseful conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight series! WOW! Sophie does not hold back with all that happens during this one heck of an emotional roller coaster ride of a read. With secrets revealed, loyalties put to the test, love found, and other relationships tested, this story gave me everything I wanted and then some. There's moments of heartbreak, hope, suspense, sizzling scenes, danger, and a lot of the unexpected. This story has one twist after the other, which made it incredibly easy for me to sit down and read it in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. There is so much that happens in such a short amount of time, I had to know what was going to happen next. 

 I loved the element of surprise the Sophie had in HIDDEN. There is a lot that goes on, and some things happen like I had hoped they would, just not in the manner I was expecting. For example the new romance the grows between two characters, some of the choices characters make, the shocking discoveries that are made at the beginning of the book, but the most shocking is the betrayal that happens. There's deaths and new characters that are introduced to this story that shake things up a bit. As a reader I loved that this storyline stays in constant motion and literally had me sitting on the edge of me seat, holding my breathe at times. Of course in true Sophie fashion she also left me sighing, and grinning like an idiot during other scenes. 

In my past reviews I've talked about my love for Jacinda, Cassian and Will. They are definitely some of my all time favorite characters, and I really liked getting to see them change, mature and grow up in a lot of different ways both through out the series, and within Hidden. This time around I was pleasantly surprised to find myself really rooting on Jacinda's little sis, Tamra. I enjoyed seeing how their relationship as sisters has grown, and evolved as the series has gone on and now wraps up. It's joyful and bittersweet all at the same time. Tamra for me has really grown up in ways I had not expected her to, and I really admire the person she's become. The introduction of the new draki Deghan is AWESOME!! I seriously loved his part in this book, and how he changes things up a bit. It's fabulous, and I have a feeling a few other readers will agree with me on him. 

There's not much more I can say about Jacinda, Cassian and Will that I haven't before. I adore these three, and though I've fought hard through out much of the series on which team I'm on, Cassian or Will, I loved that Sophie allowed me to see and understand Jacinda's choice, and why she made it. Her choice now makes perfect sense to me, as do the choices both Will and Cassian make. I don't think Sophie Jordan could have come up with a more perfect ending her series. HIDDEN is such an awesome read! Though I'm sad this series is over, I love knowing the direction each of the characters has taken and getting a small glimpse into the things that await them in their futures. *sigh* Be sure to go pick this book out when it's out in a few weeks! You won't be disappointed that you did. 


Clockwork Princess Snippet



Cassie treated fans to a Clockwork Princess snippet!!

Via Cassie:

Aw, you guys are so sweet.

Have a Clockwork Princess snippet*. It is Willish-centric, so it should fulfill any Will snippets I am currently owing. :)

Will began to move toward the door to join Charlotte. Halfway there, he turned back, and crossed the room to Tessa: “Please,” he said, “while I am with him, would you do something for me?”

Tessa looked up and swallowed. He was too close, too close: all the lines, shapes, angles of Will filled her field of vision as the sound of his voice filled her ears. “Yes, certainly,” she said. “What is it?”

*I am a sucker.

******

I believe I just heard a collective *sigh*  The Will fan in me wants to yell, "Just kiss her already!"

TMI Movie News: Guest Post from a Movie Extra

I am beyond excited about today's recap from Monday's filming of the TMI movie, because I have one  a lovely guest post from Cristina B, a fellow TMI fan/person behind the official facebook fan pages for Cassie's TMI, ID, and Dark Artifices, and EXTRA from Monday's club scene. When she tweeted me a week or so ago sharing her excitement about being cast in the movie for that scene, I immediately fan girled for her. How cool is that, that a huge fan and supporter of Cassie's books is an extra in the movie, and not just any scene, but the club scene where Clary meets Jace for the 1st time. When I asked her if she'd be willing to share her on set experience with Mundie Moms, she graciously said yes! After a long 12 hour shooting day she wrote up her experience (below). THANK YOU to Cristina for taking the time to share your experience with us today!



MI Experience -Pandemonium Club by Cristina B

I just want to start off by saying a big thank you to Katie from Mundie Moms who has been good to me.

For those of you who do not know who I am my name is Cristina & I run the Official Facebook fan pages for Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices, Mortal Instruments & Dark Artifices series.

Recently I had been cast as an extra in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones for the Pandemonium Club scene & on Monday we set off to film the scene. While I can't talk about most of it or the props or what the set look like I can give you a play-by-play of how my day went.

I got up in the morning at 8 o'clock took a shower & got ready to go clubbing as I had to be in Toronto by 11 o'clock. I arrived to the extras holding was told to check in and then head straight to wardrobe and then hair and makeup. After hair and makeup I went back upstairs to wait with the other extras. There were three groups of extras the 9 o'clocks, 10 o'clocks and 11 o'clocks.

We sat around waiting until about noon when we were called down to the set to begin filming for the Pandemonium Club scene. I was given a prop to hold and made my way into the club to try to find a good place to position myself.

Generally speaking I never go to the club alone, I'm always with friends & most the time if we're not dancing, we wait by the bar for the bartender to notice us so that we can get a drink. That is what I did, I headed over to the bar & stayed there.

For the next 5 & 1/2 hours we continued filming that scene. When the extras weren't needed we waited outside or up on the roof of the clib where there was a patio. Since it kept raining off & on they had to keep bringing un inside. I also got to meet Robert, Lily &Chad. Rob kept making me laugh, & Chad was the nicest guy.

We then got a lunch break at 5:30 & went back to holding with the other extras to have lunch & wait until they begun filming again.

For the next four hours we shot the other half of the scene where I got me Kevin, Jamie and Jemima. While Kevin & Jemima smiled & occasionally spoke to a few of us, Jamie kept to himself.

At 11 o'clock at night we were told that we would be wrapping up & that we could all go home. After 12 hours of being in a 5 inch stilettos I was more than eager to say okay let's go home.

I then proceeded to sign out of the extras holding room and make my way back to my car & then back home. After checking my clock when I walk through the door it was 1 o'clock in the morning.

It was a very long afternoon but it was totally worth it & if asked to do it again I would say yes.

Hope that gives you little bit of insight as to what my day was like yesterday. It was great to meet the cast and crew of the film, & I know they're going to be as true to the book as they possibly can.

If you would like to ask me questions I can be reached at:
Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr

THANK YOU Cristina! What an amazing experience!!!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Essence by Kimberly Derting


Published by: Simon & Schuster
To Be Released on: January 1st, 2013


Poor child. Poor, wretched child. You have no idea what you’re up against. No idea how to stop me, do you?

Though it has been months since Charlaina—Charlie—defeated the tyrant Sabara and took control of the Ludanian crown, Sabara has not disappeared. The old queen’s Essence has fused itself to Charlie’s psyche and is viciously fighting to overpower Charlie.

Balancing her new duties as Queen and battling both Sabara’s voice and a growing resistance to her rule push Charlie to the brink of exhaustion. She wants to be the same old Charlie she has ever been but now she is Your Majesty.

As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with the leaders of nearby Queendoms—an event where her ability to understand all languages is the utmost asset—she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within -quoted from Goodreads


I absoutely loved The Pledge, and I'm very eager to get back into this amazing world that Kimberly created. I'm looking forward to reading about Charlie's new role as Queen, and finding out how she's going to rise to the challenge of hopefully over powering Sabara once and for all. I can't wait for this book to be out! Be sure to stop by Kimberly's blog to enter to win an ARC of The Essence and Dead Silence here.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Book Review: DEFIANCE by C.J. Redwine



Published by: Balzar & Bray
To Be Released on: August 28th, 2012
Purchase from: Harper Teen | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound 

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city's brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father's apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same one who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but a fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city's top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor's impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making. -quoted from Harper Teen

What an absolutely stunning debut! C.J. Redwine's writing is poignant, her storytelling is mesmerizing and her world building is incredible. I loved everything about this book. DEFIANCE is a well crafted story that had my complete attention from the moment I started it, and it still has me wanting to crawl back through it's page long after I've finished it. It's one of those books that takes you on an incredible journey, introduces to you unforgettable characters, treats to a story unlike one you've read about before, and gifts you with moments of romance, heartbreak, action, and well, defiance.

It's that defiance, or as I like to refer to it as stubbornness, that makes Rachel a stand out character for me. Her defiance is one of her greatest strengths and biggest dawn falls. She's an incredibly strong women who thinks quickly on her feet, is fiercely independent, and has this loyal devotion to those she loves. I admired her and the choices she makes in this story. Regardless of some of the not so fun consequences she deals with from her actions, I found myself relating to her often and cheering her on. Had I been in her shoes, I would have done many of the same things she did. I loved feeling like I really got to know her as a character. She came to life for me in so many ways. It wasn't just the fact she acted more like a tom boy vs the obedient women those of her time were expected to be like, but the comfort she had in her own skin is one of the things I loved the most about her! She embraced the women she is and the girl her father raised her to be, despite not having a mother around for her. I seriously loved her for that.

I also liked understanding why when I first met her she had her emotional wall up, and getting to see her slowly but surly bring it down further and further the more I got to see Logan and Rachel interact. Logan, WOW, what an amazing hot boy with sword. I loved him as much as I loved Rachel, because again I felt like I really got to know him. His honesty with his insecurities with himself made him both vulnerable in ways I don't always see a main character/hero mention, and it made him relatable and realistic, because I got to know him and understand him. I loved seeing him grow from a little bit of unease in his new roll to the fierce, loyal protector other people saw in him. He truly is the perfect match for Rachel. These two have an amazing chemistry, and it was such a breath of fresh air to see them work through their feelings of hurt, of insecurities, and watch their relationship grow into something strong and immovable. C.J. Redwine rocks with sizzling character chemistry and writing hot scenes!

Character wise, DEFIANCE has solid, dimensional characters that allowed me, the reader, to truly understand them. It wasn't just the two main characters I enjoyed reading about, but the other characters who are apart of Rachel and Logan's world. I connected with them on emotional levels despite the fact I didn't grow up in this time period, nor have I dwelt with most of the things Rachel and Logan do. I felt like I understood the reasoning behind their motives, I got what drove them to action, as well what motivated them emotionally. The characters complimented the storyline perfectly, and I loved getting caught up everything that goes on within the pages of this book. 

C.J.'s world building is seriously awesome. I love, love, love reading books that have a timeless feel to them, and have a world that is historic, and yet unique and creative to the story it's apart of. It's unlike any other world, yet similar to a few of my other favorite reads this year. Once again I am in awe over this year's debut books that I've fallen in love with. This is one book that stands out among the many YA books I've had the pleasure of reading not just this year, but as a whole. I highly recommend this book. I could go on and on about my love for it, but I'd either end up spoiling something or boring you guys to death over my list. If you haven't already, go pick this one up! I can guarantee you, you will find this book near the top of my top ten list at the end of the year. This book is phenomenal. I want more!


Don't miss my Defiance blog tour/ interview stop from earlier this morning with C.J., here

DEFIANCE Blog Tour: Interview with Author C.J. Redwine

I'm so excited about today's DEFIANCE blog tour stop, as I have debut author C.J. Redwine on the blog! YAY! First off I have to say HAPPY RELEASE DAY to C.J., as DEFIANCE is finally out in stores! If you guys haven't yet put this book on your to read list or your must acquire book, I highly recommend it. I'll have my review up later today and you can read all about my fan girling over it. 




Hi CJ! Congratulations on your debut, and happy RELEASE DAY! I can only imagine how excited you are to see your "baby" out in the world. What are you going to do to celebrate Defiance's release?

EAT CAKE. Seriously. I mean, I'm also having a launch party here in town and then an online lauch party on Thursday night to celebrate, and those will be awesome. But CAKE. That's the crucial thing to remember. ALL THE CAKE.

I LOVED this book. Your storyline, your characters, the world building, and everything is amazing. What was your favorite element to write/create?

I really loved my characters. Logan took a super long time to get to know, but once I figured him out and put him and Rachel into a room together, sparks (definitely not always the romantic kind!) flew. I enjoyed the way my characters broke down and then got back up, lessons learned, stronger than ever after my plot slapped them in the face. That makes me sound super evil. Hmm ... *wisely says nothing more*

Rachel is a fabulous protagonist. What's something you admire about her and the choices she made in Defiance?

I admire the way she just wears her emotions on her sleeve and acts on them. It got her in a lot of hot water, but I had to stand back and admire the tenacity with which she clung to her beliefs and the lengths she was willing to go for them.

Who are some of your favorite heroines and what qualities, if any, did you use from them and give to Rachel?

I have a LOT of favorite heroines. Hermoine, Becks from Everneath, Lucy from Narnia, Elisa from Girl of Fire & Thorns, and Anne from Green Gables, to name a few. I think a strong heroine is one who grows to understand and accept who she really is and then stays true to that in the face of opposition. Rachel grows a lot in Defiance, and she's many steps closer to understanding and accepting herself. I also think a strong heroine is one who knows how to keep an open heart and doesn't close herself off after getting hurt. Rachel hasn't quite learned that one yet, but I think she might. :)

What was one of  your favorite scenes or chapters to write?

I loved writing the lake scene. ;D You know the one ... So much fun to let them have a reward for all the crap they'd been through.

If you could put one of your favorite fictional characters into Rachel's story, who would you choose and why?

Samwise Gamgee. Such a loyal, hard-working hobbit! I think Rachel and Logan could really use a loyal friend with Sam's kind of wisdom. Plus, who doesn't love a hobbit?

Speed Round:

When writing, music or no music? Music!

A tropical get away or a mountain hide away? Can't I have both?

Who would you want to be stuck on a deserted island with: Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr), or James Bond (Daniel Craig)? YES

Favorite place to read? Bed

You know I have to ask this, a Shadowhunter or Hot Boy w/ Sword? Lol, with all due respect to Shadowhunters, my Logan is a Hot Boy w/Sword so I'm going to have to be on his team. :)

Thank you CJ for stopping by Mundie Moms today! Have a fabulous time at your launch party tonight. Be sure to stop by and read my 5 star review here.




Published by: Balzar & Bray
To Be Released on: August 28th, 2012
Purchase from: Harper Teen | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound 

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city's brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father's apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same one who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but a fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city's top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor's impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making. -quoted from Harper Teen

About the Author:



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