interview with author andrea cremer + giveawayCLOSED

Boy, do I have a treat for you.

As part of the WOLFSBANE blog tour, I get to interview the New York Times bestselling author of the NIGHTSHADE series, Andrea Cremer. Andrea Cremer is an absolute doll, and I’m so excited to be a part of her blog tour!

Penguin, her publisher, has so kindly provided me with one set of the series to give away to one lucky reader. You’ll find more details at the bottom of the post! ALSO they have split the bloggers into groups, to go along with one of their quizzes on Facebook. I'm in Tordis!

Website | Blog | Facebook

Andrea Cremer spent her childhood daydreaming while roaming the forests and lakeshores of Northern Wisconsin. She now lives in Minnesota, but she thinks of her homeland as the “Canadian Shield” rather than the Midwest. Her debut novel, NIGHTSHADE, was published by Penguin in fall 2010 and was a NYT bestseller. WOLFSBANE, its sequel, came out July 26th.


1) Without being spoilery, what would you say are the biggest differences between NIGHTSHADE and its sequel, WOLFSBANE? Great question! NIGHTSHADE introduced the world of Guardians and Keepers and the members of the pack. WOLFSBANE offers a much broader picture of the Witches War and particularly who the Searchers are. You'll meet several new characters who play a vital role in the series (and some of my favorites by the way!) WOLFSBANE explores the limits of loyalty, friendship, and family. Though there were some dark moments in NIGHTSHADE, I think WOLFSBANE is a book with more heartbreak, but also hope.

2) On your blog, you say you wrote NIGHTSHADE in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's pretty fast!!! Was this a one-time thing, or are you a naturally fast writer? How long did it take you to write the other books in the NIGHTSHADE series? I need to qualify that: Thanksgiving to Christmas is when I wrote the first draft! The full book from first draft to copy edits took about nine months. I am a fast writer. A draft takes on average six weeks, but the full process of revision is several months.

3) The love triangle in NIGHTSHADE is one of the biggest reasons I am so addicted! Calla's indecision and attraction to both is so relatable and believable. I just have to know: have you ever been in her shoes? I see how it is, evil Brent... :) I'm very happy to say that I have not been in Calla's shoes (though I wouldn't complain to have Shay or Ren wanting to snuggle with me...). While love triangles create interest and tension in a narrative, in reality I think they are messy and painful. Actually they are message and painful in books too. Messy, painful, and I'm glad I have not ever been in one.

4) What's the hardest part about writing the NIGHTSHADE series? The easiest?The hardest part is waiting for the books to come out. I'm revising the fourth book (a prequel about the origins of the Witches War) and nobody knows what's happened in WOLFSBANE and BLOODROSE. I'm dying for readers to know what's happening to Calla and her pack! The easiest part is letting my mind wander through Calla's world. I love the characters so much.

5) Is it true that every time someone buys a copy of NIGHTSHADE and/or WOLFSBANE you dance to Shakira's She Wolf? You've been spying on me! Actually it's not Shakira - I'm more inclined to dance around to TV on the Radio's Wolf Like Me.

6) On top of being a NYT bestelling author, you're a history professor at Macalester College. I know from the numerous chats we've had that you really love history! How, if at all, has this impacted your writing? History informs everything I write because history examines the major conflicts, trends, and struggles in human existence. The themes I research and write about as a historian shape the worlds I create and the problems my characters face.

7) You're coauthoring a book with Our Lord and Savior David Levithan. Can you tell us anything about that? I can confirm that David is, in fact, a writing god. I am happy to be his disciple. Our book is THE INVISBILITY CURSE and it follows lives of a boy who has been invisible since birth and the girl who is the only person able to see him.

***
I have one (1) set of the Nightshade series for one (1) lucky reader. The set includes one (1) paperback NIGHTSHADE and one (1) hardcover WOLFSBANE. I wonder how many times I can say “one (1)” in one (1) blog post.

Giveaway rules:

• to enter fill out the form below (or click here)CLOSED
• one entry per person
• open to entries until August 12th, 2011 CLOSED
• US mailing addresses only

lisa desrochers title reveal + signed ORIGINAL SIN giveaway

It’s Sunday morning. Some of you may be at church, and some of you, like me, are sitting at home and blogging about books with the words DEMONS and SIN in their titles.

Today I present the official title for The Novel Formerly Known as Hellbent, by my friend Lisa Desrochers. I also present you with a chance to win one (1) signed copy of ORIGINAL SIN, the second book in the PERSONAL DEMONS trilogy.

The jaw-dropping, gripping, seductive, thrilling title is . . .

~LAST RITE~

I adore this title. More than HELLBENT, actually. I finished ORIGINAL SIN the other day, and OMIF*CKINGOD. Lisa Desrochers is an evil creature for leaving us with such a huge cliffhanger.

I have one (1) signed copy of ORIGINAL SIN to give away to one (1) lucky winner.


Giveaway rules:

• to enter fill out the form below (or click here)
• one entry per person
• open to entries until July 29th, 2011
• US mailing addresses only

I’ll email the winner on Friday, asking how you want your copy signed. If you don’t respond within 24 hours, your copy will not be personalized.

ripple by mandy hubbard

7/21/11
Ripple | Mandy Hubbard
Razorbill
Hardcover/272 pp.

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren - a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves. But she soon finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she's ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
As a Hubbard-virgin, last spring break I picked up RIPPLE with great interest. It had a great cover, a great premise, and—from what I’ve heard from my blogger friends—a great author. FORTUNATELY, as soon as I started I couldn’t stop, and I find cursed myself for not getting a taste a Ms. Hubbard’s previous Razorbill titles. (Actually, I cursed my friends for not forcing me to check them out. WTF, GUYS?)

RIPPLE is the story of Lexi, who has been cursed to kill anyone around her—when she’s in the water, in her true form, as a siren, that is. When she kills her first love, she vows to never swim in the ocean again. In her eyes, what she did is unforgivable, and she must pay for it by settling for a small lake in the middle of the woods—a siren must swim somewhere.

Lexi isolates herself from the kids at school, and even her relationship with her grandmother is becoming strained. When the charming Cole starts to het an eye for Lexi, she’s one-third thrilled, one-third annoyed, and one-third terrified. Lexi fights to keep a distance from Cole,  but when she realizes that their attraction is too strong and their romance unstoppable, she tries to figure out a way to keep herself from killing him. But then another temptation comes into the story, and his name is Erik…

These days, I tend to shy away from paranormal romance (YA is so diluted with it, that’s a fact), but RIPPLE is absolutely an exception. Let me tell you: Mandy Hubbard writes a new twist on mermaids, and her tension-building ability is phenomenal. If you want to read a book that has all the elements of a perfect story, read RIPPLE.

I also really like the fact that it’s a standalone. Do you REALIZE how many trilogies we have going on in the YA genre right now? I’m not saying anything against series, or cliffhangers, (trust me, I love them too) but one of the reasons I loved RIPPLE so much is the fact that it actually has an ending. You read that last chapter, and you’re shocked and thrilled and on the edge of your seat, but there’s a definite ending and when you finish you’re not left wondering what the heck is going to happen next and WHAT THE #$%^ HOW COULD THE AUTHOR DO THIS TO ME???????!!!!!

Mandy Hubbard is a wonderful writer, and if you haven’t already, I recommend you get one of her books RIGHT THIS SECOND. If you can’t get your hands on RIPPLE, she wrote this one book that’s pretty damn awesome, too.

interview with THE NEAR WITCH author victoria schwab

Webiste | Blog | Twitter | Goodreads

I love fairy tales, and folklore, and books that make me wonder if the world is really as it seems. I love writing about doors, and places between, and the cracks where reality slips into something darker, stranger, and invariably more interesting.
Job-wise, I have been a clerk in a department store, where I met a very nice Erotica writer while re-hanging bras. I have been an assistant caterer and a personal chef. Because of this, I bake some mean chocolate chip cookies, can plate hors d’oeuvres, and know how to make twirling napkin towers. I was a dog daycare attendant for a few summers, and have the scars to prove it. In college, I worked in a bookstore, where I never made ANY money because I spent every check feeding my book-buying habit.
And now, I am an author. That’s still really fun to say, and I feel like I need to fact-check myself just to make sure it’s true.

(Bio taken from Ms. Schwab’s webiste)

1) In college, you changed your major six times. According to your blog, you went from Physics, to Film, to Set Design, to Art History, to English, to Communication Design. I don’t even  . . . what the hell, Victoria. EXPLAIN YOURSELF. Hahaha. Essentially, I've calculated that I need approximately FIVE Victorias to do everything I want to do. The problem is I get whims. Right now I want to be a baker, a bookstore owner, an explorer, an author, and a college professor.

2) My readers and I would like to know how we can get you to spill all the dirty secrets of your book, THE ARCHIVED, which just sold Disney-Hyperion. Can you tell us anything at all about it? How is it different than THE NEAR WITCH? Oh, man. It is about as different as a book can be from NW, while still being mine. It is Buffy meets The Shining. My editor have this joke that NW is the story of disappearing children, and THE ARCHIVED is the story of appearing ones. I will say that I first began the thing that would become (oh that was a fun way to put it) THE ARCHIVED two years ago, and I cannot cannot cannot wait to be able to share it with you guys.

3) THE NEAR WITCH is this sweet mix of fantasy and folklore. Do you see yourself sticking with this, or do you think you’ll explore other genres as your writing career furthers?
I see myself doing it again, yes, but in different ways. THE ARCHIVED is a modern paranormal thingy <--official term. It's, as I said above, pretty different from NW. But I think what will be the common factor across my writing is the whimsy, the magic. I like my worlds a little (and sometimes a lot) off, odd.


4) What books have had the most impact on your writing? The Graveyard Book, Lips Touch, Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell...Really, the books with the most impact on me creatively are the ones that break rules, or rather, that do their own thing with little regard to trope or norm. They just tell the story the way they see fit.

5) What’s the hardest part of writing for you? Twists. Mainly that I want to know all of them as I'm drafting, and get frustrated with myself when I can't weave them all in first pass.

the near witch by victoria schwab

8/2/11

The Near Witch | Victoria Schwab

Disney*Hyperion

Hardcover/288 pp.

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
Love, love, love this book. If the summary isn’t enough reason for you to be interested in buying THE NEAR WITCH, read the first page—you’ll definitely be hooked, then.

Victoria Schwab’s writing is descriptive and fluid and the way she does atmosphere… While reading, I felt like I was actually there, alongside her characters in the town of Near. The world completely drew me in, and Ms. Schwab’s writing completely won me over.

THE NEAR WITCH is blend of genres, making it an addictive and thrilling read. I’d call it a romantic paranormal mystery told like a fairytale. It’s just brilliant.

giveaway: dragon’s oath audiobook

If you remember reading my review of DRAGON’S OATH, you know I loved it.

Which is why I’m excited to be able to give away one (1) copy of the DRAGON’S OATH audiobook.


One random winner receives:

• one (1) DRAGON’S OATH audiobook

Giveaway rules:

• to enter fill out the form below (or click here)
• one entry per person
• open to entries until July 27th, 2011
• US mailing addresses only

**Thanks to Macmillan Audio for sponsoring.

interview with CRUSH CONTROL author jennifer jabaley

Website | Blog

Books:
Lipstick Apology
Crush Control

Born in New York and raised in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Jennifer Jabaley is a graduate of James Madison University and Southern College of Optometry. She began writing in 2006 and tries to manage optometry, writing and motherhood. She lives in Blue Ridge, Georgia with her husband and two children.


1) CRUSH CONTROL is about what happens when a girl uses hypnosis to make a boy fall in love with her. When you were a teenager, did you ever wish you had the ability to make boys fall in love with you through hypnosis? When I was in high school I definitely wished I had some spectacular way I could just make a boy NOTICE me!! But I was unfamiliar with the concept of hypnosis at the time - mostly I just dreamed of fairytale romantic moments of sudden love :)

2) In what ways was writing CRUSH CONTROL different than your debut novel, LIPSTICK APOLOGY? I wrote Lipstick Apology then found an agent and then we found a publisher.  With an editor I went through a series of revisions.  However with Crush Control, I contracted the book based on an idea and synopsis.  This allowed me to work with an editor from inception which drastically reduced the time required to finish the book.

3) What's your favorite non-spoilery scene of CRUSH CONTROL?
I have to say I love the very first chapter when Willow's dog humps Quinton's leg.  Because really, dog humping a hot guys leg is a scenerio that just makes me both cringe and laugh.

4) Use three words to describe CRUSH CONTROL. Hypnosis gone crazy.

5) Do you have any other projects in the works you can tell us about? I've begun working on a new project recently and it's all new and sparkly in my mind right now!

dragon’s oath by pc cast + kristin cast

7/12/11
Dragon’s Oath | PC/Kristin Cast
St. Martin’s Press
Hardcover | 145 pp.

The first in an enthralling new mini-series of novellas from the #1 bestselling authors of the House of Night, Dragon's Oath tells the story behind the House of Night s formidable fencing instructor the love that will transform him, and the promise that will haunt him.
With almost 12 million books in print, the House of Night is an international publishing phenomenon that shows no sign of stopping! Now, for the first time, the Cast duo will share the back stories of some of the House of Night's most crucial and mysterious characters. And it all begins with Dragon s Oath. Before Zoey is Marked and arrives at the House of Night before she rises in power to confront utter darkness, and the House of Night is divided there's Dragon, and the dark choice that won t let him go.
Long before he's a professor at the House of Night with Zoey and the gang, in the early 19th century, Bryan Lankford is a troublesome, yet talented human teen. He thinks he can get away with anything until his father, a British nobleman, has finally had enough, and banishes him to America. When Bryan is Marked on the docks and given the choice between the London House of Night and the dragon-prowed ship to America, he chooses the Dragon and a new fate.
In 1830's St. Louis, the Gateway to the West, Dragon Lankford becomes a Sword Master, and soon realizes there are dangerous challenges and beautiful perks. Like Anastasia, the captivating young Professor of Spells and Rituals at the Tower Grove House of Night, who really should have nothing to do with a fledgling But when a dark power threatens, Dragon is caught in its focus. Though his uncanny fighting skills make him a powerful fledgling, is he strong enough to ward off this new darkness, while protecting Anastasia as well? Will his choices save her or destroy them all?

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
If you follow my blog, you definitely know that PC Cast is one of my favorite writers of all time. She’s one of the only writers who, in my opinion, can bend and blend two genres together perfectly, and she’s one of the very few paranormal/fantasy authors I read. I can’t even describe why I love PC so much, her writing is just magical.

While DRAGON’S OATH isn’t an actual part of the House of Night series, it’s a short novella that allows us to get a better understanding of one of the House of Night’s most cool professors, Dragon Lankford.

In DRAGON’S OATH, we follow Dragon Lankford when he was just a boy, just a human, yet to be Marked. We get to see how he was Marked, how he got to Tulsa’s House of Night, and everything that happened in between. We also get to see his relationship with the late professor Anastasia, and how much her death affected him.

It doesn’t really move the overall HoN story along, but DRAGON’S OATH does develop Dragon’s character so much more. Read it if you love House of Night!

twisted by sara shepard

7/5/11
Twisted | Sara Shepard
HarperTeen
Hardcover | 301 pp.

It’s been a year since the torturous notes from A stopped and the mystery of Alison DiLaurentis’s disappearance was finally put to rest. Now seniors in high school, Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily are older, but they’re not any wiser. The Pretty Little Liars have more secrets than ever - twisted secrets that could destroy the perfect lives they’ve worked so hard to rebuild.
Aria’s jealous of her boyfriend’s new exchange student. Spencer’s getting a little too cozy with her soon-to-be-stepbrother. Hanna’s one scandalous photo away from ruining her dad’s Senate campaign. And Emily will do anything to get a swim scholarship.
Worst of all: Last spring break in Jamaica, they did something unforgivable. The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but they should know better than anyone that all secrets wash ashore … eventually.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
As a huge, huge fan of the first eight books in the Pretty Little Liars series, I was a bit nervous when I first heard that Ms. Shepard and Alloy would be continuing the series with books 9-12. I was mainly worried that the new books would have a dragged-on feel and wouldn’t live up to my expectation! But, oh, was I wrong, wrong, wrong…

TWISTED picks up a year after where WANTED left off. To get away from all the drama and the press, Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Emily take a trip to Jamaica. But once they get there, they realize they haven’t escaped anything, and they do something so unforgivable, their friendship is shattered in the process. TWISTED is about what happens a year after the Jamaica trip, and what happens when what they did comes back to haunt them.

TWISTED is just as compelling, just as well-written, as the previous eight in the series. Once I started, that nervous feeling completely went away and I was tugged back into the story of those four troubled girls and their deathly secrets.

As always, each girl has her own storyline and conflict and the story follows each one. There’s a 4-book arc that’s carried through the entire series, and before reading, I had absolutely no clue how Shepard could pull off bringing A back into the game (A’s identity has been revealed TWICE before—how could someone possibly bring her back into the story?) but she did it, and she did it good.

I am so, so thrilled with the continuation of the Pretty Little Liars series. If you haven’t started these books, but want to, the time is now!

CLOSED giveaway: jennifer echols prize pack

Today, dear reader, I have a special treat for you!

I a have the wonderful opportunity to give away a Jennifer Echols Prize Pack.

You know, Jennifer Echols? We’re huge fans of here, right? Her stories are absolutely wonderful and emotional and real. I am amazed by the way she masterfully develops a relationship. But let’s save gushing over Ms. Echols’ writing for another time.


One winner receives:

• copies of GOING TOO FAR, FORGET YOU, and Jennifer Echols’ new release, LOVE STORY

Take it from me: you definitely want to read Ms. Echols’ books. I haven’t had a chance to read LOVE STORY, but I am so, so excited. Be sure to visit Jennifer at her website: http://www.jennifer-echols.com/.
Giveaway rules:

• to enter fill out the form below (or click here)
• one entry per person
• open to entries until July 18th, 2011
• US mailing addresses only

Good luck!

Saturday Six

1. The summer is half-over. This depresses me greatly.

2. I have an entire bookshelf of books in my TBR pile. Before the summer started, I said to myself, “I AM GOING TO DOMINATE THAT BOOKSHELF YEAH LET ME HOLLA AT YOU, SUMMER ‘11.” But, as it turns out, summer ‘11 is all about manuscripts.

3. I have two full pages of yearbook ads due on August 18th. I haven’t sold a single one.

4. I embraced the digital revolution and invested in an eReader! My Nook is probably my favorite thing at the moment. Unfortunately, I’ve only been able to read one book on  it.

(WHY CAN’T THERE BE 72 HOURS IN A DAY? *sigh*)

5. I may (hopefully!!!!!!!!) have exciting news to share this time next week. News that involves (but is certainly not limited to) me purchasing a new desk and getting a snazzy new email address. BUT REMEMBER: I said maybe hopefully. (!!!!!!!!!!!!)

6. I love middle grade fiction. Especially middle grade fantasy. THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN MAKING-like middle grade fantasy. I tell you, I can live off of it.

xoxoxoxo and thanks for putting up w/ my shenanigans!
Brent

inside out and back again by thanhha lai

Published 2/22/11

Inside Out & Back Again | Thanhha Lai

Hardcover | 272 pp.

HarperCollins Children’s

No one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama.
For all the ten years of her life, HÀ has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by . . . and the beauty of her very own papaya tree.
But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. HÀ and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, HÀ discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape . . . and the strength of her very own family.
This is the moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.

Brent’s opinion of the novel:
Multicultural middle grade. Those three words, they are my life. When I say multicultural, I mean a story that introduces its readers to cultures other than the ones they live in. Multicultural, to me, also means stories that are insanely diverse in characters. The cover and synopsis especially pulled me into this story.

INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN is the story of HÀ, a young girl whose life is shattered when her country is overtaken by the Vietnamese war. Forced to fled her beloved Saigon, HÀ doesn’t know what to expect of the future—she doesn’t know where she’ll end up, how long it will take to get there, and most important of all: she doesn’t know if her father’s alive or not. These thoughts drift away—but only slightly—from her mind when she arrives in Alabama and has other things like fitting in, finding friends, etc. to worry about.

I read this book in one entire morning. HÀ had so much voice that I was compelled to read farther, and I was on the edge of my seat when her and her family were trying to escape Saigon. I was shocked that a child so young had to go through such events, and it really made me think. Kids actually do go through these things in real life. It’s happening now to Iranian children. It’s awful, but it happens. I never really thought that much about it until I read INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN.

Before downloading on my Nook, I had no clue this story was written in verse! I totally didn’t expect it, but it made the story . . . pop. I don’t know, it just worked. I also really like the fact that it’s the only middle grade verse novel I’ve ever read. It made it stand out.

I absolutely, completely, totally recommend INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN—for readers of all ages. Don’t let the short page length fool you; this story is a big, huge emotional and spiritual wild ride.

Re: bloggers & whether or not they sell books + why I don’t give a flying fuck

For a while now, bloggers/authors/publishers have been asking the question, “Do bloggers sell books?”

My answer? I don’t know, and I really don’t give a fuck care.

First of all, let me set this straight: I am not blogging for anyone but myself. I am not blogging to please publishers. I am not blogging to please authors. I am not blogging to please your mother, your friend, your teacher, your librarian, or you.

I am blogging to please myself. Period.

I blog because I like it. I blog because it takes my favorite hobby and true passion—reading—something a person does alone—and turn it into something I can share with others. I blog because I love books.

When I write my reviews, I’m not thinking, “How can I get on Publisher X’s good side?” or “How can I flatter Author Y and become best friends and omg I’ll be so effing cool. ??? !!!!”

Now, don’t get me wrong. If one of my reviews makes a reader of mine go out and buy the book, I’m extremely happy. For myself, because my words had influence; for the author, whose readership expanded. What I’m trying to say is: it’s not my intention or purpose, as a book blogger, to sell books.

It’s my intention to spread the love of books and inspire discussion, to provide a place where people can come for book recommendations, and to introduce a certain book or author to someone who might not have otherwise read it.

There are some book bloggers out there (not naming names) that write these mindless fucking raving reviews in hopes of selling all the books they can and getting on a Big Six publisher’s good side. I am not one of those bloggers.

Stories are my favorite thing in the universe, and my blog enables me to share them with people.

I am a reader. I am a kidlit enthusiast.

Not a bookseller.