INTERVIEW w/ MARISSA MEYER, author of CINDER & SCARLET

Welcome to Marvelous Middle Grade Monday (MMGM), a weekly event hosted by author Shannon Messenger. For a list of other MMGM posts, click HERE.

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I recently read the book SCARLET, the sequel to CINDER. Both are phenomenal young adult science fiction retellings of Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella, but you've never seen fairy tales quite like these. Marissa took some time out of her very busy schedule to share some insights into her books and life. There is a special surprise at the end of the interview!  Also, I encourage you to read my five star reviews of SCARLET and CINDER.

In the meantime, you can check out the book trailer for SCARLET and an a sound clip from the audio book! 

Here's the audio clip:  https://www.yousendit.com/download/WFJWanZuTmFsamRWeHNUQw

Enjoy!!!

Interview w/ Marissa Meyer:

1.  The Lunar Chronicles is a futuristic sci/fi retelling of some well-known fairy tales.  What made you decide to pair these two seemingly opposing genres together?

The idea started when I entered a writing contest a few years ago in which the host had listed about ten prompts and writers had to choose two of them to include in their stories. My two prompts: set it in the future and include a fairy-tale character. I loved it so much that I started brainstorming other things I could do with these two very different genres - on the surface it seems like they don't really go together, but I instantly felt that there was a ton of potential there, plus I couldn't find that it had been done before. So I ran with it!

2.  Your first novel, Cinder, was released last year to accolades. What has this past year been like for you as a new author?

It's been awesome. I'm constantly  pinching myself, wondering if this is really my life. I've wanted to be a writer since I was a kid, and in many ways I feel like I was working my way up to this moment ever since I picked up my first book. Of course, the shiny, exciting moments are great: hitting the New York Times list, touring in England, meeting with interested film producers, etc. But for me, the best moments are still those quiet days when I get to sit at home in my pajamas hanging out with my characters. I love that.

3. Could you share a little about your road to publication?

If you promise not to throw tomatoes at me. I actually had a very quick road to publication. Cinder was the first novel I finished, and once I started querying, I signed with the first agent I'd queried two months later. She and I worked on the submission package for two weeks and she went out with it to publishers on a Friday - we had an offer the following Monday. It was crazy!

That said, my husband often reminds me that when I tell this story I should probably point out that I'd been writing almost constantly since I was fourteen years old and have a BA in creative writing and an MS in publishing. So maybe I worked harder for it than I realize. :)


4.  What sort of books did you enjoy reading when you were younger? How have they influenced you as an author?

I was a sucker for anything fantasy - I wanted spells and dragons and mermaids and epic quests! The Lord of the Rings was huge for me. It was the first book that said to me, "It is okay to make up everything - make up new creatures, new places, an ENTIRE WORLD. You're the writer, you can do whatever you want." That was pretty mind-blowing. I maintain that one of these days I will write an epic fantasy novel that requires a map on the endsheets. It's a pretty big goal of mine.


5.  Describe your typical writing day.

AHAHAHAHAHA. Well. This changes drastically depending on deadlines and where I am in the process. Right now I'm working on revisions for Book Four: Winter, so I'll write in my office for six to eight hours every day. Usually that's bookended by an hour answering emails and an hour or two on social networks and reading blogs. Or doing promo stuff, like answering interview questions (like these!). I try to make sure I stop working by 7:00 every day so I can relax and read for awhile.

But then when it comes to book launch time, the focus shifts drastically to more marketing, publicity, and travel, and I may not write a single word for months, which can be tough.


6.  What is your writing drink/snack of choice?

I mostly just drink water - boring, but calorie free! If I'm still writing after 4:00 or so, I'll often enjoy a glass of wine, too. As for snacks, I love cheese in all its forms. I'm really hooked on Krave Jerkey right now too.


7.  If you could visit the setting/world of any book, what would it be and why?

HOGWARTS!!!! No question. I have my wand from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter sitting on my desk as I write this.


8.  Wolf, the heart throb in Scarlet, puts many other literary heroes to shame. Is he patterned after anyone you know? Also, who are some of your favorite literary heart throbs?

Why thank you! I adore Wolf and I'm so glad that many of my readers have enjoyed getting to know him. He's not intentionally patterned after anyone - I think I wanted to write a "bad boy" who broke the bad boy mold, and Wolf is what came of that. However, some of my family have pointed out that Wolf's crazy high metabolism and inability to hold still for more than five seconds is very much like my husband, so there is that.

Some of my favorite heartthrobs (gosh, the choices!): Sturmhold (SIEGE AND STORM by Leigh Bardugo), Brigan (FIRE by Kristin Cashore), Carson (SPIRIT AND DUST by Rosemary Clement-Moore), and Mr. Darcy, naturally.


9. Cress, the third book in the Lunar Chronicles, is due out in 2014. Could you give us a sneek peek?

I can do better than a sneak peek! My publisher released the first chapter of CRESS (my Rapunzel retelling) last week and you can read it here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/149892070/CRESS-Chapter-One-by-Marissa-Meyer *squeal!*


SCARLET: Book Two of the Lunar Chronicles is on sale now.
Now a New York Times bestseller!
 http://www.marissameyer.com | Blog | Newsletter | Giveaways
Twitter: @marissa_meyer | Facebook: Marissa Meyer + The Lunar Chronicles

BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY of STORMDANCER by JAY KRISTOFF

- Win a copy of AUDITION & SUBTRACTION by Amy Fellner Dominy (Ends 9/24)
- Book Review:  ASHEN WINTER by Mike Mullin
- Win a copy of THE ROCK OF IVANORE (Ends 9/28) 

STORMDANCER
Jay Kristoff
Thomas Dunne Books
336 pp.
Young Adult
Release Date: 9/18/12

The first in an epic new fantasy series, introducing an unforgettable new heroine and a stunningly original dystopian steampunk world with a flavor of feudal Japan.

A DYING LAND

The Shima Imperium  verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST

The hunters of Shima's imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A HIDDEN GIFT

Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

Read an excerpt from STORMDANCER HERE!  Also, be sure to check out the book trailer and giveaway details below. For more info on the book tour, go HERE.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Jay has graciously provided a copy of STORMDANCER to one lucky reader! To enter the giveaway, please complete the rafflecopter below. 

This giveaway will end on October 5th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK REVIEW: ASHES by Ilsa J. Bick

- Win a copy of LET THE REASON BE LOVE by Merrill Osmond (Ends 9/14)
- Win a copy of SEVEN WONDERS by Adam Christopher (Ends 8/31)
- Win a copy of DEMONKEEPER by Royce Buckingham (Ends 9/3)

ASHES
Ilsa J. Bick
Egmont
465 pp.
Young adult

It could happen tomorrow . . .
An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.

Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

MY REVIEW: 
Wow! This book gripped me from the first page to the very last sentence! Really! That was the fasted 465 pages ever. I hadn't planned to read ASHES because my daughter and mother both read it, loved it, but couldn't stand the cliff hanger ending. Since I don't like to be left hanging, I decided not to bother with it. Until...

A couple weeks ago I went to the American Librarian Association Convention in Anaheim, CA. Publishers were handing out free books left and right, and as I walked past Egmont's booth, guess what I picked up? SHADOWS! the sequel to ASHES! (which will be released on September 25th)

Well, I figured since I had the sequel ready to go, I might as well give ASHES a shot -- and I'm so glad I did. It's kind of a zombie book, but there's only a few really nervewracking zombie scenes. I would have liked more (my daughter promises that the sequel delivers in this area), but it is very well written and fast paced. There's an awesome love triangle, plenty of shocks and surprises, and an unbelievable twist at the very end. I don't dare say more! But I loved it and I'm not wasting a second in starting SHADOWS.  Here I go...

MY RATING:

Profanity:  High

Sex: Mild (just a little kissing)

Violence: High (it's about flesh-eating zombies!)

LAURISA TALKS BOOKS - SCBWI BOOK HAUL

- Please Read:  The Rock of Ivanore Needs Your Help
-  Win a copy of THE FUTURE OF US by Jay Asher (Ends 8/14)
 - Win a copy of THE KINDLING by Braden Bell (Ends 8/21)
 - Win a copy of EVERTASTER by Adam Sidwell (Ends 8/14)
- Win a copy of THE ROCK OF IVANORE on Goodreads (Ends 8/25)
- Win a copy of THE CORPSE RAT KING by Lee Battersby (Ends 8/18)

This week I'm trying something new -- A VIDEO!!! I recently attended the SCBWI Conference in Los Angeles and came home with a stack of new books. Check it out!!! And I've pasted some pics below, too!

Here are some pics!!!

Me & Cheryl Sena, future author extraordinaire!

Chris Rylander, author of The Fourth Stall, winner of this year's Sid Fleishman Award

Karen Cushman, author of Newbery Award winning book The Midwife's Apprentice

Clare Vanderpool, author of Newbery Award winning book Moon Over Manifest

Lee Wardlaw, author of  101 Ways To Bug Your Parents

Dan Gutman, author of the bestselling My Weird School series

Gary Schmidt, author of Newbery Honor book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

Tony DiTerlizzi, author and illustrator of The Search for Wondla

Jon Klassen, author of I Want My Hat Back

Mary Petersen, children's book author and illustrator

Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank and Fallout and many other YA bestsellers

The marvelous Patricia MacLachlan! Author of the Newbery Award Winning book Sarah, Plain and Tall

GIVEAWAY & INTERVIEW w/ MARY E. PEARSON

- Win a copy of THE SECRET LIFE of COPERNICUS STRINGFELLOW (Ends 7/30) 
- Win a ROCK OF IVANORE T-SHIRT!
- Win a copy of TRACING STARS by Erin Moulton (Ends 7/17)
- Win a copy THE SINISTER SWEETNESS OF SPLENDID ACADEMY (Ends 7/23)

On Friday I posted a review of an awesome YA science fiction novel called THE FOX INHERITANCE, which is the sequel to THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX. I loved both books and am really looking forward to the third book in the series FOX FOREVER.

Today, author Mary E. Pearson joins us for an interview. I first met Mary at a writer's conference in Los Angeles a couple of years ago. What impressed me the most was how "normal" she was (is). She's a middle-aged mom who loves to write, is genuine and down to earth. And she is a phenomenal writer.

To make this extra special, Mary has provided 4 signed bookmarks and matching wristbands to GIVEAWAY! Just leave a comment with your email address below or on the review post HERE.

INTERVIEW:

1.  Your first few novels were contemporary YA. But then The Adoration of Jenna Fox took you in a different direction. What drew you to write science fiction?

To be honest, I wasn't even aware when I began writing that it was science fiction, at least it wasn't my intent to write in that specific genre.  I was simply following the story that was speaking to me, and since it was a very near future book and so much of the science seemed plausible and imminent to me it just didn't seem to fit the typical parameters of science fiction.  I was just writing a story about a girl and her family in the aftermath of an impossible choice.

2.  At the end of Adoration, we are led to believe Locke and Kara are gone forever. When did you know you would bring them back?

Shortly before The Adoration of Jenna Fox came out, a question about the story began eating at me. It was a "what if" sort of question but I put it out of my mind, finished the edits on my next book, and then started a new novel except that the question kept circling back--it wouldn't go away--so I did what I never allow myself to do.  I set the other novel aside for "just one afternoon" and wrote a first chapter to get it off my chest.  But instead of getting if off my chest, just the opposite happened.  The voice exploded in my head.  From that moment I knew I had to write Locke's story.  It was his turn.

3.  Could you give us a little glimpse of the next book in the series, Fox Forever?

This final book is again written from Locke's perspective.  One thing that's been interesting for me is to see how this trilogy has organically unfolded.  I was surprised to see that all three books are about the enormous bonds of love. The first book is about the first kind of love we encounter--parental love.  From there we discover our next kind of love--peers and friendship which is at the heart of the second book.  And finally we search for the lasting kind of love, romantic love and life partners, which the third book explores.  But there is also a darker, grittier side to this story too as Locke is drawn into an underground world--both literal and figurative--that he didn't know existed.

Here's the description my publisher wrote about Fox Forever:

Locke Jenkins has some catching up to do. After spending 260 years as a disembodied mind in a little black box, he has a perfect new body. But before he can move on with his unexpected new life, he’ll have to return the Favor he accepted from the shadowy resistance group known as the Network.

Locke must infiltrate the home of a government official by gaining the trust of his daughter, seventeen-year-old Raine, and he soon finds himself pulled deep into the world of the resistance—and into Raine’s life.

Mary E. Pearson brings the story she began in The Adoration of Jenna Fox and continued in The Fox Inheritance to a breathtaking conclusion as Locke discovers that being truly human requires much more than flesh and blood.

4.  What is your writing schedule like?

I've been taking some much-needed time off for the summer, but usually I write everyday for a few hours.  I like to get at least a thousand words written a day.  My most productive time is usually in the late afternoon into early evening.  By then the creative juices I got going in the morning seem to be going at full speed. Because of this, we sometimes eat dinner very late by most people's standards, maybe nine or ten at night.  I tell myself I'm just eating on Paris time.

5.  What were some of your favorite books as a teen? Did any of them influence you as a writer?

I loved a lot of books, The Outsiders, The Good Earth, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, A Farewell to Arms, Alice in Wonderland, and many more. I was a very eclectic reader.  I also consumed poetry by the armful, especially Dickinson, Millay, Cummings, Frost, Whitman--I could go on and on.  Without a doubt, they've all influenced me and I think the  poetry especially gave me a great appreciation for writing concisely and searching for just the right word.

Thank you so much for having me at your blog!

Thank you, Mary! 

Don't forget to leave a comment w/ your email address below

 for a chance to win a signed bookmark and wristband!

INTERVIEW w/ LEIGH BARDUGO, AUTHOR OF SHADOW & BONE

- Win a copy of HANGING OFF JEFFERSON'S NOSE ( Ends 7/2)
- Win a copy of NIKOLAS & CO. by Kevin McGill (End 7/6)
- Win a copy of LIES BENEATH by Anne Brown (Ends 6/25)
- A New Blog:  THE CELESTINE CHRONICLES

SHADOW AND BONE

Leigh Bardugo

Henry Holt & Co.

368 pp.

Ages 12 & up

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

I had the pleasure of meeting Leigh recently at a book signing in Los Angeles and I have to say she is a fun and friendly person. Shadow and Bone debuted at #8 on the NYT Bestseller list. Leigh found a little spare time in her very busy schedule to visit with us today in an interview. Also, be sure to check out her awesome book trailer!

SUPER SWAG SUNDAY - DAY 4

- Win $50 Gift Card -REUNITED BOOK BLAST

- Win signed bookmarks for SLIDE by Jill Hathaway (Ends 6/13)
- Win EGGS OVER EVIE by Alison Jackson (Ends 6/11)
- Win DEVINE INTERVENTION by Martha Brockenbrough (Ends 6/6) 

Welcome to SUPER SWAG SUNDAY, a celebration of the best in new middle grade and young adult fiction. Every day this week, this blog will be highlighting 34 amazing new books! Each day you can enter our MEGA SWAG PACK GIVEAWAY by filling out the Rafflecopter form below. You can enter once or every single day! 

Then next Sunday, June 10th seven - yep, 7 - lucky winners will be selected to each receive a MEGA SWAG PACK including promotional items from all the highlighted books. Each prize pack contains signed bookmarks, postcards, magnets, stickers, tattoos, a guitar pick, a mini frisbee, pen, and lots lots more!

Come back each day for new books and more chances to win! Best of luck to everyone!

Missed Day #1?  Click HERE!

Missed Day #2?  Click HERE!

Missed Day #3?  Click HERE!

AURACLE
by Gina Rosati

Trapped outside her body, Anna sees and hears but cannot touch the one she longs to hold. Anna has a secret: she can astrally project out of her body. But when there's an accident and her classmate Taylor gets into Anna's body, what was an exhilarating gift threatens to become a terrifying reality. Anna and her best friend Rei form a plan to set things right, but they don't anticipate the feelings that are beginning to grow between them. Auracle by Gina Rosati is an exciting, sensual novel that explores the relationship between body and soul and the power of a single touch.

THE DOWNSIDE OF BEING CHARLIE
Jenny Torres Sanchez

Charlie is handed a crappy senior year. Despite losing thirty pounds over the summer, he still gets called “Chunks” Grisner. What’s worse, he has to share a locker with the biggest Lord of the Rings freak his school has ever seen. He also can’t figure out whether Charlotte VanderKleaton, the beautiful strawberry lip-glossed new girl, likes him the way he likes her. Oh, and then there’s his mom. She’s disappeared—again—and his dad won’t talk about it. Somewhere between the madness, Charlie can at least find comfort in his one and only talent that just might get him out of this life-sucking place. But will he be able to hold his head above water in the meantime?

VELVETEEN
by Daniel Marks

Revenge is best served cold and Velveteen Monroe is plenty cold. Readers of Carrie Ryan and Richelle Mead will love this dark revenge fantasy.At sixteen, Velveteen Monroe was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that's not the problem. The problem is she landed in the City of the Dead. And while it's not a fiery inferno, it's certainly no heaven either. Grey, ashen and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do there. Which doesn't leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what’s really on her mind. Bonesaw.Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment he deserves. And she's figured out just how to do it. She'll haunt him for the rest of his days. It'll be brutal...and awesome. But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen’s obsessive haunting could actually crack the foundation of her new world, not to mention jeopardize her very soul. A risk she’s willing to take—except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker. Velveteen can’t help herself when it comes to breaking rules . . . or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her.

CHAINED
by Lynn Kelly

After ten-year-old Hastin’s family borrows money to pay for his sister’s hospital bill, he leaves his village in northern India to take a job as an elephant keeper and work off the debt. He thinks it will be an adventure, but he isn’t prepared for the cruel circus owner. The crowds that come to the circus see a lively animal who plays soccer and balances on milk bottles, but Hastin sees Nandita, a sweet elephant and his best friend, who is chained when she’s not performing and hurt with a hook until she learns tricks perfectly. Hastin protects Nandita as best as he can, knowing that the only way they will both survive is if he can find a way for them to escape. 

TIME BETWEEN US
by Tamara Ireland Stone

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett’s unique ability to travel through time and space brings him into Anna’s life, and with him, a new world of adventure and possibility. As their relationship deepens, they face the reality that time might knock Bennett back where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate—and what consequences they can bear in order to stay together.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SUPER SWAG SUNDAY KICKOFF!!!

- Win signed bookmarks for SLIDE by Jill Hathaway (Ends 6/13)
- Win EGGS OVER EVIE by Alison Jackson (Ends 6/11)
- Win THE RIFTS OF RIME by Steven Peck (Ends 6/4) 
- Win DEVINE INTERVENTION by Martha Brockenbrough (Ends 6/6) 

Welcome to SUPER SWAG SUNDAY, a celebration of the best in new middle grade and young adult fiction. For the next 7 days, this blog will be highlighting 34 amazing new books! Each day you can enter our MEGA SWAG PACK GIVEAWAY by filling out the Rafflecopter form below. You can enter once or every single day! 

Then next Sunday, June 10th seven - yep, 7 - lucky winners will be selected to each receive a MEGA SWAG PACK including promotional items from all the highlighted books. Each prize pack contains signed bookmarks, postcards, magnets, stickers, tattoos, a guitar pick, a mini frisbee, pen, and lots lots more!

Come back each day for new books and more chances to win! Best of luck to everyone!

THE MARBLE QUEEN
by Stephanie J. Blake

Freedom Jane McKenzie isn’t good at following the rules. She doesn’t like any of the things that girls are supposed to like. She’s good at fishing, getting into trouble—and playing marbles. All she wants is to enter the marble competition at the Autumn Jubilee and show the boys in the neighborhood that she’s the best player. If she can’t be the Marble King, then she’ll be the Marble Queen. First, Freedom has to convince her mother to let her enter. But there’s a new baby on the way, Freedom’s daddy is drinking too much, her little brother is a handful, and her mother is even more difficult than usual. Freedom learns that when it comes to love, friendship, and family, sometimes there are no rules. Set in 1959, The Marble Queen is a timeless story about growing up.

SUPER SWAG SUNDAY - MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!

SUPER SWAG SUNDAY 

is a celebration of the best new fiction for kids & teens!

Beginning on  

SUNDAY, JUNE 3RD 

this blog will be spotlighting exciting titles. You can enter the contest once or every single day! Each time you enter is another chance to win!  But here's the best part!!! 

On SUNDAY, JUNE 10TH 

 7 winners 

will be selected to receive  a 

MEGA SWAG PACK!!!

including signed bookmarks, magnets, stickers, wristbands and all sorts of fun paraphernalia!

So be sure to come back on Sunday, June 3rd

and spread the word!!!

YAMAZING RACE - READY, SET, GO! (WIN LOTS OF PRIZES!)

-Win "The Mapmaker & the Ghost" by Sarvenaz Tash (ends 5/7)
-Win "Starters" by Lissa Price (Ends 5/5)

- Win The Rock of Ivanore @ Laurie's Thoughts & Reviews

- Win "The Rock of Ivanore" on Goodreads (ends 5/15) 

  

Welcome to The YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes, presented by the Apocalypsies! Over the course of the race, you'll be introduced to over 50 debut YA and MG authors and their fabulous books. Are you up to the challenge?  If you'd like to join in, click HERE to start the race.You'll find everything you need to know about how to win TONS OF FABULOUS BOOK-RELATED PRIZES!!!

Marcus is an enchanter's apprentice who can't seem to get anything right. Every time he casts a spell, it backfires. On  his fourteenth birthday, Master Zyll gives him a gift:  a key.  "It looks just like an ordinary key to me," he says. To which Zyll replies, "Ah but therein lies the magic! With this key you will find within yourself more power than you can now imagine. It will unlock your destiny."

Got it? Good. Then you are ready to move on to the next author, the amazing Elisa Ludwig!!! http://www.elisaludwig.com/?p=497 

BUT BEFORE YOU GO...

Be sure to fill out the rafflecopter below for a chance to win a 

$15 BARNES & NOBLE GIFT CARD! 

All that is required to win is that you are a follower of my blog. Done? Okay. Now you can head for Elisa's blog:  http://www.elisaludwig.com/?p=497

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK BLAST!!! WIN A $100 AMAZON GIFT CERT - ELEMENTAL by Emily White

-Win "The Mapmaker & the Ghost" by Sarvenaz Tash (ends 5/7)
-Win "Starters" by Lissa Price (Ends 5/5)

- Win The Rock of Ivanore @ Laurie's Thoughts & Reviews

- Win "The Rock of Ivanore" on Goodreads (ends 5/15) 

ELEMENTAL
Emily White
Spencer Hill Press
280pp.
Young Adult

Just because Ella can burn someone to the ground with her mind doesn't mean she should.

But she wants to.

For ten years—ever since she was a small child—Ella has been held prisoner on an interstellar starship. Now that she has escaped, she needs answers.

Who is she? Why was she taken? And who is the boy with the beautiful green eyes who haunts her memories?

Is Ella the prophesied Destructor… or will she be the one who's destroyed?  

WIN 

A $100 AMAZON.COM GIFT CERTIFICATE!!!

To be eligible for the drawing, 

scroll down and fill out the Rafflecopter. 

There are lots of chances to win.

Link to grab Book Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hKI-5OTN3-8

BOOK BLAST!!! WIN A $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD w/ PRETTY CROOKED by Elisa Ludwig

-Win "The Mapmaker & the Ghost" by Sarvenaz Tash (ends 5/7)
-Win "Starters" by Lissa Price (Ends 5/5)
- Blogging From A to Z Giveaway - Win A $20 Amazon Gift Cerificate (ends 4/30)

- Win The Rock of Ivanore @ Laurie's Thoughts & Reviews

- Win "Neversink" by Barry Wolverton (ends 4/30)

- Win "The Rock of Ivanore" on Goodreads (ends 5/15) 

PRETTY CROOKED
Elisa Ludwig
Katherine Tegen Books
368 pp.
Young Adult

Willa's secret plan seems all too simple.


Take from the rich kids at valley prep and give to the poor ones.


Yet Willa's turn as Robin Hood at her new high school is anything but. Bilking her "friends"—known to everyone as the Glitterati—without them suspecting a thing is far from easy. Learning how to break into lockers and Beemers is as hard as she'd thought it would be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are bullied just for being different, is more fun than she'd expected.


The complication Willa didn't expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, VP's most notorious ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her—evening the social playing field between the haves and have-nots. There's no time for flirting, especially with conceited trust-funders like Aidan. But when the cops start investigating the string of thefts at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could Aidan wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?


Elisa Ludwig's Pretty Crooked is the first book in an adventurous teen caper series filled with mystery, humor, and heart.

This is an official BOOK BLAST hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. The purpose - to get the word out about a great new YA novel you won't want to miss. (1) lucky winner will get a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!! That's right!

A $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD!!!

To be eligible, just fill out the rafflecopter at the end of this post. There are LOTS of chances to enter. In the meantime, the author has taken a few moments out of her busy day for a brief interview. Following that, be sure to check out the awesome book trailer! So without further ado, heeeeeeere's Elisa!

Tell us about PRETTY CROOKED in one sentence.

When her wealthy new friends turn out to be bullies, Willa Fox plays Robin Hood and tries to exact her own brand of justice for the underdogs.

What inspired you to write this story?

The story was inspired by the Barefoot Bandit and his exploits, as well as a deep and abiding love of Veronica Mars.

Share a little about your road to publication.

I sent out one manuscript to agents that was thankfully rejected and has since been retired to the pits of my hard drive. The second manuscript I sent out, a year later, nabbed me an agent. That book was called June of Rock, and it was about a girls' rock camp. We submitted it over the course of a year with positive feedback but a constant refrain that it was "too quiet." The last editor who read it was Claudia Gabel at HarperCollins and we began a conversation about other concepts. That was the very beginnings of Pretty Crooked, In the meantime, I self-published June of Rock to Kindle and Nook. I have a fabulous agent and I feel lucky that I've been able to work with such amazing editors at Katherine Tegen Books, so even though there was some rejection in the beginning, it really worked out for the best and I wouldn't have it any other way.

What books did you read when you were young?

Oh gosh, I loved so many: Bridge to Terabithia, Lois Duncan's books, anything by Paul Zindel, V.C. Andrews, Cynthia Voigt, Robert Cormier, Sweet Valley High, and of course, Judy Blume. When I was a tween I also read lots of YA romances, Stephen King and anything remotely racy.

What do you enjoy reading now?

Lately, I have been reading a ton of books by the Apocalypsies, and they are fabulous! In terms of YA, I generally prefer contemporary and thrillers. I also enjoy adult literary fiction—authors like Alice Munro, Mary Gaitskill and Tessa Hadley. I recently read and  loved A Visit from the Goon Squad.

What can we expect from you in the future?

The sequel to Pretty Crooked, Pretty Sly, will be out in March 2013, followed by the third book in the trilogy, in 2014. I'm also working on some other projects that I hope I can reveal soon!

"J" IS FOR J. ANDERSON COATS - GIVEAWAY & AUTHOR INTERVIEW

- Win Everneath by Jodi Ashton in the Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop
- Blogging From A to Z Giveaway - Win A $20 Amazon Gift Cerificate

- MMGM: Win Storybound by Marissa Burt, Giveaway & Interview

- Win The Rock of Ivanore @ Laurie's Thoughts & Reviews

THE WICKED AND THE JUST

J. Anderson Coats

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Ages 13+

1293. North Wales. Ten years into English rule.

Cecily would give anything to leave Caernarvon and go home. Gwenhwyfar would give anything to
see all the English leave.

Neither one is going to get her wish.

Behind the city walls, English burgesses govern with impunity. Outside the walls, the Welsh are
confined by custom and bear the burden of taxation, and the burgesses plan to keep it that way.
Cecily can’t be bothered with boring things like the steep new tax or the military draft that requires Welshmen to serve in the king’s army overseas. She has her hands full trying to fit in with the town’s privileged elite, and they don’t want company.

Gwenhwyfar can’t avoid these things. She counts herself lucky to get through one more day, and
service in Cecily’s house is just salt in the wound. But the Welsh are not as conquered as they seem, and the suffering in the countryside is rapidly turning to discontent. The murmurs of revolt may be Gwenhwyfar’s only hope for survival – and the last thing Cecily ever hears.

“[An] unusually honest portrait of the effects of power…[Coats] offers us a potent historical novel.” –Horn Book (starred review)

“Never opting for the easy characterization, debut author Coats compellingly re-creates this
occupation from both sides. … Brilliant: a vision of history before the victors wrote it.” - Kirkus
(starred review)

J. Anderson Coats's book will be released on April 17th. She took a moment out of her busy schedule today to spend some time with us and share some insights into her writing experience. Be sure to scroll down to the end for a chance to win a signed copy of THE WICKED AND THE JUST along with some other goodies! 

1. Tell us about your book in one sentence.

Medieval teens behaving badly in English-occupied Wales.

2. What inspired you to write this book?

Medieval Wales doesn’t get a lot of attention despite the fact that it was a complicated, dynamic place.  The native rulers managed to resist outright conquest by their English neighbors until 1283, but then the victorious English fast-tracked a series of castles and walled towns to maintain control of the area and the people.

What interested me was this question: Even when granted a lot of special privileges - including significant tax breaks - how did English settlers live in a place where they were outnumbered twenty to one by a hostile, recently-subjugated population, and how did the Welsh live so close to people who’d done the subjugating, especially given the burdens placed on them by their new masters?

3. What books did you enjoy reading as a kid?

I read like a buzz saw when I was a kid, but my favorites were series books - THE SADDLE CLUB, the LITTLE HOUSE books, THE BABYSITTERS CLUB, and anything by Marguerite Henry.  I liked sinking into a world and staying there a long time.

4. What books to you enjoy reading now?

I’ll read just about anything that can keep me guessing up to the end.

5. Tell us a little about your journey to publication.

I wrote my first novel at age thirteen.  It was about a hundred pages long, typed, single-spaced, and it was really bad.  By age eighteen, I’d written five more, each slightly less bad than the last.  I started querying at age twenty, and I queried four novels over ten years before I wrote and sold The Wicked and the Just.  Ray Bradbury famously said that your first million words don’t count.  I think it was more like two million for me.  But then within a month in 2010, I went from unagented to having a book contract – it was a whirlwind.

6. What can we expect from you in the future?

Right now I’m working on several projects.  One is a companion novel to The Wicked and the Just which follows Maredydd ap Madog, whose father is the ringleader of the rebellion of 1294, as he negotiates the future his father wants for him and the future he wants for himself.  Then there’s a standalone book that’s set in twelfth-century Wales about a warband, an abduction, a badly-timed war, a charismatic but mercurial king’s son and a girl who would do about anything for a chance at a normal life. 

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Ms. Coats has graciously agreed to provide 1 signed copy of her book along with a replica medieval pilgrim badge and a swag pack to giveaway! 

To be eligible for the drawing, just leave a comment below with your email address so I can contact you if you win. Extra entries will be given for tweeting this post or putting it on Facebook. Just let me know what you've done.  

This giveaway will end on April 23rd.