In My Mailbox (26)

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! It is a list of the books that I've have received over the previous week, either in the mail, from the bookstore, or from trades.

For review:
Runaway by Meg Cabot (ARC)
The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride (ARC)
Tagged by Mara Purnhagen
Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu
In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk

SWAG:

• Signed! The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard bookmark(s)
• Signed! (3) back-to-back Sing Me To Sleep and Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison bookmarks
• Signed! The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg postcard
• Signed! The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy bookmark
• Signed! The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting sticker(s)
  

Hearts at Stake and Runaway were a total surprise!

Author Interview: Jillian Cantor

Yesterday, I posted my 5- star review of Jillian Cantor's recent release, The Life Of Glass. It was an amazing and mind-blowing novel, I recommend it to all YA readers! Today, she stops by for an interview! Check below to see what she thinks the theme song would be for The Life of Glass!

Describe yourself in one word.
Wow! That’s tough – I don’t know that one word can describe me because I feel a little more complicated than that! But since I have to pick here, I’ll say, creative. I think that does actually describe me not just in my writing career but also in my life – I like thinking outside of the box!

How old were you when you started to write?
I used to write (really bad) poems and keep them in a journal when I was younger, especially when I was around 12 or 13. But when I really seriously started to write, I was in my sophomore year of college. That’s when I took my first creative writing class, and when I realized that I really really wanted to be a fiction writer. So I think I was 19.

What is your favorite part about being an author?
My favorite part is the actual writing itself, the fact that it’s my job to sit down every day to work on making characters and a story come to life. Writing is what I love to do, and I still marvel at the fact that the actual writing part is my “work.”

What has been the best thing someone ever said about your book(s)?
I love when I get e-mails from readers who tell me they haven’t been able to put my book down. This is the best compliment because it means they’re absorbed in the story and it feels real to them, and that’s what I’m hoping to accomplish as a writer.

How are you and Melissa alike? How are you different?
I think we’re alike a little bit in the way we see the world. Melissa is somewhat sarcastic (and so am I). Her perception of traditional beauty is slightly similar to mine – in that I was definitely closer to Melissa, the jeans-and-sweatshirt girl, in high school, rather than her sister, Ashley, the pageant girl.

We’re different in that, my situation in high school was nothing like Melissa’s. My father is still alive and well, and I didn’t grow up in the desert or have a male best friend like Ryan. My relationship with my sister was also much different than Melissa’s with her sister (although we did often fight.) Also, I think Melissa is a bit more of a tomboy and a bit more adventurous than I ever was as a teen

Is there anything you want readers to take from The Life Of Glass?
First and foremost just a sense of enjoyment for the book and the characters. But beyond that, I would hope that the book would make them examine their own perceptions of beauty just a bit and to maybe think about it beyond the surface level.

If you were to pick a theme song for The Life Of Glass, what would it be and why?
It would definitely be Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me.” The first time I heard it a few months ago, I turned to my husband and told him that the song was exactly like The Life of Glass! It captures the Melissa-Ryan-Courtney relationship perfectly.

Lastly, is there anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you so much for the great interview! And if there’s anything more you want to know about me, you can check out my website at http://www.jilliancantor.com

-
Thanks Jillian! I love the song "You Belong With Me!" Make sure you check out The Life of Glass.

The Life of Glass by Jillian Cantor

Title: The Life of Glass
Author: Jillian Cantor
Pages: 352
Publisher: HarperTeen (February 9, 2010)
Source: Publicist

14-year-old Melissa’s life has not been easy after the death of her father almost two years ago. Her older and more glamorous sister Ashley pretends they’re not related, their mother is already dating someone new, and Melissa’s best friend Ryan has been acting stupid over the gorgeous new girl, Courtney.

Melissa often turns to her father’s journals, reading them for a sliver of his thoughts and wisdom. But as her freshman year progresses, she begins to learn that people, even those who are dead, can change over time, including herself.

The Life Of Glass is an emotional novel that takes readers on a journey, not different from that of glass. Glass is fragile, much like this emotive and powerful novel. The Life of Glass is--both literally and metaphorically--truly forever.

Jillian Cantor instills words and unforgettable metaphors that ultimately help the novel grow as the plot is gently unraveled. The plot is smooth and fluent, and not at all lacking in vital detail. It enhances the utter importance of Melissa's turbulent, yet discovery-filled journey.

The pacing of The Life of Glass is completely perfect and just right. Cantor infuses many things into the novel without overwhelming the reader. Cantor's narration from Melissa's point of view flawlessly captures the essence of the subtle lessons in this touching novel.

In this moving book, Cantor demonstrates, through flawless prose and meaningful and deep characters, that The Life of Glass is truly a novel that will break through the toughest of shells.

The Life of Glass triggers epiphanies and revelations through its extremely powerful words.

Cover:

Ending::

Characters:

Writing:

Overall:

Contest: Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman

I'm in a giveaway-mood so I'll put my extra arc up for grabs!

Charlie Healey thinks Harmony Falls is the beginning of a whole new life. Middle School was brutal. Mean girls were all around her. But High School’s going to be Charlie’s big chance to start over and stay out of drama, except that on her first day who does she run into? None other than Will, her ex-best friend, who had moved away. Now he’s back, looking a lot cuter and hanging out with a questionable crew. But Charlie doesn’t understand just how questionable until an innocent delivery guy falls victim to a near-deadly hazing prank.

All Charlie wanted to do was have a drama-free freshman year, but now she must decide whether to turn in her very best friend, who just told her he loves her, or live with the guilt of knowing what he did.

Rosalind Wiseman’s first novel for young adults is a fresh, funny, and juicy read about friendship, betrayal, and how far some will go to be accepted.

You can check my review of it here, and my interview with Rosalind here.

Info:

• fill out the form below
  
• Open to the whole solar system
• March 14 is the deadline
• check my contest policy

**The cover of the arc is not the final cover, like the one on top.*

~CONTEST CLOSED~

In My Mailbox (25)

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! It is a list of the books that I've have received over the previous week, either in the mail, from the bookstore, or from trades.

For review:
After by Kristin Harmel
Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Act of Sibling Smackdown
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (ARC)
Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson (ARC)

Bought:
Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten

Won:
My Soul To Save by Rachel Vincent

To hold for a contest:
Signed! The Pace by Shelena Shorts + bookmarks, stickers, and a VERY SOFT koala bear!

Random gift:
Stupid Cupid by Rhonda Stapleton

International Book Tours Website Launch!

My sister, Reggie, and I have launched an International Book Tours website! We thought about this and we decided to make an international book tour blog. We know it is really expensive to ship internationally but this is better than nothing right?

Since, this is an international book tour blog, we will prioritize international reviewers. First priority will go to international bloggers, but if there ever is space, then that's the time we will take U.S. and Canada reviewers. Although, the people in U.S. and Canada have to be willing to ship anywhere in the world.

So far, we have one book tour up and it is for Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White!

There are so many more to come! We already know what books will be held for a tour. Please remember we are still fixing some glitches but the blog is up and ready to run.

To all international peeps: Come check out the International Book Tours!

Residents outside the U.S. who have a blog, it would be great if you could post about this! Please help us spread the word!

Blog Tour: Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison + Contest!

Today is my stop for the blog tour of Angela Morrison's amazing, breathtaking, Sing Me To Sleep! SING will be released on March 4. You can read my review of SING here, it was absolutely fantastic! Also, you can read my review of Taken By Storm here, Angela's past YA novel. She is here to write a guest post about the cover of SING, the change, the journey, to getting to a final cover. I have also interviewed Angela in the past, you can read it here. Let's welcome Angela!
_____________________________________________________________
Good morning! It's great to be here. Thanks for having me, Mavie.

Mavie--observant reviewer that she is--noticed a change in the cover of SING ME TO SLEEP from the cover pictured on the advance review copies and the final hardcover jacket.

She wants the inside scoop. Why the change? And how do I feel about it?

So, true confession time. When my editor first emailed me that they were tweaking the cover to distinguish it from other YA novels that used similar images and coloring--I threw a huge cyber tantrum.

I loved that original cover. I continue to have a love/hate relationship with TAKEN BY STORM's covers (it's now out in paperback with a stormy, new deep purple cover), so when I got my first glimpse of the delicate, luminous cover they'd designed for SING ME TO SLEEP, I was thrilled. More importantly, marketing was thrilled. When I got the email that they were changing it, I freaked.


The coloration of the first attempt at the tweak looked awful on my computer screen. The background was navy and the accents bright red. Very patriotic. Perfect for a soldier story. But not right for mine. Definitely not right for my Canadian readers. I was in the middle of planning a trip to London, Ontario, Canada to celebrate SING ME TO SLEEP's launch at their 25th Anniversary Festival. Amabile Choirs (the choir family featured in SING--that's them singing on the trailer) had been so supportive. Canadians were on my mind.

So, what did I do? I dashed off a slightly hysterical email and sent it to my editor. Cc'd my poor agent. I begged my editor to rethink the colors. What about the dark, smoky colors I'd wanted for TAKEN BY STORM? Charcoal--and a more subtle shade of red. (I found out later that the accents were in reality more of a dark cranberry red--but that was post-tantrum.) I begged. I pleaded . . .

And, hallelujah, my wonderful editor got it changed. Actually, Razorbill's designer went me one better. She dumped the red altogether and colored the accents a lovely ballet pink.

And I loved it. Even more than the original cover. The design for the whole jacket is gorgeous.

That pink meant a lot to me. I wrote the novel on pale pink paper, just had my new office painted the subtlest of pinks, and I wear pink ballet shoes instead of slippers. I even wore a pink suit under my cap and gown to my graduation at Vermont College when I received my Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults.

And Derek gives Beth a pale, pink rose.

Perfect.

Wow, what a fantastic guest post, Angela! I now know the scoop on the covers!

--Trailer--

You now know all about the covers, now do you want to know about the book? Watch the trailer right below!



It's a great trailer.

--Contest--

Angela has also graciously offered a signed hardcover copy of Sing Me To Sleep to one lucky reader!
To Enter:
Fill out this form.

Other Info:

• March 2 is the deadline.
• Edit: Open to U.S. residents only everyone (worldwide!)
• Good luck! =)

Check my contest policy, for other questions, email me.

*Please note you won't get the book until the book is released itself. (March 4).

~CONTEST CLOSED~

Next stop for tour: The Compulsive Reader on the 13th.

Remember: If you have any questions for Angela Morrison, please comment down below, and you'll get a response ASAP! =)

Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison

Title: Sing Me To Sleep
Author: Angela Morrison
Publisher: Razorbill (March 4, 2010)
Pages: 320
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Author

THE TRANSFORMATION Beth has always been “The Beast”—that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.

THE LOVE AFFAIR When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty.

THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?

THE HEARTBREAK The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything.

Sing Me To Sleep is truly one of the deepest, and most thoughtful books of YA today. It's just one of those books that make you go 'wow' right after you read it. It's a journey full of emotion, loss, and heartache. It will leave you breathless with everything you read.

I loved it so much because of its meaningfulness and awe. Morrison really creates such a beautiful story of love. It isn't cliche or overused. But love here is defined differently and uniquely.

The plot was actually really smooth and fluent as the changing of totally different settings occur. It's amazing how Morrison just has the pure talent to write with such a legato prose.

Beth is one character that I definitely admire and she is a totally unique character to that compared to other YA female characters. She has a sort of maturity and she understands and perceives everything in a whole different level. Scott and Derek on the other had are also wonderful guys whom I adore. I love both of them because of their love for Beth and also, their personalities.

Sing Me To Sleep is such a great book that you definitely have to pick up once it releases. It'll really break your heart and sew it back together and make you cry your heart out.

Cover: .5

Ending::

Characters:

Writing:

Overall:

In My Mailbox (23)

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! It is a list of the books that I've have received over the previous week, either in the mail, from the bookstore, or from trades.

For review:

Shade (ARC) by Jeri Smith-Ready
Swoon At Your Own Risk (ARC) by Sydney Salter

Bought:

The Devouring by Simon Holt

SWAG:

• 10 signed Sing Me To Sleep/ Taken By Storm (back to back) bookmarks. Thanks Angela!

Non-bookish things:

(N-O-T my picture. Taken from Google. My camera had no battery.)
5 pet rocks! I know, I'm weird but pet rocks are cool. Their names; Argh, Leny, Betty, Lulu, Epic Fail, and Bob. Each of them have a different smiley face, as well as their colors, shapes, hair, etc.. are different! YAY!

I had a slow week, but that's okay! I still can't wait to read all the books I got this week. I'm so happy about my pet rocks, I know, I'm a total baby, but, hey, pet rocks are A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

So, you now know what's in my mailbox, what's in yours?

Author Interview: Jen Nadol

Today, I have Jen Nadol! Her debut novel, The Mark was just released on January 19! I've heard nothing but great things about her book!

How did you come up with the idea for writing The Mark?
It was a total “what if…?” I’d written one (completely unpublishable) book, knew I wanted to try again and was tossing around story ideas when I hit on “what if you knew it was someone’s day to die?” Right away I could see a story unfolding.

As an author, what are your strengths and what are you weaknesses?
I *think* dialogue usually flows pretty easily, description less so, but readers might tell me otherwise. I guess I’ll have a better sense when reviews start coming in (yikes!). In terms of work habits, though, I’m pretty disciplined which helps a lot. I have a set number of hours free to write each week and I’m usually able to get right to it in that time.

What is your favorite thing about being an author?
Omg, what’s NOT my favorite thing??? I love everything about it. Its something I’ve always wanted to do and still have to pinch myself that I’m actually getting a chance to.

How are you and Cassie alike? If not, differences?
My mom told one of my sisters that Cassie’s just like I was at sixteen. I don’t know if I’m still like her and think I was probably a lot brattier when I actually was sixteen, but I guess there’s a lot of “me” in her. As for differences, well, there’s the obvious one…

Do you have any "must-have's" while you write?
My computer and private space. I can’t really focus with distractions like TV or music. I’m definitely not one of those write-at-Starbucks authors.

What are you most proud of? Scared of?
Proud: Not quitting after my first lousy book. Scared: Reading aloud. To people. Who are all watching me.

What is your favorite book?
Only one? Impossible! A few I re-read regularly: The Stand (Stephen King), The Dark Fields (Alan Glynn), The Secret History (Donna Tartt), The Last Ship (William Brinkley) – I think my cousin Jake has commandeered this so I’ll have to get a new copy - also, I just read The Hunger Games and will probably go back to that again and again. I also loved Wake (Lisa McMann)…see? I could go on and on and on…

Lastly, is there anything else you'd like to add?
Thanks so much for having me and good luck with the blog!

Thanks so much Jen! Be sure to check out The Mark!

Blog Tour: Gringolandia by Lyn Miller-Lachmann + Giveaway

Today is my stop for the blog tour for Gringolandia by Lyn Miller-Lachmann. Lyn has kindly written a guest post on what inspired her to write Gringolandia. Please welcome Lyn!

***

Author’s bio:
Lyn Miller-Lachmann is the Editor-in-Chief of MultiCultural Review, the author of the award-winning reference book Our Family, Our Friends, Our World: An Annotated Guide to Significant Multicultural Books for Children and Teenagers (1992), the editor of Once Upon a Cuento (2003), a collection of short stories for young readers by Latino authors, and the author of the novel Dirt Cheap (2006), an eco-thriller for adult readers. For Gringolandia, she received a Work-in-Progress Grant from the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators.

***

Music inspired me to write Gringolandia. Music in the form of a story, and a song.

In the 1980s, I lived in Madison, Wisconsin, where I worked with students and refugees from Central and South America and helped to organize concerts of music from their home countries. I had some experience in this because in high school I worked for a community radio station that promoted some of the major figures of the Texas music scene.

One of the musicians whose concerts I helped to organize in Wisconsin was an exile from Chile who had been imprisoned and tortured after the 1973 military takeover. When he was kicked out of his country, he had to leave his young children behind. Twelve years later, his son turned 18 and decided he wanted to study music abroad and perform with his father. Their concert tour brought them to Madison and to my house, where they stayed for several days and where I watched father and son become reacquainted with each other after such a long separation. That’s the story that gave me the idea for the novel, although the father in Gringolandia is a journalist rather than a musician and the son, the main character, plays music but mainly for fun and to attract girls.

And the song? I usually listen to music when I write. And when I first started writing the novel that would become Gringolandia—it had another title then—I heard a song called “Third World Child” from the South African rock band Johnny Clegg & Savuka. Even though the songwriter was from South Africa, and my main character, Daniel, was from Chile, the song helped me to find Daniel’s voice, as much in the melody and rhythm as in the words. The line in the song “but the future calls his name out loud, echoed on the violence of the guns” inspired the words on the cover of Gringolandia, “When history calls your name, how will you answer?” And as a fan of music from around the world, I have always been impressed by the things we have in common no matter where we live—a desire for freedom, for fairness and justice, for the love of family and friends. That’s how a written in one part of the world can inspire a story that takes place somewhere else, far away.

Music also plays an important role in Gringolandia. When Daniel’s father rejoins the family after more than five years in prison, Daniel has grown comfortable living in the United States. He plays lead guitar for a high school band and has a girlfriend, a minister’s daughter, who has arranged for him to play at her father’s church. Daniel’s father has other ideas—he doesn’t want to live in exile in the United States; he wants to sneak back into Chile to continue fighting against the dictatorship. This is what happens when Daniel and his mother pick his father up at the airport:

I bring the van around to the TAXIS AND LIMOS ONLY exit, load the suitcase in the back, and help my father climb to the front passenger seat. I notice he can barely use his left arm. His wrist is stick-thin, and the skin is paler and smoother than that of his hand. I wonder if he’d hurt his wrist earlier and reinjured it lugging the heavy suitcase.

“You’re driving?” he says to me.

“Yes.”

“Unbelievable.” He shakes his head.

“I got my license a year ago. I’m an experienced driver.”

“And the last time I saw you, your feet didn’t reach the pedals. Remember you tried to drive the taxi to your friend’s house and ended up in a ditch?”

Embarrassing memory. I was really dumb once.

“Nice van, you two. Is it yours?”

I answer. “No, it’s my friend Willie’s. We’re in this band together called Firezone, and he lets me use it sometimes.”

Papá sits up straight. “A band? What kind of band?”

“Rock, mainly. And reggae. I play lead guitar, and Willie’s the drummer. Another guy, Trevor, is the lead vocalist, and his brother Paul is on bass.” Just talking about the band makes me excited. I want to tell him everything. I want him to come hear me perform. “We play in a teen club called the Jam, every Friday night.” I jerk the van out of the parking space, almost popping the clutch.

“So you’re a rock and roller now that you’re in Gringolandia?”

The coldness of his tone shocks me, even more than him calling this country Gringolandia. I always knew the United States government had something to do with the coup and still supported the dictatorship, so it confused me when Mamá told me we were moving up here for her to go to graduate school. Even now, my whole body tightens up when I see a policeman. I rush to explain. “I play everything. On Sundays I play Latin American music at a church. A friend of mine, her father—”

“You play in a church?”

“It’s a gig, Papá. They pay thirty dollars a week.”

Papá lights another cigarette. “Okay, I used to work with the church too, when I was doing my newspaper. They’re good people, as long as you don’t start believing any of it. So do you have to play religious songs?”

I lie. “No. Only Latin American songs.” As the smoke wafts over to my side, I open the window a crack and shiver at the icy wind. I get the point. He has no interest in my music.

***
-Giveaway-

I have (1) autographed copy to giveaway to one lucky reader.


Brief description of the book:
Though haunted by memories of his father's arrest in Pinochet's Chile, Daniel Aguilar has made a new life for himself in the United States--far from politics. But when his father is released, Daniel sees what years of prison and torture have done. Trying to reach his father, Daniel, along wth his "gringa" girlfriend, finds himself in the democracy struggle of the country he thought he left behind.

Details:

• Fill out the form below to enter.
• Open to everyone!
  
• Contest only runs for 24 hours (Feb. 5), enter now!
  
• Good luck :]

Check my contest policy.

Participants in tour:

Feb 1st: Laina Has Too Much Spare Time
Feb 2nd: Read Into This!
Feb 3rd: Pirate Penguin's Reads
Feb 4th: The Bookologist <--
Feb 5th: Yay! Reads

~CONTEST CLOSED~

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press (August 1, 2009)
Pages: 400
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Bought

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf–her wolf–is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human–or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Shiver completely made me shiver with wonder and awe. I'm in such anticipation for the next book; Linger. I found Grace and Sam's relationship to be quite full of real...I mean REAL chemistry, which is pretty hard to find in the many YA couples clamoring for readers' attentions.

Although I found Grace's parents to be inadequate, Grace really had a backbone for taking care of herself and yet she also has a not-so-obvious facade that she doesn't care whether her parents really love her or not. But all these barriers are broken when she meets Sam. His background and his actions completely match him and I found that Sam and Grace really do match well together.

The prose of Shiver is absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. The cover really says a lot about the book. Stiefvater really creates a wonderful, magical world full of enchantment, infused with reality.

It's not the perfect fairytale, but it's one worth remembering and loving.

Cover: .5

Ending::

Characters:

Writing:

Overall: