{Blog Tour} Reading at the Kids Table: Ninja Bunny by Jennifer Grey Olson

My little girl has just blossomed as a reader after her second year in school -- I can't believe she's going to be a second grader in the fall! -- so when I was approached about being involved on the Ninja Bunny blog tour and including her, I couldn't say no. Especially once we had the book in our hands and saw how absolutely adorable it is for ourselves.

For our stop, Katie and I both share our thoughts on the book below, but we've also got an interview with the author and illustrator extraordinaire. The publisher and marketing team have also put together some fun promotional materials for you to share with your own little ninja, too! But first, here's a little about the book:

Title: Ninja Bunny
Author: Jennifer Gray Olson
Series: n/a
Publisher: Knopf BFYR
Publication Date: June 9, 2015
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A fresh, funny, and hip picture book about a little bunny who wants to be…a ninja!

How to be a SUPER AWESOME NINJA:

· Rule #1. You must always work alone.
· Rule #2. You must be super sneaky, especially in the most dangerous of situations.
· Rule #3. A super awesome ninja must: possess incredible strength, achieve invisibility, master the skill of climbing, gain the ability to fly…

Our little bunny is ready to embark on his path to becoming a ninja. But is he cut out for the ninja life? Especially if it means leaving his friends behind?

Katie's thoughts:  I really loved the pictures. I liked at the end where Ninja Bunny said "Uh oh," and then the bear said, "Uh oh," and then the rest of the bunnies helped Ninja Bunny. I learned how to be, like, a super awesome ninja, and I also learned that you also need to have friends by your side even when you think you can handle things on your own. Oh, and I also liked the part where Ninja Bunny was falling instead of flying. =)

Jen's thoughts:  This book was so adorable…we've already read it a few times since we received it! Katie's at the end of the age range for this story, so she was able to read the entire thing herself and understood it all with relative ease, even if some ideas she picked up via context clues. And we both just loved all of the images of Ninja Bunny, flying around or caught in trees as he practiced his super awesome ninja skills. I also really loved this book's message:  that you can do things yourself, but you'll have even better success sometimes if you'll only let others help you.

Ninjas show up in different variations in children’s books. How did you come up with the idea of a ninja bunny and the rules?

Every day before I begin my illustration assignments, I do a warm-up sketch. One morning Ninja Bunny just showed up. Originally there was an off-scene narrator telling him what ninja rules to follow, but that was later replaced by the rule book, which seemed more tangible and easier for the reader to engage with.

Did you ever want to be a ninja?

Um, every day. No past tense. Ninjas are awesome.

Ninja Bunny shows readers the importance of understanding both the text and the images. There is also an element of humor throughout the story. How did you plan this out as you worked on the book?

I’ve always loved picture books where the text and the illustration are at odds with each other. It makes the reader feel like they’re in on the joke. I definitely wanted to keep that feeling throughout the book. Ninja Bunny’s character also helped to keep a sort of slapstick feel to the images. His clumsiness is trumped only by his confidence, which is fun to play with visually.

With three children, what kind of routine do you have for writing and drawing?

With three kids ages eleven, nine, and three, my routine has to stay fairly flexible. The one rule I try to stick to is that when I have designated work time, I actually work. This—as anyone who works from home knows—can be almost impossible. Between housework, the kids’ school responsibilities, and a million other distractions, it’s hard to stay focused. For the most part I try to save the things that require my attention the most for when my mother-in-law or husband are on kid duty. But as with any job, things come up that are time-sensitive and have to be addressed regardless of whether the three-year-old just got into my makeup and is now covered in mascara.

Do you have a special area in which you like to work?

I work from my home studio. It’s usually covered in crayons, stickers, and coffee cups. Here it is in a very unnatural state of cleanliness.

Are you working on any new projects that you can share with us?

I am! I’m currently illustrating The Good Dog and the Bad Cat, the sequel to The Good Dog, written by Blue’s Clues co-creator Todd Kessler. I’m also thrilled to share that I’m working on the sequel to Ninja Bunny! Our bunny friend will test whether his ninja skills will help him as he faces his greatest challenge yet . . . his little sister. It’s set to release in fall 2016.

Since summer is coming up, what are your favorite summer activities in your community?

With my kids, most things we will do this summer involve water. We usually try to get to the beach once a week in the summer. We’ve also recently moved within walking distance of a really awesome splash park, so I’m excited to get over there as much as we can.

What are your favorite bedtime stories to read with your boys?

Currently my boys are pretty absorbed in what they’re reading on their own, and as they read faster than me I’d probably only slow them down! Eli (nine years old) just finished Eragon, his first attempt at taking on a bigger reading challenge. Ethan (eleven years old) is just finishing up An Ember in the Ashes, and he loves it! That being said, they will almost always sit in on Charlie’s storytime. This week she’s into everything Seuss, as well as The Day the Crayons Quit and Louise Loves Art. Oh, and Ninja Bunny, of course . . .

About the author:

JENNIFER GRAY OLSON is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton, where she earned her bachelor of arts degree in art education. She is a glassblower and sculptor. In addition to writing and illustrating, Jennifer is also the co-coordinator of the SCBWI Orange/Riverside/San Bernardino illustrators’ schmooze. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two boys, and baby girl.

Find Jennifer:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Be sure to check out the rest of the fun on the tour this week and next!

NINJA BUNNY BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:

Monday, 6/8:  Mundie Kids, Review and Giveaway
Tuesday, 6/9:  Jenuine Cupcakes, Author Guest Post
Wednesday, 6/10:  My Friends Are Fiction, Author Guest Post
Thursday, 6/11:  Book Rock Betty, Review w/ Kids and Fun Post!
Friday, 6/12:  The Starry-Eyed Revue, Interview and Review

Monday, 6/15:  A Dream Within a Dream, Review and Giveaway
Tuesday, 6/16:  Vi3tbabe, Review w/ Daughters
Wednesday, 6/17:  The Forest of Words and Pages, Review w/ Son
Thursday, 6/18:  Love Is Not a Triangle, Review w/ Children
Friday, 6/19:  Kidlist, Review

And now some fun for your little ones! You can share Ninja Bunny and his mad ninja skills with your kids in the form of a certificate, maze, connect-the-dots, and more below!

My ninja name would be Zip Zam Hee. How about you? :P

Happy reading & ninja-ing! =)

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Labels: author interviews, blog tour, children's books, funfunfun, jennifer grey olson, kids, ninja bunny, random house, reviews

Midsummer Romance Blog Tour: Interview with Katherine Longshore & Giveaway

If you've been following the blog for very long, you know that I am a huge fan of Katherine Longshore's Tudor-inspired series of companion novels. Her characters and stories are everything I could ask for in a historical fiction novel: witty, daring, and terribly unruly. And the romance in each book is charming and completely swoonworthy!

Several of the stops on this tour have Katherine focusing on her historical hotties, but today she's stopping by to answer some of my questions. Check out her responses about romance, the Tudor period, and see what's next for the author, then scroll down to enter to win your very own copy of Courted, the paperback compilation of Gilt and Tarnish, the two books that precede Brazen, her newest novel and the last in this series.

Midsummer Romance Blog Tour

featuring Katherine Longshore

As an author of romance yourself, what do you look for/prefer to read in a romance novel?

That’s such a difficult question to answer! Maybe this is because I don’t look for anything in particular. I generally pick up books about characters and situations I find intriguing. It might be a futuristic societal divide, as in Veronica Rossi’s Under the Never Sky trilogy. Or assassin nuns in Robin LaFevers’ historical series that began with Grave Mercy. And I love romances that also include strong friendships (like the two I’ve just mentioned). In our lives, our friendships are equally (and sometimes more) important than our romantic relationships, so I like my fiction to reflect that.

I completely agree...I actually really like relationships in books where the couple starts as friends first. But when you do want a feel-good romance, who is your go-to romance author?

I will read anything by Huntley Fitzpatrick—her romantic plots are strong and believable, but so are all the other relationships involved. And she writes people who are fully-formed and crafted in such a way that even the secondary and tertiary characters stand out. And of course, I love Stephanie Perkins—I can’t wait to read Isla and the Happily Ever After.

I think the whole world is waiting for Isla! Those are two of my favorite YA romance authors, too. :)

What drew you to write about the Tudor period?

When I decided I wanted to write a novel, my husband brought up the old adage, write what you know. I didn’t really want to write anything autobiographical—one of the reasons I enjoyed acting, and one of the reasons I love writing is that I get to try out all these other lives besides my own. But I had been reading about Henry and his wives off and on for years, so I thought that might be a good place to start. My interest in the Tudors followed on from an obsession with Richard III after seeing Ian McKellen’s portrayal in the 1995 film. With both kings (Richard and Henry) I wanted to find out if either one was really as bad as they have been portrayed in fiction and popular history.

I have to admit, I knew very little of this period before reading this series. Which of your books is your favorite, the one you enjoyed writing the most?

I don’t know if I can answer that! It’s a little like being asked which of my children is my favorite. J I can say that writing Gilt was great fun because I didn’t know what I was doing or if it would ever sell, so I could write anything I wanted and didn’t have expectations (or bad reviews) hanging in my mind. I adored writing Anne in Tarnish because her voice was so strong and the dialogue came so easily—it was almost like taking dictation. Manor of Secrets was a delicious challenge—third person, two points of view all written from an outline when I usually fly by the seat my pants. But Brazen is probably the book of which I am the most proud. It was by far the most difficult book to write and certainly the one I cried the most over. But I think the hard work paid off.

I would say that Brazen is my favorite, too, because I just adored Mary and Fitz and their predicament. But you've reminded me that I still have one of your books to read!

What's been your favorite scene to write?

I love dancing and kissing scenes. There is so much tragedy in the Tudor court—imprisonments and bad marriages and untimely deaths—so I love to give my characters a chance to have a little fun. One in particular is a scene in Brazen where Mary and Fitz are alone, outside and looking at the stars. Mary makes a confession and gets an unexpected response.

*winks* I know which scene you're referring to. :)

How much research goes into writing your historical fiction novels, and do you take a lot of liberties with your characters' stories?

I try very hard not to take any liberties with the actual history—the contemporary accounts that tell us who was where and when. If Fitz wasn’t at court during a particular time period, I couldn’t write a scene with him in it. Period. But the meaty, juicy stories of people’s lives are often the ones that go unwritten—thoughts and feelings and desires. And even when a certain action got recorded (Henry FitzRoy was given Baynard’s Castle after Anne Boleyn’s death) we still don’t know what motivations lay behind it or how all the participants reacted internally. That’s where the fun part of historical fiction comes in.

So my research has to be both broad (including the general atmosphere of the court at the time, what people ate and how they dressed, political intrigue at home and abroad, etc.) and meticulously detailed (timelines that include the daily actions of all the characters, the exact wording of conversations if they were recorded, even the Christmas gifts—who gave what to whom). The liberties I take are only what I deem necessary for the good of the story, and can usually be justified as being possible. In Brazen, the lists that Mary and her friends write in her little blank book are not in the actual document (the Devonshire Manuscript) in the British library, but they seem to be the sort of thing that they might have written.

Can we expect more historical fiction from you soon, or can you tell us what you're working on next?

I always have a couple of historical ideas percolating in the back of my head! I think I’m ready to move onto other eras—I’m fascinated by the English Civil Wars, World War I, the social upheaval of the 1960s. At the moment, I’m working on a contemporary YA novel, but I will also be contributing to the Pistols & Petticoats historical fiction anthology edited by Jessica Spotswood that is scheduled to be published in 2016.

That all sounds fabulous, Katherine! I'll definitely be checking out that anthology.

A big thank you to Katherine Longshore and Penguin Young Readers Group for putting this tour together!

About the Author:

Katherine Longshore is the author of Gilt, Tarnish, and Brazen. She lives in California with her husband, two children and a sun-worshipping dog.

Find Katherine:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

About BRAZEN:

Mary Howard has always lived in the shadow of her powerful family. But when she’s married off to Henry Fitzroy, King Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, she rockets into the Tudor court’s inner circle. Mary and “Fitz” join a tight clique of rebels who test the boundaries of court’s strict rules with their games, dares, and flirtations. The more Mary gets to know Fitz, the harder she falls for him, but is forbidden from seeing him alone. The rules of court were made to be pushed…but pushing them too far means certain death. Is true love worth dying for?

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About COURTED:

Obsession, seduction, betrayal, desire.

Love always comes with a hidden agenda...

Available together for the first time in one volume, the first two of Katherine Longshore's Tudor England novels. Gilt, a story of friendship and betrayal in the court of Henry VIII, and Tarnish, the story of a young Anne Boleyn. Plus a sneak peek excerpt of Brazen!

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rules:

• This giveaway is US only. The publisher will be providing the prize for this giveaway.
• One entry per household. 
• Entries will be verified. Any entry found to be falsified will result in disqualification of all entries for that participant. 
• Winner will be notified via email. Winner will then have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. Please check your SPAM folder!!! 
• We are not responsible for lost packages. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Be sure to follow along with the rest of the blog tour for more interviews with Katherine Longshore and to read about her favorite historical hotties!

Midsummer Romance Blog Tour Schedule:

Tuesday, July 8 – Good Books & Good Wine

Thursday, July 10 –Perpetual Page Turner

Tuesday, July 15 –Alice Marvels

Thursday, July 17 – Confessions of a Book Addict

Tuesday, July 22 – Novel Sounds

Thursday, July 24 – Starry-Eyed Revue -- that's us!

Tuesday, July 29 – The Midnight Garden

Thursday, July 31 – Novel Thoughts

Thanks for stopping by! Happy reading!

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Labels: author interviews, blog tour, brazen, courted, giveaways, historical fiction, katherine longshore, penguin

{Promo} Interview & Giveaway: Killer Instinct by S.E. Green

Today, I have the pleasure of bringing you an interview with the author of Killer Instinct, a Dexter-like story about a girl obsessed with serial killers. I've yet to read this book, and I've only caught a few episodes of Dexter myself, but I have to say I'm very intrigued by the idea of this story. Before we get to the interview -- and giveaway! -- here's a little more about this novel:


Title: Killer Instinct
Author: S.E. Green
Series: n/a
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

She’s not evil, but she has certain... urges.

Lane is a typical teenager. Loving family. Good grades. Afterschool job at the local animal hospital. Martial arts enthusiast. But her secret obsession is studying serial killers. She understands them, knows what makes them tick.

Why?

Because she might be one herself.

Lane channels her dark impulses by hunting criminals—delivering justice when the law fails. The vigilantism stops shy of murder. But with each visceral rush the line of self-control blurs. And then a young preschool teacher goes missing. Only to return... in parts.

When Lane excitedly gets involved in the hunt for “the Decapitator,” the vicious serial murderer that has come to her hometown, she gets dangerously caught up in a web of lies about her birth dad and her own dark past. And once the Decapitator contacts Lane directly, Lane knows she is no longer invisible or safe. Now she needs to use her unique talents to find the true killer’s identity before she—or someone she loves—becomes the next victim...

Killer Instinct is your first thriller, and fairly dark compared to titles like The Summer My Life Began – did you approach your writing differently?

Yes, it was a fantastic experience. I wrote for me and me only. I didn’t censor myself. I didn’t worry about what I thought my agent wanted, or my editor, or my readers. I wrote to please myself. It was the first time I ever did that and it was liberating!

Lane is not your typical teenager. Can young readers relate to her? And more importantly, should they?

This book is not intended for young readers. This is definitely a cross over novel meant for older teens and adults.

If you could have any actress play Lane in the Killer Instinct movie, who would you choose? Who would play the Decapitator?

I won’t tell you who would play the Decapitator because that would give away who the villain is (and that’s part of the thrill of the read!). As far as Lane, I would pick Kacey Rohl. She really nailed her emotionally tumultuous character in Hannibal.

Lane gets a thrill out of exacting justice, but where do you get your thrills? Have you ever taken justice (even something tiny) into your own hands?

I get my thrills from adventure: kayaking, spelunking, sailing, zip-lining, hiking, etc… As far as exacting justice, I’ve been known to roll the house of an ex-boyfriend. I also keyed a guy’s car who cheated on my friend. Granted these were from my teen years, but I’m owning up. Current day, I hold a deep desire to dump dog poo on my neighbor’s lawn. He yelled at my dog and it pissed me off!

What is your next writing project? Will we see more serial killers?

I’m working on edits to the sequel of Killer Instinct. I also just finished writing my first New Adult. And I’m putting the finishes touches on another thriller (not serial killer, though).

finished copy of Killer Instinct

Rules:

• This giveaway is US only. The publisher will be providing the prize for this giveaway.
• One entry per household. 
• Entries will be verified. Any entry found to be falsified will result in disqualification of all entries for that participant. 
• Winner will be notified via email. Winner will then have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. Please check your SPAM folder!!! 
• We are not responsible for lost packages. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for checking out this title and the author interview! And good luck on winning yourself a copy!

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Labels: author interviews, giveaways, killer instinct, murder mystery, promotions, psychological thriller, s.e. green, simon schuster

{Guest Post} Megan Miranda on Writing Decker's Story in Vengeance

I recently read and reviewed Vengeance by Megan Miranda, the sequel/companion novel to her 2012 debut Fracture. When I read and first interviewed Megan about Fracture, she had no plans to continue Delaney's story after the events of the first book. But she never said anything about Decker's story. :) Below, Megan explains how Vengeance came to be and why she felt this story needed to be told. And I wholeheartedly agree -- I wasn't ready for Delaney and Decker's story to be over, and I'm so glad she got the opportunity to expand upon what happened to them following the ending of Fracture. So many unanswered questions that deserved to be examined, as Megan describes for us below.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog again!

In a previous interview we did when Fracture was first published, I spoke about how I didn’t set out to write a paranormal story, though that’s the direction Fracture ended up taking (kind of). I also mentioned why I thought Fracture would be a stand-alone--I felt Delaney had ended in a good place finally. Her journey had come full-circle, as she had come to terms with what she could and could not do, and what made life worth living--for herself, and maybe others as well. I also liked to imagine Decker and Delaney happy for a time.

When I wrote Eleven Minutes, which is a short story told from Decker’s POV about the time Delaney was trapped under the ice and the 6 days she was in a coma, I got the first sense of a story just beginning for him. Here’s a guy who saved his best friend, who people see as a hero, but who’s also overcome with guilt that he left her out on the ice in the first place. He believes he's ultimately responsible for everything that happened to Delaney in Fracture. He also wonders if he’s to blame for some of the tragedy that follows because of a bargain he made in the hospital when Delaney was in a coma: anyone but her, everyone but her.

So eventually I got to thinking: what if that had real consequence? What happens next, not in terms of just Delaney, but to a town that suffered through the events in Fracture? What happens in a place where there was a miracle, but also several deaths in place of that miracle? What happens to the guy who believes he's at the center of all this? What makes people believe - or want to believe - in a curse? What happens after people fall in love? Even though this story is about both Delaney and Decker, it felt right that this should primarily be Decker's story. It is a sequel, in that it follows the events in Fracture, but this is Decker's story. He has his own demons, his own guilt, his own journey to take. It felt new. It felt like it needed to be told. And I'm so thankful I got the opportunity to do so.

As for what's next--I'm currently revising my next book, called Soulprint. In this story, science can screen for the soul (much like we can now do with DNA-fingerprinting), revealing who a soul had belonged to in past lives. And it's about a girl who has been contained for her entire life for her own protection who chooses to escape, discovering clues left behind for her from the past life, unraveling the mystery of who she was and who she is, and whether she's fated to repeat the past. I'm really excited for this book, and hope others will be as well!

After reading Vengeance and seeing all the questions Megan asked herself prior to writing it, I think she did a solid job of completing the story. Of course, I'll always want to read more of these characters and see where their paths have taken them, but I am completely satisfied with where their stories ended in Vengeance. But now I'm dying to get my hands on Soulprint. It sounds phenomenal.

About the author:

Megan is a scientist - turned - teacher - turned - stay-at-home-mom - turned - writer. She is not nearly as indecisive as she sounds. She lives near Charlotte, North Carolina, where she volunteers as an MIT Educational Counselor, does the mom thing by day, and writes by night.

Her first novel, FRACTURE, was published in January 2012 by Walker/Bloomsbury. HYSTERIA, a YA psychological thriller, will be published in February 2013. VENGEANCE, a companion/sequel to FRACTURE, will follow in 2014.

Find Megan:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Title: Vengeance
Author: Megan Miranda
Series: Fracture, book #2
Publisher: Walker Children's
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Nobody really believes in a curse. Until you know the people who disappear. Too much coincidence, you look for reason. Too much death, you grasp for something to blame. Carson pulled Delaney out and he died on the side of the road with her mouth pressed to his. Her air in his body. Troy. She told the cops it was suicide. Didn't matter. The lake released her and grabbed another. But when Decker's father dies in a pool of spilled water on their kitchen floor, all Decker can feel is a slow burning rage. Because he knows that Delaney knew that his dad was going to die. She knew and backed out of his house and never said a word. Falcon Lake still has a hold on them both, and Decker can't forgive Delaney until he knows why.

Books by Megan Miranda:

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Labels: author interviews, bloomsbury, favorites, fracture, guest post, megan miranda, psychological thriller

Blog Tour: Boundless by Cynthia Hand - Interview

You guys have no idea how excited I am to have Cynthia Hand stop back by the blog today for an interview as part of the Boundless Blog Tour hosted by Mundie Moms!  The last time she stopped by for a chat, we got serious about her books, but I thought we'd do something a little different for today's stop on the tour.  But first, a little bit about the final -- *sniff* -- book in the bestselling Unearthly series:

Title: Boundless
Author: Cynthia Hand
Series: Unearthly, the third and final book
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: January 22, 2013
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Excerpt:  Browse Inside Boundless

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

And in case you're curious what I thought of the final book in the Unearthly series, you can find my spoiler-free review here.  The teaser trailer for Boundless is below:

Since we talked mostly shop in our last interview, I’d like to make this one a departure from that, especially since I already know you won’t give us any hints about Boundless. :)  So, let’s find out more about you. We’ll start with the basics, the easy stuff, and then delve a little deeper and find out what kind of reader you are, if that’s alright with you...since we already know what an awesome author you are. :D

What is your favorite color? 

It changes, but mostly I am attracted to purples and blues. Which has worked out well with my book covers.

Yes, it has!  And what pretty covers they are...they always depict really pretty scenery, besides the girl in a beautiful dress.  =)  What is your favorite season or time of year? 

I love that part of the year that is between seasons, when winter gives way to spring or when summer fades into fall. The changing part.

I loved your descriptions of the weather and scenery in the Unearthly series.  I have a habit of always wishing it were the next season as soon as I get tired of the weather.  Do you have any bad habits? 

Two that come to mind straight-away. Nail-biting, which I do when I am nervous or stressed. And being a know-it-all, which I find that I also do when I am nervous or stressed. Two habits I would very much like to break!

Nothing wrong with being a know-it-all in my book.  You'd come in handy when traveling.  Where is the most amazing place you’ve ever visited? 

Delphi, Greece, in a snowstorm. Knossos, Crete, eating a fresh orange. Topkapi Palace, Istanbul. Hemingway's writing room in Key West, Florida. Or standing in front of the Grand Teton mountains at sunset. I'm a traveler by nature. It's hard to pick just one, as I find magic in all sorts of places.

Wow...you've been to some fabulous places, and I bet you've eaten some equally fabulous meals in those places.  What is your favorite comfort food? 

I like Hershey's Symphony bars with toffee, as a chocolate rescue. And I make this yummy cheesy vegetable soup, for days I just don't feel very good and want to get warm and cozy.

Now for some deeper questions.  Who is the person you’d most like to meet, living or not? 

Jane Austen would be a hoot, I think. Hemingway, who I find both irritating and fascinating. As for living people, I think I would gravitate toward authors I admire but haven't met in person yet: Maggie Stiefvater, John Green, Lauren Oliver.

Speaking of all of those equally awesome authors you'd like to meet, who is your favorite author? 

No way I can go with only one. See above.

Okay, okay, it would be hard for me to pick just one, too.  What is your favorite book?

I'd sooner pick a star in the heavens than a favorite book, but I have a few staples I keep coming back to, starting with To Kill A Mockingbird, which was probably the first book where I noticed the language as much as the story. Such a lovely voice, TKAM.

I loved To Kill a Mockingbird, but I'm probably due for a re-read...it's been awhile.  Who is your favorite heroine and why?

Again, I find it impossible to pick an out and out favorite, but one that comes instantly to mind is Evie, from Kiersten White's Paranormalcy series. Because I love a girl who can kick butt and crack jokes at the same time. Which harkens back to another fave heroine of mine: Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Ah, good ole reliable Buffy.  :)  I was more a fan of the show than the movie, myself.  Do you usually enjoy movies based on books? Do you hope that your books will one day be made into movies? 

Yes, I usually love to see movies that are based on books, although I often leave the theater feeling a tiny, tiny bit empty, because the movie couldn't possibly live up to what it was in my head. But, having said that, I'm pretty easy to please with movies. It would be amazing to see my books as movies, a final step in the process of having others share what at first was only a bunch of fragments and images in my head. So cool.

Aside from the love triangle, which we’ve previously discussed, what are some other tropes you’d like to see die a slow and painful death? 

This is going to sound ironic considering how I just professed love for Buffy, but I am growing weary with the "heroine who's just as tough as a man" characters. Don't get me wrong-- I loved Katniss, but these days I kind of yawn when I open a book to find a character who is clearly trying to be defined as "strong" because she can wield a gun (or crossbow or sword or whatever) and hates the color pink and doesn't know how to express her emotions to a guy. I feel a lot of friction with the idea that women have to behave "like men" to be considered strong. I'm also tired of bad, dysfunctional families in fiction: uncaring, absent parents, orphans, etc. I understand why authors do this (if the adults aren't present, it makes the teen character accountable for themselves and responsible for solving their own problems, which is better for story-telling) but I also think that if you cut out the family as a writer you are going to miss out on one of the most powerful relationship dynamics there is.

I completely agree about the absentee parents in YA fiction.  In fact, I just did a post on this.  So, do you prefer to read a book all in one sitting or pace yourself to get the full effect of the story?

I read hungrily and greedily, and I hate to put a book down in the middle.

I'm sure many of your readers feel the same, myself included.  Now that you’re a bestselling author, how many books do you think you read a year? How has this number changed after your success? 

I read about 60 books this year, which is about the same, give or take 5-10 that I've read for the past few years, maybe a little more, since I have more money these days to spend on books. My "success" hasn't changed the way I approach reading. I like to think of myself as a student, and, in many ways, still a beginner to this writing gig, and also a true lovers of stories, so I read books in order to study and grow, and, at the end of the day, to immerse myself in another world for a little while.

Ha, I like that..."since I have more money these days to spend on books"...and I'm glad to hear that being an established author hasn't slowed your reading down at all.  Since you can still buy and read all the books even though you're a fancy author lady, which 2013 release are you most looking forward to? 

The finale to Anna Carey's EVE series (RISE), the finale to Veronica Roth's Divergent series, the finale to Moira Young's Blood Red Road series. Sheesh. A lot of finales.

I know!  I'm so sad to see sooo many of my favorite series end this year, including yours!  Alas, all good things must come to an end, right?  And since it’s that time of year, I have to ask. Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? Care to share with us? 

I did resolve to write two full novels this year. This may kill me, as I'm not very fast, as a writer, but I am aiming for two!

Wow!  That's an incredible goal!  Thanks for stopping by today, Cynthia!  I wish you all the success and accolades you deserve!  

About the author:

Cynthia Hand grew up in southeast Idaho (very near the Wyoming border). Currently she lives in southern California with her husband and two small children. She teaches courses in creative writing at Pepperdine University. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the Unearthly series with HarperTeen: UNEARTHLY, published in 2011, HALLOWED published January 17, 2012, and BOUNDLESS, due out in January 2013.

You can find Cynthia on: her Blog | Twitter | Facebook | HarperTeen | GoodReads

I hope you learned something new about the author today!  Be sure to stop by I Read Banned Books today, as well, because Jen has a guest post from Cynthia for her stop.  And be sure to check out all of the other stops on the tour here...some have giveaways!  Special thanks to Mundie Moms, HarperTeen and Cynthia Hand for allowing me to be a part of this tour!

Thanks for stopping by & happy reading!

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Labels: author interviews, blog tour, cynthia hand, harper-collins, mundie moms, unearthly

Blog Tour: Gravity by Melissa West - Guest Post & Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Gravity Blog Tour, hosted by Shane at Itching for Books.  In addition to a giveaway for your very own signed copy of the book, I've got a great post from the author herself. But first, let's find out a little bit about Melissa West...



 About the author:

Melissa lives in a tiny suburb of Atlanta, GA with her husband and daughter. She pretends to like yoga, actually likes shoes, and could not live without coffee. Her writing heroes include greats like Jane Austen and Madeleine L'Engle.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange.

Discover more about Melissa & her books:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Here are TEN things Melissa thinks you should know about Gravity:

1.      Ari Alexander, GRAVITY’s main character, has trained since she was ten years old in weaponry and combat. She’s crazy fierce.
2.      In my mind, Jackson and Ari are very much alike. Both are loyal and driven.
3.      The aliens are built around the ancient astronaut theory.
4.      Originally the book included football and Jackson was the quarterback. I know, so cliché!
5.      The Ancients’ planet, Loge, is built around an actual Earth-like planet scientists found orbiting the Alpha Centauri system.
6.      I adore the second half of the book. That isn’t to say I don’t enjoy the first, but the second is my favorite. :)
7.      GRAVITY was originally titled TWISTED ROOT, due to the Ancients travelling between planets through the trees.
8.      Originally Ari was not a fighter at all.
9.      GRAVITY took me three months to write and has been rewritten, almost entirely, twice.
10.    Secretly, almost all of the characters in my book are modeled after people I know. :)

Title:  Gravity
Author:  Melissa West
Series:  The Taking #1
Publisher:  Entangled Publishing
Publication Date:  October 30, 2012
Source:  galley from publisher
Purchase:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.

And below you'll find your chance to win your very own signed copy of Gravity!  U.S. entries only, please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck & happy reading!

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Labels: aliens, author interviews, blog tour, entangled, giveaways, melissa west, sci-fi, the taking