Exclusive Interview with YA Author, Sarah Rees Brennan!

October 15, 2013October 15, 20133 Comments

I am so extremely excited to share this interview with you today! Sarah Rees Brennan is an amazing author of the Demon’s Lexicon trilogy, cheap and most recently, physician her new series, which starts with the novel, Unspoken. The second of that series, Untold, just released a few weeks ago, and I’m excited to read it. I know that its going to be SUPER awesome.

I first discovered Sarah when she went on tour with Cassandra Clare this past spring, for Cassie’s Clockwork Princess tour. She had her pals, Sarah and Maureen Johnson, with her, which was really awesome. I had already read some of Maureen’s books, but I will admit, I had never even heard of Sarah, but she was SUPER hilarious and I have to admit, the dress she wore was so cute that I was obsessed with the dress!

I also interviewed Cassie at that particular signing, and when I went to the “green room” to go interview her, Sarah was like, “Oh my god, you’re so cute!” which kind of made my whole life, and I knew immediately that between her hilarity, her calling me cute and her fabulous taste in dresses, I just had to read her books.

I’ve read the entire Demon’s Lexicon, and now I’m eager to dive into her Lynburn Legacy books. I was extremely excited when she agreed to do an interview and even MORE excited when I read her answers. She’s an awesome author, very inspiring and her books are great.

Update: I decided to dive into Unspoken as soon as I finished writing up this interview, aaaaaand ended up finishing the book in a couple hours. A review will be coming later but let me just say this: this book was absolutely amazing and I am blown away right now. Absolutely blown away. I want to read the sequel right this moment but its late and I have school in the morning. I also never thought a fictional boy would make me fall in love and break my heart like Jace Wayland until Jared Lynburn. Sigh.

Enjoy the interview!

Sara: What can you tell us about your new book, Untold? Where does it take us from Unspoken?

Sarah: It takes place a few weeks after the end of Unspoken, though there’s a story that bridges the gap called The Night After I Lost You (which you can read here!). Unspoken was set in autumn–a time of change, of the leaves turning gold. Untold is set in winter, a time of loneliness, of cold and despair–but despair that passes, for most of us. (There’s always a last winter.)

… Obviously it’s a very cheerful book. Actually, there are a lot of jokes–I don’t want to spend time with people who have no sense of humour, and that includes fictional people. But a big change happens at the end of Unspoken, both for the town and in the relationships of the main characters, and that means the next book starts out with uncertainty, hurt and fear. (And then stuff gets better! Or does it get worse. You never know which way I’ll dart.)

Sara: Was it easier or harder to write the sequel now that you’ve written Unspoken? Why?

Sarah: Easier, I think. I knew and loved the characters, and I could feel the shape of the story. I wrote it after I’d sold Unspoken but before it came out, and that’s a magic time: full of hope, and the happy knowledge that this book you’re writing will be published. Though there’s always a worry with sequels–you don’t want to let anybody down! I think book two is really the rest of every series–can the author keep it up? can she STEP it up? I tried!

Sara: What is your writing process like? What is the hardest part of writing a novel?

Sarah: I write a chapter plan, constructing plot with several helpful critique partners, and I try to follow it. I think the hardest part of writing a novel is the middle part, where you don’t remember why you started and can’t imagine how you’re going to finish.

Sara: Where do you get your inspiration from? How did you come up with the idea for Unspoken, and in turn, Untold?

Sarah: I had the original idea for Unspoken–a girl finds out her imaginary friend is a real guy–when I was about seventeen. I wrote a book about it–Beyond Imagination, I called it, because I was a super imaginative writer. The idea kept coming back to me. The hero of Unspoken has the same name as that original book (Jared) though he’s a different guy–all the characters are different, except one. She was called Kelly Preston in the first book, but in Unspoken, she’s called Holly Prescott, because turns out Kelly Preston is a real person people may have heard of…

When I decided I loved the idea, and I wanted to go back to it, and talk about how telepathic soulmate-style bonds would actually be TERRIBLE, and also build a Gothic mystery (fear, atmosphere, being trapped, and having no way to talk about your experiences). I tried to read Beyond Imagination again. It was too awful. I threw the book like a snake and rewrote it from scratch.

Sara: What advice do you give to aspiring writers, not only on writing but on the world of publishing, as well?

Sarah: Publishing is so different from writing. And you never know how you’re going to be treated, going in: self promotion is difficult, and you might have to do a lot. If you’re lucky and you do get promoted by your publisher, then awesome, but it brings with it its own set of stresses. Be as ready for the world of publishing as you can be, I guess is my advice. Writing is only half of your job, and its the half that comes most naturally–the half that made you want to take on the rest. Before I was published, I really had no idea what being published entailed: how suddenly I would have to learn, and come to care passionately about, covers and distributions and awards and what hills to die on when you’re editing and how to coax marketing departments and promotional items and so much else I never dreamed of. It’s like a life-long apprenticeship: you keep on learning. Be ready for the learning!

Sara: What inspired you to add the elements of diversity into your stories? Elements of the LGBT lifestyle?

Sarah: I don’t really think of it as adding those elements, any more than I add any other essential bit of a story. Life’s diverse, so books should be, too. It should be as simple as that. It isn’t, of course–LGBT authors and authors of colour face prejudice they shouldn’t, and diverse books are seen as ‘less marketable’ and given less promotion–but the only way to effect change is to write diversely and make clear your wish to see more diversity. Plus, writing about a world in which, for instance, no body was LGBTQ would have to be a conscious choice to exclude: the world I live in and want to reflect is one that includes them. They’re my friends, family, loved ones, they’re my readers. I want no part of any world, real or fictional, that excludes them.

Sara: What are some of your favorite books and authors to read?

Sarah: Diana Wynne Jones, Tamora Pierce, Robin McKinley, Margaret Mahy, were my childhood classics. (I fangirl SO hard every time I read an author loving Tamora Pierce). Jane Austen and Anthony Trollope, centuries-old forever favourites. I love romance novels and my favourites are Courtney Milan, Laura Kinsale, Tessa Dare, Mary Balogh and always Georgette Heyer. Right now in YA–Marie Lu writes the best dystopian fiction around. Robin Wasserman wrote this horror novel that’s like Stephen King with chocolate sprinkles and whipped cream, the Waking Dark, that I love. I’d so like to see some more YA horror: Kendare Blake also writes awesome YA horror.

Sara: What are some of your favorite things to do in your “spare” time, when you aren’t writing or touring?

Sarah: Tell me more about this spare time…

I love traveling, and do it a lot for fun. I’m lucky to have a job that I can travel with, without a boss to call me and be like ‘Rees Brennan, what do you mean, you’re in Copenhagen? This is the last time, you crazy maverick! You’re fired!’ It does mean, though, that my best friend once asked when I’d last taken a holiday where I hadn’t worked, and I was like, ‘Oh…three years? Maybe four…no, three! Yay, three!’

I like cooking, and vintage stuff, and dancing, and country music. I live in hope someone will send me to Nashville someday.

Sara: What is your favorite part about being an author?

Sarah: Having readers! I started writing when I was five. That someone likes your words enough to buy or librarify or loan from a friend the book, and spend time with it, and invest in the characters and the story. It seems like passing a snow globe from hand to hand, with a whole world inside it. It makes me so happy.

Sara: What are you working on now, and what do you have planned for the future?

Sarah: I’m finishing up the third book in the Lynburn Legacy series, which I hope will tear out people’s souls and turn them into soul confetti–I MEAN, WHICH I HOPE PEOPLE WILL ENJOY, phew, good save self–and I just finished Tell the Wind and Fire, which is set in an alternate New York torn apart by dark and light magic, starring a girl who’s a celebrity for something she did when she was younger that she’s not exactly proud of, and who finds out that her beloved boyfriend has a doppelgänger: a being identical to him, created by dark magic, and with no soul… (Also, its a retelling of A Tale of Two Cities).

And for the future, I’d like to write a revenge narrative (What Would Shakespeare Do?) about a mad, bad girl.

Sara: Lastly, a question I ask everyone I interview, because it’s fun: who is your fictional crush?

Sarah: Mr. Darcy, Colin Craven, Howl of Howl’s Moving Castle, Gen of the Queen’s Thief series, Cricket of Lola and the Boy Next Door…I’m a bit of a fictional harlot. Girls just wanna have fun…with a paperback.

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I hope you enjoyed this interview with Sarah, as much as I did. She had some seriously awesome answers, and I am excited to have her on my blog. I enjoy immensely that she reads Diana Wynne Jones and Tamora Pierce (you guys know how I like to push Tammy on all of you), and that Howl is one of her fictional crushes.

She has some amazing advice and insight, and she’s a great writer and story teller. I definitely recommend The Demon’s Lexicon series, and I will be reviewing both Unspoken and Untold very soon, as I dive into that world. I’m sure its going to be awesome!

Can I just say though: I’m SO sad I wasn’t able to really meet and get books signed by Sarah when I saw her back in March! She lives overseas most of the time, and tours over there often. I sincerely hope she makes it back to California soon so I can meet her again!

Happy Reading everyone!

Tuesday Top Ten-All Time Favorite Breaking Bad Episodes

October 15, 2013October 15, 2013Leave a comment

Hey guys, and Sara here :) I’m taking a break from the Tuesday Top Ten to let my boyfriend Jon take over for this week. I hope you enjoy it!

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Hello all, everyone’s favorite occasional contributor has returned from the depths of obscurity to bring all of you another thoroughly awesome Tuesday Top Ten!

First, I must apologize on this top ten being a little tardy but better late than never!

Now presenting my top ten favorite Breaking Bad episodes! Breaking Bad was a critically acclaimed show that ran from 2008 all the way until September 29th, 2013, that followed Walter White, who, after being diagnosed with cancer, transforms from a quiet and brilliant high school chemistry teacher to one of the greatest villains in television history. With superb writing, directing, and cinematography, as well as memorable performances from Bryan Cranston as Walter White and Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad quickly became one of my favorite shows ever.

10. Confessions

Towards the end of the series, Confessions continues the build up to how the story will end. Walt and Hank continue their chess game, and in this episode, Walt gets the better of Hank with his “confession” video. This show is unbelievable at misdirection, almost every time you think the story is going the predictable route, it quickly changes direction and raises the stakes. This episode is also noteworthy for being one of the last episodes with Walt and Jesse having a sincere “father-son” moment. Aaron Paul’s performance in this episode is unreal and showcases his versatility and grasp of Jesse as a complex character.

9. Felina

What a way to go! with this episode, we finally get to see how the story of Walter White/Jesse Pinkman ends. The last season had put them through the ringer and this episode was them just trying to break even. This episode works because we finally get to see Walt be honest with himself and that is truly a great moment in this series. We also get to see the end of the battle between Walt’s “sons”/proteges. It is a satisfying ending to one of the best televisions series, with Bryan, Aaron and Vince Gilligan coming together for chapter in this story.

8. Half Measure

One of the last episodes of season three that definitely turned up the conflict in the show and set up Gus Fring as a legit villain for Walt. Gus is the kind of villain to never lose his cool and the meeting he sets up with Jesse just shows the kind of power he has. The speech between Mike and Walt about “no more half measures” is amazing in this episode and really drives Walt for the rest of the series. At the end, when Jesse tries to take matters into his own hands and Walt later telling him to “run” was definitely one of the biggest surprises in the whole run of the show. It also reminds me how bad I need to go back and rewatch the whole series again!

7. Full Measure

The last episode of season three follows the crazy events at the end of Half Measure. Jesse is on the run and the feud between Walt and Gus increase rapidly. This episode also has the return of Gale, which Walt has problems with and questions Gus’s motives. With their backs against the wall, Walt and Jesse go to drastic measures to stay alive with another crazy “what-the-hell” ending. The conflict between Walt and Gus was definitely one of the best in television with both men being highly intelligent men willing to do whatever it took to achieve their goals, as well as being able to hide in plain sight. Of course, these men cannot coexist and their struggle of who will remain was incredibly compelling.

6. One Minute

Another episode from season three and-surprise, surprise-another “what-the-hell” moment at the end. This one involving Hank, the DEA agent brother-in-law of Walt, in a struggle for his life. The show is great at taking these characters to lows, and this episode did that with Hank. After making a huge mistake, Hank fears he’s done as a cop. Of course, that would be too simple and Hank has to deal with actions of Gus Fring. The episode is great for the focus on secondary character of Hank, with great writing and a great performance from Dean Norris. It keeps you caring for these characters, even though they might have a lot to do with the main storyline. Again I will say the end! Wow!

5. Dead Freight

Season 5 of Breaking Bad is where things don’t always go in Walt’s favor. We start to see him not be as fortunate in situations as in previous episodes. This episode really starts to show that direction, in order to cook more meth in their blossoming meth empire. Walt, Jesse, and Mike must rob a train of 500 gallons of methylamine. This is also where we first get to see Todd as a smaller character before emerging as one of Walt’s proteges/”sons”. The heist does not go exactly as planned and the end has a turn of events that show what kind of people Walt is now working with.

4. Say My Name

Say My Name is one BADASS episode. I can just leave this description at that, but I won’t do that. Story wise, this is Walt’s high point, the infamous Heisenberg is now what he has set out and what he intends to be. However, things, of course, don’t always go as planned and there are new problems to be solved, and soon, Mike is on his trip to Belize. The writing on this episode and in the show is always top notch. No matter what happens in the episode, the story continues to move forward and every one of their actions has ramifications. This is one of the episodes that deals with past choices and how it affects the characters, as well as giving them new choices to give us a pay off later on.

3. Face Off

This episode has a very important title, that is all I will say about that. The conflict between Walt and Gus reaches its climax and it completely changes the game. The fate of both men is dependent on the unlikely team up with Hector Salamanca, the retired cartel member with a hatred for both Walt and Gus Fring. This being the last episode of season 4 meant that stakes were high and the writers and directors know exactly how to keep the tension escalating as well as being able to wrap up the season arc in a satisfying manner. Of course, a lot of credit goes to Giancarlo Esposito for his portrayal of Gustavo Fring.

2. Crawl Space

An amazing episode and pretty much any other show would be grateful for an episode of this quality. Somehow they still managed to make an episode better than this though. I will get to that other episode shortly though! This episode is right before the end of season 4 but provides all the set up for the finale. Gus has showed that he really is a man to be feared as well as Hank being closer to discovering the meth empire. Bryan Cranston is brilliant in showing Walt at his most vulnerable moment in the entire series as well as leaving us a memorable last scene. Credit on that last scene also must go to the cinematographer and director, it is truly an incredibly memorable scene.

Last but especially not least…

1. Ozymandias

Not only my personal favorite episode of Breaking Bad, but it can easily be sad that this is one of the greatest episodes of television EVER. The lead in from the previous episode, To’Hajiile, starts off this episode in a dire situation and solves it realistically. Normally, the first few minutes would be saved for the end of the episode as pay off, but in this episode, it is only the beginning. We see pretty much everyone at their lowest point and that is saying something for this show. The writing on this episode truly is the best with references to previous episodes as well as having the guts and skill to take Walt and Jesse down those paths. We also see Todd for the kind of terrifying person he is as well as the people he works with. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are at the top of their game in this episode, especially when we learn Jesse’s fate because of Walt’s actions and Walt having to finally deal with his actions. The whole story of Walter White and Breaking Bad is pretty much the story of dealing with his decisions and this episode gives up the best example of Walt’s decisions. Of course, his story is not done at this point and he quickly reminds us after a heartfelt scene with his wife Skyler that he still has things to do.

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Even though I was not a fan of Breaking Bad from the beginning, when I started watching it, I became instantly hooked to the show and is definitely one of my favorite shows of all time. With it’s compelling performances and incredible directing and writing, I eagerly followed the story of Walter White, Jesse Pinkman and everyone else in the ABQ.

The complete series is coming out in a special edition next month and if you are a fan of the show, I highly recommend getting it because it looks incredible. My list is by no means a definitive list and I would enjoying discussing episodes and elements of the show with anyone.

Thank you again to What A Nerd Girl Says for having me contribute A, something that I like that is not entirely along the lines of what she normally publishes, and B, being able to write on this blog even though I’m not a girl.

Lastly, I will leave a fun fact that some of you may not be aware of: your fearless leader, Sara, worked at Aaron Paul’s wedding. I had the chance to but for some reason, I did not and I have regretted that ever since.

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Sara, again :) I hope you all enjoyed this edition of Breaking Bad. This show is absolutely amazing, and it wasn’t long before I was hooked on this show as well. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it, you definitely DEFINITELY should. Its on Netflix, and you honestly won’t regret it in the slightest.

And yeah, I totally got to work Aaron Paul’s wedding. That was awesome :)

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Los Angeles Teen Book Fest Recap!

October 14, 2013October 14, 20133 Comments

On Saturday, no rx I had an absolutely fantastic day at the Los Angeles Public Library, page for their Teen Book Fest.

About a dozen young adult authors, and a handful of book bloggers, descended upon the library for a day full of discussion, book giveaways, and signings. It was pretty much heaven for me.

I went to the Ontario Teen Book Fest, my first teen book fest, back in May and honestly had an amazing time, discovering new authors and discussing books and writing with all of them. I was eager to attend this one in the hopes that I would have just as much fun as I did last time.

And I definitely did.

There were a TON of amazing authors in attendance, and I was super excited when I found out there was a blogging panel. I’ve been doing this for about a year and a half now, but I’m still new to the whole experience, when there are others who’ve been blogging for years.

Gretchen McNeil, Francesca Lia Block, Josephine Angelini and Cornelia Funke

I attended three panels. The first panel was Classically Inspired, and it was with authors that I’ve all read and enjoyed: Gretchen McNeil, Francesca Lia Block, Josephine Angelini and Cornelia Funke. All of these authors have used old tales, or classic novels or stories, either as inspiration to their stories or have retold those stories. Francesca’s newer release, Love in the Time of Global Warming, parallels Homer’s the Odyssey, while Josephine’s Starcrossed trilogy is a retelling of his tale, The Iliad. Cornelia talks about the various folk tales and mythologies that she uses in her own stories.

They spent a lot of time discussing the way they go about their research, and the way they connect their stories and the stories told before. I got so much writing advice from it, and I’m in such a slump right now, so I was eagerly listening for all advice. Cornelia is a very seasoned author, and she says that she now handwrites all of her books. I used to do that, once upon a time, before my boyfriend bought me my first laptop a few years ago. I really took that advice to heart, because I’ve been struggling SO much, and I hand wrote last night, and I wrote about 1000 words, so good advice, Cornelia.

The moderator, and bloggers Thuy, Maggie, Lee, Alyson and Alethea!

The next panel that I attended was all about blogging, and it featured Alethea Allarey from Read Now, Sleep Later, Alyson Beecher from Kid Lit Frenzy, Lee Wind from I’m Here, I’m Queer, What the Hell Do I Read?, Thuy Lam from Nite Lite Book Reviews, and Maggie Park from Young Adult Anonymous. I follow all of these blogs now, and you should DEFINITELY check them out.

This panel was AWESOME. Not only did I feel like I left with more insight on the world of blogging, but I also felt really…supported too. These are all adults, probably most of them older than me, though not necessarily, who have full time jobs, and they spend a lot of time and effort on this, and they don’t get paid for it. But they still do it because its fun, and its a hobby and a passion for them. Which is EXACTLY how I feel. I know that I spend SO many hours on this, and work my butt off on it, but its because I love it so much.

I also was stoked to meet them, and talk to them. Alyson gave me free books, which was super cool of her, and Alethea told me about a TEEN BOOK SWAP that is going on next weekend, which sounds superb. I also am really excited to check out all their blogs!

Andrew Smith, Bill Konigsberg, Moderator, Ned Vizzini, Patricia McCormick and Maurene Goo

The next panel I went to was Keepin’ It Real with Ned Vizzini, Patrick McCormick, Maurene Goo, Andrew Smith, and Bill Konigsberg. I really was interested in this panel, because I’ve read books by Andrew and Ned, and because contemporary YA is what I tend to write. I am dabbling into zombie fiction right now but for the most part, its all contemporary. And all the authors really keep it real. They write fantastic realistic fiction about mental illness, and self harm, kids in Cambodia during Khmer Rouge, sexual identity and more. Such an inspiring panel, and also full of incredibly useful writing advice. Oh and I apologize for the not-so-good pictures. Poor Maurene was bending over when I took the picture. Oops! I will get better at the whole photography thing, I promise!

Elana K. Arnold, Bill Konigsberg, and Josephine Angelini

The last panel I went to do was “What We Talk About When We Talk Love” with Elana K. Arnold, Josephine Angelini and Bill Konigsberg. This was was SUPER helpful because they talked about structuring romance, and how to write a good romance. I sometimes find that my romance starts to take over the story, and I lose my story so the panel was really great for that, and I got a TON of great advice there. I felt so much better about my characters, Katy and Lucas, and being able to tell their romance without ruining the whole awesome zombie part of my novel. And I also feel a little more confident to return to Evie and Alex in my baseball novel.

After the panels, they had the signings and I was SO excited. I had been dying to meet Andrew Smith again. I met him back in May but I hadn’t read Winger yet, and now that I’ve read it, I NEEDED to get it signed and I need to tell him how amazing it is. So I did, so that was awesome :) I also was able to meet Francesca Lia Block and Cornelia Funke and tell them thank you SO much for doing interviews for this blog, along with Ned Vizzini, who was SO awesome. I was incredibly nervous doing his interview, so it felt AWESOME that he told me I did a great job :) I was also happy to meet Josephine Angelini, whose third book is right next to me, and I’m almost done with.

I am also excited to dive into the other authors like Bill Konigsberg, Patricia McCormick, Elana K. Arnold, Maurene Goo and more. I’m pretty sure my to-read list increased by at least 20 books. Easily.

So yeah, I had an AMAZING time, and I will definitely coming to this event in the future. I was able to meet some seriously cool authors, AND I feel like I gained a ton of writing advice from some talented and inspiring authors. It must have worked because I came home last night, and wrote 1000 words for my zombie novel, so that felt great!

One last thank you to Mary McCoy for putting on an awesome event, and helping to get me interviews for my blog. That was absolutely incredible and awesome. And thanks for the LA Public Library for bringing a great collection of authors together!

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Blogger Spotlight-Jade from Dhampirs and Dragomirs

October 14, 2013October 13, 2013Leave a comment

One of the best parts about running this blog is having the ability to meet some really cool people, site and some of the coolest people that I have met have led me to really cool blogs. I’ve said it before, no one’s blog is 100% original but everyone’s voices are different so there are blogs that I love to read because I love the writer, and I love the passion that they show for what they are writing. They are fun and interesting to read and they inspire me to get better and better in my blog.

So I decided to do a feature (inspired by Megan at the Nerdy Girlie’s Geek Girls Gab), where I profile the bloggers that I love. Not only do I get to find out more about them, but I also get to share them with you guys! Most of the bloggers that I follow are like me, nerd girls, fan girls and they enjoy the same things as me, and you! Every blogger that I profile is one that is super important to me and I urge you to check them out!

If you are interested in being featured on the Blogger Spotlight, feel free to contact me, please! I would love to hear from you, to feature you on the blog and to help spread the word about it!

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This week’s blogger is Jade from Dhampirs and Dragomirs.

You Can Find Her At:

Blog Twitter

Blog Facebook

Blog Tumblr

Personal Twitter

Sara: Tell me a Little Bit About Yourself:

Jade: My name’s Jade and I’m an 18 year old girl living in Los Angeles. I’m pursing an acting career, so right now am on sets most of the days of the week doing background work on various thing to make money while going out on auditions and doing short films and taking classes. I’m currently on a YouTube series called Teens React. I love going to concerts, specifically Paramore who I’ve seen 23 times live, and watching Netflix and reading a lot in my spare time, and lots of times putting off other things to finish a good book haha.

Sara: Tell me about your blog:

Jade: I run a Vampire Academy fansite called Dhampirs and Dragomirs, the name comes from the race of half human half vampires, called Dhampirs, and one of the main characters, Lissa Dragomir, last name. It’s dedicated to getting all the latest news and information on the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines book series by Richelle Mead, and news on the movie of Vampire Academy coming out Valentines Day next year. There are also gonna be many contests to win VA swag, and a forum board coming soon. On the website you can find out about all the different books in the series, events of the cast and author coming up, the cast of the movie, and much more.

Jade at the Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Los Angeles Premiere. This is where we met!

Sara: What inspired you to start your blog?

Jade: I was inspired to start my blog after I went to the Mortal Instruments Los Angeles premiere and talked to quite a lot of fansites for it, and heard all the amazing stories, connections, and more they had all had. I had thought about starting a website for a while, but I wasn’t sure what for. I had seen there weren’t really many Vampire Academy fansites, and it’s my all time favorite book series, and I love and have so much passion for this world, and then especially with the movie coming out, I finally decided to just do it. :)

Sara: What is your favorite nerd memory?

Jade: Oh god, this is a hard one. Are nerd and fangirl considered the same? Haha. I guess my favorite nerd memory is that for the past couple years I go to the Festival of Books every year to meet some of my favorite authors, go to panels, get books signed, and of course buy books. I always have a great time going, and I first met Richelle Mead a few years ago there and was freaking out when I found out she was gonna be there and had an amazing time meeting her!

Jade and Vampire Academy author, Richelle Mead!

Sara: What are you most looking forward to, as far as new books/movies/etc?

Jade: Um, obviously the Vampire Academy movie!! You have no clue how long I’ve been waiting for it to be made, and now it’s finished shooting and I just have to stick it out till February to see it! Also really looking forward to The Fault In Our Stars, Catching Fire, Divergent, and American Hustle to come out. I’m loving American Horror Story:Coven and Once Upon A Time right now, and can’t wait for The Carrie Diaries to come back on (I never even watched Sex and the City but I LOVE this show, no guilt haha). Book wise obviously The Fiery Heart in the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead, Allegiant by Veronica Roth, Cress from the Lunar chronicles by Marissa Meyer, Dreams of Gods and Monsters from the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor, Ignite Me from the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi, and many more but I just can’t think of them right now! I’m excited for WonderCon next year, and of course the Festival of Books again, and am hoping to attend ComicCon too!

Sara: As my blog is mostly about books and reading, what are some of your favorite books or authors to read?

Jade: Well obviously all the authors of the books I mentioned above, and of course Richelle Mead. Her adult books are also fantastic, Gameboard of The Gods was amazing and so is her Dark Swan series, so if you like her YA stuff definitely check that out. I love all of Ellen Hopkin’s book, they are all written in a really cool way, kind of like poems, and are phenomenal contemporary stories. Diana Peterfreund, just finished For Darkness Shows the Stars and it was beautiful, also her killer Unicorn series I adored (yes you heard right, killer unicorns haha.) Rachel Caine’s The Morganville Vampire series, Jodi Meadows, all of Cassandra Clares books, The Hunger Games, Brodi Ashton, Lauren Destafano, Carrie Ryan, Deb Caletti, Jeri-Smith Ready…..and so many more. If you really want to see all my favorite books and authors it might be easier to just go on my goodreads and look lol. (Check out Jade’s GoodReads here).

Sara: What are some of your favorite blogs to follow?

Jade: Ahh I actually don’t follow many blogs, I know I know shame on me! But of course the wonderful What a Nerd girl says and I love Krys from Biblopunkk! She writes great reviews and has turned me on to many amazing books/series I would’ve never known about if it wasn’t for her. She’s basically my book filter since we have very similar tastes in books, anything she gives a 4 or a 5 I put it on my list, and anything below I’m cautious of. She also always hosts great ARC giveaways, and I recently won one! So go check her out! Ahh I actually don’t follow many blogs, I know I know shame on me! But of course the wonderful What a Nerd girl says and I love Krys from Biblopunkk! She writes great reviews and has turned me on to many amazing books/series I would’ve never known about if it wasn’t for her. She’s basically my book filter since we have very similar tastes in books, anything she gives a 4 or a 5 I put it on my list, and anything below I’m cautious of. She also always hosts great ARC giveaways, and I recently won one! So go check her out!

Sara: Who is your fictional crush (what, we’re nerd girls, we all have one!)

Jade: Dimitri Belikov and Adrian Ivashkov from the Vampire Academy series (so excited to see Danila bring my sexy Russian to life!), Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments, Shane Collins from The Morganville Vampires, Cole from Everneath, Augustus Waters from The Fault In Our Stars, Logan Keely from Shade, Peeta from The Hunger Games, and Tate Langdon from American Horror Story (not the psycho Tate, the sweet and loving Tate haha).

Jade and the band, Paramore. She’s seen the 23 times and has a tattoo!

* * * * *

I hope you all enjoyed getting to know Jade and that you are able to go and check out her Vampire Academy fansite. I just recently started reading those books, and became a fan instantly, and I am so stoked that she started such a cool site.

I’m looking for more awesome bloggers to feature, so if there’s a blog that you enjoy to read, let me know and I’ll contact them.

Happy Monday everyone!

Fandom Friday – Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu

October 11, 2013April 3, 2020Leave a comment

Its been awhile since there’s been a Fandom Friday up on this blog. Mostly because I’ve just been so busy. Its about mid way through the semester, and I’m trying to work on my novel, and I’m reading a TON so keeping up with those reviews is difficult but I want to keep doing this, and now that I have my three LOVELY contributors (Kat, Clarissa and Christina Marie), I’m feeling good.

For those of you who are new, or may not be familiar with the Fandom Friday, its basically this: every Friday (I try, I do), myself or a guest blogger will feature a fandom. See, I remember I was teasing someone about a book series they liked because I thought it was just downright awful. Then I remember someone doing the exact same thing to me about a book series that means a lot to me.

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Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson Book Review

October 11, 2013October 11, 20131 Comment

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

You Can Find the Book At:

GoodReads Summary:

There are no heroes.

Ten years ago, abortion Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics.

But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

Nobody fights the Epics… nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, help they spend their lives studying Epics, about it finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David’s been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

He’s seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge..

My Review:

I do have to say one thing that really bothered me about the novel, and its this: what on earth is Calamity? I mean, we briefly get told that it appears in the sky, and then the Epics come but other than that, it just really confused me. Especially when David would look up into the sky and see Calamity and I’m just like, okay, but what IS it? Is it a space ship? Is it a big ball of…something? Maybe this is a question that is going to be answered in the second book (which is titled Firefight, and is due sometime in fall of 2014), but it was something that drove me nuts. Like I said, maybe this was done on purpose, to increase the mysterious of Calamity and the Epics and where they came from, and how they got the way they did, etc, and in that case, I applaud it immensely because that left me feeling incredibly confused.

That being said, I thought this was an interesting take on the idea of superheroes. When I read Brandon’s acknowledgements in the back of the book, and how it was a story idea that he had for awhile, but he never wrote, and he put aside other ideas to focus on this, I thought that was kind of interesting. The premise of this story grabs at you, and I can imagine as the writer to come up with it, it had to be extremely compelling and probably a little irritating to have that story in your head, begging to be written.

The thing is, the idea of people with powers that abuse their powers isn’t anything that new. But the idea that they go around giving themselves names, and identities, like Steelheart or Firefight is just sickening when you realize all the terrible things they do. Its like watching Batman and Superman and Spiderman using their powers to take us over. Its just freaky. I don’t know why but the idea that they name themselves like superheroes just freaks me out. It makes them seem even more demented and cruel.

Because they are so CRUEL. They don’t even really work together as villains either. They’re completely driven by power and greed, and they take each other out in the quest for more power. They use each other, and abuse each other. And Steelheart is almost the worst of them all. He is in power over a city that really has it so much better than others. They’re fed, educated, they have electricity. They aren’t exactly happy but they’re so much better off than others. Its like, just because a tyrant takes care of you, doesn’t mean that tyrant is right, and David and the people he meets through the course of this novel, really see that, and even though its so unlikely and its so little against so many, they’re determined to take Steelheart down.

And the story is addicting the entire time. The people in this novel are action people. They’re intelligent and ready and determined and so while they plan, they also are people of action, and the action keeps you gripping your book the entire time because you honestly have no idea how anything is going to turn out. These are smart and well prepared people but you never know when things are going to go wrong. Honestly, this book would make an absolutely incredible movie. Between the drama, the tension, the planning and the action, it would make a seriously amazing movie.

Oh, the cliffhanger? Thanks Brandon Sanderson. Thanks for having a nice big reveal and then just leaving us hanging here! I can’t be the only one who is now anxiously waiting for Fall 2014, and all the amazing that is going to come with that.

Rating:

4 out of 5 stars