Tuesday Top Ten – Books I Want to Be Under My Christmas Tree!

December 8, 2015December 9, 20151 Comment

It’s almost Christmas! It definitely feels like Christmas time. The red cups are out at Starbucks. The Christmas music is playing. There’s a slight breeze blowing in California. You know, more about typical Christmas time.

And the best part about Christmas – you know beside the whole spending time with your family thing, cialis 40mg I guess lol – is presents!

I’m kidding. Mostly.

But I thought it would be fun to make this week’s Tuesday Top Ten a sort of wish list. The one thing that I want the most under my Christmas tree every year is a huge stack of books. So here are the top ten that I wish would appear under my tree this year.

For the Record by Charlotte Huang

I honestly hadn’t even heard of this book until my dear friend Stephanie mentioned that she was friends with the author and that everyone should read it. I liked the title and the cover, case so I immediately looked it up. And it sounds absolutely amazing. The premise is great, I love the idea of mixing music and love and all of that. I honestly think its going to be a great read so I really want to get this book in my hands.

The Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare – New Editions

Okay, so I already have these books. I already have multiple copies of a lot of these books. But I absolutely am in love with these covers and I really want these box sets in my life. I am so so in love with these covers. Don’t ask me what I would do with all these extra copies because I’m running out of room but I really do want them…

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

This book has been out for awhile and I had it for awhile, through the library, but I couldn’t make myself read it. Not because it isn’t good because its Libba Bray, so of course its good. But I’m in such a slump and I really feel like if I have my own, physical copy, it’ll help. I love Evie and I really want to continue to read her story into this book so hopefully I can get this gorgeous thing in my hands soon.

Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

I both super super want this and also super want to avoid it at the same time. I want to read it because its sports and its BASEBALL and its romance and all of that sounds so awesome and the love interest sounds fantastic. I also don’t want to read it because I’m writing my own baseball romances right now so I don’t want to be influenced by others. But it just sounds SO good, and it IS YA…I want it. I don’t know when I’ll read it but I definitely want to read it.

The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Why do I want this book? Because its Huntley Fitzpatrick and she writes so well and her romances are so damn good. I’ve been wanting my hands on this baby for months and for some reason, I haven’t bought it yet so maybe this one will make its way under my Christmas tree. Plus its a companion to the first book I read by her so it makes it even better.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

All I’ve heard are amazing things about this book and I just want to make this happen already. I tried to get it from the library but I’m, like, 27th on the waiting list and I’m just not down for that. So I need this, physical copy, in my hands so I can finally read it. It sounds fun and exciting and awesome.

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

This is the first of this series that I have not jumped on automatically. So obviously I need this in my life. Because I’m constantly reading YA books, I’m not quite used to buying adult books, which means when a book is 25 dollars, my wallet kind of wants to cry. But these Cormoran Strike novels are SO damn good and I’m sad that I haven’t had a chance to dive into this book yet!

The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman

I’ve seen this book. Haven’t read it yet but I flipped through it one day at Barnes and Noble and its just absolutely gorgeous. Nail Gaiman is an incredible writer and I really need this book in my life. Its just SO beautiful and I really need this. Plus its Neil! Ugh. Neil just makes me happy in whatever book he writes.

Stay With Me by Jennifer L Armentrout

Mostly because I don’t have it. I literally have every other book in this collection and I don’t have this one. Which makes no sense whatsoever…I feel like I bought these books completely out of order haha. So yeah, having this book under my tree would just make me happy because my Wait for You collection would be complete.

The Fidelity Files by Jessica Brody

I have read every single book by Jessica Brody. Except her adult series. And the drives me absolutely insane. One, because she’s an absolutely fantastic writer and two, she’s my friend and I feel like a fail. I’ve had such a hard time finding this book so I really wish I could wake up to find this underneath my Christmas tree. It just SOUNDS like it would be a great book too. One day, one day…

*****

What are some of the books you hope are under your Christmas tree this year? Share in the comments!

Tuesday Top Ten: Favorite Fictional Book Couples!

February 10, 20152 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Well, online almost. But its nearly there and to celebrate, price this week’s Tuesday Top Ten is getting a little romantic. Now, I know this is a post that I’ve already done but that was QUITE a long time ago and I’ve read so many books since then…its hard to narrow it down!

However, my poor sentimental heart was finally able to do so and I present to you my top ten favorite fictional book couples!

10. William Herondale and Tessa Gray from The Infernal Devices Series

Will and Tessa have one of those romances that, if it actually existed in real life, you’d be torn between being massively jealous and also massively apt to throwing up all the time. Its incredibly beautiful, tragic, deep, genuine, intense. Its one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve read and what makes it even more beautiful is the love that the two of them share with Jem as well. Its just…amazingly written. It should be a love triangle but it doesn’t feel that way because the three of them love each other so much. Plus, there’s just something amazing about their love of books and how their love of words bring them together, and how they fight alongside each other…sigh.

9. Cara and Aelyx from The Alienated Series

This is one of my newest favorite couples to come into my life, just this past summer. I met Melissa at ALA and got an ARC of Invaded and knew I had to read the first one and I am SO glad I did! This two part series is AWESOME and I’m massively in love with Cara and Aelyx and their story. What makes it so great is how annoyed and disgusted (especially on Aelyx’s part) they are with each other and how it slowly builds to something else. I love how they figure things out. I mean, Aelyx GOOGLES how to kiss. Its silly and sweet and intense and I love every single moment of it.

8. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games Series

DUH. I know its cheesy and so completely unrealistic as far as fictional relationships work out but I still love every minute of it. Because despite everything that their world throws at them, they still make it through. I tend to like Gale more as a character but I love Peeta more for Katniss and I think its because they balance each other out SO much. Plus its kind of bittersweet how they work so hard to protect each other and it always seems to fail but they never ever give up on it. I don’t like the conclusion, so to speak, of their relationship, I don’t think it makes sense with the characters at all but I love their relationship.

7. Four and Tris from the Divergent Series

This is one relationship that I love, not just because I’m absolutely obsessed with this series but because it turns out to be completely opposite of what you expect. When you meet Tris, she’s unsure, unconfident, struggling to figure out who she is, while Four seems strong, confident, sure. But the closer they get to each other, the more you realize that its Tris that helps Four, brings him out, makes him a better person. He relies on her, looks into her for strength and I love that. I think its better when a couple is equal but I love seeing that a female character can be seen as the strength in a relationship.

6. Aly and Nawat from The Tricksters Series

This is one of my favorite relationships, so easily because it is one of the most unique ones I’ve come across in any book. Aly is a born noble girl, trained in the ways of a noble lady but also the fighting and stealth of a common born spy. She’s kidnapped and sold into slavery for a wealthy family in an enemy kingdom. She meets Nawat, who is a crow turned man. They each have their own journey to take, though they are inevitably intertwined with each other, and what I love is that they each do the things they need to do before they came together. Its beautiful. It really shows…you don’t need a guy to get where you need to be, and that a really great guy will be there, even if you can’t be there yourself.

5. Levi and Cath from Fangirl

Okay, I love this relationship because I want this relationship. Seriously. I want this relationship so bad. I love 1-4 so badly on this list but if I had to choose a relationship that I genuinely wanted more than anything…it would be this one. I think a lot of that comes from the fact that I feel very connected to Cath. She feels like me in so so many ways and I can understand her fears and her concerns and her anxiety and her struggle to become close with people because she’s afraid they can’t handle who she is. But Levi comes in and just loves her, for every single thing that she is. And he’s a goofball, which I just love, and he just is so genuine and real and I love everything about their relationship. This is relationship goals.

4. Rose Hathaway and Dimitri Belikov from The Vampire Academy Series

I want to be Rose Hathaway. Or I want to be with her. I can’t really figure it out. Maybe both. That’s kind of weird ;) Either way, the Vampire Academy series is one of my favorites ever and I love that it takes legitimately all six books for Rose and Dimitri to get where you finally wish them to be. Their relationship is SO tragic BUT neither one of the characters are tragic. They always focus on their job as dhampirs, as guardians and getting the job done, and that’s why they’re one of my favorite relationships. They are awesome together, but as more than a couple, as a team.

3. Adrian Ivashkov and Sydney Sage from the Bloodlines Series

When I first started reading the Bloodlines series, it was clear that the couple that would come out of this series was Adrian and Sydney. Having met and fallen in love with both of those characters in the VA series, I was so confused on how these two would even WORK. But as the series continued and you watched them fall in love with each other, I was panting alongside everyone else. I just finished the finale book, The Ruby Circle, today, release day and I won’t say much because of spoilers but I’m so happy with this relationship. They both changed from book one to book six and they did it together. They were equals from beginning to end and I love that. They rely on each other and they save each other and I ship it so hard.

2. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger from The Harry Potter Series

All you haters can sit down and shut up. Everyone says that Ron doesn’t deserve Hermione and all that junk. I myself read way too much Dramione fan fiction, admittedly. But this is one of my favorite couples because I think they work together. They are different, but I think that’s what makes them work. Ron loves Hermione, even though she’s much smarter than him and is constantly berating him and all that kind of thing. Hermione loves Ron, even though he can be selfish and unthinking. Love, real love, is about accepting each other’s flaws and still loving each other anyway. Of course there’s a limit to that but I think Ron and Hermione are the example of a perfect imperfect relationship. Relationships aren’t beautiful and amazing and all that. They take work and they don’t always go the way its planned and that’s exactly what this relationship is.

1. Jace Lightwood and Clary Fray from The Mortal Instruments Series

They continue to be my favorite couple and I think that’s because of when I read the book. You want to talk about an overdramatic, tragic story of a relationship? This is it right here. Book One: Jace can’t admit he has feelings. Finally kind of does…oops, him and Clary are brother and sister. Or wait they’re not brother and sister. Oh, wait, he’s being possessed by Lilith, oh, wait, now by the real Jonathan Morgenstern. I mean, seriously. Its the most dramatic relationship that takes place over a period of, like, five months. But I love both of these characters. I love the way they fall in love, I love the way they balance each other out, I love the way they eventually fight together, I love every single bit of them. And that is not going to change.

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Who are some of YOUR favorite book couples? Make sure to share in the comments!

Fictional Crush of the Week-Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices

January 11, 20147 Comments

As a reminder, capsule since someone complained last week haha, ailment ALL Fictional Crushes of the Week will have spoilers. If you would like me to share this warning every week, diagnosis I can.

Character Name:

Will Herondale

Book or Series They Appear In:

The Infernal Devices

Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Princess

Author/Creator:

Cassandra Clare

Played By:

No One…Yet

Who They Are:

William ‘Will’ Herondale is one of the main characters of Cassandra Clare’s Victorian steampunk series, The Infernal Devices. In the first novel, he is cruel, cutting but as time goes on, we learn that he is the victim of a demon’s curse, that everyone whom loves him will die. He is cruel in order to keep others away from him, but he also is very caring to his best friend and parabatai, Jem Carstairs, and has a wicked sense of humor. When we learn that the curse is not real, and he is able to finally stop pushing people away, we learn of the incredible loyalty and kindness he possesses. He’s a natural Shadowhunter, a fierce and talented fighter. He is willing to do anything to protect those he loves, especially Tessa and Jem.

Why I Am Crushing On Them:

I’ve gotta admit, when I read Clockwork Angel, I was like…Jace Wayland is a jerk but Will Herondale blows him out of the water. Wth. I was on Jem for sure. But then I read Clockwork Prince and realized why Will was the way he was…and that was it for me. I switched SO fast.

The fact is…Will Herondale is an amazing person. He’s an amazing character. He’s amazing in that…I can’t imagine that there is an actual person like this. The loyalty and love that he shows to his friends and to the people who become his family is absolutely beautiful. He is such a large part of why Clockwork Princess is so freakin beautiful. He has that bad boy, sarcasm and wicked sense of humor. Its obviously that he is an ancestor of Jace Wayland easily.

But he also has things that Jace doesn’t have (though Jace will always be my first love). Its HARD for him not to show the love he has for other people, and he only hides it for their safety, to keep them from dying. When they all realize the curse was never real, and he can show it, its awesome. He loves every one in the Institute: Charlotte and Henry, who have helped to raise him, Sophie, Tessa, Jem, even Jessamine a bit. The amount of love and affection he shows for everyone is incredible and to just be his friend would be an honor.

But he also makes me laugh. He always has the most ridiculous things to say, and he’s afraid of ducks, and he’s capable of making everyone, including you the reader, roll their eyes on almost every page, because of the silly things he says.

Plus he has the amazing combination of dark hair and blue eyes, and he’s a Shadowhunter, for heavens sake. He fights demons, he protects the world (well, London anyhow), and he’s amazing at it. He’s a fantastic fighter, he’s extremely brave, and he’s essential to the team at the London Institute. And who wouldn’t want a Shadowhunter for a boyfriend? ;)

Notable Quotes:

“They ate it too,” Will reminisced. “Bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck.”

“Thomas! We must away at once to the nearest brothel. I seek scandal and low companionship.”

“We live and breathe words. It was books that kept me from taking my own life after I thought I could never love anyone, never be loved again. It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them.”

“You are the first dream, the only dream I ever was unable to stop myself from dreaming. You are the first dream of my soul, and from that dream I hope will come all other dreams, a lifetime’s worth.”

“I love you, and I will only ever love you until I die —”

“He wanted to make her laugh. He wanted to sit and listen to her talk about books until his ears fell off. But all these were things he could not want, because they were things he could not have, and wanting what you could not have led to misery and madness.”

I could go on forever and ever and ever but I had to stop myself haha.

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Tune in next week for another Fictional Crush :)

Exclusive Interview with Jewelry Designer Viviane Hebel!

October 5, 2013October 4, 20131 Comment

Its not hard to be part of the fan girl world, prescription and not run into the awesome and talented, Viviane Hebel.

Vivi Hebel runs her own business, Hebel Design, which specializes in handcrafted jewelry based on your favorite novel series like the Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, the Curse Workers and Faerie stories by Holly Black, Unremembered by Jessica Brody, the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout and SO many more.

The first I heard of Vivi and Hebel Design is when I met Cassandra Clare back in March, and interviewed. As a gift, Cassie gave me a clockwork angel necklace, that I wear SO often. Almost exactly a month later, I met Vivi at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books when she pointed out that I was wearing her necklace. I’ve been addicted to her stuff ever since. Her family rings, rune bookmarks, and jewelry for all books are just TOO beautiful.

She’s also been featured in Huffington Post, Epic Reads, The Examiner and more!

So, of course, I had to try and get her on this blog, with an interview and I’m really excited to bring her to you guys today!

Sara: How did you get into jewelry making and jewelry design? What sort of skills did you have to learn?

Viviane: I went to college for integral design-graphic, textile and industrial. So I had my base in materials and methods. I’ve always been more interested in 3D than 2D work so it was more of an evolution for me. Some 10 years ago, I took classes in silversmithing and so it began.

Sara: How did you get involved with all these authors like Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Leigh Bardugo, Sarah Rees Brennan, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Anna Banks, Jessica Brody, etc?

Viviane: I read Cassandra Clare’s 3 first books from TMI, what was published so far, and fell in love with the world and the Runes. I had some kind of vision and did some research before I contacted her to present my idea. There’s always been a market for movie props and replicas so I thought fans of the books would like them too. It’s been an evolving thing since then I thought of expanding to other series. So the process is the same, contacting the author and proposing my ideas. Since I’ve been in business for a bit, sometimes authors come to me with their ideas.

Sara: Where do you get your inspiration from? Do you read the books to design these pieces, or do the authors ask for something specific?

Viviane: I always like to read the book first, to get the whole context. Whenever there’s a new book in the series that is not available to read yet I have to rely on author’s descriptions. Then I try to get details of when, where, why, who…and so on.

Sara: What is your favorite part about having this business?

Viviane: Being able to create an actual piece that an author just conjured in her head. Sometimes it’s a real challenge to go from imagination to reality, I like those the most.

Sara: Was having a jewelry making business always something you had wanted to do, or did you have other career aspirations?

Viviane: As I said, its been an evolution as a designer. I like looking for new things to do. Jewelry has been the longest one so far, so many possibilities.

Sara: What is the process like when making a piece for your business?

Viviane: First, I need to visualize how it would look more or less, then sketches and possible materials. Making samples and prototypes, sometimes it stops there, sometimes production of molds and such.

Sara: What are some of your favorite books to read, movies to watch and bands to listen to?

Viviane: The list is super long. I am a big fan of fantasy, paranormal and science fiction. In movies too, I like animated movies a lot! I just love their attention to detail. Music is very eclectic, if you looked at my playlist, it has all kinds of old and new, from pop to rock to latin, country, new age. All time favorites that I never get tired of are James Taylor and Prince…Goo Goo Dolls, see a pattern here? Not really.

Sara: What are some of your favorite book-related pieces that you have designed?

Viviane: The ones that have been more of a challenge. The Clockwork Angel, the Morozova Collar, the Family rings. The Midnight Flower just came up in my head and it actually came out like I imagined. Not always it happens like that. I also like when I can reproduce exactly what’s described in a book, like the turquoise necklace. I love the new Lynburn hands.

Sara: Do you have any pieces, or new collaborating authors that we can look forward to?

Viviane: There’s always new stuff in the works…just to keep the interest up!

Sara: I ask this to all my interviewees, who is your fictional crush?

Viviane: You’re allowed to have more than one, right? Rhett Butler, as a classic, growing up. Will Herondale tops this list, but there’s so many more, I could actually embarrass myself.

* * * * *

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Viviane, and that you are able to head to her website, and check out her awesome work. I seriously want EVERYTHING, especially a stele pen and the Lightwood family ring. Her stuff is awesome.

All pictures are courtesy of HebelDesign.com

Exclusive Interview with Artist Cassandra Jean!

September 29, 2013September 29, 2013Leave a comment

I am very pleased to share this interview with you today. As a huge Shadowhunter Chronicles fan, case I have enjoyed the artwork that Cassandra Jean has produced for the fandom, and am excited about the new things coming, like the calendars and The Secret Treason graphic novel.

For those of you who don’t know, Cassandra Jean is an artist. She works on many things, like original graphic novels, and does artwork for other YA novels, like Beautiful Creatures, The Lynburn Legacy, Shades of London and The Raven Boys. You can check out her website, and her artwork, here.

Cassandra Jean became known to me when she started doing the artwork for the Shadowhunter tarot card series.

Here are some examples:

There are SO many more of these, and you should check them out, because they are SO cool.

After this, I decided to check out Cassandra’s website, where she does a multitude of artwork, all of it so talented and beautiful. I enjoy any time she does work, and especially when its from the Shadowhunter Chronicles. Occasionally she does “sneak peek” or “spoiler” work for City of Heavenly Fire, or to celebrate a holiday and such.

Just recently, she unveiled the Men of the Shadowhunter Chronicles calendar, featuring all of our favorite hotties from the series. You can see all those by clicking here.

Now, I’ve had the awesome opportunity to interview the lovely Cassandra. Enjoy!

Sara: What is your background in art? When did it become something that you were really passionate about?

Cassandra: I’ve pretty much always wanted to be an artist since I was a child. I think there might have been a year in elementary school where I considered being a veterinarian (animals!) but that didn’t last long. I have always wanted to draw. I come from an artistic family so they’ve been a big influence on me and have always encouraged my artistic side. My mother writes, my father paints, my grandparents were art teachers, photographers, writers, seamstresses… so, yeah, I’ve basically always been into art. I majored in Illustration in college and started working on graphic novels straight out of school.

Sara: How did you get involved with doing artwork for Cassandra Clare and the Shadowhunter Chronicles?

Cassandra: Through my fanart actually! She liked a drawing I had done of Will Herondale and approached me about working on the Shadowhunter Codex. I said YES (of course!) and the rest is history! Since then I’ve had the pleasure of illustrating a lot of things for her, she’s so much fun.

Sara: How do you approach a piece of artwork based on something that has already been written?

Cassandra: Working on something that someone else has written is a lot different from creating your own story from scratch. While working on an original artwork, you are using a character who is unknown and you have complete control over who they are and how they look. But while working on something that has already been written, you’re interpreting something that already exists. Neither one or the other is better, but both processes have their own pros and cons. When I work on something already written, I get to skip the whole script writing stage! But, there is a lot of pressure to get things right. Because these are characters that people have already read about and fallen in love with, and the fans will notice if you mess something up. So in order to get things right, I read the book, and while reading, I take careful notes about the characters. I write down their names, their family, their appearances (hair, eyes, facial structure, fashion sense, quirks, habits, etc) so that when I draw them later, I can consult my notes.

Sara: So many people know you as the artist behind the Shadowhunter tarot cards, the City of Heavenly Fire sneak peeks and now the Shadowhunter Men calendar, but what other art do you do?

Cassandra: Well! At the moment my life is pretty Shadowhunter-ed up! But I work as an illustrator for YenPress. I’ve done the graphic novel adaptations of “Beautiful Creatures” and “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” and a short comic titled “Something Wikkid”. And I have more books lined up!

Sara: What is your process like? What sort of mediums do you use?

Cassandra: I work almost entirely on a computer. Sometimes when I’m sketching up thumbnails for comic pages or trying to decide on the layout for an illustration I will use pencil and paper, but most all of my process is done on the computer these days. I use a tablet so that I can draw digitally into programs like SAI and photoshop.

Sara: What is sort of your goal when you are doing a piece of work? How do you work to capture the essence of a character?

Cassandra: Uhm… hard question! Well, I read the book first and foremost. Since that’s the best way to get to know a character. When I draw them, I try to keep in mind their personality. If they are sexy and flirty, or shy, or quiet and moody. Our personalities, and the character’s personalities, effect how they dress or how I would pose them. Often when I draw a picture I try to focus on the overall mood. Like if I’m in the mood to draw something sad, or happy, or sweet. Then I try to pick characters to draw that suit the mood I’m in. It seems to work out more naturally that way.

Sara: You’ve worked on so many different projects besides The Mortal Instruments like mangas, and Beautiful Creatures and Raven Boys artwork. Are there ever any challenges in doing so many different things or do you like the challenge of that?

Cassandra: I like the challenge. In fact, I kind of need it. No matter how much I love something, I can get exhausted drawing it over and over without any variety. That’s the sort of thing that can send me into a slump. So that’s why I draw so many different subjects. It’s refreshing, and I feel like it keeps me on my toes. Especially when it comes to comics. A comic can take me 8-9 months to finish, and every page is filled with tons of drawings of the same characters. So working on a variety of fanart and projects at the same time prevents me from falling into a rut.

Sara: What are some projects that you’ve worked on that some people don’t know about but you’d really like them to?

Cassandra: I used to illustrate an online comic called Land of Lions! I haven’t been able to work on it for several years now, since Yen Press started hiring me for work, and these days I’ve improved a lot so the artwork in it is a bit old. But I’m still pretty proud of what I did with it. If people were interested I’d be flattered if they took a look at it. It’s up on a website called MangaMagazine.net In fact that website has a lot of awesome stuff you should check it out some time if you’re interested in reading original works online.

Sara: What are some of your hobbies besides artwork? Do you read, and have you read the books that you’ve done the artwork for?

Cassandra: Art kind of eats up my life. It’s my work AND my hobby. But I do read a lot too. I have of course read all the books I’ve done artwork for. I try not to draw characters for things I haven’t read because I think that if I didn’t, they wouldn’t turn out right. I wouldn’t have a very good grasp on what the characters looked like, how they acted or dressed… (with the exception of the Dark Artifices and TLH which have not been written yet, but Cassandra describes the characters to me in detail so that I get them right) So yeah! All the series I’ve done drawings of, I’ve read, and I’ve read plenty that I haven’t done art for either, sometimes I like to just read. I also play a lot of video games when I get the chance. And rearranging my book shelves. Does that count as a hobby? Because I love doing that.

Sara: What are you working on now and what can we expect from you in the future?

Cassandra: Lately, I’ve been trying to slowly hash out an original story that I’d like to illustrate. But I think it will be quite some time before that’s ready to show off. I’m also drawing the Shadowhunter Calendars still.You can also expect the “Miss Peregrine” graphic novel to be in stores in October along with the Shadowhunter Codex (some of my illustrations are in there, though I haven’t seen the book yet myself so I’m not sure which ones made the cut!) Also the next book I’m working on, which was leaked a few days ago, is The Secret Treasons with Cassandra Clare. So please look forward to it!

Sara: What can you tell us about The Secret Treasons, and what and when can we expect that?

Cassandra: I can’t tell you much about it other than what you already know. It follows Valentine and the Circle back in their younger days. I’m looking forward to drawing not only the younger versions of Valentine, Jocelyn and Luke, but also drawing the characters that we never got to meet in the books because they had already passed away. Stephen, Michael… I’m so excited about working on a Shadowhunter comic. Hopefully soon, the publisher (Yen Press) will release more information about it for you guys to feast on.

Sara: A nice little fun question that I ask all the people I interview: who is your fictional crush?

Cassandra: Crush? As in just one? UH…Ragnor Fell! My big cranky green lima bean. What’s that? No, he’s not dead! He’s just…hibernating!! [sound of gross sobbing in the distance]

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I hope you all enjoyed this interview with this awesome, awesome artist and super cool person. This was a super fun interview to do, and Cassandra had a lot of new stuff to share with us all.

I hope you all will check her out. You can find her at:

Her Website

Her Tumblr

Her Deviant Art Site

Her Twitter

Happy Reading everyone!

Men of Shadowhunter Chronicles Calendar!

September 28, 2013September 27, 20131 Comment

Now, viagra buy as if Cassandra Jean, couldn’t get any cooler than she already is, a Shadowhunter Men calendar for 2014 was announced.

For those of you who don’t know, Cassandra Jean is an artist, most known for her Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices fan art. She also does work for original graphic novels, and other YA works like Beautiful Creatures and The Raven Boys. She did a set of tarot cards using the characters from the various Shadowhunter series: The Infernal Devices, the mysterious TLH, The Mortal Instruments, and The Dark Artifices.

So when I found out there would be a calendar, featuring all the steamy men of these series, done in the brilliant artwork of Cassandra Jean, I was SO excited!

Here are the art pieces for each month!

January 2014: Featuring James “Jem” Carstairs of the Infernal Devices trilogy

February 2014: Featuring Magnus Bane and Alexander “Alec” Lightwood of the Mortal Instruments series celebrating Valentine’s Day

March 2014: Featuring William “Will” Herondale from the Infernal Devices trilogy

Hubba Hubba

April 2014: Featuring Matthew Fairchild of TLH, the parabatai of James Herondale.

May 2014: Featuring Jaime Rosales of the Dark Artifices trilogy

June 2014: Featuring Jace Wayland Morgenstern Herondale Lightwood (depending on what you call him) of The Mortal Instruments series.

I call him Jace Lightwood. I can do that because I’m so marrying him. Sigh <3

July 2014: Featuring Julian Blackthorn of The Dark Artifices trilogy

August 2014: Featuring Mark Blackthorn of The Dark Artifices trilogy, brother to Julian.

I think I’m going to really like Mark…

September 2014: Featuring Simon Lewis of The Mortal Instruments series.

Can I just say, the fact that his shirt references the Oregon Trail game is just too hilarious for life?

October 2014: Featuring Raphael Santiago of The Mortal Instruments series, looking very creepy for Halloween haha.

November 2014: Featuring James Herondale of TLH

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Aren’t all those pictures absolutely amazing? AND super steamy and hot. I don’t know about you ladies but I’m pretty excited about those Will Herondale and Jace Lightwood months…

And I know what you’re wondering, where’s December! December is going to be a GROUP picture, and its coming soon. Even better news, there will be a GIRL character calendar as well.

I am so excited!

And a little surprise for you all, I have an exclusive interview with the artist herself coming tomorrow!

What do you guys think of the Shadowhunter Calendar artwork? Which ones are your favorites? As always, share in the comments!