Interview: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl!

Favorites:
Favorite fictional couple?
Kami: Tristan & Isolde
Margie: Jace & Clary

Favorite color?
Kami: Black
Margie: Why does she get to go first? She says all my answers. *sulks*

Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
Kami: Read & take pictures of my kids.
Margie: Read. Travel. Write. Hang out with my girls.

Favorite band/music artist?

Kami: Favorite Band – Guns & Roses, The White Stripes / Artist – Robert Rauschenberg, Kara Walker

Margie: Regina Spektor, Lily Allen, Ingrid Michaelson, Death Cab for Cutie, Vampire Weekend, the soundtracks to Glee & Spring Awakening.

Favorite book(s)?

Kami: To Kill a Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, Lord of the Flies, I Capture the Castle, The Giver & The Golden Compass.

Margie: TKAM, A Wrinkle in Time, The Dark is Rising, The Chronicles of Chrestomancii, Sunshine, Graceling and Tender is the Night.

Favorite unusual animal?
Kami: Tapir or Marmoset
Margie: My unusually bad beagles, Kirby and Zelda.

Favorite drink?
Kami: Seriously – you know this. Diet Coke.
Margie: *raises can*


Questions about writing:

Why did you decide to write from a boy’s POV?

Kami: We both have brothers, and we wanted readers to experience BC from a boy’s perspective. The magic, the danger, the choices Ethan and Lena face. So few girls get a window into the mind of a guy.

Margie: We also wanted to write about a powerful, mysterious, magical girl, and unravel that secret along with Ethan. And it was interesting to fall for the guy actually telling the story. Ethan is a sweetheart!

After the Beautiful Creatures books, do you think you will write together? Or write books by yourself?

Kami: I hope we’ll do both. We’re world-builders, so we’ll create another universe to work on together. But some day it would also be fun to write some smaller things & work as critique partners, at the same time.

Margie: Which was of course how this all began; we were fans of each other’s writing long before we started collaborating on BC. But we work together so well, I’m sure you’ll see more of us as a team…

How long did it take you to write Beautiful Creatures?

Kami: Twelve weeks.

Margie: It was like a fever dream. It all came rushing out and just sort of took over our lives. It’s still sort of like that. J

What do you do when you get writer’s block?

Kami: This sounds annoying, but we don’t get writer’s block. We LOVE to draft.

Margie: We get revision block!

What made you decide to write about a Southern town?

Kami: Both of our families come from small town, mine from the South and Margie’s from the West. The South has a certain charm and magic about it that you don’t find anywhere else.

Margie: The South is a place where, to us, magic still happens. And pie. And family and community—all of which we wanted for BC.

Questions about the authors:
Why Milk Duds & Popcorn?
Kami: We write about what we like to eat.

Margie: Our friend Kerri introduced us to the combo. You should try it. We’re addicts now.

If you could choose a Caster power what would it be?

Kami: I would be a Cataclyst or a Sybil. I think it would be crazy to be able to control the elements or read people’s faces.

Margie: I would be a Palimpsest. I would love to be able to walk into some old Southern house and see everything that ever had or would happen there.

What are 3 things that most people don’t know about you?

Kami: I love disaster movies and if The Day After Tomorrow is on cable, I literally can’t turn it off. I’m incredibly superstitious.

Margie: I was so shy I didn’t speak to anyone outside of my family until third grade. I can still recite the poem from the front of the Dark is Rising books. I can live entirely on cheese.

Thanks so much Kami & Margie!
(Author Photo Credit goes to Alex Hoerner)

Halloween Costume Contest Winners!

First off I would like to thank everybody who entered! All of your entries made the contest special! :)

And the winners are...

                                                   1st place winner:

 Lisa Heuer as Princess Leia (Best Princess Leia costume I have ever seen!)

2nd Place Winner:

Devyn Burton as "Sprout The Vampire" (This entry made me laugh!)

3rd Place Winner:

Christina as a kitty cat (Cutest entry!!)

Congrats winners, I will be sending out your prizes soon!

-Senfaye

Hold Still Winner!

And the winner of the Hold Still contest is.....


Arielle of B.A.M. Book Reviews!


Congrats Arielle! I am emailing you now!


-Senfaye

Halloween Costume Contest!

Happy Halloween everyone!

I have been meaning to have a contest for a while and I have decided to turn my contest into a costume contest!!!

How to enter:

Send me a picture of you in your Halloween costume to my email address annieluvsmuffin@Gmail.com. I will take entries until November 6th and the winners will be announced November 12th! There will be three winners.

The Prizes:

1^st Place Winner will receive:

- An ARC of As You Wish by Jackson Pearce 

- An audiobook of Swoon by Nina Malkin

- A signed ARC of Prophecy Of The Sisters by Michelle Zink

- A hardcover copy of Darkwood by M.E. Breen

- A Beautiful Creatures bracelet

- A Fairy Tale Bookmark

- A signed Chasing Brooklyn bookmark

- Angel N' Devil duckies

- A rose pin (that actually smells like roses!)

- A signed Prophecy Of The Sisters poster

- A signed Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side bookplate

- A signed Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side bookmark

- A Prophecy Of The Sisters bookmark

- A Beautiful Creatures sticker

- An eyepillow made by Katie Alender (author of Bad Girls Don't Die)

- Halloween stickers

1st place gets 16 prizes!!!

2nd Place Winner will receive: 

- A signed Prophecy Of The Sisters poster

- Angel N' Devil duckies

- A signed Beautiful Creatures bookplate

- Crazy dips (candy)

- An eyepillow made by Katie Alender (author of Bad Girls Don't Die)

- A signed Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side bookmark

- A signed ARC of Secret Society by Tom Dolby

- A signed ARC of Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

2nd place gets 9 prizes!!!

3rd Place Winner will receive:

- A hardcover copy of Radiant Darkness

- An ARC of Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors
- Angel N' Devil duckies

- A signed Chasing Brooklyn bookmark

- A Fairy Tale bookmark

- A signed Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side bookmark

- A Castergirl sticker

- A blowpop

3rd place gets 8 prizes!!

I will have a group of judges help me decide who wins the prizes! ;)

Have fun! And US only, sorry!

-Senfaye

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? #3

Read This Past Week:

Dark Secrets 1 by Elizabeth Chandler

Dawn by Kevin Brooks

Stupid Cupid by Rhonda Stapleton

Currently Reading:

Lips Touch by Laini Taylor

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Bran Hambric: The Farfeld Curse by Kaleb Nation

Little Black Lies by Tish Cohen

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman

To Read This Week:

Finish Lips Touch by Laini Taylor (Going to try to finish it tonight!)

Finish Bran Hambric by Kaleb Nation

Finish Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman

-Senfaye

Princess Bookie Cover Contest!

Here is my contest entry for Princess Bookie's AMAZING 9 ARC contest! 


-Senfaye

24 Hour Read-a-thon Wrap Up Post!

Books Read: Dawn by Kevin Brooks
Books I Got Semi Through: Lips Touch by Laini Taylor (Page 147) and Stupid Cupid by Rhonda Stapleton (Page 124)


I get distracted easily so, if I hadn't gotten distracted I would have done wayyy better!


-Senfaye

24 Hour Read-a-thon Update #1

Books Finished:
Dawn by Kevin Brooks


Goals For This Hour:
- Finish Lips Touch by Laini Taylor (on page 117)


I think I did pretty good. :)


-Senfaye

24 Hour Read-a-thon!

So, I have been planning on doing the 24 hour read-a-thon all week! 


And, I had to try and get up at 5 this morning.. and didn't; I got up at 6. And then I read for an hour, and I was so tired I fell asleep.. so I kind of suck.


Anyway, now that I am up I can start reading again! :D


Goals for this hour: 
- Finish Dawn by Kevin Brooks


-Senfaye
PS I am so sorry Emma that I was not up at 5 like I said I would be! 

Hold Still Contest!

So, Penguin kindly offered to let me give away a hardcover copy of Hold Still by Nina Lacour! 


The book was released yesterday, and I cannot wait to read it!


How to enter:
Leave a comment below with your email address
You must be a follower


Extra Entries:
+1 Link to the contest on twitter, your blog sidebar, or anywhere else and leave a link below. 


This contest is open to the US and Canada only!


It ends on November 1st and the winner will be announced November 2nd!

-Senfaye

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? #2

Read The Past Two Weeks:

Whip It by Shauna Cross

Septimus Heap: The Magykal Papers by Angie Sage

Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Currently Reading:

Lips Touch by Laini Taylor (still!)

Bran Hambric: The Farfeld Curse by Kaleb Nation (still!)

Fire by Kristin Cashore (still!)

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman (still!)

Little Black Lies by Tish Cohen

Dark Secrets 1 by Elizabeth Chandler

To Read This Week:

Finish Bran Hambric: The Farfeld Curse by Kaleb Nation

Finish Lips Touch by Laini Taylor

Finish Dark Secrets 1 by Elizabeth Chandler

                                                                                     

-Senfaye

P.S. Sorry for not posting much, school is taking a lot out of me. Reviews coming later this week or this weekend!                                                                                       

The Tear Collector

Title: The Tear Collector Author: Patrick Jones Publisher: Walker (Bloomsbury) Number Of Pages: 263 Publication Date: September 1st, 2009


Synopsis From Jacket Flap: Between hookups, makeups, and breakups, there isn't a day at Lapeer High School without drama turning into tears. 
And tears are just essential as air for Cassandra Gray. She and her family are vampires who thirst for human sorrow, and the energy that they soak in from a good crying jag can keep them fueled up for days.


Anytime a friend needs a shoulder to cry on, Cass is there. Anytime a boyfriend gets too secure, she breaks his heart. Cass's work as a school peer counselor and hospital volunteer also provides the perfect cover and access to get her family's energy source. But she is getting tired of all the lies and manipulation--especially now that she's actually fallen in love with a human. Can she bear to betray her family for a chance at happiness and a life filled with joy? 


A perfect blend of romance and the supernatural, this unique kind of vampire story will hook readers. 


Review: The Tear Collector was good, certainly not the best book but good. It was different, and intriguing. 


The premise was nothing like I have ever seen before--I mean vampires that need tears instead of blood to survive is very original. My biggest problem was the characters, Cass was just a little cold for my taste, but as the story goes along I liked her better. Cass's family was terrible, and made the book not as good, because they made me so frustrated! Cass is their family and to let her not have happiness is just insane. I know that they are vampires but they could show a little compassion. (Although, I do have a favorite character, Sam! She is really awesome.) 


I did really like the writing though! Patrick Jones is very good at keeping up pace, and there were really no slow parts. I really enjoyed his writing, and I will be reading more of his books in the future. 


Overall, The Tear Collector was a captivating read that had a few problems. 


I recommend this book if you like young adult novels, romance, and the supernatural. 
----------------------------------------------------------

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? #1

Read This Past Week:
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins 
Ash by Malinda Lo
Currently Reading:
Bran Hambric: The Farfeld Curse by Kaleb Nation
Fire by Kristin Cashore
Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor 
Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman
To Read This Week: 
Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
Sleepless by Thomas Fahy
Whip It by Shauna Cross (If it comes this week!)


                                                     
                                              

Books Read In September!

122. School Of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari
123. The Waking: Dreams Of The Dead by Thomas Randall
124. Fade To Blue by Sean Beaudoin
125. The Tear Collector by Patrick Jones
126. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
127. I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter
128. Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
129. Liar by Justine Larbalestier 
130. Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Worm King by Holly Black & Tony Di Terlizzi
131. Tattoo by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 
132. Break by Hannah Moskowitz
133. The Sky Always Hears Me And The Hills Don't Mind by Kirstin Cronn-Mills
134. The Everafter by Amy Huntley


13 books read last month!


-Senfaye
PS I am so sorry for not posting lately, I have been really busy with my school, and other stuff.  

Silver Phoenix Cover, Synopsis, & Trailer!

Synopsis/blurb for Silver Phoenix:
On the day of her first betrothal meeting--and rejection--Ai Ling discovers a power welling deep within her. She can reach into other people's spirits, hear their thoughts, see their dreams...and that's just the beginning.

Ai Ling has been marked by the immortals; her destiny lies in the emperor's palace, where a terrible evil has lived, stealing souls, for centuries. She must conquer this enemy and rescue her captive father, while mythical demons track her every step. And then she meets Chen Yong, a young man with a quest of his own, whose fate is intertwined with hers. Here is a heart-stopping, breathtaking tale for fans of action, fantasy, and romance--of anything with the making of legend.

The amazing trailer for the Silver Phoenix:

-Senfaye
PS If you add Cindy Pon as a friend on Facebook or Myspace and tell her (or email me at annieluvsmuffin@gmail.com) that I told you to add her as a friend, I would greatly appreciate it!!!

The Cupcake Queen

Title: The Cupcake Queen Author: Heather Hepler Publisher: Dutton (Penguin) Number Of Pages: 242 Publication Date: September 17^th, 2009

Synopsis from back of book: When her mom moves them from the City to Hog’s Hollow, Penny’s life isn’t at all what she expected. Instead of running an art gallery, Penny’s mother is now running a bakery that only sells cupcakes—and guess who has to help. Actually, that part isn’t bad. The bad parts are leaving her father and friends behind in the City. Penny’s parents have separated, but neither one will tell her what the future holds for them. And then there’s Charity, the girl at her new school who’s out to get Penny for some unknown reason.

Penny finds some bright spots in the small seaside town that is obsessed with its annual Hog’s Hollow pageant and parade. There’s Tally, and expert in playing Rock Paper Scissors, and Tally’s friend Blake, who can make even tomato picking fun. Best of all, there’s Marcus, the boy who runs on the beach with his dog every night—and has a knack for running into Penny.

Just when it looks as though Penny is settling into her role as Cupcake Queen, her parents ask her to make a choice that will turn everything upside down again. Will her life ever be the way it should be?

This confection of a novel has enough city sophistication and small town charm to appeal to anyone who has ever wished for a sweet and happy life.

Review: The Cupcake Queen was simply cute. I read it in a day, and everything about this book is completely adorable. One of the cutest books I have read this year!

The characters were all quirky, and different. You really get to know them all by the end of the book, especially Penny! Penny is relatable, and fun to read about. Tally is a Rock Paper Scissors extraordinaire and someone I would like to be friends with in real life. But, I could go on and on about the characters.

The writing was superb, and the way Heather describes the small town of Hogs Hollow made me feel like I WAS there. The plot may not seem super original but the execution made it original, if that made sense. Also, Heather’s descriptions of the cupcakes were amazing, I totally craved cupcakes while reading it.

Overall, The Cupcake Queen is not to be missed if you like cute, sweet novels, and romance. And of course CUPCAKES!!!

I recommend this book if you like young adult novels, romance, and cupcakes. 

Vote for me!

Hi,

So, Lisa Mantchev author of Eyes Like Stars & Michelle Zink author of Prophecy Of The Sisters had this contest a few months ago called Fairies vs. Demons. And.. I had an entry. Yesterday, Lisa posted all the entries and the entry with the most votes wins. SO, I would love if you all went here

and vote for me! ;)

Thanks!

-Senfaye

To Be Reviewed...

Hi everyone,

I am so sorry that I haven't posted much! School started yesterday, and I am just too tired to write a review tonight. BUT, I want to write some reviews this weekend, and I would like your help! (I have over 30-40 reviews to write, so this list will not have all the books I need to review on here.)

Here are the choices:

• The Hollow by Jessica Verday
• Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block
• DupliKate by Cherry Cheva
• Bedeviled: Daddy's Little Angel by Shani Petroff
• Once A Witch by Carolyn McCullough
• The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler
• Give Up The Ghost by Megan Crewe
• Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis
• Fade To Blue by Sean Beaudoin
• Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
• Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
• Switch by Carol Snow
• Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
• I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter
• Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

So, please pick 1 or 2 and the books with the most votes will be reviewed first!

-Senfaye

Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire Author: Suzanne Collins Publisher: Scholastic Number Of Pages: 391 Publication: September 1^st, 2009

(NOTE: DON’T READ THE SYNOPSIS IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE HUNGER GAMES!)

Synopsis from back of book: SPARKS ARE IGNITING.

FLAMES ARE SPREADING.

AND THE CAPITOL WANTS REVENGE.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol—a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she’s afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she’s not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol’s cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can’t prove, without a shadow of doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of The Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before…and surprising readers at every turn.

Review: Catching Fire was one of the best books I have read this year. It was so fantastically amazing and unputdownable.

The book starts off a few months after the Hunger Games are over, and let’s just say Katniss’s life isn’t going as expected. The Capitol is keeping a very close eye on her, Gale won’t tell her how he really feels about her, and Peeta is barely talking to her. As the book goes on it gets better and better and soon I never wanted it to end. Ever.

If I had to describe Catching Fire in three words I would say: Suspenseful, AMAZING, and riveting. So, you know when you are reading a really exciting book are you are saying in your head, “I will just finish this chapter then I will go do something productive”? Well, I kept saying that and I would finish a chapter and then… the end of the chapter would take my breath away and I had to continue reading. The night I started reading it I read until 2AM then when I saw the clock I sadly went to bed.

There were so many twists and turns in Catching Fire, and I never once knew what to expect to happen next. And, the ending well.. the ending made me gasp. It was so completely unexpected. Oh, and I wasn’t sure if I would like this one as much as The Hunger Games and I thought it was as good or better than The Hunger Games.

Overall, I absolutely loved Catching Fire. And, I need the third one. Right. NOW!

I recommend this book if you like The Hunger Games, romance, drama, suspense, and young adult novels.

Books Read In August!

104. The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler

105. Immortal by Gillian Shields

106. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

107. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

108. Give Up The Ghost by Megan Crewe

109. Kiss Of Life by Daniel Waters

110. My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent

111. Evermore by Alyson Noel

112. Another Faust by Daniel & Dina Nayeri

113. Crank by Ellen Hopkins

114. The Realm Of Possibility by David Levithan

115. The Boy Book by E. Lockhart

116. The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart

117. The Eternal Kiss by Various Authors

118. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

119. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

120. The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson

121. Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis

18 books read in August! :D

-Senfaye

Update!

Hola everyone,

I have thankfully recovered. So.. I found out I wasn't sick with a nasty virus.. I was sick with swine flu. And so is my little sister (and possibly my older sister.) Anyway, I am feeling great so expect reviews of...

• The Hollow by Jessica Verday
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• Bedeviled: Daddy's Little Angel by Shani Petroff
• The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
• Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis
• And TONS more.

very soon.

Hopefully everyone is doing well!

-Senfaye

Sick.

Hi everyone,

Sorry I haven't posted anything since Friday, but I am sick. I have a nasty virus and I am too tired to try and write reviews. I will hopefully be better by the end of the week. So, see you then. :)

-Senfaye

Harmony's Awesomeness...

Happy Sunday! This post is going to be about Harmony from Harmony Book Reviews‘ awesomeness!

The reason for this post is because we have a little competition to see who could write the most reviews in a 2 week period. And, she won. So, the loser, had to write a post about the other one’s awesomeness.

Harmony is awesome for many reasons.

· Reason #1: She writes amazing reviews, and she writes them FAST!

· Reason #2: Harmony is nice, and as we all know niceness = supreme awesomeness!!

· Reason #3: She tweets a LOT, as do I, so tweeting is awesome.

· Reason #4: She has read Hush, Hush, Beautiful Creatures, and Prophecy Of The Sisters, and just by that, you KNOW she is awesome.

So, as you can tell, Harmony is very awesome. Go read her awesome blog!!

-Senfaye

P.S. I use the word awesome or awesomeness a lot in this post. :D

Traveling To Teens: Jackson Pearce

Jackson Pearce is twenty-five years old and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with a slightly cross-eyed cat and a lot of secondhand furniture. She recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and a minor in Philosophy. She auditioned for the circus once, but didn't make it; other jobs she’s had include obituaries writer, biker bar waitress, and receptionist. In addition, Jackson coaches both colorguard and winterguard at a local high school.

Jackson began writing when she got angry that the school librarian couldn’t tell her of a book that contained a smart girl, horses, baby animals, and magic. Her solution was to write the book herself when she was twelve. Her parents thought it was cute at first, but have grown steadily more concerned for her ever since.

________________________________________________________

My As You Wish review is here.

As You Wish

Title: As You Wish Author: Jackson Pearce Publisher: Harper Teen Number Of Pages: 300 Publication Date: August 25^th, 2009

Synopsis from back of book: A MAGICAL TALE ABOUT STAR-CROSSED LOVERS, WHAT IT MEANS TO BELONG… And HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.

Ever since Viola’s boyfriend broke up with her, she has spent her days silently wishing—for someone to love her again and most importantly, to belong again—until her wishes inadvertently summon a genie out of his world and into her own. But it’s only after Viola makes her first wish that she realizes she is in love with Jinn. . . and that if she wishes twice more, he will disappear from her life—and her world—forever.

Review: As You Wish was such a fast paced, romantic, witty, and all around incredible story! I loved every minute of it.

The story starts out with Viola, who’s ex-boyfriend is also her best friend. Their relationship, is sort of awkward at first, but as the story progresses you see how much Lawrence and Viola care for each other. Viola and Jinn’s relationship, was something you would see in a movie, they slowly fall for each other, and then something or someone is trying to keep them apart.

As You Wish for my was un-putdownable! I had to keep reading to find out what happened next!! Another thing I enjoyed, was how Viola liked to paint, since I love painting, so by adding that in Jackson made Viola more relatable.

Near the end of the book I got anxious to see what would happen to Jinn and Viola, and I almost cried, (for two reasons, that if I shared would spoil the ending!) and it had one of the best endings.

Overall, Jackson wrote a story with characters that seem real and relatable. As You Wish is truly unforgettable.

I recommend this book if you like romance, magic, and young adult novels.