It's no secret that Phoebe has been one of our, The Readventurers', closest reading, blogging, reviewing and science fiction-loving friends for a long, long time. This is why we are thrilled that her debut novel, a futuristic, outer space thriller Starglass, is finally going to meet its readers. Today Phoebe is answering our questions about her novel, her writing process and a few other (random) things.

Welcome, Phoebe!

1. We’ve always appreciated your commentary on the complicated balance between honesty, reviewing, and being a writer. How does it feel to read your first reviews? Have any of your views changed? And what do you think about a catchy line "Jews in Space" that we've seen people use to describe Starglass?

It's been fascinating! While I don't agree with all the reviews (though honestly, who agrees with every perspective of any work of art?), I have found them, generally, to be insightful, hilarious, and incisive. My readers are just SO smart--it's what's kept me reading my reviews.

As for "Jews in Space"? Hilarious. I've long been a Mel Brooks fan, and my own Jewish mother made a "Jews in Space" crack LONG ago. Of course, the Asherah isn't shaped like a star of David; it's important that new readers don't take it too literally. But I'm glad to contribute to cultural diversity in YA sci-fi, and if the promise of Jews in Space gets people reading? Sounds good to me!

2. Can you tell us a little bit about the concept of a Bashert?  Where does the word originate, and does the meaning differ from what we think of as a soul mate?

"Bashert" is a Yiddish word that means "destiny." The idea is that God selected your spouse for you before you were ever born, someone who will complement you perfectly in every way. Since your spouse is considered selected for you by God, any husband or wife is considered a bashert--whether the relationship is ultimately successful or not. I find that aspect of the concept fascinating, and was eager to explore it in a setting where one's matrimonial choices are severely limited.

The traditional view is perhaps both more overtly religious than our own concept of a soul mate and more marriage-focused. Of course, belief in soul mates depends on some sort of belief in a soul, doesn't it? They're very similar concepts, and if readers understand them as equivalent terms, I don't particularly think they're missing much.

3. We love that you showed how easy it was aboard the ship for the people to become complacent to their basic rights and liberties disappearing in favor of the greater "good."  Do you draw any parallels between the society aboard the ship and the world we live in now?

I think to a certain degree any society depends upon consensus between citizens that a certain degree of compromise in liberty is necessary for us to get along. Not every society is as strict as that of the Asherah, but there exist contemporary societies on Earth where one's choice of spouse or vocation is limited due to factors beyond an individual's control. What distinguishes one society from another is where we draw those lines. Life on the Asherah must, by definition, be more controlled than it would be in many real societies but it doesn't mean that the choices the Council makes are necessarily right for all its citizens. Instead, those choices arise out of a motley quilt of quasi-religious values, necessity, the ruling party's desire for power, and a need to avoid chaos. Which is, I believe, how many real societies are structured. Ours, too, for better or for worse.

4. Is it weird that the character we found ourselves relating to the most was Terra's best friend Rachel?

Not at all! I love Rachel, and think she's a fascinating girl. In many ways, she's more sympathetic than Terra. And I've certainly had that reaction to characters before. When I read Uglies, for example, I LOVED Shay, but was not really all that into Tally.

Terra's been through a unique and uniquely traumatizing experience, and so I understand if it's a bit odd for some readers to get inside her head. It was certainly a difficult place for me to be, sometimes. But I also think that stories about girls like Terra--who have been through trauma and abuse--remain worth telling. For one thing, empathy is important. Terra might be difficult and sometimes unlikeable, but I hope she remains understandable. For another, I truly believe that kids who have grown up in the shadow of alcoholism and grief desperately need narratives about heroism and healing. They deserve to see heroes like them, too.

5. During the editing process, was there anything you cut out that you were sad to see go? Outtakes?

This might sound silly, but at various points in its gestation, Starglass opened with a glossary. We decided to get rid of it (as most of the Yiddish and Hebrew used can be divined by context clues), but I've seen a few readers stumble over these phrases and sometimes, I wish I'd kept it. 

Otherwise, the novel mostly grew--over 25,000 words during the editing process. Nothing was removed that wasn't replaced with something better.

6. Once the Starglass duology is complete and the second book is published in 2014, will you continue writing YA science fiction or you are ready to explore other genres (maybe even adult fiction, though we know you’ve said probably no to that particular question in other interviews?) Are you working on any projects right now?

I can't imagine writing something that wasn't speculative--whether science fiction or fantasy. I'm such a sucker for magic and aliens and dragons and unicorns and especially space unicorns.

Perhaps one day I'll write an adult novel, but my mind just doesn't bend that way, naturally. I find narratives about childhood and adolescence much more interesting. My current itch is to write and publish some middle grade. Twelve is such a fascinating age.

7. Have you ever thought about how we are all essentially hurtling through space on a very large-scale mostly closed system?  We are all trapped here, with our limited resources and space, and we have to survive with each other and what we have.  Did we just blow your mind?  No?

WHOA.

Thank you, Phoebe!

Starglass will be available on July 23, 2013
Don't forget to visit all the other stops on the Starglass blog tour!

[Amazon|Barnes & Noble]

Meanwhile, enjoy the book's fantastic trailer or win a signed copy

If you'd like to learn more about Phoebe or her work, you can visit her website at www.phoebenorth.com or find her on Twitter @phoebenorth. 

Ever since the FTC  announced their disclosure regulations, I have been cracking myself up by thinking about how I could approach 100% disclosure for every book I read and review positively. (since everything on the internet is true and I read a few posts saying the FTC doesn't care if you disclose for negative reviews) So before I say anything positive about Queen & Commander, you should know that, among other things, I met the author from a Craiglist post I made about starting a book club a few years ago, I ate some frozen yogurt with her a few weeks ago, she got me into White Collar, she gave me an e-copy of the book to read and maybe review, and we have had multiple conversations about Teen Wolf fanfiction. Oh, and I'm pretty sure she is on the other side of the lake in Seattle making a list of ways to murder me since I promised to post a review and this interview weeks ago and my inability to write anything prevented me from doing it. But I'm doing it now! *shakes fist to the sky* So here's the deal: Today, I will post the interview I did with Janine and include two giveaways--one that she is running with the other winners of the Ippy Award for sci-fi/fantasy/horror ebooks (for a KINDLE! and also their books and other book-related ish) and one for a paperback of the book (US only) and 3 e-copies (Int'l).  Tomorrow, come hell or high water, I will post a review of this book. For now, I will post the blurb and tell you that I really enjoyed it (like 3.5-4/5), I read it in one sitting, and that it involves space and adventure.

Queen & Commander (Hive Queen Saga, #1)
Author: Janine A. Southard
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: 3/8/13
Source: Provided by Author
[Goodreads | Amazon]

Blurb (GR): On a world where high school test scores determine your future, six students rebel. They’ll outrun society as fast as their questionably obtained spaceship will take them.

Rhiannon doesn’t technically cheat the Test. She’s smarter than the computers that administer it, and she uses that to her advantage. She emerges from Test Day with the most prestigious future career possible: Hive Queen.

Gwyn & Victor are madly in love, but their Test results will tear them apart. Good thing Rhiannon is Gwyn’s best friend. Rhiannon can fix this. Queens can do anything.

Gavin is the wild card. Raised off-planet, he can’t wait to leave again... and he’s heard of an empty ship in orbit. The Ceridwen’s Cauldron.

Both Luciano and Alan fit in the system. They don’t need to leave. Only their devotion to Rhiannon spurs them to join the Cauldron’s crew.

Spaceships. Blackmail. Anywhere but here.

Interview with the Author:

1. How long have you been writing? Did you always know you wanted to write as a career? 

I’ve been writing forever.  I started a million novels on my parents’ computers in grade school. I wrote short stories in the back of my essay bluebooks during exams.

In high school, I tried selling my stories and didn’t get very far. That was when I decided to be an editor instead. My very first editorial internship, I learned two things:

1) I’m pretty awesome as an editor

2) Some fairly mediocre stuff gets published (and, in fact, should get published)

Once I started aiming for mediocre, writing seemed much less daunting. And, with the practice, I got a heck of a lot better. (I’d like to think I’m good or even great now. Not mediocre anymore.)

Anyway, I still wasn’t writing as a career, until a few years ago. Well, I was writing marketing copy and company newsletters, but not narrative fiction. I only went full-time on that when three things happened:

1) My unemployment benefits ended (hey it’s a recession), so I could decide whether it was worth hunting for any job in my field or whether I should spend time writing.

2) I got married, and my spouse’s paycheck was good enough that I could have the starving artist’s career without having to endure the starving part (which, let me tell you, makes for a much lower barrier of entry).

3) I got paid for creative writing, and that validated my skills. I’ve been contracting for videogames and selling short stories in niche markets.

2. What inspired you to integrate Wales and Welsh language into Queen & Commander? Do you have any connections with that area? 

It started when I named the spaceship, the Ceridwen’s Cauldron. (Great symbolism for coming of age and learning about the world.) Then there’s what I wanted to change the name of the spaceship to: the Manawyddan’s Mousetrap. (Symbolism for when you have to stop turning the other cheek, but in a peaceful way.) Eventually, the ship name will change. I thought it’d happen in Queen & Commander, but now it’s looking like it’ll be in book 3.

Anyway, I had this background in Medieval Romance Literature of the Otherworld from my university days. So I was hip to how I wanted to name my ship. But that didn’t necessarily have to tie in to the whole world yet. It could’ve been a company policy. Or my main character could’ve had a thing for The Mabinogion.

But then the coincidences started piling up. I did my research for my FTL (“faster than light”) drive, and the scientist whose work I wanted to use was Miguel Alcubierre. (Wikipedia on his theories here.) And it turned out that he’d done his graduate work at the University of Wales, Cardiff. (I keep thinking he was an Aberystwyth man, and I keep being wrong.)

Once that happened, I knew I had to Welsh-ify my details. And it was perfect! What other society would be so separatist as to try to keep their own colonial planet culturally pure... and then make up details to include? (I love the current Welsh culture champions who backfill their own versions of druidry, etc., and work hard to make sure that people understand the essential Welshness of their constructs. They care. They’re sincere. And it’s a beautiful thing.)

So they were the perfect group to perform an experiment in standardized testing and societal restructuring and make it stick.

As far as a personal connection to Wales, umm. Well. My UK copyeditor is Welsh (much to my relief) and I went there on vacation once. But I’m learning a bit of the language now and very much enjoy all the research I get to do for this series.

3. Do you have the entire story arc/s planned out for the series or are you innovating as you write? 

I have the important parts of the next two Hive Queen books planned out already. The details, though, I’m filling in before drafting each book. (For example, I first thought book two was going to be a frontier planet sheep-stealing thing. It isn’t. It’s on the space station where book one ends. But the important story arc bits—not telling: spoilers!—are the same from my original concept to the finished version.)

4. What's your usual writing atmosphere and schedule like? Do you have a routine? 

I tend to do my actual draft writing in cafes. I find it near-impossible to write at home with all the distractions. So my routine is something like: buy a spicy mocha, read my notes while drinking said mocha, get through at least one scene before buying something else.

When I’m not working a full-time contract, I’ll meet up with other local writers 2-3 times per week, as well, which creates an atmosphere of enforced creativity.

When I’m plotting or editing, I can be anywhere. And I tend to do my promo work (like this interview) and my administrative stuff (e.g., accounting spreadsheets, ebook programming) at home... where I don’t feel guilty about taking a break for a bit.

5. I was very interested in the idea of hives and finding out as a teenager that you may live a life of service and devotion to another, though I can see parallels to the organization of earlier times, particularly monarchical societies with knights, ladies in waiting, etc. Where did this idea come from? 

Initially it came from the way I observed guys in college all circle around one girl as the center of their social circle. Then I married that observation to historical courtier circles (especially the intrigue around Queen Elizabeth I*) and (I admit) a teenage love of the anime/manga Fushigi Yuugi** which was about teenage girls as the focal points of 7-person groups.

* Queen Elizabeth I in fiction – Ink and Steel by Elizabeth Bear
** Fushigi Yuugi by Yuu Watase – note that I’ve never read this in English translation

6. What kinds of stories and books do you like to read? Any particular reason why you went with science fiction for your debut novel? 

I love space opera. (For those unfamiliar with the term “space opera” tends to refer to stories in the far future with spaceships and space colonies, but where the emphasis is on interpersonal relationships and epic worldbuilding rather than science itself.) Largely, this is for the inherent optimism.

I mean, the story itself might be about something really depressing. Say, unending war (The Forever War by Joe Haldeman) or unethical cloning (Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold). But in order to get to the really depressing subject matter, humanity had to continue and progress. Western society as we know it had to improve and make its way out among the stars! The depressing subject is just a setback on a long upward trend.

So, it was kind of obvious that I’d write something in the space opera genre to start. It’s my own kind of optimism: I’m going to be successful. Heck, this is the first book in a series! If that’s not optimism, what is?

7. As someone who has created what I consider to be a very professional self-published book, what has been your favorite part of that process thus far? Are there any aspects of self-publishing you do not particularly enjoy? 

My favorite part, hands down, is the editorial control. I mean, here I have a YA novel with multiple POVs on a spaceship. A literary agent or publishing house right now would tell you that “ensemble isn’t in right now” and “spaceships are so passé” and “shouldn’t there be a romance in a YA novel?”.

And they’d be right, as far as sales to the largest market go, I’m sure. But everything is cyclic. And, darn it, I wanted to write (and would love to read) some non-romance ensemble YA!

As for what I don’t like, there are two things that spring to mind:

1) Details – I’m not a detail person. But I make my own ebooks (HTML and CSS) and layout my own print editions and track all my expenses for tax purposes.

2) Uncertainty – In the end, I don’t have that editorial validation. No one said, “Oh! I love your manuscript and I’m picking it up for my young adult line of [major publishing house].” When I make a giant change, there’s no one to say, “You’ve gone too far with that Welsh stuff.” It’s nerve-wracking.

8. If you could hand sell your book to a YA sci fi reader in a few sentences, what would be your pitch? 

It’s a young adult space opera story with an ensemble cast. If you used to read the tie-in Star Trek novels about junior ensigns, this will totally be your thing. Also, there’s a whole bunch of really dark undertones that you can think to pieces... or ignore in favor of the action adventure part. Plus: teenagers being smart even though they have no life experience. You’ll love it.

9. What are some of your favorite young adult books? Is there a story you wish you would've written or a writer whose work your particularly admire? 

My favorite young adult books tend to live on the younger side of young adult. I’m a huge fan of pretty much anything by Gordon Korman. (Most recently of his, I’ve read Son of the Mob which reminds me a lot of Son of Interflux --oh, also by Korman! And the middle grade Schooled.) I also love Alanna by Tamora Pierce , Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater, Whip It by Shauna Cross , and Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst.

10. What's next for you? How much work do you have left on the series? Any other story ideas buzzing around your brain? 

Queen & Commander has two planned sequels with their major plot arcs all worked out. There may or may not be books four and beyond, but I haven’t started thinking about those yet. I HAVE started planning out a few alternate-universe novellas in the Hive Queen universe. (For instance, the  alternate version of book three—in the world where Rhiannon Tested as a Perceiver instead of a Queen—is a murder mystery.)

I’m also reworking a novella which I refer to “The Menaechmus Twins in space with shapeshifting cats,” which is a comedy-romance of mistaken identities in a far future where humanity is not alone in the universe.

And probably next year I’ll either finish or scrap a contemporary YA/MG novel, Kimiko’s Metal Life, about a teenager who joins a heavy metal bar band (mostly of 40-60 year old men who ride Harley Davidson motorcycles on the weekend) to use her classical music skills in a fun way. There are thrift store costumes, unhappy bartenders who look the other way at her nonexistent ID, and heartwarming moments when her mom becomes her biggest fan.

Thanks for answering my questions, Janine!

GIVEAWAYS:

Janine has teamed up with the other Ippy Award winners in her category to run a fantastic giveaway for  Kindle Paperwhite, tons of books and ebooks, and other book-related prizes. There's a free entry but you can gain extra entries by adding all three award-winners to your Goodreads shelves, buying a copy (they are $4.95 or less and one is currently free!), following on Facebook and Twitter, etc. For more details on the books, the prizes, and the giveaway, please visit this site.  The other giveaway is being run by me. I will buy a paperback copy of the book for one lucky reader in US/Canada (maybe I'll even get it personalized!) Three international (or US) readers will win an e-copy of the book. Good luck!


BOTH GIVEAWAYS HAVE ENDED. THE WINNERS FOR OURS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY EMAIL. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOUR OF YOU!

I read Grave Mercy a few months back, when I was a panelists for The Cybils. At the time, I think I was just saturated with YA sci fi and fantasy books and I needed something to be bang! flash! zing! with uniqueness, solid writing, great appeal, and tons of other criteria. I thought the book was fun and readable but not as earth-shattering as some of my blogging buddies and Goodreads friends thought it was, though it's quite a mixed bag when it comes to reviews from reader friends of mine. I still wonder if I would've liked Grave Mercy more if I'd read it at a different time, especially because it is sometimes very hard to remember details of every book I read when I am on a binge. I remember quite a bit about Grave Mercy and I was/am still very excited to read book two in the series, so much so that I followed the entire blog tour for Dark Triumph and entered all the giveaways so I could (hopefully) score copies. I think Maggie from Young Adult Anonymous would probably tell you that it is a foregone conclusion that I would win a set, since I seem to be insanely lucky these days, but I did win a paperback of Grave Mercy and hardcover of Dark Triumph. There is a point to bringing this up: I bought another paperback of Grave Mercy at the event I am currently crappily recapping and had it personalized so I will be giving away the paperback I won at the end of this post.  Back to regularly scheduled programming.

Robin/R.L. LaFevers is a bit of a badass, in my opinion. She is totally matter-of-fact and seemed completely at ease with her audience and what she was going to talk about. I felt under-informed at the onset because I did not realize she also wrote two middle grade series, the Theodosia Throckmorton series and the Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist series. She said her audiences can often be quite a mixed bag and thus seemed a bit relieved that the present audience seemed to be completely comprised of the target audience for the His Fair Assassin series. After writing for younger readers, she was itching to write something darker and on a bigger scale. She said that she has always loved Arthurian stories, Mary Stewart novels (particularly The Hollow Hills and The Crystal Cave), and the merging of history and fantasy.

An audience member asked how important historical accuracy is to her, LaFevers says she favors "historical fantasy." Most of the time, she feels beholden to stay pretty true to historical events but some truths are probably best left out of young adult novels, like perhaps early teenagers being married to 35 year old men, etc. Another questioner asked the author to elaborate a bit about the magic system in place in the series. LaFevers said that the "magic" (if you can call it that, she says it is more mystical than magical) is caused by birth trauma to certain children and their connection to the god of death. One reason she wanted to include nuns was because she wanted there to be a moral aspect to the story. Also, she knew that there are folklore stories about being "marked for death." If forced to pin down the historical accuracy of her work, LaFevers says that about 80% is true history, 10% is history she's taken liberties with, and 10% is completely made up.

To pick the names for her characters, the author said she pored over historical records. Quite unsurprisingly there were many, many common names which kept recurring (e.g. Elizabeth) but she did not want to use those, nor did she want to use any "silly" names like Mildred or Gwyneth. Ismae is a deviation from the name Esme and means dismay. Her last name, Rienne, is a play on the French word rien, which means 'nothing.'

Both books had their challenges in the writing process but LaFevers said that Grave Mercy was probably easier to write since she had the luxury of time while working on it. Dark Triumph had a deadline and Sybella's story is much darker than Ismae's--she said she had gray clouds over her for months.  Grave Mercy actually started in third person but LaFevers says she kept losing Ismae into the shadows she is so good at hiding in so she had to switch the perspective. She wrote SEVENTEEN drafts of Grave Mercy and the original manuscript was 500 pages. Dark Triumph, comparatively, took only seven drafts, which compared to the many authors I've seen on tour before who have answered this question, is still a large amount. LaFevers says she likes to do many rewrites--each time she focuses on something different and she prints each draft in a different color.

A lot of people ask her how she came up with the series. She said that after that idea of assassin nuns came to her, she was looking for an excuse to set a book in the Middle Ages. During that era, a majority of people were very young.(she is not certain why but it could be many factors-plagues, war, life expectancy, etc.)  People started “adult” life much earlier, sometimes being married at 10-12 (“not that [she’s] advocating that!”) and leading battles at 18-19. At this point, LaFevers talked a bit about the possibility that the prevalence of war and the tumultuous time period of the Middle Ages could have been a direct result of so many young people being in charge of countries, armies, etc. After all, just look at Joffrey in Game of Thrones and imagine people like him and Sansa Stark in charge of decision-making. (I’d really rather not, thanks!)

From the idea and the time period, she knew she wanted to incorporate old gods/goddesses into the belief system, which really was not far-fetched, as it was common practice back then. The idea of girls going to a convent as an escape was also based on factual history. Though the idea may be a bit scary to imagine, many young women saw convent life as a life of relative freedom. Much of the history in the series is based on fact, a lot of it concentrating on Anne of Brittany, whose father, the Duke of Brittany, promised his daughter’s hand in marriage to several different people (6-7 suitors, it is said) in exchange for military support, after which point the Duke died and left general confusion. A later question revealed that the whole council was based on real events and that Anne was betrayed in the same way. The story element of illegitimate children living with full-blooded children in the same palace was also based on real events. The area of Brittany also has rich folklore which LaFevers wanted to include, including Ankoù, who personified death, Celtic druidesses, and stories about the night rowers who would hear knocks on their doors in the middle of the night and then go to row the souls of the dead across the water.

Besides history, LaFevers wanted to write about love. She found a real love herself and she sees so much YA that includes unhealthy relationships so it was important to her to include a real, healthy relationship but also to incorporate the ideas of love of country and duty. In addition, it was important to show that being a teenager is hard, so it is at least in part about one girl’s struggle. When she first started writing Grave Mercy and Ismae got to the convent, Sybella (the protagonist from Dark Triumph) seemed half crazy and she threatened to take over every scene. The author said she had to “take her aside” and explain that she would be the center of her own book, and now she is. Dark Triumph is darker than the author thought it would be, but the character came to her as a whole and she felt she had to stay true to her. Sybella has been through a lot in her life and, in real life, a lot of people do not make it through these trials. Some people heal, but not many victims become the hero. The fact that Sybella ends up with Beast, was never intended to be a spoiler, according to R.L. LaFevers. Actually, he was supposed to die in the narrative but LaFevers just couldn’t do it; he was perfect for Sybella. He could deal with her dark past because he had his own darkness, having seen war. The author really likes the fact that though he is a soldier, Beast is gentle.

An audience member asked how much time LaFevers spends on research. It took her seven years to write Grave Mercy. She was working on other contracted work and considered the book to be her own “private sandbox” that she could play around in. She Googled everything and the luxury of time allowed her to add more layers to the story. When she is writing, she will often get on a roll and leave blank spots where there are holes in her research, such as [They eat breakfast. What did people eat for breakfast back then?] and then moving on to keep the creative juices flowing without interruption. Those holes are easily filled with a few minutes of Googling.

The third book, Mortal Heart, will be about Annith. LaFevers says Annith is pissed off about her place in life and why everyone around her is getting to do all sorts of things while she is stuck at the convent. In Mortal Heart, the author says Annith will find out the answers to all her questions and we, as readers, will have lots of questions about the abbots/abbesses answered as well.

Sadly, LaFevers has yet to make it to France herself. She said if the books do well enough, she would love to go, but for now she has to make do with coffee table books and Google to find information about the region. I hope she eventually gets to see the region that inspired her series!

Because I bought a copy of Grave Mercy for the author to sign for me, then subsequently won a copy, I’m giving a paperback copy away to one reader from US/Canada. Just leave your name and email in the Google form and I’ll let random.org pick a winner one week from today. (Open until 5/18 at midnight, PST)

CONTEST OVER: The winner is Roselyn from Bookmarked Pages! Congrats!

Today, we are very excited to be part of the blog tour for Australian YA author Jaclyn Moriarty's exciting upcoming release, A Corner of White. I've been a huge fan of Moriarty's work since I read Finding Cassie Crazy (called The Year of Secret Assignments in the US) and Feeling Sorry for Celia after friends on Goodreads recommended them. She has a fabulous sense of humor and her writing is happy-making for me, even when she tackles bigger issues. A Corner of White is a departure from her Ashbury/Brookfield series. Instead of contemporary, this beginning to a new series represents fantasy, a bit of magic, and all sorts of fun. It was our Australian blogging buddy Nomes' favorite release of 2012 which, to me, means that all of us have to read it. (Yes, even those of you who have no clue who Nomes is!) It will be released in the USA from Scholastic on April 1st. 

Here's a bit about the book: 

A tale of two worlds, told in brilliant color.

Readers have loved bestselling author Jaclyn Moriarty since The Year of Secret Assignments. Now she gives them A Corner of White, the first in a suspenseful, funny, genre-busting trilogy that brings her fantastic characters, laugh-out-loud descriptions, and brilliant plotting to a fantasy setting.

Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge, England (in our world).

In another world, in the Kingdom of Cello, Elliot is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle Jon was found dead. The talk in the town is that Elliot's dad may have killed Jon and run away with the physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth.

As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unraveling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds — through an accidental gap that hasn't appeared in centuries. On both sides of the gap, even greater mysteries are unfolding — with more than one life at stake.



The Colors of Madeleine Tour celebrates the colorful aspect of the book, with two stops representing each of several colors. (see the rest of the stops at the bottom of this post) As one of the "Oblige Me With Oranges" (mmm, oranges) stops today, the prize pack we are giving away will be orange colored items, along with a copy of the book! Jaclyn Moriarty is introducing characters along the tour and doing a few interviews. Today, she's here to tell us a little bit about the main character's friend, Jack. Take it away...

Jack Cagnetti  

Jack Cagnetti is fifteen years old.  He lives with his grandfather in Cambridge, England.  He and his best friend Belle recently met Madeleine Tully—a newcomer to Cambridge who wears colourful clothes—and now the three of them are homeschooled together. 

Jack believes in the stars and in his own former lives.  When he has to do an assignment on the poet Lord Byron, he decides that he himself was once Lord Byron.  He wants a girl to reach up and run her hands through his hair.  The girl he has in mind is Madeleine Tully. 

                                        __________________________________________________
 
One of my favourite things about writing is the research.  For this book I read a lot about Isaac Newton, colours, and Lord Byron.  Here is something I discovered about Byron: 

Well, he spent some years living in a big house in Italy.  At this time he had 10 horses, 8 dogs, 3 monkeys, 5 cats, an eagle, a crow, a falcon, peacocks, guinea hens and an Egyptian crane.  All of these animals (except the horses) were allowed to wander freely through the house.  

Each day, Byron got up at two o’clock in the afternoon.  He had breakfast and chatted with friends until six.  From six until eight he galloped through the pine forest (on a horse I think, not his feet).  He came home, ate dinner and chatted with his friends again until 6 o’clock in the morning, when he fell asleep.

            I am sharing this because the whole thing is my dream holiday.  I love the idea of staying up all night talking with friends in a house in the woods!  I really like talking all night.  I also love the idea of sleeping until 2 in the afternoon!  And having breakfast!  I am so keen on breakfast.  And riding a horse through a pine forest! (Setting aside my allergy to horses, which I did, between the ages of 14 and 17, when I owned a horse and could very rarely breathe.)  I suppose the dream holiday might get a bit crowded, noisy etc, what with the monkeys and cats fighting over the bathroom, and the falcon swooping at the bagels, and the peacock upsetting the coffee mugs with its tail flourishes, and the Egyptian crane sulking in the corner, but mostly I think the animals would be a hoot!  And they’d be sure to start the conversation up again, if ever there was a lull.     

Thanks for visiting, Jaclyn, and introducing us all to Jack!

As part of the tour, there are two stops for each color so if you have a favorite color, check the links below the giveaway to see where you could win a copy of the book with a prize pack in that color. Here, our color is ORANGE, which is such a fun color. The giveaway will run for a week from today (3/28) and is US ONLY. The prizes have been provided by and will be sent to one winner by the publisher and/or tour organizer. Good luck and happy reading!

Read reviews of A Corner of White from some of our blogging buddies:
Inkcrush
Vegan YA Nerds
Steph Su Reads

Visit the other stops on the Colors of Madeleine Tour for more chances to win!:

Monday, March 18th: Jaclyn is stopping by Ex Libris Kate and Hobbitsies is featuring “Require-These Reds” on The Colors of Madeleine tour!

Wednesday, March 20th: Jaclyn is stopping by My Friend Amy’s Blog and Presenting Lenore is “Yearning For Yellows” on The Colors of Madeleine tour!

Friday, March 22nd: Novel Novice is interviewing Jaclyn Moriarty and Forever Young Adult is “Begging for Blues” on The Colors of Madeleine tour!

Tuesday, March 26th: Jaclyn is stopping by The Book Cellar and Mundie Moms is featuring “Gotta-Have Greens” on The Colors of Madeleine tour!

Thursday, March 28th: Jaclyn is stopping by The Readventurer and Alexa Loves Books is featuring “Oblige Me With Oranges” on The Colors of Madeleine tour!

Monday, April 1st: Jaclyn is stopping by Angie-ville and Gone With The Words is featuring “Wish-List Whites” on The Colors of Madeleine Tour!

Wednesday, April 3rd: Jaclyn is stopping by The Book Smugglers and Perpetual Page Turner is “Pining for Purples” on The Colors of Madeleine tour!

Friday, April 5th: Pure Imagination Blog is interviewing Jaclyn Moriarty and Emily’s Reading Room is “Greedy for Grays” on The Colors of Madeleine tour!

Our readers know how much we loves books, movies, and especially books that are made into movies. (see our Book vs. Movie feature) We also love Tina Fey, so when we were asked to promote Focus Features' March 22nd release, Admission, we were on board. First off, Tina Fey is hilarious. I read her memoir Bossypants a few months back (review) and I will basically see anything she has a part in, whether she writes, produces, or acts in it. I was totally surprised to find out that the movie was based on a book, Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz. At the end of this post, you can enter for a chance to win not only the book the movie was based on, but also a copy of Bossypants and a bunch of movie-related materials. (US only)

ABOUT THE FILM:
Tina Fey (Date Night, 30 Rock) and Paul Rudd (I Love You Man, Knocked Up) star in Admission, the new film directed by Academy Award nominee Paul Weitz (About a Boy), about the surprising detours we encounter on the road to happiness. Straight-laced Princeton University admissions officer Portia Nathan (Fey) is caught off-guard when she makes a recruiting visit to an alternative high school overseen by her former college classmate, the free-wheeling John Pressman (Rudd). Pressman has surmised that Jeremiah (Nat Wolff), his gifted yet very unconventional student, might well be the son that Portia secretly gave up for adoption many years ago. Soon, Portia finds herself bending the rules for Jeremiah, putting at risk the life she thought she always wanted -- but in the process finding her way to a surprising and exhilarating life and romance she never dreamed of having.

The comedy also features some of my perennial favorites, including Michael Sheen, Wallace Shawn, and Lily Tomlin. I have to admit, I feel like this movie will result in a flashback to senior year of high school when I was applying to colleges. Even though I had an absolutely wonderful college experience, I still have all my acceptance letters from other schools and I wonder what life might have been like had a made a different choice. I can only imagine how hard it must be to make admissions decisions at schools like Princeton, where Fey's character works in this movie. In the trailer, we are treated (or probably more properly described as appalled by) the lengths that some parents will go to to sway the admissions office into admitting their "talented" children. I predict there were will be a lot of cringeworthy scenes in that respect but I'm hoping for a solid comedic gem that I can see at the theatre and that watch over and over and over when it comes on television, like Fey's Mean Girls and Baby Mama and about ten movies Paul Rudd has been in, from Clueless to Wet Hot American Summer to Role Models.

So what do you all reckon? Where do you think this movie will end up on the Tina Fey and/or Paul Rudd Pyramid of Awesome Movies? Do you still wonder what your life could've been like if you went to a different college? Are you currently going through the admissions process and dreading the decision?


Find out more about the movie and join the discussion:
Visit the official website
Like Admission on Facebook                   
Watch the trailer on YouTube                   
Tweet using #Admission

Happy almost 2013! To celebrate the past year, we've joined a giveaway hop organized by one of our favorite blogs, Cuddlebuggery! Trying to decide what to give away was quite a feat for us, considering that we each read between 105-120 books. Instead of writing a long post about all our favorites, we each picked four of the books we loved most and one winner will be free to pick any one of them. If you feel like finding out more about our favorite things from 2012, you should go read the post we did for The Book Smugglers, for their Smugglivus feature.  Our giveaway will be open internationally, to anywhere The Book Depository or Fishpond ships (two Aussie books would have to come from the latter). Consider each of these books an absolute recommendation from at least one of us. We hope each and every one of you has had a wonderful year and that your 2013 will have great things in store for you.

Win one of the following books we read and loved in 2012...

We had many, many entries to our Triviadventure book giveaway last week and with those entries came many, many incorrect answers. Of course, there were just as many people who got all the questions correct, but we thought we should share the answers just in case anyone was stumped on a question or wondering just what they would've/could've won if they'd spent their valuable time googling trivia answers or if random.org loved them just that much more. 
   

Thanks to everyone who entered! We hope you all had fun exercising your mind for a while. Congratulations to the winners! We'll ship those boxes to you pronto. 

It's been too long since we've had a Triviadventure book giveaway at The Readventurer. For those of you who haven't been following the blog since its inception, Triviadventures are just our excuse to give book lovers a chance to exercise their brains rather than their fingers when entering to win some sweet book prizes. Each of us is offering up a mixed box of books that we'd like to pass on to another reader.  From prior trivia giveaways, we know that people usually have fun trying to figure out what the books are even if they don't win. There's no real connection or theme to the books we have to give away this time other than the fact that they are all YA books. Most are ARCs, some old, some current, some fall releases; some are finished copies. It's all part of the mystery and fun!  

Answers must include the full title and the author's name to qualify.  You can enter for just one box, two, or all three! Each winner will be picked by a randomizer after the sender (one box is coming from each of us) deletes any incorrect responses. Contest is valid in the U.S. and Canada only. Open until 12:01 am, PST on 9/13.  Best of luck!

Here's what we have to give away:

Box #1:
1) This fall dystopian release features people living in a bubble and the title is something you do every day. 

2) One of my favorite books as a child was written by Margery Williams. Arguably her most famous work featured a particular animal made of something. That something is also the title of this book, published by an author from the Pacific Northwest. 

3) Set at Coral Tree Prep, a ritzy school in Los Angeles, the plot of this book revolves around the daughter of the principal and the son of Hollywood hotshots. 

4) This book caused quite the drama on Goodreads earlier this year. It's a "girl in a dress" cover and the male lead's name always reminds me of The Karate Kid's "Wax On, Wax Off" part (though I'm sure the pronunciation isn't actually supposed to rhyme with Wax On) 

5) There are eight girl characters in this novel: Danielle Demarco, Abby Warner, Candace Kincaid, Lauren Finn, Sarah Singer, Bridget Honeycutt, Jennifer Briggis, Margo Gable. But who's pretty and who's ugly? 

6) The protagonist of this book has something in common with Tyrion Lannister, Willow, and Finbar McBride from The Station Agent. Somewhat based on historical fact, this story, by an author whose last name is also an ecosystem, ponders whether our destinies are predetermined. The main character is from Astraveld. (It's a fall release and the ecosystem is similar to a swamp)

To answer the questions for Box #1, fill out THIS FORM. (CONTEST CLOSED)

Box #2:
1) This historical, magical espionage fantasy was published in 2011 and contains beautiful illustrations and a crafty street urchin named Pip.

2) This book, which is about 15 year old Jeff's suicide attempt and subsequent stint in the mental ward of a hospital, is a lot more hilarious than it sounds.  

3) I have an extra copy of this, because it's my favorite work from my favorite Australian author.  I am willing to part with it, as long as the winner promises to keep his or her hands off my cadet.

4) Another of my favorite contemporary YA's, this emotionally draining read features a young girl named Deanna and her struggle with the derogatory labels she's given by her parents and peers.

5) While this book wasn't for me, I am so happy to be able to pass on this fabbity fab fab read to someone who will give it a good home.

6) Gimme question - this is the sequel to the answer for question 5. 

To answer the questions for Box #2, fill out THIS FORM. (CONTEST CLOSED)

Box #3: 
1) In the words of its author, this book is about "telepathic samurai girls & griffins in steampunk feudal Japan."

2) Two heroines in this story - one dead lying on the side of a rural road, and another plotting her escape from the suffocating influence of her tiny, backwater hometown.

3) This Is Not actually about zombies, even though there are zombies in this novel.

4) This book is just a few letters away from being Emily Bronte's famous broody masterpiece. Only it's funny, and involves hosiery and the THEATRE dahling, the theatre!

5) The hero of this novel has an uncanny resemblance to Percy Jackson, but his claim to fame is not of Olympus variety, but is connected to Atlantis.

6) A post-graduation road trip, a dissolution of long friendship, music. Guess the name of the main characters' band, and you've guessed the title of this contemporary YA novel written by a Morris Award–finalist.

To answer the questions for Box #3, fill out THIS FORM.  (CONTEST CLOSED)

Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) is a collection of stories from the life of Jenny Lawson, who is also known as The Bloggess on her blog of the same name. I was somewhat familiar with Lawson from reading bits of her often irreverent blog posts and laughing my ass off. She talks about a whole range of topics from childbirth all the way to squirrel puppets. Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good story. I love telling them and I especially love hearing them. The more awkward or unbelievable the better. With the caveat that some of these stories are not about me, I tell random stories about puking on the Hoover Dam, making wax casts of vulvas, blacking out and waking up in the bed of a truck with no pants on, peeing in a sleeping bag, naming and caring for a bottle of mold, letting a homeless man sleep in the basement, and accosting people in a deviled egg costume. And you know what? People enjoy these stories. But you have to play to your audience, so a lot of the time I'm just sitting there, making small talk and shooting the breeze. This book is mostly a collection of the kinds of stories I love, but there are definitely moments, nay, entire chapters of more seriousness that reminded me that I was listening to a memoir and not an entirely humorous book.

Lawson's book was actually our book club pick of the month and it received varied reactions. One of the most interesting points that a friend of mine brought up was that the book rubbed her the wrong way because it perpetuated society's promotion of the "neurotic woman." She cited a lot of reality television participants and their over-the-top personalities and how our need for entertainment has created the idea that doing seemingly outrageous things is now commonplace and acceptable. I'm not sure I agree with her wholly, but I do know that it may not apply to Lawson, as she discusses in the book her multiple psychological and physical diagnoses and how they affect her everyday life. However, the book does definitely straddle the line of funny and... I'm having a hard time picking a word here. Listen, we all have our things. We all have our pain, our loves, our worries, dreams, hopes, past, nightmares, (insert whatever here). Everyone's life is their own and no one can actually experience someone else's every thought. But at the same time, we are all human and no one is totally unlike every other person alive. We have commonalities with other people, even in terms of thought processes, so it annoys me when people make it seem like they are so unlike everybody else. Unique snowflakes? No. But it must be hard to try to write stories in the funniest way possible without sounding like a try-hard. A few times Lawson fails at this but she overwhelmingly succeeded for this particular reader.

I am certain that many of Lawson's stories will stick with me for a long time and there are definitely some mental images that I wish I could erase from my mind. For example, she tells a story about turning around and walking straight inside a deer carcass by accident. Another about how her vagina felt after childbirth. And several dead animal stories. I'm not offended by most things, but I can see how this book would be too much for some people. However, Lawson addresses that in the very beginning of the book. You'll know after just a few pages whether or not you are on the same page as she is in terms of humor, and if you are, the book is consistently funny. You can check out her blog, her YouTube channel, or listen to a quick sound bite from NPR here to form your own opinion. (there is also an excerpt from the book on the NPR page)


As I listened to the audiobook, which Lawson narrates,  it was fun to hear her talk about the pictures in the book, but I did feel like I was missing out to an extent. Luckily for me (and you!), the official book trailer includes some of the pictures, including a raccoon in pajamas and an alligator on an airplane!

As a narrator, I thought she was engaging and she is a natural storyteller. The audiobook is absolutely conversational, in a way that I haven't experienced before but which I enjoyed. (Flash to Home Alone when Macauley Culkin talks about washing inside his belly button.) She occasionally diverged from the book for a moment or two, but I think it added to the experience because she was forced to describe the omitted pictures and elaborate on what we were missing in audiobook format. A huge bonus to listening to the book is the bonus story and bloopers which are included at the end. Lawson recounts her first job at a sno-cone shack during the sweltering Texas summer and that awkward moment when someone touches a body part to ice and it gets stuck. And no, it isn't something as funny as the tongue scene in A Christmas Story. I told a guy the punchline of that story and his eyebrows almost shot up off his forehead. Jenny Lawson jokes about how she saved tons of stories for book two and I have no idea if she was joking or not, but I really hope she wasn't. I'd read that. I'd read it in a second. (or listen to it, as it were.)

4/5 stars
  
I was lucky enough to win a copy of the audiobook from Lucy at The Reading Date, so I figure I should continue the good karma and pass it on to another person who can listen to and laugh. So if you live in the US and want to enter to win, just fill out this form. (CONTEST CLOSED, WINNER FORTHCOMING)

The Night Pirates by Peter Harris and illustrated by Deborah Allright
A fun adventure story about a fearless band of little girl pirates who take young Tom on a treasure seeking journey one night.  Unfortunately the treasure is already in the hands of a group of rough old man pirates, but these little girls will win the day.  Upside-down houses ensue.

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
Many children have that one special toy that they can't live without.  Likewise, many parents have spent endless hours cleaning, repairing, and searching everywhere for said toy.  This story perfectly homes in on that frustration, as young Trixie can't find her Knuffle Bunny and her poor Dad has no idea why she's so upset.  This series (which continues with Knuffle Bunny Too and Knuffle Bunny Free) and its author Mo Willems number among our top favorites.  There's plenty here to enjoy for children and parents alike!

Frog And Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
I have to add this one in, for the simple reason that to this day I can't read the story Ice Cream without laughing like a maniac.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and illustrated by Lauren Child
I never intended to have this book on my list - in fact I stumbled across it only because I was searching for my favorite in the Charlie & Lola series by Lauren Child.  But how could I leave off one of my favorite childhood books with illustrations from one of my current favorite illustrators?  Are we allowed to enter our own giveaway?!

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
This is my favorite Cinderella re-telling.  It's perfect for ages 8-12 and has a wonderfully strong girl heroine and plenty of great messages for girls.  I recently gave this to my cousin's nine year old daughter and I can't wait to read it to my own daughters!  (Also...just FYI the movie is a travesty.)

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
My siblings and I dreamed about this storyline for ages--running away and living in the museum! I've reread this one many times since I first read it in elementary school. And if I'm being honest, I still dream about running away to live in the museum...and also the library.

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
So, so hilarious. This quick picture book teaches kids about the tendency people (well in this case, animals) have of evading the question rather than incriminating themselves. It's great for kids and adults alike, as long as you have a sense of humor.

Animalia by Graeme Base
This book provides hours of entertainment. Graeme Base's book has beautiful illustrations that you can't help but pore over. Each page centers on an alliterative adventure through the letters of the alphabet.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
First in the Wayside School series, this book features a school that was accidentally built vertically rather than horizontally and all the crazy teachers who work there and students who attend. I still remember many of the characters almost twenty years later.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
This was my favorite book for years. A middle grade mystery is unraveled after a rich old man dies and leaves his fortune to the team who can figure out how he died. The teams working on solving the mystery all live together in an apartment building. Also, the book is another victim of horrible-movie-adaptation.

The giveway hop runs until midnight on the 13th of May, EST. Open international. One winner will receive their pick of a book or books up to $12 US from The Book Depository.  Upon notification, winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected. 

Don't forget to check out all the other stops on the Children's Book Week Giveaway Hop!