News Alert: The Lunar Chronicles Fan Video Contest

First of all, I'd just like to say OMG! 

I don't know if you guys have heard about this yet, but if you haven't. Allow me to enlighten you. 

You know The Lunar Chronicles, right? Yes....the series I've been freaking out about ever since I started book blogging! Well...they're having a contest and just wait till you see the prizes! Marissa Meyer posted a blog post about this contest here. I'm going to do a quick summary of what was said. 

All can be explained with this picture.

Isn't that awesome?!

IT GETS BETTER!!!!!

One grand prize winner will receive a Lunar Chronicles-branded tablet filled with Lunar Chronicles goodies, a signed set of CINDER, SCARLET, and a personalized CRESS by Marissa Meyer, and an exclusive sneak peek at book four!

Five first place winners will receive a signed set of CINDER, SCARLET and CRESS by Marissa Meyer, and an Iko-branded USB filled with Lunar Chronicles goodies.
How amazing is that?! Especially since we have to wait till November 2015 for the last book of The Lunar Chronicles.

Here's how to Enter:  Create a video where you tell us why the Lunar Chronicles is THE BEST THING EVER, who your favorite character is, and why you’ll love them forever. Upload the video to YouTube and submit the link with the rest of your information here to enter the contest!

I wish the best to all the participants. If you haven't entered yet, hurry! It ends on June 13! :D

Happy Browsing!

Book Blitz: A Dangerous Madness

It's RELEASE DAY for Michelle Diener's third book in her Regency London Series, 
A Dangerous Madness!

A Dangerous Madness

by Michelle Diener

Adult Historical

May 19th 2014

The Duke of Wittaker has been living a lie...
He’s been spying on the dissolute, discontented noblemen of the ton, pretending to share their views. Now he’s ready to step out of the shadows and start living a real life...but when the prime minister of England is assassinated, he's asked to go back to being the rake-hell duke everyone believes he still is to find out more.
Miss Phoebe Hillier has been living a lie, too...
All her life she's played by society's rules, hiding her fierce intelligence and love of life behind a docile and decorous mask. All it's gotten her is jilted by her betrothed, a man she thought a fool, though a harmless one. But when she discovers her former fiancé was involved in the plot against the prime minister, and that he's been murdered, she realizes he wasn't so harmless after all.
And now the killers have set their sights on her...
The only man who can help her is the Duke of Wittaker--a man she knows she shouldn't trust. And she soon realizes he's hiding behind a mask as careful as her own. As the clock ticks down to the assassin's trial, the pair scramble to uncover the real conspiracy behind the prime minister's death. And as the pressure and the danger mounts, Phoebe and Wittaker shed their disguises, layer by layer, to discover something more precious than either imagined–something that could last forever. Unless the conspirators desperate to hide their tracks get to them first.

Amazon * Kindle * iTunes * Kobo * Barnes&Noble

SPECIAL OFFER

It just so happens that In Defense of the Queen, one of the Tudor-set historicals, is on special offer at the moment on Amazon, down to $0.99 from $4.99. The offer ends on May 24th, so if you like historicals with twists, turns and a lot of suspense, be sure to grab a copy.

Connections

I am so excited that my historical novel, A Dangerous Madness, releases today. A Dangerous Madness is set during the Regency period in London, and the plot revolves around the assassination of the British prime minister, Spencer Perceval.

A Dangerous Madness stands alone, but it is also connected to two other of my historical novels, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies. The fun part of connecting the novels for me was to revisit characters I love from the previous two books (which are also connected to each other) but introducing those characters so that a reader of A Dangerous Madness doesn't have to have read the other two books to understand them. The characters have to stand alone, as much as the books do. But for those readers who have read either one or both of the previous books, they'll see those characters again, and learn a little about what has happened to them since the last book.

I've had so many readers contact me and comment on how much they enjoyed catching a glimpse of one or other of their favorite characters, which I really love. And quite a few people who read Banquet of Lies went back to read The Emperor's Conspiracy, and told me they found it equally satisfying, so readers don't have to read the books in any particular order.

In this way, connected books are more versatile than a series, because most people are hesitant to read a series out of order, and I totally understand that. I also love that so many people wrote to me after Banquet of Lies, asking if the Duke of Wittaker would get his own story. It was very satisfying to tell them I had started working on it straight after I finished Banquet of Lies. :)

From the beginning of Banquet of Lies, the Duke of Wittaker is mentioned by various characters again and again, although readers only 'meet' him near the very end. But when he did arrive on the scene, he made a real impact. I wrote and rewrote the scenes with him in them, because he really shone as a character and I wanted to do him justice. I loved that readers felt the same way, and those who read Banquet of Lies and have been waiting for their Duke of Wittaker fix, I hope they enjoy A Dangerous Madness as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

Michelle's other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor's Conspiracy).

Michelle's first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, is set for a December 23, 2013, release.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

Goodreads * Amazon * Website * Twitter * Facebook

Blitz-Wide Giveaways:

Grand Prize: Print copies of The Emperor's Conspiracy, Banquet of Lies, and A Dangerous Madness
5 Print or Kindle copies (winner's choice) of A Dangerous Madness
Both giveaway are open internationally.
May 19th - 26th
See Rafflecopter for restrictions.

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Book Haul! [May 2014]

Yes! Book Haul! 

Hurray!

Here are the new books we now have on Monique's Bookshelf! 

1. Unremembered by Jessica Brody

2. The Fall of Five by Pittacus Lore

3. After the Parch by Sheldon Greene

4. Reboot by Amy Tintera

I am so excited to read them all!!!! :D

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Unique Books I've Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. You can find out more about it here.

Yay! I'm finally doing this meme again! I've missed it so much! Let's begin:

Top Ten Most Unique Books I've Read
                      

1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Cinderella is a cyborg? People living on the moon? Yes, give me more, please!

2. Bruiser by Neal Shusterman
A boy who can take on your pain if he loves you too much? Bittersweet story, but I was moved by the Bruiser's unselfishness.

3. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
A future where parents can "unwind" their children (basically donate their body to science, brain included....while they are still alive) NOBODY show this book to my mom! Ok?!
                    
4. You by Charles Benoit 
Somehow the main character never uses the word 'I'. It's just you.

Review: How To Be A Perfect Girl by Mary Williams

Title: How To Be A Perfect Girl
Author: Mary Williams
Link: Goodreads 

Valentina Hunter's parents think they've just hit the jackpot; when her mother invents a product that makes her family millionaires overnight, they buy a new house and new cars, and enroll their daughter in the ultra-exclusive Palm Lake private school. The school comes with an excellent resume; more Palm Lake graduates go on to the Ivy League than any other private school in the area, ninety percent of them start college with at least a year’s worth of Advanced Placement credits, and they earn more perfect ACT scores per capita than the students at any other high school. Valentina’s mother and father are ecstatic, but Val doesn’t share the sentiment; she would rather go to the local public school with all her middle school friends. Events only increase her desire, as Valentina quickly finds herself embroiled in bitter social battles and hostile vendettas, leaving her to question whether she’ll even be able to survive the first month.

I got a copy from the author for an honest review.

1/5 stars! 
*sigh* Ok. It's time to finally review this book.

Let me start by saying I thought this was going to be a fun, light-hearted read, and I had no idea that I was going to read such a roller-coaster type of book. I know, I know, I should've guessed from the blurb, but come on! "Bitter social battles?" I thought it would be a funny clique thing. After all, she's only a high school freshman.

I have no complaints against the author's story-telling ability. It was really easy to read and understand everything that was going on. However, the story she chose to tell is beyond me.

The set up was good, but then things started taking a turn for the worse.

Warning: The Love Triangle is strong with this one.

I hated the main character. She was unbelievably rude and her "best friend" was a jerk. All the "love interests" were jerks as well. I was unimpressed with all of them.

Valentina, is a perfect example of  "Little Miss Perfect" in my Why I Hate Love Triangles blog post. You  can go read it if you want to understand a bit more of what I mean.

Ofcourse, the cursing didn't help raise my opinion of this book. The only good character was Carrie. This book would've been much better if she had been the main character. She is practically the only character that was likeable. She isn't as pretty or popular as the main character, but she's nice, smart, and sweet! :) Heck, even Avery, (the antagonist) would've made a better main character.

Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cress
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3
Link: Goodreads

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

My Review

Marissa Meyer strikes again!

If you thought the first two books were great, just wait till you read Cress. Cinder and Scarlet was just the warm-up.

In order for this to be a non-spoilery review, I can't tell you in specific details why I love this book so much, but you'll find out when you read it! :D

Let's explore the characters!

Cress: I loved her! I don't see her as a damsel in distress. She's just a tiny bit loopy from being locked up in a satellite for so long. Who wouldn't be? I think one of the reasons I felt so connected to her was because we share the same coping techniques. I think Marissa Meyer has been spying on me. Whenever Cress is in a difficult situation, she pretends that she's someone else....usually an actress or a celebrity. She uses her imagination to help her in the real world. I'm sure a lot of people can relate to that.

Kai: *swoons* My Emperor! I cannot stand the thought of my emperor being engaged that wicked villain. It makes me so sad! :( Kai was just so adorable in this book...more so than usual. He's still struggling to determine which side Cinder is on. Poor Kai! I must admit that he has pretty dense moments, where you just wanted to shake his handsome body and scream WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND?! By the end of the book, he's back to being Prince Charming :)

Thorne: If you haven't fallen in love with Thorne yet, this is the time to do it. Our hero gets a major setback, but it doesn't stop him from being his swoony self. I can't really say anything else without spoiling it, so read the book!

Wolf: *tears* It's too painful to talk about. :(

Scarlet: I'll always love Scarlet's fierce spirit. She makes a very bold move in this book, and I'm inspired by her bravery.

Dr. Erland: We had the privilege of understanding more about Dr. Erland and his daughter. In the end, things worked out for the best.

Jacin: Do you guys remember who this is? This is the guard that "manhandled" (for lack of a better word) Cinder at the ball. He also had a little part to play in Scarlet (the second book). Trust me. He's in there. I checked! I know many people had mixed opinions on Jacin, but I don't feel conflicted at all. I absolutely love him! I think when Winter comes around, everyone will feel the same way I do. Don't say I didn't warn you! :P

Cinder: Absolutely amazing! I'm proud of her character growth and I love how brilliant she is at coming up with plans.

Winter: OMG! Just wait...just you wait and see. She is absolutely adorable! I can't wait to read more about her in 2015.

Cress was filled with action, and wonderful storytelling. I loved how Marissa Meyer tied everything together so neatly. One problem I always have with dystopia is that sometimes the characters don't feel different at all. Can you relate? This book didn't have that problem. The characters are conveyed differently and their interactions with each other are top-notch. This is an example of a well thought out series. You know how everybody says that sequels aren't as good as the first book? I feel like Marissa Meyer's writing says: Ain't nobody got time for that! It's that good. Read it! Honestly, the only disadvantage to reading Cress is that you have to wait till 2015 to get the next book. *sigh*

I will allow myself to say one thing:
Cinder and Kai will interact in this book. I repeat, Cinder and Kai interact in this book!

Favorite Quote:
Knees suddenly weak, she reached for his forearms to stabilize herself. "You came for me." He beamed, looking for all the world like a selfless, daring hero.

Happy Reading!

Trailer Reveal: How To Get Ainsley Bishop To Fall In Love With You + Giveaway

How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You

by T.M. Franklin

Release Date: 06/12/14
Goodreads
              

1. Join the Drama Club
2. Do Your Research
3. Provide Something She Needs
4. Make Her Feel Secure and Important
5. Pay Attention!
6. Be a Good Friend
7. Be More Attractive
8. Be Complimentary, But Not Obsequious
9. Establish Rapport
10. Be Encouraging and Supportive
11. Give Her Space 12. Admit When You’re Wrong and Apologize
13. Find the Perfect Birthday Gift
14. Tell Her How You Feel

 Seventeen-year old Oliver Wendell Holmes (Yes, his parents are just that peculiar, but his brother’s name is Sherlock, so it could have been worse) knows that he’s different. He’s quirky, awkward, and he’s okay with that. Oliver also likes making lists—meticulous procedures for achieving his goals, step-by-step. Whether it’s “How to Get an A in Chemistry” or “How to Get Accepted to MIT,” he has a process, and it’s worked for him so far. He doesn’t even care that the popular kids mock him. Oliver’s got his eye on the prize.

So when he decides it’s time to declare his feelings for Ainsley Bishop, the girl of his dreams, it’s only natural for him to make a list—a point-by-point strategy to win her heart. He knows it will take a grand gesture for her to see all he has to offer, and her approaching birthday provides the ideal opportunity for Oliver to put his plan into action.

Finding the perfect gift is a challenge Oliver meets with his usual dogged determination. He’ll need to watch her carefully for clues to pinpoint exactly what he should give her. And along the way, he might just learn that what Ainsley really needs is not quite what he expected.

Trailer

About the Author

T.M. Franklin started out her career writing nonfiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. After writing and unsuccessfully querying a novel that she now admits, “is not that great,” she decided to follow the advice of one of the agents who turned her down—write some more and get better at it. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Mike, is mom to two boys, Justin and Ryan, and has an enormous black dog named Rocky who’s always lying nearby while she’s writing. Whether he’s soothed by the clicking of the computer keys or just waiting for someone to rub his belly is up for debate.

In addition to MORE, Franklin penned the Amazon best-selling short story, Window, as well as another short story, A Piece of Cake, which appears in the Romantic Interludes anthology. The sequel to MORE, The Guardians, will be released November 7, 2013.

Connect with T.M. Franklin

Website | Facebook | Twitter  | Goodreads

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Trailer Reveal Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Why I Dislike Love Triangles

I just finished reading a book that both infuriated me and reminded me why I hate love triangles.

Here's why:

The Stowaway



There's almost always this one guy that's so much in love with the heroine that apparently he has abandoned the idea of self-respect. I'm always a little sad for this character. This is sometimes the close friend that has been there through all the heroine's trials and has stuck by her through the worst of situations. If handled well, the stowaway can actually be good for the story, but sometimes things go way too far. 

The heroine, whether she knows  it or not, tortures him. He is more like a servant than a friend. He is at her every beck and call. It gets worse. Sometimes this character tries to move on, he tries to forget her. He knows she prefers the other guy and tries to back off...What does the heroine do? She gets jealous! 



Whoa! I'm sorry that the stowaway decided to dig up some dignity and get over you. How dare he not remain as your back up?! Seriously?! Ugh! Get over yourself!

Little Miss Perfect



May I introduce you to Her Majesty, the Queen? *rolls eyes* She is perfect in every way. She is Belle, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Princess Jasmine all rolled into one. This type of heroine creates love triangles that aren't even love triangles anymore. They become some type of messed up love polygon with uneven sides.

This is just crazy! The heroine is so perfect that insta-love is bound to happen. People just fall in love with her off the street. NOBODY dislikes her, and if they do, it's because they're jealous. They're jealous that she just radiates awesomeness and they can't be like her.

And the love interests? They come out of nowhere. The stranger off the street is in love with her, her closest guy friends are fighting over her, the pizza boy is in love with her, guys suddenly forget they have girlfriends around her. All hail the queen!

Oh, come on! Sorry, but I like my heroines to be have little quirks and faults. I don't buy the whole "everyone is in love with her" business. Oh, please.

Forever Layla Cover Reveal + Giveaway

Title: Forever Layla
Release date: May 27th 2014
Publisher: AltWit Press

 Synopsis:
What if the woman you envied most is the person you are destined to become?

In 1994, high school senior David Foster was the lackey and soundboard geek for his best friend's grunge band. During spring break, the band lands a dream gig playing at a motel in Myrtle Beach, SC. David expected all the girls to ogle the guys on stage, but when a beautiful blond "Bond Girl" approaches him and calls him by name, he's shocked to find out she knows more about him than a stranger should.

She even knows about his notebooks and his visions of time travel.

What she thought was a quick time-travel-sightseeing trip takes a surprising turn when she meets the young adult version of the man she'd heard stories about as a child. His fairy-tale romance with the woman he'd loved, Layla, inspired her to accept nothing less than a love just as strong...but hopefully not as tragic. When she won't tell the younger version of him her name, he calls her Layla--and the world as she knows it changes forever.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20987577-forever-layla

About The Author
Melissa Turner Lee holds a BA in Communications with a concentration in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. She has studied fiction writing since 2008, attending various writing conferences and workshops, along with guidance from professional writing coaches. She resides in Spartanburg, SC with her husband and 3 sons.


Blog | facebook.com/MelissaTurnerLee | @melissatlee1975

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Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. To find out more about it and how to participate, go ahead and click here.

Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List
At the expense of this turning into a very long post, I still added the goodreads description for each book just in case any brave souls wanted to add anything to their already overwhelming TBR pile. Happy browsing! :)

 
When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.
Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.
Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?
From popular young adult author Jessica Brody comes a compelling and suspenseful new sci-fi series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.

 
John Smith—Number Four—thought that things would change once the Garde found each other. They would stop running. They would fight the Mogadorians. And they would win.

But he was wrong. After facing off with the Mogadorian ruler and almost being annihilated, the Garde know they are drastically unprepared and hopelessly outgunned. Now they’re hiding out in Nine’s Chicago penthouse, trying to figure out their next move.
The six of them are powerful, but they’re not strong enough yet to take on an entire army—even with the return of an old ally. To defeat their enemy, the Garde must master their Legacies and learn to work together as a team. More importantly, they’ll have to discover the truth about the Elders and their plan for the Loric survivors.
And when the Garde receive a sign from Number Five—a crop circle in the shape of a Loric symbol—they know they are so close to being reunited. But could it be a trap? Time is running out, and the only thing they know for certain is that they have to get to Five before it’s too late.
The Garde may have lost battles, but they will not lose this war.
Lorien will rise again.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.
One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Sweet and sensible Ellie hasn't met a problem her mom's yoga mantras can't fix. But when Ellie's parents threaten to pull her from the Academy just as her flirtation with the cutest boy in school heats up, will Ellie be able to keep her cool?
The last thing that the girls at the elite Jane Austen Academy need is guys. But over the summer the school has been sold, and like it or not, the guys are coming. And they're about to turn the Academy—and the lives of its students—totally upside down...

Dive into the fabulous, fun lives of six Academy girls as their friendships are tested, torn and ultimately triumph.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Author Q&A with Ben Langdon + Giveaway

Please welcome Ben Langdon, author of The Miranda Contract to the blog!

Supervillain. Pop Star.Sometimes the life we're given isn't the life we'd choose for ourselves.
For the past five years, Dan Galkin has been lying to everyone about just how ordinary he is. But Dan's the grandson of The Mad Russian: one of the world's most powerful, and insane, supervillains. And Dan has powers too. He's a living battery, able to absorb and discharge electricity with his mind. Normally he keeps his powers hidden, but when the old man returns with an offer to make his grandson heir apparent, any chance at an ordinary life is blown apart.
Miranda Brody thought she wanted to be a pop star, but now she's got the international profile and the entourage, she doesn't recognize the Miranda she has become. After getting caught up in the cross-fire between Dan and his grandfather, Miranda realizes there's more to life than being famous. Staying alive, for example, becomes a high priority. And not falling in love with the pizza boy comes a close second. Labeled by society, trapped by expectation. Dan and Miranda might actually be able to change everything. As long as they don't kill each other first.

About the Author

 Ben Langdon is from Portland, Victoria, and when he's not writing, he teaches English and literature at the local high school, raises three children who are his favorite heroes-in-training, and enjoys reading. He mostly writes speculative fiction, particularly in the superhero or neo-pulp genres, but he also turns his hands to literary and mainstream short stories. Writing is a big part of his life, and one that he really enjoys. As well as writing fiction, he has also been a freelance columnist for The Age newspaper and the editor and publisher for This Mutant Life, a ‘zine for superhero fiction.

Author Interview

1. How did you know you wanted to start writing novels?

I've always loved writing but never really thought I'd actually write a full-length, real-life novel mostly because I never seemed to have the time. There was school, the university, the work, then family… it was always a matter of "Just wait a few more years." The thing that changed my whole perspective on writing, that made me really commit to writing a novel, was NaNoWriMo. A couple of people at work agreed to do the 'Novel in a Month' and it was this community of writers struggling against deadlines, chatting about writing and actually understanding the process that gave me 'permission' to actually writ a 50,000 draft. The next year I signed up with the Victorian Writers' Centre in Melbourne and I enrolled in a writers' workshop with author and publisher, Paul Collins. The writers I met there are still my close-writing friends and their support and feedback helped me get The Miranda Contract into reality.

Review: The Miranda Contract by Ben Langdon

Title: The Miranda Contract
Author: Ben Langdon
Publisher: Kalamity Press
Link: Goodreads

THE MIRANDA CONTRACT

Supervillain. Pop Star.Sometimes the life we're given isn't the life we'd choose for ourselves.
For the past five years, Dan Galkin has been lying to everyone about just how ordinary he is. But Dan's the grandson of The Mad Russian: one of the world's most powerful, and insane, supervillains. And Dan has powers too. He's a living battery, able to absorb and discharge electricity with his mind. Normally he keeps his powers hidden, but when the old man returns with an offer to make his grandson heir apparent, any chance at an ordinary life is blown apart.
Miranda Brody thought she wanted to be a pop star, but now she's got the international profile and the entourage, she doesn't recognize the Miranda she has become. After getting caught up in the cross-fire between Dan and his grandfather, Miranda realizes there's more to life than being famous. Staying alive, for example, becomes a high priority. And not falling in love with the pizza boy comes a close second. Labeled by society, trapped by expectation. Dan and Miranda might actually be able to change everything. As long as they don't kill each other first.

My Review
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
I got a copy of this book for an honest review

Although the concept of "gods" makes me cringe a little, I actually really enjoyed this book. Dan Galkin tries to runaway from his destiny of being a supervillian, a destiny being forced on him by his grandfather. I loved Dan's sarcasm. In my opinion, there's no better way to deal when you're surrounded by people that hate you. Sarcasm is always the way to go.

The love interest, Miranda, is quite spunky. In the beginning, I thought she was going to be one of those weak female characters that are often found in science fiction novels, but was pleasant surprised that she was the opposite.

My favorite character was Bree. She was not one of the primary characters, but I liked her a lot. I adored her laid-back attitude about everything.

Halo was a character I just couldn't understand. At first I hated him, then I fell in love with him, and then I was just plain confused. He's very deceptive, sneaky...yet helpful. 

The author's writing style was easy to read and understand. The story starts out pretty hectic, slows down and then picks right back up with heavy action-packed scenes. My emotions were all over the place. I say a job well done to the author! There was some strong language used, but it was brief only happened three times that I can recall, and very easy to ignore.

I gave The Miranda Contract 3.5/5 stars because it was way better than just being an "ok" type of book, yet it didn't quite hit a 4-star rating. I'm still confused about how Dan's grandfather's powers work. I'm also very curious to know other things such as: How did the Mad Russian become mad? How did Sully get his job? 

Overall, I was very satisfied and it was a book I did not regret reading.

Flashback Friday: Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Flashback Friday is a meme run by (Swoony Boys Podcast) and Fiction Fare. If you'd like to find out more, you can find out here!

Title: Unwind
Author: Neal Shusterman
Published: 2007

In America after the Second Civil War, the Pro-Choice and Pro-Life armies came to an agreement: The Bill of Life states that human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, a parent may choose to retroactively get rid of a child through a process called "unwinding." Unwinding ensures that the child's life doesn’t “technically” end by transplanting all the organs in the child's body to various recipients. Now a common and accepted practice in society, troublesome or unwanted teens are able to easily be unwound.
With breathtaking suspense, this book follows three teens who all become runaway Unwinds: Connor, a rebel whose parents have ordered his unwinding; Risa, a ward of the state who is to be unwound due to cost-cutting; and Lev, his parents' tenth child whose unwinding has been planned since birth as a religious tithing. As their paths intersect and lives hang in the balance, Shusterman examines serious moral issues in a way that will keep readers turning the pages to see if Connor, Risa, and Lev avoid meeting their untimely ends.

My Thoughts

What if you lived in a world where your parents could have you unwinded? Don't know what that means? That means they could basically sell you to science.....while you're alive. This book gave me the creeps and it deserves 5/5 stars for being a well-written masterpiece as well as a cruel reminder that science explored without regard for human life can lead to ghastly consequences. Read this book! It's one of those books that can change the way you look at life.

Cress comes out in 10 days!

I am unbelievably excited for Cress to come out on Feb 4! You have no idea! I've been trying to cope by checking out reviews and watching *cough* stalking  *cough* Marissa Meyer's twitter. It has been quite an experience. I've also been doing the ScarletReadAlong here and the Scarlet Readathon with Fierce Reads....other than that, I've been checking out every Cress review known to man on every blog in the whole blogosphere. I think  it's fair to say that I'm pretty much obsessed with this book and I can't wait for it to get released!

News for you!
The Cress blog tour has began. You don't want to miss a single post. So here you go! Information from Marissa Meyer's blog....

Monday, January 20 : That Artsy Reader Girl
Find out why Marissa Meyer almost named Cress “Arugula” . . .

Tuesday, January 21 : Mermaid Vision Books
 “Ode to Spaceship Captains.” 

Wednesday, January 22 : MacTeenBooks
Music that inspired the book

Thursday, January 23 : Refracted Light Reviews
In which Meg Tao, Kai’s fan club president, is devastated.

Friday, January 24 : Love is Not a Triangle
 Lunar Chronicles fanart . . .

Monday, January 27 : YA Bibliophile
In which Marissa Meyer talks about my experience riding a real-live camel for research.

Tuesday, January 28 : The Irish Banana Review
Learn how Marissa Meyer relates to Cress’s character . . .

Wednesday, January 29 : Forever Young Adult
The challenges of writing a quartet (and the third book in particular).

Thursday, January 30 : Alexa Loves Books

Marissa talks about food. A LOT of food . . .

Friday, January 31 : FicFare
 10 things that changed from Cress’s early drafts . . .

Monday, February 3 : Mundie Moms
You can take a quiz to find out which Lunar Chronicles heroine you are . . .

I don't know about you, but I am beyond excited!!! :D
 There are also a lot of giveaways to enter, so go ahead and have an awesome time! 

Cress, Feb 4. Only 10 days left!