Thursday, January 24, 2013

13 Melissa De La Cruz Interview Plus YALit Releases 1/26-1/31 Plus GATES OF PARADISE, MADMAN'S DAUGHTER,UNRAVEL ME Giveaways


Gates of Paradise (A Blue Bloods Novel)
by Melissa de la Cruz

Win a Hardcover!






What is your favorite thing about Gates of Paradise (A Blue Bloods Novel)?

The story of what happened between Michael and Gabrielle - the secret of what destroyed their bond is the foundation of the Blue Bloods series - if that hadn't happened, Schuyler would never have been born and there would have been no story. So we had to figure it out (and I say 'we' because my husband and I worked on the series arc together) from the beginning and I've always loved it because it was so beautiful and human and tragic what happened to them and I think it's the classic - 'everything went wrong' 'your greatest strength is also your greatest failure' sort of thing... If things don't go wrong, there are no stories. :)

What was your biggest surprise in writing this final book, or did you have everything all mapped out in preparation for the next Blue Bloods cycle?

The last chapter with Oliver was pretty surprising, I had no idea really, but it just felt so natural, and when it happened on the page, I remember feeling like I was being pulled out of my seat, it was so exciting. So that was a new twist I didn't see coming. That's why you have to listen to your characters. :)

Which character ended up being your favorite in the series and why?

Mimi has always been my favorite from the beginning. She's so much fun and so evil and flawed, but she has her reasons for acting that way. Mimi's very much a traditionalist and I sympathize with people like that. She likes things the way they were, whereas Schuyler is the revolutionary who is forging a new path. Change is frightening!

If you could go back to the beginning of the series and change one thing, what would it be and why?

Oy. I would fix all the inconsistencies, like when did Schuyler's mother go into a coma- when she was born or when she was three years old. That sort of thing. I was able to fix stuff in Keys to the Repository, so that was cool. When you write a book it goes through so many changes in each draft, and sometimes you don't catch all the changes you make. Allegra does die earlier and not later. Because of the timing of what happened to Bendix.

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Visit Melissa's Web Site


The Madman's Daughter
by Megan Shepherd




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Unravel Me (Shatter Me)
by Tahereh Mafi

it's almost
time for war.

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The Darkness Dwellers (Kiki Strike)
by Kirsten Miller
Full Set of Kiki Strike Books





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Asunder (Incarnate)
by Jodi Meadows

WINNER: Kimberly Barban


Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Asunder (Incarnate)?

I have a lot of favorite things about INCARNATE and ASUNDER, from the covers to the fact that they're being published to the amazingness that my words are inside. But the best? The very best is probably that people read the books. They connect to the books. I (with the help of a ginormo publishing company) put the books out there, but readers make it real. And that happening is my favorite thing.

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What the Spell (Life's a Witch)
by Brittany Geragotelis



Author Question: What is your favorite thing about What the Spell (Life's a Witch)?

My favorite thing about WHAT THE SPELL? is that it involves a character who really just wants to fit in. High school was a really tough time for me. I was a cheerleader, but not popular, I was bullied, boys weren't interested in me and I had very few friends. I think that high school can be hard for a lot of people (I can't identify with those who say HS was an awesome experience). It's a time where you're trying to figure out who you are and where you fit in and shaping your morals, etc.

In the book, the main character Brooklyn, is practically invisible at her school. She wants so badly to be someone at her school that she'll do just about anything to get it. And now that she's come into her powers as a witch, she can finally do something about it. It's a cautionary story, but I think a lot of teens will identify with wanting to connect and fit in with their peers. The book's also really funny at times and involves some crazy characters, awesome magic and a little action (some of the romantic variety).

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Nobody But Us
by Kristin Halbrook
Paperback Original


Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Nobody But Us?

My favorite thing about the book is that it asks the reader to think. About the systems that lead the characters on their paths, about the crimes they commit and intent, and about whether that was the "right" ending for these characters. I love when readers say they weren't sure how to feel, or are taking some time to process the book. That means more to me than simply saying "I liked it" or "I didn't like it." (I mean, "I liked it" is cool, too.)

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Unbroken: A Ruined Novel
by Paula Morris

Welcome back to New Orleans.
Where the streets swirl with jazz and beauty.
Where the houses breathe with ghosts.

A year ago, Rebecca Brown escaped death in a New Orleans cemetery. Now she has returned to this haunting city. She is looking forward to seeing Anton Grey, the boy who may or may not have her heart.

But she also meets a ghost: a troubled boy who insists only she can help him. Soon Rebecca finds herself embroiled in another murder mystery from more than a century ago. But as she tries to right wrongs, she finds more questions than answers: Is she putting her friends, and herself, in danger? Can she trust this new ghost? And has she stumbled into something much bigger and more serious than she understands?

Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Unbroken: A Ruined Novel?

My favorite thing about UNBROKEN is that I was able to return to the characters I loved, Rebecca and Anton and Aurelia, and pick up their story again to see where it lead. I don't usually write sequels - not for my 'adult' books, anyway! So this felt exciting and almost illicit.

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by Liz Fichera





Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Hooked?
My favorite part about HOOKED was creating a Native American teenaged girl as the book’s heroine.  There are so few strong Native American main characters in YA fiction and it was a pleasure to create Fred Oday (Fred is short for Fredricka, and a member of the Gila River Indian Community) and watch her come alive on the pages of this story.   



Prodigy (Legend )
by Marie Lu

"Prodigy" by Marie Lu is the long-awaited sequel to Legend, the must-read dystopian thriller novel. Perfect for all YA fans of "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins and Divergent by Veronica Roth. A brilliant re-imagining of "Les Miserables", the series is set to be a global film sensation as CBS films have acquired rights to the trilogy. The "Twilight Saga" producers, Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, will produce. Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games? Dystopian fiction at its very best in this thrilling instalment in the Legend trilogy. Praise for "Legend": "If you liked "The Hunger Games", you'll love this". (Sarah Rees-Brennan, author of "The Demon's Lexicon"). ""Legend" is impossible to put down and even harder to forget". (Kami Garcia, author of "New York Times" bestselling author of "Beautiful Creatures"). "A fine example of commercial fiction with razor-sharp plotting, depth of character and emotional arc, "Legend" doesn't merely survive the hype, it deserves it". ("New York Times"). "Marie Lu's dystopian novel is a 'Legend' in the making". ("USA Today"). "Legend is impossible to put down and even harder to forget". (Kami Garcia, "New York Times" bestselling author of film sensation, "Beautiful Creatures"). Marie Lu works as an art director for a video game company. "Legend" and "Prodigy" were built round the world that Marie Lu created for a popular Facebook game also called Legend. She was born near Shanghai but currently lives in California.

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Shadows in the Silence (Angelfire)
by Courtney Allison Moulton

Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . .
She must fight for Will.
She must fight for humanity.
And Ellie must save herself.

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The Look
by Sophia Bennett



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The Test (Bluford)
by Peggy Kern
Paperback Original



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Battle Magic
by Tamora Pierce



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  1. There are so many great books in this list! I've been eagerly anticipating just about all of them. :)

  2. I'd so love to win Unravel Me. I can't wait to read it. Thanks for the giveaway and happy Friday.

  3. Oooo, Unravel Me! I have a copy of Gates of Paradise and my ARC of The Madman's Daughter will be here soon! Thank you so much for the giveaway!

  4. I've been waiting for Unravel Me for a long time! Yay!

  5. Oh my goodness, The Madman's Daughter is a book I've been eying ever since I saw the PM announcement. Can't wait to read it!

  6. Prodigy and Shadows in the Silence were SOO good. I really want to read Nobody but Us. I need a good contemporary!!

  7. All these look fantabulous!

  8. Such great books :)! I'd love any of them.

  9. So many wonderful books again this week. I am really intrigued by Madman's Daughter. It looks terrific.

  10. I can't wait for Unravel Me! YAY!

  11. All the books sound really good. Thanks for the giveaway.

  12. I'd love to read Madman's Daughter and I am for sure reading Prodigy!

