More Twilight News

EW.com has posted a video interview with Stephenie Meyer. You can check it out here.

EW.com is also holding a live stream of two out of the four events Stephenie Meyer is holding. The first is on August 1 in New York and the second on August 7th in Los Angeles. So, if you want to hear Stephenie Meyer answer some questions, then go to EW.com or iClips.net on those days.

13 Random Questions with Kimberly Pauley

Hello, all. Today we bring you an interview with the fabulous Kimberly Pauley, debut novelist of Sucks to Be Me!

1. I know the creative process works differently for various people. What's your writing process like?

I usually start off with a kernel of an idea (usually late at night). I'll write some notes about it, little snippets of dialog, things like that and once it has hit "critical mass" in my head, I start an outline. With "Sucks to Be Me" I really followed the outline; with some things I've worked on in the past, I wasn't quite so strict about it (of course, most of those things aren't completed yet either...hmmmmmm).

2. What inspired you to write a book about vampires? And how long did it take you to write the book?

It really started with me thinking about how most vampire books all kind of have the same basic premise (you know, vampires are stalking someone and they are trying to escape or someone is being turned into one and is trying to find a cure) and I was wondering how it would be if you turned vamparism from something kind of dark and mysterious into something more mundane.

I actually wrote the book in 2005. I'm not honestly sure how long it took to write...in calendar time, it was about 7-8 months, but in actual time it was less (I was having some back problems at the time and wasn't writing too consistently).

3. You're a debut novelist. How did you feel when you heard your book sold?

It was really crazy. I heard in July of 2007, which was right after my tenth anniversary (June 2007 - we went on an Alaskan cruise) and also right around the time we figured out I was pregnant with our first baby (I think the same week!)! So it was a really exciting and very hormonal (from the pregnancy) time! My husband was super-excited for me too.

4. What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

As many writers before me have said...the most important thing is to read. Read a lot. Read everything you can get your hands on. There's really no substitute for that. Of course, you also need to write -- and write a lot. The more you write, the better you get. Other important things: be open to constructive criticism, pay attention in your English classes (grammar may not matter in an IM conversation, but it sure does when you're writing a book!), and don't get discouraged.

5. In Sucks to Be Me, Uncle Mortie takes Mina to visit author Harriet Melman whom Mina describes as "the strangest person she's ever seen". Do you have any unique habits?

Habits? Hmmm. I'm not sure I have any unique habits, per se. I do have lots of hobbies...(none of which I have a lot of time for at the moment)...making soap and lip balm, knitting, quilting, sewing, painting...the list goes on and on.

Though, really, if I had some really weird habits, would I even realize it?

6.If you were forced to make the same decision as Mina, what would you choose?

That's really hard to say. I think I'd have to say that in her exact situation I think I'd do what she did. In my own life, I probably wouldn't choose to turn. As Mina learns, it really has a lot to do with family. Though living forever is pretty tempting.

7. What are you working on now? Any more books about Mina? Do you have plans for other YA books?

I'm working on a sequel to "Sucks to Be Me" called "It Still Sucks to Be Me" where [stop reading here and skip to the next question if you haven't read the first book yet!! Potential spoilers!] Mina's parents make her finish her last year of high school and she has to move to Louisiana (part of the Vampire Relocation deal the Council is forcing her parents to cooperate with). There's more to it than that, but I don't want to say too much. Of course, it depends upon how well the first book does on whether or not the next one gets published, so go out and buy a copy of Sucks to Be Me! :-)

If the Mina series is successful, I've got 2 other planned books besides the sequel. I've also got the outlines and notes for a few other YA and middle grade novels (no vampires in those, though).

8. What are some good vampire books you'd like to recommend?

Well, definitely the whole Bella Swan series from Stephenie Meyer. And beyond that...it's actually kind of hard for me to say. Once I started working on my novel, I stopped reading other vampire fiction because I didn't want to "corrupt" what was in my head (Twilight was so different from what I was writing, I wasn't really concerned about it...lucky me! It's a great book). So I really haven't read any for quite some time. I've heard good things about books by P.C. & Kristin Cast (a mother/daughter team), Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, Annette Curtis Klause, Vivian Vande Velde. And Katie Maxwell and Mari Mancusi. There's really a lot to choose from right now.

I'd also recommend Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith. It's another great one and very original.

9. I've noticed that you've read and enjoyed Twilight. So, in the great Edward vs. Jacob debate, who would you choose?

I'd have to say Edward. Jacob has his good points, but....ah, Edward.

10. You have a book review site, three blogs, a son…How do you find time to write?

Well, honestly, right now it is really tough. Before the baby was born things were a lot easier! Though pregnancy was a bit tough too since I had some minor complications, so I feel like I haven't really been writing much for about a year, other than the editorial changes for Sucks to Be Me. I'm hoping to get more in the swing of things soon as little Max gets older.

11. As mentioned before, you have an amazing book review site. What are your top ten books of the moment?

Thanks! I've been working on it since 1998 and it gets bigger every year. I've got a lot of great volunteer reviewers, too! And awesome site regulars! :-)

My top ten at the moment though...that's such a hard question for me! This is a different list from my top ten of all time (there are always those books that will be near and dear to me because I read them when I was growing up):

Coraline by Neil GaimanLooking for Alaska by John GreenOdd Thomas by Dean KoontzThe Wee Free Men by Terry PratchettTwilight by Stephenie MeyerBook of a Thousand Days by Shannon HaleThe Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix (sorry, couldn't pick just one)Magyk by Angie SageSpeak by Laurie Halse Anderson (such a powerful story)

and...and...ugh! At this point, I'm really stuck because there are some authors I really love, but it is almost impossible to pick just one book! So I'll just add...Susan Juby, E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, Dan Ehrenhaft, Alex Flinn, and Lara Zeises. And I'm going to stop there though I could easily go on because I'm already way past 10.

12.If you could switch lives with someone, who would it be?

At the moment, nobody! I'm pretty happy just as I am. :-)

13.And finally, your son, Max was just born. Congratulations on the baby! How's Max doing now?

Thanks! He's doing great right now and he's such a cutie! He gave us some concern at the beginning since he was kinda small to start off with (but hey, I'm not so huge myself...I'm only 4' 11"!). He's a really good baby...he just takes up w-a-y more time than I'd anticipated! But every day is an adventure and that's a good thing.

Awwwwww. Well, thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions.

Don't forget to check out Sucks to Be Me when its released in September!

Farworld by J Scott Savage + A CONTEST

*Comment on this post to win a copy of Farworld by J Scott Savage. Anonymous commenters MUST leave an email address or (if they don't want to leave their email address in the comments) send an email to deadly.chocolate@gmail.com with the subject line CONTEST ENTRY. Sorry but only residents from Canada or the United States can enter. The contest ends August 5th.*

Farworld. A magical world of Far World, where lizards..oops, I mean skytes, fly and magic is as common as breathing. A world that Marcus has recently found himself in. And things aren’t looking pretty. He’s been told that he has to save Far World (sounds easy, right?), been stalked by the Dark Circle and met the Unmakers (who do, well, exactly as the name says). And, in order to save the world, he must visit the water elementals (the penalty for doing so is death…). On the bright side, he’s met talking animals and found a friend in a girl named Kyja who’s accompanied him on all his adventures and who plays an important part in the story as well.

The main character, Marcus, instantly won me over by standing up to a pair of bullies-even though he was disabled. Admittedly, I found it difficult to get into the story at first. There was a lot of background information, setting, etc. to be established. Of course, as soon as I was halfway through I found myself completely immersed. The characters, to me, were fascinating. I loved Marcus’s reactions to Far World and Kyja’s reaction to “Ert” (Earth). Every character, including the supporting characters was intriguing. Riph Raph, the skyte that accompanies Kyja and Marcus on their quest is one of my favourite characters-being completely hilarious and fully loveable. J Scott Savage presented a world that was fully realistic and I’m definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

8/10

Happy Reading,

Reader Rabbit the Second

EVERNIGHT BY CLAUDIA GRAY

This book was supposed to be reviewed like a month ago. (So I apologize for the delay. Anyways..let`s get too it =D)




Evernight is a mysterious boarding school which holds many secrets. In fact, the boarding school is a haven for..vampires.

Our main character, Bianca, is pretty upset with how her life is turning out. Her parents are teachers at Evernight and so she's forced to become a student at the school. Except she's not at all like the others. They are perfect, poised and beautiful..everything she's not (or she thinks). Bianca knows that she''ll never be able to be a part of their world.

There's one other person who defies the social expectations of Evernight. Lucas. And of course, it's a must in stories like these, the two find friendship in each other and soon fall in love with each other.

Except of course there's more. Neither Lucas or Bianca have been completely honest with each other and their secrets and other outside forces doom the couple and leave Bianca a choice between love and the life she was meant to have...

Personally, I was really looking foward to reading this book. Everyone was giving this one rave reviews and nope, this book DID live up to my expectations (especially in the final half).

While reading, I found the book to be kind split between the first and second half. At first, I hate to say, the novel moved slowly and wasn't that intruiging...

But then, as I went on and learnt Bianca's secret, I was enraptured by the writing. I wish I could say more on it but I'd really hate to ruin it for any future readers. All I can say is, as soon as I hit that I knew that I'd been right to get my hopes up. (My only qualm is why did it appear so late into the story? Wouldn`t Bianca have mentioned it before??)

Onwards, I found the characters to be pretty well developed. Bianca and Lucas were both believable characters and I understood their decisions and reactions throughout the novel.

Also, the secondary characters in the novel all seemed to be in the story for a purpose, which I really like. Claudia Gray didn`t waste any space with useless characers! (Woot!)

Finally, I lovedlovedloved the conflict in the novel (brought on by that superb twist.) I won`t get any deeper into it, it's a good surprise! I thought that the twist was really well planned and most definetely sets this book apart from other YA vampire fiction!

In anycase, basically what I'm saying here is that Claudia Gray's Evernight is superb (I can't wait for the sequel!) and you really ought to go and get yourself a copy (Just remember not to give up on it until you've reached the second half!!)

8/10 =)

Happy Reading (Or since I should be speaking french..Aurevoir!)

Reader Rabbit

PS: My sister should be answering the Weekly Geeks question soon!

Weekly Geeks #12

I am a bad Weekly Geek. So far, we have participated in ONE weekly geek. But, this week, we're back into the game with the latest challenge.

How to:

1. In your blog, list any books you’ve read but haven’t reviewed yet. If you’re all caught up on reviews, maybe you could try this with whatever book(s) you finish this week.

2. Ask your readers to ask you questions about any of the books they want. In your comments, not in their blogs. Most likely, people who will ask you questions will be people who have read one of the books or know something about it because they want to read it.

3. Later, take whichever questions you like from your comments and use them in a post about each book. I’ll probably turn mine into a sort of interview-review. Link to each blogger next to that blogger’s question(s).

4. Visit other Weekly Geeks and ask them some questions!



So, I've read

Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak

The Taker by J.M. Steele

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot

House of Dance by Beth Kephart

Undercover by Beth Kephart

Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt

Unbelievable by Sara Shepard

The Off Season by Catherine Murdock

Braless in Wonderland by Debbie Reed Fischer

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Looks by Madeleine George

I'm also in the middle of

Madapple by Christina Meldrum

Francey by Martin Dubow

The Emerald Tablet by PJ Hoover

The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson


Ask us questions! Please!

NEWS!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!
Ok, first of all, (I'm a bit late in posting this) but Savvy is available in e-book format for free. There's still two days left. So if you want to read it, I'd advise you to go check it out here.





Second of all, there's been a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly that Twilight fans might be interested in. The cover admittedly scares me but it has several excellent articles in it. The first includes quotes from Stephenie Meyer and the second is about the upcoming movie!





And, lastly, we've joined Lauren's awesome contest for I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone. Basically, all you have to do is buy I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone and send a picture of the receipt to Lauren(Lauren51990@aol.com). You'll be entered to win $130 worth of gift cards. The gift cards have been donated by And Another Book Read, Shooting Star Magazine, Reading Mania, The Compulsive Reader, Bookloverreviews, The Story Siren, B is for Books, Teen Troves, From the Corner of Megan's Mind, Presenting Lenore, Writer's Block Reviews, In Bed With Books and US! The contest will end July 30th.

Hey! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY RR2 (L)

Just a quick message from Quebec guys!

Since I left my sister back home to do all the reading and reviewing we`ve been kind of slowed down.

For those authors who so kindly sent us review copies, we will review your books ASAP! (I'm soooo sorry for the delay but with the fact that I`m out of the city and not allowed english literature/have limited computer time and how my sister is taking courses during the summer to lighten up her school load next year...we're really REALLY behind but hopefully we'll get all catched up )


Anyways, RR2's birthday is TOMORROW! (July 18) (And since I might not be able to get on to make another post, wish her a happy 15th birthday tomorrow!!)


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, READER RABBIT 2;)


Happy Reading, (Aurevoir!)

READER RABBIT

The Declaration by Gemma Malley

This is our second book read for the Irresistible Review Challenge. Cassie's review of it a while ago intrigued me and my library finally got a hold of it now!



In the Declaration, immortality is a common occurrence. Unfortunately, immortality means a population explosion. It means no children are allowed to be born. And if they are…well, they end up in Grange Hall.

Surplus Anna has lived in Grange Hall for her whole life. She’s subservient and believes that she doesn’t belong on this Earth-and now that she is, well, she has to do the bidding of those who do belong on Earth. Those with immortality.

But then, Peter comes along and begins to challenge everything Anna has ever believed in…

I found this book really intriguing. It’s one of those books where you constantly find yourself putting yourself in the character’s world and wondering what you would do. If it was me (even without, considering the “child” issue), I think I would be an Opt-out. I don’t think that I would ever want to live forever. But, then again, with all the pressure in that society, I can't know what I would actually do.

I found some parts of the book really predictable but others less so. There were moments when Gemma Malley just threw a surprise at you. These were moments when I was either slapping my head and thinking, oh, the irony or ones where I was pretty much thinking, duh.

Anyway, I really liked the fact that although the people in the world were immortal, they weren’t invulnerable. They could be killed-they were just irresistible to disease. And, as Cassie mentioned in her review, it was interesting how the people were immortal but were still susceptible to aging.

I thought the book was well-done especially since it’s written by a first time novelist (I really liked the journal entries) and the characters were fairly well-fleshed out. When I started the book, I was almost…creeped out by Anna’s subservience and so I was wondering how the author would turn everything Anna believed in inside-out in a believable way. And, I wasn’t disappointed. The novel reminded me a little of Unwind by Neal Schusterman and the Hidden Children saga by Margaret Peterson Haddix as they both have kids escaping from societal norms (that usually involve exploiting children) in the future. If you liked one of those books, I’d definitely recommend this one, although I found the other two to be better written.

It’s thought-provoking and even though it’s lacking in action, I still found it impossible to put down. Besides, I bet the sequel will have more action-just take a look at the title (The Resistance).


7/10

Happy Reading,
Reader Rabbit the Second

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: The New Girl by Meg Cabot

If you’ve ever moved, you know what it’s like to start a new school. Nerve-wracking. Just plain ol’ scary.

Well, Allie knows and she’s determined to make a good impression on the first day. Even if it means wearing a skirt over jeans (‘cause she can’t find her leggings). At any rate, at least she isn’t going to school wearing a pirate costume (like her brother…).

Anyway, Allie has it better than some other New Kids. She’s already friends with Erica, Sophie and Caroline. Unfortunately, when she starts school, she realizes that not everyone seems to like her. In fact, one person really dislikes her- so much so that she says she’s going to beat Allie up…

I haven’t read the first book of the series so I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect when I started it. I wasn’t sure if I would like it-after all, the character was so much younger than me. But I ended up really enjoying it. As with Meg Cabot’s other books-adult and teen- this book was a lot of fun. The book was simply charming and Meg Cabot easily captured the voice of a fourth-grader. If you have a younger sibling or if you’re parent looking for a good book for your daughter, then I’d definitely recommend this book.


(Released in September)

Happy Reading,
Reader Rabbit the Second

Frenemies by Alexa Young

Halley and Avalon are best friends forever. Or rather they were…

When Halley comes back from art camp, it seems like something’s changed. Avalon’s just declared Halley’s clothing a Maybe (at best :0). Plus, Halley’s befriended Sofee (or Softee as Avalon would call her) and Avalon’s started hanging out with the cheerleaders. Neither of them knows what exactly happened, but it seems like Halvalon is no more.

Which sucks since they’ve just started a Style column and they’re about to hold a Friendapooloza (to celebrate their friendship). Nevertheless, Avalon divides everything up-the column, who gets the dogs on what days, the sports- and the two friends resolve to steer clear of each other.

But of course, the two Style Snarks, can’t resist taking several jabs at each other. And soon it escalates into a full-out war…

Some portions of the drama was completely ridiculous but they were also completely entertaining. There were completely hilarious moments in the book, including when Avalon draws out a “legal” agreement that ends their friendship and details important matters such as who gets the dog on which day. The snarky/sarcastic humour that we love so much from Alexa’s blog was in this novel as well.

When I first heard of it, I thought that this novel would be a younger version of Gossip Girl. However, I still wanted to read it because I loved Alexa Young's blog which was hilarious (and I expected the book to be so). And it was hilarious. However, it wasn't entirely superficial or fake. Sure, some aspects of it were a little superficial but strangely enough, I found it easy to root for the two "mean" girls. The two main characters were fairly well-developed and beneath all their snarkiness, their problems were similar to that of a normal girl. Who hasn’t had a friend who drifted apart at some time or another? So, even though, Avalon and Halley could be completely rude and mean, I still rooted for them (especially Halley, who is the more sympathetic of the two).

Sure, the characters could have been a little more developed. As other reviewers have said, more background information concerning their friendship would have been helpful. But, overall, I thought this book was a good read especially for younger teens and pre-teens. I know my younger sister really wants to read it…:)

Happy Reading,
Reader Rabbit the Second

Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by Jody Gehrman

This is our first book for the Irresistible Reviews Challenge and we were inspired by Ambeen’s marvellous review of it. My older sister wanted to read this book as soon as she heard of it but I wasn't so sure until I read Ambeen's review. And now, I'm glad I read it. :)


Geena’s plans for the summer include hanging out with her two best buds, Hero and Amber and working at the Triple Shot Betty coffee shack. Unfortunately, Geena’s dreams are shattered as soon as Amber and Hero meet. The two of them don’t get along. Period.

And just to make things more complicated, add a bunch of guys to the mix. There’s Claudio who’s head over heels in love with Hero. And, then, there’s John, popular, handsome John. Amber’s in love with him. But he wants Hero. And then there’s Geena and Ben whose long-standing rivalry looks like it might turn into something different.

What follows is a tale of summer romance and hilarious adventures.

There were many, many reasons why I loved this book. But the main one, without a doubt was the characters. Each character, even the secondary characters, was wel-developed and had distinct voices. As I was reading the novel, I could “hear” the characters in my head.

In addition, the book was HILARIOUS. After reading ambeen’s review, I paid close attention to the June 17th entry. And, I second her recommendation. Read that entry and then you will want the book.

Also, Jody Gehrman’s terrific writing skills helped the plot move along smoothly. The plot was original and exciting. It was one of those books that you have to finish as soon as you start it. In fact, I liked it so much that I’ve already reread once. (Rereading, to me, is a mark of a good book. I never reread books I don’t love.)

I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a good laugh or those who loves chick-lit. <3 I’m so glad that a sequel’s going to be released soon.

In conclusion, buy this book. It is easily worth the money. Not only is it an AMAZING book, it’s also scented. ;)


Read it.

9/10

Happy Reading,
Reader Rabbit the Second with a few lines by my marvelous older sister, of course.