Shiver Giveaway (and winner!)

In honor of LINGER's release late July, I'm giving away a hardback copy of SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater. I wanted to make this one a little different than my previous giveaways.

For this one, I'm doing werewolf trivia. Answer each question and email me your answers at aine[dot]onetwistedpixie[at]gmail[dot]com You get one point for each question answered correctly.

1. How many female werewolves are in existence at the start of the Women of the Otherworld series?

2. What author wrote a novel about loups-garoux, where the main character is named Vivian?

3. The werewolves in The Twilight Saga are descended from what Native American tribe?

4. What werewolf book did Melissa Marr blurb as being “quite simply, the most compelling YA werewolf book out there”?

5. What other werewolf romance stars a female lead named Grace?

6. What female Walker was raised by werewolves?

7. What highly anticipated werewolf novel comes out this October from a debut author?

8. How many books are going to be in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series? Name them.

You have until Monday, July 5, 2010 at 10 PM EST. I will draw a winner then. Contest is open to US and Canada only.

Thanks to the 6 people who entered.

The answers are:

1. One

2. Annette Curtis Klause

3. Quilete

4. RAISED BY WOLVES

5. THE DARK DIVINE

6. Mercy Thompson

7. NIGHTSHADE

8. Three: SHIVER, LINGER, FOREVER

But... since there can be only one winner, a signed copy of SHIVER goes to Selestial!

Book Review: The Iron King

I won THE IRON KING by Julie Kagawa several months ago by Twisted Fates Cafe. I'd been wanting to read it since I heard about it because... well... I love faeries. This book had a lot of elements that were new to me. Oberon, Titania, Puck... all characters from A Midsummer Night's Dream. I had yet to read any modern fiction that included them. So while some thought it's a theme that was overdone, it was new to me.


Meghan is the main character in the book. She's a normal, human girl... or so she thinks. (Now, this is a theme that is getting a little old. Why is it no books start with a character who already is, or knows s/he is, a vampire, witch, faery, werewolf, etc?) She's pretty likable, and so is her adorable little brother, so when Ethan is kidnapped by faeries, you really do root for her.


She is aided by her friend Robbie Goodfell. Sound familiar... Robin Goodfellow, anyone? I love him. We also meet Ash, prince of the Unseelie Court. There is a bit of a triangle going on. I am definitely Team Puck... but I reserve the right to change that in the future. Grimalkin, though, may be the highlight for me. And I'm not a cat fan.


What stood out most about this book was the inclusion of the Iron Court. Those of you familiar with faery lore knows that iron is deadly to the fey. But the addition of these characters and the court are very interesting. And Julie does an incredible job of pulling them into the myth in a believable way.


There are some points where the story feels rushed, and other moments where it's predictable. Not the best Ya faery book out there, but definitely worth the read.



Synopsis:

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny - one she could never have imagined...

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school... or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face... and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.


And once you've read THE IRON KING, be sure to check out Julie Kagawa's short, Winter's Passage before finding THE IRON DAUGHTER in August. You can learn more about the books here: http://enterthefaeryworld.com/ironfey/
**Winter's Passage is free until the end of July, so download it now.

Meeting Authors: Elizabeth Scott, Kieran Scott, and Jenny Han (and contest)

I had the pleasure of meeting Kieran Scott, Jenny Han, and Elizabeth Scott yesterday.

Kieran Scott has written several novels. And she has written many books that you may not know about. She uses the penname Kate Brian to write the Private series, Privilege series, and more. She also uses Emma Harrison where she has written a few novels as well, including SNOW QUEEN. Her new book, SHE'S SO DEAD TO US is based on a place she lived in. A place where one side of town is wealthy and one side is poor, but all of the kids go to the same school. She wondered how they would interact, and she drew on a time in her life where her family was not as well off to get it right.

When she writes as Kieran Scott, it's all her. But the Kate Brian books are more of a collaborative effort as four books come out each year. She has less say in the events. Which, as an aspiring writer, would drive me nuts. I'm curious, though, to compare Kate books to Kieran books to see how different they are. I thought her new book, SHE'S SO DEAD TO US, sounded good, and I almost bought it. Glad I didn't... because each author drew a number to give a book away, and she pulled number 6... my number!!!

And in exciting news, ABC Family is looking at making either a made-for-TV movie or television show based on MEGAN MEADE'S GUIDE TO THE McGOWAN BOYS. She said she's excited to see who they cast as the boys.

http://www.kieranscott.net/


Jenny Han's family is from Korea. She said that growing up she was always very interested in her friend's parents and learning about growing up in America in the 60's. She got her master's in writing for children. She started SHUG about a twelve-year-old girl while still in school, and was on the road to getting it published before graduation. Her second novel was pretty dark, and it was recommended that it not be her second novel, so she went with THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY, the first in a trilogy.

Her new novel, IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU, was recently released. And according to Jenny, the third novel will jump time and start with the main character, Belly, at age 20, which seems to follow a new theme in YA fiction... main characters in their 20's to draw in a slightly older crowd of readers. She has a new series coming out for younger kids. The first one is called CLARA LEE AND THE APPLE PIE DREAM

http://www.dearjennyhan.com/

Elizabeth Scott says her favorite thing about writing is that she gets to make stuff up and gets paid for it. Which is funny because she said that she spent most of her life avoiding creative writing. She said her only creative writing experience in college was a story about a girl who was forced to write a short story. Elizabeth said she only learned she enjoyed writing when she was in a staff meeting and should have been taking notes, but didn't want to take notes. She said it started as doodling, then words, and then a story. I'm certainly glad she decided she liked to write.

And probably one of the most disturbing things I've ever heard... You may or may not know about her story LIVING DEAD GIRL. I reviewed it a while back. It's about a little girl who is kidnapped and sexually abused by her kidnapper. It's a horrifying story, but wonderfully written. Anyway, she said she's gotten so many letters over the years asking if that was something that happened to her. She said that when she writes back that, no it didn't happen, people react in a way that is disappointed... like they wish it was based on something real. That really concerns me... because my reaction is relief, because no one should have to go through that.

http://www.elizabethwrites.com/

And now for the contest...

For those who follow me on Twitter, you may have heard this. I bought two copies of THE UNWRITTEN RULE when it came out because Elizabeth Scott was holding a contest. My name will appear in her next Simon Pulse book for participating. I'm excited. This will be the second time my name appeared in the acknowledgements of a book, the first being RADIANT SHADOWS! Anyway, I promised that I would hold a contest for the second copy, and it is signed. Open to US only.

To enter, please answer the following question: In THE UNWRITTEN RULE, one friend crushes on her best friend's boyfriend. What unwritten rule have you ever broken?

Want extra entries?

+2 for following my blog (please be signed in when replying here)

+2 for following my twitter (username)

+2 for tweeting (link)

+2 for being Rather Lovely (username)

and don't forget to leave your email or twitter name so I may contact you.

And the winner is... Shannon! Congrats!

Book Review: Graceling and Fire

I read GRACELING by Kristin Cashore a while back. And I had the pleasure of meeting Kristin at a book signing. I actually finished GRACELING right before the signing. It's basically set in a medieval-ish world where some people are born with powers. They're called gracelings, and you can identify them by their eyes. Their eyes are different colors.

I loved this book so much. I loved Katsa, the MC. She has one blue eye and one green and her power is that she is a killing machine. Or is it? Po, another graceling, is introduced. I loved him, too. He was definitely swoon-worthy. One of the things I liked most about this book, Katsa was one tough chick. She kicked ass... a lot... and she's definitely skilled at saving the day.

If you're looking for a YA fantasy with a strong female character, this is the book for you. And an added bonus... it's very different from most YA fantasy that's out there.

Synopsis:

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

Below is the UK cover to GRACELING.

Kristin Cashore had created the seven kingdoms to the west of the Great Greys in GRACELING. She mentioned The Dells, but mostly in passing. She said her mother told her that after reading GRACELING, she was curious about The Dells, which got Kristin wondering, too. And that story became FIRE.

Even though, they are set in the same world, they are very different kingdoms and very different tales. But one thing they hold in common: Katsa and Fire. The lead characters are both strong women. There is fantasy and romance in both tales of these heroines. I'm not sure which book I prefer more. They were both so great.

I recommend both of these titles, and the third in this series, BITTERBLUE, which is currently slated to hit shelves in September 2011.


Synopsis:

She is the last of her kind...

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

Below is the UK cover of FIRE. I think I might have to order this one. It's too gorgeous!

And look for BITTERBLUE to come out next year!

Manga Review: Bride of the Water God

I had been interested in reading the BRIDE OF THE WATER GOD Korean manga series by Mi-Kyung Yun. The art caught my eye, as well as the title. As a fan of mythology and folklore, once I heard the words "water god" I had to check it out.

So today, I picked up volume one. I devoured it. I was disappointed that volume 2 was not in stock, but I decided to scour the shelves to see if it was misplaced. It was! So I read volume 2. But that was it.


Synopsis:

When Soah's impoverished, desperate village decides to sacrifice her to the Water God Habaek to end a long drought, they believe that drowning one beautiful girl will save their entire community and bring much-needed rain. Not only is Soah surprised to be rescued by the Water God - instead of killed - she never imagined she'd be a welcomed guest in Habaek's magical kingdom, where an exciting new life awaits her! Most surprising, however, is the Water God himself... and how very different he is from the monster Soah imagined.

So... disappointed, I left Borders in DC to go to the one in Germantown. And woot! They had all five. I grabbed volumes 3, 4, and 5 in one hand and went to read. I got through all three in less than an hour.

I don't usually like to read entire books in a book store, and I only ever do it with manga or graphic novels. And I read them so fast that I barely got to enjoy the art. So...

I do plan to buy them all and read them again, slowly, letting my eyes savor the beautiful images within. Sadly, I can't really gush about what happened, so as not to spoil you. Let me know if you've read any of these and what you thought about them.

Volume 6 comes out this September, and it'll be the first volume with a title: THE MASK RETURNS.

Book Review: Pretty Little Liars

I bought books 2-4 in the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard a while back because I found them cheap at a used book store. But I was never too inclined to read them. To be honest, I think the covers turned me off. But when I heard they were turning this into a television series for ABC Family, I decided I should read it. So I recently got the first book, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, and I read the entire thing in one day.

I wasn't really expecting much. But I loved it. I could NOT put it down. It takes place three years after Alison disappears. The four remaining friends have grown apart. Each chapter jumped from one girl to the next, giving you enough time to learn about them in the present and past without lingering too long on one girl.

I think one of the reasons I enjoyed the novel so much was the DRAMA! I hate drama in my own life. But in others... it's fine. I can get my daily does of drama without having to deal with it in my own life. And to be honest, I feel better about myself knowing what these girls are dealing with. In high school, I was pretty much the opposite of these four, and I'm thankful for it. I had my own fair share of drama, but Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily create their own.

I've already started book two, FLAWLESS, because... well... I'm a little addicted.



Synopsis:

Everyone has something to hide - especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna.

Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. And Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful.

But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.

How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were and the naughty girls they are now. And guess what? I'm telling.



And be sure to check out the ABC Family Original series which starts a week from tonight, June 8, 2010. I can honestly say I'm excited about this show. Holly Marie Combs (Piper from Charmed) plays the Mom of one of the four girls. It's from the producers of The Vampire Diaries... one of my favorite shows!



Check out http://wwwprettylittleliars.com/ for more info about the books. There are links for twitter, facebook, and more. Enter to win all seven books, and shop for PPL merchandise. Oh, and turn yourself into a pretty little liar. See me below:

The Book Faery (4)

The Amazon Faery has visited me a few times recently. Here is what I got!

PELINOR 4: THE SINGING by Alison Croggon

In a battle-ravaged land, Maerad, Cadvan, and Hem desperately search for one another as they make their separate journeys. The Black Army is advancing, and all of the Seven Kingdoms are threatened with devastating defeat. Yet in Maerad and Hem lives the secret to the mysterious Singing, and legend holds that if they release the music of Elidhu together, they have the power to defeat the Nameless One. Can brother and sister find each other in time - and are they strong enough, even reunited - to defeat the supreme enemy before all is lost?

SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT 3: THE FACELESS ONES by Derek Landy

Valkyrie screamed, sprinting toward Skulduggery. He looked up and reached out to her, but it was too late.

If you've read the other Skulduggery books, you've seen it all before: Some bad guys wants to bring about the end of the world, and Skulduggery and Valkyrie fight valiantly to stop it from happening. A few people get hurt, sure, but everything's all right in the end. Well, not this time.

HOUSE OF NIGHT 7: BURNED by PC and Kristin Cast

When friends stop trusting each other, Darkness is there to fan the flames...

Things have turned black at the House of Night. Zoey Redbird's soul has shattered. With everything she's ever stood for falling apart, and a broken heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, Zoey's fading fas. It's seeming more and more doubtful that she will be able to pull herself back together in time t rejoin her friends and set the world to rights. As the only living erson who can reach her, Stark mus fins a way to get to her. But how? He will have to die to do so, the Vamypre High Council stipulates. And then Zoey will give up for sure. There are only 7 days left...

Enter BFF Stevie Rae. She wants to help Z but she has massive problems of her own. The rogue Red Fledglings are acting up, and this time not even Stevie Rae can protect them from the consequences. Her kinda boyfriend, Dallas, is sweet but to nosy for his own good. The truth is, Stevie Rae's hiding a secret that might be the key to getting Zoey home but also threatens to explode her whole world.

In the middle of the whole mess is Aphrodite: ex-Fledgling, trust-fund baby, total hag from Hell (and proud of it). She's always been blessed (if you could call it that) with visions that can reveal the future, but now it seems Nyx has decided to speak through her with the goddess's own voice, whether she wants it or not. Aphrodite's loyalty can swing a lot of different ways, but right now Zoey's fate hangs in the balance.

Three girls... playing with fire... if they don't watch out, everyone will get BURNED.

FAERIEWALKER 1: GLIMMERGLASS by Jenna Black

It's all she's ever wanted to be, but it couldn't be further from her grasp...

Dana Hathaway doesn't know it yet, but she's in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she's had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl - she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.

Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she'll never have a chance with... until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn't sure where she'll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again...

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS by Sara Shepard

Everyone has something to hide - especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna.

Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. And Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful.

But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.

How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were and the naughty girls they are now. And guess what? I'm telling.

MADISON AVERY 2: EARLY TO DEATH, EARLY TO RISE by Kim Harrison

Seventeen, dead, and in charge of heaven's dark angels - all itching to kill someone.

Madison Avery's dreams of ever fitting in at her new school died when she did. Especially since she was able to maintain the illusion of a body, deal with a pesky guardian angel, and oh yeah, ring the reaper who killed her to his untimely end. Not exactly in-crowd material. It's amazing that her crush, Josh, doesn't think she's totally nuts.

Now Madison has learned that she's the dark timekeeper, in charge of angels who follow the murky guidelines of fate. Never one to abide by the rules, she decides it's time for a major change to the system. With the help of some unlikely allies, Madison forms a rogue group of reapers who definitely don't adhere to the rules of the heavens.

But as she grapples with the terrifying new skills that come with being a timekeeper, Madison realizes she may not be prepared for what lies ahead - unless she gets some seriously divine intervention.

I'm excited to dig in. Already read PRETTY LITTLE LIARS. Check back soon for a review!