IN ONE OF THE YEAR’S MOST CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FILMS
Experience the Heartbreak and Humor When the
Academy Award® and Golden Globe® Winner
Comes to Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD March 13
From director Alexander Payne creator of the Oscar® winning Sideways comes one of the Best Pictures of the year, THE DESCENDANTS, featuring a stunning cast including Best Actor nominee George Clooney (Ides of March) and Shailene Woodley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager)
in her Golden Globe nominated and Independent Spirit Award winning
role. Take home this wonderfully warm and witty film and go behind the
scenes of THE DESCENDANTS with all-new exclusive content
on Blu-ray Disc Combo Pack and DVD March 13 from Fox Searchlight and
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Based on the best-selling novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings and set in Hawaii, THE DESCENDANTS
is a sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic journey for Matt King (George
Clooney) an indifferent husband and father of two girls, who is forced
to re-examine his past and embrace his future when his wife suffers a
boating accident off of Waikiki. The event leads to a rapprochement
with his young daughters while Matt wrestles with a decision to sell the
family’s land handed down from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries.
Nominated for five Academy Awards® and winner for Best Adapted Screenplay, THE DESCENDANTSis
a must-have on Blu-ray and DVD. The release is packed with must-see
deleted scenes, behind the scenes extras and exclusive featurettes to
bring you even further into the story.
Have any of you read the book or seen the movie? I plan to watch it very soon and I'll be hosting a giveaway for it next week! Here is a study guide that can be used to compare the book to the movie.
Yesterday Lisa (A Life Bound By Books) and I shared with you our interview with Everneath author Brodi Ashton and some of our favorite quotes from the book. Today we are doing an open discussion of the book where we share some of our thoughts and give readers a chance to join in and link up their review of Everneath.
Discussion for Everneath
I really enjoyed how Everneath starts off with the characters being directly in the action. I admit, I'm not very knowledgeable about myths but it was great to start out by getting a lot of information from the beginning
I agree with you, however it was pretty confusing to me. I mean I was 73 pages into the story and I was totally confused as to exactly what had happened. There were terms in the book surrounding the events that the main character had gone through, but I had no clue until way later on in the book as to what really had happened.
I agree, especially when Nikki came back and was attempting to get back to her new life. That's when I really had to slow down and try to soak in each detail she gave about what happened while she was away. What did you think of Cole?
Ah, that's a question I was actually going to ask you... but you beat me to it! To be honest, he rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning. I found him more than frustrating and somewhat an ass. Most of the time, I can find something to endear me to a character that makes me feel as he did, but I have no idea why so many people are falling all over him. So, my turn, what did you think of Cole?
Very true, but I did find that by the end I did really feel bad for Cole. I think that there is a lot to his story that we will, hopefully, find out in book 2. It did take me a while to like anything about him but I think he may prove to be more than meets the eye.
As you were typing that, I was thinking about Cole and I am looking forward to more about him because I do think he has something to offer, I just don't see it yet. I wanted to feel sorry for him, but I couldn't really because I know he can't feel. Or maybe that's what the clever author is trying to make us believe?
You could be right. Sneaky, sneaky! I try to have hope and I am really excited to see what happens with him. What did you think of the way Nikki handled her situation?
She was so disconnected from the Feed, so the beginning of the book showed just how detached she really was and as the book progressed a black cloud was somewhat lifted from around her that you finally get a chance to see and feel things again just as she did.
Exactly, at first I wondered why she had fought so hard to go back to her past life. Then, as time went on, I felt I saw her more clearly and could get the emotion that had been hiding. Overall, I was really happy with this story, the story of Nikki and Jack, and the suspense Brodi brought to the plot. I will definitely be checking out the next book to see where this story goes.
Since you mentioned Jack, I think I need to say that I loved him and how he never gave up, yet he had his own scars from Nikki's disapperance he still never gave up. The ending was epic and I totally agree with you... Brodi knows how to write the suspense. I'm also looking forward to the next book to find out what happens after that cliffhanger ending.
What did you guys think? Please leave us (spoiler-free) comments and we invite others to reply and join in.
Prize:
1 winner will receive a copy of EVERNEATH and swag.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US Only and ends March 14th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
The form must be filled out to enter.
You will find this form on A Life Bound By Books as well. PLEASE only fill it out ONCE!
We wanted to do this feature as a way to promote a new release and get people involved in discussing the book. One of the best ways to find out about a book is to read the reviews.
Please feel free to link your review of EVERNEATH that has been posted on your blog or Goodreads.
Rules: Please post ONLY your review of EVERNEATH.
Please provide the direct link in the linky.
You can include your rating of the book.
Example of link: Confessions of a Bookaholic - Everneath Review (4 stars)
We would love you to join the discussion about the book. Leave comments, tell us what you thought, or ask questions. PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS! We don't want to ruin it for others, but we'd love to see what everyone thought of the story.
Hello and Welcome again to our First month of Blogger Talk: Novel Exposed! Coming to you a little later in the month than we had planned... but better late than never, right? Is an interview with Brodi and some favorite quotes from the three of us - Brodi, my co-host Lisa from A Life Bound By Books and I. Next month these posts should be a bit more spread out throughout the month.
Title: Everneath (Everneath, #1) Author: Brodi Ashton Publisher: Harper Collins/Balzer + Bray, 370 Pages (January 24th, 2012) Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository
Synopsis: Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...
Interview:
1. The cover of Everneath is beautiful! What did you think when you first saw the image?
I thought, Holy Wow! I LOVE IT!! I was also very grateful I wouldn't have to pretend to love my cover. :)
2. Can you tell us 3 words you would use to describe Nikki's personality?
Damaged, resilient, constant
3. Would you be able to share something about Nikki, Jack & Cole that we might not know?
That's a hard question! I'll give you a tidbit about Cole, since he has lived a longer life. He was born in Norway, and he used to be an apprentice.
4. If Everneath was being made into a movie and you could cast the roles for Nikki, Jack & Cole, who would you want to see play the parts?
Ack! Another hard question. I don't know, because I haven't ever researched it or anything. I'd love to hear what your readers would think and who they would cast!
5. From concept to published book, what was the easiest and hardest part of the experience for you?
Easiest part: reading every fan letter. I'll never get tired of it!
Hardest part: deadlines, deadlines, DEADLINES!!
6. Everneath is your debut novel! What has been the most surprising thing you've learned as a debut author?
The most surprising thing has been how much of it all is beyond my control. Especially watching the early buzz around EVERNEATH. I would just sit back and go, "But I'm not responsible for any of it!" The blogger community has been great.
Thanks so much for having me on the blog!
Brodi, it was really great to have you here today, on both of our blogs. And we can't say thank you enough for being part of our first month for "Blogger Talk: Novel Exposed."
Thanks for everything!
Quotes From Everneath:
A favorite quote of Brodi's -
"Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with." -Mrs. Stone (the English teacher)
A Couple of My Favorite Quotes -
" 'I can't carry the team to victory without you,' he said. 'You're my lucky rabbit's foot.'
I craned my neck around to look at him. 'I've always dreamed of some guy saying that to me.' " -- Jack and Nikki (page 19).
"
'Your cheeks turned red, and I was gone for you.' He shook his head,
and his lip quirked up in a smile. ' I know you felt it too. The
connection between us. It started even before the Feed.' " -- Cole (page 37).
"
The next morning [after the dance], I found a note in my jacket pocket.
I unfolded it and read two words, written in Jack's handwritting. Ever Yours " -- Nikki (page 64).
"
'Why do you care if I get hurt?'
All he said was, 'I hate to see it.
Whether you go with me or not, I don't like you getting hurt.' But his
face seemed to say more. As if there was something he wasn't telling me.
" -- Nikki and Cole (page 67).
A Couple of Lisa's Favorite Quotes -
" 'Strange, isn't it, Nik? The Connection between us now."
He grimaced and cocked his head to one side, as if he were waiting for me to close the distance between us. When I stayed perfectly still, he added, "You don't have to fight it." -- Cole to Nikki (Page 29)
" Jack shifted toward me. "So, Jules gets a smile, huh?"
I could feel his eyes on me, waiting for a response. He hadn't tried to talk to me since that first day, and his voice directed at me again did strange things to me. Made my stomach flutter. Of course, Jack had always had that power over me.
I kept my eyes down, but I couldn't stop my lips from turning upward.
'I see that," he said. Jack always saw everything. " -- Jack and Nikki (page 52)
" He shook his head and looked at me as if I were delusional. As if I didn't know what winning was all about. Then he put an arm around me and it was almost like he was mourning my life with me. "I don't understand the things you would give up for mortal relationships."
" You better hope you never do, Cole. " -- Nikki and Cole (page 100)
" 'What are the screens of? " I asked.
" Elvis Presley as a corpse. You wanna come look? " Cole Gave me a grin as if he'd just asked me if I wanted to see rainbows being made.
" You had me at 'corpse.'" -- Nikki and Cole (page 116)
*Note: These quotes, from Lisa, were taken from ARC of Everneath.
Be sure to stop back by tomorrow for the discussion post with Jessica, where we'll be talking about all things Everneath and we hope you'll join in with us for the talk in the comments section. We might have some other things up our sleeves as well, so you won't want to miss dropping in.
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperTeen (February 28th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 375 pages
Source: ARC from Publisher
Series: Delirium #2
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, pushing aside thoughts of Alex, pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, push, push, push, like Raven taught me to do. The old life is dead. But the old Lena is dead too. I buried her. I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame.
Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times
bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the
fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a
revolution about to ignite.
Review:SPOILERS!! Pandemonium may be just one of the many dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels we have seen recently; however, it will always stick out to me simply because of the complexity of Lauren Oliver's writing.
I admit, it took me a while to get into the groove of this book. The chapters alternate between "now" and "then" and I had a hard time figuring out when was now and what was then. Yes, slightly confusing. About mid-way into the story I felt more comfortable with that structure. It gave us a glimpse of what Lena is doing now, compared to where she was once she first got into the Wilds. Lena "then" was more weak, a bit whiny, and sort of got on my nerves. Then again, she is dealing with the fact that Alex is not with her so I tried to understand her struggles to fit into this foreign world.
If anything, Lena's time in the Wilds showed her exactly what she needed to survive. She learned how people take care of each other and the true dangers of living away from everything she knew.
The "now" part of the story takes place months later with Lena in New York. I won't go into a lot of details of this section because it was part of the surprise of the book. I was fascinated reading what was going on and how Lena was involved. But I will say that this is the part of the story where the love-triangle begins and we meet Julian.
Lena and Julian do have a very unlikely connection and I liked that a lot. I felt Julian was a wonderful character to add to this story; but, I have a difficult time with this particular relationship. Part of the enjoyment of Delirum was the honest, true love story between Lena and Alex. I feel that is a bit tainted now. This made me become irritated towards Lena during the end of this book and question her feelings. Plus, the cliffhanger didn't help. I like to have a book end during a good place where I can feel good about what I just read. I didn't really feel that way at the end of Pandemonium.
Although I didn't like this sequel nearly as much as Delirium, Lauren's writing still continues to amaze me. Each new plot line or setting is beautifully crafted and it really transports the reader into the story.
I am participating in the tour for Where it Began and today author Ann Redisch Stampler is here to share her This or That list with us.
I was lucky enough to get 2 ARCs of Where it Began so be sure to sign up below for the chance to win a copy!
THIS OR THAT
Peanut
Butter or Chocolate
Chocolate.
Oh my God, chocolate. I just ate leftover chocolate raspberry
birthday cake for lunch.
Coffee
or Tea
Mostly
tea. Irish breakfast and green.
Writing
in quiet or Writing with music
Mornings,
maybe music. Night, absolute quiet.
Organized
or Cluttered
Aspire
to organized. Not entirely successful
Spontaneous
or Planner
With
writing, in the beginning stages, it has to be spontaneous. No
outline. Can’t force anything. Then when I have hundreds of
pages of disjointed chapters, and vast numbers of disembodied
sentences, lots of catch-up planning.
Beach
or Mountains
Beach.
I grew up in Santa Barbara. Beach!
Comedy
or Horror
Comedy.
There’s more than enough naturally occurring horror in the world
without cultivating it.
Geek
or Chic
I
am so
chic. Don’t laugh. (There are certain articles of clothing Gabby
makes fun of in the book that I actually own.)
Adventure
seeker or Couch potato
Adventure
seeker. Aspirationally. Unfortunately, writing involves a tremendous
amount of sitting on a couch. I actually write on a couch.
Early
bird or Night owl
Insomniac.
I’m just always up.
Where it Began by Ann Redisch Stampler
Publisher: Simon Pulse (March 6th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 384 pages
Sometimes the end is just the beginning.
Gabby lived under the radar until her makeover. Way under. But
when she started her senior year as a blonder, better-dressed version of
herself, she struck gold: Billy Nash believed she was a the flawless
girl she was pretending to be. The next eight months with Billy were
bliss...Until the night Gabby woke up on the ground next to the remains
of his BMW without a single memory of how she got there.
And Billy's nowhere to be found.
All Gabby wants is to make everything perfect again. But getting
her life back isn't difficult, it's impossible. Because nothing is the
same, and Gabby's beginning to realize she's missed more than a few
danger signs along the way.
It's time for Gabby to face the truth, even if it means everything changes.
Especially if it means everything changes.
Prize:
1 winner will receive an ARC of WHERE IT BEGAN.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US Only and ends March 12th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
My name is Beatrice.
When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was immediately removed
from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At the age of twelve, I
had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings. And when I turned
seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t been the same
since.
The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy,
the Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a
secret from everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that
could put us all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone
close to me.
But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m
falling in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry.
And I think I’ve already helped them win.
Cover reveals are so much fun and here is another book I immediately added to my TBR list. What do you guys think? Are you excited for this one?
Kate Klimo is here to talk about her novel Daughter of the Centaurs. She will be sharing with us the journey she took while creating the world inside the story.
Daughter of the Centaurs took an incredible amount of world-building. Can you tell us what that process was like, how you organized the material, and what you hoped to capture when describing Malora’s world?
The fact that there were so few centaurs in the literature inspired me to want to tackle centaurs. World building is an exhaustive and exhausting process. Who knew? I’m sure some writers start from inside their characters’ heads and work outward from there to build up an external reality that’s an extension of the characters’ consciousness. I felt I needed to start from the outside and work in. The first order of business was to create a history leading up to the present action. In world building, context is everything and isn’t history the ultimate context? So I started by researching centaurs, in art and myth. Those results mystified and even slightly terrified me. Except for the wise centaur named Chiron who taught the healing arts to Hippocrates (father of modern medicine), most of the centaurs were pretty rough trade. They were rock-chucking, stick-wielding, meat-eating, booze-swilling lusty boors. Another mystery was that they were all dudes. There were no women and no children. These dudes were real pieces of work: wedding crashers who liked to run off, not only with the bride, but also with all the female guests. Real dream guests, right? This depiction baffled me. Since the days of cavemen, humans have enjoyed a close bond with horses. So what made this human-horse hybrid so repulsive and savage? Was it digestive difficulties that made the centaurs so rowdy? Seriously! Horses have very sensitive stomachs. A creature that ate like a human and digested like a horse might be permanently dyspeptic and downright surly. Maybe a steady diet of red meat and brandy made them nuts. So that’s where I started. I wrote the centaurs a shady, tumultuous history as rock-chuckers and rapists. It was the centaurs’ raid of one of the last human settlements of Kamaria that resulted in nearly wiping out the human race. Then a wise centaur named Kheiron (homage to Chiron) came along and converted the centaurs from savagery to gentility. No booze, no tobacco, no stimulants, no red meat. The converted centaurs erected a monument to the humans they had murdered and took over their town, calling it Mount Kheiron in honor of the patron. This gave the centaurs not only a religion but also a code of ethics and conduct. In order to stay on the straight and narrow, centaurs adhered to the teachings of Kheiron. They eschew stimulants, spirits, and the eating of meat and revere the works of the hand. All their efforts are dedicated to overcoming the Beast Within. I liked the idea of high-stepping, refined, fastidious centaurs. In early drafts, my editor said I was making the centaurs too effete. “They can’t all be that sissified,” she said. That gave me the idea of creating social strata within Mount Kheiron, with a working class that was more earthy and practical, as compared to the more leisurely patricians. The present action begins when Malora shows up. Not only is she a freak, a biped in a virtually quadrapedal society, but she is also a living (and uncomfy) reminder to centaurs of their less than savory past. Somewhere around the second draft, with the introduction of Honus the faun and the Leatherwings, it became clear to me that this was not a fantasy set in an alternative world inspired by our mythic past, as I had originally thought, but a far distant future world peopled by human-created hybrids who had turned upon and destroyed their creators, the humans. (Thank you, Mary Shelley!) I loved the variety of hibes that were possible. Like the Mos Eisley canteen scene in Star Wars, it offered a too-too tempting opportunity to play not just with human-horse combinations, but with other mythological hybrids as well, along with more freaky crosses, like bat-human, sheep-human, etc. As the second book opens up to the world outside of Mount Kheiron, these other hibes come more into play. At the same time as I was figuring out the centaur society, I had to figure out what it must be like to actually be a centaur. If humans have a mind-body split, how much more radical must centaurs’ be? How did it feel to be half horse? How did they go to the bathroom? What was their furniture like? Stairs would have to be shallow, doorways generous, and furniture very sturdy. I think I gave them the Twani, the half-cat servant class, because I thought they would need tiny, spry helpers, given that even the most graceful of centaurs would suffer from a certain ungainliness. The end result of all this thinking, I hope, is a world that is fascinating and unique. Thanks for having me on your blog!
Daughter of the Centaurs by Kate Klimo
Publisher: Random House (January 24th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 362 pages
Series: Centauriad #1
Malora knows what she
was born to be: a horse wrangler and a hunter, just like her father. But
when her people are massacred by batlike monsters called Leatherwings,
Malora will need her horse skills just to survive. The last living
human, Malora roams the wilderness at the head of a band of magnificent
horses, relying only on her own wits, strength, and courage. When she is
captured by a group of centaurs and taken to their city, Malora must
decide whether the comforts of her new home and family are worth the
parts of herself she must sacrifice to keep them.
Kate Klimo has
masterfully created a new world, which at first seems to be an ancient
one or perhaps another world altogether, but is in fact set on earth
sometime far in the future.
Kim Purcell has stopped by today to share the scary statistics of human trafficking. Her novel, Trafficked, explores the life of a girl in one of these situations.
Sign up below for a chance to win a copy.
When
I first learned about the scope of modern-day slavery, I knew I had to
write a novel about it. I couldn’t believe that someone could do that to
another human being, especially in westernized countries. So, I wrote
TRAFFICKED, about a girl who comes from Moldova to America to be a nanny
and ends up a modern-day slave.
People often want to know what the stats are behind modern-day slavery
and sadly, due to the nature of this crime, it seems nobody knows. The
stats vary greatly, depending on who’s reporting them. The biggest
reason is that it’s such a hidden crime. Modern-day slaves are
disposable. If they manage to escape, they have a lot of incentives to
stay hidden. They fear their captors. They fear the government. Often,
they come into a country illegally and they fear imprisonment and
deportation. Maybe their family members have been threatened. Sometimes
they’re ashamed. So they never come forward. This is why it’s difficult
to get exact numbers.
In any case, here are some stats, which most people agree upon, though
they have all been disputed by different NGOs and government
organizations.
This information can be found in more detail on two
anti-trafficking organization websites: Stop Child Trafficking Now:
sctnow.org and Free the Slaves: freetheslaves.net. If you’d like to
learn how to help trafficked teens, go to my website: http://kimpurcell.com/Help-Trafficked-Teens
The Stats:
Child/Human Trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes in the
world. Child/ human trafficking is the world’s second largest criminal
enterprise, after drugs. U.S. State Department
The global market of child trafficking is over $12 billion a year with over 1.2 million child victims. UNICEF
The average age of entry for children victimized by the sex trade industry is 12 years. U.S. Department of Justice
Approximately 80% of human trafficking victims are women and girls and up to 50% are minors. U.S. State Department
Research conducted with Free the Slaves found documented cases of slavery in over 90 cities in the US.
Human Slaves are cheap. In 1850 the average slave cost $40,000 in today’s money, presently a slave costs an average of $90.
In its 400 years, the transatlantic slave trade is estimated to have
shipped up to 12 million Africans to colonies in the West. Free the
Slaves estimates that the number of people in slavery today is at least
27 million. 600,000 – 800,000 people are bought and sold
across international borders each year; 50% are children, most are
female. Most of these victims are forced into the commercial sex trade. U.S. Department of State, 2004, Trafficking in Persons Report, Washington, D.C.
14,500
to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States each
year. The number of U.S. citizens trafficked within the country is even
higher, with an estimated 200,000 American children at risk for
trafficking into the sex industry. U.S. Department of Justice Report
to Congress from Attorney General John Ashcroft on U.S. Government
Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons
Based on hundreds of
cases that filter through their agencies, advocates estimate that
domestic workers account for about one-third of the total. In other
words, about 5,000 migrant domestic servants take jobs each year in
homes where they are highly vulnerable to abuse by their employers.
There have been only 100 prosecutions for involuntary servitude or labor
trafficking since the passage of the 2000 anti-trafficking law. US Justice Dept.
Trafficked by Kim Purcell Publisher: Viking Children's Books (February 16th, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardback: 352 pages
A 17-year-old Moldovan
girl whose parents have been killed is brought to the United States to
work as a slave for a family in Los Angeles.
Prize:
1 winner will receive a copy of TRAFFICKED.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US Only and ends March 10th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
The wonderful Keary Taylor is here to share with us some news about her book Eden, the bind-up of her Fall of Angels series, and her newest book being released soon!
She has also offered up a copy of Eden for one lucky winner!
1. You've had some fabulous news lately. Would you like to share
that with everyone and tell us what your first reaction was after you
heard?
So, that fabulous news is that KK&P
has acquired the film rights to my dystopian EDEN! Mark Morgan, who
produced The Twilight Saga is the producer as well as Kami Garcia,
co-author of the Beautiful Creatures series! It was amazing to hear
from them and that they loved Eden! It all just didn't feel real when
they first contacted me and said they wanted it! I kept waiting for
someone to say "Just Kidding!", lol! It's all an amazing time, and I
couldn't be happier with how things have been progressing toward the big
screen!
2. Your Fall of Angels series has been
very popular and is now available as a bind-up of the entire trilogy.
What do you think was the biggest key to your success?
Oh
man, honestly I don't really know! I want to say it's because I've
written a fantastic story, but really it's my readers who have to say
that! I think I just published at a great time, e-readers have gone
crazy and the genre I write in is huge right now. And I just have some
really fantastic readers who are incredibly supportive.
3. Your new book What I Didn't Say is very different from your previous novels. Can you tell us a bit about the book and the characters Jake, and Samantha?
It
really is a lot different for me. I'll be honest, when I got the idea
for it, I was terrified to actually write it. It's a YA contemporary
that's based on a boy who becomes mute after an accident. It's a story
that has to be handled very carefully because it is based on a lot of
real experiences and stories, many of them my own. It's also different
for me considering it's told from the point of view of a 17 year-old
boy, Jake Hayes. He's a really great kid who has a lot of amazing
support around him during this difficult time, and Samantha Shay is a
part of that. Maybe after all that's happened to him he'll have the
guts to tell her what he didn't say before the accident ;)
4. Do you have any other projects you are currently working on?
How
do I answer this... umm... maybe? Haha. I have a few things that are
really up in the air right now, depending on how things play out. I'm
afraid I can't say anything more that than. How's that for cryptic?
But I do have an idea for a YA science fiction I hope to start on once I
finish What I Didn't Say. Not dystopian, but very hard core sci-fi.
Think along the lines of The Matrix. I am beyond excited to start on
it! As of right now I'm thinking it will be a trilogy.
Eden by Keary Taylor
Published: June 6th, 2011
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 408 pages
Eve knew the stories of
the Fall, of a time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable
to recall anything but her name. She's seen the aftermath of the
technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter, able to grow
new organs and limbs, how it evolved out of control. The machine took
over and the soul vanished. A world quickly losing its humanity isn't
just a story to her though. At eighteen, this world is Eve's reality.
In
their Fallen world, love feels like a selfish luxury, but not
understanding what it is makes it difficult to choose between West, who
makes her feel alive but keeps too many secrets, and Avian, who has
always been there for her, but is seven years her senior.
The
technology wants to spread and it won't stop until there is no new flesh
to assimilate. With only two percent of the human population left,
mankind is on the brink of extinction. While fighting to keep Eden
alive, Eve will discover that being human is about what you will do for
those you love, not what your insides may be made of. And even if it
gets you killed, love is always what separates them from the Fallen.
Fall of Angels: The Complete Trilogy by Keary Taylor
Published: November 29th, 2011
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 752 pages
Plagued by nightmares
of angels all her life, but left with the scars to prove they’re more
than dreams, Jessica has hidden herself away from the world on the
shores of Lake Samish, Washington. But when caring but almost
too-perfect-to-be-true Alex, and beautiful yet terrifying Cole enter her
life, everything about Jessica’s world is about to change. She’ll
learn that the angels aren’t content to stay in her dreams any longer
and they’ll do anything to drag her into their world. The lines between
right and wrong will be blurred as she fights to cling to the life
she’s built and the love she’ll find.
Prize:
1 winner will receive a copy of EDEN.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US Only and ends March 7th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.