News and Contest Winners

08 Dec, 2010 by in Michael Knudsen, sheralyn pratt Leave a comment

Special thanks to authors Sheralyn Pratt and Michael Knudsen who featured Fire and Ice on their sites this week. Michael’s book The Rogue Shop came out today. HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!!! I gave it five stars! See his blog post and more about the book here

Sheralyn Pratt’s book 4 in the Rhea Jensen Series: Kay’sville just recently hit the shelves and she is throwing a shindig for her fans on the 14th of December to celebrate. Catch details on her blog at http://sheralynpratt.blogspot.com/ We will be there selling book related jewelry.

Congratulations to Michelle Nell who won a copy of Pingo by Brandon Mull! This week you will have a TON of opportunities to score books as a part of the BIR2010 giveaways running until December 15th. Stay tuned to our site and the BIR site for more information. And please let us know if you have experienced any problems or questions.

Janette Rallison- My Double Life

08 Dec, 2010 by in my double life, putnam 3 comments

My Double Life
By: Janette Rallison
Published by: Putnam Juvenile
Website: http://www.janetterallison.com/

Book Summary: (from Goodreads)
Her whole life, Alexia Garcia has been told that she looks just like pop star Kari Kingsley, and one day when Alexia’s photo filters through the Internet, she’s offered a job to be Kari’s double. This would seem like the opportunity of a lifetime, but Alexia’s mother has always warned her against celebrities. Rebelliously, Alexia flies off to L.A. and gets immersed in a celebrity life. Not only does she have to get used to getting anything she wants, she romances the hottest lead singer on the charts, and finds out that her own father is a singing legend. Through it all, Alexia must stay true to herself, which is hard to do when you are pretending to be somebody else!

Janette has donated one copy of My Double Life for our BIR2010 giveaways. Shipping is to US & Canada and giveaway ends December 15th. Enter by filling out this form.

Sarah Rees Brennan Giveaway

08 Dec, 2010 by in sarah rees brennan, simon schuster 9 comments

The Demon’s Covenant
By Sarah Rees Brennan
Published by Margaret K. McElderry
(Simon & Schuster)
Released on May 18th, 2010
http://sarahreesbrennan.com/

Summary: Mae Crawford’s always thought of herself as in control, but in the last few weeks her life has changed. Her younger brother, Jamie, suddenly has magical powers, and she’s even more unsettled when she realizes that Gerald, the new leader of the Obsidian Circle, is trying to persuade Jamie to join the magicians. Even worse? Jamie hasn’t told Mae a thing about any of it. Mae turns to brothers Nick and Alan to help her rescue Jamie, but they are in danger from Gerald themselves because he wants to steal Nick’s powers. Will Mae be able to find a way to save everyone she cares about from the power-hungry magician’s carefully laid trap? (quoted from goodreads).

Sarah has donated one copy of The Demon’s Covenant for BIR2010. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and ends December 15, 2010. Fill out this form to enter

Anna & The French Kiss BIR2010 Giveaway

08 Dec, 2010 by in book giveaway, stephanie perkins 12 comments

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Hardcover, 372 pages
Published December 2nd, 2010
by Dutton
ISBN 0525423273

Book Summary:(from Stephanie’s website) Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she’s less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend. But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.

Learn more about the book at Stephanie’s Website: http://stephanieperkins.com/

Dutton Juvenile has donated on copy of Anna and The French Kiss to our US readers. Fill out this form to enter to win one of the most talked about new books of 2010.

BIR2010 Nightshade Giveaway & Interview

08 Dec, 2010 by in nightshade, Philomel 10 comments

Nightshade
By Andrea Cremer
Published by Philomel/Penguin
Released on October 19th, 2010

Summary:Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she’ll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters’ laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything— including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice? (quoted from goodreads)

Nightshade was one of my very favorite reads of 2010. It is fast paced and brilliant! Read our five star review here. And a special thanks to Andrea Cremer for joining us as a part of BIR2010

Describe your series and how you were inspired to write it
Calla started it all because I wanted to write a story about a female character who wasn’t being pulled into a magical world – she was already in the middle of it, a leader and a warrior. The world of Nightshade came as I tried to figure out how someone like Calla, a girl who I knew was incredibly powerful, could be afraid and angry. What was controlling her? Why would she be fighting against her own destiny? I realized that she was facing off with something even more powerful than herself. That’s where my background as a historian came in. I teach early modern history (1500-1800) – a period of immense, violent change in human societies. This is the time of witch hunts, religious warfare, colonization, the Inquistion; all types of cataclysmic social transformation that turned the lives across the globe upside down. The more I thought about Calla I thought about the ways in which wolf warriors and witches could have intertwined lives. The mythology in Nightshade is a blend of history and lore plus new twists I imagined along the way.

Tell us about the three packs in your book and the difference between them

At the outset of Nightshade there are two wolf packs (about fifty wolves in each pack): the Nightshades and the Banes. The Nightshades are headed up by the alpha pair Stephen and Naomi Tor, Calla’s father and mother. The Bane pack is led by Emile Laroche, Ren’s father. The main difference between the two rival packs is the style of leadership of their alphas. Stephen is measured and stoic, encouraging loyalty and cooperation within his pack. Emile rules with a rough hand and brutality. He’s much more interested in dominance than collaboration. The third pack will be formed by the next generation of wolves and will be led by Calla and Ren after their union.

Nightshade has an alpha female, how does this change the dynamics of the pack and tell us more about Calla

The fact that Calla is a female alpha doesn’t affect the dynamic of her pack as much as that she models her leadership style on her father. She admires her father’s role as an alpha and she wants her pack to be based on trust and loyalty, rather than fear.

What are the Guardians, Keepers and Searchers?

The Guardians are wolf warriors who serve the Keepers, fighting on the front lines of the Witches War. The Keepers and Searchers are two factions of witches who have been at war since the 1400s.

Did any modern day myths and legends influence your writing?

I have a Ph.D. in early modern history and my research focuses on the intersection of religion, gender, and violence; thus, I spend a lot of time working on the history of witchcraft. Myths and history about witches and the occult played a large part in the world building that went into Nightshade.

What are your favorite all-time reads?

Watership Down, The Mists of Avalon, Good Omens, The Poisonwood Bible, The Handmaid’s Tale, Harry Potter

Any future projects in the works?

Nightshade is a trilogy: Wolfsbane (book 2) will be in stores July 26, 2011, Bloodrose (book 3) will be out spring 2012. Right now I’m working on a prequel to the Nightshade series that recounts the origins of the Witches War. That book will be published in fall 2012.

Team Ren or Team Shay and tell us why?

I’m Team Calla – because it’s her choice not mine 🙂

Andrea has generously donated one signed ARC of Nightshade for our US readers. To enter fill out this form.

Cassandra Clare Teaser Giveaway

08 Dec, 2010 by in simon schuster, YA fiction 6 comments

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster
Release Date: August 2010
http://cassandraclare.com/cms/home

Book Summary (from Simon & Schuster): Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

See our Cassandra Clare inspired jewelry and journals on Etsy here.

We have two copies of Clockwork Angel for our US blog readers donated for BIR2010 by Cassandra Clare and Simon Schuster. To enter please fill out this form.

Cinda Williams Chima Giveaway & Author Interview

08 Dec, 2010 by in Uncategorized 9 comments

The Exiled Queen
By Cinda Williams Chima
Published by Disney Hyperion
Cinda’s website: http://www.cindachima.com/

Book Summary: (from Goodreads – Warning contains spoilers if you haven’t read the 1st book in the series)

You can’t always run from danger…

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean danger isn’t far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden’s Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

The Exiled Queen is an epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.

Here a few fun questions with author Cinda Williams Chima:

If you could travel by hot air balloon, what would you fly over?
Castles, mainly. I actually took a hot air balloon ride once, and ended up landing in the middle of the Interstate. So maybe I should stay on the ground.

What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?
I’m looking forward to the American remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (December 2011.) In the meantime, I would like to see the Swedish versions, now I’ve read all the books.

Who is your favorite author?
That’s totally unfair.

Do you prefer to write on the computer or with paper?
On the computer. Definitely. If not for the computer, I would have no books. I am a flaming fast keyboarder, and have crude and ludicrous handwriting.

What kind of book do you read when you get sick?
I don’t read when I get sick. I don’t want to associate reading with getting sick.

What are your favorite comfort foods?
Soup of any kind. I love to make soup in the winter time. Also stews.

New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima began writing romance novels in middle school, which were often confiscated by her teachers. Her Heir Chronicles young adult contemporary fantasy series includes The Warrior Heir (2006), The Wizard Heir (2007), and The Dragon Heir (2008), all from Hyperion, with two more books forthcoming.

Chima’s YA high fantasy Seven Realms series launched with The Demon King (2009), followed by The Exiled Queen (September, 2010) with The Gray Wolf Throne scheduled for fall, 2011.

To Enter to win a copy of The Exiled Queen courtesy of the author and Disney Hyperion, please fill out this form. Open to US and Canada as part of BIR 2010. Giveaway ends December 15, 2010.

BIR2010 Giveaway #6 Losing Faith

08 Dec, 2010 by in Simon Pulse 17 comments

Losing Faith
By Denise Jaden
Released September 7, 2010
Published by Simon Pulse
http://www.denisejaden.com/

A terrible secret. A terrible fate. When Brie’s sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie’s world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don’t know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but. As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don’t line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith’s final night…a secret that puts her own life in danger.

Denise and SimonTeen have offered one copy of Losing Faith to our US blog followers. To enter to win please fill out this form. Giveaway ends December 15, 2010.

The Replacement BIR2010 Giveaway #5

07 Dec, 2010 by in book giveaway, penguin, the replacement 6 comments

The Replacment
by Brenna Yovanoff
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: September 21, 2010
http://brennayovanoff.livejournal.com/

Book Summary (from Penguin): Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement—left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world. Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate’s baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs. Edward Scissorhands meets The Catcher in the Rye in this wildly imaginative and frighteningly beautiful horror novel about an unusual boy and his search for a place to belong.

We are giving away one copy of The Replacement as part of the BIR 2010 giveaways. Simply fill out the form below to enter. Open to US residents. Ends December 15th, 2010

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Shannon Delany BIR2010 Giveaway #4

07 Dec, 2010 by in book giveaway, secrets and shadows, shannon delany 13 comments

**Shannon Delany’s 13 to Life was chosen as one of our BIR2010 books.However, 13 to Life is NOT the book that we will be giving away. This giveaway is for a LIMITED EDITION signed chapter book of the SECOND book in this series, Secrets and Shadows, which is due out February 15, 2011. **

13 to Life
By Shannon Delany
Published by St. Martin’s Griffin
Website: http://www.shannondelany.com/

Book Summary: (from Goodreads)
Everything about Jessie Gillmansen’s life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing. Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she’s about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent—he’s a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie’s small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can’t avoid…

Secrets and Shadows
By Shannon Delany
Published by St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: February 15, 2011

Book Summary: (from author’s website)
The supernatural stakes are higher than ever now that more than just werewolves prowl the town of Junction–friendships will be formed, choices will be made and allies may become enemies… Nothing’s simple when you run with werewolves. Jess Gillmansen thinks she’s seen it all but her eyes are about to be opened to even more danger and a reality far more paranormal than she’s suspected.

Shannon Delany is a one of a kind author and is super nice…she even tweets you back. I loved 13 to Life! See my review here . Plus, visit our 13 to Life collection at LittleRedReads with book related jewelry made in collaboration with Shannon. Or take a peek at our 13 To Life inspired photography in our wolf shop on Etsy. Shannon is giving away a signed chapter book of Secrets and Shadows (prologue plus 1st chapter) to one of our blog followers. Shipping is U.S. and Canada. Fill out this form to enter