Posts Tagged: cassandra clare

Book Expo America 2013 Photos and Recap

05 Jun, 2013 by in bea, NYC 2 comments

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug
Katie B from Mundie Moms, me and Tahereh Mafi author of Shatter Me.

What a whirlwind that is BEA! HarperCollins and City of Bones Cassie Clare parties, book signings, the exhibit hall and NYC. This is my second year attending and each year I learn something new. My suggestions for the future are to wear comfortable shoes, pick up only what you think you will read, and plan ahead. This year my focus was on mostly Children’s picture books and a few select YA/ adult titles.
My book boxes have already arrived from the Post Office at Penn Station and I will posting a video with them tomorrow. Media mail is the way to go if you want to save money shipping. But be prepared to haul your suitcase of books up many many stairs!

For now I hope you enjoy these photos I took. See the descriptions on my twitter, instagram and tumblr feeds as well as on Facebook for Heather Gardner Photography.  (If you are an author, blogger or publicist and want a copy, please email me as these photos are copyrighted and may not be copied or shared without permission from the photographer Heather Zahn Gardner.)

The most amazing part? The TMI Cassie Clare party hosed by Simon & Schuster. Click here to see the full photo album.

Hope to see you next year! Thanks so much to Book Expo America for another great event.

Book Review- Clockwork Prince

09 Dec, 2011 by in simon schuster 5 comments

Clockwork Prince
The Infernal Devices #2
by Cassandra Clare
Hardcover, 502 pages
Published December 6th 2011
by Margaret K. McElderry Books
ISBN 1416975888
Source: bought
4.5 stars

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

I was a huge fan of the first three books in Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series but have to admit that she lost me with City of Fallen Angels as well as Clockwork Angel, the first in the Infernal Devices series. I didn’t finish either book. I know hardcore Cassie fans will think I’m crazy but I just felt a loss for where my favorite writing and characters had gone. I decided to give things one more try with book two in the Infernal Devices. I wasn’t disappointed with Clockwork Prince. The thing I love about Cassandra Clare is her rich descriptions, witty banter between characters and the inclusion of literary classics within her storyline. I finally felt like things are back to what I fell in love with in the first place. The steles are back, the feel of magic and loyalty, the rich world building. Clockwork Prince is set in Victorian London, a mix of steampunk and paranormal with several scenes of romance. I wouldn’t pass this one on to a young teenager, which is my main complaint about CP. There are two very steamy scenes that have a more adult romance because of the detail. There is also mention of drugs, moderate violence and lots of innuendo. So if you are a parent, I’d give the series a read yourself before you pass it on to a teen.

Overall this is my favorite of the last three Cassie has published. It has peaked my interest in how the MI and ID series overlap as well as the family lines. Does anyone want to help me out here? Have you found the family links intertwining between the two series? I’m also curious to see how things shake out between Tess, Will and Jem. I get the feeling she loves both of them for very different reasons and is concerned about coming between them as parabati. I’m so glad our questions are finally answered about Will’s walls. I loved every interaction he and Tessa have. We see a depth to Will never before shown. Jem, while kind and attentive is not in my mind the most appealing. Maybe she ends up not choosing either! Guess we will have to wait until book three to find out. Even at over 500 pages, I’m guessing most readers will devour all of Clockwork Prince in one sitting. The beautiful seamless writing of Cassie Clare is back!

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.

Clockwork Angel Steampunk Giveaway

31 Aug, 2010 by in steampunk 40 comments

Congrats to Cassandra Clare on the release of her book The Clockwork Angel! Happy Book Birthday! We pre-ordered ours and will be waiting by the mailbox today.

To celebrate we are giving away this piece of jewelry from our Cassie Clare inspired collection on Etsy…suspended wings steampunk necklace.


As well we though it would be fun to include these two Texas steampunk graphic novels. One named “Clockwork Angels” by Lea Hernandez, and the first in his series, Cathedral Child which is signed by the author.

To Enter To Win: leave your name in the comments below and tell us your favorite item in our Cassandra Clare or angels Etsy collections.

Contest ends September 31, 2010 and is open internationally. Good Luck!

Angels Among Us

11 Feb, 2010 by in mortal instruments 2 comments

I spent my Waiting on Wednesday looking at angel photos on Flickr that reminded me of Patch and Norah, the Mortal Instruments series and Fallen by Lauren Kate. There are some breathtaking photos out there…Enjoy the angel gallery!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heatherzahngardner/galleries/72157623279577627/

New Cassandra Clare Inspired Collection

18 Jan, 2010 by in mortal instruments 5 comments

Back in December we featured “Clockwork Angel” and the Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare as our Waiting on Wednesday. Here are the pieces to start the Etsy store collection I am working on for the series. And if you love The Mortal Instruments, check out our Angel, Hush, Hush and Wings collections on the right sidebar store link for fairy and angel inspired jewelry, photography and journals!

WOW Clockwork Angel

30 Dec, 2009 by in mortal instruments 4 comments

Wing Charm Necklace http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37000391

CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare

Book Description
A new urban fantasy full of vampires, werewolves and shape-shifters from the bestselling author of The Mortal Instruments series

Product Description
London, 1878: Sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray’s priority should be finding her brother, not falling in love, especially with two boys. She is soon caught in a dangerous love triangle where a wrong decision could prove fatal. Tessa will need all her strength to save her brother and stay alive as she learns the chilling truth of what really lurks on London’s streets after dark.

CAN NOT WAIT for this book to come out from Cassandra Clare! Her books are amazing and even her websites pull you in with interaction, rich illustrations and beautiful covers. Here is her description of the new series:

How many books are there in The Infernal Devices trilogy?

There are three. The title of the trilogy itself is The Infernal Devices: the first book is called The Clockwork Angel, the second The Clockwork Prince, the third, the Clockwork Princess.

When will The Clockwork Angel be out?

September 7, 2010.

Here is Cassandra Clare’s website on the series http://theinfernaldevices.com/index3.html

What’s The Infernal Devices about?

The Infernal Devices is a series of prequels to The Mortal Instruments series, set in 19th century London. The story concerns 16-year-old orphan Tessa Gray, whose quiet life is thrown into turmoil when her older brother Nathaniel suddenly vanishes, leaving her alone. Her search for him leads her into Victorian-era London’s dangerous supernatural underworld, where warlocks throw masked balls for half-demon Downworlders. When Tessa discovers that she herself is a Downworlder, she must come to trust her natural enemies, the demon-killing Shadowhunters, if she ever wants to learn to control her powers and find her brother. Torn between the beautiful Will, a Shadowhunter who isn’t what he seems, and the devoted Jem, whose own deadly secret is slowly destroying him, Tessa must draw on all her strength to save her brother and keep herself alive in this deadly new world.

Ahhhh… why oh why to we have to wait for this book and City of Fallen Angels? In the mean time here are some fan made trailers for Cassandra’s other books in print.

City Of Bones

City of Ashes

City Of Glass

And enjoy some Jace inspired Fallen Archangel jewelry from my shop!