Waiting On Wednesday: The Ward

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: The Ward

Author: Jordana Frankel

Release Date: April 30, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old Ren is a daredevil mobile racer who will risk everything to survive in the Ward, what remains of a water-logged Manhattan. To save her sister, who is suffering from a deadly illness thought to be caused by years of pollution, Ren accepts a secret mission from the government: to search for a freshwater source in the Ward, with the hope of it leading to a cure.

However, she never expects that her search will lead to dangerous encounters with a passionate young scientist; a web of deceit and lies; and an earth-shattering mystery that’s lurking deep beneath the water’s rippling surface.

Jordana Frankel’s ambitious debut novel and the first in a two-book series, The Ward is arresting, cinematic, and thrilling—perfect for fans of Scott Westerfeld or Ann Aguirre.

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: Dystopian is my go-to genre right now, as is anything set in Manhattan, so this is definitely my kind of book! And I absolutely love the cover. *pets* 

(Alas, though, it reads a little too much like Project P for my comfort, so I'm also extremely interested to find out just how similar they are.)

So what book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Teaser Tuesday: Mila 2.0

It's time for Teaser Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading, where you open your current read to a random page and pick two teaser sentences.

This week, my read is an ARC of Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza (Goodreads):

"I crept inside the darkened room...and almost fell flat on my face.

My toe, it had caught on something.

Only that patch of floor should be bare."

So what are you reading this week?

Review: Splintered (A.G. Howard) + Giveaway

Title: Splintered
Series: Splintered Book 1
Author: A.G. Howard
Publisher: Amulet
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Dark Contemporary Fantasy
Told: First Person (Alyssa), Present Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (sensuality bordering on sexuality, some language, disturbing images, violence)
Format Read: ARC (trade)
Find It On: Goodreads
Summary: 

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

*          *          *

Writing: Beautiful, dark prose. Skillfully written and a breeze to read.

Setting: The "real world" was realistic and engaging, while Wonderland was spooky, creepy, warped, and overly enthralling. Tim Burton would have been proud to call it his own.

Story: It began a little rough, but I knew that was just me trying to relate to MC Alyssa, who I personally didn't have anything in common with. The real world lead-up was just right (aka not too long) and engaging, even though I was itching right from the start for the Wonderland part to begin. When it finally did, I immensely enjoyed every moment of it. The familiar scenes and places shown in a different and disturbing light - I was engrossed all the way through. The end... I didn't feel it was quite believable (removing a single number from a huge equation alters the equation - and more importantly the answer - entirely), but I let it go. Wonderland is supposed to be a bit off anyway. All in all it was a highly entertaining story that kept me riveted.

Characters: I had a hard time connecting with artiste and skater girl Alyssa in the beginning (again, I had nothing on common with her), but once she hit Wonderland I was behind her all the way. Jeb was the protective and passionate older-brother type that a lot of girls (including me) secretly wish for in a boyfriend, and I enjoyed watching his [steamy] romance with Alyssa unfold. Morpheus was chilling and seductive and I couldn't help rooting for him and Alyssa as well, even when I knew he was bad for her. The rest of the Wonderland cast was individually creepy and entertaining in their own right, and Rabid in particular still makes my skin crawl just thinking about him.

Favorite Bit(s): Cover love - SO gorgeous. And, of course, Alice/Wonderland is an addiction of mine.

Conclusion: Beautifully rendered and warped, I highly enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it!

Scribble Rating: 

4 .5 of 5 Scribbles

And in honor of my love for Splintered, I have official swag to give away!

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win one of two swag packs signed by the author herself, A.G. Howard! Good luck! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stacking the Shelves: Nightmare Affair edition

Time for another Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which I share the books that I've added to my shelves this week! Check them out:

RECEIVED FOR REVIEW

• Fox Forever by Mary E. Pearson - I love this cover! I haven't read the rest of the series, but they do look interesting.

TRADED

• The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen - I've been in need of a good fantasy, so I'm really looking forward to this one. And Book 2, The Runaway King, comes out soon.

PURCHASED - NEW

• Just Another Judgment Day by Simon R. Green (Nightside #9) - Nightside is my no-brainer series, when I need to read something entertaining yet mindless. Not extremely well written, but the world is exquisite. 

LIBRARY ARCs
I got a whole stack this week! But the titles I'm most excited about are: 

• The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett - I've heard this book is really good so I was excited to get my hands on it!
• Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson - A retelling of the Bluebeard fairy tale.
• Destiny, Rewritten by Kathryn Fitzmaurice - A story about a girl who goes on a search for a lost book in the town's used bookstores? Yes, please!

So what books did you add to your shelves this week?

Waiting On Wednesday: The Art of Wishing (again)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is a repeat, but it's the book I'm most anticipating this March - and it's my Birthday Book selection! Check it out:

Title: The Art of Wishing

Author: Lindsay Ribar

Release Date: March 21, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

He can grant her wishes, but only she can save his life.

Margo McKenna has a plan of attack for everything, from landing the lead in her high school musical to dealing with her increasingly absent parents. But when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the opportunity to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Especially since Oliver--not blue-skinned, not bottle-dwelling, but a genie nonetheless--can see more than what she's willing to show him. With one peek into her mind, he can see the wishes that even Margo herself doesn't know she wants.

But Oliver comes with more than just mind-reading abilities, a flair for magic, and the prettiest eyes Margo's ever seen. Someone from his past is hunting him--someone bent on killing him, along with all the other genies in the world, for the sake of honor. And as Margo soon discovers, it will take more than three wishes to save him.

A whole lot more.

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: I get a SERIOUS Anna and the French Kiss vibe from this book - meaning a light, fun read that I will thoroughly enjoy. Can't wait to get my hands on it, and the sooner the better! If you have an ARC you'd be willing to trade, poke me on Twitter @skyelyte. (Yes, I'm that desperate right now. :)

So what book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

DNF Review: Unremembered (Jessica Brody)

Title: Unremembered
Series: Unremembered, Book 1
Author: Jessica Brody
Publisher: FSG
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Science Fiction
Told: First Person, Present Tense
Format Read: ARC (EpicLibrarian)
Find It On: Goodreads
Summary: 

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.

Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

*          *          *

I did not finish this book. I reached Chapter 25 (a little over halfway) and could not bring myself to continue.

For the entire first half of the book, barely anything happens. Sera, the main character, "just wants a normal life," and absolutely refuses to believe anything unusual about herself. She runs away from the plot instead of towards it, and only when it literally ties her to a chair and shoves itself down her throat does she start at least listening. And this is only a few short chapters before I stopped reading - it takes half the book for her to start accepting that maybe she isn't normal. 

When the love interest comes along, she refuses to trust him, or even go near him - but I didn't feel any spark between them anyway. The promise of a "love unchanged" on the cover is nowhere to be seen in the first half, aside for a bit of tingling Sera quickly dismisses. Lately, publishers have been feeding us instant sexual attraction and tension, so comparatively this relationship felt downright cold. 

And the "big reveal" turned out to be the same-old, same-old. 

I did like the short, direct voice and chapters in the beginning, but as Sera became more familiar with the world the superb writing laxed. In the end I had read it all before, and with the threat of an abundance of flashbacks in my future, I did not continue.

Stacking the Shelves: Life After Theft edition

Since I had such a good book haul this week (especially trading), I thought I would do my very first Stacking the Shelves post. Look at all the pretties I raked in this week:

TRADED

• Pivot Point by Kasie West - I've heard nothing but amazing things about this book, and I can't wait to read it!
• Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza - This has a pretty good rating, so I thought, why not? It's a lot thicker than I thought though, but I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised!
• Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike - I've been really excited about this one, and when it arrived I couldn't help but put it on the top of my TBR pile.

PURCHASED - USED

• The Wish List by Eoin Colfer - I'm more inclined to read something (and actually finish it) when I get it in pocket paperback form, so hoping I can finally get around to reading this at long last.
• White Tiger by Kylie Chan - Looked interesting, and since it's a pocket paperback (they're an addiction for me, really), how could I not?

PURCHASED - NEW

• The Little Black Book of New York 2013 - My first purchased new research book! I got an older edition from the library and the maps in it have proved very helpful for Project P. And this way, I don't have to fight over it with other library patrons (which I totally was).

LIBRARY

• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas - I've heard this book is really good so I'm excited to finally get my hands on it! I've put it off so long, though, because I wanted to try and get a paperback used, but alas no dice so far. 
• Fodor's New York City 2013 - Yet another research book. When one is writing about a place they have never been, guidebooks are some of your best allies.
• Dawn of the Arcana Volume 8 - An interesting fantasy series that I'm enjoying on the library's dime. ;)

So what books did you add to your shelves this week?

Currently...Archiving

It's time for another entry in my "Currently..." segment, in which I let you know what I'm currently up to on a number of highly important topics.

I AM CURRENTLY...

READING:

Novels: I'm wrapping up Mystic City by Theo Lawrence. Predictable, but overall not a bad read. Just finished The Archived by Victoria Schwab. Took a few chapters to get into, but now I'm on the "it's awesome" bandwagon and highly recommend it! Reviews on both to come.
Manga: While I'm not reading much manga these days (shocking, I know, for me too) Volume 30 of Skip Beat, my favorite manga series, came out this month! We're digging into the Heel siblings arc, and it's a good one - I'm highly enjoying it.

WATCHING:

TV: Snagged Merlin Season 4 on DVD! I love this series and it never fails to entertain. A show I'm looking forward to the return of is Body of Proof, the biggest reason being Christopher Chance is joining the show!!! XD Cannot wait.
Movies: As of late movies are much too long and therefore I haven't been watching any. Odd, I know, but who ever said I was normal? ;) I am starting to get a craving for something creepy though, and have been eyeing my copy of Sleepy Hollow...

WRITING:

Project P: I've been extremely busy so I've only been able to pick at it here and there, but I've hit a snag. There is a book releasing in May that has a lot of similarities to Project P. Too many similarities. So now I'm conflicted if I'm wasting my time and shouldn't try to move on to another story since this one is probably no longer a viable candidate for publication for me. At the same time though, I am fully invested in it now and therefore I think I'm going to at least finish the first draft. Still debating, though - will keep you posted.
Toaster: It was a hard decision, but I decided not to go through with posting Toaster. The edits turned out to be more involved than I'd originally anticipated, and I found I don't have time to work on it and get any writing done. I apologize to anyone who is disappointed, but it's the best thing for my writing right now. Do forgive. :(
New Project: Hmm? New project? Who's working on a new project? It certainly isn't me - nope. DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT.

LIFE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING ELSE:

Blogging: I have decided on a posting schedule! You can check it out here.

Health: The "diet" is on the mend! Meaning I can add a few of the lesser things back into my diet if I'm careful. This will consist mainly of fruits that I have a hard time living without. I decided myself that I'm keeping away from dairy for at least a few more months, just to give my stomach a chance to bounce back, even if it will be torturous without my glass of milk with breakfast. T-T

Bookshelf: I've found a few awesome gals to trade with, and received several yummy titles in the mail this week! (I'll try to do a post to show them off. ;) I also won a copy of Cursed, which I'm really looking forward to reading. ARCs of Pulse and Unremembered found their way to my doorstep, and while they turned out to not be my cup of tea (to my utter disappointment), I was very happy the publishers were kind enough to send them. :)

Giveaways: I will be doing two giveaways soon! One for reaching 40 Followers (I have learned to celebrate small milestones :), and I will be giving away special swag with my review of Splintered by A.G. Howard. So keep an eye out for those!

That's it for me. What are you "currently" up to?

Waiting On Wednesday: RUSH

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating. This week my pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Rush

Author: Eve Silver

Release Date: June 11, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: A bunch of untrained teens thrown together in a "game" to eliminate aliens? Heck yes! Trained is boring - untrained is survival at its finest! And c'mon, "beautiful aliens"? We really don't see those two words used together nearly enough. This book also has a similar vibe to my current WIP, and I can use all the encouragement I can get in that department to keep my interest up now that I've passed the halfway point.

BONUS: You can enter to win an ARC of Rush on author Eve Silver's blog here!

So what book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Review: Under the Never Sky (Veronica Rossi)

Title: Under the Never Sky

Series: Under the Never Sky, Book 1

Author: Veronica Rossi

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: January 3, 2012

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Content Rating: Older Teen (sensuality, some sexuality, violence, minor gore, feminine issues)
Format Read: Hardcover (library)
Told: Third Person (Aria & Perry), Past Tense

Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Summary: 

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland--known as The Death Shop--are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild--a savage--and her only hope of staying alive. 

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile--everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

*          *          *

Writing: Once I got into the story (about 1/4th in) it was a relatively easy read.

Setting: An interesting and possible future for Earth, where some live in virtual pods and mutated others out in the savage wilderness. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get to explore the pods more - I hope Veronica gives us a tour of Reverie in a later book.

Story: Began rough and hard to get into, but got better as the MCs got used to each other. By the middle I was engrossed, and although it wasn't perfect it was entertaining. The romance felt rather forced, but I enjoyed it none the less. The end was both complete and continual.

Characters: Aria was strong and capable, and quite the trooper - I got her right from the start. Perry was a bit all over the place at the beginning and hard to pin down, but eventually he came together. Mostly. Roar was a nice addition to their travels and story, Marron an interesting uncle figure (although I think he would have been better as a possible badish guy), and Cinder a curious window into the future story.

Eww Factor: There is "menstruating" in this book. And if that isn't bad enough, a macho boy has to explain what it is to a girl. I was just as horribly embarrassed as she was.

Conclusion: While it began awkward, I was glad I stuck with it, and now look forward to Book 2.

This book is for you if you like: Dystopian epic travel adventures and/or coming-of-age kind of stories.

Scribble Rating: 

3 of 5 Scribbles

(Previously published on my former review blog, The Black Kitten Reviews.)

Posting Schedule

I now have a posting schedule! While I might not end up posting every Monday/ Wednesday/Friday, I will post at least once or twice a week. My schedule:

Monday
Book Reviews

Wednesday
Waiting On Wednesday
Where in the World Wednesday

Friday
Currently...
Last Month I Discovered...
Miscellaneous

See you around! :)

Bibliopunkk ARC Giveaway!

Bibliopunkk is doing a February giveaway on her blog! She is giving away 8 (count them, EIGHT) ARCs, including Transparent by Natalie Whipple, Red by Allison Cherry, Night School by CJ Daugherty, and Parallel by Lauren Miller! Check'm out:

Enter to win this stack of lovelies on her blog here by guessing the number she has chosen between 1 and 10,000. And the more you spread the word, the more guesses you get!

(She has TRANSPARENT, people! How could I NOT blog about this? ;)

Good luck!

Waiting on Wednesday: Aprilynne Pike

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week I spotlight TWO books coming out this year by the same author, Aprilynne Pike! She's a local gal, and I've had the pleasure of speaking with her on several occasions. I heard about both of these books long before they were announced, so needless to say I've been looking forward to them with great anticipation for a very long time! Check them out:

Title: Life After Theft

Author: Aprilynne Pike

Release Date: April 30, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto. 

No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so--in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history--he agrees to help her complete her "unfinished business." But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff's new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he's made the right choice.

Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Why I'm Looking Forward to It: She had me at "klepto ghost." :}

~       ~       ~       ~

Title: Earthbound

Author: Aprilynne Pike

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

Tavia Michaels is the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed her parents. When she starts to see strange visions of a boy she’s never spoken with in real life, she begins to suspect that there’s much about her past that she isn’t being told. Tavia will soon to discover that she’s an Earthbound—someone with the ability to create matter out of nothing—and that she alone holds the key to stopping the Reduciata, an evil society that manipulates global events for its own shadowy purposes. Tavia will ultimately have to make a choice: to come into her powers and save the world from the evil Reduciata or to choose free will and a love of her own.

A heart-stopping romance built on a love triangle like you’ve never seen before and filled with epic stakes and a centuries-long conspiracy.

Why I'm Looking Forward to It: Girl who can create something out of nothing fights against an evil society to save the world all while trying to decide between two hot guys? Yes, please!

Don't both these books sounds awesome?! And right now you can enter to win them and her anthology, Defy the Dark, along with a boatload of candy on her website! You can find the contest here - good luck! :)

So what book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Interview with Author Gail Carriger

As promised at the end of my gushing review of Etiquette & Espionage last week (which you can find here), the amazing and talented Gail Carriger has graced me with an interview! Read on to discover how she compares writing young adult to adult, her favorite (and least favorite) character to write, her Love List Top 3, and a sneak peek at Finishing School Book the Second, Curtsies & Conspiracies! 

Ms. Carriger's Obligatory Bio

New York Times Bestselling author Gail Carriger writes to cope with being raised in obscurity by an expatriate Brit and an incurable curmudgeon. She survived her early years by reading most of her local library and memorizing Greek battles. Eventually, she escaped small town life and inadvertently acquired several degrees in Higher Learning. In pursuit of further finishing, Ms. Carriger traveled the historic cities of Europe, subsisting entirely on biscuits secreted in her handbag. She now resides in the Colonies, surrounded by fantastic shoes, where she insists on tea imported from London.

Ms. Carriger's Books

Ms. Carriger made her debut with the 5-book adult paranormal steampunk Parasol Protectorate series (Orbit), an alternate history that incorporates vampires, werewolves, and ghosts into Victorian England (a series I highly recommend, by the way). Her latest release, Etiquette & Espionage, the first book in the Finishing School series (due out February 5, 2013 from Little, Brown) is her first jaunt into young adult, and I for one am very glad she made the trip! It is set in the same world, although about 25 years before the Parasol Protectorate series. To my elation she is also working on another adult series, The Parasol Protectorate Abroad (the first book's release date TBD), also set in the same world but several decades after the first series. The Parasol Protectorate series has also been turned into a Manga series (and a rather steamy one at that) from Yen Press.

You can find Ms. Carriger online at any of these lovely locations:

Website   Blogger   LiveJournal   Twitter   Goodreads

As this interview is mainly about the Finishing School series, I offer you the summary for Book the First, Etiquette & Espionage:

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is the bane of her mother's existence, more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea -- and God forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady, Mrs. Temminnick enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But little do Sophronia or her mother know that this is a school where ingenious young girls learn to finish, all right -- but it's a different kind of finishing. Mademoiselle Geraldine's certainly trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Sophronia and her friends are going to have a rousing first year at school.

Again, you can find my raving review of this book here, 
and links to purchase Etiquette & Espionage are at the bottom of this post!

And now...
THE INTERVIEW!

1. What differences did you find in writing young adult as compared to adult?

I worked to create a more youthful and accessible voice, and characters who would grow and change with the books. Sophronia has a different world view than Alexia [Main Character of The Parasol Protectorate series]. She's private and introverted and must become more self actualized along the way by making new friends and discoveries. Her focus is on her immediate environment, less political, more personal.
 
2. You are currently writing books in both the young adult Finishing School series and adult The Parasol Protectorate Abroad series. On average, which have you found you prefer writing, young adult or adult, and why?

They both have advantages and disadvantages. I like the almost breezy sensation writing YA, and it suits my style as I tend to comfortably finish a story at right about 75k ~ which is YA length. Although I'm finding my YA stuff requires more edit passes than my adult stuff, so it's more back end work. Also, it's harder for me to get into that voice, I'm rather old for it. Alexia and Prudence [Main Character of The Parasol Protectorate Abroad series] are more me as I am now, which is easy to draw on. Sophronia is more me as I was in high school, which is sometimes hard to recall accurately. 
 
3. Is there anything that you get to do or explore in the young adult series that you can't in your adult series?

Everything about being a teenager is fair game, from first love to a girls first close friendships to the silliness of giddy youth to the hijinks of an individual who believes she is indestructible. 
 
4. Who was your favorite character to write in Etiquette & Espionage, and why? Who was your least favorite?

Bumbersnoot is a joy to write, as is Dimity. Soap is a challenge as is Monique, for exactly the opposite reason, but also because of Sophronia's ambiguous feelings toward both of them.
 
5. What is your Love List Top 3 for Etiquette & Espionage? 

1. Flying trifle
2. Flying mechanimal sausage dogs
3. Flying cheese pie

6. What are three things we can look forward to in Finishing School Book the Second, Curtsies & Conspiracies?

Travel, romantic travails, and infiltration operations.

~       ~       ~       ~       ~

And there you have it! I want to thank Ms. Carriger for doing this interview for me - she took time out of her horribly busy schedule to answer my questions, and I greatly appreciate it. I end with one final resounding recommendation that you pick up Etiquette & Espionage tomorrow from your local independent bookstore, or order it from one of these lovely distributors:

Barnes & Noble   The Book Depository   Amazon   Changing Hands

Enjoy! :}

Last Month I Discovered... I Can't Do Everything (Unfortunately)

Last month was truly a matter of discovery for me. There are so many things I plan to do this year, and in January I ran myself into the ground trying to start all of them. Needless to say, I discovered that I can't actually do All the Things - but I can do most of them, if I schedule myself.

Unfortunately, scheduling myself is not something I'm good at, so it's going to take some practice. I have declared February my "discovering the art of scheduling" month, so bear with me until I get the hang of it.

Further Things I Discovered Last Month:

• Daily To-Do List: I hung a small whiteboard beside my door and at the end of every day I note the following day's must-dos on it to check off. This has proved very helpful - I used to wander about the house, knowing I needed to do something but with no idea what. Now I always have something to do - and more importantly, something that needs doing that day!
• Book Review? Write it IMMEDIATELY: The past two books I've read, I wrote the review immediately after finishing the book. I usually struggle with reviews, but when I use this method I breeze through the First Draft in under a half-hour. If you review, I highly recommend this method.
• Editing Takes HARD WORK: And a LOT of drafts. But in the end, it's worth it. I hope.

So what did you discover last month?