Mundie Moms

Monday, March 21, 2011

DSAS Blog Hunt

City of Fallen Angels Book Trailer Photoshoot. Photo courtesy of VLC Productions.

Here it is, Mundie Moms, the City of Fallen Angels DSAS (Dirty Sexy Alley Scene) book trailer outtake. Start on Cassie's blog and follow the links to the other authors' blogs until you collect all the letter clues. Here's a clue from Cassie on what you get to see if you follow the instructions:
Now nothing happens in the DSAS that would be inappropriate in a PG-13 movie. It’s just . . . a bit passionate. But to make sure you really want to see it we decided to create a little treasure hunt across the blogosphere, featuring some of today’s top YA writers and their unwavering commitment to “makey-outy scenes.”
Here's a hint from Cassie -- the password is a scrambled name that appears in all of the books. 

Blog Tour- Illegal

By Bettina Restrepo
Published by Harper Teen
Released on March 8th, 2011

A promise.
QuinceaƱera.
A promise that we would be together on my fifteenth birthday . . .

Instead, Nora is on a desperate journey far away from home. When her father leaves their beloved Mexico in search of work, Nora stays behind. She fights to make sense of her loss while living in poverty—waiting for her father's return and a better day. When the letters and money stop coming, Nora decides that she and her mother must look for him in Texas. After a frightening experience crossing the border, the two are all alone in a strange place. Now, Nora must find the strength to survive while aching for small comforts: friends, a new school, and her precious quinceaƱera.

Bettina Restrepo's gripping, deeply hopeful debut novel captures the challenges of one girl's unique yet universal immigrant experience (quoted from Goodreads).

Today I was really looking forward to sharing my review for Bettina's debut, Illegal, but a lovely little mail troll snatched my book, and I've not been able to get to the book store yet to purchase this. In place of my review, Bettina has treated us with a fabulous video about her book.



Thank you so much Bettina for visiting our blog today!!

Lemniscate Quote Hop & 1st Chapter Release


Published by Lands Atlantic Publishing, LLC
To Be Released on March 21st, 2011

For Teagan, these last few months have been heaven on earth- especially now that Garreth, her boyfriend and guardian angel, is earthbound. But perhaps Garreth is becoming a little more human than either of them expected.
Now, Teagan must realize that her world is once again about to shift, as she questions the faith she held in others against those once considered enemies.
In this continuation of Angel Star, Lemniscate will draw you even deeper into the world of dark and light as Teagan realizes the angel who could possibly save them all is the one angel she feared the most (quoted from Goodreads).

Today we're excited to be among a few bloggers who are all sharing Jennifer's 1st chapter to Lemniscate, her sequel to Angel Star. You can read my review here. Along with the 1st chapter sneak peak, Jennifer is also holding a fabulous giveaway!

You can read the 1st chapter here-

Chapter One
It had been raining for three days straight. I rolled onto my side to face the window towards the bit of light glowing behind the thin skin of my eyelids and grew excited for a moment, thinking today the sun might finally make an appearance. I should have known better. Under normal circumstances I would have been more than happy to cinch my covers in closer, keeping the warmth in as long as possible, thawing my flannel-wrapped arm after mercilessly sending it out into the open to slam the snooze button. But not today.
I opened my eyes to Garreth standing at the glass, his skin reflecting back a pale glimmer against the dry side of the window. My warm light on the bleakest of Monday mornings was tracing the crooked lines of water with his finger, seemingly deep in thought.
“Writing love notes to me on my window?” I mused out loud, stretching my cramped legs toward the bottom of my quilted bed. I propped myself up onto my elbow as he turned around, his striking blue eyes reminded me of his perfection. Each day I’m astounded to find him here with me. My angel. My guardian. My boyfriend.
Garreth has been earthbound for months now, choosing to live the life of a mortal just so he can spend each and every waking moment with me. It’s not that he’s giving up an extraordinary existence, he’s just trading part of one for another. He’s still my guardian, still here to protect me. True, there isn’t anything human about him besides the charade he plays for others, and his looks, which, now that I think about it, aren’t quite human either. I remember the irregular heartbeats I felt the first time we met at school last spring. The way I would feel all weak and fluttery. Words can’t describe what he means to me. My mother would call it unhealthy and irrational if she ever learned the true depth of my emotions. Anyone would. Garreth’s aura isn’t like the average guy running around my school or at the mall. He’s pure. Surreal. And his heart beats only for me. I should feel important and flattered, I know. But honestly, it makes me uncomfortable. Why anyone would give up the freedom of roaming the heavens to be stranded here is beyond me. Especially for me. “You’re awake,” he said, walking slowly to my bedside. Sitting down and looking deeply into my eyes, Garreth bent to kiss me good morning. His hand rested gently on my cheek, allowing me to feel the exceptional warmth of his skin, his soft touch nearly lulling me back to sleep. “Oh, no you don’t. It’s time for you to get up.” “Please tell me it’s Saturday,” I murmured, forcing my face into my pillow. “Unfortunately, it’s Monday and unfortunately again, we have a calculus test today.” Garreth nudged my ribs and I couldn’t help giggling. “Ok, ok! I’m up!” I smiled into his chiseled face. He looked as handsome as always. His sandy hair, tousled as usual, hung seductively over his brilliant blue eyes. My eyes traced the strong bridge of his nose, which led to his perfect lips, and I let my eyes rest there for a few minutes. Picking up on my thoughts, he bent lower. I could smell the warmth of his skin, fragrant and spicy, as if he’d just showered with an amazing fragrance not yet discovered and bottled. It was his scent, an incense of sorts that belonged only to him and gently surrounded him like his aura. It made me dizzy, but I loved it. I closed my eyes as his lips rested softly on mine and my arms wove up and around his neck to keep him longer. “Test? Remember?” He grasped my hands, still clasped behind his neck, and uncurled my fingers with a gentle strength, bringing them to rest at my sides. “Later . . . later you can kiss me and not let go,” he whispered softly into my hair and then stood up. “Of course you’ll ace this test. You have infinite knowledge.” I was being sarcastically playful, and Garreth rolled his eyes. “I’ll make sure I get a few wrong.” “Gee, thanks,” I responded. I could hear my mother stirring down the hall. Within minutes she’d be padding softly in this direction to her shower and stop at my door along the way, urging me to wake up. She’s not aware that I’m usually up by this point, nor is she aware that Garreth is the one to wake me before she ever gets the chance to. A dresser drawer scraped shut, usually Garreth’s clue for a silent, celestial exit, knowing twenty minutes from now he’d be knocking on the kitchen door to take me to school. I kissed him goodbye with one last chance to see the blue of his eyes sparkle like diamonds. Like clockwork, my mother’s knuckles rapped at my door. Only twenty minutes longer. That’s all I have to wait. Twenty minutes.

Now for the giveaway-
To be entered to win these awesome prize, please leave us a comment! Jennifer will be collecting all comments from today's posts and the quote hop, found here. The winner will be announced tomorrow via Jennifer's site. Jennifer will be collecting comments from the all the sites taking part in today's post and the quote hop.

Book Review- Bumped

by Megan McCafferty
Published by Balzer + Bray
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Source: Publisher
4 Stars- I enjoyed it a lot!

Synopsis (from HarperCollins Children's): When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food.
Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.
Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.
When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

Bumped was really surprising to me, I don’t know why but all along while waiting for this novel I kept thinking it was going to be a very intense read. I think because it was a dystopian I always think of dystopian as sad and intense, but that wasn’t the case with Bumped.
Bumped was hilarious, in a weird twisted way because this world was crazy!! The way this girls acted and talked about their “breedy bits” and all the other slang they used to describe sex had me laughing out loud, I tried not to, because it was such a serious topic but I couldn't help it and the giggles just kept bubbling out. I do have to admit that it did take me a while to get used to the dialogue, I was a bit confused at the beginning. Some of the names of things they kept mentioning took me a little while to figure out what they were, and all the eye twitching that they were doing was confusing at first, but once I found out what it meant I was able to enjoy the story a lot more and found it fascinating.

I loved that we get see the story unfold from the point of view of both Harmony and Melody which seemed complete opposites of each other, but ended up having some similar qualities towards the end. They were both raised by different sets of parents and in pretty much two different worlds, they were raised to strongly believed that what they were doing and meant to do in their future was the right thing and that everyone else had it wrong. I loved their differences, Harmony had a good heart, was sweet and humble but very naive. Melody was stubborn and ambitious but also had a hidden feelings of doubt that she didn't show very often. The character development was so well done that we see them grow and become totally different by the ending.

What it's so scary is that this near future is not that unrealistic, humans not being able to have children because of a virus after they turn 18, so they have to have these girls have babies for them. It definitely seems like something that could happen, and even though the story and the way Megan McCafferty told it was quite hilarious, it also makes you think and leaves you thinking about it long after you finish it. It's a terrifying choice to make, it leaves you wondering what’s the right choice here? If this were to happen in our future, do we let population dwindle down because we don’t want young girls to have babies for us? Do we allow them to do this and pay them back with cars, scholarships and huge amounts of money? These girls feel that they are only important because they can still get pregnant and they are talked into believing that way about themselves since their little. How far is too far, and how do you stop it from getting that far? So thanks to Megan McCafferty for writing such a wonderful book that got me thinking, I'm looking forward to the next one.

Mundane Monday #76

Alec Lightwood by eveningshadow

We thought while we're waiting for today's City of Fallen Angels Book Trailer reveal, we'd remind you of the November City of Fallen Angel's excerpt:
“I don’t know what I want.” Alec, his head bent, was playing with an abandoned plastic fork. Though his eyes were defiantly cast down, their pale blue color was visible even through his lowered eyelids, which were pale and fine as parchment. Magnus had always found humans more beautiful than any other creatures alive on the earth, and had often wondered why. Only a few years before dissolution, Camille had said. But it was mortality that made them what they were: the flame that blazed brighter for its flickering. He wondered if the Angel had ever considered making his human servants, the Nephilim, immortal. But no, for all their strength, they fell as humans had always fallen in battle through all the ages of the world.

“You’ve got that look again,” Alec said peevishly, glancing up through his lashes. “Like you’re staring at something I can’t see. Are you thinking about Camille?”

“Not really,” Magnus said. “How much of the conversation I had with her did you overhear?”

“Most of it.” Alec prodded the tablecloth with his fork. “I was listening at the door. Enough.”

“Not at all enough, I think.” Magnus glared at the fork and it skidded out of Alec’s grasp and across the table toward him. He slammed his hand down on top of it and said, “Stop fidgeting. What was it I said to Camille that bothered you so much?”

Alec raised his blue eyes. “Who’s Will?”
Who's Will, indeed. Only fifteen days until the release date!!!

Labels