Mundie Moms

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Aprilynne Pike reveals WINGS Read Along Challenge winner!

THANK YOU to everyone who joined us for Aprilynne Pike's Read Along Challenge sponsored by Harper Teen! We are very excited and totally shocked that we won! Not only do we have a message from Aprilynne to share with you, but we have an exclusive short story to share with you as well!

After you read Tam's short story, be sure to go pick up your copy of Illusions, the third book in the Wing's series today! Here's a little bit about Wings:

Laurel hasn't seen Tamani since she begged him to let her go last year. Though her heart still aches, Laurel is confident that David was the right choice.

But just as life is returning to normal, Laurel discovers that a hidden enemy lies in wait. Once again, Laurel must turn to Tamani to protect and guide her, for the danger that now threatens Avalon is one that no faerie thought would ever be possible. And for the first time, Laurel cannot be sure that her side will prevail.




Un-Enticing: A Wings Short Story by Aprilynne Pike Exclusively for MundieMoms.com

Tamani pushed his sunglasses up on his head as he entered the gelato shop. It was eleven in the morning; other than the brunette on the other side of the counter eyeing him, the shop was empty.
Perfect.

“Hi,” Tamani said with a winning smile as he approached the counter. “How are you today?”
“Good. What’ll you have?”
He paused, scanning the array of pastel-colored gelato. “What do you suggest?” he asked. He didn’t really care—it wasn’t like he could actually eat it.
“Well,” the girl said, pushing back from the counter to walk behind the tubs on display, “are you a chocolate person or a fruit person?”
At least he could answer that one honestly. “Fruit.” “Tart or sweet?” “Um . . . tart?” “Then I’d suggest the lemon, or maybe the cranberry.” “Why don’t you give me some of each,” Tamani said, not even glancing at the
dessert. Look them in the eye; everyone had stressed that. “I trust you,” he added, widening his smile.
“Okay,” the girl said, glancing from him to the gelato as she scooped it into a small bowl. “That’ll be two pounds fifty.”
“Well worth it,” Tamani said, peeling a five-pound note out of his pocket. “Good dessert and better company.”
The girl tittered as she opened the cash register.
“Where are you from?” Tamani asked, leaning on one elbow as she handed him his change.
“Um, just around here,” the girl said. “And what do you like to do in your spare time?” Her smile seemed a little hesitant now, and she grabbed a wet cloth and
began wiping down the counter. “Haven’t got much of that these days.” “Do you, like, party?”
Her face froze and for some reason she glanced around the store before answering him. “Not really, no.”
“Oh, I don’t blame you,” Tamani said, grasping for common ground. “What about rock and roll? You like rock and roll?” Apparently it was very popular these days.

“Um, I guess so. Anyway, I better, ah, clean this,” she said, turning to a counter on the opposite side of her work space—and giving her back to Tamani.
Undeterred, Tamani leaned a little closer over the counter. I can do this. “I’m new about town,” he said. “I’m staying a few kilometers west of here.”
“Uh-huh,” the girl said, not turning around.
“I’ll be here for a couple more months,” he added. “I’d love to find someone I could socialize with.”
The girl said nothing.
“So how about it? Would you like to get together and do . . .” He realized he didn’t have a suggestion. But he turned his smile sultry and finished with, “whatever it is you do around here for fun?”
At last she turned to face him again, but her expression was doubtful. She didn’t trust him; he’d have to figure out what he’d said to cause that. Or maybe he’d just forgotten something?
Oh—of course! Stupid. Humans were so funny about names. Always so skittish, wanting a proper introduction. Sometimes Tamani wondered if the superstition was written in their DNA.
“I’m Tam. Tam Collins.” He thrust one hand out at her.
She flinched back half a step. “That’s . . . great,” she said, ignoring Tamani’s outstretched hand and edging toward a door that led deeper into the shop. “Enjoy your gelato, sir.”
And then she was gone.
The sour taste of failure burned at the back of Tamani’s throat. He looked down at his multicolored mound of gelato, liquefying around the edges of the cup. “Thanks,” he whispered to himself, hoping he didn’t sound too disheartened. “I can’t actually eat it anyway.”
He stepped out into the bright spring sunlight. “That could have gone better,” he muttered. He put his sunglasses back over his eyes and sneaked a glance through the window of the gelato shop. The girl had reappeared, joined by an older man; she was showing him the abandoned cup of gelato. He was shaking his head and looked troubled.
Well, he didn’t have to get everything right on his first try. No one could win all the time. But the girl had seemed almost afraid of him at the end. He would need to figure out what he’d done wrong and avoid doing it in the future. He walked down the sunny street, looking for a new target.
He spotted two teenage girls—late teens, Tamani predicted—at one of the white tables shaded beneath the red awnings of Café Tabou. Perfect. They had drinks in front of them, but no food. Likely they were “hanging out” rather than having an intimate meal, which was probably to his advantage. Tamani took a deep breath, adjusted his hat, tucked his hands into his pockets, and strode toward them as casually as he could.

“Greetings,” he said when he reached their table.
The girls looked up with suspicious expressions that melted away when they saw him. Being attractive had its advantages.
“Hi,” one of them said, leaning back against her chair and crossing her legs.
“Do you mind if I join you?” Tamani asked. Then, with a flirtatious smile, he gestured to the nearly empty patio. “All of the other seats seem to be taken.”
The girls exchanged a quick look, then the one with short brown hair laughed and patted the seat next to her. “Sure,” she purred. “I’m Moira; this is Jamey.”
“Tam,” Tamani said. “I’m here on . . .” Tamani thought quickly. “Holiday,” he finished, remembering the word as he settled himself into the chair. A waiter hurried over. “Sparkling water,” Tamani said, without taking the proffered menu. Something he could drink. No more leaving purchased food behind. That was apparently a bad thing to do.
“So you’re on holiday,” Moira said, lifting her own glass, and eyeing him over the edge of it as she sipped. “From where?”
“All over,” Tamani said elusively. “Where’d you grow up? I can’t quite place your accent.” No doubt, Tamani thought ruefully. “Oh, up north,” Tamani said dismissively,
“but I spent the last few years in America. Hope the damage isn’t permanent. And you two? From here?”
“Our whole lives, both of us,” Jamey said. “But we’re going abroad after sixth year. For university.”
Tamani knew almost nothing about Scottish education, but he didn’t find it too hard to puzzle together Jamey’s meaning. That was good—it meant he was improving. The waiter returned to set a bottle and glass in front of Tamani. He poured himself some of the bubbly water and took a sip.
Moira took over, leaning forward, her chin resting on her hands. “We both wanted to cop out early, but our parents said we’d do better in the long run if we pushed through. I was so mad; I’m already the oldest in the form.” She looked up at him, her lips making a practiced pout.
She was flirting with him now; Tamani was quite certain. That was good. He supposed he should just encourage her to continue talking. And this gave him an opportunity to use some of the technology vocabulary he’d been studying. “So,” he said cheerily, “do you two like to surf over the internet?”
The girls exchanged a quick look. “I guess,” Moira said, looking a little confused.
“How about the Facebook?” Tamani asked, leaning closer and smiling. “Do you have a profile there? That’s always fun.”

“Facebook’s okay,” Jamey said after a brief pause. “It’s getting a little crowded, though.”
“Oh lord, my gran is on Facebook now, did I tell you?” Moira said. “My gran! Did you see what she said to Tommy about that video? I wanted to die.”
That got Jamey laughing. “That was nothing. You should have heard my mum lose it when Dad got her an iPod. ‘Oh, it can’t play my cassettes, what good is it?’”
Tamani was completely lost. Cassettes? At least he knew the word iPod. “Oh yes, iPods. I have an iPod on my”—what did they call it here?—“mobile,” he finished, pulling out his iPhone. “That Rod Stewart, he’s pretty hoppin’, eh?”
They both flat-out stared at him now. Tamani was starting to sense he’d said something wrong again.
“Um, I guess,” Jamey said. “If you’re like, forty.”
“Ah, well, you know . . .” Tamani muttered. Were the intelligence reports outdated? Or was he just acting too mature? And if he couldn’t pinpoint his mistakes, how could he possibly correct them in time?
“Hey, vintage is cool,” Moira said, shrugging. Tamani wasn’t sure what she meant, but she seemed to be rescuing him from her friend. Tamani decided it was probably a good idea to agree with her.
“Oh, absolutely,” he said. “Vintages are my favorite.” But even Moira’s smile fell at that. “Are you okay?” she asked hesitantly. “Never better,” Tamani said, raising his glass with a smile. “Can I get you two
another?” he asked, gesturing to their mostly empty glasses. “I’m enjoying this chat ever so much.”
“Thanks,” Jamey said, and Tamani noticed her subtly pinch her friend’s arm. “But I actually have to go. We both do. You know how sixth year is. Homework.”
Now there was something he could talk about! Even in Avalon, home work was unavoidable. “Oh yes,” he said. “Damned home work. My mum used to make me dust for hours. But you don’t want to rush back home to that,” he said, trailing his fingers over her arm. “Stay.”
“Sorry,” Jamey said, her voice firm as she pulled her arm away from Tamani. “Come on, Mor, we’ve got to go now.” She pulled on her friend’s arm, but Moira was already halfway out of her seat.
Tamani glanced at his newly acquired watch. Seven minutes. That hardly counted as a real conversation. “Can I walk with you?” Tamani asked, rising and tossing a few pounds onto the table. “Or perhaps I could give you a ride. My vehicle’s just over there,” he added, gesturing across the street to the decrepit Volkswagen van he’d driven from the Manor.
Jamey looked up at the van and her eyes widened, then narrowed. “Listen, creep,” she said, pushing one sharp finger into his chest. “We’re not stupid. We’re leaving. You take one step in our direction and I’ll scream. And I am very, very loud. Got it?”

Tamani nodded numbly. What had he done? “I—” he began.
But Jamey and Moira were already scurrying away, Jamey occasionally looking over her shoulder to glare at him. The waiter was out on the patio now too, watching Tamani with concern in his eyes.
Don’t draw attention to yourself, Sym had said. Just blend in.
He was obviously failing at that. Tamani ducked his head and dug his keys out of his pocket. He felt eyes on his back as he hurried across the street to the van. He should have listened when Sym told him he wasn’t ready.
Cursing under his breath, he jammed his keys into the ignition and turned them viciously, the engine starting up with a satisfying roar. Glancing at the nearly empty road, Tamani barely remembered to turn on his blinking signal as he let his foot off the clutch.
A little too fast.
The van stalled and lurched forward, slamming into the rear bumper of the car in front of him. The high-pitched whine of a car alarm began sounding and everyone within hearing distance turned toward him.
work.
Including, of course, Moira and Jamey.
Tamani let his head fall against the steering wheel. This was never going to work.
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You can read more about Illusions on Aprilynne's site here and be sure to go pick up your copy TODAY!!!

Please do not copy the story with out Aprilynne's or HarperTeen's permission.

Book Review/ Blog Tour- So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

I am so excited to have Susane Colasanti on Mundie Moms today! I have become a huge fan of hers after I met her and spent some time with her last year at the Austin Teen Book Festival. She is fabulous! Not only that, during her visit with us today she brings us virtual cupcakes! Well, she's talking about cupcakes and her inspiration for Crumbs, a fabulous little cafe which inspired a place in her book that has cupcakes!


Published by Viking/Penguin
Released on May 3rd, 2011 TODAY
Source- ARC from publisher to review/for blog tour
4 stars- I really enjoyed it

When Brooke's crush, Scott, moves from their suburban town to New York City, she decides to follow him there. Living with her formerly estranged dad and adapting to a new school are challenging, and things go from bad to worse when Brooke learns that Scott already has a girlfriend. But as she builds her new life, Brooke begins to discover a side of herself she never knew existed. And as she finds out, in the city that never sleeps, love can appear around any corner...

So Much Closer is such a fun, fast paced, delightful read. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Brooke and being reminded of that stage in life where you feel the pressure of trying to figure out what you want to be. Yep, I'm talking the end of high school where you have the pressure to get good grades, figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life, while trying to figure out who are. It's Brooke's journey in finding out who she is that I liked.

I admire the fact Brooke up and leaves the New Jersey town she grew up in to follow the guy of her dreams to New York City, though I also find it just a little weird and obsessive. Having a father her lives there, Brooke was able to do something I never would have had the guts to do, nor would I have done that for a boy while in high school, let alone for someone I barely said more than a few words to. For Brooke, she felt it was the right thing for her to do. It's through her adventures in NYC that she comes to realize a lot about herself, the choices she made and the consequences to those choices. She has a strained relationship with her Mom back in NJ and is trying to build a relationship with the dad who left her mom years before. She looses friends along the way, makes new friends, realizes how narrow minded she was at one point and really gets to grow into the person she wants to become.

I really like the character Brooke grows into. She discovers herself in a city she grows to love. She makes new friends who not only see the potential she has that she herself doesn't see, but they help her realize she can become that person. She spent so much time chasing after the guy she moved to NYC for, that she lost focused on what was going on around her. I was intrigued with the way Susane wrote Scott and John. When Scott and Brooke are together there was nothing else talked about, but them. Brooke lost her focus on everything else and wanted Scott. Then there's my favorite, John. He's that friend we all want, and he also happens to be the other love interest who Brooke tutors. He shows Brooke around NYC and he's the one who teaches her to look up and to look around her. When she's with him she notices all the little details that are happening around them, and around NYC. John opens her eyes and with Scott her eyes are half closed. I loved the contrast between Scott and John.

I enjoyed So Much Closer, and I loved feeling like I was apart of NYC though I've never been. Susane really brought the setting to life and I loved every little detail of it. When I do go to NYC, I'm totally going to Crumbs. After you read the book, you'll know why. If you're looking for a fun, light hearted romance I would recommend picking up So Much Closer.
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Greetings, friendly neighbors! I’m stoked to share some of the inspiration for my fifth book, So Much Closer.

Realistic fiction is my thing. I like incorporating details inspired by my own experiences to make my books feel as realistic as possible. So Much Closer takes place in my neighborhood, the West Village. I had lots of fun including my fave New York City places and things in this book. For my blog tour, we thought it would be fun to share some of them with you. So here we go!

2. Crumbs

If you know me, you are well aware that I’m into cupcakes. Whoever invented the cupcake is a freaking genius. Hello, a mini cake with lots of frosting and sprinkles? Sign me up! You are probably also aware that all cupcakes are not created equal. Some are severely lacking. Some are woefully dry. Some look pretty, but have no taste. There are just so many things that can go wrong. When I find a quality cupcake, I’m fiercely loyal for life.

Which brings me to Crumbs.

I did not discover Crumbs at Crumbs. I was actually at my fave café on the Upper West Side, Café Lalo, when I noticed they had some new cupcakes. The cupcakes looked delicious. They had frosting in all different colors with lots of different toppings. I immediately ordered the chocolate cupcake with caramel buttercream frosting and Snickers on top. A transcendental experience ensued. They told me the cupcakes were from Crumbs. Crumbs is now a chain that has since expanded beyond New York – a sweet success story! They don't make the Snickerdoodle anymore, but there are lots of other delicious flavors. I recommend the Coffee Toffee and the Blueberry Cobbler. And of course the Pina Colada, which is featured in So Much Closer during an extremely tense scene at Crumbs. Which, really, if life is about to smack you with an unexpected life-shattering turn, wouldn’t you want a cupcake?
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Yes, after reading So Much Closer I totally want to visit Crumbs!!

Be sure to visit Susane's site HERE and you can follow her on Twitter HERE.

You can read The Susane Colasanti Sampler (which is updated with an excerpt of SO MUCH CLOSER and a Q&A with Susane)

You can watch the trailer for So Much Closer here-

Thank you to Penguin, we are giving away a SIGNED copy of So Much Closer!! To enter, please fill out the form below:

Book Review- Where The Truth Lies

by Jessica Warman
Published by Walker Books
Released on September 28, 2010
Source: Publisher
3 stars- It's a good read

Synopsis (From Bloomsbury Kids): On the surface, Emily Meckler leads the perfect life. She has three best friends, two loving parents, and the ideal setup at the Connecticut prep school where her father is the headmaster. But Emily also suffers from devastating nightmares about fire and water, and nobody knows why. Then the enigmatic Del Sugar enters her life, and Emily is immediately swept away-but her passionate relationship with Del is just the first of many things that aren't quite what they seem in Emily's life. As the lies she's been told start to unravel, Emily must set out to discover the truth regarding her nightmare; on a journey that will lead her to question everything she thought she knew about love, family, and her own idyllic past.


Where the Truth Lies left me with a few mixed feelings, I enjoyed the story and plot but there were so many times where I got frustrated with the main character. She's what you would call a good girl at the beginning of the novel and I felt bad for her because she seemed to have such a hard time at school and getting good grades because of those horrible nightmares she kept having. You could really feel the pressure she felt struggling with school and trying to be a good example since her father is the headmaster of the elite boarding school she attends. It all rapidly falls apart when a new guy arrives at the school and she immediately falls for him and starts a very intense relationship that quickly changes her life and future.


I though that Emily seemed very naive and easy to convince, she is called naive repeatedly by her friends and parents throughout the book and she denies it but I can honestly say that I agreed with them. She changed almost completely from how she used to be at the beginning and got a little too obsessed with Del and their relationship that she kept ignoring the warnings and advice from her friends and family. I think that was one of the biggest things that kept getting me frustrated about her, she kept making bad choices and acting first instead of thinking things through like her friends kept warning her.

I do have to say that I did love all the twists that the author throws at you, they were definitely unexpected and the main thing that kept me reading, I just had no idea what was going to happen and was constantly getting surprised. The story is much deeper than just the relationship between Del and Emily but also somehow connected. There are lies and secrets about Del and about Emily's past and the truth behind her dreams that keep you wondering and trying to guess through the second half of the novel. You really not able to figure it out until the whole truth comes to light closer to the end and it really does make you gasp and realize that your guesses were way off. By the end Emily had grown and become a little bit wiser but the price she had to pay to get there was very painful and emotional. Where the Truth Lies was a good read with flawed characters, an engrossing plot and shocking twists that will keep you guessing until the end.

Twitter Tuesday - Sarah Rees Brennan

I spied a tweet yesterday which mentioned a short story by Sarah Rees Brennan and I had to click over to read it. Had to. Because I love Sarah's writing style and I knew it would be the perfect combination of dark, riveting and unexpected. "Queen of Atlantis" was definitely all that and well, as usual with Sarah, it was more.

Here's the beginning of the story:


Princess Mede knew it as well. She had learned at her old Nurse’s knee to count the seconds of summer as they slipped by, to measure the growing chill in the air until the day arrived when the tide rushed on the shore like an invading army, black as ink and filled with stinking debris. Those who dared go down onto the black and ruined beach reported seeing things as strange and disparate as swathes of rotted silk, dead dogs with bloated bellies and dolls’ heads. The waters brought death to everything they touched.
The princess had to be sacrificed or the tides would keep coming and the harvest would be lost.

Mede was quite looking forward to it. She’d never been sacrificed before.

The poison tides came in one burnt evening in late summer, and everybody knew it was time for the princess to be sacrificed.
See what I mean about Sarah's writing style? It just makes you want to read it all in one sitting. Fortunately for my kids, who were shushed a lot while I was reading it (twice), this is a short story. And reading it makes the wait for the final installment in Sarah's Demon's Lexicon Trilogy a little more maddening.

So who's pre-ordered Demon's Surrender with me? How could I not? It's my lovely, little liar, Alan, on the cover. June 14th cannot come soon enough. In the mean time, read the rest of "Queen of Atlantis" over on Subterranean Press' website.

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