Mundie Moms

Monday, December 31, 2012

The Bane Chronicles Snippet!


Happy New to TMI/ID Fans! Cassie Clare posted a The Bane Chronicles teaser today! *throws glitter and dances around* PERU!


The Bane Chronicles: Snippet
Happy New Year! And in honor of the new year a little snippet starring our favorite sparkly warlock before he was sparkly. From one of the stories of The Bane Chronicles,called What Really Happened in Peru. By me and Sarah Rees Brennan. Give her lots of love.
* * *
“Just don’t leave me here,” said Ragnor. “You have to swear, Bane.”
 Magnus raised his eyebrows. “I give you my word of honor!”
  “I mean it,” Ragnor told him. “I will find you. I will find whatever chest of absurd clothes you have brought with you. And I will bring a llama into the place where you sleep and make sure that it urinates on everything in the chest.”
“There is no need to get nasty about this,” Magnus said. “Don’t worry. I can teach you every word that you need to know right now. One of them is ‘fiesta.’”
 Ragnor scowled. “What does that mean?”
  “It means ‘party.’ Another important word is ‘juerga.’”
  “What does that word mean?”
  Magnus was silent.
 “Magnus,” said Ragnor, his voice stern. “Does that word also mean ‘party’?”
 Magnus could not help the sly grin that spread across his face. “I would apologize,” he said. “But I have no regrets.” 
Thank you Cassie!! *snort laughs* at Ragnor's llama comment. 

Happy New Year!


Happy New Year! 


Mortal Instruments posted this glittery image of Magnus and asked fans if Magnus was throwing a party would you cancel your NYE's plan to attend? Um, YES! If Magnus is involved it will be an incredible New Year! Head over to the movie's facebook page to answer.

Mundie Moms Best of 2012: Our Favorite Reads of 2012


Happy New Year's Eve! It's always bitter sweet saying goodbye to an amazing year, while at the same time it's exciting to welcome in a new one. 2012 has been an amazing year here on MM's and I'm looking forward to what 2013 has in store. With the end of the year, comes the end of our Best of 2012 feature. We've shared our favorite series, our favorite MG reads, 13 books we can't wait to read in 2013, favorite covers, favorite characters, favorite '12 debuts, favorite literary couples/crushes, sequels we can't wait to read in '13, and our favorite contemporaries. Today we're sharing our 12 favorite reads of 2012! That's not all, we're also giving away one of our favorites! Read the bottom of the post for more info and to enter.

Here are our favorite 2012 reads:

Katie's ListI tried to pick a top 10, but like last year I read one too many books to choose a top ten. So instead I picked my top 20 favorites that I read and were released this year:

1) Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo I LOVE, love, love this book. The romance was awesome, the characters were great and holy crow what Leigh did with her "bad guy" was awesome! This one masterfully told story.

2) Cassandra Clare's City of Lost Souls is a given. I loved what she did in this book. Like always she made me laugh, she made me cry and she leaves anxiously awaiting the release of City of Heavenly Fire

3) Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi This is one of my all time favorite dystopians. The romance, the characters, the world building and the writing all came together beautifully in this story. I don't know what else to say other than I LOVED it! 

4) Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes Prince Magnus! Okay there's much more to this book than this lethal prince. There is betrayal, romance, heartbreak, war, hope and the kindoms that make up this story are on the verge of a revolution. There's also an awesome cast of characters who help tell this story.

5) Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen I have always loved the tale of Robin Hood, but I loved him even more after reading Scarlet. I love fairytale retellings, and what A.C. Gaughen did with her twist on Robin's story is awesome.

6) Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers A killer nun, a sizzling romance, and richly detailed historical setting.... need I say more?! 

7) Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr I'm a big fan of Melissa's, but me this is her best book yet! I got so wrapped up in the magic, lore, romance, and action in this book I read it in one sitting. If you're a fan of strong characters, incredible world building and an extremely engaging storyline than you must pick this one up!

8) Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan We all know how much Sarah loves to torture her readers.... I mean that in a good way. She gives us these great characters and creates these complicated romances that make me wish I could just tell the two love interests, Kami and Jared to run away and ride off into the set together. In true Sarah fashion to makes me laugh, had me sighing and totally rips my heart out (in a good way).  

9) Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor LOVED this sequel! I didn't think it was possible to ever have a sizzling romance, non-romance in a book and have it be as hot as this one was. There's more than just romance in this book, there's a lot of emotion that drives the characters in this much darker, addicting world. Laini Taylor's writing is steller! I am beyond anxious to find out what she does with book 3. 

10) Rift by Andrea Cremer I love Andrea's writing! She creates these beautifully detailed worlds, crafts together sensual romances, and introduces me to some pretty amazing characters. I'm a huge fan of the Nightshade series, but this book blew me away. I LOVED it. There's plenty of twists, action, romances, and secrets that will kept me hooked through out the entire story.

11) Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout WOW! I think that about sums what Jennifer did in Deity. I am a sucker for this series and I can't get enough of the snarky comments, romance, and the action that takes place in this book. LOVED it!

12) Defiance by C.J. Redwine C.J. is a mesmerizing story teller who created an incredible world, introduced me to some unforgettable characters and along the way gave me the right amount of action, romance, and heartbreak that made it impossible for me to put this book down.

13) Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill  All I can say is romance, London and a sigh worthy scene that happens in a muddy field in the rain. This is one must read for a cold winter's day.

14) Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas This incredible high fantasy has an enchanting world, outstanding characters, romance, action and an unforgettable, dangerous adventure. Did I mention there's a Knight in Shinning Armor and Prince and one incredible heroine?

15) Timepiece by Myra McEntire Time travel, a southern setting, Kaleb, action, suspense, more Kaleb and romance. Yep, I loved everything about this must read sequel!

16) Hidden by Sophie Jordan This is one series I'm sad to say good bye too, but if this series had to end, this was the way to go! This is one heart pounding, suspenseful ending!

17) The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell I am a sucker for a book that deals with second chances, a sweet romance, and is set in a the western frontere. I loved this book's rich feel. It reads like a classic, and will leave you wishing the next installment in this series was already out.

18) Endlessly by Kiersten White  This is another series I'm sad to have to say good bye to, but like Hidden, if this series has to end this was the way to go! In Kiersten White fashion to gave me on heck of a highly entertaining read that made me laugh, cry, and sigh. 

19) Blackheart by Holly Black Say it ain't so! Another great series ender. *sigh* This is one series Sophie and I talk about often. I love what Holly did with Cassel's story. It's complex, broken, hopefully, realistic, and oh that complicated romance!

20) The Mephisto Kiss by Trinity Faegen This is one of those books that totally surprised me, and I ended up LOVING it! How could I not? Brothers of Hell, demons, Fallen angels, sizzling romance and a rich mythology are just a few of the things that hooked me with this series!


Sophie's List:

1) Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter.  This is how series should be written. My heart beats faster every time I think of how Ally has sustained the tension through all five books.

2) Black Heart by Holly Black. Oh my heart, this is how a series should end. I have no words except mutterings about a perfectly written plot and characters that are so very real.

3) City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. Jace and Clary.  One sexy gondola ride. A vulnerable moment that shattered my heart. Betrayal between my two favorite boys, Magnus and Alec. And then the funny. Cassie gave us all that plus laugh-out-loud-HA moments.

4) Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. A dystopian story with a gorgeously romantic, so-very-opposite couple. Berries. Every time, I eat berries I think of Aria and Perry and THAT scene. Plus Roar who gets my Best Sidekick of 2012 award. Yes, I made up that award just for him.

5) Timepiece by Myra McEntire. You all know much I love Michael and Em. I didn't want to fall in love with Kaleb. Nope. I was not gonna succumb to his snarky-confident-a-mess-underneath-it-all personality. But I fell and hard. Then Myra pulled out all stops with a high stakes, fast paced plot and presented it in Kaleb's POV. Now I want to see rips just so I can be part of her story.

6)  Easy by Tammara Webber. Ah college aged woes, problems, romantic entanglements and flirtations mixed with the very serious subject of date rape. Jacqueline's journey to reach her point of strength and control is one I keep recommending to others. Trust me, you'll be happy that you read this book because of her determination and because of Lucas. MMs, you need to meet Lucas.

7) The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell. If you haven't read a book by Saundra, what in heavens are you waiting for? Saundra's characters, plot and well researched historical setting will cause you to lose track of time. I'm sorry, it will happen. But isn't that the best feeling for us bookworms?

8)  Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone. I adore a timeslip romance. The looming impossibility of a love separated by time. Even decades. Bennett and Anna now rank high on my Top Fic Couples list. Pick it up and you'll immediately see why.

9) Want by Stephanie Lawton. Talent, madness, romance and hope. Julianne and Isaac and Dave. Lord, I grew to love two of them and understand one. This story surprised me with its depth. I'm keeping an eye out for more of Stephanie's stories.

10) My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. Two families living very different lives next door to each other. The plot line that weaves them together left me grinning and worried (not simultaneously). MMs, wait until you meet Jase. Also, watch out for a well written secondary character cast. Loved it all.

What were some of your 2012 favorite reads? GIVEAWAY TIME!!! We can't celebrate our favorites and not share in the book love. Want to win one of our favorites, all you have to do is enter the form below to win. Open internationally (as long as the Book Depository ships to your country). 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Mortal Instruments Movie Monday #11: The Demons


Welcome to this week's edition of The Mortal Instruments Movie Monday. Today's topic was inspired by a weekly feature I take part in called Movie Monday, hosted by our friends TMI Source. Today's topic over there is about the demon police seen at Clary's apartment. That got me thinking about The Demons as a whole, and how they're going to be created for the movie. We all know how crucial it is to have stellar CGI images in a movie, and this is one movie I don't think will falter when it comes to graphics (or anything else).

Throughout the series the demons are described as some what scary, okay extremely freaky looking. I'm sure seeing these demons in "real" life might make some grown man pee his pants, as I'm fairly confident they'd have me cowering in the corner. We learn in City of Bones there are a variety of different looking demons who are hidden within our world. For example, the Ravener Clary fights in her apartment is described as, ".... a long, scaled creature with a cluster of flat black eyes set deed center in the front of it's domed skull. Something like a cross between an alligator and a centipede, it had a thick, flat snout, and a barbed tail that whipped menacingly from side to side. Multiple legs bunched underneath it as it readied itself to spring (pg. 50)." I can only imagine the fun Harald and his entire creative team have had in creating the demons for the movie. They have so much they can work with, and create themselves, while still staying true to the book. For example, the only description we have with the demon police is found on page 54, Jace tells Clary, "Demons have a way of hiding their tracks." When the police arrive Jace says that some of them are most likely demons, and Clary sees that when the ".... a slim blonde women (the police officer), held a flashlight in on hand. As she raised it, Clary saw the hand was fleshless, a skeleton hand sharpened to the bone points at the fighter tips (pg 54)."

 I know for me personally it's one thing to visualize the demons while reading the book, and it will be an entirely different thing seeing them on the big screen. I totally get that we all most likely picture the demons differently when reading the books, but I'm extremely confident that what we see on the big screen with the demons will be exactly what Cassie envisioned when she was writing Clary's story. Not only that, but I think we'll get exactly what we've read about. Take a look at this picture for example:


This picture not only illustrates how freaky this particular demon actually looks, it also shows how amazing Harald and the entire creative team behind the City of Bones movie is. If you look closely at the demon's face (not that you really want to), you'll see that prior to removing the sunglasses, you can see a human jaw, chin and lips. As the sunglasses are coming off you can see the rest of the demon's face change into it's true form. Which we all know in reading the books stays true to the books. Holy crap, in looking at this demon I can't help but get creeped out, and this is just the police officer! Can you imagine what the big demons like the ravener are going to look like?!

What are your thoughts about the demons? Is there one you're looking forward to seeing? Okay maybe looking forward to is the wrong word. haha


Mundane Monday #168: Jace and Clary

Happy New Year's Eve! I can't believe it's the last day of 2012. It's also the last Mundane Monday of the year. Today's post is taken from one of my favorite moments between Jace & Clary near the end of City of Glass.

source found here


Sunday, December 30, 2012

Mundie Moms Best of 2012: 12 Favorite Contemporaries


I've never been a huge contemporary fan, but over the last two years I've read a few contemporaries that have fallen into my favorites lists. I must admit though, if I wasn't sent these books for review or urged by Sophie to read them, I might not have other wise picked up these books. I am sure glad I read them! Here's our collective list of our top 12 favorite contemporaries we read this year/featured on MM's:


Sophie:

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Mundie Moms Best of 2012: Sequels We Can't Wait To Read in 2013


There were a ton of awesome new books that were released in 2011 and 2012. Some of the 2011 releases have sequels coming out this next year! FINALLY! *dances around with excitement* There are quite a few sequels we're itching to get our hot little mama hands on this next year. The thing about doing a best or favorites lists is narrowing down that impossibly huge list to only a few books. Since our list is HUGE, we're going to share a few of our (26) sequels we can't wait to read in 2013, which are:

  1. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
  2. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
  3. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
  4. Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter
  5. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
  6. Rise by Andrea Cremer
  7. Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi
  8. Infinityglass by Myra McEntire
  9. The Elementals by Saundra Mitchell
  10. Dark Triumph by R.L. LaFevers
  11. Requiem by Lauren Oliver
  12. Apollyn by Jennifer L Armentrout
  13. Gallagher Girl 6 by Ally Carter
  14. Vortex by Julie Cross
  15. Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance
  16. If I Should Die by Amy Plum
  17. Everbound by Brodi Ashton
  18. Boundless by Cynthia Hand
  19. Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
  20. Goddess by Josephine Angelini
  21. Asunder by Jodi Meadows
  22. Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood
  23. Prodigy by Marie Lu
  24. The Traiter Son by Julie Kagawa
  25. Shades of London by Maureen Johnson
  26. Essence by Kimberly Derting
There are many more sequels we're looking forward to reading in the coming year. I swear this list could go on and on. OKay, this list does go on and on. I can't wait for 2013! What are some you're looking forward to reading?

Cassie Clare's Recent News / Posts


Cassie's back on line and boy has she treated fans with a lot of exciting news lately. Here's some of Cassie's other news, and a few favorite posts from this past week:

TMI fans rock! Check out this fan made cover! Cassie shared it here & added, "Starring Magnus, the French Revolution, and what really happened in Peru." 



I'm sure by now many of you TMI fans of already read the Clockwork Princess teaser Cassie shared with fans a couple days ago, but just in case you missed it on Cassie's tumblr, and the blog, here's my all time favorite post of Cassie's this week:


Clockwork Princess snippet: End of 2012 present!

Because I love you all, here is a snippet from Clockwork Princess for the end of the year. Also because I love you all it’s under a tag because it’s SPOILERY. 
This should keep you guys busy for a while. :)

Jem and Tessa …

Tessa reached to brush the damp hair from his forehead. He leaned into her touch, his eyes closing. “Jem—have you ever—” She hesitated. “Have you ever thought of ways to prolong your life that are not a cure for the drug?”

At that his eyelids flew open. “What do you mean?”

She thought of Will, on the floor of the attic, choking on holy water. “Becoming a vampire. You would live forever—”

He scrambled upright against the pillows of the bed. “Tessa, no. Don’t—you can’t think that way.”

 “Is the thought of becoming a Downworlder truly so horrible to you?”

“Tessa …” He exhaled slowly. “I am a Shadowhunter. Nephilim. Like my parents before me. It is the heritage I claim, just as I claim my mother’s heritage as part of myself. It does not mean I hate my father. But I honor the gift they gave me, the blood of the Angel, the trust placed in me, the vows I have taken. Nor, I think, would I make a very good vampire. [redacted for spoilers] I would no longer be Will’s parabatai, no longer be welcome in the Institute. No, Tessa. I would rather die and be reborn and see the sun again, than live to the end of the world without daylight.”

“A Silent Brother, then,” she said. 

His eyes softened slightly. “The path of Silent Brotherhood is not open to me.”


*********

We are so EXCITED about Cassie's announcement for her upcoming Clockwork Princess tour: March

Happy holidays, everyone!

I haven’t been posting much lately, leaving poor Sarah and Holly to do it in my place, mostly because I was on an atoll in the Indian Ocean. However I return with (I hope) excitin’ news:  I finally have the info about where I’ll be going for my North American Clockwork Princess tour in March.*

(*I don’t yet know if I’ll be touring outside the US and Canada. Next year is going to be a really busy year, so I will try, but we’ll see. I’ll update when I do know that information.)

And this will not be just a regular tour, either. I’ll be traveling around the country in a fancy bus that is wrapped in graphics from Clockwork Princess and the City of Bones movie.  The bus will be making stops at bookstores, schools and libraries for booksigning events. Special guests will be joining me — the co-authors of the Bane Chronicles, Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson, will be with me for quite a few of the stops: they’ll be emceeing events, helping me with trivia contests, making video diaries from the road, and in general making the tour a more fun and exciting experience. We’ll be showing the teaser trailer at the events and maybe even a bit more exclusive sneak peeks at the City of Bones movie. And there will be giveaways — art postcards, rune jewelry, and all sorts of cool stuff.

Here is the schedule and the various bookstore guidelines (rules for events are set by the stores themselves, and if you’re ever unclear on how many books you can bring to be signed, etc. please call the store and ask them!), so be sure to come out to one of the events and say hi.  And be sure to check back for updates, a sneak peek at what the designed bus will look like, and more in the coming weeks!

Tuesday, March 19th @ 6:00 PM
Changing Hands Bookstore Offsite event at Dobson High School Auditorium
1501 West Guadalupe Road
Mesa, Arizona 85202
*This is a ticketed event. With the purchase of Clockwork Princess, the buyer will receive a ticket to the event, good for two seats. Tickets can be purchased through Changing Hands Bookstore.

Wednesday, March 20th @ 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
2191 N Rainbow Blvd.                                                                         
Las Vegas, NV 89108
*This event is free and open to the public. The discussion portion of the event will take place before the book signing and will not require a wristband. In order to receive a wristband for the signing line, you must purchase a copy of Clockwork Princess from any Barnes & Noble location and present the receipt at this location to receive your wristband. Wristbands will be handed out beginning at 9:00 AM on March 19 at B&N. You may bring other books from home to have them signed as long as you have purchased Clockwork Princess and received a wristband. Each person in line is required to have a wristband.
                              
Thursday, March 21 @ 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble The Grove
189 The Grove
Los Angeles, CA 90036
*This event will be wristbanded. Wristbands will be available when B&N opens at 9am on Friday, March 21, 2013 with the purchase of Clockwork Princess. Please check www.bn.com for event updates or call the store at 323.525.0270 with any questions.

Friday, March 22 @ 6:00 PM
Whale of a Tale Bookshop Offsite Event at Mission Viejo Library
100 Civic Center Drive
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
This is a ticketed event…a ticket includes a copy of the new book, Clockwork Princess….additional titles will be available for purchase at the event.   For information please call Whale of a Tale at 949-854-8288 or Mission Viejo Library 949-830-7100 Ext. 5105

Saturday, March 23 @ 7:00pm
Keplers Bookstore Offsite Event at Performing Arts Center, Menlo Atherton High School
555 Middlefield Road
Atherton CA 94027
This is a ticketed event.  Keplers will sell tickets via Brown Paper Tickets.  Please contact Keplers for ticket pricing information, etc.

Sunday, March 24, @ 2:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
Clackamas Town Center Mall
12000 SE 82nd Avenue                                                                        
Portland, OR 97266
*To enter the signing line, you must purchase a copy of Clockwork Princess from Barnes & Noble. Beginning at 9:00am when the store opens on the day of the event, priority wristbands will
be issued with purchase, and general admission wristbands will be distributed at Customer Service – and at event for attendees not receiving wristbands prior to event. Please check www.bn.com for event updates or call the store at 503-786-3464 with any questions.

Monday, March 25 @ 7:00 PM
Third Place Books
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA  98155
*Tickets are required and include the purchase of Clockwork Princess. Please contact Third Place Books for tickets. 
Tuesday, March 26 @ 6:00 PM
Metropolis, Metrotown 4700 Kingsway
Burnaby, British Columbia
V5H 4M1
Canada
(604)431-0463 
*This event will be wristbanded. Please contact Chapters for more information. 





Cassie posted End of year rounds up and Voting!

Woot! Shadowhunters rocked MTV's Favorite 2012 Novel Poll


We should see if we can apply the same Shadowhunter magic to this:


VOTE HERE

Go Shadowhunters! I know you can do it! *when I voted, we were currently in 1st place with 35.67% of the votes! KEEP IT UP!

I LOVE this artwork that Cassie featured here.




Sarah has secrets to reveal about the: Clockwork Princess tour: March

cassandraclare:
Happy holidays, everyone!
I haven’t been posting much lately, leaving poor Sarah and Holly to do it in my place, mostly because I was on an atoll in the Indian Ocean. However I return with (I hope) excitin’ news: I finally have the info about…


SARAH: I should wear the ballgown because I’ll be a USEFUL PROP. You can POINT at me. I will sing a song about being torn between Will and Jem.

CASSIE: What song?

SARAH: I’ve prepared a song.

MAUREEN: Tell us more about this song.

SARAH: *looks mysterious*

SARAH: Anyway Tessa is based on me.

CASSIE: Who said that? I never said that.

SARAH: Tall, brunette, big reader, often accidentally trapped in houses full of evil robots… totally me. I can read between the LINES. I’m TRAINED for that. I’m an EXPERT.
I’m like a literary detective, in a pretty, pretty dress. On a PINKVENTURE! Are you with us?


sarahreesbrennan:
No really this is so unfair. I demand compensation.

prettybitofpoison:
See, people like the ball gown idea. And Cassie and Maureen doubted me…




Of this picture of Will, Cassie had this to say:


Celebrities hardly ever look like characters as I picture them in my head, but (whoever this is) looks pretty close to how I picture Will!

(The WORLD has come out to tell me that this is a dude named Joshua Brand who is, I guess, a model from England and has a twitter? Probably best he never knows about this, eh? :D)

What do you guys think? HELLO WILL!



I feel like the TMI fandom has some of the most talented artists! When sharing this fan made cover on tumblr, Cassie said, "I am so excited to write this...." I am so EXCITED to read it!

Q&A's Cassie recently answered a few fan questions on Tumblr.
"What if Will or Jem ends up being Brother Zachariah? BZ once said he has ever only loved two people... Will we be heartbroken by Clockwork Princess?" - ofprepitude


Or maybe I just want you to think that. :) Sometimes theories get so entrenched they become fancanon. (Blaise Zabini is a girl! - whoops, no. Or sometimes they’re right — Snape loved Lily! Who’d a thought?) 

I can think of quite a few characters who only loved two people. :) Anyway, you’ll find out Zach’s identity eventually, if not in CP than in CoHF.


"I just want to ask... Will the feel at the end of CP2 kill us? I want to prepare myself for crying my eyes and heart out."


Well, if you really want to avoid feels, skip the epilogue.

But then I think you will miss a lot of what the book is about. :) I’m not a good judge of these things; I don’t cry much at books or movies (I get mad, and jump up and down, like when I watched Parade’s End and even though I had already read the books and knew how it went I was still mad when the love triangle didn’t turn out the way I wanted. I would have thrown something, but I was on a plane.)

I mean, I certainly don’t intend the message of the books to be “I will crush you! Life is a meaningless lottery of tragedy and chance!” Bad things happen to people who don’t deserve them, and a lot of pain is felt by a lot of people, and there are sad things that happen that cannot be undone, and people die and they don’t come back. Because those things happen. But I do think fiction has a certain responsibility to be more meaningful than actual life. Otherwise, what’s the point of it? 

So, ultimately, I hope the message of the book(s) is that even though bad things happen to people who don’t deserve them, and sometimes hearts get broken, as long as you can love, you have everything you need.


"HI Cassie! I was just wondering if we're going to be end up being introduced to more warlocks in the future. I mean Magnus is so amazing I wouldn't mind if it was only him- or if he was the ONLY character (muahaha Bane Chronicles) but I was just thinking about how there must be a lot more" - thehaplessmagician


- You know, the thing is, there aren’t all that many warlocks. Warlocks may be immortal, but they can’t have children. The circumstances needed to create a warlock (human/demon shenanigans) are not common. We’ve met Magnus, Caterina Loss and Ragnor Fell, and I’m certainly not saying there are only three warlocks in the world, but there aren’t a huge amount. We will, however, meet more. :)


"Will we find out how The Herondales end up running the London Institute in Clockwork Princess?" - infidi

- Yes. :)

"I'm curious: is Tessa going to be in any of the Bane Chronicles short stories?" - livepastyourlies



*chuckles evilly* She might. She might indeed.

And if you’re jonesing for Infernal Devices Magnus in the Bane Chronicles, I think you’re really going to like one story in particular. It’s titled Vampires, Scones and Edmund Herondale.


* In response to questions about Cassie's upcoming tour, her tour stops and dates, she had this to say:

 You guys make me wish I could be Multiple Man and be in 1,000 places at once. Also, think of everything I could get done!


The answer alas is no, those are all the tour stops I have scheduled for next year. Because it’s a bus tour, the stops have to be within driveable distance of each other, so they can’t, like add on a stop in North Carolina — it’s too far for the bus to go. And the west coast was decided on this time because 1) weather in the east coast could make a bus tour unfeasible in March and 2) My last two book tours have taken me to the east coast and the south. They like to rotate me around so we cover more ground.

As for the UK, I skipped doing a tour in the US for City of Lost Souls so I could tour the UK this May. That probably means it’ll be a little while before I tour the UK again, although I go to London a lot, so that’s always a possibility.


Posted here, some exciting news about the TMI trailer #2:




themortalinstitute:
New THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS trailer with MAGNUS BANE soon!

Remember when we got the teaser trailer? Remember how amazing it is/was? Remember when we noticed Magnus Bane wasn’t in it? Well prepare yourself because we may have a trailer with Magnus Bane sooner than we think.

Are you excited to finally see Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane in the trailer?


SPOILER alert! These next few paragraphs contain SPOILERS!!! Read at your own risk ;)

Taken from this post here: Re: Clockwork Princess snippet (SPOILERS.)
So, what everyone wants to know, WHAT are the restrictions to becoming a Silent Brother? Is it because Jem’s in love? His demon blood? His parabatai bound? - Love all your books! You rock the YA literature 
— anaidivashkov
Could be any of those. Let’s just say he has a valid reason and leave it at that. :)


Friday, December 28, 2012

Clockwork Princess Snippet: End of 2012 Present

Jem and Tessa by honeyjadecrab
Cassie treated us all to the best End of 2012 pressie ever:

Because I love you all, here is a snippet from Clockwork Princess for the end of the year. Also because I love you all it’s under a tag because it’s SPOILERY.

This should keep you guys busy for a while. :)

Jem and Tessa …

Tessa reached to brush the damp hair from his forehead. He leaned into her touch, his eyes closing. “Jem—have you ever—” She hesitated. “Have you ever thought of ways to prolong your life that are not a cure for the drug?”

At that his eyelids flew open. “What do you mean?”

She thought of Will, on the floor of the attic, choking on holy water. “Becoming a vampire. You would live forever—”

He scrambled upright against the pillows of the bed. “Tessa, no. Don’t—you can’t think that way.”

“Is the thought of becoming a Downworlder truly so horrible to you?”

“Tessa …” He exhaled slowly. “I am a Shadowhunter. Nephilim. Like my parents before me. It is the heritage I claim, just as I claim my mother’s heritage as part of myself. It does not mean I hate my father. But I honor the gift they gave me, the blood of the Angel, the trust placed in me, the vows I have taken. Nor, I think, would I make a very good vampire. [redacted for spoilers] I would no longer be Will’s parabatai, no longer be welcome in the Institute. No, Tessa. I would rather die and be reborn and see the sun again, than live to the end of the world without daylight.”

“A Silent Brother, then,” she said.

His eyes softened slightly. “The path of Silent Brotherhood is not open to me.”


Ugly cries and Kleenex is what I'm predicting at some point while reading Clockwork Princess. Who agrees with me? But, it's going to be sooooooo good.

Flashback Friday - Ex-mas by Kate Brian

Written by: Kate Brian
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: October 6, 2009
Source: Purchased
Buy: IndieBound | amazon | Barnes and Noble

Rating: 4 stars - Turn on the Xmas lights and sit back, I really liked this story.

Synopsis:  Two Exes. One holiday adventure.

Merry Ex-Mas?

Seventeen-year-old Lila Beckwith's parents just left for vacation, and Lila's all set to throw the holiday party of the season. But when her Christmas-obsessed little brother, Cooper, discovers that global warming is melting the North Pole, he and his best friend, Tyler, take off on a runaway mission to save Santa.

Lila has to get Cooper safely home before her parents get back on Christmas Eve. But the only person who can help her is Tyler's older brother, Beau — a.k.a. Lila's musician, anti-everything ex-boyfriend.

It'll take more than a Christmas miracle for Lila and Beau to overcome their differences and find their fugitive brothers. But could a journey destined for disaster help these polar opposites fall in love...all over again?

So I picked up this book in early November thinking that it would be perfect for Flashback Friday, the Holiday Edition. I honestly didn't know much about the author except that yes, I've seen the Private series books. They look good, but I never seem to pick them up. Let me tell you, I'll be changing that tone because I really, really liked Kate's writing in Ex-mas. What I thought was going to be a cute, fluffy Christmas story actually turned out to be, well yes, adorable and well written.

First off that opening incident where Lila's parents find out about her party plans and she takes revenge out on her little brother for telling them? HA! So real. And the "revenge" was spot on perfect. Except, well, it backfires in the worst way possible. Lila has to take a road trip-chase to find her brother as well as her ex-boyfriend's brother (they ran off together), and she has to take the trip with Beau, HER EX.

The omgsocute tension filled moments made me smile as much as a cup of hot chocolate (marshmallows only, hold the whip cream) on a snowy day.

Here's a sample of Beau and Lila's chemistry (from chapter 6):
     "I mean, did you even think for five seconds what Cooper might do?" Beau continued. "When you basically told him Santa Claus was in mortal danger?"

     Oh, right. She  should have guessed immediately. The Beau Hodges Blame Game.

     "I don't know," she said, pretending to think it over. Beau drove way too fast down the residential backstreets of their town, headed for the train station at a speed that would get them a hefty speeding ticket if clocked. "I guess I thought that maybe it would be cool to ignore two eight-year-olds for two hours and then act all shocked and surprised that something happened to them while they were unsupervised." She looked at him. "Oh no, wait. That's you."


See what I mean? Their tension and panic jumps right off that page, doesn't it? So if you're not quite done with the holidays, like me, pick up Ex-mas and get ready for a delightful treat of a story. I'm off to buy the first book in the Private series instead of take down any decorations. This Mundie Mom has her priorities straight as usual.


Mundie Moms Best of 2012: Favorite Couples / Literary Crush


Welcome to today's best of 2012 feature! So far we've shared with you what our our favorite series, new series, series that ended this year are along with 13 books we're looking forward to read in 2013, our favorite book covers, characters, and '12 debuts. Today we're sharing with you our favorite couples. Now I know this seems like an impossible task to choose favorite couples, and believe me it is. I don't know why I come up with these lists, because I hate choosing. I always feel like I leave our so many of my favorites when I have to choose. This list was one of these hardest. Of course of at the top of our list is Jace and Clary, but since they're a given, Sophie and I branched out a bit and choose couples from some of our favorite reads this year.

Sophie: Kaleb and Lily from Myra McEntire's TIMEPIECE. Oh my those exchanges and that tension.

Katie: *gets distracted by rereading Kaleb's scenes*

Sophie: Asher and Remy from Corrine Jackson's TOUCHED. Enemies. Partners. Oh, for the love of paranormal romance- this couple is HOT goodness on a page.

Katie: *gets distracted by re-reading Touched* Does that mean I have to pick now? I'll just say "what she said"

Sophie: *re-reads Mr Darcy scenes while waiting patiently for Katie to pick*

Katie: I'll see your Asher and Remy with Ismae and Duval from Robin LaFever's Grave Mercy. They ruffle each other's feathers, unnerve each other, learn to trust one another, and slowly but surely fall in love, and wow is there romance sizzling. Speaking of sizzling, Liani Taylor has the best romance/non romance in Days of Blood and Starlight with Karou and Akiva. Holy hotness batman, I just wanted to shove them together and tell him to kiss already! I'm cheating, I'm picking one more, because I loved the romance between Alina and Mal in Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone. *sigh* It's just so good!

Sophie: *now re-reading Under the Never Sky*

Katie: See, now there's another favorite couple we both love..... Aria and Perry. *sigh* Wait, we also need to add in Roar. Okay, let's also list our favorite All Time Favorite Lit Crush....

Sophie: *doesn't look up from her book* Mr. Darcy

Katie: lol That's a given, but it has to be from this year.

Sophie: So hmmm, it can't be my beloved Mr. Darcy. I'm going with that other (note the spelling) Jase from Huntley Fitzpatrick's MY LIFE NEXT DOOR. All boys-next-door should be like him. Of course when I was was growing up, I lived next door to a family with toddler boys. Not the same at all.

Katie: Did you say Jace?

Sophie: Different Jase, but one you'll still love him, and yes, you need to read him!

Katie: I know, I know. You keep telling me that. I will. I need to meet this Jase. Okay, my favorite lit crush from this year would have to be....  I'm going to say any of Jennifer L. Armentrout's boys. Take your pick between Deity, Pure, Onyx, Opal and even the books she writes for "moms" *coughs*. Aiden, Seth, Daemon, the gamble brothers. I can't pick just one, because she writes her boys in such a Jace like way. They're snarking, swoon worthy, broken in different ways, and driven by the desire to protect the girl they love or in Seth's case want but can't have. So I'm a big fat cheater and saying Jennifer's boys.


What are some of your favorite couples and literary crushes from this year?


Thursday, December 27, 2012

Mundie Moms Best of 2012: Favorite '12 Debs


For the past couple of years I've enjoyed taking part in the Story Siren's Debut Author Challenge. And every year continues to amaze me with the incredible debut releases. Last year yielded some of my favorites, and this year proved me to be just as steller. Though I didn't get the chance to read as many debuts I read last year, out of the 75 debs that were featured on Mundie Moms, here are some of our top favorite YA debuts:

Favorite '12 Debs:
  1. Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
  2. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
  3. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFever
  4. Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo
  5. The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long
  6. Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill
  7. Defiance by C.J. Redwine
  8. Ditched by Robin Mellom
  9. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
  10. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
  11. Easy by Tamara Webber
  12. The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
Honorable Mentions:
  1. Everneath by Brodi Ashton
  2. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
  3. Touched by Corinne Jackson
  4. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
  5. Embrace by Jessica Shirivington
  6. Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry
  7. Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
  8. Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London
  9. Greta & The Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs
  10. Auracle by Gina Rosati
  11. Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson
  12. Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

 You can check out our '12 deb list here. I also listed some of the '12 debuts I wanted to read, but didn't get a chance to yet. What were some of your favorite debs from this year? If you've read some debuts not featured on this list or the debut author list and you think I should feature it on MM's, please leave your recommendation in the comments. 

*Debut authors are either first time published authors, or established authors who's first YA/MG book was published this year. 

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