Mundie Moms

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Graphic Novel Issue #2


It's been an exciting week for book releases, and this week has a little something for TMI fans! The 2nd installment in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones graphic novel is out! You can purchase this issue for $2.99 from ComiXology, HERE. You can purchase issue #1 here.

Mark your calendars for November 21st, 2012 when the next issue, #3, will be out. Fans will be able to purchase the complete 9 issue series in May 2013, in book format.

Don't forget, leave a comment letting other fans know what you think of the issue. ;)

Annabelle's Story Book Tour: Author Guest Post

Welcome to the next stop in Leigh Michael's Annabelle's Story Book Blog Tour. Today I'm thrilled to host author Leigh Michael. She's stopped by to talk about her dream cast for her newest release, Sprite.


Annabelle's Story on the Big Screen  
(Guest Post by Leigh Michael)
Not many books see the light of day as feature films. In fact, I once read that the percentage of novels that do is less than 1.7%. This is a quote from over two years ago. Plus, it’s just someone’s best educated guess. Still... it goes without saying that Annabelle’s Story probably won't be coming to a theater near you. I can still dream up who’d be cast in each role though, right? Take a look below to see who’d play Annabelle, Adrian, and Blake in Sprite (Annabelle's Story Part One) and in Kin (Annabelle's Story Part Two).



Annabelle
Name: Elizabeth Olsen
Known for: Martha Marcy May Marlene and Liberal Arts
Height: 5'7"
Age: 23
Why Annabelle?: Her light hair, blue eyes, and fair skin make her the perfect Annabelle look-alike. Elizabeth's innocence is a quality I find endearing, allowing the viewer to grow with Annabelle each step of the way. Not to mention, Elizabeth is a statuesque beauty who could launch bodysuits into the next big thing in high fashion.


Adrianus (Adrian)
Name: Christian Alexander
Known for: General Hospital
Height: Hmm, not sure
Age: 22
Why Adrian?: Born in Greece, Christian is made for the role of Prince of Tritonis. Grow out his hair, throw some water on him, and slap on some fins and Christian is transformed into the jovial merman who Annabelle quickly claims as her partner in crime.


Blake
Name: Jeremy Sumpter
Known for: Soul Surfer and Friday Night Lights
Height: 6'2"
Age: 23
Why Blake?: In Sprite, Blake is described as having "sandy blonde hair, chiseled abs, and a killer smile." From the looks of things, he's already got 2 of the 3. And if I were a betting lady, I'd say those chiseled abs aren't a stretch. He's the perfect "boy next door" with a "bad boy" twist.

About the Book:


Annabelle Walsh thought she had it all. She was the star of her swim team, had a loving family, a great boyfriend, and to top it off, she’d be starting at UCLA in the fall. One day, she’d be referred to as Dr. Annabelle Walsh.

She was living every girl’s dream – until her life was turned upside down. All starting with finding out that she's not just a human, but also a water spirit. Half-human, half-sprite to be exact. Although not just any sprite, Annabelle is prophesied to be the only one who can save both the sprites and mankind.

With a mix of current events, anecdotes from Greek mythology, tidbits of folklore, and Leigh’s own imagination, we join Annabelle in her journey to restore order beneath the sea. Each step of the way her mind, body, and soul are pushed to the limit begging the question, how much can one half-human, half-sprite take? 


Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the Author:


Leigh Michael is an author of YA fiction. She's worked within the advertising world for nearly a decade before writing her debut series, Annabelle's Story. Leigh lives in Washington, DC with her husband and goldendoodle. Please learn more about Leigh and her works at www.LeighMichaelBooks.com

You can visit Michelle via her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Break My Heart 1,000 Times Blog Tour: Author Guest Post

I'm excited to be the next stop in the Break My Heart 1,000 Times blog tour. Today author Daniel Waters has stopped by the blog to talk to us about his favorite ghost stories. 




Here is a list of some of my favorite ghost stories and books that I found inspirational in the writing of my ghost thriller, Break My Heart 1,000 Times

1.  The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson: The perfect ghost story. I reread the novel every couple years and it never fails to give me the chills, both because of the supernatural elements and because of Jackson's skill.

2. The Shining by Stephen King: Another often-read favorite, the scenes in and outside of room 217 are some of the most terrifying ghost fiction ever.

3. Ghost Story by Peter Straub: A story as much about being haunted by ones' actions as about spooks, this is a very scary story. And I'm haunted (pleasantly) by my fannish interactions with the author. A few years ago at a convention I approached him with my well-read and tattered hardcover, and asked him to sign it, saying, "Mr. Straub, this one of the novels that inspired me to be a writer." As he signed it, he said, "Great! What have you written that I may have read?" My answer: "Um, nothing" as I was unpublished at the time.  

Then I saw him at a convention some time later, right after Generation Dead came out. I approached him again (this time with an equally well-read and tattered copy of his brilliant novel Shadowland) and related the story of our earlier meeting, now with the happy coda of "And now I'm here with my first novel!" As he signed, he graciously said “See! I knew you had it in you!"

4.  Beloved by Toni Morrison: There was a good used paperback book shop near my dormitory in college, and I worked a job where I could sneak some reading in--my shifts typically ended at 3 a.m. I read just about every paperback that got shelved in the horror section. Beloved was not one of these; it was assigned in one of my classes and was a good reminder (much like the stories above) that fiction with supernatural elements can also have inspirational literary values. Which, frankly--and this is not to say that I loved reading them any less--many of the skull and hologram covered paperbacks I read did not. Beloved is both a great literary work and a great ghost story (even though many would argue that it isn't one).

5.  Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories by Roald Dahl, ed.: A great anthology of creepy old-school ghost stories. I read this one recently and it reminded me of how timeless a good ghost story is; these stories were all written before I was born but all were well chosen and scary. I'd not read a few of these authors before, and was thrilled to see that their work had been brought back into print via electronic editions--it is almost like those ebooks are the ghosts of physical books!


Thank you Daniel for stopping by Mundie Moms today. 

You can follow Daniel on:


About the Book:




Published by: Disney Hyperion
Released on: October 16th, 2012
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Living in the aftermath of the Event means that seeing the dead is now a part of life, but Veronica wishes that the ghosts would just move on. Instead, the ghosts aren't disappearing--they're gaining power. 

When Veronica and her friend, Kirk, decide to investigate why, they stumble upon a more sinister plot than they ever could have imagined. One of Veronica's high school teachers is crippled by the fact that his dead daughter has never returned as a ghost, and he's haunted by the possibility that she's waiting to reappear within a fresh body. Veronica seems like the perfect host. And even if he's wrong, what's the harm in creating one more ghost? 

From critically acclaimed Generation Dead author Daniel Waters, comes a delectably creepy and suspenseful thriller. Break My Heart 1,000 Times will leave readers with the chills. Or is that a ghost reading over the page? -quoted from Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday: Rise by Andrea Cremer


Published by: Philomel
To Be Released on: January 8th, 2012
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Everything Conatus stands for is at risk. Hoping to gather enough resistance to save their order, Ember and Barrow attempt a desperate escape. But fate offers little mercy. When their mission is exposed, the  couple face relentless pursuit by the supernatural horrors that act on the commands of Eira’s ally: the mysterious Bosque Mar. A shocking revelation forces Ember out of hiding, sending her back into the heart of dark magic at Tearmunn keep, where she must convince her old friend Alistair of her love or face dire consequences. Ember’s deception offers the only chance for the resistance to succeed, but what she discovers in the shadows beneath the keep will shatter her world and bring about the Witches’ War.

Richly sensual and full of magic, action and danger, Andrea Cremer's fifth book set in the Nightshade world is an edge-of-your-seat page turner - quoted from Goodreads


 I received a surprise in the mail yesterday in the form of RISE, and let's just say if you're a fan of Andrea's you'll want to add this one to your TBR list. I have been waiting on this book since the moment I finished RIFT, which I believe to be Andrea's best book yet. While I love the Nightshade series, I LOVE this series. Andrea promised fans awhile back that there would be a few more hot scenes (okay I'm using different wordage than she did) in this book. If you're read Andrea's books you KNOW she knows how to write hot scenes. I can't wait to feature this book on MM's. 

Cross Roads Blog Tour: Days 4: Christine Fonseca / Lucienne Diver

Welcome to day 4 of The Cross Roads Blog Tour, hosted by author Judith Graves. Today's author guests are Christine Fonseca and Lucienne Diver. Be sure to check out the tour page HERE for the awesome line of authors who will be featured each day on a variety of different blogs. 

 Mark your calendars for Monday, October 29th, as MM's will be hosting the Cross Roads author chat on Twitter! Trust me, you won't want to miss it. More info that will be posted soon.  


If we gave you an elephant, where would you hide it?

Hmm…in plain sight, I guess. People would think it was supposed to be there. LOL!

How would you escribe your writing process and the one piece of advice you would pass on to new writers?

I always start with an idea – some scene that can’t get out of my head. I’ll write down the thought or scene and stew on it for a while (weeks or months, typically). Then I will start asking myself questions in an effort to determine the storyline. Once I know the basics, I create a loose outline/plot arc and plan out the chapters. From there, I write the first draft as quickly as I can. This is always the hardest part for me. After that draft, I edit and polish. Polish and edit. Eventually it is ready for a read from my critique partners, editors and readers. Eventually!

For new writers, I would say this – be patient, tenacious, and flexible. Okay, that is three pieces of advice. But all three traits are needed in equal measure in this vocation!
What do you want readers to get from your work?

I really try to bring real, deeply emotional characters into my stories. I hope that readers get to experience the emotions my characters experience, and become more enlightened because of the experience – even if the “enlightenment” is simply a matter of a few moments of escape.

Who would you credit as your strongest muse?

Hands down, music. I have been a musician since I was six. And ever since then, she has been the springboard for my imagination. Through music, characters are born. And the characters of my stories are always the main muse through the writing of the story. It’s kind of a unique and bizarre process, but it works for me.


Follow Christine via her Website | Twitter | Facebook. Check out her newest releases, Lacrimose and Transcend.






Your Latter-Day Olympian series is quite different from your vampire novels. How does it feel to leave the bloodsuckers behind?

*Grin* Oh, it’s different!  I still have an incredibly snarky heroine (so sue me, I love sarcasm), but that’s about where the similarities end.  But I wouldn’t say I’ve left my bloodsuckers behind.  I’ve been alternating writing Vamped and Latter-Day Olympians novels.  The fourth in the Vamped series (Fangtastic) will be out in January, and the second in my Latter-Day Olympians series (Crazy in the Blood, a follow up to Bad Blood) came out in digital in August and will be in print from Samhain in July 2013.

Can you please give us the 140-character pitch for your protagonist in Bad Blood, Tori Karacis?

Ack! How’s this?

Fledgling PI with the power to literally stop men in their tracks, courtesy of a gorgon ancestress way back in her wacky family line.

You've just found out BAD BLOOD has been optioned for a major motion picture. Cast that sucker with your dream team.

I’ve always pictured my heroine Tori looking like a young Melina Kanakaredes from CSI: NY.  For Nick Armani, how about John Stamos?   (Here’s where I admit that he’s been my pin-up boy ever since I discovered boys, all those many years ago.  I still adore him.)    Sandy Longhi Conroy suggested Victor Webster, and I think he’d be great for Armani as well.  For Apollo…yes, that Apollo…hmmm.  That’s tough, because he’s a god.  Literally.  I’m thinking someone like Daniel Craig, but maybe less craggy.  (Or not, since this is Apollo masquerading as a mere mortal, so there are bound to be those imperfections that make a man interesting.  Perfection—gah, who wants to try to live up to that?)  Melinda VanLone suggested that Chris Hemsworth would make an great Apollo, and I think she's right!

Can you write anywhere? Or do you need the whole atmosphere? What are the key elements?

I can write pretty much anywhere I have a notebook and pen.  I free-hand everything first in a regular old spiral-bound notebook.  I guess because I do so much other work on the computer that my brain defaults to business when I try to type.  The creativity doesn’t flow.  So, I have trick myself to getting in the mood, and that’s what works for me.  

A lot of authors write to music, and I wish I were one of them, but I adore singer-songwriters, and that often means lyrics that tell a story, and I’ll find myself listening to the music rather than the voices in my head…and they’re such jealous creatures that if I ignore them they’ll sulk and pout and I’ll never get anything done!


You can visit Lucienne via her Website | Twitter | Facebook. Don't miss Lucienne's newest releases, Fangtastic and Crazy in Blood.

*Thank you to Judith for supplying the questions for each of today's featured stops.

The Tour:



Each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page:http://judithgraves.com/events/the-crossroads-tour/crossroads-2012/ and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour.

Answers are to be emailed to judithgraves @ ymail dot com by October 28th at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on OCTOBER 31st – HALLOWEEN.

The Giveaway:




The GRAND PRIZE you’re vying for? A brand new KINDLE, preloaded with a title from each of the participating Crossroads Blog Tour Authors. That’s right folks, a free KINDLE and 13 free EBOOKS!

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