Mundie Moms

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING By Jeff Giles / Blog Tour: Author Guest Post & Giveaway #TheEdgeofEverything


Hello and welcome to today's THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING blog tour, hosted by Bloomsbury. I am so thrilled to have author Jeff Giles on Mundie Moms today, to talk about his new release. Check out his guest post below, and be sure you enter to win the giveaway at the end of this post. 

9 Things I Couldn’t Stop Thinking About While Writing “The Edge of Everything” By Jeff Giles

1) Johnny Depp in “Edward Scissorhands”

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Tim Burton’s movie has always made me melt. Remember when Edward gave all the housewives nutty haircuts? Remember when he accidentally poked holes in the waterbed? Remember when Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder were intoxicated with each other, and we were all intoxicated with THEM? The fish-out-of-water humor in “Edward Scissorhands” influenced the lighter moments in “The Edge of Everything.” Beneath its shimmering surface, the movie also has something poignant to say about relationships, about how some of us fear we can’t get close to another person without hurting them. Sometimes it’s like our hands are literally scissors.

X, the young hero in my novel, is a bounty hunter from the underworld. He’s actually an innocent like Edward S—he just had the misfortune of being born in a version of hell I call the Lowlands. When X starts to fall for a Montana girl named Zoe, he’s afraid that loving her will destroy not just her, but her family and her world.


2) Blueberry Scones with Lemon Icing

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There’s a coffee shop in my little Montana town that sells these.  I know I shouldn’t eat them because white flour is a silent killer, or whatever—but just knowing that they were sitting in the glass case distracted me even when I was writing at home a mile away. Judge me if you must.


3) Harrison Ford in “Witness”

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Forget all his blockbusters, this is my favorite Harrison Ford movie. Now that you’ve seen this photo maybe it’s yours, too. Like “Edward Scissorhands,” “Witness” is about a stranger in a stranger land. In this case, it’s a tough, Philly cop hiding out in an Amish community. The scene that played in my head constantly as I wrote is the one where Ford and some others go to town in a horse and buggy. A bunch of idiots start harassing and humiliating his Amish friends because they know the Amish won’t fight back. They call a young Amish guy unmanly, and smear his face with ice cream. Ford, who’s wearing Amish attire himself, starts seething. He goes to get out of the buggy and kick some ass. An elder tries to stop him: “It’s not our way.” Ford doesn’t care: “But it’s my way.”

It’s an electrifying scene, and it has unexpected repercussions, reminding us that Ford’s character will eventually have to go back where he came from. As I was writing, I thought a lot about when (and if) violence can be morally justified in a story, and how much more satisfying and humane books are when the action springs from a true value system. You can watch the “Witness” scene here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o07ecRzkLuM. It’ll give you chills.


4) Two Slim, Riveting Novels That More People Should Read

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“Pobby and Dignan” is about a little Australian girl named Kellyanne. One day, she lets her irresponsible father take her imaginary friends to work at the opal mine—and he loses them! Kellyanne is devastated, and stops eating. Her brother, Ashmol, mobilizes the whole town to find her beloved Pobby and Dignan—who are invisible, of course. I read this book aloud to my kids were they were younger. There was crying all around. The brother and sister in “The Edge of Everything” are nothing like Kellyane and Ashmol. Still, Ben Rice captures the magic of childhood—and the push and pull between siblings who both love each other and are deeply annoyed by each other—so beautifully that it gave me something to aspire to.

“Catherwood” is a kind of literary thriller set in upstate New York in 1678. It’s about a new mother who goes into the forest with her 1-year-old daughter, Elisabeth, and gets terrifyingly lost. A friend told me that she started reading the novel while she took a bath. She was so gripped by the story that she couldn’t stop reading long enough to get out of the tub. When she finished, the water was freezing cold. For me, “Catherwood” is a beautiful allegory about parenting AND a wild story about the woods.

“The Edge of Everything” begins with Zoe going into the forest during a blizzard to save her little brother, Jonah, and their dogs, Spock and Uhura. I decided not to reread “Catherwood” because I didn’t want to be intimidated by it, but it was always calling to me from the back of my mind.  


5) Carrot Cake

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You could put cream cheese frosting on a brick, and my pupils would dilate, and I’d be like, “Mmmm, a brick! Yes please!”


7) These 5 Lines from a Poem by Louise Glück

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“From the beginning of time,
in childhood, I thought
that pain meant
I was not loved.
It meant I loved.”

8) Idris Elba

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Idris Elba is transcendently cool in the British cop show “Luther.” Like Harrison Ford in “Witness,” he plays a flawed—and impulsively violent—man, but he carries himself with real moral authority, and you can’t take your eyes off him.

The bounty hunter in my novel, X, is an orphan imprisoned in hell. I needed to give him a surrogate family to soften his life a little. The father figure I invented is a man from the 19th century who’s nicknamed Regent because he’s so fierce and proud he  seems like royalty. Elba definitely influenced the character. If there’s a movie of “The Edge of Everything” and he wants to play Regent, all he has to do is ask.


9) My Daughter and My Son

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By the time she was a tween, my daughter was guiding ME toward great books, particularly YA, rather than the other way around. She was exactly the right age to stand in line at midnight and wait for each new Harry Potter installment—which, I’m pretty sure, will end up being one of her generation’s defining memories. There’s not a character in “The Edge of Everything” like my smart, kind, weird-in-a-good-way girl. Still, I wrote every word knowing she would read the novel someday, and I knew she’d be extremely annoyed (and bored) if the female characters were anything less than badass.

My son, who’s several years younger, is funny, bossy, passionate and loyal. He’s not much of a reader yet, though he’s loving A.S. King’s new novel, “Still Life with Tornado,” so he obviously has good taste. I think about my kids more than I think about everything else on this list combined (yes, even more than scones and carrot cake). So my son wound up influencing “The Edge of Everything” too, but in a different way. One of my favorite characters is inspired by him. I didn’t expect for that to happen, but I’m glad it did. His heart just sort of slipped into the novel, and now—every time I open the book—I can hear it beating.

FOLLOW THE TOUR

Thank you Jeff for stopping by Mundie Moms today! Check out the rest of the tour stop below. 



ENTER TO WIN

Thank you to Bloomsbury, we're giving away 1 copy of The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles, along with a metal bookmark. See the form below for terms & conditions, and to enter to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

OUT TODAY - New YA Releases for 1/31/17


It's our favorite time of the week! RELEASE DAY! Check out all of the newest YA releases that will be out on bookstore shelves today. There's a lot of great releases coming out today. Check out the list below: 

 
  1. Caraval by Stephanie Garber, Flatiron Books 
  2. Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer, Feiwel & Friends 
  3. Beauty and the Beast: Lost In A Book by Jennifer Donnelly, Disney Press
  4. Wait For Me by Caroline Leech, Harper Teen
  5. The Long Way Home by Katie McGarry, Harlequin Teen
  6. Dawn Study by Maria V. Snyder, Mira 
  7. By Your Side by Kasie West, Harper Teen 
  8. The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles, Bloomsbury 
  9. Blood of Wonderland by Colleen Oakes, Harper Teen
  10. The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman, Viking Books for Young Readers
  11. Silver Stars by Michael Grant, Katherine Tegen Books 
  12. Exo by Fonda Lee, Scholastic 
  13. The Careful Undressing of Love by Corey Ann Haydu, Dutton Books
  14. Our Own Private Universe by Robin TalleyHarlequin Teen 
Which new releases will you be picking up today? 

THE 100 by Kass Morgan / Book & TV Show Blitz / Giveaway #The100



THE 100 fans, get your DVRs ready! THE 100 returns to TV tonight! To help celebrate the show's return Little Brown Books For Young Readers and Rockstar Book Tours are giving away 5 Boxed Sets of the Complete series! So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. First, here's a little bit about the book set:

ABOUT THE BOOK (Box Set: Books 1-4)

By: Kass Morgan
Published by: Little Brown
Released on: January 3, 2016
Purchase it from: Amazon
Add it to Goodreads
All four thrilling novels in The 100 series, now available in a paperback boxed set! 
Ever since nuclear war destroyed our planet, humanity has been living on city-like spaceships hovering above the toxic surface. As far as anyone knows, no one has stepped foot on Earth in centuries--that is, until one hundred juvenile delinquents are sentenced to return and recolonize the hostile land. The future of the human race rests in their hands, but nothing can prepare the 100 for what they find on this strange and savage planet. 
Read the series that inspired the hit TV show. The 100, Day 21, Homecoming, and Rebellion are gathered together for the first time in this striking box set, perfect for fans and series newcomers alike.

Season 4 Trailer:
Link: https://youtu.be/z3koIh0Izwk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Kass Morgan studied literature at Brown and Oxford, and now resides in Brooklyn, where she lives in constant fear of her Ikea bookcase collapsing and burying her under a mound of science fiction and Victorian novels. Kass is currently working on the sequel to The 100, which she’ll finish as soon as she finds a coffee shop that allows laptops on the weekend. Twitter | Goodreads

ENTER TO WIN

5 winners will receive the complete boxed set of THE 100 Series, US Only.
Ends on February 8th at Midnight EST!

Monday, January 30, 2017

FROST BLOOD by Elly Blake / Blog Tour: Book Review & Giveaway #FrostBlood


Welcome to the next stop for the FROST BLOOD blog tour. I am so thrilled to share my review for this book. IT IS SOOO GOOD!! Check out my review below and be sure to enter to the giveaway at the end of this post. 

ABOUT THE BOOK




By: Elly Blake
Published by: Little Brown
Released on: January 10th, 2017
Series: Frost Blood Saga #1
Purchase from AmazonBarnes & NobleiBooks
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 5 Stars - I LOVED It
An arc was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review

The frost king will burn.

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has concealed her powers of heat and flame from the cruel Frostblood ruling class her entire life. But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their bloodthirsty king, she agrees to come out of hiding, desperate to have her revenge.

Despite her unpredictable abilities, Ruby trains with the rebels and the infuriating—yet irresistible—Arcus, who seems to think of her as nothing more than a weapon. But before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to compete in the king’s tournaments that pit Fireblood prisoners against Frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her—and from the icy young man she has come to love.


A fantastic first book in what promises to be a must read series. This has been on my most anticipated list for this year's releases. This fast paced read did not disappoint. I enjoyed it so much, I read this book in one sitting. 


It's been awhile since I lost sleep over reading a book, and this was one I couldn't put down. Frost Blood has all the things I love about a YA fantasy. Strong, unforgettable characters, who are flawed, and yet harness a strength they sometimes don't see they have. A romance that you don't see coming. A well paced plot line, and awesome world building. And of course, an ending that makes me wish I already had the next book in hand. 


I loved the characters in this book. They each of the perfect balance of strength and weaknesses. Ruby is by far my favorite. She's such a stubborn, headstrong girl who once she puts her mind to doing something, she does it. She lives for revenge of those who killed her mom, and have robbed her of truly harnessing her power. In a land of Frostblood, Firebloods don't stand a chance. What Ruby at first lacks when it comes to her powers, she learns from Arcus, and a few other characters. All of whom I enjoyed getting to know. They teach her how to control, and use her ability. There's a reason why these Frostbloods want this Fireblood's help. Make no mistake, Ruby is one strong heroine who I loved getting to know.

Arcus is the perfect balance for Ruby. Where she is what you see is what you get, and dives head first into things, Arcus 
seems more hesitant, and secretive. Really he's smart, and calculating. There's good reason for why you don't get to know everything about him up front. He has an air of authority, knowledge, and many hidden secrets. There's something about him that makes him so infuriating and intriguing all at the same time. I loved getting to know him much as I loved getting to know Ruby. There's much more to him than what you first see.  I'll be honest, it took me longer than normal to figure out what that was. I loved how his story unraveled.  


My favorite kind of romances are the ones that are slow burning, and unexpected. These two definitely have that. I love the way these two get under each other's skin. As they learn to trust each other, and in each other's ability, they get to know each other more. I loved the process of getting to know them, and watching them fall for each other. Together, they make sense. 


I am a huge YA fantasy reader/fan, and this book lived up to the hype! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sure there are some standard YA troupes in this book, but I love that Blake takes those and makes them her own thing in this story. They work. This book is definitely sitting among other favorites on my shelf. I can't wait to read this book's sequel. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR




Elly Blake loves fairy tales, old houses, and owls. After earning a BA in English literature, she held a series of seemingly random jobs, including project manager, customs clerk, graphic designer, reporter for a local business magazine, and library assistant. She lives in Southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and a Siberian Husky mix who definitely shows Frostblood tendencies.

Her work is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media.

ENTER TO WIN

3 winners will receive a finished copy of FROSTBLOOD, US Only.


FOLLOW THE TOUR
1/23/2017- Adventures of a Book JunkieInterview
1/24/2017- Good Choice ReadingReview
1/25/2017-Page Turners BlogGuest Post
1/26/2017- Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Review
1/27/2017- Two Chicks on BooksInterview
1/30/2017- Mundie MomsReview
1/31/2017- Novel NoviceGuest Post
2/1/2017- Book BriefsReview
2/2/2017- The Young FolksInterview
2/3/2017- YA Books CentralReview

ShadowhuntersTV Season 2; Episode 4 DAY OF WRATH / Review / Mundane Monday #300 #shadowhunters



Happy Mundane Monday Shadowhunters! Who's ready for tonight's episode? The end of last week's episode left us feeling hopeful. We can't wait to see what happens tonight. Check out our thoughts on last week's episode 4: DAY OF WRATH.


SOPHIE'S THOUGHTS


Clary - I'm not afraid. We'll fight him off together.

Jace -There's no together for you and me, Clary. There never can be.

HALLELUJAH!!!!! Let the choir of angels sing out!

Okay, it's not the way it was in the book, BUT the scene with Jace and Clary gave me hope. Yes, Jace is Valentine's weapon (nice pivot from all those Chernobyl scenes from last season, and NO, I will never stop talking about that dumb location). The desperation between the two of them. That slight touch of hands and then the pull away! It is everything I wanted to see between them. Huge props to both actors for making it seem so sad instead of melodramatic. I may just bask in the glory of this scene for a bit.

Also, the City of Bones looking mighty cool and creepy. Thank you to the director/showrunner/producer for getting rid of the Optimus Prime voice-over with the Silent Brothers. Speaking of which, HODGE shows up! And you know what?!? The scene with him is important.

OMGOSH! Alec's awkwardness in thanking Magnus is so freakin' adorable. The two of them are so cute. "You got battle your demons. I'll go battle mine." Love Magnus, especially now that he is leas twitchy.

And hooray, we find out what is inside that stupid puzzle box Simon found in Camille's place. Guess what, Dorothy? You had the power to summon Camille all along using her grave dirt inside the box. I actually am grateful for this because this subplot was full of dumb. Of course, someone between the Downworlders and Shadowhunters could find Camille. I am grateful that this new showrunner is wrapping up the dumb parts. Onward!

But, it wouldn't be an epi of Shadowhunters without some WTFudge moments. The entire possessed Alec/Izzy/death of Jocelyn was weird. WEIRD. The best part was Simon holding Clary and Jace helping Alec and Izzy while looking back at how Simon was holding Clary. I even liked the emo song that played.

I have some hope, at last, Mundie Mamas!


The scene in the City of Bones



EMM'S THOUGHTS

Spoilers, but I’m guessing if you are reading this, you have watched the episode!

I don’t think I’m convinced yet that this is going to improve much, but you know me, I keep watching like its a train wreck

What was going on with the demon possession thing? It looks so much like one of those subplots that TV shows have, where there is a problem to solve that gets wrapped up at the end of every episode. We were thinking the demon was a bit Supernatural TV show instead, but oh well, it was killed in the end. But not before killing our favourite Shadowhunter Mother!!! The TV show seems to being doing a good job of not making us like Jocelyn so much, and that we can’t trust her. But book Jocelyn is a mother to all of the characters and super protective of Clary, no matter what the Clave says. So her death isn’t as devastating in the show maybe, but in the books it would be a huge blow.  Not sure where this story line is going but our household is not happy with this change in direction.

I did really like the City of Bones and the truth sword interrogation was very well done. The scenes between Clary and Jace were so much better, and the dream sequence gave us a glimpse into the angst that Jace & Clary feel for each other now they think they are brother and sister. We haven’t seen a lot of screen time with the two of them together this series, so it introduces their new relationship and how that doesn’t really work. And finally Jace proves to the Inquisitor that he is one of the good guys, and we get him back in the Institute

I can see the writers again are trying to fix/wrap up story lines that were taking to long. We found Camille and Simon can stop being harassed by Raphael because of it. I do like the interactions between Simon, Raphael and Magnus. These three are part of the bits that keep me watching.

After watching 90% of this episode some of the best 5 min of the series arrived, finally.  All of a sudden we see Clary, mourning her mother, Jace about to comfort her, and then Simon making it to her first. Yay finally we might see a bit more Clary/Simon love, now that Jace cannot be her boyfriend, and with that more Jace/Clary angst. The first of these kinds of scenes in the show that haven’t been cheesy, this one actually had heart.



*  *  *  *  *  *

Did you watch last week's episode? If so, what were your thoughts on it? That ending gave us HOPE! What are your predictions for tonight's episode? Missed an episode? Watch them here. Keep up with all things Shadowhunters by visiting Shadowhunterstv.com

Friday, January 27, 2017

Book News: Recent Cover Reveals

There has been a lot of exciting book news recently. I've had a lot going on recently and haven't been as active online, which means I've missed a lot of the recent book news. Reading it days later still counts for something though right? Thankfully I was one when these two cover reveals happened this week. I love cover reveals. 



Sarah J. Maas shared the cover for her A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN this week, and it looks amazing! I already have this book pre-ordered. I can't wait to read it. 

Check out what she had to say about it:

Annnnd here it is!! The US cover for A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN!! 🎉🎉🎉 It's my favorite yet--partially because of the gorgeous (High Lady) dress that the amazing @charliebowater designed and so graciously let us adapt for this cover! Her art has been such a joy and inspiration for me, so I'm beyond honored that she got to be a part of the cover/this book (and the upcoming ACOTAR coloring book)! Hope you guys love the cover as much as I do--and thank you, Charlie, for the dress, and to Adrian Dadich for rendering Feyre so fiercely/beautifully! Can't wait for May 2nd!! (Head on over to http://worldofsarahjmaas.com/ to see the lovely U.K. cover too!)




Normally I'm a fan of UK covers more than US ones, but in this case, I LOVE the US on. The covers for this series are so well done. 



EW.com revealed the cover for Andrew Shvarts’ ROYAL BASTARDS, today & shared an excerpt! Dubbed a 'Game of Thrones meets Six of Crows', I'm adding this one to my list! 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children.

At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax's floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father's side, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar who's been in love with Tilla since they were children.

Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards' Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness.

Rebellion is brewing in the west, and a brutal coup leaves Lyriana's uncle, the Royal Archmagus, dead--with Lyriana next on the list. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by murderous mercenaries; their own parents have put a price on their heads to prevent the king and his powerful Royal Mages from discovering their treachery.

The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart-if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey.


It's not a cover reveal, but we have a title for book 6 in Morgan Rhodes's FALLING KINGDOMS series. I LOVE this title. I'm hoping that this may be part of the cover too. I can't wait to see the cover reveal for this book. 

Cassandra Clare Answers Fan Questions on Twitter #Shadowhunters


Happy Friday Shadowhunters. Cassie took to Twitter yesterday to answer fan's burning questions about the books, what she's writing now, the TV Show vs the books, and Sebastian being cast in the TV series. Check out her tweets and answers below: 

 SEBASTIAN Being Cast



THE TV SHOW VS THE BOOKS
THE BOOKS


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