The time it was about a character Q&A

When I saw that my girl Brighton Walsh was releasing a new novella, I pretty much invited myself into her blog tour.  Since we had already done an interview when she was promoting Plus One, I asked if she would talk about the amazing questionnaire that she gives her characters.

But, before we get to her post, let's find out about Brighton's new book.

When a storm strands Claire Hanlin in Chicago on Christmas Eve, the last person she expects to come to her rescue is Logan Dawes, the man she almost married two years ago. The chemistry between them is dangerously potent, but with nowhere else to go, Claire accepts Logan's offer to stay with him for the night.

Back in the home they shared, surrounded by reminders of Logan and his young daughter, Claire begins to realize how much she misses the family she almost had. After a few cups of Christmas cheer, she falls right back into her ex's arms-even though she knows it means setting herself up for heartbreak all over again.

The magic of the season has thrown him together with the woman he's never stopped loving, and Logan's not about to pass up this gift. He's not the workaholic he was two years ago-his family comes first. Now all he has to do is prove it to Claire, before the snow stops and she flies out of his life for good.

And without further ado, here's Brighton...

When Stacee asked me to stop by and share my brand of crazy regarding my character questionnaires, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. I'm an organized writer, and any time I read about something that helps with that it's like I...well, it's like I walked into an office supply store with endless aisles of Sharpies, to be quite honest.

Sometimes characters just come to me. I know the hows and the whats and the whys of them before I write the first word of the book. I've dreamt about them and figured out their back story and who their best friend is an why they had such a hard time getting through high school.

Other times, I only have a faint idea of who this person is -- and it's usually a vague descriptor. Like hot construction worker. Or lonely single dad. (Notice those examples were both heroes. Because obviously.) When that happens, I need to delve deeper to figure out how they work, what makes them tick, so that when I start writing them, I get their tone and their voice down right.

When that's the case, I go to one of my character questionnaires. Yes, I have multiple (office supply store junkie, remember?). The first time I filled one out, I answered a couple questions, felt ridiculous, and promptly put it away. It felt weird. How should I answer this? As the author talking about the character? As the character himself? I didn't know the rules of it, so I just stopped. (hint: there are no rules; do it however you want.)

The second time, I tried it while I was in the planning stages for the novel that's coming out next year. I pushed all thoughts out of my head, tried not to worry about what was "right" and just answered them as quickly as possible and without thinking. That led to finding out things like my hero slept in only his underwear (boxer briefs), he's right handed, and he played some pranks in high school. Exhibits A, B, and C:

     How attractive are you?
     Is this a real question?

     Is the bathtub moldy or covered in rust?
     That shit's disgusting.

     What sort of curtains do you have? Frilly lacy ones, Venetian blinds, pull-down      
     shades?
     The fuck kind of questions are these? I don't know.

When I finished that questionnaire (all two-hundred and eighty-one questions of it), I had a very clear idea of exactly who my hero was, what history he had, and it even fueled some scenes in the novel because I found out things I didn't know before. I was so excited at this discovery that I went right on and did it for my heroine and was pleased when I had the same results.

It's worked on every character I've had since then, and I can't start a novel until I've completed it. The questions the characters skip, the questions they answer seriously and the ones they brush off all tell you something about their character, as well.

Some writers like to have their characters develop organically on the page. They learn who they are through scenes and chapters and situational elements. And more power to them! I wish I could forgo the sometimes tedious questionnaire and skip straight to the good stuff.

And then I remember this is the good stuff to my Type A brain and answer away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Huge thanks to Brighton for taking the time to talk about part of her process.  Make sure you're following her on Twitter, liking her Facebook page, subscribing to her blog and adding all of her books on your GoodReads shelves.  I can promise you, you're not going to want to miss out on her boys.

Season of Second Chances is out now and you can buy it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Kobo.

The time it was bookish mail -- 6

Well.  I've found a stash of books that I got signed and never shared, so here's another edition of Check Out What I Got in the Mail!

I was trying to clean up the nightmare that is the stacks of signed books in my bedroom when I knocked some of them over and found this little gem. I vaguely recall that Susan had announced that for a short period of time [it might have been around Christmas] she was going to offer signed copies of Angelfall. I just happened to catch her tweet about it and ordered it right away. 

Now I'm hoping she'll offer the same thing for World After.

 

I'm not even sure how or where I heard about signed copies of Easy, all I know is that I'm super happy to have one.  I do know that I got it from Tammara herself, before it was republished.  And isn't it pretty?

 

 

Underneath that book, I found my copies of Obsidian, Onyx and Opal that were signed by Jennifer L. Armentrout and Pepe Toth.  Once upon a time, a group of blogger friends and I tried to get Jennifer to Redondo Beach as part of the Daemon Invasion.  Alas, we didn't win.  However, the lovely Kassiah was going to attend the event in the winning city of Houston and she was awesome enough to get me some things signed.  Annnnnnd send me some super hot photos of Pepe. *cough*

 

Speaking of Jennifer, I read Wait for You right away when it was released as an e-book.  I read Jennifer's blog post about it getting printed and how the first 10k of pre-orders would get a signed copy.  Of course, I immediately went to pre-order, but there was no way of knowing if I was one of the people who would be getting a copy until I opened it.  And here it is....

When Leaky Con was announced, there were so many authors I wanted to go see.  Not to mention, Colleen and Jennifer.  We didn't get a chance to go, but Jennifer was awesome enough to take some things to get signed for me.   She even broke the only-one-book-per-person rule to get both of Lev's books signed for me!

 

 
Last but, never, ever least.  I pre-ordered my copy of A Darkness Strange and Lovely from the bookstore that Susan Dennard had listed on her website.  And as the release date got closer, I was eager to have the pretty finished copy in my hands.  The inner squeeing got worse after Susan DM'd me to let me know that she had signed my book and couldn't wait for me to see it.

Flash forward a couple of days after the release date.  I got a voice mail from the events manager telling me that she had sent my package out via media mail even though I had paid for UPS and she wanted to know how to get the refund back to me.  Now this isn't a problem for normal people, but for me it is: I don't get mail at my apartment.

I called her back and explained my situation.  Since I have a PO box, my apartment is listed as "vacant" and any mail I get will be refused and sent back to the sender.  It doesn't happen often, but it has happened.  She had tried to catch the postman, but wasn't able to, and with the book having a special inscription, there wasn't a way to replace it.  I just had to wait.

Thankfully, it only took a couple of weeks instead of the almost month I was expecting.  But the inscription? It was definitely worth the wait. 

I would like to think I've gotten a little better at paying attention to the pretties I order.  Have you recently found any books that you had forgotten about?

The time it wasn't my review

For this week's Throne of Glass Ambassador post, it was all about our reviews of Crown of Midnight.  Well, considering my reviews are usually flailing gibberish only a couple of sentences long, I asked Jaime and Erin if they would let me post their reviews. [Technically, I asked Jaime if I could use them.] I figured it would be as close to what I would say, if I was able to articulate my feels in words...
 
So, without further ado, here are their awesome reviews:
 
Jaime: 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What did I think?

 

I finished this book days ago and I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out what to say and I keep seeing reviews that are popping up and I get all flaily because I’m like “HOW DO YOU HAVE THE WORDS FOR THIS ALREADY!!”

 

Book 2 in the Throne of Glass series is … dare I say it… even better than the first, and I loved the first. The writing has gotten tighter, more detailed and I was completely blown away. In Crown of Midnight we pick up with Celaena as the King’s Assassin and he is using her abilities and skills to his fullest advantage, sending her on quests to rid the kingdom of all those who might be in cahoots against him. (yes I said cahoots) We pick up book 2 as Celaena is on one such mission. Her return is dramatic and both Dorian and Chaol struggle to reconcile the girl they know with what she is doing.

"Is it done?"

Celaena reached a gloved hand into the sack and tossed the severed head toward him. No one spoke as it bounced, a vulgar thudding of stiff and rotting flesh on marble. It rolled to a stop at the foot of the dais, milky eyes turned towards the ornate glass chandelier overhead.

Dorian straightened, glancing away from the head. Chaol just stared at her.

"He put up a fight," Celaena said.

But she’s keeping a secret from them. One that could jeopardize everyone she cares about if it gets out. But the King is up to no good himself of course… only what exactly hasn’t quite been uncovered yet! 

So yeah… I’m being incredibly vague about all the things. That’s intentional. I don’t want to ruin anyone’s reading of this book even by accident by spilling too much detail about what is actually going on. There is so much that happens in this installment of the story that I’m afraid anything specific I might say will give too much away.

SO – let’s do this a different way – My top 5 reasons you need to read the Throne of Glass Series … NOW!

1. Chaol - From the beginning of book 1 I have had a crush on the Captain of the Guard and this book has solidified that crush for me. I mean… GAH!!!

"Believe me, Celaena," he snarled, his eyes flashing, "I know you can look after yourself. But I worry because I care. Gods help me, I know I shouldn't, but I do. So I will always tell you to be careful, because I will always care what happens."

She blinked. "Oh," was all she managed.

But Chaol struggles with his feelings for Celaena. He’s not willing to put himself out there and jeopardize his standing, so he keeps his distance… or he tries anyway.

"Dance with me Celaena," He said again, his voice rough.

When her eyes found his, she forgot about the cold, and the moon, and the glass palace looming above them. The secret library and the king's plans and Mort and Elena faded into nothing. She took his hand, and there was only the music and Chaol.

His fingers were warm, even through his gloves. He slid his other hand around her waist as she braced one of hers on his arm. She looked up at him when he began to move - a slow step, then another, and another, easing into the steady rhythm of the waltz.

He stared back at her, neither of them smiling - somehow beyond smiling at that moment. The waltz built, louder, faster, and Chaol steered her into it, never stumbling.

Her breathing turned uneven, but she couldn't look away from him, couldn't stop dancing. The moonlight and the garden and the golden glow of the ballroom blurred together, no miles away. "We'll never be a normal boy and girl, will we?' she managed to say.

"No," he breathed, eyes blazing, "we won't."

2. Celaena is just as kick-ass as she was in book 1 and yet she’s still a girl at heart! That was one of the reasons I loved her so much in Throne of Glass too. She is so badass … this cold blooded killer, yet she loves clothes, shopping, and when she’s at a ball, she doesn’t want to be part of the security, she wants to dance! I mean the dichotomy of the two people she is, is just so wonderfully done and makes her so unique as a character.

3. Dorian – yes even though he’s NOT my favorite he has a big impact on this story and we learn some pretty amazing things about him… things that he struggles to make sense of and understand. Plus the evolution of his and Celaena's relationship is done amazingly well. Even though there are things somewhat unresolved between them, they truly are friends and seeing them put any differences they might have aside and hold onto that very important thing was wonderful.

4. The amazing writing – Sarah has crafted an incredible world and story in the Throne of Glass series. I can’t even do it justice by trying to explain it here. BUT Crown of Midnight is even better than Throne of Glass (I know... you're like 'how is that possible Jaime??') … I’m not even sure how to explain it other than the writing is tighter and the story is even more engrossing than the first and you get to learn so much more about the magical world and a few big secrets are revealed. The characters jump off the page at you and you can’t help but to feel all the emotions they are.

 

5. The FEELS – Holy mother of all things, I think Sarah was trying to make me feel EVERYTHING with this one. I found myself laughing, smiling, swooning, crying, throwing things, sighing in happiness, and gasping in shock. Everything that I want and need in a book.

So there you have it… there are a million more reasons you should be reading this series but these are my top five. I know I’m not alone when I tell you that this is a must read when it arrives this summer. This was the one book I wasn’t leaving BEA without… I couldn’t put it down once I started and I know you’ll feel the same once you get reading. Sarah Maas has an incredible series on her hands, and I’m so excited to see where the next book in the series takes us. In the meantime I’ll be over here reading and rereading the first two … join me please!!

Dear Sarah Maas ...

Thank you to Bloomsbury for having enough copies at BEA and being so kind as to hand one to me.

Erin:

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 gazillion stars for this - it was so good I can't even put words together about it right now. 

So, I have done my best not to completely fangirl as well as give anything away here.  Continue reading with the idea that I had to completely hold myself back and if you have not started this series yet...what the heck are you waiting for...seriously - go do it now.

I've been waiting what feels like forever for this book and boy did Sarah Maas come through. This was the one book I had to leave BEA with and thank the lord I got my hands on a copy. If it would have any influence whatsoever, I would offer up cookies or my first born child for the next book - just putting that out there.

Crown of Midnight picks up with Celaena acting as the King's Champion. A lot happens in this book and there is also a lot revealed. I'm not going to go into any of it because I don't want to give it away but if you enjoyed Throne of Glass, you will really like book two. I felt like the pacing was well done and it was the perfect mix of action, mystery, swoon and snarky banter.

Celaena is still one of my favorite characters...ever. She is still arrogant, tough, smart and sarcastic and I love this about her. She also now has people that care about her and that she cares about. Celaena knows she is playing a dangerous game that could end badly (for her, Chaol, and/or Princess Nehemia) but she is willing to take chances and do what she feels is necessary to stand up to the King. There was also a point in the book where it was clear she is good at what she does and seeing it through Chaol's eyes made it even more impactful.

"She was a whirlwind of steel and blood. As he watched her cut through the men like they were stalks of wheat in a field, he understood how she had gotten so close to touching Endovier's wall that day. And at last - after all these months - he saw the lethal predator he'd expected to find in the mines. There was nothing human in her eyes, nothing remotely merciful. It froze his heart."

 

The love triangle still slightly exists but not in a way that overpowers the rest of the story and not in the way you would normally assume when you hear love triangle. It is key to the progression of the story and allows us to see just how much Chaol and Celaena are fighting their attraction to each other. It also shows us how their interactions are impacting Dorian and his feelings for both Celaena and Chaol.

Chaol - I love him. It is as simple as that. He truly cares for Celaena and he forces her to see things that she normally wouldn't and that is probably what I loved the most about their friendship/relationship. 
 
"Believe me, Celaena, " he snarled, his eyes flashing, "I know you can look after yourself. But I worry because I care. Gods help me, I know I shouldn't, but I do. So I will always tell you to be careful, because I will always care what happens."

She blinked. "Oh," was all she managed.

I mean...that alone is enough to make me love him. Add in the 50 other items I tagged in my book and you would probably agree with me.

I loved seeing the evolution of Celaena's relationship with Dorian. We know from ToG that Celaena has put a stop to any potential relationship with him but Dorian is still trying to get beyond that. Eventually they come to rely on each other for support during some very difficult times where both of them are questioning who they are and their purpose. Celaena's relationship with Princess Nehemia is just as strong as it was in ToG and she is her first real girl friend. When something happens that really tests Celaena, my heart was truly breaking.

Can I just say - there are so many swoony moments and parts I loved that I thought I was going to run out of sticky tabs to mark them in my book. Once you read this, you will completely agree with me and see why Chaol will be on my favorites list forever.

So there you have it. I don't think I gave away any secrets here. If you enjoy fantasy and a great story that just happens to include some of my favorite characters EVER, I highly recommend you check this out. Maas does a wonderful job of creating characters you can care about as well as a great story that just sucks you in and keeps you turning the pages until you get to the very end. I was unable to put this down and can't wait until book three comes out...that's soon, right??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See? What else could I possibly have to say about Crown of Midnight that Jaime and Erin didn't already say? 

Huge thanks, undying love and devotion and all of the signed books to both of them for letting me post their fantastic reviews.  Definitely go check out their blog: Fic Fare

Now.  Have you read Crown of Midnight? What was your favorite part?

The time it was bookish mail -- 5

Here we are again for another episode of Look What I Got in the Mail! Onward, yes?

We all know of my undying love for Sarah J Maas, yes? Well, once upon a time, she went on tour with Susan Dennard, Erin Bowman and Kat Zhang as part of the YA Authors Give Back tour.  Unfortunately, they weren't coming anywhere near me.  However, Jaime & Erin were going to one of the stops and awesomely let me send them some stuff.

 Now, there is a serious back story.  Once upon a time on Twitter, Sarah tweeted this article to Susan about the mantis shrimp and how it was her new favorite animal.  After reading it, I jumped into the conversation [seriously, sometimes it's soooo hard not to jump in] and said that I liked any animal that had "murder sticks".  Sarah came back and said that she liked anything that is referred to as an "undersea nightmare". 

And that leads us to an even later conversation on Twitter about me telling Sarah that at some point, I was going to ask her to sign my book as an undersea nightmare.

Which brings us to what could be the greatest inscription ever.  Not only did Sarah sign the book as my undersea nightmare, but Susan and Sarah both drew pictures of a mantis shrimp.

I don't have an amazing story for Erin Bowman, I wish I did.  But, like I said above, Jaime & Erin were awesome to take my copy of Taken to get signed. Even Erin knows they're awesome, she mentions it in the inscription!  I can't wait to meet Erin for myself one day.

I borrowed Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea from Michelle. I instantly fell in love with River and asked April for him before I got to page 50 the story and how lyrical April's writing is. I was flailing all about it to Colleen, who told me that she had just gone to an author's dinner with April.  Not only that, but she had an extra arc... and it was signed.

I read the Goddess trilogy in a day.  I loved the story [and Henry] and Kate [and Henry] and definitely wanted to include Aimee's books to the collection.  Luckily, Aimee was just about to go on tour, so I called an indie bookstore that she would be appearing at and ordered all three books.

Unfortunately, when I got the books, I didn't get the entire trilogy.  I got The Goddess Test [book 1], The Goddess Inheritance [book 3] and The Goddess Legacy [a book of novellas set in the Goddess world].  I called the store I ordered them from and they weren't open to fixing the situation.  Thankfully, I was able to find Goddess Interrupted at a different store that held a tour stop. Now I just have to meet Aimee to get it personalized.

 

Have we all determined by now that I'm the most spoiled brat in the bunch? Wheeeeeeeee!!

What books have you gotten recently?

The Time We Took Over the Blog

Happy Birthday, Stacee!!

We all wanted to wish Stacee Happy Birthday, but wasn’t sure what exactly we could do. She has done so many things for us, that we knew it had to to be awesome.



Christina, Kassiah, and Michelle thought of the idea to take over Stacee’s blog. We weren’t sure if we could even pull this off, since we didn’t have access, but we had people who knew people. We put on our capes and set off for the internet, where everything is just 140 characters away.



Here’s to Stacee, who is a fucktastic friend who will always pimp out books and feed them to you like the drug that they are. We hope you have a wonderful day filled with cupcakes, books, and time lords.

---

Dear loveliest, sweetest, kindest KP,

Above being my kindred spirit and the most badass chick I know, you're also one of the best people I've ever had the great fortune of stumbling upon. Without our daily chats, I'm sure I'd be too much of a bitch for any other to handle because you either talk me off ledges with your guiding wisdom or make me laugh when you join in on my snarky fuckery. Thanks for your virtual hand-holding while I ranted my ass off, for your generous dedication to the book-blogging community, but above all else, for your unwavering friendship.



So, happiest of happy birthdays, KP! May your day and whole year be filled with cupcakes, super swoony boys, and fantastic books that we can flail about together. I long for the day you have to wear me like a backpack because I won't let you put me down. And then of course you'll think I'm some crazy creeper and try to get rid of me to which I will prance around you saying...



ILYMaHOOR,
Prancy PA

---

Dearest Stacee, I don't remember how we met, but I will always be so, so grateful for you. Who else would have their husband pretend to be me?!? :) Whether we're arguing over Étienneevery swoony boy to flailing over all of the things, I always know we'll be best friends forever ♥ Thank you for being so awesome. I hope you have the happiest birthday ever, and I can't wait until we're neighbors.

Love, Kassiah

---

Stacee,

I knew that I was going to love you since you agreed to steal chairs with me at MGSD. We instantly had this connection that meant to be written in books.



Thank you for being a great friend who always supported me in everything I did. Thank you for always being open and to listening to me when I needed a shoulder. I appreciate who you are as a person, not only as a great individual, but in your continued awesomeness as a good person. It has been a blessing to have you in my life, not only for the Hello Kitty things, but just as a person who gets me completely.



You deserve nothing but the best today, so I hope you get a shit load of books and cupcakes, sprinkled with all the hot pink sparkles in the world.

Happy Birthday fellow Snarky!

---

Happy birthday to my YA book fanatic, Disney and beignet connoisseur, comic-con loving, carna asada fry eating, swoony boy stealing, fellow Whovian and David Tennant obsessive and all around kick ass friend Stacee. There's no one I would rather go on Tower of Terror with - any day of the week!!

xoxo,
Colleen

---

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STACEE!!!!!

I hope your day is filled with swoony boys and all the fun that comes with them. I love you to the moon and back. XOXO

Risbee

---

Message...

Hey Stacee, I just want to wish you a very Happy Birthday today! Thanks for always being so willing to help, whether it's with spreading the love across the twitterverse or sharing your fantastic "research" contacts. ;)

If I could throw you a party, it would look like this...



There would also be cupcakes!
Have a great day!

Jen ~ Jenuine Cupcakes

---

Stacee,

Happy birthday! Here's wishing you a year full of delicious (highly coveted) ARCs!

~Celeste

---

Hi, Stacee!

I hope you have a wonderful birthday! May your day (and year) be just as awesome as you!

~Amy

---

Hey, Stacee!

I hope you have the grandest birthday of them all! May your year be filled with all the best book boyfriends a girl could hope for!

~Ana

---

Stacee! Erin and I wanted to wish you the happiest of happy days! We're so lucky to have found you this past year, and you spoil us so. You've made this journey, reading and writing about books, an amazing one and we hope that your next 365 days are filled with as much happiness as possible. Happy Birthday Pretty!!

xox
jaime & erin

---

Happy Birthday, Staceeeeeeee!

So glad I finally got to meet you this year. Hope you have a fantastic day! I got you a tasty present...

---

Stacee! It's your birthday! Through no fault of your own you were born today. Woohoo!...well not TODAY today. You know what I mean.

I just wanted to say that I really love and appreciate your ability to Fangirl. Like holy shit fangirl. It's my favourite thing about you. You don't hold back, you don't think, "maybe flying to Chicago is a bit much." You just do it. I admire that. A lot.

So here's to many more years of enjoying fangirling together!! I will learn from your masterly ways!



Yours in nerd solidarity,
Caitlin

---

Tanner is still yours.

Happy Birthday!
Talia Vance

---

Happy Birthday, Stacee! We love you so much!

Missed out on the fun? It's never too late to leave Stacee some birthday wishes in the comments!

The time it was about friendship

Today's post as a Throne of Glass Ambassador focuses on friendship.  And what better way to discuss the relationships in Throne of Glass than to have two of my favorite people weigh in on the topic with me.

So, without further ado, please help me welcome Michelle and Christina to the blog!

Annnnnnnd, here we go.  First up?

Celaena/Dorian

Michelle: The friendship between Dorian and Celaena was surprisingly easy. While they both were held back by their social stature, they found commonalities that made their conversations easy. Not always in close proximity within each other, Dorian and Celaena always found humor and a laissez-faire attitude in their discussions. While Dorian was a crown prince, he never took his role too seriously when with Celaena. It reminds me of my friendships online. It’s easy to converse with many people, never including where you are from or what you do. It’s simple.

Christina: I appreciated the ease in which they fell into a playful friendship, even when there was the possibility for more between them lurking below the surface. Like Michelle said, when they were together, it was easy for both characters to forget their commitments to the crown and their obligations of their titles and just be who they wanted to be-- book lovers that came alive and closer together through their humor and snark. I feel like this is a quality that I share with Stacee and Michelle, and our friendship is strengthened because of our love for all things bookish and snarky.

Stacee: Yes.  What Michelle and Christina said.  For me, the relationship between Celaena and Dorian was a lot of fun.  They both got along so well and couple that with the flirty banter and I was sold.  My favorite scene between the two of them is the bag of candy scene.... If you've read it, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  If you haven't, you have something to look forward to.

 

Celaena/Chaol:

Michelle: Celaena and Chaol was a friendship that needed to marinate. They are both warriors, fierce in their own right. They both have similar personalities, regardless of their background. And I think this is why their relationship became so strong and passionate. There’s something to be said about a relationship between two people who are linked in such a way that it transcends what can be seen at face value. There’s a link that just can’t be described. And this is the type of friendship that I have with Christina and Stacee. We know each other well enough to support one another, no matter what it is. We all come from different backgrounds, but we all share many commonalities. It’s a friendship that will last throughout the ages. (*Christina sniffles* That was beautiful, M. I heart you.) [S: A perfect example of how amazing Michelle is. All of the hugs, M.]

Christina: I think what drew me more to Chaol and Celaena’s friendship was the fact that he pushed her to be better, stronger, faster when others who knew her real identity were happy just to rely on that, and those that didn’t, doubted her drive and competitiveness at all because of her size. Sometimes you need a good kick in the ass, and for me, I appreciate someone that isn’t going to kiss my behind and only expect minimal effort from me when I’m capable of so much more. Chaol was that motivator for Celaena and because of that and their shared bond and warrior spirit, a deeper understanding of the other character was born between them. And I know we’re talking about friendship, but... Holy. Chemistry. Batman!

Stacee: Yes.  What Michelle and Christina said.  I loved the relationship between Celaena and Chaol because it was built out of respect for each other. He only wanted the best for Celaena and it would just shine through with every interaction the two of them had.  And like Christina so eloquently pointed out, holy chemistry indeed.

Celaena/Nehemia:

Michelle: Every now and then, nothing beats a friendship of the same sex. Celaena and Nehemia are both strong women, both filled with intelligence and knowledge. But with all of this strength, they both gravitate towards the emotional pull of women companionship. Whatever their topics of conversation, it was easy for them. May it be politics, magic, or the gentlemen in their life, Celaena and Nehemia found solidarity within each other. Once again, Christina and Stacee provide this for me. We swoon over literary boys (like Chaol and Dorian) and appreciate strong women (like Celaena and Nehemia).

Christina: Exactly everything that Michelle said! When Celaena felt like too much was on her plate and her mind was riddled with secrets, she found the best confidant in Nehemia. I think she was also able to respect Nehemia’s opinion because she shared so many of the strong-willed attributes and weaknesses that she found in herself. Besides, sometimes a girl just needs another girl because we get it on a level that guys, in general, will never be able to understand. We females are compassionate when it’s necessary, but we can just as easily bring hell and badassery to support our girls. That’s what I saw between these two and something I find myself in both of my fellow confidants.

Stacee: Yes.  What Michelle and Christina said. *sits in the corner and sobs from the feels*

Dorian/Chaol:

Michelle: Dorian and Chaol’s friendship is long-standing. They grew up with each other. They know the path that the other has taken. It is friendships like these that I yearn for. There is something to be said about knowing someone throughout all of their changes in life. Dorian knows Chaol’s challenges with his family, as does Chaol know the pressure of the royal path Dorian lives. There’s a bond that is like familial blood, but is stronger because it was a chosen bond. I’ve never had this, but I imagine it to be an amazing part of a friendship.

Christina: I, too, want this type of connection with another person-- to know the ins and outs of their mind, to be able have a conversation when no words are spoken aloud, and to be able to believe that this person will always have my back no matter the circumstance. Of all the pairings, I feel like I expect and rely on this friendship the most. They may not be blood brothers, but the tie that binds them is stronger than any familial one that I can think of, be it real life or fictional.

Stacee: Yes.  What Michelle and Christina said.  The friendship between Dorian and Chaol is dynamic.  Since Chaol has known Dorian since childhood, he has the ability to push Dorian in ways that other people can't.  This particular friendship is one that I'm eager to watch as the books progress.

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Huge thanks, hugs and undying love for my bitches, Michelle and Christina: for helping me out here, for all of your support, and being my sounding board on almost everything [regardless of how ridiculous it is]. Words can't express how much I flove you both. 

You should definitely start stalking them check out their blogs and GoodReads pages:

Michelle:  Dark Faerie Tales -- GoodReads

Christina: The Book Hookup -- GoodReads

All of the amazing fan art photos came from Sarah's Pinterest page. There were so many pictures that I wanted to include... Definitely go check them out!

Now tell me, which relationship in Throne of Glass is your favorite?

The time it was all bookish mail -- 3

Welcome to another episode of Signed Books I Got in the Mail...

Sarah Dessen was announced at the 2013 Festival of Books.  She also was going to be signing at the B&N in Huntington Beach over that same weekend.  I didn't want to deal with the crowd that I knew would be flocking to her, mostly because I had never read one of her books.  Thankfully, Jenn was going to be attending a Sarah event and was willing to pick something up for me.

I did send an arc of one of Sarah's books, but Hubs fucked up the address and it didn't get there.  At all.  So, Jenn came to the rescue and bought me a book! Now I can officially add Sarah to the collection.

When Elizabeth Norris announced that any pre-ordered copies of Unbreakable from Books of Wonder would receive special bonus material [including an alternate ending], I placed my order that day.  A couple of days before the book was released, Elizabeth tweeted me and said that she had just signed my book.  I didn't want to get my hopes up since BoW usually has a "no inscription/personalization" rule. 

I shouldn't have doubted her because the inscription is glorious.  Also? That means every single copy of Unraveling and Unbreakable that I own says that I have Ben. He is definitely mine. [I would later also win a signed copy of Unbreakable from Pitch Dark for participating in the Unraveling read along.] 

When Eleanor & Park was released, everyone and their mother told me to read it.  The ever so awesome Jaime offered to get me a signed copy when she went to Rainbow's event.  I think she ended up getting 11 copies or something...

Either way, I'm quite grateful she was willing to get me a copy.  The book is amazing and I can't wait to meet Rainbow myself.

Jaime also went to the Pitch Dark Days event.  I had already ordered Elizabeth's books [plus extra copies at her launch party, but that's another story] and was hoping hoping hoping that Amy Tintera would be doing additional events in SoCal.  Her launch party was at the Bookstore-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Named and I refused to go.

However, Kiera Cass hasn't been to SoCal yet... Not one to wait, I asked Jaime to get me a signed copy of The Elite.

I had gotten my arc of Invisibility signed by Andrea Cremer when I saw her at Mrs. Nelson's for the Breathless Reads tour. When the tour dates were announced for Andrea and David to promote Invisibilty, I was unable to get up to the San Francisco date. Thankfully, Colleen was going to be attending the Seattle date. I sent the arc to her and asked for David's signature to be added.

I truly have the best friends.  And who's a spoiled brat?  I am!

What books have you gotten lately?