The time it was my 2 year blogiversary

Well.  It's been another year. [Technically, it was a year on 10/26, but whatever.]

This year has been a little different from my first year of blogging.  I hit some pretty major [for me] milestones, expanded into author interviews and blog tours as well as being invited to be a Throne of Glass Ambassador by Bloomsbury and the designated blogger for Macmillan. Twice.  Not to mention all of the new and awesome friends I've made and authors I've stalked found.

And seriously, you guys, I can't thank you enough.  You've come along with me on this crazy, amazing ride and I wouldn't still be doing this if it wasn't for all of you.  Extra special thanks to the few of you who have been with me from the beginning...your support means everything to me.

Now, let's get to the good stuff, yes?

We can't have a blogiversary celebration without a giveaway and I think this one is pretty good.  I've been hoarding these books through out the year, with this in mind.  I give you.... my blogiversary arcstravaganza!

Up for grabs to one winner are the following signed arcs:

Icons by Margaret Stohl
Asylum by Madeleine Roux
Tandem by Anna Jarzab
Crewel  and Altered by Gennifer Albin
SYLO by DJ MacHale
School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins
The Program by Suzanne Young
Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza
Parallel by Lauren Miller
Reboot by Amy Tintera

This giveaway is US only. [I went back and forth with the idea of offering INT with the stipulation that the winner pays for some of the shipping cost. And while it seems shitty, it would be necessary with this stack of books. If you're international and you want to enter, email me and we can discuss it.]

As always, the rules are listed on the "terms & conditions" of the Rafflecopter widget.

Before I let you loose to run amok and enter, stand there and let me hug you.

**Good Luck!!**

  

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The time it was all about Ben Michaels

Have we all learned by now about my love for all things Elizabeth Norris and Ben Michaels? After countless posts about both of them, I feel like this is information that is well known.

 

After I won the arc for Unbreakable, I really wanted to do something with Elizabeth.  She's always so so so nice and so so so amazing.  Somehow I got it in my head *cough*Ava*cough* to ask for an interview and she said yes!!

 

But, before we get to that, did you know there is going to be a novella?

 

I've been waiting forever to use this gif

 

It's called Undone, it comes out on March 5th.  Did I mention that it's all Ben POV?


Before the accident. Before their universes collided. Before they fell in love.

Riveting and romantic, Undone: An Unraveling Novella contains three short stories set in the world of Unraveling, the first book in the gripping sci-fi duology by Elizabeth Norris.

Before Ben Michaels saved Janelle Tenner’s life, Janelle saved Ben when he stumbled through an interuniverse portal into a completely new world. That day, he fell in love with the girl of his dreams. And he never forgot her.

Through three stories told from Ben’s point of view, learn how Ben and his friends discovered their ability to travel between worlds, how Ben first met Janelle, and how he pined for her for years before he actually got the chance to meet her, save her life, and capture her heart. And find out what happens to Ben between the cliff-hanger conclusion to Unraveling and the beginning of its heart-stopping sequel, Unbreakable.

Doesn't that sound amazing?

Okay.  Let's get to Elizabeth now....

 

1. Was it easier or harder to write in Ben's POV?

 

It was definitely a little harder. I think Janelle's voice is a little closer to my voice (apparently I swear a lot) so I had to really make sure I thought about the differences in their character and the differences in his voice through out the whole process, and especially when editing. I also had my boyfriend read through the short stories and answer questions to make sure Ben didn't sound to girlie. At one point, I even believe we had a conversation that started with me saying, "Hey so if I died and you found me dead and all messed up, what would you be feeling?"

 

2. Did you see Ben as a character right away or did he grow in response to Janelle?

 

Ben was always a character in his own right. I think in my head, neither one of them could have existed without the other. Janelle was who I wanted to be when I was 17 and Ben was the guy I wanted to find in high school (but didn't), and then of course there's some sci-fi in there as well... 

 

3. When you started writing Unbreakable, did you know the ending right away?

 

Yes. I almost always know the ending when I start writing. It's the middle and the opening scene that sometimes take a little longer for me to figure out. (I rewrote the beginning to Unbreakable four or five times). When I started writing I of course knew where I had left all the characters at the end of Unraveling and I knew a little of what I was going to put them through in this one--but I knew where I wanted them to end. Even when I was contemplating whether to write a third book in this series or write something new for my third book, this is still where this story would have ended.

 

4. When you're writing the swoony lines, do you sit back and laugh at the flails you know you're responsible for making happen? :D

[I had planned to post an amazing swoony flail quote from Ben in Unbreakable, but I decided to let you find it all on your own. Also, I couldn't pick just one.]

 

Haha, no! I have no idea. A lot of the time when I'm writing, I think I'm in some kind of weird trance where I'm just typing away. Sometimes a scene just sort of comes together in my mind and I have to write it--I do a lot of typing in the notepad of my iphone, sometimes in the most random places, like bathrooms, the subway, department stores. And a lot of the time, I think those tend to be some of my best scenes.
 

I actually wrote part of that scene while I was walking down 6th avenue (I am that person that uses my phone and tries to walk at the same time. Once I walked into a street sign because I was checking my email and I hit my head so hard I ended up with a concussion, but it hasn't stopped me).

 

5. Who are your favorite swoony boys?

 

Jonah from Jellicoe Road, Po from Graceling, Adam from Where She Went, Adrian from the Vampire Academy books. And admittedly I was Team Edward and really wanted Hermione to end up with Harry instead of Ron.

 

Speed round:

 

1. You're in San Diego for one meal. Where do you go and what do you order?

 

It depends on how much money I have. If I don't have much, I go to Roberto's in Del Mar and get a carne asada burrito and guacamole with chips. Or I'd go to Miso Harney's in Old Town and ask Mike (he's an amazing sushi chef) to make me something spicy. He's like a wizard.

 

2. If you could wake up one day, just knowing how to do something, what would it be?

 

Dance. And I mean like So You Think You Can Dance dance.

 

3. What are you reading right now?

 

I just finished Pretty Little Liars which I had never read before, and I'm about to start Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn.

 

4. Are there any authors out there that you fangirl over?

 

So many. I met JK Rowling at her signing for Casual Vacancy in NY and I was so in awe of her. I also totally fan-girled Melina Marchetta, Gayle Forman, and Kristin Cashore when they did a signing together, and I think I probably always will.

*sigh*

Isn't she just awesome?

Huge thanks to Elizabeth for taking the time to deal with my fangirling answer my questions!!

Now. 

Remember when I mentioned winning an arc of Unbreakable? I actually won the grand prize in Elizabeth's contest and the chance to name a character in Undone. [There is actually a hilarious story that goes with this, but I'm far too lazy to go into the specifics.  Just know that it was funny.]

Let's all take a guess as to what name I picked.

And this last part is just bragging, but I'm gonna tell you about it. 

Ben was the very first boy that was given to me, thanks to Kassiah.  After winning the arc of Unbreakable, I was on a quest to get an arc of Unraveling to complete the collection. I posted it on Twitter and Ava told me that she was working on it, to give her some time.  Less than a day later, she told me that she had found a copy, but wouldn't give me the details via text.

Turns out, she got me an arc straight from Elizabeth.  From her personal collection.

 

                                                               Yah, I kept the post-it.

Anyways...

To celebrate the release of Undone, I'm giving away stuff! There will be three winners.  The grand prize winner will win a hardcover copy of Unraveling, an e-book of Undone and a hardcover copy of Unbreakable [when it is released on 4/23/13]. Two winners will get an e-book of Undone.

The grand prize winner will get books from The Book Depository. Winners of the e-book copies will choose between Barnes & Noble or Amazon for delivery.

Rules for the giveaway are listed under the "terms and conditions" on the Raffelcopter widget.

Good luck!!

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The time it was my blogiversary

Well.  It's been a year.

When I started this blog [Thank you, LeAnna], I never expected to continue writing things, let alone be recognized at various events by people.  Needless to say, this year has been quite interesting.  I've gotten some amazing books, met some awesome people, seen some phenomenal authors and found some friends I can't live without.

And for all of this, I say thank you.  The best way to show my appreciation for all of you reading my posts, retweeting them and just plain pimping me out is to have one hell of a giveaway.

There will be one winner.

Yep. You read that correctly. ONE WINNER.

So.  Let's see what we've got...

White Cat, Red Glove and Black Heart by Holly Black.  All hardcover, all signed.  WC and RG are gently used copies, but both are in excellent condition.  BH is brand new.

Matched by Ally Condie, an ARC of Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.  All three brand new, not signed. 

A UK version of White Cat by Holly Black and a paperback version of Divergent by Veronica Roth.  Both brand new, both signed.

Ten by Gretchen McNeil and High School Bites: Two Books in One [Vlad/Joss] by Heather Brewer.  Both are brand new, both signed. Ten is hardcover, HSB is paperback.

Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. BC, BD, and BC are all paperback, BR is hardcover. All brand new, all signed. [BR is not pictured because I don't have it yet.  I'll see Kami and Margie on 10/23.]

Also included is a "Light Caster" shirt that I got from Comic-Con with both Kami and Margie's signatures.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.  Brand new, paperback, signed.  I don't have an actual picture of this book because it's not in my possession yet.  I am flying to Chicago to see Michelle on 10/29 and will be getting it then.  I will also include any extra swag I pick up from the signing, including pins, Noah Shaw bookplates, stickers, etc.

photo taken from Michelle Hodkin's Twitter feed

  

If you have any questions beyond what I've posted here, please contact me. Thank you all for reading, commenting and fangirling right along with me.  I doubt I'd still be doing this if you weren't coming along for the ride.

The Fine Print:

 

1. US Only.

2. Must be at least 13 to enter [Besides, if you're under 13, you shouldn't be reading this blog with the amount of swearing I do].

3. I'm not responsible for lost or damaged items. I don't have replacements. Rest assured, I am ridiculously anal about my books. They will be sent in safe packaging and will leave my hands as near to perfect as I can get them.

4. I reserve the right to suspend or end the giveaway at any time, for any reason and without a winner being chosen.

5. Winner will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond. If there is no response, a new winner will be chosen.

6. Winners are chosen at random by Rafflecopter.
 

Normally, I don't make you follow me here or on Twitter, but for this giveaway, I'm going to include it.  Of course, you don't have to do any of it to win, but any extra pimpage would be phenomenal. Good luck!!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The time Lucy broke down on the 405

We were on our way to the Barnes and Noble in Huntington Beach and I was driving my MINI Cooper, Lucy. Pretty much right after merging from the toll road to the 405N, an indicator light came on warning me that my engine was too hot. We started pulling of the freeway and thankfully we did because the warning light turned red and Lucy was officially overheating.

Before I even had time to call the dealer, a CHP/roadside service guy pulled over [did you know that it's all free in Orange County?] and after looking at my car, told me there wasn't any water in it. Water was added, indicator lights turned off and we were just about to leave when the guy motioned for us not to go yet.

And then he pointed out the huge puddle of water seeping/pouring/exploding out from under the car..

DUN DUN DUN.

Turns out there was a hose broken and Lucy couldn't be driven any further. At this point, I had given up on making the event.

I fought with the roadside assistance people because I should have been under warranty. I fought with the dealer because they had told me that they could only give me a loaner car if I got there before 7pm [the tow truck was scheduled to pick us up at 6:45]. Pleading my case that I didn't live in Costa Mesa, could they please, please, please do something the guy said, "I can't do anything if you're here after 7pm."

We got the most awesome tow truck guy ever. He picked us up at 6:20, had Lucy loaded in 7 minutes and in the middle of rush hour traffic, took the carpool lane to ensure I got there in time. Manny from Mission Viejo towing? I owe you big time.

We got there at 6:50. I was horribly spastic. It wasn't even about getting to the signing anymore, it was about getting back home... I ran around the dealer, pretty much screaming at anyone who slowed down long enough. Not screaming like "AHHH, I'M SO ANGRY, GRRRR".  More like, "AHHH, WHERE'S THE CAR SECTION, I NEED TO GET THERE BEFORE THEY CLOSE AND LOCK ME INSIDE AND I'M STUCK IN COSTA MESA FOREVER."

After the paperwork was completed and the dealer was stupid enough to give me a BMW as a loaner car, Hubs says, "We might as well go to the signing, since we're so close." [Did I mention that we were 2 exits away from the bookstore?]

Obviously, I got there while the talking was going on. I was still too amped up to even really be listening... So, I just huddled up in the back and typed most of this post. After the planned questions from the bloggers who were moderating, they had 2-3 audience questions and then the signing started.

Ava found me immediately and I told her my sob story. Her response was lots of hugs and a letter to Hogwarts! She makes the letters and I've seen her give them to authors before and I've always been so so so jealous...

Anyhoo.

They formed one huge line and then then sort of fed us through to each author. I got up to Gayle first. I plopped my purse down on the counter and she commented on how cute it was. We chatted for a bit about Kate Spade purses being worth the cost before Gayle asked how I liked FOB and if I had read Fifty Shades of Grey. After she signed my books, I told her that I'd probably see her tomorrow at the SD stop.

Back to the line, and then over to Nina. She also remembered me from FOB. And Twitter. When I mentioned that I wasn't sure that I liked being recognized from Twitter, she said that it was cool seeing readers talk about the books. I said I was spastic. She said enthusiastic. I'll take it.

Back in line, waiting for Stephanie.

And waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

Now. Here's a little back story. Kassiah, the ever so lovely woman who designed this blog, shares her ARCs with me and is just all around awesome, has been holding it over my head for MONTHS that Stephanie gave her Étienne. Kassiah refuses to share him with me. And while I would like him, I really enjoy riling her up by saying I'm going to ask for him because she gives the best responses.

So when I got up to Stephanie [after telling her a very edited version of Lucy blowing up], I showed her this picture on my phone.

And proceeded to tell her how we are fighting over Étienne and could she please, please, please inscribe something in the book about Kassiah sharing him. Stephanie said absolutely, that she loved when friends fought over things like this. And so this happened...

I haven't told Kassiah yet. ;)

When we were done, Stephanie said she wanted a hug because she couldn't believe that I still made it to the signing after the night we had. She also thanked the Hubs for bringing me.

Tomorrow is the tour stop at Mysterious Galaxy, which is about 15 minutes from my apartment. Assuming all goes well with the dealer, I'll be going to that stop as well. Fingers crossed.