The Sisterhood of The World Bloggers Award

 Guys!!! I got nominated for an AWARD!!! The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!!! I was nominated by the lovely Shikha, Leah, and Nina over at The Overflowing Shelf. THANK YOU!!!!! 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Marissa Meyer

I am excited for this post the very most, because Marissa is one of the best and most talented authors that I know. 4. Besides Cress, Marissa has also written Cinder, Scarlet,  The Queen’s Army, and Glitches.

Fun Facts:

Family/Pets: I have a husband, Jesse, and three cats: Callie Jo, Blackie, and Stormus Enormous.

Where you live: Tacoma, WA, USA, in the house Jesse built (literally)

3-4 Hobbies or things you do in your spare time: Eat, cook so I can eat, go antique shopping, and I pretty much enjoy any sort of live entertainment (concerts, musicals, stand-up comedy, etc.)

Favorite ice-cream flavor: Chocolate chip cookie dough

Childhood dream job: Writer!! Though I also went through a stint where I wanted to be a fashion designer.

Favorite movie: I don't know that I have one... Pride and Prejudice, maybe?

Favorite scent: Fresh-baked cookies.

Interview:

How did your idea for Cinder come to you? What inspired you, if anything?

It began when I entered a writing contest in which the host had listed about ten random prompts and writers had to choose two of them to include in their stories. My two prompts: set it in the future and include a fairy-tale character. My contest entry was a sci-fi version of Puss in Boots and I had so much fun writing it that I thought I would try to do an entire series of sci-fi fairy tales! A couple months after that I was drifting off to sleep when the lightning bolt struck: Cinderella… as a cyborg! I crawled out of bed and spent about an hour brainstorming and jotting notes. Thus, The Lunar Chronicles was born.

What did you want to be when you were a kid growing up?

A writer! Always a writer. Though I also went through periods where I wanted to be a Broadway actress (before I realized that I can't sing) or a fashion designer (before I realized that would require learning how to sew, which seemed like a drag).

Did you plan for the Lunar Chronicles to be a dystopian fairytale? Were they originally supposed to just be a fairytale? Just dystopia?

The initial concept I had was to write futuristic retellings of fairy tales - so I knew I wanted to give science-fiction twists to some of these classic stories. I had that idea in mind even before I knew which fairy tales I was going to retell! But I don't really think of them as "dystopian." With the exception of the plague and an impending war, the world that Cinder lives in isn't half-bad. It's obviously not perfect, but I think 126 years of world peace is something for Earth to be proud of.

Do you have any future writing plans?

Many! I hope the Chronicles are just the start of a long writing career. Right now I have one confirmed book that will follow this series: HEARTLESS, a prequel to Alice in Wonderland focused on the Queen of Hearts. I'm very excited about it!

Who is one of your favorite characters in the Lunar Chronicles?

I honestly adore all of my characters - even the evil ones! - but my favorites to write are Iko and Thorne. It's the funny characters that excite me the most, because I feel like they tend to write themselves, and I'm never quite sure what crazy thing they'll say or do next. It's so much fun to put them in a chapter and see what happens.

Was Cinder always the lost princess, or did you decide that ending later?

When I first outlined the series, I left it fairly open - it was possible that it could be Cinder, Scarlet, or Cress. But by the time I'd finished the first draft of Cinder, I was pretty sure it was her, and DEFINITELY sure by the time I finished the second draft.

What was your favorite scene to write in the series?

My favorite scene actually takes place in Book 4: WINTER, so I obviously can't tell you much about it. But I've had the idea from really early on, and I can see this scene so clearly in my head. A lot of chapters end up having a movie-like feel to them in my head, but this one really felt like watching a movie when I wrote it. I only hope my writing can do it justice so the readers experience it the same way!

Did you have to delete any scenes? What were some alternative character names?

Ha! I have entirely deleted DRAFTS! Two major characters have changed their names. Captain Carswell Thorne was originally Alexander Woods (but Woods and Wolf were too similar and I kept getting them mixed up), and Princess Winter was originally Princess Ebony (but that was before I realized she was black, at which point the name Ebony just seemed like a cliche). Oh, and when I was naming Cress, I spent about twenty minutes wanting to call her Arugula, lol.

Hey Guys!!

I know that I've really sucked at posting in the last few months... this summer has been very busy.. I've been out camping a lot and haven't had any wifi in order to post. Now that I'm finally home, I thought I would post a few things within the next few days!! Here are the books coming out in July and August!!

BOOK REVIEW: The Heir

Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you something.
I have a rule for authors that none of them obviously follow, since... none of them probably know me. But this rule is-
If you keep continuing a series that you already said was finished, the rest of the books are going to suck.
After reading The Heir, I still stand by my rule. However, I am willing to make a few exceptions. There were some parts that, in fact, sucked, and some that did not suck. Here is a list: 

Things that Sucked

Eadlyn.  

When reading some other reviews on Goodreads prior to picking up this book, I found that Eadlyn, the main character, was receiving a lot of hate. However, when I first started reading it, I really, really admired her. Almost more than I admired America. (Let's be honest, most times America got on my nerves. I basically only read The One so I could gobble up the parts with Maxon.) America was okay, she was tolerable. But she was so indecisive about everything that it drove me CRAZY. Eadlyn knew what she wanted, and she was determined to get it by herself. Finally! My inside happiness screamed, Some girl power!!! She had spunk and bravery and I thought everything was going well.

Until things started sucking. There are many problems with Eadlyn, mostly:

Books Coming Out This Month

End of Days by Susan Ee
Release Date: May 12th 

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly , Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

The Heir {Fanfiction Part 1}

The Heir

A Fanfiction by Sarah Calvert

Disclaimer: This is merely a fan fiction. All rights to the Selection series go to Kiera Cass. Please note that I was not aware of the name of the boy she will fall for so I MADE ONE UP. I have no clue how The Heir will go whatsoever and this is from my own crazy brain. Thank you and please enjoy the story :) 

Part Three of The One Fanfiction

Hey guys!! As promised, here is the third and final part to The One Fanfiction [original series by Kiera Cass.] I do not own any of the copyrights to the Selection Series, all of the rights go to Kiera Cass. If you have not read the at least the first two books, please, do NOT read my Fanfictions.  *** IF YOU REPOST, PLEASE GIVE ME CREDIT. ANY UNAUTHORIZED USE IS CONSIDERED PLAGIARISM. Thank you. Don't miss out on my fan fiction for The Heir, coming out on April 23rd!

Also, if you missed out on Part One and Part Two:

Part One

Part Two

Enjoy!

XOXO

Sarah

Part Three

The first thing I think after the gunshot is how odd Maxon sounds. His screams sound like a tortured animal, like someone ripped his heart out and crushed it.

The second thing I find odd is the fact that I don’t feel any pain. None at all, not even pain where blood should be blossoming from my chest. I don’t feel like I am slipping into an abyss of endless darkness, either.

That’s when I feel arms engulf me, holding me as delicately as glass. I pry open my eyes to see Maxon above me, his eyes wide and rimmed with red. Yet he doesn’t look worried. He does not call for help. “America, darling. You aren’t dying. He didn’t shoot you. He didn’t shoot you,” he insists.

That’s when I realize that it is not his body shaking, but mine. I feel extremely cold, with drops of sweat dripping down my forehead. I try to open my mouth to reply, but it feels like it has been glued shut.

“He didn’t shoot you, America. You’re fine. You’re alive.”

Then, another face appears above me, next to Maxon’s. Their expression is a mix of relief and amusement.

Aspen.

“Is he dead?” Maxon asks him.

“Yeah,” Aspen replies, crouching down next to me. “Are you alright, Mer? You look a little pale.”

Is he dead? The words echo in my thoughts and finally realization comes to me. The gunshot was not from the rebel. It was from Aspen.

Aspen shot the rebel.

Aspen saved my life.

Maxon seems to realize this fact the same moment that I do. “Thank you,” he tells him, turning his head so they are looking eye to eye. “I thought I hated you after I realized you were with her, but now I am forever in your debt. You saved the only thing in the world that matters to me. I can see now how you were able to steal her heart.”

“Her heart has been stolen,” Aspen agrees. “But I am not the thief.” Then he leans down and kisses me on the forehead. “I love you, Mer. But I can see the truth now. And it’s okay,” he whispers in my ear.

I kiss his cheek, softly. He stands and sends me a grin that once made my heart fly. Now, it simply makes it smile. “I need to go, Your Highness,” he says, turning to Maxon. “You will be safe now.” Maxon nods, giving him permission to leave.

He does, and the door closes quietly behind him, leaving me alone with Maxon.

He is the first to speak. “Are you alright? I was certain you were just going into shock, but you look so pale…”

“Yes.” My voice comes out hoarse, and I clear my throat. “I’m fine, thank you.”

There is silence for a few moments, apart from the quiet, ragged breathing coming from his chest. Then he finds his voice again. “I thought I’d lost you,” he chokes out, and I look up to see that his eyes are filling with tears. “When I heard the gunshot, I assumed that… I thought..” he swallows, unable to finish his sentence. Some of his tears fall onto my own cheeks, and his embrace around me tightens. “You never know how much you love someone until you lose them,” he whispers. “I love you, America. If I ever lost you again… there are no words to describe the agonies of a breaking heart.”

“Maxon,” I whisper, stroking his face, but he shakes his head, interrupting me.

“I love you. I do not deserve to love you. A simple caste, a simple title, a simple ranking, can not define the value of a human soul. And yours is much lovelier than mine. You have an exquisitely beautiful soul, and there is nothing more that I would want than for our souls to be joined forever, so I never have to lose you again without losing myself. America Singer, will you marry me?”

The words are barely out of his mouth before I’m kissing him. Our mouths blend together, two souls that will never again be separated. I kiss him more tenderly, more passionately, than any person has ever been kissed. Our tears mix, becoming one wave of water as I fix him, and he fixes me.

The truth is that someone is never made fully whole until they finally find the person who fills in the holes.

Maxon is fixing me, mending me, and sewing me back together, one kiss at a time. And though a word is never uttered, it passes through us: through his lips, through mine, through the scars on his back and the scars on my heart, through both of our tears, through his hands around me and through my hands in his hair.

One word, over and over, never to be erased.

Yes.

Books Coming Out In April

Sorry that this is a little bit late. We still have half of the month left, right? Enjoy!

An Ember In the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir 
Release Date: April 28th 

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself. 

Interview With Heather Dixon

Today I interviewed one of my favorite authors of all time, Heather Dixon. I find it sad that she doesn't have all the fame she deserves. I absolutely adored her book, Entwined. (You guys must have liked the review, it is the second most popular review on this blog!) Anyway, check out the interview and watch the trailer for her new book, Illusionarium, out this May!

NOTE: She is extremely gorgeous and could cause fainting, squealing, evil pangs of jealousy, shattered mirrors, crying, or obsessed staring at this screen for several hours.