Announcement and Giveaway!

Hi everyone!
Wow almost the end of August already and I just realized that I have not update over month! I was super busy with life and work! So to celebrate September, I'll be hosting for a back-to-school giveaway! I'm still pretty new at this, but I want to thank my followers for all the support and patient with my inconsistent update! I will have everything figure out by the weekend. hopefully! As you may have notice, I am renovating the website, if anyone can help me make a banner that would be awesome!

Anyways, I'll be leaving on a 2 weeks trip with a flight of 13 hours to and back. I am planning to get a novel to read on the plane. Please recommend me good story that can entertain me for 13 hours! =)

Thank you so much!

xWish

Review - Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #1)

Picture from Chapters. ca

Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi

Format: Hardcover (387 pages)

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: January 3rd 2012

Rating: 5/5

Source: Library Loan
Get a Copy at: Chapters | Amazon  | Barnes & Nobles












Summary from Goodreads:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

What I think:

When I started this book, I was a bit skeptical about the quality of writing. However, after a few chapters, I was hooked! The beginning was slow, I have to admit, but with a lot of twists in events, this story is very captivating.

The character development was fascinating with the main character, Cinder. However, I wish the author goes more in depth with Peony. Although Peony is such a dreamer, that she is annoying at times, you can't help be love her. As for Andri and Pearl, I dislike them but in a way like how they make Cinder's characters. However, the main issue I have with this story is that the name given to certain character is not very original or matched the character background. Prince Kaito (Kai), really?! This is such as Japanese origin name and not anything of "New Beijing".

Anyways, the end of the story was a big cliffhanger that is making me want to read the next installment. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ`☆､｡･:*:･ﾟ`★*｡･:*:･ﾟ`☆､｡･:*:･ﾟ`★*｡

Quotes:

• “Imagine there was a cure, but finding it would cost you everything. It would completely ruin your life. What would you do?”  

• “Vanity is a factor, but it is more a question of control. It is easier to trick others into perceiving you as beautiful if you can convince yourself you are beautiful. But mirrors have an uncanny way of telling the truth.” 

｡･:*:･ﾟ`☆､｡･:*:･ﾟ`★*｡･:*:･ﾟ`☆､｡･:*:･ﾟ`★*｡

About Marissa Meyer

Website | Blog | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog A Quote [1]

Blog A Quote is hosted by Michelle Chew Writes.
Each week, a quote from one of my favorite books will be blogged.
Usually, this is done on Monday, the start of a new week,
but it can be done any day of the week =)

Quote of the Week:

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Picture from Goodreads

"Love: a single word, a wispy thing, a word no bigger or longer than an edge. That's what it is: an edge; a razor. It draws up through the center of your life, cutting everything in two. Before and after. The rest of the world falls away on either side." 

I love Delirium! Honestly, a must read!

Get a copy: Chapters | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Author Interview: Larissa Hinton, Author of Everblossom

Hi everyone! Today I have Larissa Hinton, author of Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology for an interview. Everblossom was released last year in November 23rd, 2011 and it is available in both Kindle formal and Paperback. You can find out more here

1. When did you first start writing?

I started writing at the ripe age of 12. At first, I wrote poems because of my lovely English teacher decided that we should write poems and from then on, I fell in love with poetry. The writing bug really bit me a year later when the movie of Nickelodeon movie, Clock Stoppers came out. I thought the movie was going to be horrible, so I decided that I would write a novel that would be better than the movie. Needless to say, my book wasn't as good as the move but I didn't care. I love writing and nothing else mattered. Thus my obsession with writing begun.

2. What music do you listen to when you write?

Actually, I don't listen to music when I write. The reason I don't listen to music is because it distracts me from writing. My favorite genre is electronic dance. So every time I listen to it (especially Cascada or Rhianna's Please Don't Stop the Music) I want to dance instead of write. So it's more of a hindrance instead of a help.  

3. Tell us about Everblossom

Everblossom: A Short Sort and Poetry Anthology is a collection of short stories and poems that explore the three stages of a flower that correlates to the human different stages of life but with a paranormal and fantasy twist. Here's more information about it in the blurb:

An anthology that will quench your thirst for more than the ordinary.

Everblossom is a journey through poems and short stories that may seem ordinary on the surface but dig a little deeper and the world not only shifts . . . It changes.

The author who brought you Iwishacana/Acanawishi, now brings you a dash of everything from dark fantasy to the paranormal to romance. So prepare yourself to delve into the three stages of the flower from bud to blossom then back to seed; you'll go through them all with a whole new perspective on what it all truly means.

Oh, and one of the poems, In Death You Speak, it was inspired by boredom in class. I was sitting in one of the English Literature classes listening to them drone on and on about something, so I wrote a poem instead of listening. J I know. I'm horrible. A-soon-to-be English teacher not paying attention in an English classroom? Shocker.

4.  Are you currently working on a project? 

 

Yes! It's called Angel Diaries which is a YA paranormal romance novel. Here's a sneak peek of the rough blurb:

Lindsey's life couldn't have been any more ordinary. So, she had two guys fighting over her, a psychic friend and a school dominated by Goths  but, other than that, life was good. That is until horrible nightmares start about her mother being ripped apart by a monster changed her life from the inside out. Literally. Her whole world was full of lies. She's not even human. She's an Angel.

5. What do you feel as your greatest accomplishment as a writer?

Saying goodbye to traditional publishing limitations and inquiries. Releasing myself from their validation. It's absolute freedom to say goodbye to traditional publishing. Not for good, but not using someone else's measurements of success or great writing to say that I'm a great writer and I don't need your validation. All I need is to write and find my own audience my own way through self-publishing. That's my greatest accomplishment and one of the best damn decisions I've ever made. 

6. What is the most difficult thing about being a writer? What is the easiest thing?

The easiest thing about writing is coming up with the ideas. I come up with new ideas practically every day I take a step outside. Now the hardest part about writing is putting your idea on paper and making it come across right. Especially for a novel. It's a long journey from the first page until the last and to make sure it's projecting the idea from cover to cover from word to word is the most difficult part. As a writer, you have to be consistent, persistent, and have excellent time management to be able to complete a novel with style, grace and be sane. Seriously. Ask some writers if they haven't pulled their hair out over a story that just wouldn't translate from their brain onto the paper right. Ah, the makings of a novel. 

7. Any advice for writers?

The first piece of advice I would give to an newbie writer is to never give up. I really cannot stress this enough to writers. It seems like defeat is fate for writers. Traditional publishers and agents are dishing out rejection slips as if it's the new hottest trends. Self-publishing seems like giving up on your dreams altogether. But reconsidering your options, doing research on your plans in publishing and joining a support writing group makes all the difference. Throughout your writing career, just remember to never give up. Never give up and believe in your talent, and from there you'll know where to go.

8. Anything you want to say to your readers?

To my readers, I have to say you are the driving force behind my writing. You are the people I am so grateful for and I hope that you will find time to read my books and love them just as much as I do. And if you do love them to pieces, then please express and share your love in reviewing my books online! That is all the thanks I need at the end of the day. 

Thank You for stopping by, Larissa =)

More info about Larissa Hinton, please click on the links below

Goodreads | Blog | Twitter