Debut Authors Bash!

Today, I have a special post! I got the chance to interview MINDEE ARNETT, guys! She is amazing! I loved her debut, The Nightmare Affair and can't wait to check out her upcoming book, Avalon! So, here we go!

Interview:
What did you do to celebrate your debut release?
With a valium and a shot of whiskey. Just kidding. Release day was super busy and stressful.
I did a very last minute tv spot and then had my launch “party” that evening in the midst of a 7-
inch snow storm. Good times. So instead of a big celebration, I celebrate every little thing, like
finishing a first draft, an edit, and so on. Usually this involves sushi and afterward some kind of
chocolate, preferably in cake form.

I can see from your sophomore book that you expanded your genre a bit- why is that? Did the
story just come out unexpectedly?
I’ve always had an all-encompassing love of fantasy and science fiction, so for me it’s not so
much of an expansion as simply the next story I had to tell. And after the sci-fi I’m planning a
high fantasy.

Who is your inspiration in writing?
I can’t say there really is a single person who inspired my writing. The inspiration for me is
simply a love of story. But some of the authors who have influenced me early on include
Jennifer Roberson, Roald Dahl, Stephen King, and J.K. Rowling. These days I’m inspired by the
likes of Laini Taylor and Maggie Stiefvater.

Any author friends that were just awesome?(Haha, I should have said which authors.)
All of my author friends are awesome!

Did you always want to be a writer? Jobs that you did in your teen years :)
Yes, I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I think there might even be hard
evidence to back this up in my “career exploration” homework assignments from grade school.
As a teen I worked a lot of different jobs. My very first one was as a horseback riding trail guide.
I also shelved books at the library, cleaned stalls, and waited tables.

Amazing song that you just heard and fell in love with?
Probably my favorite new song is Below My Feet by Mumford and Sons. It’s kind of my “feel
better” song. There’s something very soothing and uplifting about it.

Are you a pantser( I don't know if I spelled that right!) or planner?
I’m a pantser who likes to stop and ask for directions. I’m absolutely incapable of outlining,
but when I’m drafting I don’t just completely wing-it either. When you’re writing a novel, there
a million different choices you can make from chapter to chapter, scene to scene. I generally
follow my gut instinct on these choices, but I always stop long enough to ask myself why this is
a good decision. Doing that helps me keep the story on track and headed in the right direction.

Farthest place you traveled? Places that you want to go to?
The farthest I’ve ever been is Puerto Rico. The place I want to visit the most would definitely be
the UK. I was an English Lit major, and I’m a bit obsessed with British tv (Doctor Who, Sherlock)
and literature.

What's your favorite food?
Sushi and Mexican are my two favs.

Favorite color?
Blue. I particularly love the shade for The Nightmare Dilemma.

Why young adult?
There’s definitely nothing easier about young adult, as compared to adult or even to middle
grade. Story-telling is tough all the way around. But my favorite thing about writing young adult
is how much freedom I have in terms of genre and content. I’m not sure that if I had started
out writing for adults that I would’ve been able to have both a paranormal and a science fiction
series happening at the same time. But YA is a very embracive category and not so hung up on
genre lines.

Thanks for a great interview!

Thank you, Mindee for a spectacular interview! You were an awesome interviewee :)

Now for the giveaway!

Giveaway:

There will be a total of THREE winners! Grand prize winner will receive a signed hardcover of The Nightmare Affair + swag. 2 runner-ups will win a swag pack!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All Our Yesterdays: Review

Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn't happened yet. 

Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture - being kept apart, overhearing each other's anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There's no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It's from her future self and contains some simple but very clear instructions. Em must travel back in time to avert a tragedy that's about to unfold. Worse, she has to pursue and kill the boy she loves to change the future.




I'm utterly speechless after finishing this book. I mean, this author was just an amazing writer and plotter. I'll just get right into it.

We first are introduced with Em. And let me tell you, she was the perfect character in my head. Bad-ass, funny to an extent, and humane, the most important part. Like the summary says, Em is indeed locked in a cell. And indeed, Finn( the most adorable love interest ever) was in the cell next to her.

Let me backtrack a little bit. The summary absolutely gave me no hint to what this book would be about. Besides time-travel. Other than that, though, I was clueless. Maybe I'm just stupid and couldn't grasp the meaning of the summary, but I just didn't understand it all that well. However, after I finished the first, oh 150 pages, I understood about 80% of it. In other words, I went into this book blind( practically).


And, actually, I very much enjoyed going into this book blind. I rarely ever do that, and it was fun to try to put pieces together.( I did that alot, putting pieces together.)

The plot of this book is so good, especially for a debut. I mean, how did you become such an amazing writer? Can I take them skills from you?


Okay, I was just trying to use that gif there. But, seriously, just because of the amazing plot( and perhaps Finn), I immediately finished this book. I regret nothing.

I'm going to attempt to talk about the characters again. Like I said, I loved Em. I didn't like Marina. At all. She was a good person, she really was. But, she was spoiled, not even joking. She pitied herself alot. Complained alot. Just everything bugged me about her. Sure, I get that you're in love with a boy who doesn't really love you back, but you're that bad? I just didn't like hated her, okay?

James. I just have almost nothing to say about him. Sure, he was a significant part of this story, but I just didn't really pay attention to him.( I was too busy paying attention to Finn.) He is actually a huge part of this story, but after about 200 pages in, I just stopped noticing him. At least until the ending,which I'm saying nothing about, except that it is sad.

FINN. I have a billion things to say about him including all the nicest adjectives and the use of hot. But, I'll skip right past all that boring stuff, and go straight to his personality...

 Oh gosh, can't I find a single word to describe his personality? Umm...definitely sweet. Brave. Sweet again. Caring. EHNFNKJJNSFLMDKL I can't think straight with him. He just makes me feel all bubbly inside.

Moving on, this was an incredible take on realistic time-travel, cute romance, and an epic plot! Make sure to pick this up!

Eleanor & Park: Review

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.














This book...I have no words even after waiting a week to try to come up with a brilliant review that will match the book itself. But no, I don't see that happening. I'm also in a huge reading rut after finishing it, if that will convince you to read it.


We have our two characters, Eleanor and Park. Both a bit weird and different, but overall, pretty normal. Eleanor was hilarious to put it simply. I smiled and laughed out loud alot. Her witty comments and just her plain difference just really related out to me. And I swear to you, that I did not once want to smack her. That is how awesome she was. I almost always want to smack a  character.

Park was...I almost don't what to say about him. He was sweet( not at first). Funny when he wanted to be. But, I think the thing that stood out to the most was that he was the perfect match for Eleanor. They were completely different, and yet,...perfect for each other.

However, it's not all about the characters( well, not fully). What was so completely incredible about this book was the romance. Just...gosh. Everything about it made me want a romance like it, because it was sweet and real and full of love. Made me laugh and cry and want and wish. It made me feel.


I have to give credit to the writing too. Rowell has the writing to make me feel. Her writing actually has  nothing especially different about it, just that it is simple. And yet, it contains so much truthfulness about it that it makes me feel everything...every raw emotion.

Obviously, this book was awesome. You must read it. Now. Okay, whenever you can get your hands on it. Then read.