Rockin' Contest Winners

First, I want to thank everyone who entered. I really didn't expect to get as many entries as I did, so I'm very grateful to you all. (P.S. the landslide was very much in Puck's favor, so he's off tormenting Ash with that information. I expect to see him fleeing for his life any minute now.)

Anyway, the Random Number Generator has spoken and the numbers were:

4o
22
and 97

Which means, I have three winners! They are, in order:

sharonluvscats
April
Senfaye


Woohoo! Congrats you three; I'll be contacting you for information on where to send your rocks. Thanks again to everyone who participated. Looks like no one gets to be a hedgehog after all. ;)

WoW limmerick: Rise of Renegade X

Ahhhh, superheroes. They hold a special place in my heart. I'm a huge, geeky fan of Spiderman, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Batman, Deadpool, ect. ect. ect. So of course, any book with a teenaged superhero/villian gets my full attention. So here's this week's WoW, brought to you in limmerick form.





The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell

Sixteen year old Damien Locke
Is from Supervillian Mastermind stock.
So its a horrible bother
When a superhero father
Insists on a deep heart-to-heart talk.

P.S. I LOVELOVELOVE the cover

Teaser Tuesday

This IRON KING teaser was inspired by Liyana of Liyanaland, who wanted to see more about Ash and Puck. So, here it is, in all its Ash and Puck-y goodness:


"Very clever," Puck said, smirking. "But then, you were always the strategist, weren't you? What do you want, Ash?"

"Your head," Ash answered softly, "on a pike."


Your turn, now. Grab your current read, open it to a random page, and post a quick, non-spoilery sentence. Bonus points for some kind of fight scene, I love those. :)

A Very Faery Interview with The Story Siren

And here we are again, with another Very Faery Interview. This week, we have the famous Kristi of The Story Siren joining us today. Per normal, I’ve allowed three characters from my book, The Iron King, to conduct the interview. (Just a reminder, Meghan is the half-faery/half-human protagonist, Puck/Robin Goodfellow is her best friend, and Ash is the son of Queen Mab of the Unseelie Court.) Meghan, Ash, and Puck, take it away.


Meghan: Hi Kristi! Wow, you have over 800 followers on your blog! Can you tell us a little about how you got into blogging in the first place? How long have you been doing this, and who has been your inspiration?

I know, 800 some followers! I still can’t believe it, it’s so out of this world, in my opinion, but very awesome.

I sort of fell into blogging. I don’t have an exciting story to tell about it, it’s actually pretty lame. I used to have a personal blog, and that was actually really boring. I’m not an interesting person at all. I did a few book “reviews” on there, every once in a while. That part was actually fun. I’ve always been an insane reader. Hitting the library up once a week, reading like a crazy person. Put two and two together, and wham you’ve got a book blog.

Puck: What would you rather have over for tea; a glaistig or a kelpie?
Author: *burying face in hands* Puck …
Puck: What? She’s a Siren, its right there on her blog. A Siren is a water monster that lures sailors overboard to drown. She should know these things.
Author: Ask another question.
Puck: Nope! I wanna know. So, Kristi: glaistig or kelpie? (Hint: they both like luring humans underwater.)

I personally know a glaistig and a kelpie and honstely, I wouldn’t have either over for tea. They are so very boring and competitive, always talking numbers. I’m really not that interested in hearing about the hot guys that they’ve recently seduced and, well, ultimately devoured. But you know, glaistigs do have better table manners.

Puck: Not the ones I know.

Ash: Everyone has favorite heroes, but who are your favorite YA villains? Has there been a villain that creeped you out, scared you so much you couldn’t read the book at night, or made you wish you could jump into the book just to knock them out?

Oh, what an awesome question! ... that I have no idea how to answer! Let’s see here...

Scary villain wise, I would have to vote for the Vours, from The Devouring. I’m not even sure what those things are, but they scare the crap out of me. SCARY!

Meghan: I love your big rottie, Xander! Where did you get him, what are his best tricks, and is there something he does that you just want to brag about? Also, has he ever eaten any of your books?

He came from a breeder in southern Indiana, right outside of Lousiville. I’ve always wanted a Rottie, but I wanted to make sure I got one from a well respected breeder. Xander’s dad was actually a service dog! So that’s why he’s so smart. He gets really upset that every rottie portrayed in the media is usually ripping someone or something to shreds. Xander isn’t like that at all.

He can pick up his own toys. And he does. He also thinks he is a lap dog even though he weighs more than I do. He loves to go swimming and hang out with his cousins, Tia and Toben. He’s also a bed and cover hog! He will be three on Sept. 29!

He has never eaten any of my books! He knows better.

Puck: Okay, you’ve built a castle with a deep moat around it to protect your books from … uh … the terrible Book Burning army that is on its way. What do you put in the moat? (Notice how all my questions are water based.)

Sharks with frickin’ lazer beams attached to their heads. HA! Did anyone else get that? Or am I just that lame. But really I’m going to go with the sharks with the lazer beams.

Puck: We don’t have any sharks with lazer beams. We do have … sea bass. And they're irritable.

Ash: If you go back in time to when you first started your blog, what advice would you give your younger self?

Just be yourself, you can’t make everyone like you. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Stand up for what you believe in, don’t be afraid to hurt someone’s feelings or make them mad... que number one again... you can’t make everyone like you!

Most importantly: HAVE FUN!

Meghan: Tell us five things about yourself.

1. I am an aries
2. I have two younger sisters.
3. I’ve delivered a puppy, a lamb and a calf.
4. I’ve never broken a bone or had a cavity.
5. I love to play board games.

Puck: What character are you most like in Disney’s The Little Mermaid? Ariel, Flounder, Sebastian, Scuttle, Ursula, Triton, Max, ect…

I’d say Sebastian. Despite how I come across sometimes.. I’m a very mature and responsible person. HA! No really I am. I’m very responsible. But yet at the same time I have a huge soft spot. I like people to be happy and help make people happy. Just like Sebastian.

Ash: The Zombie Apocalypse has struck. The undead are filling the streets and beating down your doors. You must flee, but you can only take three things with you. What are they?

1. J (my hunka hunka burnin’ love)
2. Xander
3. Probably a knife too.... or a baseball bat.

(Of course I’m going to assume the Zombies have no interest in my books, just my brains, so they will be safe for the time being.)


Author: Thanks, Kristi, for your patience, I mean participation. Is there anything you’d like to ask Meghan, Ash, or Puck?

If you had to live your life as an animal, what would it be and why?

Meghan: Ummm, I’m told I’m loyal, feisty, and stubborn, so maybe a terrier of some sort? I could live inside and do nothing but play and eat and get petted. Not a bad life, if you ask me.

Puck: A raven, because they’re smart and crafty, and can fly away if things get too rough. And I could sit on telephone poles and drop things on people walking underneath.

Ash: I’ve always admired the wolf’s strength and ability to survive, even in the harshest climates. So I’d probably go with wolf.

Puck: A wolf? Really? Cause I was thinking more … wild boar. Bristly, bad-tempered, unpredictable? Really stink—uh oh. Get away, ice-boy. No fair using swords! Meghan, help!

Meghan: I don’t know why you keep provoking him if you know he’s going to do that.


Want to know more about Meghan and the boys from THE IRON KING? Visit my website at www.juliekagawa.com

WoW in limmerick!

I was going to do a WoW post today, but there are already so many WoW posts citing so many cool books, and I wanted to do something different. So, today's Waiting on Wednesday will be brought to you ... in limmerick form!




Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

There once was a human named Nora
who by most accounts seemed a bore-a.
Then she meets sexy Patch,
but there's always a catch;
He's an angel who's bad to the core-a.




Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

There once was a witty young gent
who played the 'loyal best friend' in Lament.
Now he must choose
between his best friend and Muse
before the King of the Dead collects rent.



Huh, that was kind of fun. Maybe I'll do all my WoW posts like that. What are you guys looking forward to?

Teaser Tuesday

I've decided to post a small, one (or two or three) sentence teaser from the upcoming THE IRON KING every Tuesday until ... whenever I get tired of doing them. :D So, here's today's teaser. Hope you enjoy.

But, for a split second, I saw Angie covering her nose with her hands, and her screams were sounding more and more like the squeals of a pig.


Now its your turn. Grab your current read, open it to a page, and post a (non-spoilery) sentence. (I'm totally stealing this idea from The Book Pixie. Hope that's okay.) :)

Until next time...

A Very Faery Interview with The Page Flipper

A Very Faery Interview with The Page Flipper.

We’re back (didja miss us?) with another Very Faery Interview, this time with the awesome Chelsea of The Page Flipper. Rules are simple: have fun, say whatever comes to mind, and no turning hapless bloggers into animals, vegetables, or minerals. *Glares at Puck.* Other than that, anything goes. Meghan, Ash, Puck; its all yours.


Meghan: Hi Chelsea! I hear you’re a writer too. Tell us a little about your writing. What’s your story about? How far along are you? Do you write everyday?

Hi Meghan! I sure am. I try and write every day, but I’d be lying if I said I made that goal 365 times a year. But, hey, it’s just a little while lie. So, erm, yes. Right now, on my WIP, I’m around 15,000 words, and it’s a paranormal, edgy tale. It has two smexy boys that I’m decidedly obsessed with, although ones kind of, you know, viciously evil. But whatevs. Most of what I write is supernatural or fantasy based, but I branch off into a lot of other genres, just like I do with my reading.


Puck: What kind of supernatural boyfriend/love-interest/stalker would you not mind having?

Does Jensen Ackles from Supernatural count? He’s not supernatural himself, but he’s close enough to it that I’m definitely thinking it should count. *drools* But, if you’re crabby and want to deprive me of Jensen, I’ll go with Jace from the Mortal Instruments series. I’m thinking he’ll do. Oh! Or Spike from Buffy. He can stalk me any day. Can I just have all three? Go polygamy!


Ash: What has been the best and worst part of blogging?

The best part is talking about books with other readers. I’ve made a lot of great friendships through this, both online and in person – book bloggers (and readers in general) have this type of kinship we can all relate to. It’s great. The worst part is the time it takes to keep it current and active. Sometimes I’m forced to stop myself from ogling boys to write a review, and that’s just depressing. I wish I had one of Hermione’s Time Turners or something. But other than that, I absolutely love book blogging.


Meghan: If you could bring any one character out of a book into the real world, who would it be?

Hmm. You! (brownie points?) You can come with Jackie Faber from Bloody Jack and we can have a paaaarty! It’ll be fun, eh?


Puck: Soooo, you’re a writer, eh? Quick, use these words in a sentence: purple, roller coaster, lemonade, socks, flinging/flung, elephant, Edward Cullen.

Edward Cullen, moping as usual, was being dragged to the circus. Again. Carlisle has a very awkward and irrational love of clowns, so these secret “hunting” trips have been happening frequently for the past hundred years. He grudgingly follows the path to the entrance, passing lemonade and cotton candy stands without interest. An elephant off to the right was flinging a group of midgets up into the air with his trunk, each of them catching on to a beam. There was a roller coaster off to the left, and it snaked into a giant fake gorilla’s open mouth, flashing lights coming from inside. Ringling Brothers has this place pretty decked out, and if he hadn’t seen it all before, he probably wouldn’t be gagging. His nausea induced, though, he missed Carlisle running over to talk to the Head Clown, whose purple hat was docked on his head two feet high, and had polka-dotted socks sticking out of his giant clown shoes. This would all be so much easier if he didn’t have to hear Carlisle’s creepy clowntastic thoughts.

And holy crap, I just saw the word “sentence” up there. You wanted that all in ONE sentence, Puck? After I just wrote that whole thing? Negative. I’m cheating. Besides, I think you changed it after I was 2/3 of the way through. I’m on to you, trickster.

Puck: Uh oh. I’m becoming too transparent.

Ash: Who are some of your favorite authors? And if you could spend an hour talking to any author you wanted, dead or alive, who would it be?

I love everything by Laurie Halse Anderson, and she’d definitely be my hour-long conversationalist. I’d probably spontaneously combust from excitement, though. Eek. Chelsea bits everywhere! But I also love Meg Cabot, L.A. Meyer, Scott Westerfeld, Mary Pearson, Suzanne Collins, and countless others. These are all authors who have several books I’ve enjoyed, but there are a ton of debut authors whose writing and storytelling give me goosebumps.


Meghan: Reading is great because you get to travel wherever the book takes you. But, if you could go anywhere in the world, regardless of time or money, where would you go?

Dangerous question. I’ll just pick the entirety of Europe. I really want to go to Scotland, Paris, England, Rome – the whole works. I really, really want to travel one day.


Puck: What flavor Skittle are you? Also, what is better: Skittles or Jelly Belly? Also, what flavor Jelly Belly do you hate? (I can’t stand the popcorn ones. Popcorn is fluffy, people!)

Are you kidding? Skittles rock. Stupid Jelly Belly’s don’t know their place. I’d be orange, too, because, um, it tastes the best? I’ve heard they all taste the same if you plug your nose, though, but I think it’s a load of crap. Want to test it for me?

Puck: Sure! Hey, Ash, plug your nose.

Ash: *Glares, draws sword.*

Ash: And now we come to the zombie question. The Zombie Apocalypse has arrived. The undead are beating down your doors and you must flee to safety, but you can only take three things with you. What are they?

Is the safety relative, or true? Because those would be completely different answers. If we’re truly free of the zombies, I won’t need my arsenal of guns, now, will I? We’ll assume safety.
1) My battlecat, Kringer.
2) My laptop (“safety” better have internet)
3) Buffy the Vampire Slayer boxed set.

Bring it on, zombies.
Puck: *Eyes Ash.* She has a gun arsenal?
Ash: Hn. I like her.

Thanks, Chelsea, for the interview. Before we go, is there anything you’d like to ask Meghan, Ash, or Puck?

Thank you. And to any of you – what’s your favorite movie, from any era? If you three can pester your author into answering, too, I’d be tickled.

Meghan: I love horror movies of any type. I couldn’t pick just one, but I like especially Halloween (the first one), Twenty-Eight Days Later (speedy zombies!), and The Grudge.

Puck: I love all the Midsummer’s Night Dreams, for obvious reasons.

Ash: I like anything with sword fights, particularly those by the mortal Kirosawa. I can appreciate the mindset of the human samurai.

Author: Oh, I can’t pick a favorite. I do love all the Miyazaki films, particularly Princess Mononoki, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Puck: Julie likes cartoons.

Author: Shut up, Puck.