lady of magick blog tour: author interview & giveaway

Today at Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia I’m interviewing Sylvia Izzo Hunter, author of (the absolutely fantastic debut) The Midnight Queen and its follow-up Lady of Magick. These books are my version of bookish catnip - completely irresistible, lovely, and smart all in one go. Check out the end of the post for your chance to win a copy of Lady of Magick!

Sylvia Izzo Hunter was born in Calgary, Alberta, back in the days before Star Wars, and started making up stories at approximately the time she learned to talk. A couple of decades ago she moved to Toronto, Ontario, where she now lives with her husband and daughter and their slightly out-of-control collections of books, comics, and DVDs. She studied English and French literature (with a particular focus on medieval and Renaissance poetry and drama) at York University; she has since discovered that her mom was right: in order to be a functioning grown-up, you really do need to know how to do math.

Over the course of her working life Sylvia has been a slinger of tacos, a filer of patient charts and answerer of phones, a freelance looker-up of unconsidered trifles, an Orff-singing stage monk, and an exam tutor, but has mostly worked in not-for-profit scholarly publishing, where she started out making lots of photocopies and now gets to make XML and EPUB files (which is more fun). She also sings in two choirs (including the Orpheus Choir of Toronto), reads as much as possible, knits (mostly hats), and engages in experimental baking.

Sylvia’s favourite Doctor is Tom Baker, her favourite pasta shape is rotini, and her favourite Beethoven symphony is the Seventh.

What was the most surprising/strange thing you learned while doing research for The Midnight Queen?

OK, given the cover of the book, hopefully it's not spoilery to say there's an owl in it? Anyway there's an owl, so I did some research on owls generally, and on this particular type of owl -- it's a Great Grey Owl, Strix nebulosa lapponica; the owl on the cover I'm pretty sure is a barn owl, but isn't it beautiful? -- so I would have a clue about things like its wingspan, what its various calls sound like, how big it is, and so on. And wow, SO MUCH of an owl is just feathers! Inside the feathers, an owl's body is kind of a stereotypical vulture shape, with the switchbacked neck. It's a bit disconcerting actually.

Who do you think is the perfect/ideal/likely reader for your books?

Hmm. Good question! Well, I think you're likely to enjoy them if you like your fantasy to have some romance in it, and your romance to have some fantasy in it; if you enjoy the occasional explosion, but also enjoy watching a story unfold at a more leisurely pace; and if you like your historical novels to take a quite creative approach to history...

Also, this book isn't categorized as YA, but I think any YA reader who can enjoy Jane Austen might also like The Midnight Queen [and Lady of Magick]. The youngest reader of TMQ that I know of so far is twelve. She had some Serious Questions for me about my use of Greek and Roman mythology.

What is one fantasy novel I absolutely must read?

Well, I could make a lot of recommendations, but if I had to pick just one: you absolutely must read Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold. The setting is based on mediaeval Spain, the protagonist is a 40-year-old widow whose family keeps trying to protect her from herself, and it's got fighting, sorcery, explosions, cunning plans, romance, trickery, and a god with a naughty sense of humour. And it's Bujold, so you know every sentence, every word in fact, is right where it should be.

I see that you read a lot of SFF YA. What's one recent YA book that you wish had been around when you were a teenager?

Wow, so many! (I do wish I'd known about Tamora Pierce's early books when I was a teenager: way better role models than Piers Anthony!) But I'm going to pick Holly Black's Faerie books, and particularly the middle one, Valiant, which is about seeing past the surfaces of people, including yourself.

If you could host a dinner for fictional literary characters, who would you invite, and what would you serve?

So first I'm going to pretend that I'm not really, really shy IRL, and could actually do this thing. OK … Go!

I would definitely invite some people from Jane Austen's Persuasion: Anne, Frederick, and Admiral and Mrs. Croft. (And I would beg, borrow, or steal a piano so that Anne could play it and we could all sing.) Also, I would have Miles and Ekaterin and Aral and Cordelia and Ivan from Bujold's Vorkosigan books, and of course Ista dy Chalion from Paladin of Souls. I would very much like to have Will Laurence and Temeraire from Naomi Novik's Temeraire books, but I'm already not sure where I'm going to put all these people, never mind a fully grown Celestial dragon!  Possibly we could have the dinner party on the roof of the building, but even so. I'd invite Door, from Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, and she could finally finish reading Mansfield Park. Carmichael and Jack from Jo Walton's Small Change series, and Patricia from My Real Children. Hermione Granger, because Hermione is awesome and my daughter would enjoy hanging out with her. Ned and Verity from Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog, and the long-suffering Badri.  And some detectives: Roderick Alleyn and his wife, Troy; Albert Campion; George and Bunty Felse, and their son, Dominic, and his girlfriend, Tossa;  and Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. And Angela Carter's Dora and Nora Chance, to liven things right up.

I have no idea what all these people might like to eat, so I expect I'd make an enormous pot of marinara sauce, cook an unbelievable amount of spaghetti, do several French loaves of garlic bread, and throw a few thingies of spring mix in a big bowl, which is what I usually feed people when they come over (you know, unless it's Thanksgiving or Passover or something). But I would make something fancy for dessert, because that's how I roll :)

What books are on your nightstand (or your to-be-read list) right now?

Oooohhh I really need to make some reading time!

Currently reading The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley and Lex Talionis by R.S.A. Garcia.

In the official TBR pile:

Kari Sperring, The Grass King's Concubine

People of the Book: A Decade of Jewish SF & Fantasy, ed. Rachel Swirsky & Sean Wallace

Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs Aliens, ed. Patricia Bray & Joshua Palmatier

Anton Strout, Deader Still

Caitlin Sweet, The Door in the Mountain

Christopher Moore, Sacré Bleu

Plants vs Zombies: The Official Guide to PROTECTING YOUR BRAINS (It was a present, okay?)

Cassandra Clare, City of Bones

The Walking Dead, Compendium Two (Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn)

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Thanks so much for sharing your answers, Sylvia!  Now a bit more about Lady of Magick (plus that giveaway!)...

Sylvia Izzo Hunter brought “both rural Brittany and an alternative Regency England to vivid life” in The Midnight Queen, her debut novel of history, magic, and myth. Now, in her new Noctis Magicae novel, Sophie and Gray Marshall are ensnared in an arcane plot that threatens to undo them both.

In her second year of studies at Merlin College, Oxford, Sophie Marshall is feeling alienated among fellow students who fail to welcome a woman to their ranks. So when her husband, Gray, is invited north as a visiting lecturer at the University in Din Edin, they leap at the chance. There, Sophie’s hunger for magical knowledge can finally be nourished. But soon, Sophie must put her newly learned skills to the test.

Sophie returns home one day to find a note from Gray—he’s been summoned urgently to London. But when he doesn’t return, and none of her spells can find a trace of him, she realizes something sinister has befallen him. With the help of her sister, Joanna, she delves into Gray’s disappearance, and soon finds herself in a web of magick and intrigue that threatens not just Gray, but the entire kingdom.

Would you like a copy of the book for yourself?  You're in luck!  The publisher will send a finished copy to one lucky winner.  To enter, simply fill out the FORM.  Giveaway open internationally, will end on Friday, September 25 at 11:59pm EST.  Winner will be selected randomly and notified via email.  Good luck!

Fine print: I did not receive any compensation for this post, and the publisher will provide the giveaway prize.

best of 2014 (+ giveaway)

How long does it take one procrastinating book blogger to put together her list of best books of the year?  Almost a month, as predicted.  In past years I’ve lamented my lateness, but I think at this point it’s just the status quo.  Let’s make it canon: Cecelia posts her best of the year lists in January, late January.  The 2015 list will only be late if I post it in February.  I love re-framing goals like that (something about turning a negative into a positive? or perhaps because it feels like cheating, in a society-approved sort of way).

But yes, BOOKS!  The ones I liked best from 2014.  These titles weren’t necessarily published in 2014, but that’s when I read them (or reviewed them, rather).  They’re ordered alphabetically, because it was convenient.  And when I say ‘convenient,’ I mean that I have the hardest time making value judgments like this, and there’s no way I could tell you which ones I liked better than the others.  Oh, and because I’m an overachiever (read: I copy-pasted from last year’s list), feel free to peruse my previous ‘Best of’ posts from 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Best Books of 2014

Black Dog by Rachel Neumeier – Diverse teenage main character(s) and a dark and magical take on werewolf lore?  I’m longing for a reread!

Blackfin Sky by Kat Ellis – The girl everyone thinks is dead returns to her small seaside town, and there’s a mysterious circus in the woods… basically, this is enjoyable, atmospheric, and quirky in the best way.

The Castle Behind Thorns by Merrie Haskell – Historical-ish fantasy for readers of all ages, with lovely bits of religious mysticism, magic and science mixed together to form one heck of a fairy tale retelling.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black – Twists, turns, and a fantastical world/society marching right alongside the ordinary human one.  Add complex and diverse characters, plus really excellent writing?  It must be a Holly Black book.  Darn, I loved it!

Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge – This one’s a novella-length retelling of Cinderella.  An extremely dark retelling, at that.  Totally enchanting.

Hallelujah! The Welcome Table by Maya Angelou – On its face, this is a cookbook.  I’m here to tell you that the food may be good, but Angelou’s anecdotes and stories before each recipe matter most.  What a life, and what a vibrant soul.  Just… go read it!

The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter – This is the sort of story I could get addicted to.  It just has me written all over it.  There’s a Regency-esque society, a scholarly environment, shapeshifting and magic, a nefarious plot that must be stopped, and a journey.  All of the fun things, and the story still works.  Glorious!

Pills and Starships by Lydia Millet – An engaging (and literary) take on pharma- and enviro-apocalypse, and what the final breakdown of society might look like for one family and one girl.

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker – This book is smashingly awesome fantasy, and it is at the same time a feminist critique of traditional literary tropes.  I don’t know how Barker does it, but I want more.

Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci – It isn’t every day you come across smart young adult sci-fi that doesn’t rely on a central romance for its main conflict and movement.  And when you do, you’re not going to see anyone do it better than Castellucci.  What a book!

The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt – Southern Americana, environmental responsibility and the importance of family are the themes of this engaging animal fantasy.  I can’t wait to read it aloud to a certain new honorary niece…

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke – Do you like graphic novels?  Comics?  Superheros?  Space?  After the money America shelled out to see Marvel’s film Guardians of the Galaxy, I think we can all say ‘YES.’  This is the book to give to young fans of those things.  Or readers of any age, really. 

Were any of these on your list (official or not) for the best of the year?

There were 12 titles on my list this year – last year there were 13.  I think the (slight) drop is due in part to the fact that I had a very slow fall and winter, reading-wise.  Well, reading published books, anyway (I went on an extended fan fiction reading binge, if you really want to know).  Here's the breakdown of my 'best' books: I had 2 middle grade, 6 young adult, and 3 adult books on my list, along with 1 graphic novel meant for younger readers.  Eleven books were fiction, one was nonfiction.  There were eleven female authors and one male author.  I also tipped the scales heavily toward American writers this year, with 10 from the USA, 1 from Canada, and 1 from England (Wales!).  I'll have to diversify a bit this year!

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And now the fun part: a giveaway!  Two winners will receive their choice of any book from my Best of 2014 list (audiobook and/or ebook editions included, as available).  To enter, simply fill out the FORM. Giveaway is open internationally, will end on February 7th at 11:59pm EST.  Books will be shipped from Amazon or The Book Depository.  Winners will be selected randomly and notified via email.  Good luck!

i am malala (giveaway!)

Today I’m over at the BookPal blog with a review of I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzai and Patricia McCormick.  I loved it, and I'll be giving (and recommending) it as a holiday gift to many.  Here’s a little snippet of what I had to say:

I Am Malala is not only a good book, but an enjoyable, intelligent and affecting one as well, highly recommended for all readers (but especially grades 5+).

To read the full review, head over to BookPal.  And now... I’m hosting a giveaway of the book!  To enter, simply fill out the FORM.  For one extra entry, read my review at BookPal and let me know that you did so in the comments here.  Giveaway open internationally, will end on November 18, 2014 at 11:59pm EST.  Winner will be notified via email.  Good luck!

Fine print: I am hosting the giveaway, and I did not receive any compensation for this post. 

of monsters and madness blog tour (review + giveaway)

Today on Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia I’m part of the blog tour for Jessica Verday’s Of Monsters and Madness.  It’s a tale of gothic sensibilities and dark mystery.  It will be released by Egmont USA on September 9th, 2014.  Check out the end of the post for your chance to win a copy!

My education in classic horror has been sadly neglected.  I never read Frankenstein or The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and only short stories by Poe.  That said, these tales have become part of the pop culture lexicon, and I know the important parts of those stories because I’ve seen them reworked in film, comics or in novel retellings.  I keep saying I don’t like scary, but I do like dark fantasy, and much of it owes at least of piece of inspiration to the classics.  Jessica Verday’s Of Monsters and Madness is a gothic/horror mash-up with a perfectly pitched sense of impending doom.

A romantic, historical retelling of classic Gothic horror featuring Edgar Allan Poe and his character Annabel Lee, from a New York Times best-selling author.

Annabel Lee is summoned from Siam to live with her father in 1820's Philadelphia shortly after her mother's death, but an unconventional upbringing makes her repugnant to her angry, secretive father. Annabel becomes infatuated with her father's assistant Allan, who dabbles in writing when he's not helping with medical advancements. But in darker hours, when she's not to be roaming the house, she encounters the devilish assistant Edgar, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Allan, and who others insist doesn't exist.

A rash of murders across Philadelphia, coupled with her father's strange behavior, leads Annabel to satisfy her curiosity and uncover a terrible truth: Edgar and Allan are two halves of the same person - and they are about to make the crimes detailed in Allan's stories come to life. Unless Annabel stops them.

The year is 1826, and Annabel Lee has lived most of her life in Siam, far from her father’s influence and knowledge.  When her father finally sends for her just before her mother dies, Annabel knows she has no choice but to leave her home. When she arrives in chilly, dark Philadelphia, nothing is as she expected.  Her father is withdrawn and disproving.  Her surroundings are foreign.  And there are a rash of unexplained murders occurring nearby.  Annabel is determined to earn her father’s approval and learn the mysterious secrets of his house, but she doesn’t count on being attracted to her father’s assistant, Allan, or frightened of his mysterious cousin, Edgar.  As sinister happenings strike closer and closer to home, Annabel’s intuition and suspicions will not let her rest until she knows the truth—even if it endangers all she holds dear.

Well!  If you’ve read the official synopsis, you should have a pretty good idea of what will happen, and which classic tale the book retells.  The story’s surprises weren’t of the plot-twist variety, at least for me.  What was compelling about Of Monsters and Madness then?  Annabel Lee, of course!  She’s an unrepentantly curious character with a strong stomach, a desire to practice medicine, and a history in an entirely different culture.  She doesn’t fit the expectations of her sex for the time period or setting, and that causes disorientation and frustration, even though she tries to reign those feelings in.  The first person narration allows the reader to see it all through her eyes – and though she worries that she is cold like her father, in fact Annabel feels things deeply.  It is that deep feeling paired with curiosity that leads her into dangerous territory – and into the path of Allan/Edgar.  While the reader can guess what comes next, Annabel doesn’t know the story, and that makes her vulnerable to it. 

But back to the setting: historical! brooding! dangerous!  In other words, perfectly gothic, and a great backdrop for a tale of horror.  Speaking of horror, I’d say this is on the lighter-ish end of the spectrum, as I wasn’t scared away.  Still, there IS gore and murder… so it’s not the book for those who prefer sunshine and happy endings.  Though Annabel does seem a bit prone to wander into dangerous situations, her actions are plausible and the set-up works.  Another thing to be aware of: this is the first in a new series, and there are a some (okay, several) loose ends and mysteries left for following books.

In all, Of Monsters and Madness is a well-written homage to classic horror, a strong first entry in a new young adult series, and an ideal pick for Halloween reading.

Recommended for: anyone interested in classic horror, dark first-person narratives, historical fiction mashups, and fans of Kady Cross’ steampunk series for young adults.

Would you like a SIGNED copy of the book for yourself?  You're in luck!  Egmont USA is graciously allowing me to offer one copy to a lucky winner.  To enter, simply fill out the FORM.  Giveaway open to US/Canadian addresses only, will end on Monday, September 15 at 11:59pm EST.  Winner will be selected randomly and notified via email.  Good luck!

If you’re interested in learning more about author Jessica Verday and Of Monsters and Madness, check out the blog tour page, and tomorrow’s stops at The Book Monsters and Addicted 2 Novels.

Fine print: I received an ARC of this book for review consideration.  Giveaway prize provided by the publisher. I did not receive any compensation for this post.

blackfin sky blog tour (review + giveaway)

Do you like smart, sassy heroines with magical mysteries to solve?  Kat Ellis' debut novel Blackfin Sky may be the book for you.  It will be released by Running Press on September 2, 2014.  Check out the end of the post for your chance to win a copy!

Have you considered the elements that pull you into a story lately?  I am always partial to a beautiful book cover, but I’ve noticed my reading taste changing, too.  I am beginning to adore atmospheric magical mysteries, for one thing, and I’ve never thought of myself as a ‘mystery’ person.  Before I read the summary of Kat Ellis’ debut Blackfin Sky, I had NO intention of signing up for a book tour.  And then, somehow, I was hooked (like a fish on a line, she says, pun intended).  Good thing, too, because another one of my weaknesses is humor, and this book is strangely compelling AND funny.

Just like any other morning, Skylar Rousseau is late for school, but when she is greeted by a blanket of silent stares upon entering Blackfin High, she discovers that the whole town thought she fell from the pier and drowned on her sixteenth birthday three months earlier. However, Sky remembers the last three months living her life as normal, and since she is a full, living breathing human being, she has no idea whose body is buried underneath her tombstone. Everyone seems reluctant to help except her steadfast friend and crush, Sean... and a secretive man who draws her to a mysterious circus in the woods.

Sky must wade through impossibilities and lies to discover the truth about what happened to her, which proves to be a bit difficult when someone is following her every move with the intent to harm her. And Sky's only hope of finding the answers she seeks may have already been turned to ashes.

Skylar (or Sky, for short) is running late for school one morning when she notices that EVERYONE is acting weird.  Her friends, her family – it’s as if they’ve seen a ghost.  In fact, the entire town believes that Skylar fell off the pier three months ago on the night of her sixteenth birthday and died.  Skylar doesn’t know how or why everyone is under this delusion, but as Blackfin’s normal level of strange amps up, it’s up to her to unravel it all: her supposed death, the crazy fortuneteller’s odd pronouncements, the friend who went after her the night she died, her parents’ silences, and the odd circus in the woods. Blackfin’s citizens may be used to the town’s oddities, but they may also be in danger…

Skylar has never ventured far beyond the borders of Blackfin, but even she knows that the town is full of freaks.  And she counts herself as one of them – after all, she’s been enduring stares ever since she can remember.  Her unrequited crush on relative town newcomer Sean notwithstanding, life seems ideal.  Ideal until she wakes up one morning and everyone believes she has somehow returned from the grave.  Much of Skylar’s emotional energy in the first chapters is spent dealing with echoes of grief and open rumors of what happened on the night of her birthday. While the dialogue is snappy and it’s quite a hook, the main character’s very real confusion does not lend itself to immediate reader understanding.  In other words, the book gets off to a somewhat baffling start.

That said, things quickly pick up, as Sky’s intelligence, wit, and charm come to her aid in unraveling Blackfin’s mysteries.  It’s a fun, weird, crazy-in-a-good-way ride.  The sassy banter between Sky and her friends Bo and Cam is a major highlight, as is Sky’s relationship with her parents.  And of course we can’t forget her budding will-they-won’t-they-admit-their-feelings thing with Sean (it’s adorable too).  The supernatural/fantastical elements were done well, although I would love to one day see a diagram (or glossary of powers!) on paper.  It’s light contemporary fantasy with a twist of sci-fi for good measure.

If we’re going to talk cons, I must again point to the slow-ish start, and also to the overabundance of odd characters in Blackfin.  Which included a haunted weathervane named Silas and Sky’s home, aptly called Blood House (and an almost-sentient structure).  Yes, they add a charming dose of quirkiness, but I did, on a couple of occasions, wish there weren’t quite so many strange tendrils of story to keep track of.  At the same time, I couldn’t easily eliminate any one thing, so that kept the mystery intact. Net result = neutral-to-positive.

In the end, this is an engrossing story about a girl everyone thought was dead, and a legacy of creepy and freaky happenings that make her reappearance seem almost like one of Blackfin’s everyday occurrences.  It’s also young adult romance with snappy dialogue.  Basically, good fun.

Recommended for: fans of Gina Damico’s Croak and Sarah Rees Brennan’s Unspoken, and anyone who likes contemporary young adult fantasy with humor, quirky heroines, and writing to pull off a combination of the two.

Interested in reading the book for yourself?  You're in luck!  Running Press is graciously allowing me to offer one copy to a lucky winner.  To enter, simply fill out the FORM.  Giveaway open to US addresses only, will end on Friday, September 5 at 11:59pm EST.  Winner will be selected randomly and notified via email.  Good luck!

Fine print: I received an ARC of this book for review consideration.  Giveaway prize provided by the publisher. I did not receive any compensation for this post.

the strange maid blog tour - tessa gratton author guest post (+ giveaway!)

Author Tessa Gratton is here today at Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia with a guest post.  Her new YA fantasy The Strange Maid features a girl who would sacrifice all to be a Valkyrie, and is set in The United States of Asgard, an alternate version of North America. The Strange Maid was released by Random House Books for Young Readers on June 10, 2014.  Check out the end of the post for a giveaway!

When Tessa was a kid, she wanted to be a wizard. Or a paleontologist. Maybe both.She’s neither now, but magic and monsters are still her favorite things.

Born in Okinawa, Japan, while her Dad was on duty with the US Navy, Tessa moved around throughout her childhood and traveled even more. She’s lived in Japan, California, Kansas, and England, and visited 4 continents.

After graduating from the University of Kansas in 2003 with a degree in Gender Studies, she went on to graduate school for a Master’s in the same. Halfway through, she ditched the program in favor of the blood, violence, and drama of  Anglo-Saxon and Germanic epic poetry and to focus on her writing. Tessa doesn’t have a graduate degree, but she did translate her own version of Beowulf!

Despite having traveled all over the world, she settled in Kansas where the sunsets are all in Technicolor, with her partner, two cats, and a mutant mutt named Grendel.  You can learn more about Tessa and her books at TessaGratton.com and on Twitter.

Welcome Tessa!  When we were talking about possible guest post ideas, I mentioned The Avengers… and you came through with a US of Asgard version of Captain America.  YUM.  I mean… yay!  *grin*

A brief history and analysis of Steve Josephson, aka Captain Asgardia, the First Avenger

  

Born to immigrants from Eireland nearly one hundred years ago in New Amsterdam City, with a frail constitution and parents dedicated to Tyr the Just, Steve Josephson seemed an unlikely candidate for such a shining and long-reaching destiny as the one woven for him. Perhaps Freya the Witch herself might have seen the knot, and preserved him through childhood illness and the deaths of both his parents, but she’ll never admit it.

When the misguided cult of Odin stirred across the ocean and began the Second Eurland War, the United States of Asgard tried to stay out of it, reverting to isolationist policies the government adopted in the wake of the Thrall’s War which had divided the country – and the gods – eighty years beforehand. But when news reached the Alfather and his administration that the cult in Deutschland had begun experimenting with super-solider serums in order to create their own cast of warriors to match the magically-born berserkers of the Alfather’s own line, the USA entered the war.

Though the Alfather’s priority was ending the offensive project, Thor Thunderer had always been a champion of humanity and equality and wanted to fight for the sake of the people of Eurland. He agreed with his generals who suggested soldiers as strong as berserkers but without their inherent weaknesses of madness and lack of control could turn the tide of conflicts for the rest of time. The Thunderer disliked secret projects, but reluctantly agreed to shelter a group of his military scientists who began looking into the super-serum. Though there was much trial and error, eventually Steve Josephson was chosen to receive the experimental dose.

He took to it mightily. Having already gone against his family’s dedication Tyr the Just in favor of the Thunderer, Steve had spend his life standing up to bullies and defending the weak – despite being weak himself. He proved to have the strength of heart and courage necessary to survive the serum, waking with super strength and a vastly improve war-machine of a body.

The Alfather was predictably furious, and refused to allow the newly dubbed Captain Asgardia to fight. Steve was relegated to raising money for the real soldiers, until he took matters into his own, super-strong hands and bucked the Alfather’s authority to follow his heart and favored god into battle. History shows us how he used his power to help turn the tide of the war, and though he did not survive the war, his ultimate sacrifice appeased the Alfather – the god of sacrifice – and Odin helped the Thunderer in later years to enshrine the name of Captain Asgardia as the ultimate hero of New Asgard.

Both while he was performing to raise funds and while he fought bravely as a symbol of Asgardian values, Captain Asgardia wore a uniform based upon the US flag: red, green, and blue for the highest gods, with wing-symbols for the Alfather’s bloodthirsty Valkyrie, lightning bolts for the Thunderer’s bravery, and red stripes for Freyr the Satisfied’s drive and passion. His shield was shaped by the last of the elves-under-the-mountain from their horded extra-terrestrial steel. Onto it was imprinted the Seal of New Asgard: blue and silver with a silver apple of immortality and nine stars for the nine supreme gods and nine Valkyrie and nine years of presidential service.

Though some have speculated after his death he was raised to the Valhol to become one of Odin’s immortal warriors, most agree his bones wait somewhere at the cold bottom of the ocean for the day when Thor Thunderer calls all his faithful servants up from death to join him in the final battle. 

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Thank you for sharing that, Tessa!  I imagine I’ll be daydreaming about Chris Evans all day now (that’s what you meant to happen, right?!).

If this post has sparked your interest in The Strange Maid (or The Lost Sun, United States of Asgard Book #1), please enter the giveaway! Tessa will send a signed copy of The Strange Maid to one lucky winner, and a signed copy of The Lost Sun to another. TWO SIGNED BOOKS!  *happy dance*  To enter, simply fill out the FORM. Giveaway open to US addresses only, will end on Wednesday, June 18th at 11:59pm EST.  Winner will be notified via email.  Good luck!

Fans of Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, and Maggie Stiefvater will embrace the richly drawn, Norse-influenced alternate world of the United States of Asgard, where cell phones, rock bands, and evangelical preachers coexist with dragon slaying, rune casting, and sword training in schools. Where the president runs the country alongside a council of Valkyries, gods walk the red carpet with Hollywood starlets, and the U.S. military has a special battalion dedicated to eradicating Rocky Mountain trolls. 

Signy Valborn was seven years old when she climbed the New World Tree and met Odin Alfather, who declared that if she could solve a single riddle, he would make her one of his Valkyrie. For ten years Signy has trained in the arts of war, politics, and leadership, never dreaming that a Greater Mountain Troll might hold the answer to the riddle, but that’s exactly what Ned the Spiritless promises her. A mysterious troll hunter who talks in riddles and ancient poetry, Ned is a hard man to trust. Unfortunately, Signy is running out of time. Accompanied by an outcast berserker named Soren Bearstar, she and Ned take off across the ice sheets of Canadia to hunt the mother of trolls and claim Signy’s destiny.

Fine print: Giveaway books provided and shipped by the author.  I received no compensation for this post.

into the dark: the shadow prince blog tour - bree despain guest post (+ giveaway!)

Author Bree Despain is here today at Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia with a guest post.  Her new YA fantasy Into the Dark: The Shadow Prince combines mythology, destined love and music.  Into the Dark: The Shadow Prince was released by Egmont on March 11, 2014.  Stay tuned until the end of the post for a giveaway!

Bree Despain is the author of the Dark Divine trilogy and the Into The Dark trilogy. Bree rediscovered her childhood love for creating stories when she took a semester off college to write and direct plays for at-risk, inner-city teens from Philadelphia and New York. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, two young sons, and her beloved TiVo.  You can learn more about Bree at her website www.breedespain.com or follow her on Twitter.

Welcome Bree!

Greek mythology is woven into the storyline in Into the Dark: The Shadow Prince.  How do you take stories that have been told so many times and make them new?  Is there a particular retelling (or even deviation from the traditional story) that is one of your favorites?

Every story is inspired by stories that have come before it. If a writer tells you that their story is completely 100% original, they’re either delusional or a liar.  There’s nothing wrong with this—in fact it’s a writing technique called resonance. (The act of drawing out power by repeating that which has come before.) Some stories aren’t as overt with their inspiration (like did you know that The Hunger Games was inspired by the story of Spartacus?) but others are more deliberate retellings or reimaginings of older stories, myths and fairytales. Books like The Goose Girl, Ella Enchanted, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and even my new book The Shadow Prince create resonance in their readers’ minds by drawing upon the tales that many of us have heard since we were very young. As readers, we connect with the familiar.

Except we don’t want something that’s too familiar.

No one wants a carbon copy of something they’ve read before. Even if an author could write a fairytale exactly the way the Brothers Grimm would, or create and epic Greek odyssey that sounds exactly like it was written by Homer, I don’t think many people would want to read it—because it would feel like it was something that had been done before. The trick to creating a good reimagining of a classic story is to find a way to make it feel new: give it a twist, find a way to turn it on its head, or maybe combine aspects of more than one story.

In The Shadow Prince, I combined elements from many of the Greek myths, but most notably combined aspects from the stories of Hades and Persephone and Orpheus and Eurydice. Both stories center around characters who venture into the unknown and attempt to rewrite their own destinies. Playing on those themes, I chose to create new characters and place them in a present day setting, giving my version of their stories a modern twist. For example: instead of a great musician who is the son of the god of music, there is a musically talented girl (who wants to be the next Taylor Swift) who is the daughter of a rock star, or, instead of god-like characters who live on Mount Olympus, my characters are the children of the rich and famous who go to an elite private school called Olympus Hills.

I also tried to do things to turn the stories on their heads, so to speak. In the most common version of the Persephone and Hades myth, Hades merely steals Persephone into the Underworld and makes her his bride. But at looking at this myth (and studying earlier interpretations) I wondered about how much more intriguing it would be to make it so my character Haden couldn’t just take Daphne into the underworld, but had to convince her to come of her own free will—and what if she was the kind of person who wouldn’t want anything to do with his plan? This change in the story opened up a wealth of conflict and tension between my characters. Another change I went for is that in many ancient Greek stories, the hero is greatly revered by his fellow men, he is courageous, beloved, and a hero in every sense of the word. In The Shadow Prince, I decided to go for the opposite of this expectation. Haden is hated by his peers, has been disowned by his father (the king of the Underworld) and he is desperate to win back his honor and status as the prince—giving his character a new depth that isn’t present in the original story.

A series that I think does a fantastic job of incorporating and combining old, familiar stories into something new and exciting is The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. Cinder, a futuristic, sci-fi take on Cinderella—in which the main character is cyborg mechanic—is one of my favorite books, and one of the stories I studied as an example of how to pull of a fantastic reimagining. There are just enough touches of the familiar mixed in with new twists to make resonate fabulously with readers.

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Thanks so much for sharing, Bree!  I loved Cinder as well - it was one of my favorite books of 2011.

If this post has sparked your interest in Into the Dark: The Shadow Prince, please enter the giveaway! The kind folks at Egmont will send one lucky winner a copy of the book. To enter, simply fill out the FORM.  Giveaway open to US and Canadian addresses only, will end on Tuesday, April 22nd at 11:59pm EST.  Winner will be notified via email.  Good luck!

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.

Interested in learning more about Into the Dark: The Shadow Prince?  Bree will be over at Miss Page-Turner's City of Books tomorrow with a Q&A and giveaway, and Jump Into Books will have a review and another giveaway opportunity as well!

Fine print: The publisher (Egmont) is supplying the giveaway books. This post is not sponsored in any way.

black dog giveaway

2014 is still young, but I’ve already read some great books.  As I mentioned on twitter yesterday, the best young adult book I’ve read so far this year is Rachel Neumeier’s Black Dog.  It has unique mythology, complex characters, diversity, and a plot that just won’t stop.  Basically, it’s AWESOME. 

I want to share my love of this book with all of you!  I’ll give away a paperback or ebook copy of Rachel Neumeier’s Black Dog to two giveaway winners.  To enter to win, simply fill out the FORM.  Giveaway open internationally, will end at 11:59pm EST on February 28^th.  Winners will be selected randomly and notified via email.  Good luck!

Natividad is Pure, one of the rare girls born able to wield magic. Pure magic can protect humans against the supernatural evils they only half-acknowledge – the blood kin or the black dogs. In rare cases – like for Natividad’s father and older brother – Pure magic can help black dogs find the strength to control their dark powers.

But before Natividad’s mother can finish teaching her magic their enemies find them. Their entire village in the remote hills of Mexico is slaughtered by black dogs. Their parents die protecting them. Natividad and her brothers must flee across a strange country to the only possible shelter: the infamous black dogs of Dimilioc, who have sworn to protect the Pure.

In the snowy forests of Vermont they are discovered by Ezekiel Korte, despite his youth the strongest black dog at Dimilioc and the appointed pack executioner. Intrigued by Natividad he takes them to Dimilioc instead of killing them.

Now they must pass the tests of the Dimilioc Master. Alejandro must prove he can learn loyalty and control even without his sister’s Pure magic. Natividad’s twin Miguel must prove that an ordinary human can be more than a burden to be protected. And even at Dimilioc a Pure girl like Natividad cannot remain unclaimed to cause fighting and distraction. If she is to stay she must choose a black dog mate.

But, first, they must all survive the looming battle.

best of 2013 (+ giveaway!)

It is on days like these, when I’m trying to put together a ‘Best of’ list, that I am beyond grateful for the written record I’ve kept of my favorite books.  Dear blog, You are the BEST!  Love, Me.  That didn’t sound strange, did it?!  Oh dear.  Anyway, this post is a celebration of the best books I read in 2013.  The books weren’t necessarily published in 2013, but that’s when I read them (and they’re ordered alphabetically).  Feel free to peruse my previous ‘Best of’ posts for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.  You can also check out my list of the top ten best new-to-me authors of 2013.

A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle – A lovely, haunting little book set in Ireland, about a girl who meets a family ghost.  Doyle’s slightly fantastical meditation on family featured the best dialogue I’ve read in a long time, possibly ever.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein – Why can I not think of this book without coming to the brink of tears?  Because it’s an emotional, beautiful, and harrowing story of female friendship, flying and spying (in WWII).

Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud – Scary, clever, and funny: three words that describe this ghostly investigative story.  It was also thrilling and can’t-put-it-down good.  In other words, close to perfection.

The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton – In an alternate version of North America, the biggest celebrities are the Norse gods.  When one of them goes missing, two teens set out on an epic roadtrip.  On the way they discover their destiny.  Now what about that DOESN’T sound awesome?  You’re right, nothing.

Mortal Fire by Elizabeth Knox – It took me two tries to get into this cerebral fantasy featuring math prodigy Canny, but once in I was absolutely amazed.  It was, quite simply, BRILLIANT.

Rose by Holly Webb – Orphan Rose’s story is funny and touching, and the heroine is clever and plucky.  Also, it’s set in Victorian England, and that’s always a draw for me.  Somehow, it avoids cliché and settles in at ‘just right.’

Saved by Cake by Marian Keyes – Novelist Marian Keyes’ first cookbook is a darkly funny meditation on cake, depression, and did I mention cake?  Laugh out loud fun AND delicious recipes…I really adore that combination.

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold – This first book in the Vorkosigan saga is a compelling science fiction romance.  It’s swoony AND complex, with well-matched characters on a dangerous journey.  Heart it!

Sidekicked by John David Anderson – Relatable, hyper-aware Drew stars in this nuanced tale of middle school problems, first crushes, and, oh yeah, advanced superhero sidekick training.  It’s perfect for young (and not so young) Marvel fans.

The Silvered by Tanya Huff – Fantastic world-building and an epic journey through a warring landscape seem to be two of my favorite story components.  Add in werewolves and a steampunk aesthetic, and you have one hooked reader, right here.

Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton – Think Jane Austen, with dragons.  Whatever you’re imagining isn’t even close to the awesome that is Tooth & Claw.  I adored it, and have reread it already.  Also, many thanks to the lovely Ruby Scarlett, who sent me a new copy to treasure.

Under My Hat edited by Jonathan Strahan – Short stories of witchy magic by some of my favorite authors, all gathered up in one volume?  YES.  Strahan put together one of the strongest anthologies I’ve ever read.

Written in Red by Anne Bishop – I’ve reread this book twice for a reason.  It’s crazy-compelling.  I love how Bishop plays with emotion and describes the worlds she writes.  Just fantastic.

Were any of these on your list (official or not) for the best of the year?

By random chance and coincidence, there were 13 titles on my list for 2013.  I did a bit of a breakdown that may appeal to anyone who is a closet numbers nerd like me.  I had 4 middle grade, 4 young adult, and 5 adult books on my list.  Twelve were fiction, one was nonfiction.  There were 9 female authors, 3 male authors, and one anthology (the editor was male).  I also figured out where each of the authors hails from, because I worry that I’m heavily biased towards North America.  This year my list included 5 books by Americans, 2 by Brits, 2 by Irish authors, 2 by Canadians, 1 by a Kiwi, and 1 various (the anthology again).  Fairly well-rounded, I’d say.  I need to get an Aussie on the list next year, though!

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And now the fun part: a giveaway!  Two winners will receive their choice of any book from my Best of 2013 list (audiobook and/or ebook editions included, as available).  To enter, simply fill out the FORM. Giveaway is open internationally, will end on January 31st at 11:59pm EST.  Books will be shipped from Amazon or The Book Depository.  Winners will be selected randomly and notified via email.  Good luck!

the creature department author interview + giveaway

Today’s post features an interview with Robert Paul Weston, author of The Creature Department, and a giveaway.  The Creature Department is a middle grade novel/collaboration between Weston, the folks at Razorbill (Penguin) and Framestore, creators of Dobby from Harry Potter and the Geico gecko.  The Creature Department was released by Razorbill on November 5, 2013.

Robert Paul Weston is the British-born Canadian author of Zorgamazoo, Dust City, and Prince Puggly of Spud and the Kingdom of Spiff, along with recent release (just this past Tuesday!) The Creature Department.  He currently lives in London, England, and you can follow him on twitter or find him on Goodreads.

Have any experiences in your everyday life prepared you for the job of making up marvelous monsters?  Which ones?

I live in London, England, on the east side of the city, where there is a large amount of street art. In my neighbourhood, a simple walk to the library takes you past capering creatures of all shapes and sizes. They are painted on the walls of tall buildings as well as hidden in the shadowy crags of back alleyways. I discover new ones nearly everyday and, if you are in the right frame of mind, they are always inspiring. I often take photographs of them and post them on my website. You can see some of them here: http://robertpaulweston.com/blog/london-street-art/ 

Did you have to do any specific research on monsters/creatures?  What was your most interesting and/or disgusting discovery?

Of course I research! It's a writer's lifeblood, no matter what you're writing. Perhaps my favourite find is a rare creature called the Gillygalloo. Details about its appearance are sketchy and vary somewhat, but I've come to understand it's a part-fish, part-bird creature that lays valuable square-shaped eggs. Also interesting is the fact that it originates in North Eastern American and Quebecois lumberjack mythology.

What are your favorite young adult or middle grade speculative fiction titles (aside from your own)?

Skellig by David Almond

Momo by Michael Ende

Young Adult Novel by Daniel Pinkwater

What I Was by Meg Rosoff

House of Stairs by William Sleator

Do you have any hidden (or not so hidden) superpowers?

I can speak to inanimate objects. They are excellent listeners.

What are you reading right now?

On Familiar Terms by Donald Keene

Thanks so much for answering those questions, Robert!  Skellig has been on my to-read list for ages, but now I know I’ve got to get to it sooner rather than later. 

Think you might like to read The Creature Department?  Enter the giveaway!  Two (2) entrants will win finished copies of the book.  To enter, simply fill out the FORM.  Earn up to two (2) extra entries by commenting on this interview post and/or my review post.  Giveaway open internationally, will end at 11:59pm EST on November 22, 2013.  Winners will be selected at random and notified via email.  Good luck!

It’s a tentacled, inventive, gooey, world in there...

Elliot Von Doppler and his friend Leslie think nothing ever happens in Bickleburgh, except inside the gleaming headquarters of DENKi-3000—the world’s eighth-largest electronics factory.

Beneath the glass towers and glittering skywalks, there's a rambling old mansion from which all the company’s amazing inventions spring forth. And no one except Uncle Archie knows what’s behind the second-to-last door at the end of the hall.

Until Elliot and Leslie are invited to take a glimpse inside.

They find stooped, troll-like creatures with jutting jaws and broken teeth. Tiny winged things that sparkle as they fly. And huge, hulking, hairy nonhumans (with horns). It is unlike anything they’ve ever seen.

But when Chuck Brickweather threatens to shut down the DENKi-3000 factory if a new product isn’t presented soon, the creatures know they are in danger. And when Uncle Archie vanishes, it’s up to Elliot, Leslie, and every one of the unusual, er, “employees” to create an invention so astonishing it will save the Creature Department.

Fine print: I am providing/mailing the giveaway prizes (or ordering them from The Book Depository), and did not receive any compensation for this post.