An Interview with Linda Kage + Giveaway

I'm so pleased to be part of the To Professor, With Love blog tour for the lovely Linda Kage. Here's a little bit about her latest release:

To Professor, With Love by Linda Kage
Release Date: April 26, 2014
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 396
Series: Forbidden Men #2

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Junior in college. Star athlete. Constant attention from the opposite sex.

On this campus, I’m worshiped. While seven hundred miles away, back in my hometown, I’m still trailer park trash, child of the town tramp, and older sibling to three kids who are counting on me to keep my shit together so I can take them away from the same crappy life I grew up in.

These two opposing sides of myself never mix until one person gets a glimpse of the true me. I never expected to connect with anyone like this or want more beyond one night. This may be the real deal.

Problem is, Dr. Kavanagh’s my literature professor.

If I start anything with a teacher and we’re caught together, I might as well kiss my entire future goodbye, as well as my family’s, and especially Dr. Kavanagh’s. Except sometimes love is worth risking everything. Or at least, it damn well better be because I can only resist so much.

Buy the book:
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | All Romance

Find more buy links (including signed paperbacks!) on Linda's site.

An Interview with Linda Kage:

Me: What comes first: character or plot?

Linda: It depends on the idea that comes to me. Sometimes, I think up a plot and have to come up with a certain kind of character to fit it, and sometimes a character will pop into my head and I have to develop a plot for that person. It seems to vary with every story!


Is there a specific character type or trope you're dying to write about, but haven't fit into a book yet?

I love reading about alpha males, but I've never really been able to write one.


How do you decide which book to write next?

I am usually working on about half a dozen books at any given time. It's always a toss-up which one will form the most developed idea first. But whichever one does, is the one I focus most of my attention on next.


Do you have ideas about where your characters are going after the book ends, or do you tend to leave them "as is"?

I'm always giving my characters new scenes in my head and developing more plots and subplots, long after a story is published. I don’t always write them down, but they’re still in my head.


What three words would you use to describe Aspen and Noel? How would they describe each other?

Yeesh, this will be hard to do. But, okay, let's give it a shot.
Noel - Student, Athlete, Big-brother.
Aspen - Professor, Strict, Day-dreamer.
Noel Describing Aspen - Prim and proper yet sexy, a hard-ass hiding her hopeless romantic side.
Aspen Describing Noel - Layered, Surprising, Stubborn, Dedicated.


What do you think draws writers and readers into books with forbidden romances?

Reading about characters always doing the right thing is boring. Put them in a situation where they start breaking rules, and people start to notice!


What are your favourite books and/or who are your favourite authors in the genres you write?

There is no possible way to list all my favorites. This year, I'm fan-girling over Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan. But there are so many--SO many--more amazing authors and books out there, you don't have enough blog space to rave about them all!


What can readers expect from you next?

Loving Lies, the next book after Fighting Fate, should release some time this year! Then, I'll get to work on Pick and Eva's story for book three in the Forbidden Men series.

About Linda:
Linda grew up on a dairy farm in the Midwest as the youngest of eight children. Now she lives in Kansas with her husband, toddler daughter, and their nine cuckoo clocks. She works a day job in the acquisitions department of a university library and feels her life has been blessed with lots of people to learn from and love. Writing's always been a major part her world, and she's thrilled to finally share some of her stories with other romance lovers.

Where to find Linda:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can follow along with the rest of the tour here (lots of reviews and some excerpts!)

Jade Kerrion: Character Interview with Zara

Today I'm pleased to welcome back Jade Kerrion for an interview with Zara, the main character of her Double Helix series.

Today, on our character interview, we’re pleased to welcome Zara Itani, from the seven-time award-winning Double Helix series. Her author, Jade Kerrion, has insisted on sitting in on the interview. It’s not quite the norm, but we’ve agreed to Jade’s request. Let’s start with some easy questions, Zara. How did you first meet Jade Kerrion? Want to dish about her?

Zara: I think Jade was having a midlife crisis when we met. She was growing older, and realized that she was going to live out her life in the frantic corporate rat race of America, while being a mom with husband, two kids, and a mini van. She probably felt that she needed to live vicariously through someone else, namely me.

Jade: I am not having a midlife crisis!

Did you ever think that your life would end up being in a book?

Zara: I’m a mercenary, and I own an agency of mercenaries. No, I do not crave the spotlight or expect to make headlines, at least not with my name in print next to my unfortunate victims. Jade, however, appears to be a strong proponent of full disclosure—it’s amazing, though how her novels are full of people who never disclose anything to anyone else—and she decided to get my name out there.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the Double Helix series.

Zara: My favorite scene from the first three books takes place in the second book, Perfect Betrayal. It’s an intimate moment with Danyael Sabre. It’s especially memorable because, if you know Danyael, then you know that Danyael doesn’t do “intimate” often. Danyael, of course, swears the encounter never took place. He’s lying, of course. We have a daughter and five genetic tests to prove it. (smiles) Of course, I have many favorite scenes in Jade’s upcoming novel, Perfection Challenged. The closing scene is particularly memorable.

It sounds like you have a complicated relationship with Danyael. Tell the truth. What do you think of your fellow characters?

Zara (arching a perfectly tweezed eyebrow): They’re…charming, like black mambas are charming. Still, we’ve gone through a great deal together, and on a good day, I’d trust them, but not too much.

What do you like best about Danyael Sabre? What do you like least?

Zara: Do we have to talk about Danyael?

Well, your name is frequently mentioned in conjunction with his name and Galahad’s. How do you choose between two men who look alike?

Zara: Danyael is Galahad’s physical template, but in every other way that matters, they are nothing like each other. Galahad, the lab-created perfect human being, is eager and impatient to seize the world. On the other hand, Danyael, after a traumatic childhood as an undiagnosed alpha empath, wants nothing more than to be left alone to do his job as a doctor in a charity clinic. I used to think Danyael was evasive and a coward, unwilling to face his past or embrace his mutant powers. He isn’t really. He’s both courageous and compassionate, but most people don’t see him for what he is.

And what about you? What impression do you make on people when they first meet you? How about after they’ve known you for a while?

Zara: Ideally, they’d know me as a practical, levelheaded person who isn’t afraid of doing what it takes to get things done. After they’ve known me for a while, I hope they’ll continue to say the same thing.

Jade (in a stage whisper): Ask her about that compassionate streak…

Zara (shrugs an elegant shoulder): Not there. It doesn’t exist, and you can’t prove it.

Ladies, please. Zara, what would Danyael say about you?

Zara (flashes an amused smile): Ah, he’s much too polite to say anything, but if he did, I imagine he would say that I’m more abrasive than steel wool, and that I have a cruel and ruthless streak several miles wide. He wouldn’t say anything about compassion.

Jade (scowling): He wouldn’t have fallen in love with you otherwise…

Jade, if you don’t mind, I’m interviewing Zara here. Zara, if your story were a movie, who would play you?

Zara: Kate Beckinsale would do a great job. She’s beautiful, and she knows how to kick ass. She’s not Lebanese-Venezuelan, but nobody’s perfect.

Will you encourage your author to write a sequel?

Zara: She’s already written four Double Helix novels, five, if you include the Young Adult spinoff, When the Silence Ends. She insists that Perfection Challenged is the end of the Double Helix series, but that’s not to say that there aren’t other stories to be told about the world of the Double Helix. Knowing her, she’ll be back with another fascinating story about my world and the people who live in it.

What do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere?

Zara: You already know what I do for a living; I find ways to keep busy to pay the bills. I also have a two-year-old daughter, Laura. She’s learning her alphabet by reading Dr. Seuss and gun catalogs.

Jade (pulls Zara to her feet and drags her away): I am so sorry. This is why I don’t let my characters out unsupervised. I think they say stuff like that just to embarrass me.

Ah, okay, and that brings to an abrupt end our interview with Zara Itani today. Thank you for joining us for this character interview, and we hope you’ll take the opportunity to get to know Zara better in the DOUBLE HELIX series.

“The best of the four books…the perfect ending to an amazing series.”

Perfection Challenged, the thrilling conclusion to the multiple award-winning, bestselling DOUBLE HELIX series, is finally here. Grab your copy today.

If you’ve never picked up the DOUBLE HELIX series, keep reading for a special offer on the six-time award-winning novel, Perfection Unleashed.

PERFECTION CHALLENGED

An alpha empath, Danyael Sabre has survived abominations and super soldiers, terrorists and assassins, but he cannot survive his failing body. He wants only to live out his final days in peace, but life and the woman he loves, the assassin Zara Itani, have other plans for him.

Galahad, the perfect human being created by Pioneer Labs, is branded an international threat, and Danyael is appointed his jury, judge, and executioner. Danyael alone believes that Galahad can be the salvation that the world needs, but is the empath blinded by the fact that Galahad shares his genes, and the hope that there is something of him in Galahad?

In a desperate race against time and his own dying body, Danyael struggles to find fragments of good in the perfect human being, and comes to the wrenching realization that his greatest battle will be a battle for the heart of the man who hates him.

E-books available at Amazon / Amazon UK / Apple iTunes / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Smashwords

Paperbacks available at Amazon / Amazon UK

PERFECTION UNLEASHED

Two men, one face. One man seeks to embrace destiny, the other to escape it.

Danyael Sabre spent sixteen years clawing out of the ruins of his childhood and finally has everything he wanted--a career, a home, and a trusted friend. To hold on to them, he keeps his head down and plays by the rules. An alpha empath, he is powerful in a world transformed by the Genetic Revolution, yet his experience has taught him to avoid attention.

When the perfect human being, Galahad, escapes from Pioneer Laboratories, the illusory peace between humans and their derivatives--the in vitros, clones, and mutants--collapses into social upheaval. The abominations, deformed and distorted mirrors of humanity, created unintentionally in Pioneer Lab's search for perfection, descend upon Washington D.C. The first era of the Genetic Revolution was peaceful. The second is headed for open war.

Although the genetic future of the human race pivots on Galahad, Danyael does not feel compelled to get involved and risk his cover of anonymity, until he finds out that the perfect human being looks just like him.

FOR A LIMITED TIME, E-BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR JUST $0.99 (Discounted from $2.99)

E-books available at Amazon / Amazon UK / Apple / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Smashwords

Paperbacks available at Amazon / Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository

Connect with Jade Kerrion:

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Authors are Rockstars: Introducing Renee Collins

I'm beyond thrilled to be a tour host for the 2nd Annual Authors Are Rockstars tour! First off I want to thank Rachel @ Fiktshun, Jaime @ Two Chicks On Books, and Mindy @ Magical Urban Fantasy Reads for doing such a great job organizing this tour. There are SO MANY fabulous authors participating, with interviews, guest posts, giveaways... just so much epic content! Without the organizational work of these amazing bloggers there wouldn't BE a tour, so major props to them.

Today I'm hosting Renee Collins, whose debut novel, Relic, will be released from Entangled Teen on August 27.

Why Renee Collins is a rock star:

I was thinking about my answer to this question, and I looked to the name of this blog tour -- Authors Are Rockstars. Or another way of seeing it: Authors, OUR Rockstars. I think for bloggers and other reading fanatics, authors are the ones we adore, the ones we look up to for creating the worlds we love. I admire the dedication it takes to come up with an idea, craft a book, revise a book, and then help that book into the world, whether it be through finding an agent and a publisher, or by self-publishing. I admire Renee for the reason I admire all authors: for the hard work and dedication that it takes to bring their creation to life.

Renee, specifically, is a rockstar author because she's written a book that I found wholly original. I, like many of you, read a lot, so even when I find a book I really adore there are usually easy comparisons to be made. I can honestly say that Relic stands on its own. I love that Renee has taken a risk, writing in a genre (Western) that doesn't get a lot of press. She's included everything you would expect from a Western, and yet she's turned everything upside down by including a fantasy element in Relic. While this is definitely a Western, it's set in a magical alternate history. Renee has written about "magic as a physical commodity that could be bought and sold" (to quote Renee), and she's done it in a way that I've never seen before.

While searching for more information about the book and about Renee, I found out that she was also a history major (more on that in our interview, below) and she's a board game geek who loves Settlers of Catan (quoted here). So basically I'm pretty sure we are spirit twins (except Renee actually has a twin, so ... spirit triplets? What?).

Renee is most definitely an author rockstar, and with her debut novel releasing this month I already cannot wait to see what she comes out with next (see our interview below for what that will be!).

Fun Facts about Renee:

1. I grew up in Hawaii, right across from the beach. And yes, I know how to surf.

2. I have a twin sister. She’s my best friend and Official Story Consultant™.

3. I have a passion for History. My favorite areas to study are Asian and American Histories, though in my crazy college days I had a special fascination with Communism.

4. My writing fuel is air-popped popcorn with a chilled Dr. Pepper on ice. Doesn’t get any better than that.

5.I am represented by the amazing Mollie Glick of Foundry Literary +Media

Where to find Renee:
Website / Twitter / Blog / Relic series on Facebook / Renee on Facebook

Relic by Renee Collins
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 400
Series: Relic #1

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
After a raging fire consumes her town and kills her parents, Maggie Davis is on her own to protect her younger sister and survive best she can in the Colorado town of Burning Mesa. In Maggie’s world, the bones of long-extinct magical creatures such as dragons and sirens are mined and traded for their residual magical elements, and harnessing these relics’ powers allows the user to wield fire, turn invisible, or heal even the worst of injuries.

Working in a local saloon, Maggie befriends the spirited showgirl Adelaide and falls for the roguish cowboy Landon. But when she proves to have a particular skill at harnessing the relics’ powers, Maggie is whisked away to the glamorous hacienda of Álvar Castilla, the wealthy young relic baron who runs Burning Mesa. Though his intentions aren’t always clear, Álvar trains Maggie in the world of relic magic. But when the mysterious fires reappear in their neighboring towns, Maggie must discover who is channeling relic magic for evil before it’s too late.

Relic is a thrilling adventure set in a wholly unique world, and a spell-binding story of love, trust, and the power of good.

Pre-order Relic:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository

>> My review of Relic <<

Interview with Renee Collins:

Ashley: For those who haven't yet read Relic, how would you pitch the book in the length of a tweet (140 characters or less)?

Renee: YA Fantasy set in the rugged Old West, where miners pan for magic bones of extinct fantasy creatures, a girl fights to protect her sister.

Love that description!

You use a lot of Western tropes in Relic, and yet I didn't find the characters or other elements to be cliché at all. How did you work at including these aspects while still keeping things fresh?

Well, first off, thanks! From the beginning, I knew it could be risky dealing with the iconic tropes of the Old West. Very easy to drift into cliche. So, I’m glad to hear I avoided that. I intentionally chose these tropes with the idea to give the each aspect of the setting and character a twist based off the magic. For example, in a wilderness inhabited with wild animals descended from dragons, trolls, and werewolves, cowboys would need to be skilled warriors, in addition to cattle ropers.

Mmm, and what interesting cowboy characters you have included!

While using relics can be very dangerous, I can also think of a lot of situations where they would come in handy. What type of relic would you most like to have use of?

I think I’d pick goblin relic, which gives the user invisibility. Talk about useful!

What is your favourite scene in the book? Was there any line or scene you loved which didn't make it past editing?

I love any scene with Álvar Castilla. He’s one of my favorite characters I’ve ever written actually. And yes, there is a scene with Álvar that I cut way back in edits with my agent, before I even had a book deal, that I was very sad to see go. I can’t tell you what it is, though, because that would be spoilerish!

Ooh.. Álvar is definitely a complicated, but interesting character.

Speaking of characters, I really admired the fact that Maggie was such a strong and capable character, and yet she also wasn't afraid of asking for help. Which YA heroines do you think she would be friends with or admire?

Maggie is definitely strong in a period appropriate way. She’s not the type who would deliver a roundhouse kick to the bad guy’s face, but she’ll do what it takes to protect herself and those she loves. I think she could get along great with Gemma Doyle or Jane Eyre (who’s not YA, but still.)

I see that you were a history major (I was too!). What is your favourite period of history to study? Did anything you researched in college help you to write about (an admittedly alternate version of) the old West?

It sounds cliche, but I loved studying just about any era and region of history. Though, surprise, surprise, I took several classes on the American West! In fact, one of my big, capstone class papers was on prostitution and madams in the Old West. I’d definitely say it helped me create a more accurate starting point from which to inject a little magic.

Many times authors include little bits of their lives into their books. Did you do this at all, and if so, how?

I definitely think Maggie has bits of me in her. But Adelaide does as well. And I based a lot of Ella’s personality on my daughter (who’s name also happens to be Ella. ;) )

Do you have any particular writing rituals?

I have my favorite nook on the couch, and I love having popcorn and Dr Pepper to fuel me. I also love to listen to film scores, because they can be so emotional and epic.

Can you tell us any tidbits about your next project after Relic?

I’m working on the sequel to Relic right now! All I can say is that we definitely get to see A LOT more of this magical, alternate historical world. So that’s always fun.

This definitely excites me! I'm so ready to spend more time in that world.

We all know that authors (like yourself!) are rockstars. Who are your author rockstars?

Libba Bray is amazing. I’d retire happy if I could write something as amazing as The Diviners. Also Neil Gaiman. GAH, he’s good. Just fantastic. And finally Kasie West, because she writes witty, charming dialogue better than anyone else out there, and romance that absolutely sparkles with chemistry.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Renee! I'm so excited for Relic to make its way out into the world, and for others to discover its magic.

Giveaway:

Please see Rafflecopter for full details. US only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you pre-order Relic be sure to check out the awesome preorder giveaway that Renee is hosting. You can also read a piece of flash fiction that Renee wrote, set in the world of Relic.

AUTHORS ARE ROCKSTARS TOUR SCHEDULE

The tour is running from August 1 - 31, 2013.

Armchair BEA 2013: An Introduction

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2013.

An Introduction

Welcome to Day 1 of Armchair BEA, everyone! Hello to both my regular visitors and to those of you new to Book Labyrinth. I can't believe it, but this is my 3rd year participating in Armchair BEA!! I always have a lot of fun finding new blogs and seeing what everyone else is chatting about.

Without further ado, here are the questions I chose to answer:

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?
Hello! I'm Ashley, a 26 year old blogger from Ontario, Canada. I generally review YA, but I also delve into New Adult here on the blog. I've also been considering adding a few adult reviews here and there, as I've been reading a lot more non-teen books this year.

And here I'll crib from my own answer from last year: I've been blogging on Book Labyrinth since August of 2010 and writing reviews on Goodreads since January of that year. I started Book Labyrinth because I wanted a place where I could have bookish discussions with other people who enjoyed the same books as I did. What has kept me blogging is that connection with other book bloggers, because let's face it: no one else understands our book obsessions the way other bloggers do.

2. Where in the world are you blogging from? Tell a random fact or something special about your current location. Feel free to share pictures.
As mentioned, I'm from Ontario, Canada. To be more specific, Southwestern Ontario, basically equally distance from Port Huron, Michigan and Niagara Falls, New York. This means that despite all the Canadian stereptypes of igloos and the cold, I actually live in a place that's further south than about 1/3 of the States.

Something special about my location in regards to blogging is that I'm a couple hours from Toronto, which means that (when the timing works out) I get to attend a lot of great book events. There is also a large group of bloggers from the Toronto area, and it's been awesome to get to know them.

3. Have you previously participated in Armchair BEA? What brought you back for another year? If you have not previously participated, what drew you to the event?
Yes!! It's my 3rd year, as stated, which is pretty unbelievable. I think the greatest thing about Armchair BEA is the sense of community. We're all book lovers, and it's so cool to see all the responses to the great topics that the Armchair BEA team comes up with. I also love the Twitter parties and the chance for great prizes -- there's an exciting atmosphere throughout the whole event, which I think is great, considering a lot of people are sad they can't physically be at BEA.

4. What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013?
At the moment I'm reading "How I Lost You" by Janet Gurtler. She's a fellow Canadian who writes fabulous contemporary YA titles.

To name only one favourite book of the year is impossible, so I'll list a few. Despite owning The Host since it was published I never read it until the beginning of this year. Surprisingly I really adored it. Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers was an amazing second volume to the 'His Fair Assassin' series. On a completely different note, Me Before You is a book that I can't stop thinking about. It's a tough and controversial read, but the emotions it evokes are crazy intense.

5. Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?
I was lucky enough to interview Marissa Meyer before her event in Toronto this march. I wrote about the event, and you can also listen to or read a transcript of the interview.

Then there was that time that Kelley Armstrong stopped by my house. (RIGHT??)

One post that I found interesting to write, and I think garnered some decent discussion was about favourite types of Book Swag.

Thanks for visiting, everyone! I can't wait to be introduced to all of you.

You can also check out some of my answers from the Armchair BEA 2012 Introduction.

The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake: Excerpt & Giveaway

I'm a normal teenager. I have a normal teenage life with normal teenage problems. The summer is my heaven. I live with my mom during the summer months. We stay in her tiny condo in Jacksonville, Florida. My parents split up when I was little. I'm not sure why. My mom never talks about it. Whatever it was, it was bad enough to make my mom pack me up in the middle of the night when I was four years old and run to my Gran's condo. My mom got the condo after Gran died. From that time on all I had known my entire life was beach life. Until four years ago. Until my uncle found me.

Add 'The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake' by Mary Parker on Goodreads.

EXCERPT

Because of the excerpt length I've loaded the document into Scribd. You can read it in the frame below, or click here.

The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake Excerpt

Mary Parker is an award winning writer and speaker. Born into a theatrical family, she is comfortable on the stage. While still in elementary school she appeared in a regional stage production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in the pivotal role of Imogene Herdman. While still in high school she was cast in the iconic role of Mary Warren in The Crucible, and she created the role of the American socialite, Hetty Merton in the world premier stage production of Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray.

Mary tried college, but after experimenting with degree programs in art, English, broadcast media and marketing – and ending up bored out of her skull – she determined college was not her calling. At least not for the foreseeable future.

Waiting tables for the rest of her life didn’t appeal to her either.

A story-teller at heart, Mary turned her attention to her first love – books. The result is her critically-acclaimed debut novel, The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake.

Connect with Mary online at:
www.facebook.com/AuthorMaryParker
www.MaryParker.info
www.WordCrafts.net

Buy The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake in Trade Paperback:
Amazon / Books-A-Million

Buy The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake in eBook:
Amazon Kindle / BN Nook / Sony eReader / Kobo

GIVEAWAY

Going to keep this one simple: fill out THIS FORM and I'll pick the winners through random.org

2 winners will receive an eBook copy of 'The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake' from the publisher. Open internationally. Runs until 3/30 at 12 am EST.

Marissa Meyer Interview

Once upon I time I entered a contest to interview Marissa Meyer in Toronto, and by some dumb luck I managed to win. Add in my bookish partner in crime Avery, and we had a very cool interview on our hands.

So here it is, Avery and my interview with Marissa Meyer, from the Indigo Yorkdale Green Room on Saturday, March 9, 2013. You can listen to the audio, read the transcript, or do both.

Warning for minor Cinder spoilers.

Ashley: I was thinking, a lot of us bloggers fangirl over your books & the characters, so what kinds of things do you fangirl over?

Marissa: [laughs] I'm a big Firefly fangirl...

Ashley: Me too.

Marissa: Yes! Actually, my biggest fantasy that I keep having right now. I'm going to Comic-Con in San Diego this year and I keep dreaming of, like, I pass Nathan Fillion in the halls and I can stop him and charm him, and be like 'You should read my book!', and then he does and gives it to Joss Whedon. That's like my dream at the moment, [laughing] so I definitely fangirl over Nathan Fillion, and he's great.

Ashley: Canadian, too.

Marissa: Oh, is he?

Avery: I only know him from Twitter; all the authors re-tweeting stuff about him. [all laugh]

Ashley: We're all like nerdy with Firefly.

Marissa: Yeah, he's awesome. He's so nerdy. Um, what else? I don't know. For a long time I was a Sailor Moon fangirl and I still kind of have that in my roots.

Avery: Dubbed or subtitles? 'Cause Ashley and I were discussing this on the way here.

Marissa: [laughs] Well, I've seen both, and I definitely prefer subtitles, because in the American version they made Darien out to be such a jerk, and he wasn't that big of a jerk in the Japanese one.

Ashley: Oh, okay.

Marissa: Actually, have you seen the live action?

Ashley: No, just pictures!

Marissa: It's kind of amazing, and like as campy and cheesy as you can imagine, but it was hilarious, so I really loved that.

Avery: Since you're one of our favourite authors, who are your favourite authors or your all-time favourite book?

Marissa: Well, my all-time favourite book is Pride and Prejudice. By Jane Austen, of course. Otherwise, favourite authors... I mean, J.K. Rowling is amazing. Who else? I really like Kristin Cashore and Leigh Bardugo. Marcus Zusak is brilliant. John Green, of course, is brilliant. Scott Westerfeld, I really admire him.

Avery: What about as a teenager, were they all your favourite books as a teenager too?

Marissa: As a teenager I read a lot of high fantasy, so I read... I was really into the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. I remember reading a lot of classics, but I feel like those were more forced on me, than anything else.

Ashley: For school...

Marissa: Yeah. So the Sword of Truth ones are the only ones that I can remember being super excited about when I was a teenager.

Ashley: Which literary location, either a real one or imagined, would you most like to visit?

Marissa: [squeeing] Pemberley! [laughs] Definitely Pemberley!

Ashley: Have you read the Shannon Hale book with the...

Marissa: You know, I have not. It's been on my list for ages.

Ashley: I thought that was kind of cool how they had, like, a place where people could go and act like they were back in that time.

Marissa: Yeah, I need to read that, for sure. But have you been watching the Lizzie Bennet Diaries?

Ashley: Yes.

Marissa: Yeah, I love how they've done that and Pemberley was the business and I thought it was very clever.

Ashley: Yeah, I liked all the connections, like 'Bing Lee'.

Marissa: Yeah! Uh huh.

Avery: This conversation actually makes me so happy, because I re-watched Pride & Prejudice the other day, with Keira Knightly, because it's my all-time favourite movie.

Marissa: I love that movie.

Avery: Because it's just as good as the book, I find.

Marissa: I don't know that I would quite say that, but I absolutely love it, and I've probably watched it 8 million times.

Avery: Yes! What interests do you have when you're not writing? Or hobbies that you pursue.

Marissa: I like to eat, a great deal. [laughs]

Ashley: That's a good one.

Marissa: I mean, I cook, not as much as I would like to, but I do cook fairly regularly, and I like to be adventurous with my cooking, like I'm always like 'I have no idea what this vegetable is, let's buy it and see what it does' ... but then also road trips. Jesse and I go on a lot of road trips together, and we love antiquing, so we'll go and do a road trip to one of those big outdoor flea market antique show things. So we do a lot of that.

Ashley: Bloggers often talk about their 'book boyfriends', so we're wondering who your book boyfriends are, or even like a book friend -- those characters that you wish were real.

Marissa: Oh heavens. Mr. Darcy, but this interview is going to be so overwhelmed with Pride & Prejudice stuff. [laughs] Who else? I love pretty much all the guys in the Graceling series, so Po and Brigand. Who was the guy in Bitterblue? I don't know, but he was also fabulous. She writes male characters very, very well, I think. And also all of the guys in Leigh Bardugo's series. I don't know if you guys have gotten Siege and Storm yet?

Ashley: I haven't, but I've read the first one.

Marissa: Yeah, and, you know, even the Darkling was hot. How does she do that?? And then there's a guy in Siege and Storm who's become like my favourite character ever, and I... want him. [laughs]

Avery: Do you have any future books in mind or are you solely focused on finishing the Lunar Chronicles before you start anything new? And are you going to go outside of the genre?

Marissa: We have actually just sold a new book to my publisher.

All: Yay!

Marissa: And that one will be YA Fantasy. So it's obviously still YA, but different in that there's no technology at all. I'm doing everything I can do avoid technology in that book. So that one's, you know, under way. And then I have lots and lots of ideas and I think that I will be staying in YA for the foreseeable future. I love this genre, but within YA, I mean I have ideas for historicals, and action adventures, and horrors, and pretty much everything.

Ashley: I think there should be... there's like kind of a lack of the kind-of action adventure thing, like I'd love to see sort of like an Indiana Jones type of treasure hunt story.

Marissa: Yeah! That would be fun. Everyone loves treasure hunts. And archaeology? Like it's so fascinating.

Avery: That's my B.A.!

Marissa: Is it? Yeah!

Ashley: So how much of the overarching plot for the series did you have worked out when you started Cinder? Has any of that changed a lot since the inception?

Marissa: Yeah.

Avery: You already have the third and fourth written, don't you? -Ish?

Marissa: Um, the third one's pretty much done, and I'm working on the second draft of the fourth one right now. Yeah, and I had them all planned out pretty much from the start. I had outlined all four books before I started writing. But yes, things definitely change a lot while you're writing, and particularly because I wrote Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress... I wrote the first drafts back to back, but then I went back and revised Cinder and so much changed in Cinder, that then I had to re-write books two and three to work with everything that had changed in the first book. But I would say that the overall trajectory of the plot has pretty much stayed the same.

Avery: What has been your most rewarding experience since becoming a published author?

Marissa: It's all so rewarding! Definitely just meeting fans is amazing and kind of boggling and strange at the same time. [laughs] But then also I'll get, once in a while I'll get a fan mail from somebody, usually a young person, who claims they never liked reading, they don't like books, but then they picked up Cinder for whatever reason and loved it, and now they're, you know, getting more into books and looking for other things they enjoy. That is so cool and special, 'cause obviously I love books and I know how important they were to me, so it's neat to think that mine could introduce someone else to that.

Ashley: Mmhmm! So sort of along those lines, what's been your favourite reader reaction to either your book as a whole, or like particular scenes?

Marissa: Well, it was fun being proposed to.* [all laugh] I don't know, I love all the squealing and the giddiness, 'cause I'm like 'I know how that feels!' and it's neat to have people feel it for my books. You know what? My favourite thing is probably the fan art and the fan fiction, which I don't actually read the fan fiction for my books, but just knowing that it's there makes me so happy. I think it's really cool to know that people have enjoyed the world and the characters so much that they want to take that and make their own stuff with it. I think that's a really big honour.

Avery: And gifs make me happy.

Marissa: Gifs, yeah.

Avery: Even when I read reviews with other people's gifs. 'You're expressing what I feel'...

Marissa: [laughs] I agree. I think it's such a talent to find the right gifs.

Avery: Yes!

Marissa: I don't think I could do it.

Avery: Is there any one aspect you find particularly challenging when writing?

Marissa: There's lots of parts that are challenging. I think for these books in particular, beginning with Scarlet, it's been a real challenge to combine the two story lines in a way that they balance each other and they work off each other in that you're not like reading one and then it moves to the other story line and you're like 'man I wish I knew what was happening with Scarlet right now' or whatever. So making sure that the readers are intrigued and excited about books, story lines, and that they kind of merge in interesting ways has been a challenge. But it's also fun, 'cause I kind of look at each book like a puzzle, and so it's like 'I have all these pieces, let's see how we can fit them together'.

Avery: I think that's... that what we both said. We thought they were like seamless, 'cause like I was really concerned about it. [Marissa laughs] Like I'm not going to lie to you, I was like 'How are these girls going to meet up?' And it was so natural.

Marissa: Oh, thank you!

Ashley: Yeah, like I sort of have a question about it, because that was one thing that I was like 'Okay I'm looking forward to it, but I love Cinder and what's going to happen?' And I think like, I felt like within a few pages you did really well introducing Scarlet.

Marissa: Oh, thank you!

Ashley: And making her really likable, and I thought a lot of books that go back and forth you have that kind of thing where you go 'Oh I just want to read about this character and I don't want to go back'. But I thought you did it really, really well balancing it out.

Marissa: Right. Well, thank you!

Ashley: So I guess... I'm going to skip to that one then since we're talking about it. What made you decide to go with the different perspectives, like continuing on with Cinder, but introducing those other ones.

Marissa: Well, when I first started brain storming the series I did think that each book would be a standalone, so like all of them in the same world, but not tied together. But then as I started figuring out the world and figuring out that there were these Lunars, and this evil Queen who wanted to take over, and this lost Moon Princess.. you know, the more I kind of brainstormed about it, the more this evil queen character started like tyrannizing all of the main characters in all of the books, and pretty soon it was just becoming this whole story that really revolves mostly around Cinder and the Evil Queen more than anything else. But I, of course, still had these other main characters, and I could see them kind of forming into a group as the stories went on, and banding together to fight the Evil Queen. So once I kind of knew that that's where we were heading with stuff, then I had to think 'Okay, well how? How are the characters related to each other and how do they come to meet up?' and so it's been fun!

Ashley: So whose points of view can readers expect to read about in Cress?

Marissa: Uh, all of them pretty much. I mean, you'll still be seeing Cinder and Kai, and Wolf and Scarlet, and then you'll also meet Cress, and then Captain Thorne also has a much larger part in Cress.

Ashley: Which is great.

Avery: Yes!

Ashley: We love him.

Marissa: Thank you! I do too. He's so much fun to write.

Avery: He's so... in real life he'd be a douchebag, but you love him.

Marissa: [laughs] I know, right? [all laugh]

Avery: Books make it okay. [pause] Kill, Kiss, or marry.

Marissa: Oh gosh, I hate this question!

Avery: Kai, Wolf and Thorne edition.

Ashley: This is Avery's evil question. [all laugh]

Marissa: I've actually... have been asked this before, and I'm going to stick with what I said then, and that's that I would kiss Kai because I think it would be excellent publicity. [all laugh] And marry Wolf, because I think if given the chance to settle down and lead a normal life, he would actually be a really great husband. And kill Thorne, because even though I love Thorne -- and he's probably actually my favourite of the three -- he would drive me crazy. [laughs]

Ashley: [laughs] Yes. [pause] What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?

Marissa: [laughs] Ignore writing advice. [all laugh] I think that there... I do actually kind of mean that. I mean, there's a lot of rules and I'll be the first person to give advice if somebody asks for it, but there's a lot of rules that writers take too seriously, and it's... you know, you need to find out what works for you and what works for the book, and do that, and try to ignore all of these other voices that are in your head.

Avery: Do first drafts suck for you?

Marissa: Yes.

Avery: Yes, okay.

Marissa: Horrifically. [laughs] No, there's not ... I'm hoping that Winter I won't have to entirely re-write, but Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress I had to rewrite pretty much from page one.

Avery: If you could do it all over again, would you change anything in Scarlet?

Marissa: In Scarlet specifically?

Avery: Or ... just in general.

Marissa: In any of them?

Avery: You know, introducing Thorne earlier.

Marissa: [laughs] [pause] Uh yeah, I guess I would ... probably the biggest criticism that Cinder receives is that people thought the big twist that she's the princess -- I don't know if you can put that, it's a spoiler -- but that the big twist at the end was too predictable, but like as the writer I expected readers to figure it out, so I knew that a lot of people were going to see it coming. So I think if I were to do it again I would make it more obvious that 'YES, you are actually supposed to figure it out!' It's not supposed to be this big surprise at the end.

Ashley: No, I thought that was pretty well done, because, you know, you can figure that out at the end, but I still thought the way that you brought it about was super interesting, and made it a great layer.

Marissa: Well, thank you.

Ashley: Okay. So what has your research process been like in writing the series, and have you got to visit any cool places... or what kinds of factoid have you found out that you thought were interesting?

Marissa: Oh my gosh, so many cool factoids! Um, I have not gotten to go, like to Paris or China, as much as I wish I could. But I do a lot of research for the settings, you know, online... Google Maps is fantastic, I look at a lot of tourist sites, read guide books - that sort of thing. I think probably the most interesting research that I've done were for the cyborg parts of Cinder, because really, everything that Cinder has, turned out to be completely plausible and it's all based on true scientific fact, and there are things that scientists are doing right now that are mind blowing. They actually just had a news story here a few weeks ago about how they had implanted a ... I think it's like a really, really thin sheet of electrodes into a guy's eye, that connects directly into his brain, and the guy was blind and now he can see. And, it's you know, it's like mostly shapes and colours, it's not like he can see 20/20, but it's getting there.

Ashley: Pretty incredible.

Marissa: And it's amazing, it's like, that's very similar to what Cinder has. So lots of very cool cyborg things.

Avery: What drew you into YA over any other genre?

Marissa: You know, it's just kind of where I landed, it wasn't really a intentional decision, at least not at first, because when I started writing - trying to write a novel - I was 16 at the time, and so of course all my characters were 16, and then I grew up, and went to college and got a job and blah blah blah, but I would always just keep writing about teenage characters. And so then when, of course, Harry Potter happened and Twilight and everything, and it was like 'Hey, that's my genre! That's where I fit!' So it was cool to make that connection and be like 'That's what I'm writing!' Because, really, YA as a genre, is very, very new ... it didn't exist until maybe 10 or 15 years ago, so it was nice that all the sudden there's this genre, and it's doing really well, and that's what I want to write.

Ashley: Yeah, it's definitely exploded over the last like 5 or 6 years, because I know even compared to when I was in high school, there definitely wasn't as much as there is now.

Marissa: Yeah!

Ashley: So I know we talked a little bit about NaNoWriMo**, so what's your favourite part about that process and what do you think the advantages are for participating in that?

Marissa: Well, I think what's so great about it is that it gives you a goal and it gives you a deadline, and I think that's where a lot of aspiring writers get tripped up. You know, they have this idea that they want to write a book, but there's always other things getting in the way. You know, life is always in the way. So I think if you can set a goal and set a deadline and take it really seriously that's, you know, you've accomplished half the battle right there. And so I think that's what's so great about NaNo, is that it encourages people to do that and to prioritize their writing and have fun with it too. As far as advantages, I mean obviously it's great that after 30 days you have a first draft. And yes it's messy and it's terrible, but at least then you have something to work with, and I think that's great. But at the same time I know a lot of writers who have tried it, and it didn't work for them, and they prefer a slower process, and I think that's fine too, you know, as long as you're working toward it.

Avery: Do you have any author friends? Because when I read the acknowledgements of books, like everyone's crediting other people, like people who are very random. Like Beth Revis and Lauren DeStefano: BFFs.

Marissa: Yeah! Um, I'm... I have more now. I have a group in Washington, the Apocalypsies, there were 6 of us in Washington, so we meet up once in a while. And then I've been on a couple group tours, and so it's been really fun meeting those authors. I mean... I guess, who would I think are my closest writer friends?

Avery: Do you ever text anyone, like 'oh my god...'

Marissa: Um... [laughs] only like if we're getting together, somewhere like 'hey I'm here' or whatever. Um, but like Lish McBride, she lives in Seattle, so we've gone out a couple times. And... Leigh Bardugo and Anna Banks, we were all on a group tour together, and we've gone out for drinks when we were at the same conferences, and they're so much fun. [pauses] [laughs] I could just start listing people, but then I know I'll miss somebody, and they'll be like 'Why didn't you list me?!' so...

Avery: It's kind of like when you're writing acknowledgements.

Ashley: Okay, so... what are 3 random facts about yourself that people might be surprised to know?

Marissa: Ooh...

Ashley: Or anything you can think of, really.

Marissa: Random... um... I don't know, that's hard!

Ashley: I put you on the spot.

Marissa: Yeah... we might have to come back to that one.

Avery: You... try vegetables you don't know.

Marissa: I do, I do.

Avery: That's random.

Marissa: Yeah. I've recently developed a great love for brussels sprouts. Like, who knew? Brussels sprouts, they're delicious. [all laugh]

Ashley: Okay, I think we're at 20 minutes. [to Avery] Unless you want to finish something up?

Avery: Nope.

Ashley: Okay. [to Marissa] Well thank you very much!

Marissa: Yeah, thank you guys!

* When we first came in and were introducing ourselves Avery goes "I actually proposed to you on twitter a while ago" & Marissa was like "Oh that was you?! When's the date?"
** Err, we didn't actually mention it by name, but that's when Marissa wrote the first drafts of Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress.

So as you can tell, Marissa is a very fun and lovely person, and it was such a joy to interview her. Thank you so much to Marissa, to Raincoast Books for making it possible, and to Indigo Yorkdale for use of their Green Room.

You can see pictures and

find a full event recap HERE.

Recap: Marissa Meyer Signing (Toronto)

You may recall from my earlier post that I was very excited for the Marissa Meyer signing in Toronto. It's not often that I can make the 2 hour trip to Toronto, so when events are on Saturday afternoon it makes me very happy.

You may also recall that Raincoast Books was hosting a contest for a chance to win a prize pack and an interview with Marissa herself. Now I had a weirdly good feeling about this contest, but I was still incredibly shocked and excited when I got an email last Wednesday saying I had won the interview (!!). When I first heard about the contest I had texted Avery saying "If either of us win the interview we should see if we can do it together" & Avery responded with "YES!!!!", so needless to say I decided I better stick to my word. ;) The people at Raincoast were great, and said that would be no problem.

My Mom is a big fan of YA novels herself, and is always willing to play chauffeur in exchange for gas money (thanks Mom!), so she drove Avery and I to Toronto once again. We got to Indigo Yorkdale at about 10:30 and there was already quite a decent line-up circling around the store. Avery and I said hello to the bloggers we saw, and then at about 11:15, Melissa, who was running the event, ushered us to the back room where we waited to interview Marissa. We met with Dan from Raincoast, and said hello to Chandra and Natalie, part of 'Team Teen' at Chapters-Indigo. I received copies of Cinder and Scarlet, Scarlet lip balm, and a Scarlet poster, and they were kind enough to give some lip balm and a poster to Avery as well. Marissa's husband, Jesse, also passed out some 'Captain Thorne' buttons to those of us in the back room.

Avery and I went into the green room for our interview with Marissa, and it was tons of fun. I always get a little bit nervous, but as soon as we began talking it was so comfortable. Marissa is very friendly and easy to talk to, and I think it made for a great interview (interview can be found here). After we finished up interviewing, Marissa signed our books and posters, and Jesse was kind enough to take a picture of the three of us.

(Photo Credit @indigogreenroom)

After our interview was complete Avery and I joined my Mom in front row reserved seats (thank you Melissa!), and within a few minutes Marissa came out to the excitement of the crowd. Marissa spoke a bit about her inspiration for Cinder, her publication journey, and then she told us three non-Disney fairy tales (Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood). After that she took questions from the audience.

Here are some interesting facts from the event:

• Cinder, Scarlet, and Winter are pretty straight-forward names, but people always wonder where Cress came from. The connection is that Cress & Rapunzel are both types of lettuce.
• Marissa planned to write Cinder for NaNoWriMo, but then she heard about a contest where the prize for writing the most NaNo words in her area was a walk on role for Star Trek (a big deal in her family, who she says are all nerds). Unfortunately she came in 3rd, only 1000 words under the winner.
• She likes to write female characters who are strong and have goals beyond getting a boyfriend
• Her advice to young writers is to read & write as much as you can
• She loves writing because it's a chance to explore other people & situations -- escape into another world
• Her favourite Sailor Scout is Sailor Jupiter, because she's tough and strong, but she's also very sweet and caring on the inside; she influenced Cinder's personality quite a bit

After questions were complete it was time for Marissa to begin signing. Because Avery and I already had our books signed we waited around a bit for some other bloggers, chatting as they finished getting their books signed. Then a group of us headed across the mall for some lunch. It's always so much fun to connect with the Toronto (and Ottawa!) bloggers.

(Photo Credit @justalillost)

All in all it was a fabulous day! Thanks so much to Raincoast Books, Indigo Yorkdale, Indigo Green Room, and, of course, Marissa Meyer for making it happen!

You can read other recaps of the event here (let me know if you'd like your post linked up!):
-- Avery
-- Michele
-- Angel
-- Rose

You can find Avery & my
interview with Marissa HERE.

A post in which I am interviewed by Rachel

Usually the interviews we all post are questions we've asked someone else. Well, Rachel (from Beauty and the Bookshelf) and I are a bit different, okay? ;) As a collaborative guest post interview type of thingy (I'm all about the technical terms), Rachel has asked ME some questions about myself.

Keep in mind that I started answering these at about 12:30 in the morning after my birthday, so I might have been a wee bit giddy. Here it goes...

1. Describe yourself in the form of a haiku.

Canadian girl
Quiet and a bit unsure
Loves the written word

2. Using the letters of LABYRINTH, please describe your blog.

I can use the letters more than once, right? Because otherwise I give up. ;) Okay, I think I’ve got the perfect description: “A YA lit library”. I have to say I'm kind of high-fiving myself over how well that worked out.

3. Your blog is (obviously) called the Book Labyrinth. Is it because books get you lost in a maze, or because you love the movie? (Dance magic dance, anyone?)

Oh it’s both! Honestly I just wanted a really cool word that was a bit unique, and labyrinth kept sticking out in my mind. I love mazes/labyrinths, both visually and conceptually, and I figured it worked in an abstract way: that reading can make you feel lost in something magical. It also really describes the state of my room. =b But then there’s also the awesome movie angle. I haven’t watched it in years, actually, but it was definitely a favourite of mine when I was a kid.

(Image found here)

4. Why should people visit your blog? What makes it different from all the others?

I think at a certain point it’s not necessarily about uniqueness (although that helps), but it’s really about finding someone whose book tastes you either identify with or admire, and if you’re lucky, perhaps a bit of both.

Within YA I review a good range of genres, and you can always count on me to be honest with my reviews. After struggling with it a bit, I’m proud of the fact that I’m somewhat of a critical reader, and therefore when I give five stars you know that I absolutely loved the reading experience.

5. You're a tribute in the Reader Games! Which three fictional characters are your allies, and which are your enemies?

Eep, who or what are we fighting?! Well since I don’t know for sure I definitely need a girl who can physically kick butt. I’m going to go with the lesser known Kat -- Katsa (Graceling). She’s graced with survival, so I hope that she will let me into her inner circle and protect me too! Second I need someone else with some battle experience, but who is also super smart. It’s got to be Hermione Granger. She’s loyal, brave, and intelligent. Please be on my team, HG! And just in case this isn’t a physical fight, but one of cunning, wit, and overall awesomeness, then I’m going to need Frankie Landau-Banks (The Disreputable History of...) on my team.

Who are our enemies?! Good question. Well, I’m really interested in villains who are layered characters. Ones who are truly bad -- crazy evil and the like, but who also have moments where you can see a sliver of humanity. First off we have Mayor / President Prentiss (Chaos Walking). That guy gave me the shivers (in a bad way, obvs), and yet there are so many moments when you’re like “Omigosh, should I trust him?!” Second, if we’re having a conflicted and complex villain party then I’ve got to invite Warner (Shatter Me) for the eye candy. And then for someone who I really think is just pure evil, there’s Dolores Umbridge. I think I want to punch her even more than I want to punch Voldemort (please note I’ve never punched anyone in my life, so maybe Katsa will do it for me?).

6. Ebook or physical book? Why?

If I had to pick one format to read as it stands right now I think I would pick ebooks. My eReader is portable, I tend to read more quickly on it, and I have hand problems as well, so sometimes an eReader is so much easier to hold/handle. But honestly I love both formats. When it comes down to it I mostly still buy physical books, a lot because of the price, and also because they’re easier to loan. When it comes to book design, physical books will always win as well -- plus the ability to flip back and forth easily, and look things up in indexes more simply, etc. And if it comes to an apocalypse I don’t think I’ll be able to charge my Kobo, so physical books win out in that situation.

7. Favorite book? Least favorite book?

My favourite book is Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. You can read my glowing review here. I've also posted about how I'm thankful for Jellicoe, and how I think it's beyond description. I love absolutely everything about that book, including the fact that I fell in love with it even more upon re-read.

As for least favourite... there have been a few that I really didn’t enjoy (you can check out my 'Read' shelf on Goodreads ordered by rating), but honestly I think 'Lord of the Flies' sticks out in my mind as a book from school that I really, really disliked.

8. Three fictional characters: you marry one, kill one, and be in a book with one. Who do you choose?

Ah! I have a lot of book crushes, but I’m like “I can’t marry him, he belongs to ____!” Like, I adore Jonah Griggs so much (hello, my iPhone is named Griggs), but so much of why I love him is because of how he loves Taylor. Welllllll (I’m totally channeling the Tenth Doctor with that), I could play 'eenie meenie miney mo' forever, so it's decided: I’m going to marry Poe/Jamie from the Secret Society Girl books. Bonus: he’s age appropriate! (PS. You must read those books - so fab!)

I’m... going to (get Katsa to) kill Leck, appropriately enough. After reading Bitterblue his atrocities are fresh in my mind, and it breaks my heart that he had the grace to control people the way he did.

To get to be in a book with just one character is hard after being on Team Awesome with those fine ladies (see: above), but... I pick Luna Lovegood. You can read more about why I love Luna here.

9. What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?

I think what I most want to accomplish is just to share my love of reading with others, and to continue to grow as part of the book blogging community. My specific goal is to hear back from people saying “I read this book because of your recommendation”. I’ve been fortunate enough to hear that a few times, which I think is amazing. There's really nothing better than hearing that people respect my reading tastes and feel that I have something valuable to share with them.

10. Five fun facts about you and/or your blog.

Hmm, alrighty... here are some random factoids:

1. I purposely scheduled my first post on Book Labyrinth to coincide with the release of Mockingjay
2. The very first movie I saw in theatres was Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and I still consider it one of my favourites
3. When I started blogging I really didn’t read the paranormal genre at all. It took a few really great series (based on recommendations from trusted bloggers!) for me to realize there were some awesome paranormals out there. I’ve actually had a huge post about this in the works for a long time -- maybe eventually I’ll actually finish writing it and post it for you
4. I think my patronus would be a penguin (see: animal personality test)
5. I'm left handed, but I do random things right handed. For instance, I play baseball left handed, but hockey and golf right handed.

Well, that was fun! Hope you learned some interesting things about me. =)