Midnight Bloom Reads: Signing

Gayle Forman

Recap: Gayle Forman & Jamie Blackley Signing in Toronto!

8:03 PM

Announcement

Marissa Meyer is coming to Toronto!

12:00 AM

Ally Carter

Recap: Ally Carter Signing in Toronto!

8:00 AM

Earlier in the month, on Saturday, February 9, I was able to attend Ally Carter's book signing in Toronto! This was the only Canadian stop she was making to promote the release of Perfect Scoundrels, the third novel in the Heist Society series.

My sister and I are huge fans of both the Gallagher Girls and Heist Society series', so we'd been counting down the days until the book signing! And then you know what happened the day before? A huge snowstorm decides to come! I was so relieved to hear that Ally Carter's flight wasn't cancelled so she could still make it to the event!

I got to Indigo Yorkdale a couple hours early, and waited in line with blogger friends Wendy and Audrey (holes In My brain)! Shortly after 12 pm, Ally Carter was all smiles as she made her way to the stage and was greeted with enthusiastic applause from the audience. Instead of doing a book reading, she quickly launched into accepting questions from readers.

Someone asked about Double Crossed, a novella released before Perfect Scoundrels which features characters from both the GG and Heist Society series', and Ally Carter said that it's purely meant to stand alone. When asked about characters trying to run away in her novels, Ally said that it's part of adolescence and growing up; her characters live in an extreme world, so they have extreme reactions. She also talked about Hale (*cue swooning*) and joked that since Kat needed a way to get around the world, she figured why not give her a boy with a jet. In some cases, like this one, fiction could be better than reality.

Perfect Scoundrels takes a closer look at the theme of the family you choose versus the family you're born into. We get to learn more about Hale and his world; he's a very lonely person and his family is a different kind of criminal compared to Kat's. We get to learn the nickname Hale's family calls him, but even though Ally knows what the "W" stands for in his name, we still don't get to learn it in this book. Ally Carter also mentioned that she loves writing about Uncle Eddie. He's the sort of sage, paternal figure who will help you, but he'll be grumpy to leave his house.

When asked about the little details in her books, like the fun names for the cons, Ally said the more specific it is, the more likely she made it all up. Most of the time, these names come to her as she writes, and she likes the idea of readers using their imagination and coming to their own conclusions of what they could entail. It's also hard for her to name the titles of her novels, and Perfect Scoundrels is the first book she needed help from someone for naming.

Ally Carter also talked a bit about the GG series. She always wanted the Gallagher Academy to be a school for training female spies, but the Blackthorne Institute wasn't planned initially. There was a passing remark in the first book, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You, where a character speaks of a rumour about a secret boy school, and it inspired Ally to write more about it in the next books. The Blackthorne Institute is an anti-Gallagher Academy. She also talked about Zach (*cue more swooning*) being an anti-Josh, and someone who lives in the shadows. He's a very mysterious person, and even though Cammie knows a dozen languages, she still doesn't even know where he lives.

When someone asked why she decided to write contemporary books, rather than within the paranormal genre since they're very popular, Ally Carter said you have to write what you like to write, not because it's the trend. She shared that she and author friend Jennifer Lynn Barnes jokingly remark that if she wrote a supernatural book, it would probably be called something like I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You Because I'm A Vampire. YA seemed like a perfect fit to Ally once she began writing it, and she thinks teenage girls are underestimated in the world. She wanted to have empowered girls in her novels, and she tries to write a book that she would also want to read. One of the books which first inspired Ally Carter to begin writing her own stories was S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders.

Once the questions were finished, it was time for the book signing! My sister and I attended Ally Carter's book signing the last time she was in Toronto a few years ago, so we didn't have a huge stack of books to get signed, but it was still really exciting to meet her again. Ally Carter is truly Southern hospitality personified! She's really sweet and friendly, and even my sister, who normally doesn't really say too much to authors at book signings, easily chatted with her too.

Thanks so much to Ally Carter for visiting Toronto and meeting some of your Canadian fans! Also, tons of thanks to Hachette Book Group Canada, Indigo Yorkdale, and Chapters/Indigo for hosting such an awesome event!

** Thanks to Hachette Book Group Canada, I had a really cool opportunity to meet Ally in person before her book signing and ask some questions about both the Gallagher Girl and Heist Society series'. My author interview with Ally Carter will be posted on the blog tomorrow, so please be on the lookout for it! **

Melissa de la Cruz

Melissa de la Cruz Signing in Toronto!

10:00 AM

On Sunday, January 20, I was able to attend Melissa de la Cruz's book signing in Toronto! This was the only Canadian stop she was making to promote the release of Gates of Paradise, the seventh and final novel in the Blue Bloods series. I've been reading the Blue Bloods novels pretty much since the very beginning, so I was incredibly excited to finally meet Melissa de la Cruz after so many years of reading her books.

I got to Indigo Yorkdale several hours early with my Mom and sister, and even then, there was a line forming with Blue Bloods fans. Later on, I was able to get a seat beside blogger friends Wendy, Michele (Just A Lil' Lost) and Christa (More Than Just Magic). Before the event began, there were yummy cupcakes and drinks provided, as well as a photo station where you could take a picture wearing a Venetian mask and/or fancy furs like you were a Blue Blood. It was such an added treat which I'm not used to seeing at book signings, and it made the event all the more special, I think!

At 1 pm, Melissa de la Cruz made her way to the stage to enthusiastic applause. She quickly launched into talking about the Blue Blood series, and how she first got the inspiration to write it. In 2004, she got a call from her agent asking if she'd like to write a dark fantasy novel after her The Au Pairs editor moved to another publisher, Hyperion. She has always loved John Milton's Paradise Lost, and wanted her vampires to have to an origin story; when she first wrote Blue Bloods, she had no idea how mainstream vampires would soon become!

The easiest book to write in the series was Masquerade. She was pregnant at the time, but everything in the book easily fell into place, to her relief, I'm sure. She added that she likes to outline her books, and her husband collaborates with her a lot, exchanging ideas about the characters and the plot. They've known for years what would happen in the series!

If you've read the Blue Bloods series, then you'll know that the books take place in many different countries around the world. Melissa said she would hire local research assistants to get the details right about the countries. However, in Revelations, which is partly set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, some details were wrong and they didn't catch them right away like the currency and the airport name because it had recently changed at the time, which just goes to show you can't be perfect all the time. She also said that after the book was released, some Brazilian readers complained about how she wrote about poverty and crime in the city; she grew up in Manila, Philippines, so she's able to relate and understand that it's a part of the city, and she didn't want to ignore it in her book.

On a lighter note, Melissa shared an interesting story about the cover for Blue Bloods! When they were still designing the cover, she felt it was too generic, so she asked if they could change it. In the end, the final cover was shown to her, and she thought it was a much more perfect fit. Guess who the cover model turned out to be? Her editor! They took a photo of her neck because it seemed long and elegant.

Melissa said she would always remember when The Van Alen Legacy was released because it sold thousands and thousands of copies in its first week, and she also got a Disney VIP Member Pass (Hyperion, her publisher, is part of Disney) too. But while this year marked one of the highest moments in her life, it was also one of the lowest because her father passed away that year, so she gained perspective. When it was time for her to write Keys to the Repository, a Blue Bloods companion book, it was stressful and she had to relearn a lot of details about the series. Writing Misguided Angel was a challenge for Melissa, so her husband actually wrote the first few chapters of the novel, which she jokingly remarked was why the book opens with a chase scene. She was also excited to write more about the Chinese Venators, and said they were inspired by Chinese twins she had known in college.

And on a really exciting note, Melissa announced that there was going to be an adult Blue Bloods spin-off series!! Her publisher would have made an official announcement earlier, but the description would have given something away about the end of Gates of Paradise, so they're waiting to spill any more details. Awesome news, right?

And Melissa has another book coming out later this year called Frozen, and she's been writing it with her husband. It's going to be the first novel in a post-apocalyptic series she describes as The Lord of the Rings in reverse. Instead of magic leaving the land, it's coming back.

It was then time for the book signing! Clutching my armload of books, I waited for my turn to get my books signed. I'm pretty sure I gushed about how excited I was to hear about a Blue Bloods spin-off series and how awesome Frozen sounds. Melissa de la Cruz is so sweet, friendly, and nice!

Thanks so much to Melissa de la Cruz for visiting Toronto and meeting some of your Canadian fans! Also, tons of thanks to Hachette Book Group Canada, Indigo Yorkdale, and Chapters/Indigo for hosting the event!

** Thanks to Hachette Book Group Canada, before the event began, I had a really cool opportunity to meet Melissa in person and ask some questions about the Blue Blood series. My author interview with Melissa de la Cruz will be posted on the blog tomorrow, so please be on the lookout for it! **

Jenny Han

Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian Signing in Toronto!

8:00 AM

On Thursday, September 27, I attended Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian's book signing in Toronto for their new co-written book, Burn for Burn! This was their very first time venturing into Canada to promote their book together, and I'd been counting down the days until I could meet them! For those who don't know, Jenny Han is the bestselling author of the Summer series, and Siobhan Vivian is the author of The List and Not That Kind of Girl.

As soon as my class was finished for the day, I quickly made my way to Indigo Yorkdale and was shocked to find myself first in line for the event! Crazy awesome, right? With several hours to kill, I was glad the time could pass by faster when another girl arrived in line and we talked about some of our favourite contemporary books.

And then later on, I finally got to officially meet the super sweet Sonia from The Story Queen! We talked about our love for Jenny Han's Summer series, the way it gives us FEELINGS, and how torn we were between Jeremiah and Conrad when we read the final book, We'll Always Have Summer. By that point, I couldn't stop gushing about the books and how excited I was to see both Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. (And after the event, Sonia introduced me to another nice book blogger, Tiff from Mostly YA Lit! )

Just after 7:00 pm, the authors made their appearance on stage to a loud round of applause! The best friends quickly introduced themselves and launched into talking about the inspiration for Burn for Burn, and how some humiliating events when they were teenagers helped to inspire them writing the book. When Siobhan was younger and at a party, a popular boy she liked was kissing her and then laughed in her face when his friends saw him and couldn't believe he'd be with her unless he was drunk (or something similar along those lines). When Jenny was a teen, a boy she liked called her fat in front of everyone in the cafeteria, and she could only run away and cry afterwards. She described him as sort of like Conrad from her Summer series, but without his redeeming qualities.

I thought they showed real courage in sharing their personal experiences with everyone, because if something like that had ever happened to me, I don't think I'd ever want anyone to bring it up again. It's nice to know that years later, they can laugh about it together though. In Burn for Burn, Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian wanted their three protagonists to get the revenge that they never got, since they wondered why they never said anything back then. The authors next moved onto reading from Burn for Burn! Jenny first read a party scene from Lillia's perspective, and Siobhan followed up afterwards by reading a flashback scene from Mary's POV.

Once they finished reading from the book, they took questions from the audience! When asked about the writing process for Burn for Burn, they said it took about a year and a half to flesh out the storyline and characters. Instead of writing a particular character as some authors do when co-writing a book together, Jenny and Siobhan would divide up certain scenes they wanted to write and then send them to each other for editing and critiquing. And because Burn for Burn is the first in a trilogy, they also had to plan ahead for future books.

Someone next asked an essay-style question about the "evolution of social structure", so Jenny and Siobhan talked about how bullying isn't exactly new territory in schools, and how the isolated setting of Jar Island in Burn for Burn helped to build tension. The characters are stuck with other people on the island with nowhere to exactly go except by ferry, and with technology, everyone knows each other's business these days.

We also learned that Jenny and Siobhan first became friends when they studied youth literature together in graduate school. They would write together at Starbucks and it helped to know that someone was there to support them. Jenny Han had wanted to be a writer since she was a young girl, and Siobhan Vivian worked in television for the Disney Channel for awhile before turning to write YA.

A couple questions were then directed more towards Jenny Han and her Summer series. She never outlined the books in the series (Burn for Burn was the first time she ever outlined for a book!), but always had a vision of a girl in a wedding dress holding hands with a boy. She was constantly undecided between Conrad and Jeremiah, and especially so when writing We'll Always Have Summer, the final book in the trilogy. Siobhan Vivian then chimed in that Jenny was really nervous when writing We'll Always Have Summer because she had a feeling people might feel betrayed by Jeremiah's mistake, and it was tough to take her characters there.

You could really tell that Jenny and Siobhan had absolute fun writing Burn for Burn together! When critiquing each other's novels, they described it as being like an Aunt who cares a lot, but will ultimately pass the responsibility back to the parent. Burn for Burn felt more like their baby. When asked if there was a moment from the novel they didn't agree about at first, they chose the spin-the-bottle scene from Burn for Burn. Jenny really wanted it in the book, but Siobhan didn't at first, so they ended up moving it to another part of the book where it was a much better fit in progressing the story. Sometimes the pair would pretend to be characters, like Rennie and Lillia, from the book and act out scenes to help with the dialogue!

A question about Asians portrayed in YA was also asked because Lillia, one of the central characters, is Korean. Jenny Han didn't want to portray any stereotypes in Burn for Burn, and added that she didn't make a character Asian on purpose; it's just a part of their being and they come fully formed as a character to her. Lillia may have been an Asian character, but that didn't absolutely define her... which I think is absolutely true and something you can agree about if you've read Burn for Burn! We also learned that Lillia is modeled after Jenny's sister, who was also popular in school. The last question of the night related to YA recommendations, and they both answered with books like Elizabeth Wein's Code Name Verity and Gayle Forman's One Day.

Once the questions were finished, it was time for the book signing! Both Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian were really sweet, friendly, and all smiles as I gave my books to them to be signed. I was trying my best not to fan-girl too crazily, but I don't think my excitement could be contained! (I was also nervous too. My hand wouldn't stop shaking when taking a picture for my sister...) I couldn't believe I was meeting them face-to-face! While I tried to remind myself to breathe, I scrambled to find something intelligible to say and probably ended up mumbling I was a book blogger and that I loved their books...

Thanks so much to Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian for visiting Toronto and meeting some of your Canadian fans! I sure hope you'll both return one day. And lots of thanks also goes out to Indigo Yorkdale, Chapters/Indigo, and Simon & Schuster Canada for hosting the event!

James Dashner

James Dashner Signing in Toronto!

10:00 AM

On Thursday, September 20, I was able to attend James Dashner's book signing in Toronto! This was the only Canadian stop he was making in promoting the release of A Mutiny in Time, the first novel in the Infinity Ring series, and I was so excited to meet him that night! James Dashner is also the author of the bestselling Maze Runner series, which I absolutely loved reading!

Since I was done classes earlier that day, I was able to make my way to Indigo Yorkdale and get a good spot in line that was only behind a few other people. I had several hours of waiting ahead of me, but the wait passed by rather quickly because I was able to strike up a conversation with the girl in line beside me and we just chatted away about some of our favourite books, including The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.

As I'm sure most TMI fans know, City of Bones is currently filming in Toronto and she told me that she'd seen the film set one day and even got Lily Collins' signature, which just cued my fan-girling that she'd been so lucky to meet her! I also recognized another fellow book blogger, Terri from Read & Riot, and we talked about our love for Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys (and Gansey!). I'm sure you can see how it's easy to pass the time when you're talking about awesome books!

As it drew closer to 7:00 pm, more and more people arrived, and you could tell we were all getting excited for James Dashner's arrival. Right on time, he made his appearance and was greeted by warm applause! He quickly introduced himself and proclaimed, "I'm a nerd!" to a cheering audience. He skipped over reading from A Mutiny in Time and quickly launched into taking questions.

Someone asked him why he made up words like "shank" for the Maze Runner series, and his reply was that he wanted them to be similar to swear words but not have to be censored too much, and hoped the made up words would also go along with the tough world he'd created. He also added that his kids like to use the insults from the books too!

When asked if he personally thought WICKED was good or evil, he felt empathy for them and thought that things are not so black or white in the world. He elaborated on the thought by pondering the situation of facing death, and how far you would go to save others. Is a person's death okay if it's considered for the common good? He reckoned that WICKED was just trying to do what they could to save humanity.

When writing The Maze Runner, there were two books which inspired him: Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game and William Golding's Lord of the Flies. Before the Maze Runner trilogy was even finished, Dashner had already planned to write the prequel novel, The Kill Order, which was just released mid-August. When asked if he was Team Teresa or Team Brenda, he said that he'd never intended there to be a love triangle in the series, but that he's probably closer to Teresa because she's more developed as a character in his mind.

While there were a lot of questions related to the Maze Runner series, there were some about A Mutiny in Time as well! (I don't think as many people had read it yet because it's so newly released.) A Mutiny in Time is about two best friends who learn that history has gone off course and that they need to travel back in time, using a device called the Infinity Ring, to fix it.

If he could go back in time to meet someone, James Dashner said he'd want to meet his historical hero, Abraham Lincoln. In A Mutiny in Time, one of the main characters, Dak, really loves cheese, so when asked what James Dashner's favourite type was, he said he really likes eating cheddar cheese... especially with salt and vinegar chips. There also hasn't been any news of a movie deal for the Infinity Ring series yet, but Scholastic is hopeful.

Once the questions were over, it was time for the book signing! I was kind of nervous when I got up to the stage, but James Dashner was super friendly! While he signed my books, one of the ladies who works at Scholastic Canada was helping to hand over the books to him and the three of us had a quick chat that the last time the author had been in Canada for something book-related was probably at the Teen Read Awards a few years ago... I'm so glad my brain didn't completely blank when I was speaking...

Thanks so much to James Dashner for coming to Canada to meet some of your Canadian fans! Also, tons of thanks definitely goes out to Indigo Yorkdale, Chapters/Indigo, and Scholastic Canada for hosting the event!

Adult

Blogger Luncheon with Billie Livingston & Giveaway for "One Good Hustle"!

1:34 PM

Earlier in the month, on August 8, I was invited by Random House Canada to attend a Blogger Luncheon with author Billie Livingston as the special guest of honour! A very small group of book bloggers, plus Adria and Lindsey from RHC, met up with the Canadian author at a restaurant called Cheesewerks in downtown Toronto where we all comfortably chatted while eating amazing specialty grilled cheeses. (Seriously, I think it's the best grilled cheese I've ever had!) It was a very casual, yet intimate, event as we discussed Billie Livingston's latest novel One Good Hustle!

During the luncheon, we covered everything from our favourite characters in One Good Hustle (it was fun to see Lindsey fan-girling about Sammie!), whether we've ever been conned in our own lives (the parents of the main character, Sammie, are con artists as a living), to high school memories and learning more about Billie Livingston's next writing projects. We also debated how to categorize One Good Hustle as being YA or Adult fiction, with the conclusion that it could be defined as either. While the book is technically Adult, the younger aged protagonist and themes in the book certainly showed that it holds a YA appeal as well.

I think one of the most interesting pieces of information I learned that day was how One Good Hustle was inspired, in part, by Billie Livingston's own life. There's a very great article where you can read all about it on the Globe and Mail's website, but in short, Sammie and Billie are much more alike than readers may have first imagined as Billie's father was also a con artist. Many of us were so surprised when we learned this! We also learned when Billie Livingston is not writing or doing research for her next novel, she also works as an "extra" in the film industry back home in Vancouver, which I thought was really cool!

When we were all finished eating, we took a group photo of the bloggers present along with Billie Livingston, and also got our own copies signed and personalized.

It was such a pleasure to meet the very kind and friendly Billie Livingston, and the time seemed to fly by in no time at all! Thanks so much to Random House Canada for organizing the lunch, and extending an invitation to me.

You can also read another recap of the Blogger Luncheon with Billie Livingston on Random House Canada's new Retreat blog!

From award-winning writer Billie Livingston, an unsparing novel of loyalty and survival that is fierce, sharp and funny even when it's breaking your heart.

The child of 2 con artists, 16-year-old Sammie Bell always prided herself on knowing the score. But now she finds herself backed into a corner. After a hustle gone dangerously wrong, her mother, Marlene, is sliding into an abyss of alcoholic depression, spending her days fantasizing aloud about death--a goal Sammie is tempted to help her accomplish. Horrified by the appeal of this, Sammie packs a bag and leaves her mother to her own devices.

With her father missing in action, she has nowhere else to go but the home of a friend with 2 parents who seem to actually love their daughter and each other--and who awkwardly try to extend some semblance of family to Sammie. Throughout a long summer of crisis among the normals, Sammie is torn between her longing for the approval of the con-man father she was named for and her desire for the "weird, spearmint-fresh feeling" of life in the straight world. Sammie wants to be normal but fears that where she comes from makes that beyond the realm of possibility.

One Good Hustle chronicles 2 months in Sammie Bell's struggle with her dread that she is somehow doomed genetically to be just another hustler.

Giveaway! I'm giving away a signed finished copy of Billie Livingston's One Good Hustle!

please fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter
giveaway is INTERNATIONAL
giveaway will end at 12:00 a.m. on September 3, 2012
winner will be contacted by email afterwards
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Recap: Gayle Forman & Jamie Blackley Signing in Toronto!

Marissa Meyer is coming to Toronto!

Recap: Ally Carter Signing in Toronto!

Melissa de la Cruz Signing in Toronto!

Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian Signing in Toronto!

James Dashner Signing in Toronto!

Blogger Luncheon with Billie Livingston & Giveaway for "One Good Hustle"!

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