Author Interview with Melissa de la Cruz!

When Melissa de la Cruz came to Toronto recently on January 20th to celebrate the release of Gates of Paradise, the seventh and final novel in the Blue Bloods series, I had an amazing opportunity to interview the author in person before her book signing at Indigo Yorkdale began.

It was my first time doing a Q&A like this before, so I was incredibly nervous that I would become an unintelligible, babbling mess when I began to speak... Melissa de la Cruz is very sweet and friendly, and once the quick introductions were out of the way, I jumped into asking questions right away.

I recorded the interview and I've transcribed our discussion below!   

You have seven books in the Blue Bloods series plus Keys to the Repository, Bloody Valentine and Bliss’ point of view in the Wolf Pact ebooks. You’ve been writing these books for at least seven years. Have you always had a clear sense of how everything would begin and end? Or has it kind of changed? 

I think when you start to write a saga, yeah, you kind of have to do a lot of planning, so I definitely knew I wanted to write this big story. I had a big idea for the story, and then I wrote the back-story. I had to figure out what happened in the past to start writing in the present, and when I first started writing Blue Bloods, I wanted to do nine books. I wanted to do three trilogies: a forward trilogy, a prequel trilogy, and then pick it up again with the forward-ending trilogy. When I started writing Revelations, book three, it became so big that I had to cut it in half. So The Van Alen Legacy is really kind of the fourth book and “first trilogy”. When I finished writing that, I realized I didn’t want to do a prequel trilogy. I didn’t want to do just the past because I watched the Star Wars movies and they sucked, so I thought to just consolidate everything. At that point, after I decided not to do these trilogies and just do a big saga, I decided to write seven books and some side books too. But I always had a big plan for everything and knew exactly what each book would be about and who’s who. There were no surprises to me.

Like who would live or die? Or who would get their heart broken?

Yes!

What about the side stories? When you were writing them, did you think you could expand them into something more?

No, I mean, side stories kind of come from your publisher wanting more books, and trying to figure out how to please them while still also staying true to the story. I also like to do the side books and do something interesting about the mythology in them so that they’re not just sort of wasted.

Like to complement the books?

Yeah, I wanted them to complement the books but have something new in them as well, not just some sort of encyclopedia with nothing new in it. I wanted new things for people to discover.

I think my favourite was Allegra and Bendix’s story [from Bloody Valentine]. I was tearing up about it… Which book was probably the most challenging to write? 

Misguided Angel. After Van Alen Legacy, not just the pressure of living up to it, but my Dad died, so I was grieving. And then Bliss was gone, so I had a whole new character to write about.

The Chinese Venator [Deming Chen], right? 

Yes.

That book was written really different because it was divided into three parts...

Yeah, I wanted to try something a little different. I think that one was the hardest for me to write. My outline wasn’t working and I kept rewriting it and rewriting it. After writing Van Alen Legacy, which came from an outline like Masquerade did and was easy to write, Misguided Angel was definitely the hardest.

Which character do you feel you’re the closest to?

Definitely, I think they’re all like me and have parts of my personality. Schuyler was me in high school, very alienated, sardonic and alone. Mimi was kind of me after high school, when you’re a lot more confident. And I always relate to Mimi because she never gets anything she wants.

When I read the first book, I was Team Schuyler and hated Mimi. She was so cruel… 

And mean! [laughs]

Then I took a break and came back to the series, re-read them all over again… and I feel bad and much more sympathetic for Mimi now. Maybe it’s because I’m older now, but I think I was too hard on her before.

I knew Mimi always had another side to her. There was always a reason why. She’s kind of conservative and traditional, and she was just trying to keep everything together. So yeah, she had her reasons for doing what she did.

And she loves Jack, but he doesn’t love her back.

I know! So, it’s like, how can you not like her? It’s so sad.

Well, at least she has Kingsley. I really like him! Their personalities match. And, of course, my heart broke when it looked like things were not meant to be… 

[laughs]

And you somehow brought him back!

Oh, yeah. We brought him back.

Was that your own decision? Or were you keeping your fans in mind?

No, he was always coming back! 

We’ve traveled to Venice in Masquerade, Rio de Janeiro in Revelations, Cairo in Lost in Time and more around the world. In Gates of Paradise, we find the vampires in London. What inspired you set you to set the books, in part, in these different countries and cities with such history?

These cities really appealed to me. I’ve always loved Italy and Venice and Florence.The birth of the Renaissance was there, and Western culture had a great apex there, and the vampires are sort of part of that. Definitely, Italy and France were always part of it. And with London, I was thinking, “Where haven’t we been?” It was fun! And London has a lot of history to it too, so I really wanted to go there. Also, especially because the US and England are so tied together with the Mayflower. I kind of just picked places that would be fun to write about and would have some interesting things in their history that I could use to write about.

Sort of related to that, in the Blue Bloods series, there’s a lot of history and back-story to it that you might mention, but don’t completely reveal everything. I know you were talking about writing a prequel earlier, would you ever consider a side-story later on?

We’re doing a spin-off. We decided, actually, in 2010 that we were going to do another cycle of Blue Bloods, but we wanted to have everyone enjoy the finale first because I wanted to wrap up this story. And I also wanted the freedom to do something completely new, but also still in the same universe.

In a way, Witches of East End and that series are set in the same world too, but with more focus on Norse mythology. So, maybe, would we see familiar Blue Bloods appear there again? 

I don’t know about again, but maybe. I don’t want to give anything away, but you can expect some new characters in the spin-off.The big announcement will be coming soon!

Your next new books are Frozen and an epic fantasy one called The Court of the Last Princess. Can you share any details about them?

I can talk about Frozen because it’s coming out in September. My husband and I like to call it Lord of the Rings in reverse. Our world is dying and ending, and new things are coming. Instead of elves and magic leaving the world, magic is coming back into it. It’s very fun. It has this cool post-apocalyptic start where the world has been destroyed. But, in my books, it’s not all a grim dystopia. It is a hundred years after the world has ended, but Vegas is still Vegas. The U.S.is still around, but then something new is happening. There’s a 16-year-oldblackjack dealer named Natasha (“Nat”) and she is having dreams of dragon fire.

It definitely doesn’t sound like your usual post-apocalyptic novel! It’s more like a new beginning. Will Frozen be part of a series?

Right now, it’s a trilogy. It’s kind of this idea to create a whole new world, and we were thinking about doing stories about other times in it too.

Is the writing process different now that you’re co-writing it with your husband? 

Well, we worked on Blue Bloods together. We always have the same process. I think we just decided to put Mike’s name on the cover now because he really works on them too.

Do you ever disagree on needing certain parts of a book when you’re writing?

No, I think somebody always needs to own the book. It’s both of our books and both of our decisions. We kind of arrive at the same point together and agree. When you collaborate, you can’t really collaborate with someone you’re going to disagree with all the time. You know? We know which parts matter to us, but in the end, somebody has to call the shots. 

Gates of Paradise is the last book in the series. Is it sort of bittersweet to see it end after all this time? 

I think it’s very satisfying, actually. I think it’s hard to let go and say goodbye, but it’s also really nice to know that stories have an ending. All the series' that I love, like His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman and Harry Potter, have these really wonderful endings that kind of linger with you and then you can re-read them. I really don’t like things that go on and on, and there’s no ending in sight, and the author hasn’t planned one. I always had my ending planned, and I knew what I wanted. I’m really content with how this series wrapped up. I was really happy with the story.  

When the Gates of Paradise book trailer came out, I was reading on USA Today’s blog that your influences while writing the Blue Blood series included Philip Pullman. I’m glad it wasn’t as heartbreaking as that trilogy! I read those books when I was younger and still remember crying for days afterwards. I was so sad!

[laughs] I know! Will and Lyra…

In a way, those books have their own angel mythology and there are angels in Blue Bloods. Have you always had a sense of vampires/angels for the series? How did you come up with it?

Well, I wanted an origin story for my vampires, and I love the story of Paradise Lost. It was actually just something that came together and I knew it was an awesome idea. I think I got up out of my seat and was like, “Oh my God. Eureka!”I just thought, of course, how are vampires on Earth? They got cast out of heaven with Lucifer and were cursed to suck human blood. For me, this seemed so natural. And people will come to me saying it’s a common myth, and it’s not. I made it up. It’s in Blue Bloods. [laughs] 

Blue Bloods came out around or before the time of Twilight. Would you say the popularity of that series helped yours? 

Oh, definitely! I think Twilight doing well was great for everybody who writes about vampires, and great for everybody who writes paranormal with romance. It was great to see the cultural phenomenon happen, and we were all part of it. Like Richelle Mead and P.C. Cast. The Vampire Diaries was brought back, which is funny because they actually came out in the ‘90s.

Yes! I still remember when the TV show came out and everyone thought The Vampire Diaries was copying Twilight, and all of us who know the books were just like, “What are you talking about?” in disbelief.

Yeah, it’s funny that way.

The Blue Bloods series was definitely one of the earlier vampire books I read. I’m really sad to see it end… 

Well, there’s the spin-off series! 

Do you maybe have an idea of when in the future we’ll be seeing it? I know you’re probably very busy. 

Well, it’s due this year. I know that. So, maybe sometime next year? Much sooner than you might think. And hopefully the TV show[for Witches of East End] is happening. 

When will that be? I remember hearing that they were filming the pilot… 

They filmed the pilot. We’ll discover soon what’s going to happen. They’re making a formal announcement! 

*****

Thanks so much to Melissa de la Cruz for so patiently answering all my questions! And thanks so much to Hachette Book Group Canada for the chance to sit down with Melissa and chat with her.

If you missed it before, you can read my recap of Melissa de la Cruz's Toronto book signing or read my gushing review of Gates of Paradise! 

If you're still interested in learning more about Melissa de la Cruz and the Blue Bloods world, I'd recommend checking out these two Q&As from my blogger friends who also met up with the author before the event. They asked some really fabulous questions!

• Michele at Just A 'Lil Lost
• Jenn at Lost in a Great Book   

Melissa de la Cruz Signing in Toronto!

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! **

Waiting on Wednesday (134) - Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine spotlighting upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Release Date: July 9, 2013

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Add to Goodreads

Summary (from Simon & Schuster Canada):

Can a road trip repair a romance gone wrong? Find out in this standalone companion to Lauren Barnholdt’s Two-way Street.

Here are Peyton and Jace, meeting on vacation. Click! It’s awesome, it’s easy, it’s romantic. This is the real deal.

Unless it isn’t. Because when you’re in love, you don’t just stop calling one day. And you don’t keep secrets. Or lie. And when your life starts falling apart, you’re supposed to have the other person to lean on.

Here are Peyton and Jace again, broken up but thrown together on a road trip. One of them is lying about the destination. One of them is pretending not to be leaving something behind. And neither of them is prepared for what’s coming on the road ahead…

If you were to ask my sister and I which Lauren Barnholdt book was our all-time favourite, our immediate response would be a simultaneous, "TWO-WAY STREET!" And if you were to also ask us which book inspired our love for road trip novels, we would also exclaim, "TWO-WAY STREET!" So when we first heard there was going to be a companion novel to Two-way Street, we began to fangirl together and couldn't contain our excitement. Lauren Barnholdt's Right of Way is one of my most anticipated contemporary novels of the entire year and I absolutely cannot wait to read it!

Gates of Paradise by Melissa de la Cruz

Title: Gates of Paradise (Blue Bloods #7)
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Release Date: January 15, 2013 (hardcover)
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 368
Source: Copy provided by publisher

Overall: 5 Stars

Summary:

Schuyler Van Alen is running out of time. The Dark Prince of Hell is storming the Gates of Paradise, intent on winning the heavenly throne for good. This time he has his greatest angels by his side, Abbadon and Azrael—Jack and Mimi Force, as they are known in the Coven.

Or so he thinks. Even as Lucifer assigns Jack and Mimi the tasks of killing their true loves, the Force twins secretly vow to defeat the Dark Prince once and for all. But how far will Mimi and Jack go to conceal their real loyalties?

Meanwhile, former vampire Bliss Llewellyn has joined forces with Lawson, the greatest wolf of the underworld, to free his people from their imprisonment in Hell. As they struggle against impossible odds, an ancient message, woven into the very fabric of time, reveals just how much depends on the success of their mission.

Lucifer seeks the key to the Gate of Promise, and when Schuyler is taken captive and delivered straight to Hell, she must make an unthinkable choice—the same one the archangel Michael was forced to make during the Crisis in Rome. Will Schuyler find the strength to do what he could not?

The epic, heartbreaking Blue Bloods series comes to a close with this final novel about staggering courage, unbearable sacrifice, and the immortality of true love.  

My Thoughts: 
Seven years. Seven books. Everything we know and love about the Blue Bloods series has led us to this moment. It's a race against time for Schuyler and her allies to stop Lucifer and his forces before they destroy the Gate of Promise and storm Paradise. Will Schuyler be able to lead the Blue Bloods to salvation after all... or will she die trying in the process?

Jack and Mimi have pledged their allegiance to Lucifer again, but in order to protect their loved ones, they have to be careful no one suspects they're actually still loyal to the Light. Oliver may only be human, but he's always been a consistently loyal and supportive best friend since the very first book, and Schuyler was lucky to have him by her side once again. Kingsley is just as passionate as ever before, and continues to see the good in Mimi which others overlook. If Jack and Schuyler had a chance to be together, then I truly wished for the same with Mimi and Kingsley too. As I was reading Gates of Paradise, I was so nervous to learn everyone's fates!

Bliss makes her return to the series after becoming human again in The Van Alen Legacy, which was also when Allegra first gave her the task of finding the wolves captured in the underworld; now she's back and prepared to fight Lucifer. I wasn't too familiar with her new friends right away because I haven't read the Wolf Pact companion series, but Melissa de la Cruz fills in the missing pieces, to my relief. Bliss has always struggled to find a sense of belonging, and I was glad she finally found it with Lawson and his pack.

I've grown so attached to these characters—have grown up with them in a sense, really—that it's difficult to say goodbye as they end this chapter of their lives and continue on with their futures beyond the pages. Much like the previous novels in the series, Gates of Paradise is an addicting, fast-paced read that refuses to pause for breath.    

Melissa de la Cruz's Gates of Paradise is an epic and unforgettable conclusion to the Blue Bloods series. Did I think some of the characters arcs were wrapped up too neatly? Perhaps. Would I have wanted it any other way? No. Hidden secrets will be revealed and heartbreaking sacrifices will be made. Are you sure you're ready for Gates of Paradise?

Thanks so much to Hachette Book Group Canada for providing this review copy! You can learn more about Melissa de la Cruz's Gates of Paradise on Disney-Hyperion's unRequired Reading website, and if you're not already doing so, don't forget to follow HBG Canada on Twitter and "like" their Facebook page!

Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

Title: Through to You
Author: Emily Hainsworth
Release Date: October 2, 2012 (hardcover)
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 272
Source: ARC provided by publisher

Overall: 4 Stars

Summary:

Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. Viv was the last good thing in his life: helping him rebuild his identity after a career-ending football injury, picking up the pieces when his home life shattered, and healing his pain long after the meds wore off. And now, he'd give anything for one more glimpse of her. But when Cam makes a visit to the site of Viv's deadly car accident, he sees some kind of apparition. And it isn't Viv.

The apparition's name is Nina, and she's not a ghost. She's a girl from a parallel world, and in this world, Viv is still alive. Cam can't believe his wildest dreams have come true. All he can focus on is getting his girlfriend back, no matter the cost. But things are different in this other world: Viv and Cam have both made very different choices, things between them have changed in unexpected ways, and Viv isn't the same girl he remembers. Nina is keeping some dangerous secrets, too, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with who this Viv has become and the part Nina played in his parallel story, he's forced to choose—stay with Viv or let her go—before the window closes between them once and for all. 

My Thoughts: 
Although the concept of parallel worlds is very much an element of science fiction, Through to You has a very contemporary genre feel. Emily Hainsworth's Through to You is a novel about love, loss, grief... and the choices we make if we could be given a second chance.

Camden has never been the same ever since his girlfriend, Viv, died in a car accident several months ago. She was always by his side after an injury ended his dreams of playing football as a career, but now he feels empty and lifeless without her. And worse still, he can't shake the guilt and pain that the lethal accident was all his fault. When he stumbles into a parallel world, he meets a very much alive Viv, but she's not quite the same person he loved and lost.

Nina is a very sweet girl, and I felt so bad for her when Camden tried to brush her aside in favour of seeing Viv. She may not voice it aloud, but you can tell in her actions just how much it affected her to see Camden even though he had idea who she even was. Camden has always maintained a perfect image of Viv in his memory, but seeing a different version of Viv makes him realize she had her faults too. The window between the parallel worlds is closing, and time is running out for Camden to make a choice: to be with Viv again or finally let her go.

I thought it was refreshing to read a male perspective about losing a loved one. Camden is such a great guy under the surface, but he's also broken and needs time to heal. I was incredibly worried how seeing Viv again would hurt him emotionally. I was also curious about the thoughts running though Nina's mind, but I think if the novel had been told from her point of view, Through to You wouldn't have been the same reading experience.

The ending is rather bittersweet, but it also made perfect sense to me. I really don't think I can imagine it concluding any other way. Emily Hainsworth's Through to You is a remarkable debut I won't soon forget. I'm looking forward to reading Hainsworth's next YA novel!   

Thanks so much to HarperCollins Canada for providing this review copy! You can learn more about Emily Hainsworth's Through to You on HarperCollins Canada's website, and if you're not already doing so, don't forget to follow HCC Frenzy on Twitter and "like" their Facebook page!

Penguin Blogger Night with Morgan Rhodes & Adrienne Kress!

On Thursday, January 17, Penguin Canada invited book bloggers to their offices in Toronto for their first ever Penguin Blogger Night with special guests Morgan Rhodes and Adrienne Kress. I was fortunate to receive an invitation to the event, and counted down the days in excitement until I would meet both of the Canadian authors...

Morgan Rhodes (pen name of Michelle Rowen) is the New York Times bestselling author of the high fantasy novel Falling Kingdoms, and Adrienne Kress' steampunk debut The Friday Society was also recently released in December 2012. I LOVED both of their books, so imagine my shock and delight when I took a seat at the event and found myself sitting practically right beside them! Dana from Fave Magazine interviewed the authors, and bloggers were welcome to chime in on the discussion. Morgan and Adrienne were hilarious together!

The first question of the night involved how the authors write their books. Morgan likes to outline her books, and Adrienne talked about the writing process for The Friday Society. She was very passionate about trying to research the right names and locations for historical accuracy, and she lived in the England for three years so it helped her with the setting. For the fight scenes, she got some guidance from a friend who is a stunt double on the TV show Lost Girl.

Adrienne Kress trying to avoid potential Falling Kingdoms spoilers

Morgan further added that while she follows an outline, changes are made along the way. In Falling Kingdoms, the Watchers weren't even in the first draft but her editor suggested adding a mystical place. They'll be playing an even stronger role in book two, Rebel Spring. Adrienne said the movie trailer for Sucker Punch (the trailer, not the actual movie, which she insisted was just plain horrible) was a loose inspiration for The Friday Society. She wanted to write a feminist novel with strong female characters.

Michelle Rowen (aka Morgan Rhodes)

The next question asked was which characters(s) did the authors like to write about the most. Morgan said Magnus was the most fun to write because there are so many layers to his character; what he says is often different than what he actually thinks. She also likes to write about Cleo as well, and knew her fans either seemed to really like her or hate her. Adrienne feels attached to Nellie, Cora, and Michiko too much to ever choose between them! She thinks Officer Murphy is cute and adorable, and would hug him if she could.

Another question asked related to characters arcs and how the authors felt about killing off characters in their books. Adrienne said she wasn't initially planning to kill any characters but then it simply worked out that way when she was writing. She also likes to act out her characters' reactions and emotions. Morgan said she likes killing off characters and that she's getting really good at it! For her, character deaths have to some sort of meaning and importance in the novel. She also added that there's a death at the end of Falling Kingdoms which makes her cry every time she reads it. 

The next question asked at the event was what kind of books the authors liked to read when they weren't writing. Morgan said she was reading Katie McGarry's Pushing the Limits, had recently finished Richelle Mead's The Indigo Spell (I'm pretty everyone was jealous to hear this...), and was soon starting Lauren Oliver's Delirium. She also wants to read Cassandra Clare's City of Bones before the movie comes out this August. Adrienne loves Lesley Livingston's novels and The Hunger Games, and said she tended to read adult contemporary novels more often than YA novels. Both Morgan and Adrienne felt that they're reluctant readers who watch movies/TV shows rather than read to relax.

Adrienne Kress

Morgan Rhodes said she's contracted to write four books in the Falling Kingdoms series. She doesn't mind that her book is pitched as Game of Thrones for teens if it helps garner more interest in people reading her books. The only thing she didn't like about it was that some people may feel misled if the comparison isn't exactly correct. Adrienne Kress said that The Friday Society is a standalone right now, but that she'd love to expand it into a series if she could.

Morgan then continued off Adrienne's thoughts about publisher decisions for extending series and related it to her own past experiences. She had wanted to continue writing her Demon Princess series (written under the name Michelle Rowen) but understood it was a business decision by her publisher to stop traditionally publishing it after only two books. She decided to continue writing the series and self-published them instead for not only her fans, but also herself too.

The authors were then asked about casting choices if their books were made into movies! For The Friday Society, Adrienne Kress picked Chloe Moretz for Nellie, Saorise Ronan for Cora, a Japanese actress to play Michiko, and Michael Emerson for Lord White. For Falling Kingdoms, Morgan Rhodes picked Ben Barnes as Jonas, Lilly Collins as Lucia, Sara Paxton as Lucia, one of the actors from the TV show Teen Wolf for Magnus, and Richard Armitage as King Gaius. (When Richard Armitage was mentioned, Adrienne began to fan-girl and gush about his hotness.)

Ardo from A.A. Omer asked one of the last questions of the night, and it involved how the authors felt about the helpfulness of blogger reviews. Adrienne thought it was incredible to see such a large community of YA bloggers, and noted that it's very different from seeing MG reviews. Morgan likes book blogs, and thinks it's great for free publicity and word of mouth.

Once the Q&A was finished, we were more than welcome to get our books signed by the author and chat with them in person! Penguin Canada also offered everyone a tote bag filled with books and other goodies as well, which was a really sweet surprise! (You'll be able to see what I got in my next Stacking the Shelves post.)

Thanks so much to Penguin Canada for hosting the event and giving us the opportunity to meet Morgan Rhodes and Adrienne Kress! It was definitely an awesome night I won't soon forget.

Here are more recaps from some of the Ontario bloggers who attended Penguin Blogger Night:

• Steph from Feisty Little Woman
• Michele from Just A Lil' Lost
• Jenn from Lost In A Great Book 
• Christa from More Than Just Magic
• Lindsey from A Storm of Words   

Altered by Jennifer Rush

Title: Altered (Altered #1)
Author: Jennifer Rush
Release Date: January 2, 2013 (hardcover)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 336
Source: Copy provided by publisher

Overall: 5 Stars

Summary:

When you can't trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna's life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There's Nick, solemn and brooding; Cas, lighthearted and playful; Trev, smart and caring; and Sam . . . who's stolen Anna's heart. Reserved and always controlled, Sam does everything with purpose.

When the Branch decides it's time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them. Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to go, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There's just one problem. Sam and the boys don't remember anything before living in the lab -- not even their true identities.

Now on the run, her father's warning in her head, Anna begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about herself. She soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they're both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away. 

My Thoughts:  
It's very hard to believe that Altered is only Jennifer Rush's debut novel! Altered was fast-paced and action-packed from start to finish, and played out like a suspenseful movie in my head. It's definitely an amazing and thrilling novel you don't want to miss reading!

Sam, Nick, Cas and Trev have been genetically altered by the Branch, and for years, they've been kept in separate rooms in the lab below Anna's farmhouse while her father studies the effects of administered treatments. When the Branch suddenly sends agents to take them away, Anna helps the boys escape and flees her home with them. With no memories of their lives before the lab, Anna aids the boys in finding clues about their past and learns she's more connected to them than she could have ever imagined...

Sam is the leader of the group who has also captured our heroine's heart (and mine!). There's a quiet intensity about him which I found just as mesmerizing as the fact that he always has his guard up. Anna regards Trev as her closest friend, and he's a source of comfort to her when she doubts herself. Cas is playful and bursting with energy, and also breaks tense moments with comic relief. Nick may be pessimistic and begrudgingly accepts Anna's presence, but he's very loyal to his friends.

If I had to be on the run from a secret, dangerous organization, then there's no better company than four smoldering hot boys such as Sam, Nick, Cas and Trev who I would want around to protect me. Anna was fortunate to have them watching her back! There's an important reason why her father insisted that Sam hide Anna away from the Branch, and I was driven mad with curiosity to learn the answer. Everything Anna believes in will be shaken as the truth is revealed and shocking betrayals are discovered.

I really didn't want the book to end and even attempted to read it more slowly so I could prolong turning to the last page. Oh, who am I kidding? I totally rushed through Altered because it was too addicting to put down! I absolutely cannot wait to read the sequel. Jennifer Rush's Altered will no doubt remain among my best reads of 2013 by the end of the year.

Thanks so much to Hachette Book Group Canada for providing this review copy! You can learn more about Jennifer Rush's Altered on Hachette's website, and if you're not already doing so, don't forget to follow HBG Canada on Twitter and "like" their Facebook page!