Best I've Read 2010 Day Two

Welcome to Day Two of the BEST I'VE READ Blog Tours and Giveaways!  We have three authors spotlighted today, including a special interview with Holly Cupala, author of the amazing TELL ME A SECRET.  Following this post, see the entry form below.  One winner will receive a copy of TELL ME A SECRET, an ARC of EXTRAORDINARY by Nancy Werlin, and a copy of THE EXILED QUEEN by Cinda Williams Chima.

Extraordinary
By Nancy Werlin
Released September 7, 2010
Published by Dial
http://www.nancywerlin.com/

Shipping to US & Canada

Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe, but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself. Soon she'll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that these two are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt. Generations ago, the faerie queen promised Pheobe's ancestor five extraordinary sons in exchange for the sacrifice of one ordinary female heir. But in hundreds of years there hasn't been a single ordinary girl in the family, and now the faeries are dying. Could Phoebe be the first ordinary one? Could she save the faeries, or is she special enough to save herself?






The Exiled Queen
By Cinda Williams Chima
Published by Disney Hyperion
Cinda's website: http://www.cindachima.com/

Book Summary:
(from Goodreads - Warning contains spoilers if you haven't read the 1st book in the series)

You can't always run from danger...

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean danger isn’t far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

The Exiled Queen is an epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.


See our interview with Cinda: 


What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
Probably football. I understand it better than most other sports. I like basketball, too, but it is too nerve-wracking.
If you could be any author, who would you like to be?
Um. Probably me. Only taller, wittier, and vastly more popular.
Are you a loner or social butterfly?
Neither. Sometimes being with people is exhausting. Sometimes it is the greatest joy of my life. Depends on the time, depends on the people. I can't say I have an immensely active social life. (Adds to list of things to do when I have free time--have immensely active social life.)
How do you react to a bad review?
Pretty much as I would to a punch in the gut. Even the ones on Amazon and Goodreads. Actually, I am getting a little better, growing a thicker skin. Kate di Camillo once said,  "Understand and accept that you've lost half your audience the moment you open your mouth." And it's true--not everyone is going to like my books, even if I desperately want them to.
If you were a bird, which one would you be?
An African Gray parrot, because they are the smartest of birds. Also, that way, I might understand the one we own. 

Tell Me A Secret
by Holly Cupala
Published by HarperTeen
http://www.hollycupala.com


Summary:
Tell me a secret, and I'll tell you one...

In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda’s death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister’s world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own.

Then two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears. Stripped of her former life, Miranda must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister’s demons and her own.

In this powerful debut novel, stunning new talent Holly Cupala illuminates the dark struggle of a girl who must let go of her past to find a way into her future.


And lastly, our interview with Holly Cupala:


      What is one writing tradition/ritual that you have that no matter what, you have to do?

That would be…procrastination. For some reason, it’s impossible to skip! But it’s part of the process, I guess, so I’m learning to embrace it. Oh, and candy! Around the holidays, my favorite is peppermint bark. Yum.

How do you celebrate the holidays with your families?

Like Miranda’s sister Xanda, I’m a DIY girl, so the holidays are all about making stuff. Knitting scarves, making candy, building snowmen…of course with family and friends!

How will your main character spend the holiday season? 

Funny you should ask! When I was revising Tell Me a Secret for my publisher, I realized it would come out in 2010 so I made sure all of the dates in the book would match up with the 2010 calendar. So right about now, Miranda would be dreading opening night of the Christmas show and thinking about the Winter Ball. And you know things don’t turn out quite the way she expects…

What is your favorite food to eat at Christmas time?

Speaking of peppermint…I love peppermint ice cream, and you can only get it in December. I was so horrified to discover my favorite brand contained propylene glycol (a.k.a. motor oil) that I decided to make my own recipe, which I posted here:  http://www.hollycupala.com/2009/12/homemade-peppermint-ice-cream.html. Voila, peppermint ice cream all year!

What is your favorite Christmas Carol?

I love “O Holy Night.” The “Fall on your knees” part gives me chills every time. I also love “Un Flambeau, Jeanette, Isabelle,” which reminds me of my high school French class.

Now that your book(s) have been released, is there anything you would have done differently in writing it (them)?

I think if I could, I would go back and tell myself not to listen to that very persistent voice in my heart that said I couldn’t do it, or that my writing wasn’t worth reading. Of course a first draft isn’t, but that’s why you spend time revising. Once I learned this, the second book was much easier. So if you are a writer, I’ll tell you: that critical voice only has power if you give it yourself.

Don't forget to stop by the Best I've Read Website for an International Giveaway and for a Grand Prize drawing.  The Best I've Read 2010 website can be found HERE.

Enter on the form below for a chance to win a copy of the three books listed above.  Open to US and Canada residents only.  Entries will be accepted until December 14th at 11:59 pm.  Thanks for stopping by and Good Luck!