Author Appreciation Week: Magical Worlds

Author Appreciation Week continues on Mundie Moms with a focus on Magical Worlds. There are a few writers whose world-building skills stand out in our minds. And as you already suspected, we used Cassie's incredibly rich world as our measuring stick. So let's take a moment to discuss those books where the world-building is so strong, you just never want to leave. Or at least, you want to stay a while until its mysteries are solved.

Holly Black - I have to admit that I fell in love with Holly's worlds first in her Spiderwick Chronicles series. I read it with my children and they were enchanted by her story of ordinary siblings in extraordinary circumstances. Imagine how happy I was when I discovered she'd written a YA series? I picked up Tithe/Valiant/Ironside and was thrown into Holly's dark, gripping, urban world of faeries, trolls and changelings. If you haven't picked up either series, you're missing out on some of the best mythology and story-telling on Childrens and YA bookshelves today. Holly's book White Cat will kick off a new series (The Curse Workers) and will be released on May 4th.

Sarah Rees Brennan - Around this time, last year, I remember waiting for The Demon's Lexicon to be released just based on the excerpt I found on Sarah's website. What hooked me was that it was a story about two brothers. One sensitive and intellectual. And one, well, a hot boy with a sword. I freely admit a weakness for that type of character. I do. But, the world Sarah created was as amazing as the juxtaposition between Alan and Nick. I was so caught up in her twisty mythology full of magicians and demons that I couldn't turn back. Not until the last page was flipped and I said out loud for all to hear, "No way!!" The sequel, The Demon's Covenant comes out on May 18th.

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - Beautiful Creatures has a world so rich in Southern Gothic lore that you find yourself smelling the hint of lemons and the ashes of a burning plantation as you sink further into Kami's and Margie's mythology. But for me, the best part of the story was Ethan's point of view. We uncovered the Caster World, side by side, with Ethan and as I read, it was like watching those rows of neatly set up dominoes start falling over, one by one. It all began to make sense. The sequel, Beautiful Darkness will be released on October 26th.

Michelle Zink - If you haven't read Prophecy of the Sisters yet, please run out and grab a copy, now. Hurry. I'll pause this and wait. I see, you're back. See, on the surface, it's a story about twin sisters locked in a battle of good versus evil. But underneath that theme, there is so much more. The mythology is so layered with family ties, new friendships and a mystery which will keep you up at night dreaming of other worlds, different planes and haunting facts. You will not be able to put this book down. Guardian of the Gate, the sequel, will be released on August 1st.

We're chatting with Brightly Woven author Alexandra Bracken TONIGHT at 8 pm CST

*Our chat will start at 8 pm CST/ 9 pm EST. To join, hit join and enter a screen name.
*Please know that we will be discussing Brightly Woven, which will be released next week!!
So NO spoilers will be discussed in tonights chat.
*We do our best to make sure all comments are published, so that Alexandra can answer your questions. With the high volume of guests expected tonight, not all the questions may be answered in the hour time frame of the chat. If that is the case, we will be sure to send them to Alexandra, so that she can answer them, after which we will post them on the blog and our forum.
*In respect to Alexandra's time, we will only publish comments that pertain to her writing, and book.
*We will not post any personal questions or comments.
* Any rude, disrespectful, or spam like comments will not be published.
*Thank you and we look forward to chatting with everyone tonight!

**No part of this chat is allowed to be used with out our permission**

The Clockwork Angel Cover is REVEALED

If you missed it, shelf-life just posted THIS amazing cover to Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices, Clockwork Angel! WOW!!!! Talk about stunning and beautiful!! This is absolutely breathtaking.

Clockwork Angel is the first book in Clare’s new fantasy trilogy, “The Infernal Devices,” and her fourth novel to date. Clare herself is a worldly entertainment-magazine veteran who struck YA gold in 2007, with City of Bones.

In the new series, Clare brings us back to this Shadowhunter-Downworlder universe—and back in time to Victorian-era England. Infernal Devicesrevolves around Tessa Gray, an orphan who heads to London in search of her disappeared brother and, like Clary, falls deeper and deeper into an alternate magical reality. Along the way she finds two good friends in Jem and Will (who graces the new cover), and also crosses paths with some familiar names and faces from the Mortal Instruments saga.

How important is the cover art—designed by Cliff Nielsen, who also made the three “Mortal Instruments” covers—in helping tell a story to the audience, before they even read the first page? What’s this cover all about?

I think it gives you a lot of the atmosphere of these books. The covers are approachable but they’re also otherworldly, and also give some of the setting. You get a feeling of London and from the clothing you get a feeling of the period, but also, it is clearly not a historical novel. In this case too, the little clockwork gears that are scattered in the edges of the cover in order to give that sense of the clockwork people that are in this book. [The novel’s] got touches of that steampunk technology, of gears turnings and mechanisms moving and being wound. So it’s much more tactile.

Why did you and/or Cassandra decide to develop a companion series instead of starting entirely from scratch?

It’s certainly her idea, not mine. She always really wanted to do a Victorian setting, so I think she had that in her mind because she could have so much fun with the period, with that kind of gaslight [technology], with the dresses. She’s lived in a lot of places too, and she wanted to move the settings around. I love the fact that it links into that [Mortal Instruments] world because I think she’s created one that’s so rich, she could do a lot more than just the three books she’s done already, with this idea of the Shadowhunters and their connections to the demon world. There’s a lot there.

You can read more here and enter to win the 25 ARC giveaway! S&S will also be giving away 25 signed, advanced readers copies of Clockwork Angel, which you can sign up for here. What do you think? Be sure to stop by our forums and share with us your thoughts-http://mundiemoms.freeforums.org/

Thoughtful Thursday-Reading Is Fundamental

This is something that is near and dear to our hearts! It's something we feel very strongly about, and that's helping empower children with reading and books. Reading Fundamental does just that. Here's what they do:

Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. prepares and motivates children to read by delivering free books and literacy resources to those children and families who need them most.

Founded in 1966, RIF is the oldest and largest children's and family nonprofit literacy organization in the United States. RIF's highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provided 4.4 million children with 15 million new, free books and literacy resources last year.

All RIF programs combine three essential elements to foster children's literacy: reading motivation, family and community involvement, and the excitement of choosing free books to keep.

RIF's accomplishments are due in part to the generous support of the U.S. Department of Education, corporations, foundations, community organizations, and thousands of individuals.

Right now RIF is in of need of help. One way we can help, is now through May, American Express will donate $200,000 to the charity with most votes. To vote for RIF, please go here http://www.takepart.com/node/54085. You'll also find more information about RIF like- Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation’s largest children’s literacy nonprofit, inspires all children to be lifelong readers through the power of choice. RIF provides new books for children to choose and make their own. Since its founding, RIF has provided more than 366 million books and countless hours of reading motivation to children most in need. Yet so many children still do not have books of their own—61% of low-income families with children in the U.S. have no books at home.

Through a network of more than 400,000 volunteers, RIF programs reach children in every state in a variety of settings including schools, community centers, homeless shelters, and hospitals. Access to books ignites children’s hunger for knowledge and a passion for learning. Research shows that children who have more access to books not only perform better academically, but also become productive individuals whose contributions help create strong communities.

RIF offers help to parents, teachers and coordinators on their site here http://www.rif.org/. They also have links for ways we can get involved, donate and support our local RIFs. Giving a child a book and helping teach a child to read changes their futures and opens up so many horizons for them. You can also find this information on our Children's Book Review Blog http://keepreadingtoyourchild.blogspot.com/

Don't Forget!!

Don't forget at 10am EST http://shelf-life.ew.com/ will be revealing Cassie's cover for The Clockwork Angel!! DO NOT miss what Cassie and Holly Black have told us is an amazing cover.

AND be sure to enter our Hebeldesigns, Freebie Friday contest that ends tomorrow! Enter to win one of two pendants. The Fearless Rune and Jace's Wings. *open world wide*

http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/2010/03/freebie-friday-with-hebeldesign.html