A New Way to Follow!

If you didn't notice, I finally added Linky Followers and am trying to figure out NetworkedBlogs! I would love some help! And for the 111 Giveaway, if you follow Linky, click and get 2 more entries! Good luck again!

A New Meme

From now on, I will not be supporting The Story Siren or her meme, In My Mailbox, because of a recent scandal. (You can find my post about it here.) Someone recommended Showcase Sunday, and I decided to participate in this meme! All In My Mailbox tags will be replaced, and I hope there will be no confusion!

Credit goes to Books, Biscuits, and Tea and to find out how to join, click here!

This meme is similar to In My Mailbox, where bloggers share our newest books and swag, whether they were won, bought, given, traded, borrowed, or downloaded to an eReader! Don't forget to share your links! I love seeing what others get!

For Review:
                  

Bought/Given/Borrowed:
                   

NetGalley:
N/A

Traded:
N/A


Forgiven and Fated were given to me by St. Martin's and I am so thankful! I absolutely loved Demon Trapper's Daughter and Soul Thief, so I can't wait to get started! Fated has been on my wishlist for a while and I will definitely be reviewing this one as soon as possible! Dreaming Awake I bought last week and it was so amazing! I absolutely have to review it!

Like I said, Fated and Forgiven were given to me by St. Martin's. Anna Dressed in Blood, I received from the library, and I can't believe I haven't read it yet! I guess it was the ominous cover htat creeped me out. I wasn't much of a ghost girl when it came out. Well, obviously, now I am!

Sadly, I didn't get to read Romeo Redeemed or Unspoken because my laptop broke. I know, I know, I need to buy new electronics. Boo. My money is always on books theses days! Well, one of my friends is working on it, so it should be good by next week!

I did not trade this week, though I do have a few pending. Hopefully, we'll go through with them!

Author Interview: Josephine Angelini

Another interview, this time with the amazingly talented Josephine Angelini, author of Starcrossed and its sequel, Dreamless.

Fiction Freak: What first made you think of the four houses/Furies? 

Josephine Angelini: The Furies I got from Aeschylus and his cycle of plays called the Oresteia.  I was always fascinated with the no-win situation Orestes faced, and I wanted to put that in a modern-day setting.  The Houses I got from history.  The House of Atreus, Thebes, and Athens all existed, and Aeneas, a Trojan general who was a son of Aphrodite, founded Rome.  I altered some of the finer details to suit my story but I tried to maintain the spirit of the lore.  I didn’t create any of these elements out of thin air, I just combined them in a way that I had never seen before and wrote the most entertaining story I could.    

FF: What is the funniest moment in your life? 

JA: I have no idea.  Honestly, I hate to punk you like this, but despite the fact that I can remember plenty of nights where I laughed for hours, I’m not exactly sure which moment in my life is the funniest.  Or that it would be considered funny if I tried to recount it to you.  Probably, you’d think I was crazy. 

FF: As an author, what are the best and worst things? 

JA: The best thing is being able to work in my pajamas at any hour of the day.  The worst thing is always feeling like I should be writing.  Holidays, weekends, my birthday—I always feel like I should sit down and write something even though I know that taking a break is a good thing.  I think I’m scared that if I stop for even a few days, I’m going to forget how to write.    

FF: If YOU happened to find yourself in Helen's shoes, how would you react? 

JA: I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I’ll just say that if I were in Helen’s shoes, there would be a lot of crying involved, lots of sad music, and spaghetti.  Spaghetti makes even a terrible situation a bit more bearable. 

FF: You've gotten many five-star reviews. How did it first feel knowing
that so many of us readers and bloggers adored Starcrossed? 

JA: I absolutely love the response I’ve been getting.  When I got to work on Starcrossed, my main goal was to write something that I wouldn’t be able to put down.  It feels like such an accomplishment to know that I did that for so many readers.  I’m enormously fortunate.

FF: What made you choose to write about Greek Mythology? Do you sometimes
wish you hadn't? 

JA: I grew up reading Greeks mythology for fun and I spent a bunch of years in college studying ancient Greek drama.  For me, it just seemed like the most natural thing to write my first book based on something that I not only love, but that I also know a bit about.  They always say, “Write what you know.”  And no, I’ve never regretted choosing the Iliad as my jumping off point.  Greek mythology is so rich and varied that it feels new even now, thousands of years later.  I couldn’t have picked a richer mine to plunder if I tried. 

FF: What do you do when you're not writing/researching? 

JA: Oh man, I am so boring!  Apart from the occasional dinner with friends and my daily trip to the gym I don’t really do much besides write.  I used to be an exciting person, a bit wild even, but I didn’t have much time to write back then.  I think most writers find that living a quiet life is the only way to really focus.   
FF: If you were to compare your writing from 7 years later to now, what do
you think your reaction will be? 

JA: I hope I’m proud of it.  I also hope that I have 7 more finished books under my belt, each successive one better than the one before it.  I know Starcrossed isn’t perfect, but that’s okay.  My goal has always been to improve with every draft and with every new book I write.  I’m still learning, but I know that just getting published to begin with is such a rare blessing that I should be proud of my first book no matter how much I grow as a writer.  I intend to do just that.

FF: The ending of Starcroseed left us Starstruck! Care to share any hints
of what's to come in Dreamless? 

JA: Dreamless is darker and it has a lot more action than Starcrossed.  Helen is trapped in the Underworld each night, trying to free the Scions from the Furies, and it just keeps getting harder for our girl.  But it’s not all suffering.  I also introduce a new boy named Orion.  I can’t wait for readers to meet him! 
FF: Any words to the readers out there?  

JA: To the pure readers:  I hope you enjoy my story and read it over and over again!  To the reader/future writers:  Keep at it, and finish that manuscript.  Finishing a story is the first step to getting published.  Good luck!  J

Starcrossed blurb:

Set on the island of Nantucket, STARCROSSED tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention.

Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?

Short Author Bio:

I was supposed to be a boy.

At least, my mother was convinced I was going to be a boy when she was pregnant with me. She claimed that I "carried" like a boy, but since I'm the youngest of eight, and I have six sisters and only one beloved brother, it is reasonable to assume that my mother was simply suffering from a massive case of wishful thinking. Whatever the reasons, my parents were so convinced I was going to be a boy they had even decided on a boy name for me—Joseph.

But I'm a girl.

My mother, always a frugal woman, figured, why throw out a perfectly good name just because the gender's wrong? She put a handy "ine" on the end of Joseph, and I'm rather glad she did. I like my name, or at least I realize it could have been much worse. They could have been planning on calling me Ralph or something. Not much you can do with Ralph.

I grew up surrounded by women.

And not just normal, average women, either. My sisters are, without exaggeration, a pack of Amazons. They are all tall. They have masses of thick hair, gigantic smiles, ringing laughs, and unfortunately for me, they all have fiery tempers. You see—I'm not only the youngest, but the smallest as well. I also happen to be a natural wiseass. Not a healthy combination.

Lucky for me, I'm fast.

Contact Information:

Starcrossed's Facebook

Josephine Angelini's Twitter

Josephine Angelini's Facebook 

Josephine Angelini's Blog

Josephine Angelini's Website

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Goodreads Blurb

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

This book was incredibly emotional and mournful. Even with the warning at the beginning of this story, I couldn’t have imagined just how deep it would affect me.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect. A retelling of Peter Pan? That just seemed so far-fetched since I’d heard it was an emotional rollercoaster. I should not have doubted it. Tiger Lily surpassed all expectations and honestly, made my eyes wet. Tiger Lily has always been one of my favorite Disney princesses since she was loyal, brave, and strong, but sadly was overlooked and only had one line that barely lasted 2 seconds. Her character traits were highlighted in this amazing book, making me love her even more. Tiger lily has been betrayed, hurt, lost, and was an outcast. That is, until she meets Peter Pan and falls in love with him and he with her. It was a beautiful, subtle, love story, but it was that subtle part that ripped it all apart.

Let me just say this now: I hated Wendy. She seemed shallow and uncaring, pretty much your average bitc*. I absolutely hated her with all my heart and wanted to tear out her pretty little hair just so Peter Pan would love Tiger Lily again. Sadly, I couldn’t and just had to keep reading, learning how things would play out, and leaving me heartbroken with tears in my eyes. Never has a Disney movie been so emotional, so sad, and so, so beautiful.

This story is told in Tinker Bell’s, that’s right Tinker Bell’s, point of view and that made this all the more worthwhile to read. This way, you can catch a glimpse what others are thinking, imagining, and you never have to second guess what a character is feeling. I almost felt like I was in the book, Tiger Lily, Peter, Hook, and Tik Tok in front of me. The writing was lyrical, the plot shocking, and the mood/tone sorrowful, mournful, despairing. No other book has made me feel that way.

My favorite part though, was the letter at the end of the story. Those last 2 pages ended this piece wonderfully, making you want to unread the book just to re-read it again, if that makes any sense. I don’t think, I honestly don’t think, that there is one book that comes close to this heartbreaking retelling.

All in all: Jodi Lynn masterfully weaves this story together so that both adults and teens will love this story and never want to put it down. Tiger Lily will keep you reading frantically until the very last page, the very last word. It was that amazing. Retellings always are, but this one touched me so much deeply than any other stories could. I recommend this book to everyone who watched and loved Disney movies and even to those who didn’t. Trust me, if you hated Disney before, this book will change your perspective. One thing I learned: sometimes, you have to let your feelings show or else you may just lose everything.

The quote for this review isn’t going to be one that raises your anticipation, but one of the most heartbreaking ones in the book.

 Pages: 304

Series: Standalone

Genre: Retelling/Romance/Fantasy

Rating: 5 stars (If possible, 10 stars)

“He stood up. ‘You’re worthless to me, Tiger Lily.” He said. He walked off into the woods. She sat on the ground, listening to the calls of the birds.”

You're Kidding Me!

I had always admired Kristi at the Story Siren, but in light of recent events, I an shocked and apalled! I am so thankful I had stumbled across this.

If you haven't known, Kristi had plagiarized off of several bloggers. Click here, here, and here to find out exactly what happened.

Things like this make everyone unnerved. If she copied those pieces then who's to say she hasn't copied anything else? I don't know what to think. Kristi definitely lost many fans, though I do think that some aare being to harsh. She's only human. On the other hand, what she did was wrong and her denies have inflamed my irritation. Evidence has been shown and still, she says she didn't plagiarize! Her apologies aren't apologies. There's no "I'm sorry I did this" it's "I'm sorry even though I did NOT copy". I don't know why, though I suspect it has something to do with her image. It may be ruined in the blogosphere, but perhaps not in the publishing world. Making this worse is that Kristi had always been against plagiarism, and this just...well, I hope no one does this again

What's worse is the fact that so many people looked up to her. The Story Siren had great influence in the blogging and book world and could've gotten any book she wanted a year early and publishers jumping at the chance to have their books reviewed by her. But it's not only that. It's that she wrote amazing reviews and wasn't afraid to share her opinions. Admittedly, I wish to be as great a book blogger like her. I am still confused as to WHY she has done this. EDIT: Nocturne Romance Reads has written this post about the TSS scandal and I agree with her completely!

And because of this, I no longer will continue In My Mailbox until things are settled and Kristi has FULLY apologized. Now, I still need a mailbox meme. Does anyone have a suggestion? I am thinking of Mailbox Monday, but I'm up to other suggestions as well!

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Thank You + Giveaway

<center><a href="http://fiction-freak.blogspot.com/2012/04/thank-you-giveaway.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Fiction Freak" src="http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p566/Nikki_Wang/untitled-2.jpg" /></a></center>

I have 113 followers! I cannot believe how far my blog has gone. Honestly, I never expected to get many followers, and definitely not over 100. Thanks to all of you who stumbled across my blog and followed and to my friends who followed as well! And a special thanks to all those bloggers who helped me by giving me tips or sending me ARCs! I hope that you all discovered some amazing books here! And for all of that, here's a GIVEAWAY!

Rules:
1. You must be a follower since this is a gift to them!
2. You must live in one of the countries that The Book Depository ships to for FREE
3. If you have a false entry, you WILL be disqualified
4. There will be one winner, but if I manage to reach 222 followers before the giveaway is over, there will be TWO winners!


a Rafflecopter giveaway