Winner Of the Gringolandia Twelve-Hour Contest!!!

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!

Congrats to Cindy from I Heart Book Gossip! I've already emailed you =) Reply to me within 48 hours so I can send your addy to the author. If you don't, I'll have to pick a new winner...


Peace, Love, and Winners,

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Gringolandia Tour + 12-Hour Contest!

In honor of Gringolandia, a few blogs were invited to do a tour. You can see my interview with the author here. Gringolandia is a great book and here are the blogs that are also participating! Make sure to check them out!

Tour Stops:

Nov 1 Reggie: The Undercover Book Lover (Not Really)
Nov 2 Melanie: Melanie’s Musings
Nov 3 Mariah: A Reader’s Adventure!
Nov 4 Erica: The Book Cellar
Nov 6 Sarah: Sarah’s Random Musings
Nov 9 Faye: Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm
Nov 11 Hope: Hope’s Book Shelf

Now, onto the giveaway! Remember, if you don't win, you can get Gringolandia over here! It ends Nov. 1 at 4pm GMT+8 so enter, enter, enter!!!

***A big thank you to Jo Ann Hernandez for letting me be a part of this tour! You rock Jo!!! Check out her blog here!***

Peace, Love, and Tours,

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Author Uncovered: Lyn Miller-Lachmann (Author Interview)

Hi guys! For the Gringolandia blog tour I'm doing, I had the pleasure of interviewing the author; Lyn Miller-Lachmann! This is one of the most in-depth interviews ever! I love it!






Her books:


What's the story behind Gringolandia?
Set in 1986, during the brutal dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet in Chile (which lasted from 1973 to 1990), Gringolandia is the story of a 17-year-old Chilean-American boy who sees his father for the first time in six years when his father is released from prison and forced into exile. Daniel, the son, has changed greatly in his years in the United States-he speaks English, has a “gringa” girlfriend, and has secretly begun the process to get his U.S. citizenship. Marcelo, the father, has changed, too, and not in a good way. Having been beaten and tortured in prison, he is partially paralyzed, suffers from flashbacks and nightmares, and won't let his family members touch him. He also wants to return to Chile to continue the struggle for democracy, and Daniel and his girlfriend try everything to convince him to settle down and make a new life with his family in the United States.

The story is based on my experiences of working with refugees from Central and South America in the 1980s. Many of the refugees longed to return to their country and had a hard time adjusting to life in the United States. Families were broken up, their members scattered between two or more countries. Those who arrived as refugees had often endured horrific experiences as a result of dictatorships and civil wars. In general, children had a much easier time fitting in, learning a new language, and making friends, and this upset the balance of power in families.

Why did you choose this specific time period?
When I started writing this novel, it was a contemporary story, inspired by a friend whose family was split up by the dictatorship-the father imprisoned, tortured, and forced into exile abroad while his children remained in Chile. I won a prestigious grant from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators to research the novel in Chile, where I had a chance to interview torture survivors and witness first-hand the transition from dictatorship to democracy in 1990. However, some miscommunications between the editor and me caused the contract to be withdrawn, and I ended up putting the project away for 16 years. But I never could let go of my characters and story, much as I tried. And when I read of some of the things my own government was doing at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo and heard people start to justify torture, I wanted them to understand why torture is wrong and how it affects its victims and their families. So beginning in 2006 I rewrote what was once a contemporary novel, but keeping it within its time period so it became a historical novel.

What do you think are the easiest aspects of writing? The hardest?
The easiest for me is coming up with a story line and complications. People joke that I'm a conspiracy theorist, that I see a plot in everything. Characters are easier too, because most of my characters are based on people I know, and I like to observe people. For me, the words themselves are the hardest, because it's important to find the right word, not to use passive or weak verbs, for instance, and to use words that are vivid, that conjure images in the mind of the reader.

What's the significance of the bird on the cover?
When the cover designer took pictures at Villa Grimaldi, the former torture center in Chile that has now been converted into a human rights museum and peace park, there were two pigeons in an abandoned swimming pool. During the dictatorship, prison officials would dunk prisoners in the pool filled with sewage to get them to confess and to turn in their friends and associates.

In Chile, the Spanish word for pigeon, “paloma,” is the same as for dove, as pigeons and doves are biologically similar. Throughout the world, doves are symbols of peace and hope. And while the pigeon is seen as a nuisance bird, a “rat with wings,” pigeons have served to carry messages in wartime, as Daniel's father did as an underground journalist during the darkest years of the dictatorship. Finally, the idea that a bird considered ugly and disgusting can also symbolize peace and hope ties in with the challenge Daniel faces-to find the father he once knew within the damaged person who comes out of prison.

That's it folks! It was great talking to the author in-depth about Gringolandia!

Peace, Love, and Books,

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Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Title: Cleopatra's Daughter
Author: Michelle Moran
Pages: 448
Publisher: Crown

Publication Date: September 15, 2009

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s vengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome, but only two—the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander—survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters.

Selene has lost everything; her parents, her kingdom, and her brother. Octavian brings her and her twin, Alexander from Egypt to Rome and provides them with enough adventure to last a lifetime. Selene struggles to stay and behave as she is introduced to rebellion, first love, and the great empire of Imperial Rome. She goes through many sufferings, but will she ultimately overcome them all?

Woven with immense clarity and diversity, Michelle Moran writes a novel full of rich history and adventure. Selene's narrative is mature and original. Her character is solid from the very start and only grew as the novel progressed. And unlike many other protagonists, Selene is headstrong and knows what she wants.

The mystery in Cleopatra's Daughter is captivating and suspenseful. The Red Eagle is rebellious and nobody can catch him. Selene admires him and doesn't know that he's actually closer to her than she thinks...

Architecture and art plays a big role in Cleopatra's Daughter. It is described vividly and beautifully. Selene finds solace in her work and defies tradition and insists in doing what she loves. She never gives up as people try to stop her from achieving her goals. A+ =)

The Bottom Line: Cleopatra's Daughter is the perfect historical fiction read. It's full of suspense, mystery, and, of course, romance. The ending is my favorite; it's sweet and completely unpredictable! Just like the book!

---Report Card---
Originality: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Plot: 10/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 9.5/10
Theme: 9.5/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 8/10
Total Score: 96/100 (A+)

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Author Uncovered: Sarah Ockler (Author Interview)

Hey guys! I posted a review of Twenty Boy Summer a long time ago! It was one of my very first reviews. You can see it over here. If you read it, you'll find that I absolutely loved it! Anyway, I emailed Sarah for an interview about a month ago with interview questions. I know how busy authors can be, so I didn't keep my hopes up. Fortunately for me, Sarah answered them and emailed me back just recently. Thanks Sarah!

Her books:



Who or what was your inspiration for Twenty Boy Summer?
I was inspired to write Twenty Boy Summer while working for the National Donor Family Council (www.donorfamily.org), an organization that supports families whose loved ones died and donated organs or tissues. I wanted to share and honor the stories of the teens I met through the Council's programs and events who'd lost a brother, sister, or friend. Their courage and hope remains with me to this day, even years later. They are never far from my heart.

How are you and Anna alike? How are you different?
Anna and I are both extremely introspective and observational. I am also outwardly shy like Anna, and I was never the big loud sparkly one. Oh, she also inherited the blond curly hair from me. :-) But we're different in some ways, too. She carries a sadness with her always, and is much better at keeping her own secrets. I also think she's more tolerant of Frankie than I would be, especially when Frankie tries to dress her and smother her in makeup just to go swimming. I'd probably be like, "Ok, whatever! I'm leaving -- see you on the beach!"

Do you have any writing 'must-haves'?
I like to write with incense burning and hot cup of tea or coffee nearby. But I don't really have any MUST-haves, because sometimes even when I don't have my incense or coffee, I still have a deadline, and I still have to write! As long as I have a laptop or pen and paper, I'm good.

How does it feel like, knowing your books are on a bookshelf in a bookstore?
Surreal. I still get butterflies when I see it on the shelf. It's incredible!

What was the last song you had stuck in your head?
A song called "Sigh" that my husband composed for the characters in my next book. He was just singing it to me. :-)

What is the most interesting thing a reader has ever said to you?
I love hearing from readers in person and online. They're all so different and amazing. It's hard to pick something as the most interesting, though. I've had readers make me cry by sharing their experiences with love and death and loss, relating so much to Anna or Frankie. They've made me laugh with stories about boys and summer. And they've asked really awesome questions about becoming a writer and favorite books and what it was like for me as a teen. So I guess my answer is... I don't know! Readers are so diverse and wonderful... I just can't pick one thing!

What is one word to describe your life right now?
Content. :-)

Do you have any upcoming books?
My next book, FIXING DELILAH HANNAFORD, will be published in 2010. Here's the summary:
Stuck in Vermont all summer with her workaholic mother, a Tarot-card-reading aunt, and a childhood friend who thinks he can fix anything, sixteen-year-old Delilah Hannaford confronts her elusive family history to expose the secrets that have defined and divided the Hannafords for three generations.

That's it you guys! I can't wait for Sarah's next book! It sounds as equally amazing as Twenty Boy Summer!

Peace, Love, and Summer Lovin',

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