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Northanger Abbey

Title: Northanger Abbey
Author: Jane Austen
Reading Level: all ages
Rating: 4

Summary:
When Catherine is invited to Northanger Abbey, the grand though forbidding ancestral seat of her suitor, Henry Tilney, she finds herself embroiled in a real drama of misapprehension, mistreatment, and mortification, until common sense and humor—and a crucial clarification of Catherine’s financial status—puts all to right. Written in 1798 but not published until after Austen’s death in 1817, Northanger Abbey is characteristically clearheaded and strong, and infinitely subtle in its comedy.

Review:
LOVED it! I know that Northanger is the lesser of the Austen books...maybe not a favorite of some...but it is one of MY favorites. I'm in love with Henry Tilney. I am. He is as good as they get. If you have never read any Austen, or just not read Northanger Abbey, now is the time. You get the feel that Jane Austen is finding herself as a writer, and that is quite fun! Northanger Abbey has everything anyone would want in a book. Romance, Mystery, Intrigue and of course a lot of dancing and gowns!! Give it a shot! I know you'll love it!

The President's Vacation Is By The Book

Nothing says vacation like a stack of beach reads. But for President Obama, the pickings are far from pulp fiction! On the reading list for the president’s week long Martha’s Vineyard vacation are:

The Way Home, a crime thriller by George Pelecanos

Hot, Flat, and Crowded by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman

Plainsong, a family drama by Kent Haruf

Lush Life ,a novel about race and class by Richard Price

John Adams, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biopic by historian David McCullough.

What are YOU reading on Vacation?

list from USA Today

Featured Author: Brandon Mull

This summer I read the Fablehaven series at the request of some friends, and I was completely hooked. I haven't been THAT engrossed in a series since Twilight & Harry Potter. The world that Brandon Mull created is one I would LOVE to live in, and something I couldn't stop thinking about. Let me introduce you to Brandon Mull.

About

Brandon Mull resides in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife and three children. He spent two years living in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile where he learned Spanish and juggling. He once won a pudding eating contest in the park behind his grandma’s house, earning a gold medal. Brandon is the author of the New York Times bestselling Fablehaven series and The Candy Shop War.

I’ve always secretly wanted to write books.

I often kept the desire secret, because I knew that succeeding as a novelist would be a challenge, and I didn’t want people worrying about me or thinking I was crazy. As a kid, I lived in my head a lot, making up adventures, and sometimes sharing my imaginary games with siblings and friends. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always spent a huge portion of my free time daydreaming and making up stories. As I aged, those stories became more elaborate and compelling, and I decided that I wanted to share them with others. That was when I became serious about writing.

I figured that if I could learn to write a good scene, I could eventually write a good novel,

so through high school and college I mostly practiced by writing short fiction. After graduating from Brigham Young University in 2000, I started working on my first full-length novel. It was rejected by many agents and publishers before an editor at Shadow Mountain Publishing found promise in it. Shadow Mountain did not purchase that first book, but they asked to see something else, and the book I wrote for them was Fablehaven. So Fablehaven was published by the first publisher who saw it, after I did a lot of work shopping around that first book. The first book has not yet been published, but I expect to rewrite it someday and show it to publishers again.

Fablehaven surpassed my expectations

with how quickly it found an audience. It seemed that wherever the book got a start, good word of mouth followed, and soon I had a career. I had been working writing marketing copy to pay the bills, but was able to quit my day job about six months after the first Fablehaven was published. By then I had already written the sequel to Fablehaven, so I started on The Candy Shop War, since my publisher didn’t want more than one Fablehaven title per year.

I am now contentedly living my dream. Between writing and promoting, I work more hours in a week than I ever have, but I am passionate about the work. I love my wife and kids a ton, and am relieved to be supporting them by doing a job I adore.

Brandon Mull's Books:

Fablehaven
Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star
Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague
Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
The Candy Shop War
Pingo

All information is from www.brandonmull.com

Late Night Shopping

Title: Late Night Shopping
Author: Carmen Reid
Publisher: Corgi Books
Reading Level: Adult
Rating: 3

Summary:
Annie Valentine is one ambitious lady, but does she know when to stop?

Uber-busy Annie Valentine — mum to two demanding children and personal shopper in a swanky London fashion store — is now intent on setting up a business of her own. She has ambitions for a shoe and handbag empire, and she'll do anything to get there.

But what about her adorable new man? As someone who wants nothing more than a quiet life, Ed is shocked to discover Annie is staking their home on her success. And now their relationship is on the line.

Ed isn't convinced that Annie's surprise remedy — an extravagant friends and family holiday to Italy — is really what they all need. Especially when a dashing Italian businessman promises to fulfill Annie's every dream. . . .

Review:
What a fun little book! If you love shopping then this is your kind of book. It's all about couture!
It's not your normal chic-lit, meaning it's about a woman in her 30's and she had kids! I enjoyed it. I realized that this is one of many books about Annie Valentine. I can't wait to go grab the other books. The author, Carmen Reid, is a Glaswegian! I'm looking forward to some upcoming events.

Saving Ben: A Father's Story of Autism

Title: Saving Ben: A Father's Story of Autism
Author: Dan E. Burns
Publisher: University of North Texas Press
Reading Level: Adult
Rating: 3

My niece is on the Autism spectrum so I let my sister Amy review this book for me. Here is what she thought!

Thanks to the author Dan Burns for sending me this book!!

Summary:
Each year thousands of children are diagnosed with autism, a devastating neurological disorder that profoundly affects a person's language and social development. Saving Ben is a story of one family coping with autism, told from the viewpoint of a father struggling to understand his son's strange behavior and rescue him from a downward spiral. "Take him home, love him, and save your money for his institutionalization when he turns twenty-one." That was the best advice his doctor could offer in 1990 when three-year-old Ben was diagnosed with autism. Saving Ben tells the story of Ben's regression as an infant into the world of autism and his journey toward recovery as a young adult. His father, Dan Burns, puts the reader in the passenger's seat as he struggles with medical service providers, the school system, extended family, and his own limitations in his efforts to pull Ben out of his darkening world. Ben, now 21 years old, is a work in progress. The full force and fury of the autism storm have passed. Using new biomedical treatments, repair work is underway. Saving Ben is a story of Ben's journey toward recover, and a family story of loss, grief, and healing. "Keep the faith, never give up." These are the lessons of the author's miraculous journey, saving Ben.

Review:
This book is a true life experience of a father dealing with accepting his son's severe autism and fighting for his hopeful recovery. It isn't for the faint of heart and if you're looking for a fairy tale recovery this book won't end with one. It does, however, show an amazing story about a man who wouldn't give up on his son! You can almost feel the author's grief, discouragement, and hopelessness at times. You also feel his immense love and determination on his son's behalf. If you need an inspiring story about acceptance then this is it!

The Other Boleyn Girl

Title: The Other Boleyn Girl
Author: Philippa Gregory
Publisher: Harper Collins
Reading Level: Adult
Rating: 3

Summary:
Everyone knows the fate of Anne Boleyn, but not many know the story of her rise to majesty and the part played by her rival and sister, Mary, who was Henry's mistress and mother to two of his bastard children before the dazzling older Boleyn girl even caught his eye. The Other Boleyn Girl charts the lives of both Boleyns--each in their turn "the other Boleyn Girl"--and their fiercely ambitious, conniving family who used the girls as pawns to advance their own positions at the court of Henry VIII. At 13, Mary is little more than a child when she is presented to Henry, ordered by her scheming family to serve her King and country by opening her legs whenever commanded, or doing anything else the great monarch desires. And while his loins are satisfied, life at court is sweet for the unofficial Queen and her pushy coterie. Inevitably though, the King's eyes soon begin to wander and Mary is overlooked, helpless to do anything but aid her family's plot to advance their fortunes, replace her with Anne and give Henry the greatest gift of all: a son and heir.

Review:
I really enjoyed this historical novel about the Boleyns. Philippa has a PhD from Edinburgh University in History! You know she knows her facts, and she turns them into a flowing story of what history this family has to tell. This story has shaped every single one of our lives. If you don't know why, I suggest reading the book and learn how Anne Boleyn's marriage to King Henry VIII shaped history.

Eat Pray Love

Title: Eat Pray Love
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Publisher: Viking adult
Reading Level: Adult
Rating: 3

Summary:
At the age of thirty-one, Gilbert moved with her husband to the suburbs of New York and began trying to get pregnant, only to realize that she wanted neither a child nor a husband. Three years later, after a protracted divorce, she embarked on a yearlong trip of recovery, with three main stops: Rome, for pleasure (mostly gustatory, with a special emphasis on gelato); an ashram outside of Mumbai, for spiritual searching; and Bali, for "balancing." These destinations are all on the beaten track, but Gilbert's exuberance and her self-deprecating humor enliven the proceedings: recalling the first time she attempted to speak directly to God, she says, "It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, 'I've always been a big fan of your work.'"

Review:
My mom and I read this book together a few years ago, and we really enjoyed it. We saw it on Oprah, and all these women were talking about how it changed their lives. I needed this book to do that for me. Eat Pray Love is one woman's journey to finding herself and what her life is about. I really identified with that at the time. I think it's time to re-read this. I believe we should always be changing and getting better. This book helps you on that quest. It is a true story, and one for those who are looking for themselves. I recommend it to all.

Winners!

Here they are! The winners of The Blue Star by Tony Earley

1. Julia
2. Joanna
3. Ginny
4. Wanda
5. Luvdaylilies

I've emailed the winners! Please send me you address asap, so The Hachette Group can get the book out to you! Congrats & Enjoy!

Book of AThousand Days

Title: Book of a Thousand Days
Author: Shannon Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Reading Level: Young Adult
Rating: 4

Summary:
When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years because of Saren’s refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment.

As food runs low and the days go from broiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed and comfortable. With the arrival outside the tower of Saren’s two suitors—one welcome, the other decidedly less so—the girls are confronted with both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows.

Review:
I enjoyed this book immensely. I am a lover of fairy tale's, and this one does not disappoint. I loved how the book is written as a journal by Dashti. What a unique way to tell a story. There were plenty of exciting, sad, heroic, and romantic moments to keep this book going. I love Shannon Hale's writing style, and if you've not picked up one of her books yet..You should start with this one! I know you'll love it!

Time is Running Out!

Only a few days left to enter for The Blue Star Giveaway!

Contest Ends August 20th!
Click {Here} to enter! Good Luck!

Exclusive Interview with Mandy Hubbard

Oh I am so stinkin' excited about this Interview! When I read Prada & Prejudice I couldn't stop thinking about what a FUN book it was. I knew I wanted to try and get an interview with Mandy. Anyone who could write a fun regency/contemporary style book like that, I knew we needed to talk to her! She said Yes! How SWEET for us!!

Let me introduce you to Mandy Hubbard author of Prada & Prejudice!

How did you come up with the idea for Prada & Prejudice?

Long story short: Love Regency romances for the setting, love contemporary romances for the voice. So I combined them both to create a book I would love to read.

I feel Callie is like most of us girls in high school trying to fit in. Did you have any similar experiences as Callie?

I did—I was definitely self-conscious in school, always second-guessing myself. I tried really hard to act like I wasn’t shy so I would pretend to be confident but then not really talk to anyone. The combination made everyone think I was actually a stuck-up snob! I only discovered as an adult that people actually did like me, but they thought I was full of myself or something since I never talked to them. Oops!

Who is your favorite character and why?

You know, I really like them all for various reasons, but I think Victoria is a really interesting character. She doesn’t get as much screen time as the others, but I sure hope people know and like her by the end of it.

Do YOU own any Prada shoes?

Sadly, no. (Although Prada, if you’re reading this, I’d be happy to work as a spokesmodel and wear your shoes to all my events. Call Me!)

Did you enjoy designing Callie's wardrobe? Of all the dresses she wears, which is your favorite?

Oh, definitely! It would be so amazing to wear the dresses Callie wears. The two ball gowns are my favorite. I think I lean toward the white one. It has a dusty-rose ribbon under the bustline, and she wears white gloves with it. I think it would look incredible in real life!

What is your favorite quote from your book?

Sadly my favorite quote is from the very end, so I can’t share it, but I also really like the moment that Callie says, “I am Rebecca. I am a prim and proper regency girl. I wear dresses and I curtsy. I belong here.”

It’s her trying to convince herself that she can pull off pretending to be Rebecca, and it’s a turning point for how the rest of the story unfolds.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a favorite among readers throughout the world, how did it influence YOUR book?

In the first draft, it had no influence whatsoever. The title was a different then too. But the more we were rejected, the more it became clear that the editors wanted Pride & Prejudice to influence my book. When I scrapped the whole thing and started over, I went in trying to emulate a few more of the themes of Pride & Prejudice without outright ripping it off. I think I was able to achieve a good balance. People have liked that they could spot some moments that mirrored Austen’s classic, but also that the story was new and different.

What can you tell us about your upcoming novels?

My June 2010 novella for harlequin is called DRIVEN, and its about a twenty-year old (female) mechanic who falls for a pit crew member on a rival team.

My next novel for young-adults will also be out Summer 2010, and all I can say for now is that it’s a fun high-concept romantic comedy. I should be sharing the title/cover/summary in the next month or two on my blog and website, so stay tuned!

What are your favorite books?

The Season by Sarah Maclean (Romantic!), A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker (Laugh out loud funny!), The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams (Heart breaking!), True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi (unforgettable!), Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (duh!)…I could basically go on forever, so I’ll stop here.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell The Sweet Bookshelf readers?

I <3 hearing from readers/fans, so if you read Prada and Prejudice, don’t forget to tell me what you think!

www.mandyhubbard.com

THANKS MANDY!! We wish you all the best in your career and can't wait to read what's next!

Library Trip

I have always loved the library. Who doesn't like shelves and shelves of free books?! I've had a hard time finding the new books I really want to read here at the library in Scotland. It's been rubbish! I have gotten them to purchase some of my choices though which is so nice! But, I do love checking out what the library's got. There are so many books to choose from!

Here is what I picked up:

Title: The Shadow of the Wind
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon


Summary: Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'Cemetery of Forgotten Books', a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles. To this library, a man brings his ten year old son, Daniel, one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book and from the dusty shelves pulls The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. But as Daniel grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind.

Title: Late Night Shopping
Author: Carmen Reid (she's a Scot!)

Summary: Uber-busy Annie Valentine - mum to two demanding children and personal shopper in a swanky London fashion store - is now intent on setting up a shoe and handbag empire of her own, and she'll do anything to get there. But what about her adorable new man? As someone who wants nothing more than a quiet life, Ed is shocked to discover Annie staking their home on her success, and now their relationship is on the line. Is Annie's surprise remedy - an extravagant friends and family holiday to Italy - really what they all need? Especially when a dashing Italian businessman promises to fulfill Annie's every dream.

Title: Jewel and Thorn
Author: Richard Poole

Summary: On his sixteenth birthday, Thorn Jack steals a curious crystal from the Treasury of a neighboring settlement in his coming of age rite-of-passage. Returning home, he finds that his younger sister has been kidnapped. He sets out to find her with Racky Jagger, an enigmatic but worldly-wise individual. Their way leads through Judy Wood, a place of mystery and ill-repute. When fifteen-years-old Jewel Ranson's father, a traveling draper, is murdered at a fair, she sets out to avenge him. Accompanied by Rainy Gill, a juggler, she journeys to Harry park where she becomes involved in a bloodthirsty wager. As she travels, Jewel discovers that she has been gifted with unusual powers. After many colorful adventures and encounters, their separate quests lead Thorn and Jewel to a momentous meeting - and the discovery of a common enemy...



Title: The Brass Key: 2nd Book of LowMoor
Author: Richard Poole

Summary: In a world shaped by the scattered remains of a giant civilisation live communities of six-inch tall human beings. Blackmailed by the sinister Spetch twins, Jewel and Thorn must journey across land and water to retrieve the mysterious brass key. Until they find it and return it to the Spetches, Thorn's sister Haw is at the cruel mercy of the twins. Thorn finds uses for the strange objects given to him by the Norgreen Syb and Jewel's strength as a Magian grows when she comes across a crystal similar to the one stolen and hidden away by Thorn. It has a strange, dark power - but is there danger in its strength? Encountering unexpected, malevolent forces along the way, but also making new friends, Jewel and Thorn discover a new and even more dangerous opponent lurking in the shadows behind those they already know.

Twenties Girl

Title: Twenties Girl
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Publisher: Bantam Press
Reading Level: Adult
Rating: 4

Summary:
Lara has always had an overactive imagination. Now she wonders if she is losing her mind. Normal twenty-something girls just don't get visited by ghosts! But inexplicably, the spirit of Lara's great aunt Sadie - in the form of a bold, demanding Charleston-dancing girl - has appeared to make one last request: Lara must track down a missing necklace Sadie simply can't rest without. Lara's got enough problems of her own. Her start-up company is floundering, her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, and she's just been dumped by the love of her life. But as Lara spends time with Sadie, life becomes more glamorous and their treasure hunt turns into something intriguing and romantic. Could Sadie's ghost be the answer to Lara's problems and can two girls from different times end up learning something special from each other?

Review:
Another GREAT read by Sophie Kinsella! Not like her usual hysterical comedy chic-lit, but GREAT just the same. I loved the references to the 1920's, and the old clothes, dances, and slang! What a hoot Daddy 'O! Sophie always has a great little romance for us, with a dashing good looking man. Just what I'm after! You won't be disappointed.

Princess Academy

Title: Princess Academy
Author: Shannon Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Reading Level: Young Adult
Rating: 4

Summary:
The thought of being a princess never occurred to the girls living on Mount Eskel. Most plan to work in the quarry like the generations before them. When it is announced that the prince will choose a bride from their village, 14-year-old Miri, who thinks she is being kept from working in the quarry because of her small stature, believes that this is her opportunity to prove her worth to her father. All eligible females are sent off to attend a special academy where they face many challenges and hardships as they are forced to adapt to the cultured life of a lowlander. First, strict Tutor Olana denies a visit home. Then, they are cut off from their village by heavy winter snowstorms. As their isolation increases, competition builds among them. The story is much like the mountains, with plenty of suspenseful moments that peak and fall, building into the next intense event. Miri discovers much about herself, including a special talent called quarry speak, a silent way to communicate. She uses this ability in many ways, most importantly to save herself and the other girls from harm.

Review:
LOVED this book! Who wouldn't want to go to a Princess Academy and learn how to be a princess in hopes of catching the Princes attention?! That's every girls dream! I love Shannon Hale, she is a great author of fairy tales with a twist. This book does not disappoint. It will capture adults as well as YA. You must read Princess Academy!

A BIG Giveaway!

Thanks to the lovely people over at The Hachette Group, I've got 5 copies of The Blue Star by Tony Earley to giveaway! LUCKY US!! How do you enter? I'm so glad you asked!

1. Just leave a comment with your email address

2. Follow my blog




That's it! Just do those 2 little things and you'll be entered...but you MUST do both!

The contest ends Aug 20th! Go tell your friends!

US & CA ONLY--Sorry my International friends!

Summary:
Tony Earley's first novel was Jim the Boy and The Blue Star is its sequel. Time has moved forward to the eve of World War II, but everything else is much the same in the countryside of North Carolina. Jim Glass is now a senior in high school, living in the peaceful haven of his three uncles and his mother.

Love complicates his otherwise halcyon life, in the person of one Chrissie Steppe. We can't help whom we love, and Jim has made a big mistake by falling for Chrissie. She and her mother are in what amounts to indentured servitude up on the mountain, living on the property of the influential Bucklaws. Their son, Bucky, is in the Navy and expects that Chrissie will wait for him. She has nothing to say about it because she and her mother have nowhere to go if they are turned off Bucklaw's land because Chrissie has other ideas.

Release date: Aug. 26, 2009

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Ready for the Winner of my ARC of
Prada & Prejudice?!

SO AM I!!

The winner is:

Becca and Fam

Congrats Becca!! I'm mailing it off to you! Enjoy!

Love Lies

Title: Love Lies
Author: Adele Parks
Publisher: Penguin
Reading Level: Adult
Rating: 2

Summary:
Fern is glaring thirty in the face and can’t ignore the love lies any longer. Life with Adam was amazing once – although these days swinging from the chandeliers means D.I.Y not S.E.X. She believes a romantic wedding should be the next step but Adam just won’t go down on one knee. Then a chance meeting with Scottie Taylor – the UK’s sexiest pop star – lights fireworks in Fern that won’t stop exploding. It’s mind-expanding love at first sight for them both so when he proposes in front of a sell-out crowd at Wembley Stadium, there’s only one answer. Yes, yes, yes! Before you know it, Fern is living the celebrity dream in LA and a wedding planner is arranging designer shoe fittings. But isn’t it all happening a little too fast? Why is this modern day Cinderella homesick for a rented two-bedroom flat in Clapham? How do you know whether love is telling the truth? Fern must choose which version of this fairy tale is hers…

Review:
I got right into this book with no problem. It's easy to read, and easy to get started. It's not what I'd pictured this book to be. Nor what I'd consider a GREAT piece of chic-lit. I don't like stories where the girl leaves the guy for someone else, then tries to go back to the guy she left in the first place. Maybe it's just me being old fashioned or just upset that a girl could do that!! It was an easy read though. Not bad, but not good either...just OK. It is a VERY British book. If I read this 2 years ago then I wouldn't have understood it....there is a bunch of British slang.

Exclusive Interview with Cyn Balog!

When I read FAIRY TALE this week, I couldn't stop thinking about it all day! So I emailed the author and asked for an interview for us, and she said YES! We are so super lucky!! She is so down to earth and nice!!!!

Let me introduce you to CYN BALOG author of FAIRY TALE!



Sweet Bookshelf: Welcome to the Sweet Bookshelf! We are so glad to have you!

Cyn Balog: Thank you so much, Mary! I really am so happy you liked my book-- it's so nice to hear! And these are great questions!

SB: Ok let's get this Sweet Party Started! How did you come up with the idea for FAIRY TALE?

CB: Well, there were a couple of things I wanted to write about, and I ended up mixing them together to come up with Fairy Tale. First, when I was a teen, all of my friends seemingly had everything figured out about their future, only to have everything change for them, so I wanted to convey that. The "perfect" love might only be "perfect" for right now, but who knows about next year? That's why I wanted to make Morgan a psychic-- at first she is so confident about where she is headed, but even she must admit she has no idea what her future holds. And I knew I wanted to have a paranormal aspect to the story, but I thought the idea of having the girl learn she is a fairy princess was overdone... and just not as interesting as having the guy, a secondary character, learn he was a fairy. I mean, a girl fairy would be the envy of all her friends, but guy fairies would most likely be ridiculed and want to hide it. Similarly, all the books I'd ever read about psychics make them seem like outcasts, when in reality, if someone showed up at MY school with the ability to tell the future, they would be SO popular. So that's Morgan.

SB: The message I got from FAIRYTALE was about love and loss. Is there a special message in that you intended us to have?

CB: Just that it's probably not a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket-- no matter how sure you are how your future will turn out, you're bound to be surprised.

SB: I found myself laughing out loud while reading! What is your favorite funny moment in FAIRY TALE?

CB: Hmmm, I don't really find my own writing very funny, but thanks! Let's see-- the only one I can remember right now is when Morgan whines to her dad that Cam is a fairy but he doesn't care because he's so interested in watching General Hospital.

SB: Oh I thought the dad was so funny! Who is your favorite character and why?

CB: Pip, because he's so humble and sweet and I imagine he would take good care of his girlfriend.

SB: He is my favorite too! I had tears streaming down my face as I was reading the end. Did you cry while you were writing it?

CB: If I did, they were tears of joy from finally finishing it! Actually, I rewrote the ending so many times, I couldn't tell immediately if it worked. I played with a bunch of different outcomes but this was the only one that seemed right. And I fully realized that some people would be disappointed in the ending, so I was nervous... I just hoped that most people would like the ending.

SB: I was crying by how precious the ending was! It was perfect!! You have said you don't plan on having a sequel, but I can't stop thinking about the untold stories in Otherworld. What happened to Pip while living there, and why Morgan can see the fairies? About another time when these 2 worlds might reunite again? Would it ever be of interest to you to find more of their untold stories and publish them?!

CB: Yes-- maybe in another year or two, I would like to revisit them, if Delacorte wanted me to. I have received so many requests for a sequel, I can't count them! But I agree there are a lot of unanswered questions that I'd love to go back and fill in the blanks, either with a prequel or a sequel.

SB: This is so great to hear! How long did it take you to write FAIRY TALE?

CB: A couple months, I think. It was one of those books that pretty much wrote itself. I didn't have very much to do in the way of revisions either, so the book isn't much different from the first draft.

SB: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

CB: Since I started writing when I was 5, but didn't actually attempt to get published until dozens of years later, I would just say... if you love it, DO IT. Don't let anyone tell you it can't be done... because it is possible, if you keep trying and don't give up.

SB: Tell us how you got your literary agent?

CB: I actually met someone online through livejournal (my critique partner, Mandy Hubbard), who was agented by this agent. She loved my work and sent it to her agent, who also loved it and signed me a little while later. Networking can be so important-- how else can you land an agent without writing a single query letter?

SB: You're next novel, SLEEPLESS, comes out in 2010. What can we expect?

CB: Yes, I'm so excited about it! It's about a Sandman who falls in love with a mortal girl whose sleep he controls. I also have two more unrelated paranomal novels in the works... FEVER and STEADFAST.

SB: OH WOW! I can't wait!! What book are you reading now?

CB: TWENTY BOY SUMMER by the amazing Sarah Ockler. This book is SO good. I cried like a baby after only like, 2 pages.

SB: What is the BEST part about being a published author?

CB: Getting to read ARCs of books before they come out? Haha. Actually, the best part is that when I was a Marketing Manager, I would tell people that was my profession when they asked, and the response would be, "Ho hum." But now that I am a full-time author, I realize you can not tell people that this is what you do without them getting insanely excited! It begs the follow-up question, "Have I read anything you've written?" and of course I love to talk about my book. And they act like they've just met someone famous. Even though, ha, me? Famous?

SB: You are SO famous! I'm giddy doing this interview! Is there anything else you'd like The Sweet Bookshelf readers to know?

CB: To everything, there is a season? Ok, um...Thank you! I've had fun during this interview! And though I've been a busy since my release (I just had a baby, too), I always respond to emails from readers and other writers, so I would love to hear from your readers ([email protected]).

SB: If I mail you my book would you sign it?! PLEASE!

CB: Of course! Or you can just send an SASE to PO Box 202, Quakertown, PA 18951 and I will send you a signed bookplate!

Thank you so much for the interview Cyn! We wish you all the success with your career, and can't wait to read what's next! Congrats on the new baby!!