Interview with Jennifer Banash, Take 2!

I recently got the chance to interview the lovely Jennifer Banash, author of The Elite series, again! The most recent book in her series, In Too Deep, has already hit bookstores, so go grab a copy if you haven't already! Fans of the first book will not be disappointed!!

Check out my review for In Too Deep here, as well as my review for The Elite and my first interview with Ms. Banash!
And keep you eyes open for a giveaway of In Too Deep soon!!

**warning: there is a spoiler for In Too Deep in this interview; nothing that'll ruin the plot for you, but you've been warned!

--------------------------

1) Which moment/scene has been the most fun to write so far?
Definitely the scene where Drew discovers his dad is having an affair. That was just so fun and exciting to write. I loved the fact that Drew finally had some drama if his own, above and beyond the whole Casey/Madison dilemma.

2) Which is your favorite cover out of the three fabulous ones for your series so far?
The cover for SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE. Even though it’s a bit different than the previous two covers, I just think it’s both eye catching, and beautiful. If I was a reader perusing bookstore shelves, I’d pick in out in a heartbeat.

2) Going back to a question from our last interview, if you had to be any character from your series for the events in In Too Deep for a day, would you still want to be Madison? Or someone else?
She has in pretty rough in IN TOO DEEP—but so do all of the characters! I’d definitely still want to be Madison—she’s my alter-ego in many ways.

3) If you had to spend a day as a character from any book, who would you like to be?
Alaska in John Green’s LOOKING FOR ALASKA.

4) Your favorite designer?
Marc Jacobs.

5) Your one, must-have accessory?
A fabulous handbag, or pair of stilettos.
6) Describe yourself in three words?
Intense. Driven. Emotional.

8) How would Madison describe herself in three words?
Fabulous. Bitchy. Elegant.

9) Casey?
Shy. Unsure. Intelligent.

10) When will Simply Irresistible hit bookstores? (I can’t wait for it!! :D)
July! So you won’t have to wait TOO long to find out what the girls are up to :)

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why. Thirteen sides of cassette tapes. Thirteen sessions that will change Clay Jensen’s life.

When a box shows up on Clay’s doorstep, the last thing Clay was expecting was tapes. Tapes that contained Hannah Baker’s last words—her thirteen reasons why she committed suicide.

Hannah Baker was in Clay’s grade when one day, she took her own life. Now an ominous cloud hangs over Hannah’s vacant desk at school, but no one seems to know the full reason why she killed herself.

Rumors had swirled around Hannah Baker, but Clay did not think those stories about Hannah made sense—she seemed like a much nicer, sweeter girl than those rumors made her out to be. But despite liking her from afar, Clay did not get a chance to know Hannah very well. They shared a few moments together during a party, but Hannah was gone—completely gone—before Clay could really get to know her. Hannah died not long after that party, and if Clay wants to know why, all he has to do is hit play…

There’s no going back once he hits play, but Clay needs to know what happened to Hannah. What drove her to such extreme measures? And what was his part in it? He is one of Hannah’s thirteen reasons; what was his role? And who are the others that pushed her over the edge?

Thirteen Reasons Why is an unforgettable book. Powerful and well written, I could hardly put it down. Readers will really go on a journey with Clay to learn more about Hannah Baker, and the events that pushed her towards that fateful decision. Author Jay Asher really knows how to capture heart-wrenching emotions in this haunting tale!

Cave of Terror by Amber Dawn Bell

Cheyenne Wilde pretty much like any other teen; she attends school, has some good friends, and practices gymnastics. Oh, that and she’s a vampire. The surprising news was sprung on her the day of her sixteenth birthday, but that’s not all! Cheyenne also happens to be the first Vanator born into her clica (sort of like a vampire coven) in five hundred years. Being a Vanator means that she will hold immense powers in her hands, including the power to either destroy or strengthen the opposing, dark clica, the Liliacs.

But her new vampire and Vanator life is far from a dream life—terror and enemies lurk around every corner, and a creepy, sinister being is starting to spring in and out of Cheyenne’s life a little too often for her taste. Cheyenne wants to protect her friends from these malicious beings, but must also protect her friends from her deepest secret. Before long, all Cheyenne wants is to go back to her old life—the normal life she once had without crazy bats, the obligations of a Vanator, and without the shadow of danger looming over her.

She tries to be ‘normal’ and continues her gymnastics and eventual goes on a few dates with the new hottie in town; Ryan. But this happiness is not destined to last, as Constantine, the leader of the Liliacs, is closing in on Cheyenne and her loved ones. Can Cheyenne protect her friends without revealing her secret to them? Can she still be with Ryan, even though she’s a vampire? And why on earth is Constantine so appealing to Cheyenne? Shouldn’t she be completely repulsed by him?

However, when the unspoken conflict between Cheyenne’s clica and Constantine’s clica escalates, Cheyenne will have to embrace her full potential as a Vanator, or those close to her may be the ones to suffer.

Cave of Terror was, overall, a good read. Cheyenne’s voice really comes through and the characters in general were well developed. However, Cheyenne’s repeated use of “that’s so gay” (and similar phrases with the use “gay”) bothered me. It is an offense phrase that I do not support. Other than that, Cave of Terror is an enjoyable novel for anyone looking for an adventure with a taste of romance!

Francey winner!

Congrats to Amber P (youtube username: ajpassey) for winning a copy of Francey by Martin Dubow!

Amber, please send me an email at bookvault(at)yahoo.com with your address by January 21st so I can get your prize out to you!

Thanks to everyone for participating! There'll be more giveaways soon! :)

oh, and thanks to everyone for visiting The Book Vault! We've reached 10,000+ hits!! =D

Butterfly Award

I've been nominated for the Butterfly Award! Thanks you, Stephanie! Check out Stephanie's site: Juiciliciousss Reviews! :)



Here are my nominees:
Bookluver-Carol
The Book Muncher
Reading Keeps you Sane
Presenting Lenore
Just Blinded Book Reviews
Liv's Book Reviews
Melissa Walker's Blog

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Welcome to the 74^th annual Hunger Games. “And may the odds be ever in your favor!”

The dreaded Hunger Games. North America as we know it is no more. In its place is Panem, and its twelve districts ruled by Capitol.

But it wasn’t always that way. There used to be 13 districts, but the thirteenth district made the fatal decision to rebel against the Capitol. Thus it was destroyed, and to punish the rest of the districts, Capitol created the Hunger Games. Each district must send two tributes between the ages of 12 to 18 to the Capitol every year for the games. The twenty-four tributes are paraded around and interviewed on TV before they are set loose in the arena. Inside the arena the possibilities are limitless. The goal? To be the last one standing. To the victor goes a life of ease, wealth, and glory. To all the losers—death. There will be various geographical and environmental challenges facing the tributes, but the greatest challenge is the other tributes. The entire ordeal is broadcasted for all of Panem to see—to see their own children kill each other for sport.

Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12, possibly the poorest of the twelve districts. She lives in the Seam, a poor mining community but helps her family pull through by hunting illegally with her friend Gale. Trading their game, they manage to survive and get the food and necessities they need. Katniss was pushed to take extreme measures to ensure survival after her father died, leaving her mother completely stricken. But with her young sister Prim to feed and look after, Katniss knew she had to do something so her family wouldn’t starve. Becoming proficient with a bow and arrows, Katniss became a hunter and gatherer in the woods beyond the fence, where she met Gale. But her skills do not stop her from being entered every year to be a possible tribute for the games.

The seventy fourth Hunger Games draw near, and Prim will be entered for the first time. Katniss already knows the drill, and has her name in the drawing far more times than Prim, since she had to put extra slips in so her family could get food and oil. But luck is against Katniss and despite having only one slip in the drawing, the girl tribute selected from the large glass bowl is Prim. Desperate the save her sister and spare her the horror that goes on in the arena every year, Katniss steps up to take her sister’s place.

Fate is not kind to Katniss that day; the boy tribute is Peeta, the baker’s son—someone Katniss actually knows. But there are no volunteers to replace Peeta, so the two are shipped off to the Capitol where they’ll be prepared for the games. With volunteer tributes from several districts that are trained for the Hunger Games, Katniss knows the chances of winning are pretty slim. But Katniss knows she has to try, because Prim and her mother are still waiting for her at home.

Despite all the hunting Katniss has done, and all the preparation she is given before she enters the arena, Katniss is not ready to face the horror, barbarism, and cruelty in the arena. But there is something else waiting for Katniss in the arena—something Katniss is in no way ready for.

The Hunger Games was an amazing book! All the reviews that I read were true—I could hardly put this book down! The Hunger Games is direct, no-nonsense, and a truly enthralling book. It captures your attention and never lets you go! It was an absolutely fantastic book and I can hardly wait for more! I highly recommend this book to all readers; you won’t be disappointed! It’s well worth a read and The Hunger Games will leave you wanting more!

In Too Deep by Jennifer Banash

At the conclusion of the previous book in Jennifer Banash’s The Elite series, new girl Casey was left in a bit of a jam. Frenemy and queen bee Madison Macallister was brutal to Casey at a party, but luckily, Casey’s crush, Drew, came to the rescue. The good news? Casey and Drew have been going strong ever since. The bad news? Drew is still Madison’s ex…and Madison wants him back. How long will Drew and Casey last?

Madison Macallister has been a bit of a wreck on the inside ever since Drew started dating Casey, or the hopeless “frizzy Midwestern freak,” as Madison sees her. But despite all the comfort shopping she is doing, (which, by the way, cost quite a pretty penny) Madison cannot get over the fact that Drew Van Allen would dump her—the hottest girl in the school—for fashion-disaster Casey! Nevertheless, Madison has been carefully keeping up her composure, not letting anyone know just how much the whole business is effecting her, not even her two best friends—after all, the queen bee of Manhattan’s Upper East Side has a reputation to maintain! But cool composure or no, Madison is out for revenge…

And what better revenge is there than success? Madison seems to have hit the jackpot; she is spotted by a totally hot modeling agent and offered a possible modeling contract! Soon Madison’ll be the star on every billboard and will be featured in countless ads! She’ll hit the hottest runways for the best designers and be the new ‘it’ girl. But should anyone really expect any less of Madison, the girl that has it all—well, almost has it all? But no matter, Drew will come groveling back to her soon enough when she becomes the hottest model around! Vengeance will be hers, and her standing as the social queen will be completely solidified!

But Mad isn’t the only one with issues. Her two best friends, Sophie and Phoebe, have their own drama to deal with. What Sophie has always believed in might not be true, and Phoebe has issues of her own concerning her love life.

The world and family Sophie has always believed in is about to be shattered. Nothing is like what it seems, but some secrets should never be revealed... And poor Phoebe is torn between what she wants and what’s right. But who says she has to please everyone?

You should never take anything for granted, but unfortunately, some people just have to learn it the hard way! But one thing’s for certain; there’s plenty of trouble brewing for all of these Upper East Side teens!

As you know, life in the posh and drama-filled Upper East Side is never easy! Hold onto your Hermes scarves and Coach handbags, the Bram Clan is back for more action and drama!

Fans of Jennifer Banash’s The Elite will love this second book in her series! Once again, Ms. Banash captures emotions wonderfully, and lets her excellent characters develop even more, showing their true colors and giving us readers a further look into their minds and privileged lives! Ms. Banash has already got me looking forward to book 3: Simply Irresistible!