Untitled Me - Tahereh Mafi and Ransom Riggs in Manila!

TAHEREH MAFI was in MANILA!

Dea, Mary Ann and I couldn't express our excitement (and butterflies in our stomachs) when the day ---March 2--- finally came for Tahereh Mafi's signing event here in Manila! More so, two weeks prior the event we were invited by National Bookstore to attend their very first Exclusive Blogger Forum. 

Tahereh Mafi!! *Can you guess the second man sitting to her left?* :)

The Forum started around 1:30 pm but as I insisted we were at Greenbelt earlier than that. We arrived at Powerbooks around 11 am and we were really surprised when JB told us that Ransom Riggs (yes, you heard me right....) will also be joining us at the event. We were like:

The first twenty people who registered were given a chance to ask Tahereh Mafi.  She was so amazing answering the questions given to her and she's really friendly. She even mentioned that her mom was very supportive of her writing career and that she gave her some suggestions for the title of the third book: "Unshackle Me". Although it was very sweet of her mom to suggest a title, Tahereh said the third book is still called 'Untitled Me'. 

Some of things that we learned from Tahereh:

• The first title she thought for her book Shatter Me was 'Touching Juliet'. She said her agents did not approve of the title because if that's the case it would sound out of the YA genre. She thought if it were 'Touching Juliette' then next books might have been Caressing Adam or Blushing Warner... (Good thing the first book's title was changed into Shatter Me. Haha)
• Kenji's character was hugely inspired by her brother. That's why it would be weird if Juliette and Kenji would have a thing. 
• I asked Tahereh if she is planning on writing another dystopian series or if she would divert on other genres. She said that she would probably write something in the Paranormal genre.
• If you guys are waiting for the selling of the Shatter Me shoes :( Sorry guys but I don't think it will be for sale.

After a while...

Ransom Riggs joined Tahereh up on the stage! =D And he answered perhaps one of your endless questions about him. His real name is Ransom and he has a birth certificate to prove it. :))

They were both funny and friendly

Tahereh Mafi's "eye" 

After the question and answer here and there it's time for the Book Signing!

The Teen Readers' Diary (from left to right: me, Mary Ann, Dea) with Kai Agito of Amaterasu Reads patiently waiting in line with the other bloggers.

Yay! Having our books signed by the one and only awesome Tahereh Mafi!

On this one, Dea told Tahereh how our friend Jello was a super-spoiler friend (going back to the time when he told me the ending of Catching Fire when I was still halfway through the book). Jello took this picture and Tahereh was telling him what a bad spoiling-friend he is. Hahaha

The Teen Readers' Diary with Tahereh Mafi! 

Best part and picture of all! This is so cute. I can't believe Tahereh did this pose with us! #IamstillonCloudNine

I would like to congratulate Dea! She won a 500 GC from National Bookstore. The winners were actually numbers 1, 2 and 3. The odds had been on their favor. ;)

Thanks to Illy Cafe Delizio for their yummy muffins! We're starving after that incredible conversation with Tahereh.

After eating the delicious muffins, we've moved on to Ransom Riggs!

(Left to Right: Dea, Ransom, Jello and Mary Ann)

The Teen Readers' Diary with Ransom Riggs. He sat on a small chair so he could be on our level. He's incredibly tall.

Ransom Riggs and me! *squeals*

We're deciding what kind of wacky pose....Hmmm... Ransom asked me? *fangirl scream* 

The Mr. Pogi (Mr. Handsome) pose!

The bloggers with Tahereh Mafi!

After the Exclusive Blogger Forum at Powerbooks, Greenbelt 4. We went to National Bookstore, Glorietta 1 to attend the book signing event.

A lot of people went to see Tahereh Mafi and have their books signed. 

During the book signing event:

My copies of Shatter Me and Unravel Me signed! :))

Team Handsome! 

We have a book signed by Tahereh Mafi for a giveaway. Wait for a post about that guys! :)

Waiting on Wednesday: Not a Drop to Drink and Tandem

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Here are my WoW picks this week (click title for the Goodreads page):

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Release date: September 10th, 2013

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Pre-Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water. 

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

 I miss reading Dystopia and it has been a while since a new one in the genre caught my attention. NOT A DROP TO DRINK's summary immediately compelled me.

Tandem (Many-Worlds #1) by Anna Jarzab

Release date: October 8th, 2013

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pre-Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Everything repeats.
You. Your best friend. Every person you know.
Many worlds. Many lives--infinite possibilities.
Welcome to the multiverse.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

The first book in the Many-Worlds Trilogy, Tandem is a riveting saga of love and betrayal set in parallel universes in which nothing--and no one--is what it seems.

Parallel universe! I love the cover of TANDEM almost as much as I do the sound of it. 

Stacking the Shelves (2/23/13)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Visit Tynga's Reviews to know more about this weekly meme.

Won

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes 

Prodigy by Marie Lu
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer 

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead 

Three weeks ago, I won these lovelies from a bestsellers contest hosted by The Book Depository Affiliates (@BDAffiliates). They arrived in the mail last week and I have already devoured two of them. Both are so good and delish!

Bought

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

This was the last copy I spotted at NBS SM North last week. I am so glad I impulsively bought it or I would have had to wait for another week for a copy.

I finished it in two days (during my commutes). I got two words for y'all: CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

And I'm sure all you Filipino fans are as excited as we are for Tahereh Mafi's book signing event on March 2nd at NBS Glorietta 1. The fact that it's only a week away gets us even more pumped up! See you there :D

Lastly, keep your eyes peeled for a contest anytime this week or after the event. One of us is turning eighteen so it will be a special one. 



What books did you get this week? Please feel free to leave a link of your post in the comments. 

Guest Post: Cristina Daley

Hello everyone! It's February 12,2013 and we are not just celebrating my Dad's birthday *coughs* but also the birth of a new book from Cristina Daley...*tan-ta-dadan* RADIANT! And I'm proud to introduce to you this book as well as the very approachable and sweet(yeah :D) author who gives us her inspiration about Radiant. Have fun reading! 

Christina Daley made her first book with neighborhood friends when she was four years old. They "wrote" out some semblance of lettering with crayons, cut up a cardboard box for the cover, and bound it all together with clear adhesive tape. It was brilliant.

Quite a few years later, Christina is trying her hand at writing "real" books. She lives in Dallas, Texas, with a pet plant named Herb.

Blog ||Twitter || Facebook || Goodreads 

What is your inspiration in writing Radiant?

Thanks for having me on the blog today! I'm so glad to be here and to talk about Radiant and my inspiration for writing it.

A few years ago, I was actually writing another book called Seranfyll, which is a middle grade fantasy that I published in 2011. When I got about 20 pages into Seranfyll, I ran out of ideas and set the story aside.

Meanwhile, I had read some random science articles that weren't related to each other. One was about comets and some were about health. I can't remember where the possessing idea came from, but I started to wonder what it would be like if a person nearly died and was then possessed by something that wasn't a ghost or an alien.

And a lot of the characters in Radiant reflect real people. For instance, Mary's mother is based on about four or five women I've met over the years, and Mary's grandmother is actually a lot like my own mother. Emma's based on a lovely black lady who's friends with my mom, and George has stories from a couple of Vietnam War veterans that I know. Ben looks like a musician I admire, and Carter (the jerk one) is the conglomeration of several guys I knew in high school (although they weren't jerks to me personally).

The story for Radiant grew from there and I finished writing the first draft in about three weeks. About a year later, I had come across other inspiration for Seranfyll and finished writing that book as well.

And that's a little bit about how Radiant came about :) Thanks again for letting me visit today, and I hope everyone will check it out. Happy reading!

Title: Radiant 

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Author: Christina Daley

Release date: February 12, 2013 

(Ages 13+) Mary is part Vietnamese. Carter is a complete jerk. Normally, they don't talk much.

But when Mary's in an accident on the way to school one morning, Carter nearly dies saving her life. The doctors say his chances of living are slim, and Mary's feeling the full weight of survivor's guilt.

However, Carter's back at school in a matter of days, as if nothing had happened. Although, he is a little "glitchy," and he's developed a sudden and intense interest in Mary. She thinks he's suffering from major brain trauma from the accident. Or that he's been possessed.

As it so happens, Carter really is possessed. And the thing controlling him is having the time of its life learning to be human.

Featuring a diverse cast of characters, RADIANT is a funny "paranormal-lite" story about being human, being in love, and being healed.

Dark Promise Tour+Giveaway(INT)

Dark Promise by Sophia Bennett

Release date: July 28,2012

Publisher: Valknut Press,LLC

eBook: 176 pages

Synopsis: Rylie has it all - great friends, dream boy, loving family. But on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, her perfect little world shatters. A stranger claiming to be her real mother appears with a secret: Rylie is a faery whose powers will be unleashed on her birthday. Captured and forced into a new life, Rylie struggles to keep everything she loves and discovers a terrifying truth: some promises cannot be broken.

Amazon || BN

Top 10 Guest Post:  Rylie’s point of view.

1.  Favorite movie/actor/actress? 

I love movies. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is definitely my favorite actor hands down. Actress is a little harder, but if I can only choose one I guess I’d pick Emma Watson. And my favorite movie right now is The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

2.  Favorite song/singer?

Adele. Rumor has it. That girl can sing!

3.  Favorite place you would love to visit? 

Anywhere near the ocean. I’ve always been drawn to the water…which is funny since I’m not a water faery, but the sea is just so calming. At least until Mother Nature gets angry, then watch out!

4.  One item you cannot live without? 

Glamour. I know that’s not really an item, but without it I couldn’t hide who I really am.

5.  Who would you like to meet?(dead or alive) 

Adele for sure. Although, I would probably pass out and miss the whole thing.

6.  Favorite hobby? 

Singing.

7.  Guilty pleasure? 

Chocolate explosion ice cream! I could eat that three times a day.

8.  Favorite author and/book? 

I’m not much of a reader. I know. I know. I did really enjoy The Giver though. I had to read it for school, and it stuck with me.

9.  Do you collect anything? 

I do. I collect charms for my bracelet from Adam.

         10. Favorite color? 

Teal. Yes, I know that’s the color of Kallan’s eyes, but it’s always been my favorite.

   

Author Bio

My name is Talia Jager and I am an author. My passion is to write young adult books. I have been writing... well, forever. I can't remember a time when I wasn't carrying around a notebook or thinking up stories in my head.

I distinctly remember in high school hiding my writing notebook under my class work and writing during class - teacher thought I was taking notes. And at night, when I was supposed to be sleeping, I'd be hiding under the covers with a notebook, pen, and flashlight.

Now, as an adult, I have a laptop that I do most of my writing on. However, I do have a notebook in the car, and another in my bedroom, just in case I come up with a great story idea when I'm not in front of the computer.

Besides writing, I love to read.  Getting lost in another world is an awesome feeling. I also like to play games (both video and board), scrapbook, rollerblade, and travel. Most of all I love to spend time with my family. I am happily married to a wonderful man who supports my writing. We have six beautiful children who bring me happiness every day.

Follow her on these sites: Website││Twitter|| Facebook

Author Bio

Julia crane is the author of the Coexist: Keegan’s Chronicles. She has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination. Although she’s spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.

Follow her on these sites: Website││Twitter|| Facebook

a Rafflecopter giveaway