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Monday, January 7, 2013

Broken Blog Tour: Guest Post by A.E. Rought


I'm excited to have the Broken Blog Tour stopping by today with a fab guest post. Author A.E. Rought talks about the five YA retellings that she wants to read...

Broken
A.E. Rought
1/8/13
Strange Chemistry

Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.
A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.
When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely... familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel's.
The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.


Top 5 Retellings I Want To Read 
by A.E. Rought


This was supposed to be a post of my top 10, or 5 favorite YA retellings. Well, I will admit right now, I’m a sinner. So far I’ve sucked at reading retellings. Heck, when I’m drafting or editing I suck at reading, so I would like to thank WordSpelunking for allowing me to talk about the top YA retellings I WANT to read...


Cinder  by Marissa Meyer
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

I’ve heard so much about this one that I’m kind of kicking myself for not buying it already. It sounds like a wicked good blend of dystopian and sci-fi—two of my favorite genres to read. And the modern spin on a fairytale? Yep, definitely near the top of my TBR list.



Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
Everything is in ruins.
A devastating plague has decimated the population, and those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles around them.
So what does Araby Worth have to live for?
Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.
But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club, and Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.
And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

I LOVE Poe. Talk about Gothic! And I’ve been drooling over the cover for a while now. This sounds like such a serious twist on the classic, and I like seeing old elements used in a really new way. 

Another Pan  by Daniel and Dina Nayeri
Sixteen-year-old Wendy Darling and her insecure freshman brother, John, are hitting the books at the Marlowe School. But one tome consumes their attention: THE BOOK OF GATES, a coveted Egyptian artifact that their professor father believes has magical powers. Soon Wendy and John discover that the legend is real—when they recite from its pages and descend into a snaking realm beneath the Manhattan school. As the hallways darken, and dead moths cake the floor, a charismatic new R.A. named Peter reveals that their actions have unleashed a terrible consequence: the underworld and all its evil is now seeping into Marlowe. Daniel Nayeri and Dina Nayeri return to reimagine Peter Pan as a twisty, atmospheric, and fast-paced fantasy about the perils of immortality.

As a kid, I loved Peter Pan, and this one promises to be darker? I am SO there!

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.
Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

Definitely a little closer to the classic than the others on my list, but still sounds like fun. I really enjoyed the Red Riding Hood movie of 2011. (Not the best flick I know, but I loved Van Helsing, too…) Girls and werewolves, one of my favorites!

The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepard
Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

Okay. I’m chomping at the bit for this one! And I’m not even sure I can fully express why. I’m not the hugest .G. Wells fan, per say, but I am all about concepts and themes, and this looks like a brilliant take on Doctor Moreau.

And, apparently, I really tend toward darker stories. Anyone have any suggestions for more dark retellings? I would love suggestions!

Watch book trailer



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On-sale 8th January from the Robot Trading Company

A.E. Rought: Site I Goodreads I Twitter I Facebook
Funny: A known introvert and mild megalomaniac — handy because writing indulges both. When not writing, A.E. can be found slaving under the cat’s demands, chasing the laundry, or whipping up really good bad food in the kitchen.
Somewhat serious: Self-proclaimed nerd, A.E. Rought has spent most of her early life in libraries and bookstores. It’s no surprise that she turned to writing shortly after creative arts college. She has novels of varying genres, and different pennames, published since 2006.
Serious-er: A student of language arts, A.E. Rought studied creative writing while attending Grand Valley State University with a focus on languages; French, Russian, and English. Now, married and a mother, A.E. writes from the comfort of home.



1 comment:

Amy said...

Great guest post. I loved Cinder and Masque of the Red Death! They were fantastic books. I have The Madman's Daughter to read and can't wait to get to that one too. I love re-tellings.