Behind the Book is an exclusive feature at Muggle-Born that gives readers an inside look into the editorial process of some of our favorite books. Plot changes, lost characters, and many more interesting topics are tackled in an interview with the author.

The Traitor in the Tunnel (The Agency, #3) by YS Lee

Did You Know?

• The Traitor in the Tunnel was written quicker than the two previous novels
• Mary’s name was originally Mary Lockett
• Read on to find out more Behind the Book info about The Traitor in the Tunnel and the rest of the Agency series!

How many months did it take for you to write the original draft of THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL? How does this compare to the other Agency books?
I can’t tell you how long it takes to write a true rough draft because I tend to write simultaneous drafts – that is, I keep reworking earlier bits even as I write new sections. By the time I type “The End”, the first half of the book is semi-polished. But it took about 13 months from starting my research to submitting the ms to my editor. That was quicker than either of the first two Agency novels.

THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL released in the UK in August 2011. Can you explain to us the reasons why there is a difference in release dates?
Each title comes out first in the UK because we (my agent and I) sold World English rights to Walker Books UK, and Walker arranged for their sister company, Candlewick Press, to publish in the US & Canada. But specific release dates are set in-house. While I don’t know the specific reasons for the gap, I’m sure they’re complex.

Did any of the characters in the Agency series ever go through name changes when you first started writing?
Yes! Mary Quinn’s name was Mary Lockett, until a friend pointed out that it sounded like a homage to Sally Lockhart, Philip Pullman’s Victorian heroine. I hadn’t read the Sally Lockhart quartet at that point, but I quickly did! As great as I think they are, I needed to rename my Mary after that. And in the very first draft, James’s name was Frederick. Really.

What was the most challenging part of writing and the editorial process?
The editorial process is so straightforward, from my end. I’m lucky to be edited and proofread by extremely smart, insightful, passionate people and I love that their involvement makes the books stronger. The most challenging part of writing, for me, is when the first draft is halfway done. All the best ideas are worked out, the first flush of excitement is gone, and lots of hard work remains. Writing the second half of a book is pure discipline – until you get to the very end, of course!

Is there anything else that you could tell us about THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL that we wouldn’t know unless we were part of the editorial team at Candlewick?
The number one question I get from readers is some variation on, Will James Easton be in Traitor? Will he change his mind? Will he and Mary EVER get together? I’d hate to give away too much, but James is definitely back. Also, I’m really looking forward to showing you some behind-the-scenes snapshots from the cover photo shoot! They’ll be up at my website in the next few weeks.

For more behind the book information, check out this post at Ying’s blog to read about the cover’s photo shoot!

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Hey, what’s this? A new feature? Yep. This is just some of the highlights I’ve encountered while digging through my Google reader feed, YouTube, Goodreads, and Twitter.

Reviews Worth Reading

Convincing, entertaining, well-written or all of the above, these reviews are worth your time.

Tara’s review of Shooting Stars at Hobbitsies has gotten me craving this fun contemporary.

Presenting Lenore compares This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers to the Walking Dead. I did not need anymore convincing.

Megan McCafferty is one of my favorite authors. This review of Sloppy Firsts makes me want to reread the entire Jessica Darling series in the very near future.

Read All About It: Articles & Discussion

Helpful tips and tricks & interesting bookish debates, articles, and discussion on the blogosphere.

I agree with Radiant Shadows: Bloggers, please divorce yourselves from CAPTCHA!

Added on GoodReads

What caught my eye on GoodReads and was added to the pile. After all the award buzz about this book, I just have to pick it up! … Eventually.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

“Something Borrowed” tells the story of Rachel, a young attorney living and working in Manhattan. Rachel has always been the consummate good girl—until her thirtieth birthday, when her best friend, Darcy, throws her a party. That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy’s fiance. Although she wakes up determined to put the one-night fling behind her, Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for the one guy she should run from. As the September wedding date nears, Rachel knows she has to make a choice. In doing so, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren’t always neat, and sometimes you have to risk all to win true happiness. “Something Borrowed” is a phenomenal debut novel that will have you laughing, crying, and calling your best friend.

I just watched this movie and I really really loved it. I hope to now read Something Borrowed and the sequel/companion Something Blue.

Terrific Trailers

This trailer convinced me to add the book to my TBR pile!

I have not yet read A Touch Morta but when I saw this trailer on my YouTube subscriptions, I had to take a peek. Let’s just say it is way too creepy for me!

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I’ve obviously read a lot more books in the last year, so I’ll be curious to see how the numbers have or have not changed.

Last Year’s Most Read Authors:

1. Meg Cabot – 28
2. Julia Quinn – 12
3. Charlaine Harris – 10
4. Philip Reeve & J.K. Rowling – 8
5. Diana Gabaldon – 7
6. Megan McCafferty – 5
7. Libba Bray, Anna Godsbersen, David Levithan – 4

Most Read Authors of 2012 So Far

1. Meg Cabot – 29: I think it will be a long time before someone takes the number one spot from Meg Cabot. I basically spent my entire teen years reading her books. And of course, I can now say my “entire teen years” because I am no longer, unfortunately, a teenager since I turned 20. But that’s off-topic.

2. Julia Quinn – 15: I fell in love with historical romance through Julia Quinn. I’m still making my way through all her books so it might take a while, but I think Julia Quinn has the best shot of dethroning Meg Cabot as my most read author.

3. Charlaine Harris – 11: Since I really did not like the latest Sookie Stackhouse book, I’m a little bit embarassed to have read them all. Alas, I can’t hide that fact and so, Charlaine Harris has made my list.

4. Philip Reeve – 9: I honestly hold all other science fiction – especially steampunk! – books up against Philip Reeve’s novels. If you have not heard of him, look up his Mortal Engine series. They are so hard to find in the US, but they are worth searching for.

5. J.K. Rowling – 8: Harry Potter + Beedle the Bard. I guess i did not include Quidditch Through the Ages nor Fantastic Beasts on GoodReads.

6. Richelle Mead & Diana Gabaldon – 7: Well, I read the entire Vampire Academy series last year, so this isn’t too surprising. I do plan on reading more Gabaldon in 2012, but I also do plan on continuing Richelle Mead’s spin-off series so we’ll have to see if we break this tie next year!

7. Anna Godbersen, David Levithan, Megan McCafferty & Rick Riordan – 6: I will always read a book by David Levithan. I know there are still some older books that I haven’t gotten to yet. I guess I’ll read more Anna Godbersen when the next Bright Young Things book comes out, but it’s not really high on my priority. On the other hand, Rick Riordan’s books have been put on hold until he completes another series. I’d rather just read all of his books straight through! Rick Riordan is the only new author to make the list this year. Sorry, Libba Bray! You’ve been booted.

GoodReads Source

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CINDER

– Exceeds Expectations

Book Summary: 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. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer Audiobook Review Overview:

• One of the best audiobooks I’ve ever listened to. Rebecca Soler is an awesome narrator!
• You can’t help but cheer for Cinder
• Prince Kai is absolutely swoon-worthy

Too many good reviews on other blogs make me wary of picking a book up. But since I was craving some ear candy, I finally decided to pick up CINDER by Marissa Meyer. While it was hard to assimilate to listening instead of reading at first, when I finally got into the CINDER by Marissa Meyer audiobook, I could not stop. CINDER by Marissa Meyer is made of pure awesome.

First of all, Rebecca Soler is a fantastic narrator. Soler can fool you into thinking that the audiobook is done by more than one person because she is that good of a voice actress. Furthermore, she can do accents quite well. I really enjoyed listening to her voice, and I will definitely check out if she’s done any other audiobooks.

But of course, we have to give credit to Marissa Meyer who created this world. At first, I didn’t want to let go of the Cinderella story I know and love because this one was just too different. But I quickly warmed up to the science fiction elements. I thought that the integration of cyborgs and androids among humans to be fascinating.

Cinder is one character you can’t help but root for. She’s the kind of character who was dealt with the worst hand of cards, but still manages to make the best of everything. If something bad can go wrong, it will happen to Cinder. You cannot help but cheer for her and to finally see something good happen to her.

Readers are totally going fan-girly all over Prince Kai. While I am amused that a character has the same name as my dad, I hardly ever believe it when other readers say that a character is swoon-worthy. But I was wrong. Oh my gosh, Prince Kai is definitely a prince charming. He knows how to melt a girl’s heart. Furthermore I love that his character is flawed. Even though he is royalty, Marissa Meyer does not make him invincible in CINDER. The emperor, Prince Kai’s father, is also sick with the disease and it is so heart-breaking to read about Kai’s struggling with the news of his dad’s health.

The romance in CINDER by Marissa Meyer is absolutely heart-melting. Some scenes between Prince Kai and Cinder are just so awkward, you can’t help but give an awkward giggle. Sometimes, I wanted to just smack Cinder and say, Oh my god, how could you do that?! Marissa Meyer keeps readers on their toes when it comes to the romance.

Lastly, I did find the biggest plot twist to be a bit predictable. I honestly saw it coming in the first quarter of the book, which is a bit unfortunate. However, CINDER by Marissa Meyer as a whole still had a ton of shocking twists and turns that literally had me gasping out loud.

CINDER by Marissa Meyer is definitely worth the hype. Meyer takes a classic fairy tale and adds a spin to it that makes it ten times better. Pick up the audiobook if you can because it is honestly one of the best I’ve listened to. If not, I’m sure the book itself will be just as good.

I highly recommend CINDER by Marissa Meyer to fans of fairytale retellings, such as those by Alex Finn, science fiction, and novels with strong female protagonists.

The Vlog Book Review

Other Book Reviews:
Book Nerd Reviews
Mermaid Vision

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WHERE I BELONG

– Acceptable

Book Summary: Meet Corrinne. She’s living every girl’s dream in New York City–shopping sprees at Barneys, open access to the best clubs and parties, and her own horse at the country club. Her perfect life is perfectly on track. At least it was. . . .

When Corrinne’s father is laid off, her world suddenly falls apart. Instead of heading to boarding school, she’s stripped of her credit cards and shipped off to the boonies of Texas to live with her grandparents. On her own in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the life she’s supposed to be living. She doesn’t care who she stomps on in the process. But when Corrinne makes an unlikely friend and discovers a total hottie at work, she begins to wonder if her life B.R.–before the recession–was as perfect as it seemed.

Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley Book Review Overview:

• Corrinne is initially tough to like, but we are warned as a reader
• The ending was unsatisfying
• More of a coming of age than a contemporary romance

The author warns us from the very beginning: Corrinne is going to be quite annoying when we start reading WHERE I BELONG by Gwendolyn Heasley. Corrinne has it all: she’s got the perfect life in New York City and she is just about to start school at an elite boarding school in the fall. Then everything goes wrong. Corrinne’s dad is hit by the recession and he loses his job. And naturally, Corrinne is an awful brat about it. Instead of trying to cope with the drastic changes, Corrinne becomes nothing but a big pain in the butt. But thankfully, Corrinne undergoes a believable transformation in WHERE I BELONG by Gwendolyn Heasley from rich spoiled brat to a mature, understanding 16-year-old. Corrinne does not just wake up one morning realizing how horribly she has been acting. Heasley takes her through various character-building obstacles in WHERE I BELONG that eventually make her into a better and mature person.

Like most novels that take place in the South, I have to just give a shout-out to the mouth-watering descriptions of food that Heasley included. Oh my god, I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. I want cupcakes and basically everything that Corrinne’s grandmother had cooked in the book.

Furthermore, I do like the fact that WHERE I BELONG by Gwendolyn Heasley targets the economic crisis of the recession. It reminds me of another book I read recently, PERFECT YOU by Elizabeth Scott, which also talks about a family’s financial strains.

The ending was a bit of a disappointment to be honest. By the time I got to the last page, I thought, After all that, that’s it?! The author tries to make readers feel hopeful that though it is the end of the book, it is just the beginning of a new chapter in Corrinne’s life. I see the author’s intent, but I can’t get myself to accept it.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy contemporary, but I would warn readers that this is more about a character’s personal growth and less about romance as the cover would lead you to believe. Furthermore, fans of Elizabeth Scott will probably enjoy this book.

Other Book Reviews:
Book Faery
Unputdownable Books

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It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these. This really does not reflect the amount of books I get on a weekly basis.

Top of the Shelf / Currently Reading
What’s next on my to-read list for the upcoming week. I need to catch up on my review pile so that’s what I’m prioritizing this weekend.

For Review
Silly me! I completely forgot to add eGalleys/eARCs received from the publisher and through NetGalley!

Won
Thanks to Romance at Random!

Gifted
Thanks to Brent at the Naughty Book Kitties <3.

The Vlog

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Hey, what’s this? A new feature? Yep. This is just some of the highlights I’ve encountered while digging through my Google reader feed, YouTube, Goodreads, and Twitter.

Reviews Worth Reading

Convincing, entertaining, well-written or all of the above, these reviews are worth your time.

John at Dreaming in Books prepared me on what to expect when I eventually pick up Francisco X. Stork’s Irises.

Read All About It: Articles & Discussion

Helpful tips and tricks & interesting bookish debates, articles, and discussion on the blogosphere.

Nicole at WORDS for Teens discusses “brain candy” and what constitutes as “not good writing”.

This interview with author Brian Farrey makes me want to read his book With or Without You ASAP.

My friend Anne sent this to me through Twitter. Oh my god, don’t let the title fool you: How to Pitch a Book to a Literary Agency. Oh, how I can relate…

Added on GoodReads

What caught my eye on GoodReads and was added to the pile. After all the award buzz about this book, I just have to pick it up! … Eventually.

Zero by Tom Leveen

For aspiring artist Amanda Walsh, who only half-jokingly goes by the nickname Zero, the summer before college was supposed to be fun—plain and simple. Hanging out with her best friend Jenn, going to clubs, painting, and counting down the days until her escape. But when must-have scholarship money doesn’t materialize, and she has a falling out with Jenn that can only be described as majorly awkward, and Zero’s parents relationship goes from tense to relentless fighting, her prospects start looking as bleak and surreal as a painting by her idol Salvador Dali. Will life truly imitate art? Will her new, unexpected relationship with a punk skater boy who seems too good to be real and support from the unlikeliest of sources show Zero that she’s so much more than a name.

Terrific Trailers

This trailer convinced me to add the book to my TBR pile!

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NOTORIOUS PLEASURES by Elizabeth Hoyt Book Review
Series: Maiden Lane, #2
Publication Date: February 1st 2011 by Vision

Book Summary: Their lives were perfect . . .
Lady Hero Batten, the beautiful sister of the Duke of Wakefield, has everything a woman could want, including the perfect fiancé. True, the Marquis of Mandeville is a trifle dull and has no sense of humor, but that doesn’t bother Hero. Until she meets his notorious brother . . .

Until they met each other.
Griffin Remmington, Lord Reading, is far from perfect – and he likes it that way. How he spends his days is a mystery, but all of London knows he engages in the worst sorts of drunken revelry at night. Hero takes an instant dislike to him, and Griffin thinks that Hero, with her charities and faultless manners, is much too impeccable for society, let alone his brother. Yet their near-constant battle of wits soon sparks desire – desire that causes their carefully constructed worlds to come tumbling down. As Hero’s wedding nears, and Griffin’s enemies lay plans to end their dreams forever, can two imperfect people find perfect true love?

Heroine: It was so easy to like Hero as a main character. She’s so fun to read about because she knows she was raised to be prim and proper, and for the first time she’s doing something she’s not supposed to. It’s fun to read about a rebel.

Hero: Griffin was an equally enjoyable male lead. I love that he isn’t just a privileged upperclassman who doesn’t have to work. Griffin works more than any other rake, and he does it to ensure his family’s financial stability. He may be the second son, but he’s the one who has the head for business.

Supporting Cast: Oh, Phoebe! She’s such a sweet younger sister, and her condition makes my heart reach out to her. Hero seems overly protective of her younger sister, but at the same time she wants her to live a normal life as possible. I’d love to see more of Phoebe and I hope a book is centered around her in the future.

Plot: I love the focus on St. Giles and the poor living conditions. It’s really refreshing to have a chapter every now and then that doesn’t focus on the ton. I also like how the gin distilling plays a part in the novel, but it was kind of odd that we never got to see Griffin’s rival, the Vicar. Am I missing something because I didn’t read the first book of this series? Or is it intentional that we don’t know who this Vicar is?

Romance: Oh my god, Elizabeth Hoyt knows how to write a good steamy scene. I could crown her queen right now. Griffin and Hero had phenomenal chemistry. Yeah, I knew this one would have a Happily Ever After, but it did not stop my heart from clenching in fear that the two wouldn’t end up together. I usually don’t go for a novel where the basically the hero or heroine sneaks around and cheats, but I felt like NOTORIOUS PLEASURES cannot be placed in that category. Alright, Hero basically cheats on her fiancé for his brother. But morals aside, neither of them had emotional investment in their engagement. Thomas isn’t the best fiancé either. I’m not justifying what Hero did as alright, because even she knows that it was horribly wrong of her to do this in the first place, but in the end no one was really hurt by this act of adultery. Hoyt’s ending is tied up nicely and everyone gets a happy ending.

Love Potion Strength:

- Exceeds Expectations

Hands down, I have a new favorite series. I need to get my hands on the first book of the Maiden Lane series. I can’t believe I read it out of order.

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– Acceptable

Book Summary: Princess Aurelia is next in line to rule the kingdom of Tyralt, but she would rather be one of the common folk, free to learn and roam and . . . not marry the next tyrannical prince that comes courting. Naturally, the king wants Aurelia to marry for political power. Aurelia wants to marry for love. And someone in the kingdom wants her . . . dead. Assigned to investigate and protect Aurelia is Robert, the son of the king’s former royal spy and one of Aurelia’s oldest friends. As Aurelia and Robert slowly uncover clues as to who is threatening her, their friendship turns to romance. With everything possible on the line, her life, her kingdom, her heart, Aurelia is forced to take matters into her own hands, no matter the cost.

Aurelia by Anne Osterlund Book Review Overview:

• Reads like historical fiction, but is set in a fictional kingdom of Tyralt
• The romance was a little disappointing; I wished for just a little extra oomph
• Mystery that keeps you guessing until the end

In AURELIA by Anne Osterlund, Robert Vantague travels back to the kingdom of Tyralt to uncover an assassination plot against Princess Aurelia. The son of the king’s former royal spy, Robert is also Aurelia’s childhood friend. Can Robert keep Aurelia safe and uncover the culprit before it’s too late?

AURELIA by Anne Osterlund reads like a historical fiction novel. However, the setting is in a fictional kingdom where Aurelia is the heir to the throne. Anne Osterlund crafts Tyralt, a beautiful kingdom that Aurelia is set to rule one day. I loved the world-building, as well as the conflicts that Anne Osterlund has set up in AURELIA with the neighboring kingdoms. Though not based on real historical facts, AURELIA by Anne Osterlund managed to quench my craving for a historical read.

I loved the premise of the romance in AURELIA by Anne Osterlund, but I wished there was just a little more juiciness to the romance. Osterlund keeps the romance strictly PG in AURELIA, which made me a bit disappointed. I love romances in which the suitor is deemed unworthy of the heroine due to differences in classes because the fun emerges in how the heroine and the suitor overcome this problem. There is certainly chemistry between Aurelia and Robert, but what the romance lacked was passion. I’m not asking for Undying Devotion, but a cuter line here or there in AURELIA by Anne Osterlund would have made me a happier reader.

Aurelia and Robert’s love of horses become a pretty important element in AURELIA by Anne Osterlund. I was fascinated by the Geordian desert horses in the story. Their strength, beauty, and ability to race reminded me of the water horses in Maggie Stiefvater’s THE SCORPIO RACES.

As for the actual plot, AURELIA by Anne Osterlund will keep you guessing until the very end. Despite my attempts to guess the culprit of the assassination plot, Anne Osterlund managed to keep me on my toes. I did not see the ending of AURELIA by Anne Osterlund coming, though the clues were there all along. When the culprit was revealed, I immediately thought to myself, Why didn’t I figure that out myself? But I realized that it was because Osterlund made me doubt myself and like the characters, I fell for the carefully laid facade that the character had put up. AURELIA by Anne Osterlund is a well-written mystery.

Fans of historical fiction, fairy tales, and princesses will love AURELIA by Anne Osterlund. If you love forbidden romances, I would also recommend you to pick up this book.

Other Book Reviews:
Refracted Light Reviews
The Review Diaries

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THE COVEN

Book Summary: Cal, now Morgan’s boyfriend, helps her accept the truth: Wicca is in Morgan’s blood. As Morgan learns more about Wicca, she realizes that she needs to find out more about her parentage. The answers are there, but she doesn’t know how to find them.

Book Review Overview:

• Full of secrets and surprises that you don’t want to miss
• The high school drama in THE COVEN seemed a lot less cliche in the second installment
• Recommended book to those who love witches, magic, Wicca

I first started reading the Sweep series when my friend in real life, Kelly, pushed the first book to me. I never really got around to reading the rest of the series up until recently.

I finally revived an urge to continue reading the Sweep series after watching the Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock movie, Practical Magic. The idea of modern witches who had histories dating way back when, appealed to me. Luckily, despite the fact that my Sweep series is incomplete, I had the second book in the series.

THE COVEN picks up where the first book left off. At first I was wary about THE COVEN by Cate Tiernan, but I quickly warmed up to it. I was put off by how the romance was already developed by the time I read THE COVEN by Cate Tiernan but I had to remind myself that there was development in the first book. THE COVEN by Cate Tiernan makes up for the rocky beginning by escalating the suspense quickly after the first chapter.

THE COVEN by Cate Tiernan is full of surprises that will make your jaw drop. Family secrets are unraveled and one thing after another just keeps piling on top of Morgan in THE COVEN by Cate Tiernan. At under 200 pages, I read THE COVEN pretty quickly as I wanted to find out what would happen next.

In my review of the first book, Book of Shadows, I complained about the unnecessary and seemingly cliché high school drama. Unlike the first book, I think the drama and backstabbing becomes a lot more believeable in THE COVEN by Cate Tiernan. I understand where the characters are coming from. Their hate and jealousy urge me to cheer for Morgan, especially because nothing seems to be working out for her at the moment.

The most interesting part of the story for me is the backstory on the covens. I like that the history of witches dates back centuries ago, and how different covens have different specialties. I love learning about the various covens just as much as Morgan loved to learn about her past.

Warning! THE COVEN by Cate Tiernan ends on a cliffhanger. If you own the old paperbacks like I do, I strongly suggest that you have the third book in hand before you start this one. I would definitely recommend the bindup version of the Sweep series since keeping track of the little paperbacks can be a pain.

I recommend THE COVEN by Cate Tiernan and the Sweep series to those who love magic, witches, sorcery, and the like. I love Tiernan’s take on Wicca and the various covens.

Other Book Reviews:
Gina’s Library

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