April 2014 (issue) - featuring Laini Taylor [author of the "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" trilogy]

Fandom Monthly Magazine presents...

April 2014

Featuring Laini Taylor

This month, we were so lucky to be able to feature Laini Taylor, author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy!

Here is a short interview that we got to do with Laini:

FMM: Do you have a favorite quote or saying? If so, what is it?

LT: "Vampire is not a career choice." - Bart Simpson. 

When I found this out, I reluctantly moved on to my plan B, which was to be a writer. 

FMM: While growing up, did you excel in English?

LT: I always did well in English, and was an English major. That said, I didn't take much creative writing in school, and it wasn't until years later that I got my act together as a writer. I didn't know what I wanted to write about, and I didn't know how to finish things, and I just tinkered for the longest time, daydreaming about writing instead of doing it.

FMM: As a bestselling and achieved author, besides the inspiration and passion to be a writer, what disciplines you had helped you to become the writer you are?

LT: Ah, perfect follow up to my last answer! I really needed to learn to finish stories. I had to "cultivate a habit of completion," and that started very simply with choosing one of the two "novels" I'd been working on for ages, which really meant that I'd written and rewritten the first couple of chapters of each dozens of times before switching back to the other one, never making any real progress on either. I vowed to finish one, and I did, and that was my first book, Dreamdark: Blackbringer. Before a novel can be anything else (like, for example, good) it must be finished. Discipline is very critical. You can fart around for a really long time while fooling yourself you're working. Get in the habit of putting "the end" at the end. It's the most amazing feeling!

FMM: Looking at your earlier novels, if you could change the outcome of the story(s), what would you change, and why? 

LT: Interesting question! I wouldn't change anything. I mean, I would tinker with language if I had access to the files, but I have no regrets when it comes to story choices. I could never let a book go into the world if I didn't feel absolutely that I'd found the proper form for the story I was trying to tell. 

FMM: In your writing career, who or what do you owe the most to your success?

LT: Well, I'm lucky in my family. My parents always encouraged me, and so does my husband. I never had to fight for the basic right or self esteem to do this, and though it's my normal, I do know how lucky I am. I know a lot of people are made to feel their creative dreams are foolish or illegitimate. They aren't. If you aren't lucky to have been born into a supportive family, strive to build yourself a second family who will support you.  

Thank you so much Laini! We enjoyed having you!

Interviewer: Grace

As the The Fault In Our Stars's release date nears, there has been so much buzz going on about the movie! Brand new HD stills have been released, and you can really see the novel come to life!

Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort are also the cover of the new Entertainment Weekly issue, featuring The Fault In Our Stars!

Tour stops for the Demand Our Stars cast tour have been announced! See if your state will be a part of the tour!

The offical The Fault In Our Stars soundtrack list has been released!

1. Ed Sheeran – All Of The Stars

2. Jake Bugg – Simple As This

3. Grouplove – Let Me In

4. Birdy & Jaymes Young – Best Shot

5. Kodaline – All I Want

6. Tom Odell – Long Way Down

7. Charli XCX – Boom Clap

8. STRFKR – While I’m Alive

9. Indians – Oblivion

10. The Radio Dept. – Strange Things Will Happen

11. Afasi & Filthy – Bomfallarella

12. Ray LaMontagne – Without Words

13. Birdy – Not About Angels

14. Lykke Li – No One Ever Loved

15. M83 – Wait

16. Birdy – Tee Shirt (Bonus track)

At the MTV movie awards, a brand new "It's a metaphor" clip was released! Fans were so excited to see the bestselling novel by John Green come to life!

After a long period of waiting, the extended The Fault In Our Stars trailer has finally been released! The trailer is a whopping 3 minutes!

Josh Hutcherson and Sam Claflin both attended the MTV Movie Awards Sunday night. Each of the main cast members were nominated, but only Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson took home awards. 

   

Awards that The Hunger Games: Catching Fire won:

Movie of the year

WINNER: 
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Nominees:
12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

　

Best female performance

WINNER: 
Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Nominees: 
Amy Adams, American Hustle; Jennifer Aniston, We're the Millers; Sandra Bullock, Gravity; Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave; Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Best male performance

WINNER: 
Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Nominees: 
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle; Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street; Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave; Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club; Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

At the end of the night The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was nominated as Movie of the Year. In the end, the movie won and became the MTV Movie of the year!

Now that Divergent has hit theaters, everyone is anticipating the next movie Insurgent. Insurgent hits theaters March 25, 2015. As of this moment, dedicated fans are starting to question whether or not Insurgent the movie will be executed well or not. We'll find out soon.

Also, Allegiant, the third installment of the Divergent trilogy's production is already being planned! It has been decided that the book will be split into two different movies, with Allegiant part 1 being released March 18,2016 and part 2 to come out March 24,2017. 

This month, The Maze Runner attended WonderCon 2014! Attendees from the crew were Dylan O'Brien, Will Poulter, James Dashner, and Wes Ball. There they showed off a brand new extended trailer to a few lucky fans that has not been released to the public yet.





Also, a huge amount of stills, graphics, and other promo GIFs have slowly appeared throughout the month.

Also, a brand new site for The Maze Runner has been launched! It is WCKDisgood.com

Most people know that in August of 2013, the high fantasy novel by Cassandra Clare City of Bones, was adapted into a movie. At first, this film was a highly anticipated movie, and was supposed to very well in the box office. In the end, the movie only generated $37 million worldwide. The production of City of Bone's sequel City of Ashes, has been pushed back, and most likely will not be made. This news has deeply disappointed dedicated fans. There has been no news for City of Ashes, fans can now only hope for the best.

NOTE: Please do not read any further into this article if you have not read all 5 books that have been published so far in The Mortal Instruments series. If you read without reading the first 5 books, you put yourself at your own risk.

The final countdown has begun! City of Heavenly Fire is so close fans can taste it. Cassandra Clare has recently released that she will be posting something City of Heavenly Fire related every Tuesday. This new trend will be known as #TMITUESDAY. 

Check out some Isabelle and Alec Lightwood Words and Art 

 "As if we’d have sex in a cave surrounded by hordes of demons. This is reality, not your fevered imagination."

— Isabelle, City of Heavenly Fire

"Everyone gets the time they get together, and no more. Maybe we’re not so different that way."

— Alec, City of Heavenly Fire

                           

The inside of the City of Heavenly Fire jacket will feature new character art (as shown above) from the one and the only Cliff Nielsen. He's the talented artist behind the covers of all the Shadowhunter Chronicles books.



This art will be in another set of Cassandra Jeans (artist that draws various things from the Shadowhunter Chronicles books) postcards she's making with City of Heavenly Fire scenes.

Here is a video where the author herself, reveals 3 secrets about the highly anticipated final installment in The Mortal Instruments, City of Heavenly Fire

The long awaited release of the book to movie adaptation of If I Stay is a mere 2 months away. With the release of the first trailer, the anticipation and excitement continues to grow. Both new and old fans alike are excited to see Gayle Forman's book come to life on the big screen! The movie stars Chloe Grace Moretz (Mia Hall) and Jamie Blakely (Adam Wilde).

If I Stay is the compelling story of a girl named Mia who must choose between continuing to live her life or leaving this world forever after a car crash impales her, leaving her in critical condition, and killing off the rest of her family. This book is one of a kind, a truly captivating story that leaves you questioning your own life and the value it truly has. Life does not have to end so soon and sometimes second chances are offered when we least expect them. It truly is a beautiful book with an incredible message about life, love, and unexpected turns we may encounter. 

If I Stay book synopsis:

Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, adoring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices. Then, in an instant, almost all of that is taken from her. Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the one decision she has left—the most important decision she’ll ever make. 

from Gayle Forman's site

Here are he release dates, as of April 22, 2014: 

August 21, 2014: Serbia and Montenegro 

August 22, 2014: U.S.A, Canada, Taiwan, India, and Cyprus

August 28, 2014: Chile, Uruguay, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Ukraine, and Slovenia 

August 29, 2014: Mexico, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania

September 3, 2014: Egypt and Philippines, 

September 4, 2014 Argentina and Brazil

September 5, 2014: Colombia 

September 9, 2014: Panama

September 11, 2014: Bolivia, Singapore, and Croatia

September 14, 2014: Peru

September 18, 2014: Germany, Netherlands, Italy, and Switzerland 

September 19, 2014: Austria, Spain, and Turkey

November 1, 2014: Japan

Also, here are the first official stills as well as the first trailer. In this reporter's opinion, Moretz and Blakely wonderfully capture the spirit of Mia and Adam. 

            The 5th Wave film is finally moving along, as director J. Blakeson has officially cast its leading lady. Chloe Grace Moretz will be playing the role of Cassie in Sony's adaptation of Ricky Yancey's young adult novel The 5th Wave. The story centers on life for our main character, Cassie Sullivan, after an alien invasion in the form of deadly "waves" wiped out most of the human race. Because of this, Cassie is forced into isolation and believes she may be one of the last people left. As of now, there has been no news of who will play Evan Walker, Cassie's love interest in the book.

            Moretz is no stranger of page-to-screen adaptations. Recently she starred in a newer rendition of Stephen King's Carrie as its telepathic leading lady, Carrie White. She will also star as Mia Hall in Warner Brother's upcoming adaptation of If I Stay by Gayle Forman, who's trailer just aired this week. Both are diverse roles, though they differ greatly from each other. That being said, Chloe will certainly do the role justice. She knows how to play an agressive role, as seen in the ending of Carrie, which is definitely a prominent side to Cassie as she fights to survive. But, as shown by the recently released If I Stay trailer, she can also play a vulnerable and emotional character. Cassie has an undertone of vulnerability thoughout the entire book as she struggles with possibility of being the last human on Earth. Both character traits are vitally important to the portrayal of Cassie's role and Chloe Grace Moretz will capture the differing sides well.









As book lovers, what do we love to do almost as much as reading books?
Getting them signed of course! And if you:
Live near or in Irving, Texas: Edmond, OK: Kansas City, MO: St. Louis, MO: or Chicago, IL
Love the authos Danielle Paige, Kiera Cass, Kelley Armstrong, and/or Kimberly Derting
Now's your chance! These will be at these location on these dates:

  Irving, Texas – The Irving Public Library May 6th @ 7PM
Edmond, OK – Best of Books May 7th @ 6:30PM
Kansas City, MO – B&N, Zona Rosa May 8th @ 7PM
St. Louis, MO – Left Bank Books May 9th @ 7PM
Chicago, IL – Anderson’s Bookshop May 10th @ 2PM

Here is a synopsis of the most recent books by each author as well! Hope to see you there!

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
Oz has turned into a savage dystopia under Dorothy’s rule—and now a new girl from Kansas must take her down. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz meets Kill Bill in this edgy, fast-paced, fantasy-adventure.

The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass
The Selection changed America Singer’s life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she entered the competition to become the next princess of Illéa, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen—and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she’s made her choice . . . and she’s prepared to fight for the future she wants.

Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong
Kelley Armstrong, #1 New York Times bestselling author, takes an exciting new direction with this big, breathtaking blend of fantasy, romance, horror, and pulse-pounding action.Twin sisters Moria and Ashyn were marked at birth to become the Keeper and the Seeker of Edgewood, beginning with their sixteenth birthday. Trained in fighting and in the secret rites of the spirits, they lead an annual trip into the Forest of the Dead. There, the veil between the living world and the beyond is thinnest, and the girls pay respect to the spirits who have passed. But this year, their trip goes dreadfully wrong.


The Taking by Kimberly Derting

The last thing Kyra Agnew remembers is a flash of bright light. She awakes to discover that five whole years have passed. Everyone in her life has moved on—her parents divorced, her boyfriend is in college and dating her best friend—but Kyra’s still the sixteen-year-old she was when she vanished. She finds herself drawn to Tyler, her boyfriend’s kid brother, despite her best efforts to ignore her growing attraction. In order to find out the truth, the two of them decide to retrace her steps from that fateful night. They discover there are others who have been “taken,” just like Kyra. Only, Kyra is the first person to have been returned past the forty-eight-hour taken mark. With a determined, secret government agency after her, Kyra desperately tries to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had . . . but what if the life she wants back is not her own











That's it for April 2014! Leave comments on this post about your thoughts on all news! 


Team credits:
Grace - Laini Taylor,The Fault In Our Stars, and The Maze Runner articles
Maddie - The 5th Wave Article
Sam - Divergent and The Mortal Instruments articles
Nancy - If I Stay article
Amanda - The Hunger Games article
Bella - Dark Days tour article