Interview with Candace Jane Kringle

Hello there bloggers, and happy Friday! It's been a bit quiet here on Bitches 'n Prose lately, and I'm sorry about that. Schoolwork has been getting into the way of my recreational reading. But, I'm hoping to make it up to you now. How, you ask? Well, today I have a very special guest stopping by, and I'm super excited. This girl is an utter delight, and I'm so happy that she visited my blog!

Candace Jane Kringle, daughter of Santa Claus and author of the memoir North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus and North Pole High: Beginnings, has taken a pause from her super hectic schedule to answer a few of my questions.

Thank you for talking with me, and a very warm wintery welcome!

What inspired you to start creating this fun memoir?

I sometimes peek at the letters people send my dad. One girl from Muskegon, Michigan, asked for a new dad because her dad wouldn’t let her stay out late and stuff. Boy, did she ask the wrong dad for help with that. Then it dawned on me that other teenage girls’ fathers can be just as mean as mine, and it might help them in some way to know about what I went through.

I know that authors shouldn't play favorites..... But I have to ask: Of the people mentioned in North Pole High, who is your favorite?

You have to promise not to tell Rudy, okay? But definitely it’s Chefy. We’re always playing pranks on each other. He always covers for me whenever I disobey my parents. And he makes the best candy cane strudel on the planet. Plus he always makes me laugh. If only he were younger, and not a penguin.

I definitely promise not to tell. ;)
While writing down your thoughts, what's the best yummy Yuletide snack to fuel your creativity?

Peppermint milkshakes, gummy Christmas ornaments, and hot gingerbread boys. The usual.

I haven't eaten breakfast yet, and a peppermint milkshake sounds totally delicious right now.
If you could only pick one holiday song to listen to on repeat all season, which would it be?

I actually wrote additional lyrics to my favorite song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” My extended version is called “The Three Hundred Sixty-Five Days of Christmas (Three Hundred Sixty-Six on Leap Year)” and it takes all season to sing it once.

Are you planning on penning another book anytime soon?

I sure hope so. I can’t wait to find out what happens to me and Rudy next.

Can I get a copy of that one too? (joking)

Come up to the North Pole and you can be IN the book!

Don't tempt me, you'd never get me to leave!
You briefly mention the theme of homosexuality in the North Pole.... Is Queero the only one out and proud in the land of Santa?

Absolutely not. There’s a thriving LGBTQ community up here amongst the polar bears, penguins, reindeer, nutcrackers, elves, and the humans too. In fact we’ve always allowed same-sex marriage. Human-elf unions are a much more recent development. Tinsel is actually the Pole’s first elfman.

Well now, maybe I have to visit the North Pole so I can marry my girlfriend!
It's the first day of Christmas and your true love has a present for you.... What do you hope is in the box?

A smile. If it were made out of chocolate-covered peppermint, that wouldn’t be bad either.

So, I have to ask. When it comes to unwrapping presents, are you a saver (opening gently and saving the paper) or an eager elf who rips the package open?

Rip ’em. No question about it. That’s the only way Christmas presents are meant to be opened. Just ask the Giftwrap the Elf.

Do you do anything during the summer months to help stay in the holiday spirit?

For me it would be hard to lose the Christmas Spirit, living in the same house as Santa. But when we’re little, we all go to Christmas Camp in the summer.

While you're writing, are there any quirks or habits that you find yourself getting into? (A special pen, a certain song, a specific chair, etc.)

I lock myself in my room and stay in my jammies all day while I write. And I can’t write a word if there’s even one bulb burned out in the Christmas lights in my room. That drives me nuts.

I can imagine!
What Christmas movie do you absolutely HAVE to watch year after year?

Elf. I really missed Buddy that time he went to New York.

That's my favorite holiday film too. Buddy seems like he'd be a great friend to have.

And now I have a few word association terms. For funsies. Just say the first word that comes to mind when I say....

SNOW:Angels
SPRINKLES: Ice-cream-sundae pizza.
PAPER: Books!
SHINY: Stars.
CHOCOLATE: Yum.
HOLLY: Ivy.

Now Ms. Kringle, is there anything else you'd like to add to this?

Thank you so much for asking me to do this interview, Jill, and for being my number one fan! I wish you a merry Christmas every single day!

Aw, shucks. You're most certainly welcome, and thank you for the much needed Christmas spirit.

I have previously reviewed both of Candace Jane Kringle's works, and loved them both. The five star review for North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus can be found here and my 4.5 star review for North Pole High: Beginnings can be found here. I definitely recommend checking them out, and I'm not just saying that so that you'll see my name in the ebook.....*cough*

About the Author

Candace Jane Kringle is a junior at North Pole High. She likes candy canes, unicorn races, and making snow angels. Her father is the most well-known and beloved toymaker and toy distributor in the world. Her memoir, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus , is her first book. After high school, she plans to enroll at North Pole University and write more books, maybe even some fiction. :) (via Goodreads) Be sure to check her Goodreads page, in addition to her books. Click the picture for the Goodreads page!

Mail Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime

It's been a good week in the Bitches 'n Prose dorm room. Even though the people in the mail room are tired of seeing me. Is it a little sad that they know who I am because I get so many books? Ah well. I could be addicted worse things I suppose, eh? The weather's been getting hotter, and to most people that means staying outside. Nope! Internet and reading in the air conditioning forever!

Purchased/Downloaded:

Ignite (Midnight Fire Series)- Kaitlyn Davis
Life of Death- Nicholas McGirr
Walking Disaster- Jamie McGuire(review can be found here.

Won:

The Princess and the Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison
Stung by Bethany Wiggins
Stake & Eggs by Laura Childs

Gifted (from Lisa):

The Host by Stephenie Meyer



Keep an eye out for more reviews this week, including an interview with the one and only Candace Jane Kringle! Enjoy your week, bloggers! (All ebook pictures courtesy of Amazon)

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Walking Disaster (Beautiful #2)
Author:Jamie McGuire
Format: Paperback, 448 pages
Pub. Date: April 2nd 2013
Source: Purchased

★★★★★

Five tattooed, sizzling stars.

All of his life, Travis Maddox has listened to the words of his mother. He's wanted to find a girl worth fighting for, a girl he knows will be his forever.... But in the mean time the college rebel makes a name for himself, kicking ass in local fights and sleeping with any hot girl who seems presentable. His world flips upside down when at a fight, he sees a girl beautifully out of place. AN innocent girl, unlike the easy girls he normally takes home. He knows that this girl is special, and he'll do anything to claim her, and to be claimed by her. A bet comes into the picture, gambling a month of no sex for Travis or a month of living with Travis for Abby. Only, Abby isn't as innocent as she initially seems. None of it matters to Travis. When it comes to protecting his Pigeon, he'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, happy, and loved.

This is the reverse story to Beautiful Disaster, told from Travis' point of view as opposed to that of Abby.

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Sigh. I waited so long for this book, and it was so worth the wait. I ran out to get it immediately after my classes were over upon its release, and it was definitely worth it.

+Travis. Oh my lovely Travis. My number one fictional boyfriend. Being inside his head is an amazing experience. It helped to explain a lot of his rage and rash decisions from book one, and it made him far more desirable. He's sweeter and deeper than he comes off in Beautiful Disaster, while still being an intimidating bad ass with just a hint of crazy.

+Surprisingly enough, I didn't even hate Abby in this book. I was expecting to, once the tables were turned, find her more insufferable and hard to get. But, I wasn't annoyed by her at all. In fact, she seems more perfect for Travis than ever. They're just so god damned imperfectly perfect.

+As my regular followers know, I hate fight scenes. A lot. However, I was able to follow the ones presented in Walking Disaster with relative ease. I was able to cheer Travis on through each blow and dodge, and I admittedly was nervous for him a few times despite me having read the book's previous installment.

+The cover is beautiful. I don't know if Jamie McGuire is in my head or not, but the one thing in males that I am most attracted to, aesthetically, is arms. The tattooed, muscular arm of Travis Maddox has been taunting me for months, and it finally looks so lovely on my shelf.

+The sex scenes are tasteful but scorching. There's enough tension and passion in Travis & Abby's scenes together to make the reader cheer them on and crave more of their togetherness. The scenes are never overly detailed nor are they skimmed over. Jamie McGuire finds the perfect balance of giving readers just enough of what they want while leaving the rest up to the imagination.

For once, I have nothing negative to say. If you are a fan of tattooed fighters, the New Adult genre, or of Beautiful Disaster & Travis Maddox, then give this book a chance. It's really cool seeing a romance, albeit a fucked up one, from a male protagonist's point of view.

Torched by Andrea Lynn Colt

Title: Torched
Author: Andrea Lynn Colt
Format: Paperback, 370 pages
Pub. Date: September 8th 2012
Source: Rainy Day Ramblings

★★★★★

Five incendiary stars.

Rose Whitfield is the girl we all knew in high school. A cheerleader, at the top of the food chain with smoking good looks and the hot designer labels to match. You either wanted her, wanted to be her, or loved to hate her. And oh, how people hate her. This comes to light once Rose finds herself in a jail cell framed for arson. She didn't do it, but the social hierarchy doesn't believe her. She uses this doubt as motivation to get her arch nemesis Paxton Callaway to confess to doing it. Help comes in an unlikely form in this explosive whodunnit that leaves you wanting more.

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I positively adored this book. At first I was a little put off, since the main character Rose is a preppy cheerleader. Personally, I hated that type of girl in high school, and I thought it would disconnect me from the novel. I'm so glad that I was wrong, and that I gave this book a chance.

+Starting with the cover, this book has it going on. I love the design and the teal coloring, since it's my favorite color. It's what drew my attention in.

+Paxton. I. Love. Paxton. He has officially been added to the fictional boyfriend list on my blog. He may pretend to be cool with his quarterback status, but he's a little nerd at heart. I love my boys muscular, funny, and able to quote Spock. I know Rose is the lead, but Paxton was my favorite character within this book.

+The intensity in this book is through the roof. There are so many emotions happening at once that it's like an awful roller coaster ride of feels. I was furious when no one would believe her, heartbroken when her best friend shunned her, giddy and sexually frustrated on her behalf when she feels kisses get a little bit heated. Emotions are hard to perfect, but Torched accomplishes it.

+Honestly, I wasn't sure who did it. Normally, my problem with mysteries is that I catch on rather quickly and then find myself twiddling my thumb for the next 200 pages. Pleasantly enough, that wasn't the case for Torched. I changed my guess about half a dozen times in uncertainty, only to find out that it was one of my first guesses. It drove me crazy, not knowing, and that was my reason for flipping the pages of this novel so quickly.

This book is a sizzling, arson-y five stars. This book is perfectly balanced parts of mystery, romance, and humor. Andrea Lynn Colt tells a great, clean story with vivid imagery and strong, relatable characters (even though they are rich and on the coast and I am poor and in the midwest). I recommend this to YA fans, clean romance fans, mystery fans, and chick lit fans. There is mild language in this book, but it was so light that I don't think anyone would take offense to it. I can't believe that it's Andrea Lynn Colt's book, but I genuinely hope that it isn't the last.

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Title: The Looking Glass Wars (The Looking Glass Wars #1)
Author: Frank Beddor
Format: Hardcover, 364 pages
Pub. Date: September 26th 2006
Source: Borrowed from Emily

★★★★

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Alyss' life in Wonderland has become something of a joke to the people of our world. Having told her story to a seemingly sympathetic ear, a friend of hers named Lewis Carroll. Only, he turns her heartbreaking past into nonsensical mockery- he even had the audacity to misspell her name! But a puddle and looking glass away, the queen's most loyal guard Hatter and the rest of the White Imagination know that Alyss truly does exist, and that she must come home and take her place on the throne and defeat the evil Redd, who has taken Wonderland by force. But Alyss can't remember what's in her head and what's reality. Will her imagination be enough to save the land she loves from utter destruction?

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3.5 stars, rounded up.

This book was definitely different. It's not something I'd normally pick up, but I am glad that I gave it a chance after my girlfriend recommended it to me.

+This is a really interesting.... Well, not retelling. More like a re-imagining of the tale we all know and love, Alice in Wonderland. The author combines the classic story with a bit of sci-fi, war, and even some dystopian motifs to make Wonderland a place that Disney definitely didn't dream up.

+I loved the Big Brother type elements of this story. The evil queen, Redd, forces her henchmen to change the history books full of her own genius (?) quotes and narratives. There are billboards all over the place that bear her face, a constant reminder of who is truly in charge. There are spies lurking everywhere, and layer upon layer of deceit and false loyalties.

+The Cheshire cat in this story isn't one that you'd want curled up by your feet at night. He's an assassin with sharp claws and nine lives. Good luck trying to take out all of them. He is stealthy and strong, and makes for a helluva villain.

+- This book has a lot of fight scenes in it. A lot. It makes sense, seeing that this is a story about a war versus good and evil. But, my regular followers know that I really don't follow fight scenes well. It's of no fault of the author, just my own personal hang up.

-I don't feel like a lot of the characters were narrated in depth. There are a large range of characters which are easy to separate from one another, but I feel like not enough time was paid to the "main" characters. I wanted to like Hatter (I mean, his top hat is a weapon. How cool is that?) But I didn't learn much about him. Even Alyss seemed kind of glossed over in order to talk about the broader story.

-Time is a wibbly wobbly motif in the classic tale. This book uses it as well, but in a slightly awkward way. In the course of a few paragraphs, five years pass, then 12. The increments were odd and quick, and it made the "chase" of Alyss seem rushed, and the battles seem (unnecessarily)longer.

-As girly as this sounds, I really missed the romance element. It's there for a while and then fizzles out. It frustrated me a bit, admittedly.

This isn't your mother's Alice in Wonderland. This is a Wonderland for the video game generation- full of ass kicking characters, imaginative weaponry, and trained killers. If you prefer your Alice in Wonderland full of singing flowers and cute little mome raths (like me), this might not be for you. If you want your dormice fried, your top hats full of knives, and your playing card soldiers armed to the teeth, check out this series.

Over all, I felt that the unique perspective on this tale outweighed the issues that I had with the story. I will be checking out the other books that follow, but with no sense of urgency. I'd like to see if the characters grow more complex, and if the romance picks back up.

Thanks to Emily for letting me borrow this.

Forbidden Boy by Hailey Abbott

Title: Forbidden Boy
Author: Hailey Abbott
Format: Paperback, 256 pages
Pub. Date: April 22nd 2008
Source: Cover2Cover blog

★

One star.

It's summer, and Julianne has some serious plans for fun and relaxation. She's going to try and ignore the tensions at home.... Mansions are being put up each and every day, and the owners are trying to bully the family into selling their home to be part of another vast expansion that they don't need. Their newest neighbors are especially pushy, but who needs them? She's got her projects, and her beach, and summer is calling her name. That is until she meets this dreamy boy, Remi. She's so excited and smitten, but there's one problem- Remi is the son of their bullying neighbors. What's a girl to do, and what's the cost of the perfect summer romance?

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I don't really know where to begin, but I'm going to try and keep this short and professional. Even though I'm raging on the inside and want to rant for the rest of my review.

-The relationship Julianne has with her sister in this story is ludicrous. Who are all of these authors that think that sisters are either absolute best friends or sworn enemies? There is a middle ground, you know. Her sister tries to get her to make out with boys in order to relive stress, and Julianna doesn't find this at all strange or intrusive. Ew. Maybe it's just me, but if my sister was like that, I'd probably flip her off and walk away, not grab a beer and have a giggle fest.

-All of the conversations in this book sound forced and fake. The slang between characters is awful, like something in a Saturday Night Live skit. I never bought into the realism that this realistic fiction eluded to, and preferred the plot when no one was talking.

-The title of this book is Forbidden Boy. That would lead the reader to assume that a boy is, well. Forbidden. I enjoy this type of romance. Take the book [book:Forbidden|7600924], where the lovers in question are brother and sister. Or even Romeo and Juliet, which also involved feuding neighbors. Only, they'd die. That makes their love a bit more forbidden. Just a smidge. This has cranky neighbors. There's nothing forbidden about him. Frowned upon, perhaps. But this isn't at all my definition of "forbidden."

-Instant love. That magical moment when everything in the universe aligns and a boy and a girl, in the most hormone filled time of their life, know that everything will be perfect with that other person. Sigh.

+The cover is pretty. I give it that.

All in all I found this to be a bad attempt at a quick beach/summer read. Maybe I'm just getting old or maybe it's because I'm not a "prep", but I didn't care much for this at all. I'd recommend it for maybe the younger end of young adult. If you read true forbidden romance, or are any kind of alternative stereotype (goth, punk, what have you), I would skip this.

Thank you to Cover2Cover blog for my copy.

This Week...

In the Bitches 'n Prose dormitory, I received quite a bit of mail. I always get a gush of fangirling excitement when my email alert sounds, telling me a package has come for me into the mail room. I never know what it is. Is it a book? Is it some swag? Is it the shirt I left at home, and my mom's sending it back to me? I love the anticipation, and this week came with a pretty good haul.

Borrowed (from Emily):

The Wolf Gift- Anne Rice
The Vampire Genevieve by Jack Yeovil

Won:

Makai Queen by Tara Fairfield
Torched by Andrea Lynn Colt
Swag from Suzanne Lazear
Swag from Legacy of the Clockwork Key

Gifted (from Lisa):

Matched by Ally Condie (review can be found here.





Keep an eye out for more reviews this week, and have a great week!