Smugglivus 2010: Entice Blog Tour (& Giveaway) with Carrie Jones

Welcome to Smugglivus 2010: Day 19

Throughout this month, we will have daily guests – authors, bloggers and publishers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2010, and looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2011.

Who: Carrie Jones, author of the Need YA paranormal/urban fantasy series (about killer Pixies, weres, and the like). As part of her blog tour, Carrie has graciously agreed to stop by and tell us all about 2010 and her favorite films and books of the year.

Recent Work: Entice, the third book in the Need series, has just hit stores. Following a small Maine town with a major Pixie problem, the Need series is entertaining paranormal fun (you can check out Thea’s reviews HERE).

Without further ado, please give a warm welcome to Carrie Jones!

My Favourite Things of 2010

So, let’s just pretend that I was a normal author who had a normal year, but I am not. This was sort of year of smut for me. You know? One of those years where you ONLY want to read romance novels. It was that kind of year for me. And it’s a little too embarrassing for me to actually admit to the kind of books that I loved this year.

Why?

My mother tends to Google me.
My mother thinks highly of me.
I would like her to continue to do so.
Enough said, right?

Either way, I’ve scrounged up some ‘favourite things’ that won’t give my mom heart palpitations. Hopefully. Oh, who am I kidding? They probably will. Sorry Mom!

Books

2009 BOOKS WHAT I LOVED

War Dances by Sherman Alexie

I have been unofficially in love with Sherman Alexie since college and I hope I never meet him because I like to imagine that he is raw and funny and charismatic just like his words. He’s one of the first poets who made me actually like poetry, who made me actually think, “Oh my gosh! It doesn’t always have to be about wheelbarrows and poems don’t always have to be written by super wealthy, academic people who use pretentious words.”

I grew up poor and in my family poetry was the stuff inside of a Hallmark card or sometimes, a really cold beer.

Sherman Alexie grew up poor too, and he’s taught me that poor and poetry don’t have to be enemies. But this book is actually stories, because Sherman Alexie is also a fiction writers and a really amazing one. I think it officially came out in 2009, but I don’t care. I read it this year.

Jumped by Rita Williams Garcia

Love. Love with an unholy passion.

2009 MOVIES WHAT I LOVED

Star Trek

I know! I know! It came out in 2009, but I am a bit slow on the movie scene and can I tell you, that I am so glad that they made the crew hot. Seriously hot. And full of action.

The very first thing I ever wrote was a Star Trek fan fiction because I thought my super jock older brother LOVED Star Trek. I was in fourth grade. He was in college. I wanted his super coolness to rub off on me and I wanted him to love me. I wrote over 400 pages of Star Trek in a spiral bound notebook, tied it up with my favorite rainbow/unicorn shoelaces and presented it to him on his birthday. I was super proud.

He looked at it.

He looked at it.

He said, “Star Trek? I hate Star Trek. That’s for geeks.”

Ha! Not anymore, bro. Not anymore.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Epic. Awesome. Hysterical. Can you want more in a movie?

The Secret in Their Eyes

Three things:
1. Argentina!
2. Emotional
3. It juggles 801 genres in one movie and it works! Holy cow! (I’d say a worse word here but again – my mom might see it)

Some day I would like to write a book half as poignant as this.

Inception

Damn. Anything like this I love. It has twists and turns and a cliffhanger ending. I like my movies either ridiculously stupid, amazingly beautiful, or the kind that doesn’t tie everything up in a happy package. There is no happy package here.

Favorite People of 2010

Cops

This year I realized that being a full-time writer kept me in the house way too much and I’d forgotten that other people exist so I applied for (and actually got) a job as a part-time police, ambulance and fire dispatcher.

And I have to tell you… it may not be hipster to say this, but I LOVE COPS! (Not all of them, and not in a badge bunny way of course). They are so funny and real and they are heroes every day. They can drag dead deer across the street, make a man stop beating his wife, pull people out of burning buildings if the firefighters aren’t there yet, and tell more dirty jokes than anyone else except possibly Sarah Silverman.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

This Brazilian leader is swoon worthy really. Because his wife and unborn child died because they couldn’t afford health care, at 25 he decided to become a politician who is dedicated to making his country better. And he’s really, actually trying.

Malalai Joya

Malalai lives in Afghanistan. She grew up while the Taliban was in power. She started underground schools for girls in a place where it’s often considered okay for girls to not even have fresh air. She was in the parliament where she spoke up for women’s rights, spoke up for herself, spoke up about what she thought were wrongs.

And she was kicked out.

And she was intimidated.

And she was the victim of death threats.

She is 31 years old and she is made of so many kinds of awesome that I just can’t handle it. Easily one of my favorite people for forever, not just 2010.

Thank you, Carrie!

For More About Entice and the Need Series, make sure to check out the official NeedPixes Facebook fanpage, which includes: a Team Nick or Team Astley poll, a Contest where you can tell the author and publisher who your dream cast for a movie version of the Need series would be (also, you can enter to win a Flip cam!), book trailers, an official Alyx fanpage, and coming very soon…a Pixie Kiss App! Check it out.

Giveaway Details:

We have ONE copy of Entice, along with awesome Pixie bookmarks, up for grabs! The contest is open to US street addresses ONLY (no PO boxes and no international addresses), and will run until Saturday, December 25 at 11:59PM (PST). In order to enter, leave a comment here letting us know who you prefer – Astley? Or Nick? Only ONE comment per person, please! Multiple comments will be automatically disqualified. Good luck!