Posts Tagged ‘reviews’

Contest winners!

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Dear Readers,

You are a delightfully insane bunch! Oh, I enjoyed your responses to “If I were a spy…”. For the record, here are a few of my favourites:

Linda Hitchcock, for the Mrs. Pollifax reference:
If I were a spy, I’d cloak myself in the disguise of an older, civic minded matron who spends her days volunteering at the library or attending committee meetings. My DAR pin would cloak my secret microphone. Mrs. Pollifax, watch out! Have hats, will travel!

Lori, for her radical vision of the Frumpy Spy:
If I were a spy I’d adopt the disguise known the world over as “American Tourist”. Jeans? Check! Fanny Pack? Check! Camera case? Check! Slip into my athletic shoes and I’m ready for whatever will come my way! Yes, I’ll notice the eye rolls thrown my way, but the joke’s on them.

Kathy Vogel, for getting straight to the point in a poetic fashion:
If I were a spy,
I would surely die.

Patricia Barraclough, for our link to reality:
If I were a spy, the country I worked for would be in big trouble.

Katy, for another reality check:
I would probably accidentally kill myself with one of my super secret spy gadets, because I would forget that the lipstick tube contained a deadly acid or a laser.

Liyana, for being creepy without actually sounding creepy:
If I were a spy, you wouldn’t know where the prizes went. Just saying.

ninefly, who’s clearly seen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon too many times:
If I were a spy, I would love to be one of those cool Chinese spies with their black masks and pseudo-flying abilities lol
I don’t even care what I’m spying on, I just wanna fly to get there =X

Carol Thompson, for exemplary family support:
If I were a spy my mother would be convinced that I was only doing it to allow me to look at naked men and she would blame it all on my not getting chosen for the cheer leaders team in high school.

Melanie, for being a rubbish spy:
If I were a spy… What do you mean, IF?? Totally am. *buffs nail polished fingers*

Orchid, for aiming high:
If I were a spy… I would put James Bond to shame.

Kuri, for her superior sense of self-preservation:
If I were a spy, I’d stay the heck away from James Bond. All the women he meets tend to die.

Sheila, for – well, read it and see:
If I were a spy I would be the least successful spy in history because I have such a large chest that no matter how well I disguised myself anyone upon whom I attempted to spy would take one look at me and say, “Hey, I recognize those … uh, I mean, you!”

So, did coffee spurt out of your nose?

It came close, Sheila – yes, it did – and for that, you win the Mystery Prize. This consists of an Agency t-shirt and some terrific Invisible Ink Cards featuring pirates, sumo wrestlers, and bunnies – all handmade by Vee Blackbourn. The cards don’t photograph well (invisible ink, go figure) but please believe me – they’re delightful. The best part? You bake them to reveal the images!! If you’re tempted by the idea of concealed sumo wrestlers, octopus t-shirts, or other sly and stylish screenprinting, you should definitely email veeblackbourn [at] gmail [dot] com.

And now, the randomly drawn winners of the Agency prize pack (book plus t-shirt) are Carol M, Mimi, and Jayne Blackledge. Congratulations, you three!

And thanks to everyone who entered, for making this contest so much fun.

This week in reviews, Yuan of GAL Novelty deems Spy “an engrossing read, with a lead character you can root for with all your heart, an interesting premise, and a nice heavy amount of twists to keep mystery fans pondering. I, personally, am dying for the sequel. Is it August yet?!”

In her review at Books are Life, Christina says, “I was hooked on this book from the moment I opened it”.

Next week, Candlewick and Random House have organized for me a meeting with the booksellers of Kingston. I’ll report back then!

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Endings & beginnings

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

There’s still time: enter the “If I were a spy…” contest here!

This is, appropriately enough, a week of both endings and beginnings. My final stop in the T2T blog tour is at Ticket to Anywhere, where I guest-blog about that most Victorian of fashion items: the corset. True or false? Prince Albert wore one. Also, blog host Irish reviews Spy and gives it four stars for being “hard to put down”. Hurray!

I’ve been busy elsewhere, too. Shades of Romance Magazine interviewed me and I talked about Things I Learned at My Book Launch Party at BookLounge.
The Agency: A Spy in the House

On Tuesday, I had my first, real-life confirmation that I’m not, in fact, hallucinating everything: while driving from Toronto to Kingston, I stopped in Belleville for a coffee at the Organic Underground and a sly little mission to Greenley’s Book Store, a gem of an indie. And there it was.

Does this ever become a routine and ho-hum experience? I certainly hope not.

I’ve just finished reading Philip Hensher’s The Mulberry Empire and am still recovering from the experience. It’s a swaggering, playful, beautifully postmodern (as opposed to annoyingly, pretentiously postmodern) homage to the Victorian three-volume novel; it’s a joke about Boy’s Own Adventures; it is MAGNIFICENT. Please, please, read it and come back to discuss.

I received an ARC of Lisa Mantchev’s Perchance to Dream in the mail this week. Huzzah! I thought Eyes Like Stars was terrific – so much so that I’m going to save PtD until I’ve finished my own book 3 in a few weeks. Not only will it be a delicious treat, but I won’t be tempted to write obnoxious fairies into my own novel in an insane act of homage.

Finally, a lot of new and lovely reviews of Spy are popping up everywhere – hurray again! I’ve included snippets below, with links where available.

The trade publications:

“Woven throughout the cloak-and-dagger play is plenty of flirtatious repartee, and even the most perilous of adventures is leavened with a comic edge that winks at the mystery genre.” Bulletin of the Centre for Children’s Books

“Historical details are woven seamlessly into the plot, and descriptive writing allows readers to be part of each scene.” School Library Journal

The bloggers:

Susan of Readspace, a diehard mystery fan, is “thrilled that this series is being published for young adults.  Unlike adult fiction, there are few high quality true mysteries to offer teens… In my opinion, this could just as easily been picked up by an adult mystery imprint, that’s how good it is.”

Kelly Peres of Midnight Glance was initially suspicious, but I converted her! She admits, “I went in with a closed mind on the topic, but I have to say Y.S. Lee captivated me from the first chapter to the end.”

A Patchwork of Books calls it “a brilliantly addictive plot filled with twists and turns, as well as high fashion, old money, and handsome gentlemen… If you’re a fan of The Luxe or just a lover of good mysteries or historical fiction, this is a fantastic choice.”

The Passionate Booklover “really loved this captivating tale and I wanted to read more about Mary and her fascinating adventures!”

The Unread Book says, “The story twists and turns and every time you think you have figured it out Lee throws you another curveball.”

Milk and Cookies calls it “a great new series to look forward to!”

I’d call that a great – and full – week. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a novel to write. See you next Thursday!

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Blog tour: the Great Stink

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

The “If I were a spy…” contest rolls on! Enter here.

Today, the T2T blog tour takes me to the Story Siren, where Kristi found Spy “enthralling” and “a great start to a series”. Hurray! You can read the rest of her review here.

Also at the Story Siren, I’ve written a guest post about the Great Stink of 1858, which is the setting for Spy. Yes, “the Great Stink” was its real name. See you there!

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Today’s the day

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Looking for the “If I were a spy…” contest? It’s here.

The day has come – the North American publication date for The Agency: A Spy in the House! As a result, I am all over the intertubes:

The T2T blog tour takes me to Chick Lit Teens where Jessica reviews Spy, calling it a “true gem”. I’m also a guest-poster here, and my subject today is Victorian Hygiene. Warning: this one’s not for the queasy.

I’m also at Book Chick City, explaining why – despite my love of things Victorian – I’m glad I live in the present day. This one’s also a bit grimy.

Paul Grimsley interviews me at In To Views (the Arty interview)

The Catastrophizer forces me to ponder failure and death (the Angsty interview).

And tonight, we’ll be celebrating with a party. Novel Idea Books will be there, selling copies for those who wish to purchase. Body Now 4 Mums and Kids is hosting us in their lovely harbourfront studio. And Candlewick Press is the hero of the day because without them, none of this would be happening. Please join us if you can!

Tuesday, March 9

7.30 to 10pm

61 Yonge St., Portsmouth Village, Kingston

To recap: today will be a True Gem of Queasy, Grimy, Arty Angst. Party to follow.

Perfect.

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Blog tour: Victorian Poverty

Monday, March 8th, 2010

If you were a spy, what would you do? Enter my contest here!

My book launch party is tomorrow night! Will you be there?

Welcome to the second week of my blog tour. Today, I’m Cecilia’s guest at the Epic Rat, where I talk about about Victorian Poverty. Cecilia reviews Spy, too, calling it “stunning” and “vivid”. Thanks for having me, Cecilia, and happy Monday, everyone!

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Blog tour: Lascars in London

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

Have you entered the “If I were a spy…” contest? If not, why?

My book launch party is only 3 days away! Are you coming?

Today, the T2T blog tour takes us to Reading in Color, where Ari reviews Spy and reckons that Mary “is better than Sherlock Holmes because she does all that he does but in a skirt”! I’ve also written a guest post about Lascars – Asian sailors – in Victorian London. Yes, it’s true: Victorian London was NOT lily-white – but people often forget that.

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Blog tour: Jane Eyre was wrong

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Have you entered the “If I was a spy…” contest, yet? You should!

And my book launch party is on Tuesday. Click here for details.

Welcome to the fourth day of my blog tour! Today, Christina of Books are Life interviews me and I rant a bit about why Jane Eyre shouldn’t have married Rochester.

*ducks to avoid wrath of Janeites*

Also, new reviews!

We Be Reading commends Spy’s “surprising depth and heart”.

Back to Books thinks it’s “a thrilling read, great mystery, wonderful characters, authentic historical setting with plenty of humour and a tad of love. Y.S. Lee’s first novel, and first in this trilogy, is a big winner and I can’t wait to see where Mary’s next case will take her.”

Misfit Salon wants “to find out what was in the cigar box – ahhhhh – I must find out! As you can tell, I cannot wait for the next installment of this exciting new young adult series.”

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Blog tour: Sherlock Holmes – who he?

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

The “If I were a spy…” contest – enter now!

Book launch party, March 9. You’re coming, right?

Good day! Welcome to the third stop on my Traveling to Teens blog tour. Today, I’m interviewed by the fabulous Steph Su of Steph Su Reads. She asks good questions!

Steph also reviews Spy: “Look out, Sherlock Holmes—yes, you, the one played by Robert Downey, Jr. in the 2009 film. Smart, dark, and flavorfully kickass has a new name, and that name is Mary Quinn.” The full review is here.

*author’s head explodes*

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Blog tour: Sexy Victorians

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Enter to win copies of Spy in the “If I were a spy…” contest!

Are you in Eastern Ontario? Come to my book launch party next week!

Welcome to the second stop on my blog tour. I’m absolutely thrilled to be GreenBeanTeenQueen’s guest today. Her Beanship gives Spy 5 stars and says, “If Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy were spies, I think they would be very much like Mary and James”! I’m actually blushing. You can read the rest of the intervew here.

I’ve also written a series of guest posts for this blog tour, under the theme “Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About the Victorians”, and we’re skipping straight to the good stuff. Today’s post, also at GBTQ, is about Victorian Sex Myths. Go on, click. You know you want to!

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The blog tour begins

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

Welcome to the first day of The Agency: A Spy in the House blog tour! My first stop, organized by  Traveling to Teens (T2T), is at Bookworming in the 21st Century, where Kristen reviews Spy and interviews me. Kristen says she was “entranced” by Spy, and says it “draws you in so well you wish it would go on forever”. I’m delighted to hear it. Thank you, Kristen!

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