From The Backlist: "Sex As A Life Force" by Cindy Pon

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We love our Supernatural Underground backlist, exactly because of posts like this one by Cindy Pon, on Sex as a Life Force.

Definitely worth a reread, we feel, so without further ado...

Sex As A Life Force

by Cindy Pon

...

this past weekend, a fellow writer who had just read my debut interviewed me on her blog. she asked a very interesting question about my use of sex in the novel as a life force, a source of power. i was taken aback, as i had never thought of it that way.

in contemporary young adult books, there is discussion about teen sex and consequences, or the lack thereof. in Silver Phoenix (which is inspired by the myth, folkore and culture of ancient china), i tried to stay true to the thinking of the time. a girl's place in society is to stay within the inner quarters of her home and, if she is a good daughter and wife, to make babies. preferably sons. this is the "young adult" life at the time teen sex isn't about decisions, labels, finding yourself or consequences. much less about love and pleasure.

it's about duty, filial piety, and obligation.

it's something that my heroine, ai ling, has to come to terms with. and ultimately uses to her advantage to defeat her enemy. although sex is often addressed in less explicit terms in young adult novels, i don't feel the scope of it is any less wide-ranging than in their adult counterparts. i actually think that it's in those crucial teen years, when feelings of sex, desire and longing may resonate the most--a time for firsts. and is there anything more powerful or unforgettable?

To read the full post, click here

To catch up with Cindy, go here

'the delicious threesome' by Cindy Pon -- More 'From the Backlist' Goodness!

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Our own Supernatural Underground backlist that is -- and today's fabulous reprise is from the wonderful Cindy Pon. 

Needless to say, we think it's a lot of fun. So much so that we just had to highlight it for you again today.

the delicious threesome...or is three a crowd?

by Cindy Pon

as a tween, one of my favorite series
of books was the single title historicals
(like "jacqueline" or "caroline") and it
always showed the teen heroine on the front
cover flanked by two boys. two boys that she
must choose between. i loved those books,
formulaic as the love triangle may have been.
the new period in history always made it fresh
enough for me to read almost every title in the
series. of late, there's been some discussion
on the love triangle within the young adult genre.

The Twilight effect...

is it overused? tired and worn out? o

the threesome configuration one of the best

ones to read for increased sexual and romantic

tension? like so many things in the young adult genre

that i attribute to "the twilight effect", the series really

put the love triangle at the forefront of YA reader minds. ...

*when two men love a woman.

...

so what about you? how do you feel about
love triangles? do they work for you?
what threesome novels are some of your favorites?

To read Cindy's original post in full, including all about two other trio-a-licious teen Fantasy series that she loved, plus the 27 fun and sometimes impassioned comments on the subject of love triangles in books, click here.

And to find out more about Cindy Pon, her books, and what she's working on now, go here. 

london calling

i was very lucky in that i got to spend
my birthday at the end of august in my
favorite city, london! i traveled quite a lot
before i had the bubs, and have visited over
a dozen countries, but london always holds
a special place in my heart because i fell in
love for the first time there. then i married him. 8)
and here we are... sixteen years later.

since the hub's family is in england, we visit
annually. i've stopped taking as many fotos
of the sights and my favorite places to visit, shop
and eat. but i thought i'd share some fotos of
a previous winter trip there. enjoy!

*if you've read my novels, you'll guess
pretty easily that i love food! and i love me
a good english breakfast. (except the bacon.
i just don't like bacon--and english bacon is
scarier than american!) grilled tomatoes,
fried mushrooms, eggs, beans, sausages,
bacon and hash browns (english version).

*we were lucky enough to stay in my best
friend's flat in the primrose area. such a
beautiful neighborhood.

*a market on the tiny high street
selling cheeses, etc.

*open air markets are an absolute
favorite of mine and i try to visit them
in every country i go to! this one was
selling breads and pastries. yum!

*a cold morning and long lines after
christmas outside the london natural history
museum.

*we always do a proper afternoon
english tea as well. finger sandwiches,
cakes, and scones with jam and clotted
cream. (that's the small cup you see filled
with what looks like butter. i love the stuff.)

i hope you enjoyed these london fotos i've shared!

finally, congratulations to kate (kayko) for winning
a signed paperback of Silver Phoenix. thanks to all
those who entered the giveaway last month.

until next time, undies! =D

let's talk about sex... and giveaway! =)

*a portrait of Silver Phoenix and Zhong Ye
from Fury of the Phoenix.

yes.

i've had sex on my mind a lot
lately, as i'm rough drafting my third
novel. it wasn't until i actually finished
writing Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix
that i realized how much sex played as a theme
in my series. in the Kingdom of Xia that i created,
girls, once they were of age (when their monthly
letting began), were immediately shown The Book
of Making by their mothers, an illustrated tome
educating the girls on how to pleasure their future
husbands, and how best to get with child.

because this was their place in the world, to stay
within the inner quarters and make babies.

it's not much of a leap. this type of thinking
is part of many cultural histories, part of, perhaps
some cultures and thinking to this day.

so much of my stories are about how the girls
navigate this culture and these expectations of
them:

ai ling, my heroine, who runs away from home to
avoid a betrothal to a vile merchant in his fifties
looking for a third wife. she's terrified by the very
idea of being sequestered in the inner quarters for
the rest of her life, embroidering and minding children.
and throughout the two novels, sex is expected of
her, forced upon her, and used by her as a weapon.

silver phoenix, a handmaid to mei gui in the imperial
palace, given away at twelve years as a song girl
(prostitute) because she was a third daughter. she
yearns for children, and a family of her own.

mei gui, an imperial concubine, one of thousands
in the imperial palace. most never cross paths with
the emperor their entire lives, much less make it to
his bedchamber. her best hope of rising in status is
to bed the emperor, and bear a son for him.

each of them feel very differently about sex,
and each are strong and heroic in her own
ways in dealing with sexual expectations.

sex as a theme rose subconsciously for me in
these two novels. but i shouldn't be surprised,
as i've always been intrigued by the notion of
sex as something a woman can give or withhold.
be forced upon as a duty. to use (or not use)
to her advantage.

which is also why strong female leaders in history
fascinate me, such as Elizabeth I and Cleopatra,
how these women were portrayed and how they
portrayed themselves. and how sex always tied in.
Elizabeth I, refusing to take a husband to become
The Virgin Queen. Cleopatra, famous for her affairs
with both Julius Caesar then Mark Antony.

now, as i'm drafting my third novel, the theme of
sex crops up again in a very different way. my
heroine is a shape shifting serpent demon,
very well known in chinese folklore, similar to a
succubus. and i'm faced with an entirely new
set of rules and issues here. haha!

it's going to be interesting. 8)

giveaway:

if you want to read about the serpent demon
who makes an appearance in my debut, Silver
Phoenix, simply comment to enter. i'll give away
a paperback copy for every 38 individual entries.
contest is open to US mailing addresses only. i'll
announce winners in my september post. good luck!

cindypon.com
follow me on twitter!

Diversify Your Reading Challenge!

hiya undies!
you may or may not remember from
a few months back that malinda lo (Ash
and Huntress) and i went on a five city stop
diversity tour. it was a lot of fun and we thought
it was a success, helping to generate some
interesting discussions and dialogue.

our next big endeavor is the summer reading
challenge for librarians and bloggers. a librarian
can win over fifty middle grade and young adult
novels for her/his library and a book blogger can
win it all for him/herself! for those of you who have
love for young adult or middle grade novels or have
tweens teens, you really have to check these prizes
out! to enter as a blogger, you simply need to
read some diverse MG or YA novels then write an
(at least 500 word) essay about your thoughts and
experience. the winning essay will win the grand
prize! malinda and i hope it's a fun experience that
helps to broaden every participant's reading list!

bringing up diversity with readers is always
interesting (and often can be awkward or tense).
in the case of our endeavor, we're hoping to
spotlight and showcase books that feature lgbt
and/or people of color as main protagonists or
secondary characters who play a major role.
often, readers will say, a good story is a good story.
what does it matter if the character is gay or of
a certain race? it doesn't matter to me!

then others may pause to think of the last time
they actually read a novel that featured side
characters that weren't straight and/or caucasian
(much less the lead protagonists), and realize that
in fact, they can't think of an example.

see. that was me as a young reader.
traditional fantasy had always been a favorite
genre of mine, and like so many teens, i leaped
straight from mainly middle grade books (the young
adult market wasn't as huge as it is now) into the
adult fantasy shelves. and it wasn't until i was
an adult and wrote Silver Phoenix that i realized
despite the dozens of novels i've read and loved,
i had never read a character in any of those books
that looked like me.

of course, as dramatic as i can be (hell, i am
a writer after all =), i can't say that i'm scarred
for life because of this. obviously, i was a book
lover, read widely, and went on to write as a tween
into my twenties. but it wasn't until Silver Phoenix
(written in my thirties) that i created my first fully
asian character with ai ling!

and if how a character looks like, what her cultural
background may be, what his sexual orientation
may be, if none of this truly matters... if a good story
trumps all. then why is it that we aren't reading more
stories with more diverse characters in them?
shouldn't stories be more reflective of the current
world that we live in?

and that's why malinda and i created this challenge!
for full details, click here. and i promise, the book
prizes are out of this world and the different types
of stories and genres abound!

i challenge you!
happy summer reading! 8)

i heart fan art!

i'm alive!
you say, of course you are cindy,
why wouldn't you be? well, i did
in fact indeed verily survive the release
of my second novel, Fury of the Phoenix,
AND a super duper mega grandiose book
tour with my gay twin, malinda lo, and our
Diversity in YA fiction signings! more on that
on my next post here at the underground!

today, i wanted to share some fan art with you.
there are many many wonderful things about
being an author, but one of the raddest ones
(i'm working on bringing the RAD back, why
does awesome get to have all the fun?) is fan art.
not only are they wonderful to receive, but the
best part probably is knowing that what you've
made up in your head and written has inspired a
reader artistically. i don't get much fan art but i
treasure each and every one of them!!

**click for full image! 8)

*here is li rong by philomela!

*and a portrait of my heroine ai ling, by annie in calgary.

*a really cool interpretation of ai ling twined with
a chinese dragon by haricha in the uk.

*another portrait of ai ling. i love the loose lines
but how it captures her so well in the expression
and the eyes, by marie.

*and finally, a personal favorite because not only
is it stunning, it shows my hero chen yong with
my heroine, ai ling. =) by the multi-talented
natalie. i was VERY lucky in that natalie parted with
the original and this is now a framed piece in my bedroom!

now you can see why i treasure each and every one
of these unique pieces created by my readers. i hope
you enjoyed them as much as i do.

till next time, super undies!! =D

giveaway winners and diversity tour

hello undies!!

do forgive me that i had to close the
contest early as i realized i'll be leaving
on the diversity tour this week and wanted
to be able to mail out the book prizes before
then. thank you so much for the tremendous
response! in the end, i'm giving away NINE
sets of Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix
and the books are headed to NC, Ontario, WI,
LA, GA and Portugal, from responses so far!

the winners:

sharon s.
yzhabella
lori lee
shanna clemens
a. j.
lauren
mairead
minhchieu
mikabooks

i've contacted all winners as best i can
but please email me your mailing address
if you haven't responded! pon.cindy@gmail.com





as for the diversity tour, it's something that
malinda lo (Ash and Huntress) and i spearheaded
together when we realized both our asian inspired
fantasy YA novels were going to be released within
a week of each other. we decided to celebrate diversity
in young adult books (which is inclusive of people
of color and lgbt protagonists) and invited other
authors to join us at each stop. if you're near the
san francisco, austin, chicago, boston or new york
city areas, do stop by! it's going to be an amazing tour.

for full details, check out http://diversityinya.com.

i can't wait--it's my first official book tour. wish me luck! =D

San Francisco, California

Saturday, May 7 at 3 p.m.
San Francisco Public Library (Main Library)
Latino-Hispanic Room
100 Larkin St.
San Francisco, CA 94102

Highlighting Asian American YA books with authors Malinda Lo, Cindy Pon, Gene Luen Yang, and J.A. Yang.

Austin, Texas

Monday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m.
BookPeople
603 N. Lamar
Austin TX 78703

With authors Bethany Hegedus, Malinda Lo, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Cindy Pon, Dia Reeves, and Jo Whittemore, and moderated by Varian Johnson.

Chicago, Illinois

Tuesday, May 10 from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m.
Barbara’s Books
1218 South Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60607

With authors Malinda Lo, Claudia Guadalupe Martinez, Nnedi Okorafor, and Cindy Pon.

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Thursday, May 12 at 7 p.m.
Cambridge Public Library (Main Library)
Lecture Hall
449 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02138

With authors Holly Black, Sarah Rees Brennan, Deva Fagan, Malinda Lo, Cindy Pon, and Francisco X. Stork, and moderated by Roger Sutton.

New York, New York

Friday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m.
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
208 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011

Highlighting LGBT YA books with authors Cris Beam, David Levithan, Malinda Lo, and Jacqueline Woodson.

Saturday, May 14 at 1 p.m.
Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011

With authors Matt de la Peña, Malinda Lo, Kekla Magoon, Neesha Meminger, Cindy Pon, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Rita Williams-Garcia, Jacqueline Woodson and moderated by Cheryl Klein.

Fury of the Phoenix release giveaway!

mea culpa! i totally forgot about my actual
posting day on the eighth because: 1. it was
spring break with my bubs and i was trying to
keep my head on straight 2. Fury of the Phoenix had
just released and the signing party was the next day!

but please, won't you let me make it up to you?
you look stunning today. did you get a haircut?
i love that new outfit on you. 8)

and here, have some delicious mini pastries, please.


*i had to cater from Extraordinary Desserts
as it's my favorite place for sweets here
in san diego. so yum!

and look! i even got dressed up for you. and put in
my eyeballs--i don't even do that for my husband! ha

*debuting my lovely betsy johnson dress posing
with karaline, an awesome fan who told me she
stayed up till 3am that same day to finish Fury.
woohoo!

and finally, a giveaway! for my favorite undies!

i'll be giving away a SET of the Silver Phoenix paperback
and Fury of the Phoenix hardcover for every twenty
individual comments i receive. they will be signed and
shipped with swag. open international! giveaway is
open until tuesday, may 3rd. i'll announce winners on
my may 8th post.

if you tweet, fb status, or blog and link to
this giveaway post, you'll receive +3 chances
in the giveaway. please comment with that link.
good luck!

there's a hole in my head!

why you ask? because my sequel, Fury of the Phoenix,
is releasing THIS month, in 21 days to be exact.
i'm so excited, yet a little overwhelmed
by everything that needs to be done before, after
and the rest of this year. i'm being an ambitious
author you see, and have quite a few signings and
major conventions set up. so exciting! but a little
intimidating, while trying to be a mother to a 6
and 7 year old at the same time!

since it's Fury release month, it also means i'm
in full on self-promotion mode. self-promotion
can be challenging. and what i've learned in my
brief time as a published author is this:
only do what you enjoy doing when it comes
to publicity.

because really, life is too short. if you don't like
blogging, don't blog. if you don't like twitter,
don't tweet!! i happen to love social networking,
(i met my husband online after all, back in 1994,
when there was barely an "online") and dressing
up in silly costumes like chun li at comic con.

exhibit A:

(it was awesome. i actually knew what it felt
like to be almost-famous. they were calling my
name! and how cute is this little bub clinging to
me? too cute!! lots of parents were chun li fans!)

i also love to spend money on pretty trailers.
this is the one for Fury of the Phoenix, and i hope
you enjoy it!

exhibit B:



and finally, thanks to all 61 of you who
entered to win a copy of Silver Phoenix in
paper back. the winners are:

valia lind
beverly
debra s

i've sent an email to all three winners.
congratulations, i hope you enjoy the read!!

cindy on twitter
cindypon.com

Silver Phoenix Paperback Giveaway!

on the day of her first betrothal meeting--and rejection--ai ling discovers a power welling deep within her. she can reach into other people's spirits, hear their thoughts, see their dreams...and that's just the beginning.

ai ling has been marked by the immortals; her destiny lies in the emperor's palace, where a terrible evil has lived, stealing souls, for centuries. she must conquer this enemy and rescue her captive father, while mythical demons track her every step. and then she meets chen yong, a young man with a quest of his own, whose fate is intertwined with hers. here is a heart-stopping, breathtaking tale for fans of action, fantasy, and romance--of anything with the making of legend.
...

hi undies!
it's my turn to ramble here at the
underground and i've exciting news!
Silver Phoenix has released in paperback
and should be available at your local barnes
and noble and hopefully some indies as well.
last week, i found out i was fortunate enough
to be included as cassandra clare's favorite reads
(among some fantastic YA company!) so many of
my paperbacks are featured on end caps at bn.

fyi, these end caps are prime real estate
space usually saved for big time authors, so
to be placed thus is a real thrill!

so in celebration of all this happy news, i'm giving
away copies of Silver Phoenix! how many i give will
depend on how many entries i receive. =) i will give
one paperback for every 20 individual participants.
so if we get 68 entries, i will give away three books, so
on and so forth.

to enter, simply comment.
if you take the time to tweet, fb, blog and
link to this giveaway, you will receive (+3) entries,
increasing your chances to win. simply comment
with a link to your post, twitter, etc. this giveaway
will run through until my next post on 3/8, when
i'll announce the winners. this is open internationally!

good luck, undies!!

in which i confess...

to being a complete chicken when it comes to
my film watching. i am very particular about what types
of movies i watch. i like indie and foreign. i'll watch
spy stuff like mission impossible and bourne identity.
and of course, the craig, i mean, bond franchise. but
i never liked visual violence and horror, and after
i had my bubs, i was rendered even more of a lump
of quivering tofu. it's sad.

i have one tragic tale in which i chose to watch
The Orphanage, drawn by the fact that it was
a foreign film. if any of you know the premise...
oh, what a mistake that was.

i had the "pleasure" of watching Black Swan
recently. i went in knowing it'd be a psychological
thriller--but i still had to cover my eyes at some
of the more gruesome moments. (yes, i am an
Eye Coverer! don't judge!!) and in the end, i
can't say quite honestly, if i enjoyed the film.
tho i did feel that the acting was superb.

this brings me to reading, and violence and
horror in books. for some reason, i can tolerate
reading the gruesome much more than the
visual onslaught of it. perhaps because i feel
i have more control over the imagery in my head?
or that i can simply close the book and read at my
own chosen pace instead of being subjected to it
during a movie watching experience?

as a writer, i had no issue with describing
a decapitation and other gruesome things. but
that's me as an author, and the horror and imagery
is coming from me, not played at me.

so what about you, undies? i'm sure many of you
are fans of the gruesome and horrific in your reading.
are you equally enamored of the same genres in
film watching? is there anyone who can be my
scaredy cat buddy? =)

give cheer not cooties

the winner of a signed hardcopy of Silver
Phoenix was the last to comment: moonsanity!
congratulations! thanks to everyone who
participated and happy hoildays!!

hello s'grounders! okay, i'm a big fan
of nicknames and that's the best i can
come up with. or undies? haha! what do
you think?

it's been a long while since my last post.
copyedits for my sequel, Fury of the Phoenix
got in the way of my last month's post. but
that is sent off, all i need to work on now
are my brush painting chapter decorations and
my acknowledgment page--always fun and a
little nerve wracking.

especially for debut authors, there's an urge
to thank everyone from your kindergarten teacher
to her mom and pet poodle. seriously. i personally
had the feeling like i had to thank *everyone* lest
i never get the chance again!

other than that, i had a stupendous time
at ALAN conference--which is a fantastic one
for anyone who is a fan of young adult literature.

i was on a panel with cinda williams chima (The Demon King,
The Exiled Queen, The Dragon Heir, etc) and sarwat chadda
(The Devil's Kiss, Dark Goddess) and both were so lovely
and fun to chat with. i also happen to be fans of their books
and recommend them highly.

other than this spot of glamorous author's life
i've been battling cooties for the past two months.
colds, coughs, sore throats, antibiotics and now,
stomach flu. ah the joys of motherhood. =) this
time of year is certainly challenging. and thus, my
blog title--give cheer not cooties!

i'd like to spread the happiness by giving away
a signed hardcover of Silver Phoenix.


on the day of her first betrothal meeting--and rejection--ai ling discovers a power welling deep within her. she can reach into other people’s spirits, hear their thoughts, see their dreams…and that’s just the beginning.

ai ling has been marked by the immortals; her destiny lies in the emperor’s palace, where a terrible evil has lived, stealing souls, for centuries. she must conquer this enemy and rescue her captive father, while mythical demons track her every step. and then she meets chen yong, a young man with a quest of his own, whose fate is intertwined with hers. here is a heart-stopping, breathtaking tale for fans of action, fantasy, and romance--of anything with the making of legend.

this contest is open world wide!
all you have to do is answer the following
question: Silver Phoenix will whisk you to a world
inspired by ancient china. what country have you
always wanted to visit but have not had a chance to?

leave your answer in the comments to enter!
i'll choose a winner randomly on wednesday
12/15 and announce the winner at the top of
this post. good luck, undies! (yes, i've settled on
that nickname for you guys. =)

give cheer not cooties!

sirens and strong fantasy heroines

last weekend i spent four days in vail, colorado
for the sirens con, which focuses on strong
heroines in fantasy. it was an intimate conference
with about one hundred attendees in a beautiful
setting with wonderful staff and volunteers. i couldn't
have had a better time!

there was an author tea with signing on
friday and saturday afternoons. it was one of
my favorite part of the conference as i got to
meet fellow readers, other authors, and even
had awesome gifts from Silver Phoenix fans to
show off. rachel made a clay figure of ai ling
with a giant dumpling and an entire dim sum spread
including chicken feet. too cute! (for those who
haven't read Silver Phoenix, my heroine likes
to eat. =)

and larry folded a chinese origami dragon for
me during our Fey Folklore Around the World panel.
he folded and gifted various creatures during the
entire con, spreading origami happiness!

had a lovely long rowdy dinner with
juliet grames (soho editor), holly black
(White Cat), sarah rees brennan
(Demon's Covenant) and malinda lo (Ash)
at kelly liken in vail village. it was a very
good meal!
on saturday, i went back into vail village
earlier with friends, to take in the gorgeous
views. me, shveta and andrea were 3/4 of
the panel we held on friday morning. i focused
on fox spirits as my main topic of discussion:
beautiful women who are part human and part
fox, dangerous or romanticized, depending on
the narrator's moral for the story.

there were these meese statues throughout
vail village. this one was huge, a little scary
actually. and we figured, perhaps life size.

we decided on a cozy german restaurant
for dinner and i was in heaven! i very rarely
get to indulge in german fare. i had a wiener
and a bratwurst over saurkraut with all the
accompanying cold salads. it was delicious.
looking at this foto makes me both wistful
and happy. =)

sunday morning was the last morning of
the con and i took the time to take a foto
with two authors whose books i really love
and who are just delightful in person:
sherwood smith (Crown Duel and Inda series)
and ellen kushner (Swordspoint and Privilege
of the Sword). they've both written more
extensively and if you love fantasy with strong
heroines, you really should check them out!

next year's theme will be MONSTERS and the
guests of honor are justine larbalestier (Liar),
nnedi okorafor (Who Fears Death) and laini
taylor (Lips Touch). women in fantasy as monsters.
how cool of a theme is that? i definitely hope to
be there!!

the delicious threesome...

or is three a crowd?

as a tween, one of my favorite series
of books was the single title historicals
(like "jacqueline" or "caroline") and it
always showed the teen heroine on the front
cover flanked by two boys. two boys that she
must choose between. i loved those books,
formulaic as the love triangle may have been.
the new period in history always made it fresh
enough for me to read almost every title in the
series. of late, there's been some discussion
on the love triangle within the young adult genre.

is it overused? tired and worn out? or is
the threesome configuration one of the best
ones to read for increased sexual and romantic
tension? like so many things in the young adult genre
that i attribute to "the twilight effect", the series really
put the love triangle at the forefront of YA reader minds.
but i'd like to talk about two other young adult series
that i love, both featuring love triangles.

*when two men love a woman.


isn't this cover wonderful? ariel the elemental is
holding bertie, the heroine of lisa mantchev's
theatre inspired young adult series, which begins
with Eyes Like Stars. Nate, the pirate is seen
in the background. i think lisa is very deft in writing
her love triangle, as the two men vying for bertie's
attention are different enough with faults and virtues
all their own, that the reader can understand why
bertie could choose either.

personally, i love me some ariel elemental. =)


sarah rees brennan's demon's lexicon and covenant
really blew me away as well. and this time, it is two
brothers, nick and alan, who seem to have fallen
for the same heroine. (or is it, the heroine has
fallen for both brothers?) what i love about sarah's love
triangle is that neither brother may be what he
seems or claims. how is a girl to choose?

me, i'm utterly for nick.

so what about you? how do you feel about
love triangles? do they work for you?
what threesome novels are some of your favorites?

fun at san diego comic-con international!

hello supernatural book-loving fans! i thought i'd spend this month's posting opportunity by sharing some fotos and experiences from this summer's comic-con festivities! i was only there for two days-- as i find the con quite overwhelming! i went on friday in costume then on sunday to moderate a YA ANGST panel with some awesome authors!

*me and megan whalen turner, author of newbery
honor The Thief, Queen of Attolia, King of Attolia
and A Conspiracy of Kings. one of my favorite series
and one of my favorite people! we're at the harpercollins
booth. you can see merrie's awesome debut poster for
Afterlife behind us. i was bummed i missed out on her
paranormal panel.

*my pirate soulmate saw me in costume and
asked for a foto! he lent me his gun as he thought
i was weaponless, but i had a dagger in my right
boot. (you can see the tip of it in this foto. =)
i take my costumes very seriously!

*the day ended with a fancy party thrown
by penguin called "fangfest". it was a lot of
fun and although i was there only briefly,
i got to catch up with margie stohl and
kami garcia (Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful
Darkness) as well as meet heather (The Chronicles
of Vladmir Tod series) and her son.

*sunday was my comic-con panel and i had
awesome authors on it! [me, james owen, emily
drake, nancy holder, kathy reichs, d. j. machale,
neal shusterman and michael spradlin.] foto
courtesy of liz's blog.

i managed to end the panel on time after some great
discussion and questions, and herded the audience
and authors to the open signing area without a hitch.
*pats self on back* =D

*the calm before the signing.

*a view of our line and the readers waiting
patiently.

we managed to get a group foto after it
was all said it done. the signing was run
by mysterious galaxy and i always have fun at
their events--it was such a pleasure meeting
these new authors. i've been introduced and read
many great books because of this! [kathy reichs,
me, james owen, d. j. machale, michael spradlin,
nancy holder and patrick from mysterious galaxy!]

three YA trends. and my Fury cover!

we talk a lot about trends within
the young adult genre. whether its
as a writer, wondering what the next
"hot" new thing is or as a reader. vampires
seem to remain strong (i admit anne
rice had me at lestat on this one) as
well as dystopian novels thanks to
The Hunger Games success.

below are three young adult trends.
what would you like to read more about
within paranormal books? be it young adult
or adult? what paranormals have you read
lately that seems trendy and you enjoyed?

mermaids :




fallen angels :




faeries :




and last but not least, i'm thrilled to reveal my Fury of the Phoenix cover with a small blurb from the harpercollins catalog!


Cindy Pon’s debut novel Silver Phoenix was called “fluid and exhilarating” in a starred review from Booklist, and Meg Cabot called it “an addictive gem.” In this companion novel, seventeen-year-old Ai Ling—her powers stronger than ever—stows away aboard a cargo ship in order to protect devastatingly handsome Chen Yong during his quest to locate his father. Masquerading as brother and sister, Ai Ling and Chen Yong face demonic predators on the ocean voyage, but their biggest threat comes from the kingdom of the dead. Part supernatural page-turner, part love story, and altogether stirring, Fury of the Phoenix further heralds the arrival of Cindy Pon as a stellar author of paranormal romance and fantasy.

Fury is out 3/29/2011 and i'm working hard
on revisions now. i'm very excited!