Mundie Moms

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Author Interview with Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

We are thrilled to have had the chance to interview Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie about their newest release, Crusade, which released on September 7th, 2010.

In five words or less, how would you describe Crusade?

Debbie: exciting, scary, heartbreaking, passionate, intense
Nancy: epic, intense, poignant, fiery, courageous

What can you tell us about your heroine, Jenn?

Debbie: In a way she is every teenage girls-introspective, insecure, passionate, and stronger than she thinks she is.Jenn’s strengths are something she often doesn’t even understand. I think she’s struggling to make sense of the world and to find her place in it, to feel like she can contribute something.

Nancy: Jenn’s problems are timeless. Her fears are ageless. She’s coming of age in a shattered world, and struggling to find her place in it. There are so many unknowns in her life, and her past has crumbled from beneath her feet like sinking sad. She’s such a fighter, and a questioner. I admire her more than I can say.

Who's a favorite character of yours and why?

Debbie: From Crusade I love all the heroes, but am particularly fond of Jamie. He’s just obnoxious and so much fun to write. The rivalry between him and Holgar makes me smile.

Nancy: I, too, love Jamie. I love to write Antonio. One of my first serious crushes was a tall, sexy guy whose parents moved to Mexico from Spain. One day he fell on his knees in the snow and started crying because “I love you so much.”

What inspired you to write Crusade?

Debbie: Nancy and I wrote a short story called “Passing” for the Eternal Kiss anthology. We had been talking about writing a new series together and when we finished writing the story I called her up and said “I think we just found our new series” and she totally agreed!

Nancy: What Debbie said. I was so excited. We’re using a lot of Spanish influences in CRUSADE and I love Spain and things Spanish. I’m brushing up on my Spanish right now, hoping we can tour in Spain some day!

If you were able to sit down and interview a favorite author of yours, who would that be and what's one question you would ask them?

Debbie: Unfortunately, the author I’d like to most interview would be Zane Grey who died long before I was even born. I would have asked him which of his books was his favorite and why. I know, writers say that it’s like choosing between your children, but I find it interesting which stories of their own still are compelling for them even after the final word has been written.

Nancy: I love Shirley Jackson’s work, but I have a feeling she might have been a little...strange. I’m lucky in that I’ve gotten to meet many of the authors whose work I admire. I think I would like to ask William Shakespeare if he really did write all those plays.

Thank you to Nancy and Debbie for answering our questions!


You can find out more about Crusade by visiting Nancy and Debbie's sites here-

Thoughtful Thursday - Operation Christmas Child and The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

I think by now most of you know that a few of us just love C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia and that we are anxiously awaiting the December 10th release of the latest movie in the series, "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader."

The wonderful people behind the movie are also trying to put focus on a great cause. Here's the press release:

Operation Christmas Child is partnering with the upcoming film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, set for release on Dec. 10. Through this partnership, Narnia fans will be encouraged to participate in the world's largest Christmas project by packing shoe box gifts that will make a difference in the lives of needy children.

In Narnia, it was always winter and never Christmas until Aslan arrived with hope. In the same way, simple shoe box gifts filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items can bring hope to children around the world by reminding them they are loved and not forgotten.

“We’re very excited to participate in the upcoming release of the movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” said Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan’s Purse. “We want children around the world to know the true meaning of Christmas—the birth of Jesus Christ—and the joy and hope that this brings.”

Operation Christmas Child is sponsored by Samaritan's Purse . For the last 40 years, Samaritan's Purse has worked to provide emergency relief, community development and vocational programs "to help impact the lives of vulnerable children through education, feeding, clothing and shelter" programs.

With all school supplies going on sale, we ask that you to think about joining us in packing a Christmas Box. Here's the link to the instructions on how to pack a box. There are even pre-made labels and suggestions on what to pack inside. They've also provided a way for you to check where the nearest Drop Off Location is in your area.

Enjoy the video below. Georgie Henley does a fantastic job explaining the goal:

Banned Books Week -- The Twilight Saga Collection




When I first saw that Twilight was on the list of Banned Books in certain areas of the U.S., I thought – why?? How could a story about a naive, clumsy human girl who falls in love with an immortal, angsty vampire boy be a banned book? And then I realized that they were probably referring to the series and in doing so, they were really referring to Breaking Dawn.

Like so many grown-ups who love YA fiction, I read Twilight on a whim. I read it because I was bored of Oprah’s Book Club suggestions. I read it because my beloved chick-lit wasn’t as exciting to me as it once was. I read it because I loved the cover and it spoke to me. Forbidden romance. I was so there. Instantly, I remembered all those moments in high school and the cute, mysterious boys on campus. I loved the first three books and anxiously started the year-long wait for Breaking Dawn.

I got Breaking Dawn at 9:03 in the morning, which was exactly three minutes after the bookstore opened. My day of reading began and it wasn’t long before I discovered that this book would be different from the other three. For one, there was an unplanned pregnancy which was followed by a fairly graphic birth scene. And then, Jacob, whom I never really cared for, imprinted on the infant. I turned the last page, sat back and thought, okay wow, this was not what I expected at all.

On the other hand, it ended a saga I dearly loved and Stephenie Meyer finally showed us the breadth of her world. Love it or not, the books are extremely well paced and the characters are well developed. I mean, is there one character that you didn't care about? No, there’s not. Even if you didn't like them.

Would I let my eleven year old, middle-schooler read it? Sure. He has been curious and I’ve explained the plot points to him because he asked. The day after I told him the series was on the Banned Book List, he informed me that they were all available in his school library. And that’s the way it should be. They should be in a middle school/high school/public library. Children of a certain age should have a chance to read them. They will understand that pregnancies can be unexpected. Childbirth is bloody. Imprinting is bizarre. They will also realize that the best families stick together and protect each other no matter what challenges are presented to them. The latter is not a religious viewpoint as the banners would lead you to believe, it's something that should happen with all families regardless of their ethnicity, religion, social standing and background.

I think books like the Twilight Saga open up an opportunity for parents to talk about these concepts. It allows adults to bridge that generation gap and discover that they have more in common with their kids than they first thought. So to all parents who think that a book should be banned because of graphic content and scary images, I’ll challenge you to think again. Think of it as an opportunity to discuss not just the content but also the process of writing, a writer’s intent and a reader’s response. With my oldest now in middle school, I realize that I cannot protect him from gruesome images or controversial thoughts forever but I can arm him with knowledge and let him form his own opinions with a thought provoking book. How about you? Do you think the Twilight Saga should be on the Banned Book List?

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