Friday Favorites is a weekly meme hosted here, that spotlights a favorite author, book, series, publisher, cover, blog, etc. Basically whatever bookish thing that you love, recommend, and want to tell others about. Just pick one and link up to my post each Friday to share. You can use the graphic I used above, the other one here, or your own.
I've been spotlighting a lot of historical fiction lately and I decided to go in a different direction this week. I went through some of my favorite books and picked Cinda Williams Chima, who writes in the YA Fantasy genre. Her website has a link for the proper pronounciation of her name. I went and listened to it and I'm so glad I have been saying her name correctly. :) She's got a bunch of different information and little tidbits on her website.
Seven Realms
I don't remember how I came across her books. I just know it happened in 2010. I picked up the first two of her Seven Realms series and really loved them. Lots of intrigue, magic, and romance. Great characters and fabulous writing. Do you know how I can tell? Her books are long, but I finish them in record speed, feel like her characters come alive, and the story sticks with me. Isn't that what great story-telling is supposed to do? From there I went and requested her older books from the library from The Heir Chronicles series. I also really enjoyed reading that series, although Seven Realms is probably my favorite between the two. I thought that The Heir Chronicles was only a three-book set, but I just noticed that a fourth book is coming out in October, so I'm looking forward to that! Just as a content warning, both series have some violence, but only the Seven Realms series has some brief non-desriptive sexual content.
The Heir Chronicles
Here is a list of favorites and other things from her website that I thought were fun:
Food: I love popcorn, fresh Ohio sweet corn and tomatoes, homemade cookies, ice cream, grilled vegetables with basil, pot stickers.
Vacations: I love relaxing beach vacations. Give me a view of the water and I’m there.
Holidays: I love Christmas and the Fourth of JulyGraveyards: I love graveyards. They are full of stories. One time I went to Boston for a meeting and I made my friend go to the Granary Graveyard with me. I was oohing and aahing over the grave markers, and she said, “Wow, Cinda, put you in a cemetery and you’re ecstatic.”
Most people don't know: I have a twin sister, Linda. We used to be in a folk music band. (Picture is of Linda and Cinda Williams.)
One thing I would like to change about myself is: I would like to be taller. And I would be better at remembering names (that’s two things.)
I have a weakness for: chips and salsa and flashy clothes
Advice for writers: Don’t be a writer unless you have to. That’s how you know.
About Cinda Williams Chima (from her website):
Photo by Augusten BurroughsNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima grew up with talking animals and kick-butt Barbies. She began writing poetry and stories in third grade, and novels in junior high school. Her Heir Chronicles young adult contemporary fantasy series includes The Warrior Heir (2006), The Wizard Heir (2007), and The Dragon Heir (2008), all from Hyperion, with The Enchanter Heir coming Oct. 22, 2013.
Chima’s best-selling YA high fantasy Seven Realms series launched with The Demon King (2009), followed by The Exiled Queen (2010), The Gray Wolf Throne (2011), and The Crimson Crown (2012).
Chima’s books have received starred reviews in Kirkus and VOYA, among others. They have been named Booksense and Indie Next picks, an International Reading Association Young Adult Choice, a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, to the Kirkus Best YA list, and the VOYA Editors’ Choice, Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, and Perfect Tens lists. Her books also appear on numerous state awards lists. Her books have been New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestsellers.
Chima was a recipient of the 2008 Lit Award for Fiction from the Cleveland Lit and was named a Cleveland Magazine Interesting Person 2009. She lives in Ohio with her family, and is always working on her next novel.
You can find Cinda here:
Isn't the picture of her and her twin sister just adorable? Have your read any of her books? If you have, what did you think? If you haven't, do you think you will?
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase of any type using these links, I receive a smallkickback.
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