First off, the events.
I’ve got some exciting new events in store to celebrate the release of RAMPANT, including one in New York City! (I will keep you updated on my Manhattan appearance and release the details when details are, y’know, finalized.)
This weekend of course is the big Florida launch party. We’re finalizing the details now and it’s going to be so much fun! The entire catering menu is an homage to the Roman setting of RAMPANT. There’s going to be pizza and Italian bread and cheese and gelato and prosecco for the over-21-ers and Italian sodas for the underage…I’m super-excited.
And actually, my trip to Florida has me bouncing from top to bottom. Friday night’s the party, Saturday night my family is having a super special dinner in Tampa, and Sunday we’ll be attending a Bucs game. It’s going to be a whirlwind adventure!
I just need to figure out who is taking care of Rio and TempDog#4 while I’m away. I’m pretty sure I’ll have to split them up, which is too bad. I totally caught them making out earlier this evening. Rio, apparently, likes younger guys.
And then, as soon as I’m back, it’s off to St. Louis for the NINC Conference. the last time I was in St. Louis, there was a horrific blizzard, and the entire city shut down. I’m hoping for warmer weather and open restaurants. Fingers crossed. But I can’t wait! I’m roomming with my mentor, the fabulous Julie Leto, and I’m going to dinner with my agent, and I’m sitting on a panel with Sharon Shinn and Julie Kenner, and I’m moderating another with Ridley Pearson (!!!) And in between, I’m probably going to do some stock signings out and about in St. Louis.
In other news, my toe still hurts. No sandals for me this weekend. Sad face. I was all set for a pedicure with little unicorn heads on my toes, too. Possibly decapitated. Definitely fanged.
In other OTHER and FAR MORE INTERESTING news than Stuff About My Mangled Toe, we have more RAMPANT reviews, coming atcha (spoiler-free, too!):
Christy Finn at Finntastic raves:
That tension there kept me hooked (well, along with all the unicorn attacks that would come and the bloody mess that it would leave behind) all throughout the novel. I kept reading, hardly glancing up, hardly eating until I was twenty pages from the end. I needed to know: how would it end. I knew, even as I bought this book, that there would be another to come… now, I just hate that I have to wait until Fall 2010 to get my hands on it.
The characters in the book are incredibly diverse. Phil has an air of rebellion around her, a devil-may-care attitude, and yet she shows such love for her cousin Astrid, I just love her all around. At one point, your heart breaks for her. Cory, the ultra-focused unicorn hunter that was the first to arrive, comes off somewhat misunderstood. And Lilith, Astrid’ mother, who had told her of the existence of unicorns for years. At first, I was ambivalent towards her. But later… later, I strongly disliked her.
And Giovanni. (Slight swoon here). It’ll be fun to see how his role grows as the series progresses.
Perhaps where Diana shows her strength is not only in the prose that she writes. It’s fluid. There’s a strong Voice in the work. The descriptions are vivid, elaborate at times. If you’ve read her other work, none of this will be a surprise.
But the details! The history! The richness! The retelling, recreating of worlds and histories. The revelations that come, little by little, and never at a rush… great timing, excellent pacing, but extraordinary details.
5 out of 5 stars...
The imagery that is used wraps you up in how Astrid feels, as you follow her through her decisions. She is a great role model for girls. As she is strong willed and has as true sense of honor. You understand the why behind all her decisions. I love her relationship with her cousin, Phil. They make a great team. I really enjoyed it and hope that there will be another story where we see what happens to the characters later on.
And Kate at Read this Book! wrote:
Wow! I could not put down this book and despite the fact that I was rather unwell when I read it. From the first chapter, you’d be enchanted by the world of killer unicorns. Rampant possesses a nice mixture of romance, action and adventure. Detailed gruesome battles, heart-pounding action, vivid descriptions of unicorns and fantastic dialogue. It’s no question that Diana Peterfreund is an amazingly talented writer.
So there you have it. ‘Cause I know the only reasons you guys come here is to read Rampant reviews, right?
Kidding.You’re probably bored to tears and wonder when I’m gonna post another photo of Rio. But the thing is, Rio is deathly afraid of books for some reason (ahem, shoemaker’s kids go barefoot, I’m guessing), and she refuses to pose with Rampant. And until she does, I’ve instituted a moratorium on her modeling days. Adolescent rebellion my mangled toe!
Luckily, we’ve got a few stand-ins. This is Tiff’s cat. Hi, Tiff’s cat!
Tiff’s Cat is currently enjoying pride of place as the first cat ever featured here on my blog. I’m not so much a cat person, though I love my niece and nephew-cats, Hobbes and Hera.
And, naturally, I love any cat who loves Rampant. Tiff’s cat is hereby named an honorary member of the Order of the Lioness.
Wait, what was that, Rio? You’re jealous? Jealous enough to submit yourself to Mommy’s whims, perhaps?
Okay, you can be in the Order of the Lioness as well. There’s my little girl.
7 Responses to And Even More on Rampant, Plus Events!