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girlatmidnightI am super psyched to be taking part in the blog tour for Melissa Grey’s The Girl at Midnight, for a few reasons:

1) I absolutely loved this book. I know I’m not really a Fantasy person, and when I am it’s just about always High Fantasy, but this was such a massive exception for me. I just adored everything about it, especially the characters, chemistry, and banter.

2) Melissa is my homegirl, yo.

3) By homegirl, I mean “macaron buddy with whom I occasionally do absurdly delicious lunches at places like LadurĂ©e,” so obviously I jumped at the opportunity to feature a post about the foods that appear in The Girl at Midnight, which you can read below!

One of the recurring comments I’ve been hearing from early readers of The Girl at Midnight runs along the lines of “This book made me hungry!” What can I say? I love describing food. Sometimes I get the munchies when I write and it shows. Here are a few of the delicious treats mentioned in the first book of The Girl at Midnight trilogy:

1) Taiwanese pork buns – While shopping for (aka stealing) a birthday present for her adoptive mother, Echo helps herself to one of these soft, savory delights. The great thing about these is that they’re easy to eat when you’re running from the cops. You can find a great recipe to make your own here.

2) Macarons – Not to be confused with its coconutty cousin, the macaroon. Macarons are incredibly light, cheerful little confections that are almost too beautiful to eat. Echo procures a box of these to trade at the market for some much needed supplies. The Avicen with whom she lives operate on a barter economy and a box of these beauties from LadurĂ©e is worth it’s weight in gold.

3) Whoopie pies – The Avicen are known for their sweet tooth and the Ala, Echo’s adoptive mom and a member of the Avicen’s Council, is no exception. She likes keeping cookies in her home and she has a plate on hand when she introduces Echo to the firebird. This is a pretty swell recipe. Play with the fillings for extra fun.

4) Chocolate eclairs, cream puffs, and tea at Maison Bertaux – Everyone has a favorite place they like to go with their besties and Echo is no exception. After a robbery well done, Echo and her best friend Ivy head over to London’s Maison Bertaux (which is a very real place) for their usual celebratory orders: An eclair and peppermint tea for Ivy and and a cream puff and a pot of Earl Grey for Echo.

5) Bacon waffles – What’s better than bacon next to a waffle? Bacon *inside* of a waffle. Echo makes this breakfast of champions for her friends right before they embark on a very important mission. Bacon waffles fortify the soul is not the stomach. Find out how to make your own here.

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Pub. Date: April 28, 2015

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 368

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Indiebound, Powell’s, Goodreads

ORDER A SIGNED COPY FROM BOOKS OF WONDER

For readers of Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones and Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone, The Girl at Midnight is the story of a modern girl caught in an ancient war.

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she’s ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she’s fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it’s time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it’s how to hunt down what she wants … and how to take it.

But some jobs aren’t as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

Praise for THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT:

“Grey’s energetic debut offers a strong protagonist…[and the] well-built world, vivid characters, and perfect blend of action and amour should have readers eagerly seeking the sequel.” — Kirkus Reviews, Starred

 “Sparks fly…This first novel will please fans of Cassandra Clare and Game of Thrones watchers with its remarkable world building; richly developed characters…[and] a breathtaking climax that…cannot come soon enough!””—Booklist starred review

“Inventive, gorgeous, and epic—Grey dazzles in her debut.” — Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author of Dorothy Must Die

“A stunning debut. Equal parts atmosphere and adventure … positively divine.” – Victoria Schwab, author of A Darker Shade of Magic

About Melissa:

Melissa Grey was born and raised in New York City. She wrote her first short story at the age of twelve and hasn’t stopped writing since. After earning a degree in fine arts at Yale University, she traveled the world, then returned to New York City where she currently works as a freelance journalist. To learn more about Melissa, visit melissa-grey.com and follow @meligrey on Twitter.

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a signed Hardcover of THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT! US Only. Click here to enter!