When your life is a lie, how do you know what’s real?
Alexandra Gastone has a simple plan: graduate high school, get into Princeton, work for the CIA, and serve her great nation.
She was told the plan back when her name was Milena Rokva, back before the real Alexandra and her family were killed in a car crash.
Milena was trained to be a sleeper agent by Perun, a clandestine organization from her true homeland of Olissa. There, Milena learned everything she needed to infiltrate the life of CIA analyst Albert Gastone, Alexandra’s grandfather, and the ranks of America’s top intelligence agency.
For seven years, “Alexandra” has been on standby and life’s been good. Grandpa Albert loves her, and her strategically chosen boyfriend, Grant, is amazing.
But things are about to change. Perun no longer needs her at the CIA in five years’ time. They need her active now.
Between her cover as a high school girl—juggling a homecoming dance, history reports, and an increasingly suspicious boyfriend—and her mission in this high-stakes spy game, the boundaries of her two lives are beginning to blur.
Will she stay true to the country she barely remembers, or has her loyalty shattered along with her identity?
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In honor of #QuietYA, I thought it might be fun to countdown my top 10 favorite things that have quietly flown under most people’s radar but deserve more attention (in my humble opinion)! Maybe you’ll find something you want to check out!
- iZombie
iZombie is like Veronica Mars with an undead protagonist. The dialogue is witty as hell and the storylines are uber fun! Despite its awesomeness, iZombie was barely renewed for a second season. If it was on any network other than the CW, it wouldn’t have been. If you liked Veronica Mars or Buffy, definitely check this one out!
- A Walk on the Moon
I saw this movie 5 times in the theatres and one of those times I was the only one there. I got something different out of it each time. This movie follows the story of a mother and daughter who are trying to find themselves against the backdrop of the sexual revolution and Woodstock. The mother’s story (Diane Lane) is particularly intriguing because she’s an adult who never got to be a kid because of a teen pregnancy. This was the movie that hooked me on Viggo Mortensen long before LOTR made him famous.
- Art by Andy Goldsworthy
Goldsworthy uses elements from nature to make the most beautiful art and then lets mother nature reclaim his work once he’s finished. Just watching him work is very meditative.
- Gloomy Sunday
My favorite foreign film, this is a movie that played for 10 years at the local theater in my old hometown of Christchurch, yet few people outside of New Zealand and Hungary have heard of it. It follows the story of a woman and her two lovers during World War II in Budapest. It’s a true treat for the eyes and ears with gorgeous sets and music.
- Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights is so much more than a show about football. I pretty much hate football and I LOVED this show. It’s a show about family, struggle, love, passion, and beating the odds. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!
- The Family by Marissa Kennerson
The Family is a beautifully written YA novel about a young girl living in a cult in Costa Rica. The characters are real, dynamic, and heartbreaking. At the crux of the story, Twig, the lead protagonist, struggles to find truth in a landscape of lies. Full disclosure on this one, Marissa is a friend of mine but even if she wasn’t, I’d be pimping this novel to all who would listen!
- Art by Slope
Slope is a New Zealand artist who paints raw, edgy pictures of woman. I love, love, love his work.
- The U.S. version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Everyone has heard of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The book sold like hotcakes. But for some reason, the movie, which is awesome, didn’t make enough box office bank for a sequel. I’ve seen both the Swedish version of TGWTDT and the U.S. and I personally think the U.S. version is better, with an edgier vibe and cleaner cinematography. I also think Rooney Mara rocked the role of Lisbeth Salander.
- The Americans
Sure, The Americans has been around for a while and sure it’s gotten some award nominations. Still, it’s a show that almost gets cancelled every season. I wait with bated breath each year for it to be renewed. The Americans is a spy show with heart. Elizabeth and Peter are kick ass Russian spies but also loving parents to two very American children. The juxtaposition can be quite startling and thought provoking.
- The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
The Lock Artist, a book about a mute safecracker, is my FAVORITE book of all times and won the 2011 Edgar Award for best novel and a slew of other awards. That said, it hasn’t flown off the shelves the way a book of its caliber should. Don’t get me wrong, it’s done well but it hasn’t done J.K. Rowlings well or James Patterson well and it so deserves it! I think everyone who loves books should know the name Steve Hamilton and The Lock Artist.
What are some of your favorite things that have flown under most people’s radar?
There is an AWESOME giveaway concurrent to the Quiet YA event!!!
This giveaway includes THE REVENGE PLAYBOOK by Rachael Allen, BETWEEN THE SEA AND SKY by Jacklyn Dolamore, an ARC of THE WAY BACK FROM BROKEN by Amber Keyser, THEY CALL ME ALEXANDRA GASTONE by Tiffany Maclagan, PREP SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL by Kara Taylor, SWEET UNREST by Lisa Maxwell, and THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY by Marie E. Andreu. The giveaway is US only.
About the Author:
T.A. Maclagan is a Kansas girl by birth but now lives in the bush-clad hills of Wellington, New Zealand with her Kiwi husband, son and four pampered cats. With a bachelor’s degree in biology and a Ph.D. in anthropology, she’s studied poison dart frogs in the rain forests of Costa Rica, howler monkeys in Panama and the very exotic and always elusive American farmer. It was as she was writing her ‘just the facts’ dissertation that T.A. felt the call to pursue something more imaginative and discovered a passion for creative writing. They Call Me Alexandra Gastone is her first novel.
You can find her online at: Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Pinterest ~ Twitter ~ Tumblr ~ Website
My favorite books in this year so far are A Court of Thorns and Roses, An Ember in the Ashes and The Orphan Queen. Thank you for the giveaway
This is an awesome list. I am honored to be a part of it. (And will be buying The Lock Artist..today!) And a Walk On the Moon (sigh). We are soul sisters!