Guest Post and a Book/Downton Giveaway!

My wonderful author friend, Phillipa Ashley, recently released another book here in the U.S. called Miranda's Mount.  I'm not shy in saying that I really loved her writing and her books from the very first, with Dating Mr. December.  I've thoroughly enjoyed each of her novels.

To aid in this newest release, Phillipa is my guest today here at One Literature Nut, and is going to share more about some amazing locations in England and featured in her newest novel.  She also wanted me to announce a great giveaway of her book and a lovely Downton Abbey calendar from there in the U.K.  Join me in welcoming Phillipa to my blog!

Guest Post:

I love visiting historic sites and homes and we’re spoilt for choice in Britain. I live in the Midlands of England and there are hundreds of places within a few hours drive – like London, Shakespeare’s Stratford, Jane Austen’s house and yes, Downton Abbey – which is Highclere Castle in Berkshire.  But my favourite place is a bit further away in Cornwall, about five hours drive from my house.

St. Michael’s Mount is a spectacular island castle off the south west coast England has to be seen to be believed. Founded in medieval times, the island is cut off by the tide twice a day. A handful of families still live and work there, including the owners, the St. Aubyn family.

As soon as I visited it, I knew I had to write a story set in a place like the Mount – but not a historical novel -- a contemporary romance with mystery, passion and a ‘bad boy’ aristocratic hero. In January 2011, I was dozing off on a car journey and suddenly I had one of those moments: not just light bulb but lightning. The idea for Miranda’s Mount flew into my brain. I started writing the moment I got home and a year later the book was finished and is now published in the US and UK Piatkus Entice.

More About Miranda's Mount:   

When Miranda finds herself fighting for her home, her job and her heart, sleeping with the enemy may not be the best tactic... 



With no family of her own, Miranda Marshall has developed a healthy respect - some would say obsession - with other people's histories. As property manager of a spectacular island castle in Cornwall, she's made St Merryn's Mount one of the UK's most popular heritage attractions. While she may have the castle running like clockwork, Miranda hasn't bargained on its sexy owner returning to claim his birthright. 



Dark, handsome and with a rakish reputation, Jago St Merryn not only looks like a pirate but is intent on flogging the Mount to a soulless leisure corporation. Miranda faces the battle of her life as she tries to persuade him to face up to his past and continue the St Merryn dynasty. But Jago has his own reasons for jumping ship and when he throws down the gauntlet to Miranda, she's forced to delve into painful memories she'd much rather keep hidden . . .

Check out more about Phillipa's latest novel and others out on the market:

Miranda's Mount (Amazon UK and Amazon US)
Phillipa Ashley's website

***Now for the ebook copy of Miranda's Mount and Downton Abbey calendar giveaway!  Please fill out the survey below to be entered in for a drawing.  This giveaway is U.S. only and will run until next Friday, 11/16. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Phillipa and I would both love to hear your comments.  Is there anything you'd love to know about Michael's Mount or how Phillipa got her inspiration?  Leave us a comment!  :)

Author Interview: Phillipa Ashley of Carrie Goes Off the Map

After a few mix ups only days before Christmas, I am excited to get the opportunity to interview the talented Phillipa Ashley, author of Carrie Goes Off the Map, Wish You Were Here, and Dating Mr. December.  I've thoroughly enjoyed her novels for their great escape read and chick-lit, star quality. I hope you enjoy my interview with Phillipa!

Me:  Thank you so much for letting me interview you about your newest book for my blog! Your book was an undeniable treat, just as your previous two have been.  I have loved reading and reviewing them on my blog, so I’m extra excited to have you stop by my blog to share a bit more.

In the three of your books that I’ve read, there always seems to be a journey involved.  Is there a reason for that, or is that just a fun element thrown in for our couples?

Phillipa:  Apart from Carrie, I don’t think I consciously planned to send the characters on a journey but now you come to mention it, you’re absolutely right! Someone once told me there are only two basic plots for a book, namely ‘A Stranger Comes to Town’ and 'A Journey.’ That’s oversimplifying things, of course, but it does apply to an awful lot of stories. I’d say that Dating Mr. December was A Stranger Comes to Town and Wish You Were Here and Carrie are journeys. A journey makes a very relatable metaphor for the characters emotional discovery.

Me:  Your books are endlessly romantic, with a lot of tension leading up to the endings.  How do you work out the pacing so that you don’t frustrate the reader (which I never have been), but hold us off long enough to make us want the couple to get together?

Phillipa:  Oh gosh… I guess some of the pacing just happens naturally, I start off with a beginning and end and usually two or three big scene ‘turning points’. Then I start writing and the rest of the story unfolds naturally, or I think it does. There are times when I’ve stuck to a plan and realized that it’s not really happening naturally enough so I go back and scrap thousands of words. That hurts but it’s important that the characters lead the story, not my whims. I don’t micromanage scenes – I have no idea what ‘beats to a scene’ are etc.; I write in a ‘train of thought’ way which sometimes works and sometimes leads me into a lot of trouble!

Me:  Has anyone ever mentioned that you don’t describe your female lead characters very much?  In a way, it makes me picture myself in their positions.  Is that on purpose, or am I really overlooking the physical descriptions here?

Phillipa:  No one has said straight out but you are spot on! I think I want my heroines to be every woman and for the reader to fit right into their shoes and hearts and minds - but also I don’t want them to be bland! I made Carrie the most volatile of my heroines. I wanted her to show real reactions to her situation – she’s a bit of a drama queen in every sense and she reacts by turns, devastated and angry, vengeful and confused. Her fight or flight instincts keep kicking in, leading to a journey of true emotional ups and downs. I don’t think I could ever write a ‘kick ass’ heroine but my girls could cut any one down to size with a tongue lashing!

Me:  Specifically for Carrie Goes Off the Map, her fiancé who chucked her seems completely unhappy by the end of the novel.  Was that just me, or was that just wishful thinking in my once-dumped experience to hope that he was miserable without Carrie?

Phillipa:  Of course he’s miserable, lol. Serves him right. Happily, you can take revenge in a book in a way you might not in real life, but people do move on and find new partners who are more right for them than the person they thought was ‘The One.’  I found writing the scene where she returns pretty difficult to write. I wanted their resolution to be quiet and regretful – the ultimate revenge, of course, being to live well as Carrie has started to do. Huw’s not a bad man but he’s made a very bad decision that he has to live with. The worst scene to write, however, was one with Natasha and Carrie that made me cry and made my agent cry. She won’t let me send a book off to an editor unless it has made her shed a few tears!

Me:  I loved Doctor Matt in Carrie Goes Off the Map and kind of think he felt like the reserved version of Mr. Darcy.  In fact, at one point in the story you said he was like a “dirty Mr. Darcy.”  Is that who you pictured here? 

Phillipa:  Matt is my favourite hero. In fact, after I wrote Carrie, I found I couldn’t write for a while (my books are published out of sequence in the USA.) It sounds odd, but I fell hard for Matt and no one could top him for quite a time. The Dirty Mr. Darcy thing comes from a couple of places.  One is the fact that Matt was inspired by a photo of Richard Armitage who had been playing John Thornton in North & South. There had been a lot of stuff in the press referring to Thornton as the ‘Industrial Darcy.’ Matt has that Darcy class thing going on – he’s typical of your posh Oxbridge boy and I did a lot of research with my daughter’s medic friends from those universities. He tries to hide his seriousness and passion all under a veneer of sarcasm and bravado. I can’t give away any spoilers, but yes, he knows exactly how to handle Carrie and exactly what she needs and he gives it unselfishly as he does to his patents. Question is, what does he need?


***Sidenote:  I mentioned to Phillipa on twitter that the "dirty Darcy" bit had me laughing aloud and completely picturing the male hero in a much different way.  What a great way of describing a hero!  :)  (Thank you to Phillipa for providing this awesome picture of Richard Armitage.)

Me:  Do you have any other books that will be coming out in the U.S. that have already been published, and do you have any other books that you’re working on for the moment?

Phillipa:  Just Say Yes is being published by Sourcebooks in June – it’s probably a bit lighter and funnier than Carrie, more of a romp and a stab at reality TV culture. It has a blond, uncompromising, working class hero who was a real challenge to write. After that I have my fingers crossed for the publication of a new longer book featuring a history-loving heroine who has no past of her own and a tortured modern day aristocrat who share a romantic island castle

Me:  I can't wait!  I will definitely be picking them up!

Thanks again Phillipa!  Your books are a real treat for this overworked high school teacher.  In fact, they make me want to escape back to the U.K. and can’t wait for the day that I can travel back over for a longer visit.

Phillipa:  Becky, it’s always a pleasure and thank you for such interesting questions. I’ve loved answering them and would love to meet you if you come over here in future.

Phillipa Ashley

Me:  I can't wait to get back over to the U.K. for a visit and would love to get in touch.  Thanks for such a great interview and for sharing more about your books with us.

Honestly, I can't recommend Phillipa Ashley's books enough.  She has great, romantic-comedy meets British Chick Lit.  There is substance to her writing and a great escape for any reader.  Although Carrie Goes Off the Map was recently released in December, you can also check out her other two novels--Dating Mr. December and Wish You Were Here.  Happy reading!

Knowing Phillipa Ashley based her hero on our fan-favorite Richard Armitage, how does that shape your reading?  Does it change the way you view the character and make you love them more?

What great questions do you have for Phillipa?

Author Interview & Giveaway: Sharon Lathan of Miss Darcy Falls In Love

I'm excited to be hosting Sharon Lathan today, and I had a chance to ask her some questions that I'd been dying to ask!  With her daughter's recent wedding, I don't know how she finds the time to do all that she does, but I'm so excited to have her here today.

As the author of Miss Darcy Falls in Love and five other great Darcy saga novels, help me welcome Sharon!

Question:  How far do you see yourself writing into the Darcy series?

To be honest, and I know this will disappoint some people, I do not see myself writing past Dr. George Darcy’s story, which is what I am working on currently. Never say never, of course, but I really want to explore other options. I want to create characters that are 100% mine. Maybe it is a need to prove myself. Yet it is also a decision from a career standpoint. I can reach a wider audience with a novel that is not Austen related. Nevertheless, I do love these characters and somehow doubt they will let me go so easily!

My Response:  Well, you can always come back and write one that might jump out at you!  If not, I'll definitely check out your other adventures.

Question:  Without giving away anything too big, what other book ideas have you tossed around in your mind?  (Just curious. )

Well, aside from completing Dr. Darcy’s tale, I have 3 ideas for Regency romances that I have already shared with my agent. He loves them! I intend to expand on those, write a few chapters when I can, and see where that leads. I have also tossed around a couple contemporary ideas that I would someday like to tackle. More of me needing to prove myself capable, I guess!

Question:  What other characters in Pride and Prejudice would you like to see come more to the forefront in the story, maybe in the future?

 I have long wanted to write a better future for Charlotte Collins. I have spun ideas from time to time, but never taken it further. I feel she is okay in the life Austen gave her, however my romantic heart thinks she could do better! I also have a slight sympathy for Caroline Bingley and thought it would be fun to see another side of her. I really love the children I gave Darcy and Lizzy, all of them terrific characters IMHO that I would like to write about someday.

Question:  With your daughter’s wedding coming up (Congrats!), how does that affect your writing and do you etch out specific times to work on it?

To be honest, currently I am so focused on the wedding and the release of Miss Darcy Falls in Love that I have little free time! By the time this interview posts the wedding will be over and hopefully all my blogs written so that I can enjoy the release experience and seriously attend to my WIP.

*FYI--Sharon's daughter actually got married on 11/4th.  Congrats!

Question:  What other authors have you come to know and gotten tips from as a writer?

Oh so many! My first exposure to a collective of writers was the Casablanca Authors and we are still great friends. They are my go-to gals. Now I also have the fabulous Austen Authors that are my buddies and support. I have been blessed to meet so many terrific writers. Some have become friends and others I have only listened to at conferences or shared short conversations with, but all who have taught me about this business in various ways. And I cannot forget my local chapter of the RWA, the Yosemite Romance Writers. I love being a part of a fellowship of writers! Nothing compares.

Question:  Who would you still love to meet?  (Author or publisher)

 Of those I greatly admire I would love to meet Karen Marie Moning. Hopefully I will get lucky at the Romantic Times Convention next April. *fingers crossed*

My response:  That would be pretty awesome!  If you do, you'll have to share with us.

Question:  As we head into the holiday season, what are your wishes?

 I wish for a relaxing season filled with loads of family get togethers, as I always do, but this year especially because in March my daughter and her new husband will be moving to Maryland. Next, I have to admit that I am wishing most fervently that Miss Darcy Falls in Love will be a raging success! That would certainly be a fabulous Christmas present. Lastly I hope for extreme peace and quiet so I can get back to work on Dr. Darcy’s novel. I miss that fella.

Thank you so much to Sharon for stopping by today!  If you haven't yet checked out her books, Miss Darcy Falls in Love is a great book to try out.

Synopsis of Miss Darcy Falls in Love--

Noble young ladies were expected to play an instrument, but Georgiana Darcy is an accomplished musician who hungers to pursue her talents. She embarks upon a tour of Europe, ending in Paris where two very different men will ignite her heart in entirely different ways and begin a bitter rivalry to win her. But only one holds the key to her happiness.

Set in post-Napoleonic Empire France, Miss Darcy Falls in Love is a riveting love story that enters a world of passion where gentlemen know exactly how to please and a young woman learns to direct her destiny and understand her heart.

Excerpt--

    “Forgive my boldness, Mr. Butler, but I find I am curious as to what you do plan to do with this education? Not to align myself with Lord Essenton’s discouragement, since it pains me greatly to imagine your talent wasted and never shared with those who appreciate fine music, however, I can, to a degree, comprehend his reasoning.”
    Sebastian did not answer immediately. He stepped onto a fallen log, tossing the shreds of bark from the twig he had been stripping into the bushes that covered the descending slope of Fourvière, and stared solemnly at the distant horizon. Georgiana began to fear she had angered him and was preparing to apologize when he spoke.
    “I ask those questions of myself frequently, Miss Darcy. I regret my father’s attitude, wish he were more understanding and supportive, and even feel angry upon occasion. Yet, logically, I know he has a point. What can I do with this… gift? Will I ever be able to use it other than to entertain my family and our guests?”
     The question hung on the air, Sebastian finally tossing the mutilated twig over the edge and turning to look at Georgiana, his gray eyes hard as slate and his voice firm. “I may not know my entire future, Miss Darcy, but I do know that someday I will be Lord Essenton, with an estate I love as my responsibility. I will have a wife and children. I will serve in the House of Lords. And I will play and compose music. I cannot separate and deny portions of who I am and all that is central to my happiness,” he finished with a shake of his head.
    They stared at each other for a long stretch. Sebastian’s countenance was as serious as she had ever seen. Gone was the amused twinkle that perpetually lit his gray eyes and the characteristic lilt to his full lips. Suddenly he appeared years older than three and twenty, intense and sure. It was as if he strained to communicate nonverbally to her, sensing that she would understand his heart. And the oddity was that she did, at least to an extent. As a woman with a set future before her, indulging in pointless whimsies, no matter how passionately felt, was easily tempered.
    Or were they?
    For years her dreams had been invaded with desires for more. Denial became second nature, knowing that for her, those dreams could never be realized. Mr. Butler, however, was a man, thus having no reason to reject his passions or accept inevitabilities.
    She nodded, holding his gaze. “I do understand, Mr. Butler. Perfectly. I applaud your persistence. Perhaps it is my naïveté and optimism, but I think your father will eventually understand and be as proud of you as the others in your family.”
    “Perhaps,” he agreed. “Someday.”


Sharon’s Bio--

Sharon Lathan is the best-selling author of The Darcy Saga sequel series to Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. Her previously published novels are: Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, Loving Mr. Darcy, My Dearest Mr. Darcy, In the Arms of Mr. Darcy, A Darcy Christmas, and The Trouble With Mr. Darcy. Miss Darcy Falls in Love is Georgiana’s tale of love and adventure while in France. Complete with a happy ending. In addition to her writing, Sharon works as a Registered Nurse in a Neonatal ICU. She resides with her family in Hanford, California in the sunny San Joaquin Valley. Visit Sharon on her website: www.sharonlathan.net and on Austen Authors, her group blog with 25 novelist of Austen literature: www.austenauthors.com

To win a free copy of Sharon Lathan's wonderful book Miss Darcy Falls in Love, leave a comment or question for Sharon, along with your email address by next Saturday, 11/26 by midnight.

Author Highlight & Blog Post: Heather Lynn Rigaud of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star

This week I'll be posting a review of the newest Pride and Prejudice remake, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star.  As part of the review, I had the great opportunity to ask the author a few questions and am excited to have Heather Lynn Rigaud here to share her post with us!

One of the things that I really wanted to know had more to do with the writing process and what she expected out of her audience.  Let's face it.  People can either really love a great remake or feel pretty upset that their sacred original was manipulated.  I happen to love remakes and modernizations (obviously), so having the chance to hear from Heather about how she approached her own retelling with that in mind was really interesting to me.  I hope you enjoy her discussion as much as I have!

Thanks for having me here, Becky. I'm delighted to have a chance to write about my book, Fitzwilliam Darcy Rock Star. I was asked about my target audience and if I wanted my readers to connect my book back to the original Pride and Prejudice.

Fitzwilliam Darcy Rock Star was originally written for, and posted on, a Jane Austen Fan Fiction board called the Hyacinth Gardens. It's possible some of your readers remember it. That board was started specifically to be a place where writers could share their work in a safe and supportive atmosphere, where creativity and risk-taking was strongly encouraged. I think it's very telling that several published writers got their start in that incubator.

So, it was pretty clear that I wanted a good connection to Austen's work. I read and re-read Pride and Prejudice as I was planning, plotting and writing, to keep track of where each character was emotionally, as well as the conflicts going on outside their heads. I worked hard to find modern equivalents to the important plot points.

Famous proposal scene from P&P 2005

My goal was to find modern ways to describing the class difference between Darcy and Elizabeth. Much of P&P is all about class- Elizabeth's family is socially inferior to Darcy's and he goes on, at length, about this in his terrible first proposal at Hunsford. These days, it's very hard to find ways of illustrating class differences. But I felt that fame and celebrity was one of those ways.

I tried to make my work something of a variation on a theme. I tried to be creative, while keeping with Austen's themes of class difference, and societal boundaries. Darcy is famous, from a famous family; Elizabeth is talented like Darcy, but hasn't achieved fame, her family is successful, but not famous. Darcy recognizes that Elizabeth's band of 'up and comers' might use his band's fame to improve their situations, and he feels he needs to protect them from her and her friend and sister. Much like how Darcy felt he needed to protect Bingley from Jane in Pride and Prejudice.

So there are the similarities, but it's also very much my story. Readers looking for stiff, formal interactions are going to be disappointed. These are very modern people, living a very high drama lifestyle. While readers will easily be able to spot the Hunsford proposal or the visit to Pemberley, I tried to make these guideposts to be as organic to the story I was telling as possible.

A good example is Jane becoming ill at Netherfield and needing to stay there to recover. This scene is really highlights how much things have changed from the Regency, because being so sick that you're unable to get 3 miles to your home simply makes no sense at all to us. So, looking at the fact that the characters are all performers, I changed the situation to one in which Jane is concussed from a bottle that's thrown at her head while she's onstage. Storywise, it serves my purpose of giving Darcy and Elizabeth a reason to be talking to each other. Austen fans will recognize what it is. And people who haven't read Austen won't realize I'm basing it on something else and wonder what I'm writing about.

I find it's very telling that in my first two blog reviews, one review said "She kept to the original so well" and the other said, "This isn't Austen". I hope that means that I've managed to walk the line between an update of the work and a fantasy based on the work. (I had a similar feeling of success when I posted the Hunsford scene and half my readers were mad at Darcy and the other half was mad at Lizzy.)

Heather Lynn Rigaud

This is much more technical than most of the posts I've written on my blog tour, and I hope your readers don't find it very dull. While I did put a great deal of thought and planning into the story, I also tried to make it fun and exciting. I feel this is the framework that's behind the pretty stuff in the front.

Thank you for giving me a chance to talk about my thought process on writing this story. I'm looking forward to your reader's comments and getting a chance to see what they think.  

(Highlights included by One Literature Nut.)

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Thank you so much to Heather Lynn Rigaud for sharing a bit more about how she came up with her modernization of Pride and Prejudice.  I appreciated learning more about your writing process and will say I didn't find it dull at all!  Without giving away too much from my review, I will say that fans of the original will definitely sense the pacing and emotional tensions of the original, while enjoying this completely original story and characters.   Thanks again Heather!


Fitzwilliam Darcy Rock Star was published on September 1st, so check it out today.

Author Highlight: Maria Hamilton

Yesterday I posted my review of Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman and today I wanted to post a little about Maria Hamilton, the author.  I had a chance to ask her a few questions I've been thinking about, especially in connection with these Austen-related novels.

One of the things I've been wondering about is how our Austen authors come up with their ideas?  What sparks their interest so that they can find their own in-roads into these famous stories?  Here is some of what Maria Hamilton shared:

I have been a lifelong Jane Austen fan, rereading her novels with regularity.  About ten years ago when websites devoted to her books started to appear on the Internet, I began to become interested in Pride & Prejudice sequels and variations. The inspiration for my novel, Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman, came from the flash of image I had of Darcy and Elizabeth in Hertfordshire at a large dinner with their heads bowed deep in conversation.  From that picture in my mind’s eye, I was motivated to write a story where circumstances would allow Darcy and Elizabeth to be in company slowly getting to know each other.  In Pride & Prejudice, Austen never allowed them the time to interact in such a manner once they overcome their preconceived objections and prejudices.  Instead, it is a luxury left only to Mr. Bingley and Jane during the early days of their courtship.  I had read many wonderful Pride & Prejudice variations, but none seemed to capture that moment of courtship.  As a result, I felt compelled to write a story where I could place Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in various social settings and see how they behave.

In order to accomplish my goal, I introduce the reader to Mr. Darcy immediately after his rejection at Hunsford.  He begins to evaluate Elizabeth’s rebukes of his prior actions and decides to correct his mistake regarding Jane and Mr. Bingley much earlier. Doing so is harder to accomplish than he imagined and he is forced to return to Hertfordshire.  He asks Jane for a private interview in order to determine if she still has feeling for Mr. Bingley and Mrs. Bennett assumes that Darcy has come to court Jane.  Once Darcy is thrown into Elizabeth's company again, he vows to show her, by every civility in his power, that he that he can be a gentleman worthy of her esteem.  As Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy become reacquainted, he pursues her and a courtship evolves during a series of dances and dinners as they attempt to see each other without their prior misunderstandings.

While my story focuses on the dialog between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth and their developing intimacy, I also wanted to see how the characters would react in some of the scenes that I wished were in the original book, but are not.  For instance, I wanted to explore how Darcy would ask Mr. Bennett for permission to marry Elizabeth, Darcy’s confession to Bingley that he was in love with Elizabeth and had wrongly separated him from Jane, Caroline learning that Darcy had asked Elizabeth to marry him (twice), and Darcy and Elizabeth transformations from suitors to husband and wife.  In doing so, I wanted to keep to Austen original intent but give the characters enough the room to act in new ways. I will let the readers be the judge.

Here's a little about Maria Hamilton:

Maria Hamilton has been a lifelong Jane Austen fan.  Her first novel Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman was published by Sourcebooks in May of 2011.  She is presently working on several projects including a new Pride & Prejudice variation. She attended Boston College where she earned a B.A. and then a M.A. in history.  She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School and presently works as an attorney in Boston.  Her interests include travel, cinema, the Red Sox, and bicycling.  She is perpetually learning Italian and hopes one day to attempt a complete conversation.  She lives in southern New Hampshire with her husband, two children, and her dog Poseidon.

If you are interested in Maria’s writing style, she has two Pride & Prejudice short stories available on the internet at http://www.austeninterlude.org/maria/maria.html. 

Thank you to Maria Hamilton for stopping in "One Literature Nut" and sharing a little bit about herself and her interest in Pride and Prejudice.  I, for one, hope to see more stories out in the future!

Author Highlight: Sherman Alexie

This is one of those posts that I've stewed about for over a month, mulling over the details and information I wanted to share. You see, last month I had the wonderful opportunity to go hear Sherman Alexie, famed author, speak at King's English Bookstore in Salt Lake City. Alexie made a comment/joke about graduate students that approach him with reverential awe, and even though my grad schools days are a handful of years behind me now, I will admit to a certain reverential excitement to my attendance that night. Even I laugh at myself, but I can't begin to say how excited I was to be able to attend his reading and signing.

In graduate school, I actually focused my research on Native American & ethnic literatures (more specifically, the teaching of such texts). Through my time studying these texts, my major professor at the time gave me the wonderful opportunity to go with him into his undergraduate, ethinic literature course and teach Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. In preparation, I poured over his work, reading his essays and poems, and marking the discussion points from the novel that I wanted the students to grasp. It was in this process, that I stumbled across his essay, "Superman and Me," which I still frequently take into the classroom so that I can discuss sentence construction and language. Was I a huge fan going into his visit here? Um...considering how many hours I spent studying, writing, and teaching his texts, I'd say that's a big YES!

Alexie was born in 1966, a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, and grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. He was born with water on the brain, and had to have surgery for it at the age of six months. In his appearances, and in books such as The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian (which I read and reviewed this summer), discuss or include his experiences with hydrocephalus. Alexie attended high school off of the reservation, and later went on to Gonzaga University, later transferring to Washington State University.

Alexie first began his writing career by writing poetry. His first two volumes of poetry, The Business of Fancydancing and I Would Steal Horses, were both published, and are heralded by many authors, teachers, and readers. He has since worked on film, Smoke Signals, and published a lengthy list of novels that have received much notice and acclaim. Some of the novels he has written include: Reservation Blues, Indian Killer, and Flight, not to mention his books of short stories and poetry, The Toughest Indian in the World, Ten Little Indians, and War Dances, to name a few.

Much of Alexie's work is filled with an irony and humor that can't be passed up without asking someone nearby to, "listen to what I just read." I've literally been known to call up friends and family while I'm in the middle of reading one of his poems or narratives, to share something I thought was poignant or downright hilarious. More often than not, it was the amazing humor and depth of understanding in explaining cultural difference that has me always coming back for more. Literally, I can't get enough of his work.

At the book signing, I will say that his humor was colorful, and had me blushing a couple of times and looking around to see other people's response to his insights and jokes. He is a great speaker, and doesn't shy away from politics, culture, or gender. In short, I found him captivating in his honesty, and I will admit to laughing A LOT during his reading and introduction. (Below is the one picture I was able to salvage from the book signing. I had the person behind me in line snap the picture with my iPhone, and as happens, the camera moved while snapping the photo, so we're all blurry and crazy looking. Fun, but not good enough to post!)

For more information on Sherman Alexie, to read his essays or poems, or to get more information on his published works, see his official website ShermanAlexie.com for details. Also, for prices on his books, see Sherman Alexie's Amazon Page.

Soon to follow, I will be posting my review of his most recent collection of short stories and poems in War Dances. I even have an extra copy and will be hosting a giveaway, so stay tuned!

Author Highlight: Sharon Lathan

Several months ago when I first wrote that I was in the process of reading Mr. and Mrs. Darcy: Two Shall Become One (here was my final review as well), author Sharon Lathan left me a message! I'm not even all that sure how it happened after that, but we shared comments with one another, and a couple of really lovely email. This summer, Sharon even suggested that while in Hawaii, I be reading her book on the beach and get a chance to share it with people I would meet there--which actually did happen, although the woman I talked to didn't really even know about the original Pride and Prejudice...I know, how could you not? Hopefully I introduced her to several good books to check out! Needless to say, our communications have been really nice, and I've loved the sweet things her husband has had to say as well.

As a Jane Austen fan, I have come to realize that I really do enjoy revisiting my favorite reads, and find that it doesn't change my love for the original in any way. For this reason, I have really enjoyed Sharon's novels, which includes Loving Mr. Darcy, which came out just yesterday! In preparation for the release of the novel, I sent Sharon a few questions that I was curious about, and wanted to share with you her comments and insights!

First, I was curious about her writing process, and how she mapped out what she saw happening for the Darcys. Knowing that there are more books to come, I suppose I'm curious about what she is considering while she's writing.

Writing this saga has been an organic process. By that I mean, I have my general goals in mind (a happy, realistic life) and the specifics of how that unfolds occur to me as I go along. As I research Regency and Derbyshire history, scenes appear in my head. As I write the drama coalesces. I try not to be too rigid, as I prefer to feel the story as it naturally flows.

Along with this, you'll notice in Loving Mr. Darcy a wide range of historical facts and information. I couldn't help but wonder how she came up with the streets and landmarks for London, as they play a prominent role in this novel.

Certainly imagination and creative license always plays a part. However, I carefully researched London of 200 years ago. I poured through literally hundreds of photos or drawings of places about the city. Surprisingly if one is patient a drawing or map can be found even if the building no longer exists or has drastically changed. Old maps are usually easy to find as well. I have one from 1827 that I printed so I could have a hard copy. There are uncounted numbers of website devoted to historical information, so with persistence I was able to hunt down details, getting as near to my time setting of 1817 as possible.

Finally, my more analytical side has been dying to ask Sharon for the longest time what she hopes we get from her continuation of the Darcy's story, as well as what she felt we can learn from them. I know that sounds like a pretty odd sort of question, but I always tend to think that there is something we gain from these characters, and wanted to hear her perspective on it!

There’s a reason I call my books “The Darcy Saga.” My story is of an unfolding life. It is thematic, not a singular plot driven tale. Also, I would love to be able to reach more readers right away and tell them, loud and clear, that it is a happily-ever-after story! Then they would be disappointed to discover it is not filled with trauma and tragedy!

The number one “lesson” I am trying to impart is what a marriage can be if two people strive for it. Beyond that, I truly only want my readers to enjoy themselves as they read a fun, romantic book. If they learn a bit about relationships, history, and anything else, that is a nice bonus!

As far as reader enjoyment goes, I know that I have thoroughly enjoyed escaping into Sharon's novels. Beyond a story that I really want to read more of, Sharon's writing style is purposeful, and stylistically fits the Darcy's story perfectly. For me, this continuation story has been a wonderful escape, and a great lesson in possibilities. Thanks Sharon! I can't wait to read the next installment!

For more information on Sharon's books see: Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One (Mr & Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy) and Loving Mr. Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley.

Author Highlight: Mia King

I've never done an author highlight before, but thought it would be a great new addition to my blog. I should start off by mentioning that I don't generally go after authors, as I'm much too star struck and amazed at their talents to bother them (since I genuinely do think that by contacting them, that I'm bothering them). However, after getting more involved in book blogging, going to a book signing, and having a couple of authors contact me for reviews or posts I've written, I now feel a bit more confident that they really are people who are excited to have people read their books and who let them know it. Interesting, right? Why would anyone enjoy hearing good things about their work, right? Such a bother! Just kidding--we love it. So, this has led me to post this initial "Author Highlight" to share.

Who--Author: Mia King
Where--Resides: Big Island, Hawaii
What--Books Written: Good Things (Feb. 6, 2007); Sweet Life (Sept. 2, 2008); & Table Manners (Aug. 4, 2009)
Blog/Author Site: National Bestseller Mia King
Social Media: Mia can also be found on GoodReads, LibraryThing, Twitter,...see Contact Page for more details.
Where I Come In: About a year ago, I ran across a copy of Good Things perched on an easel set up on the "What's New" shelves at my local library. The cover looked interesting, and I wondered what were the "good things" the title hinted at. The fact that the book is about a professional woman whose life crumbles about her, sounded like something I could wrap my head around. The main character went from being a TV lifestyle guru, to a woman without a job or prospect. I know the premise sounds familiar, but I have to say that the protagonist's age (40), the fact that she cooks amazing delights (recipes included in the book), and that there is a good bit or real-life angst to keep you reading, really grabbed me.

From the first moment, there was something about Mia King's writing that grabbed me. I still haven't quite put my finger on it, but I can say that she has this writing voice that is so clean and crisp, that it really grabbed me. The teacher side of me wants to grab a pen and sit down with her writing to see if I can figure out how she's managed to write with such clarity! For me, it was refreshing (possibly because I can't write that way and would like to), and it kept my focus on the story. Needless to say, I loved it and passed it on to my best friend, who also really enjoyed it. The only bad part...my non-cooking best friend asking, "So, would you make these scones???" (Yes, there's a scone recipe in the book, among many others!) I also just bought another copy to give to my trainer here in Hawaii, who told me she doesn't read (gasp). The tables turned for once, and I scolded her about not reading and told her I'd bring her a book. Now my trainer will have "homework" to complete!

I've since read her next novel, Simple Life, which was gut wrenching in a lot of ways. This second novel is very true to the heart of women, and gets at all we sometimes sacrifice in a marriage and as mothers. Although I'm not married, and I don't have any children, King's writing style grabbed me again and kept me reading. As a side note, this is the only book so far that is set in Hawaii. I actually thoroughly enjoyed watching the character in the novel adjust to the "real" living she had to do. Outside of resorts and the tourist experience, it is quite different, which I absolutely love, but it is different than what you first experience upon arriving!

Table Manners comes out in one week from tomorrow, on August 4th. I'm delighted to say that I entered a giveaway on Mia's blog, crossing my fingers that I would win (it was the one I MOST wanted), and actually did come up the winner! Mia had also asked in a blog post about what you most like to see in a giveaway from an author, and I'm not sure how many of you feel about it, but I'm just thrilled to get the book! I have had lovely little notes stashed in the package before though, and those mean the world to me. She was so nice, had read my post on that blog entry, and sent the most lovely card. So, as part of my author highlight, I wanted to thank Mia King for this lovely giveaway (picture of the prize below--signed copy of Good Things, signed ARC of Table Manners, and various pens, bookmarks, key chain, and candy). I am just in the process of reading Table Manners, and can't wait to review this follow up to Good Things. I definitely recommend reading Mia's books!


So, in the heart of Mia King's wonderful giveaway in anticipation for Table Manner's release, what do/would you like to see tucked away in a giveaway from an author? Also, do you visit author sites, blogs, etc., and if so, have you contacted an author before?