Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway: R for Rebel by Megan Mulry

Yesterday I featured Megan's fourth in the Unruly Royal series about the youngest sister Abigail, HERE.  Today, I'm excited to welcome Megan Mulry back to talk about her newest installment.

Megan:  Hi Becky! Thanks for having me at One Literature Nut.

Becky:  I'm always excited to have you here!

I have loved that your first two novels were about the male royals and now the last two are from their sisters' perspectives.  What story spark drew you to putting together these American + British royal couples?

Megan:  The first spark was this desire to do a Regency romance in a contemporary setting, and because some of my favorite Regency romances (like early Judith McNaught) had a feisty American heroine who knocked the socks off a British aristo hero, that's what I did first.

After I got the seed of the idea, I started researching contemporary British aristocrats and one thing led to another. I'd always been a complete anglophile, so it wasn't really a stretch. Throughout his life, my father sent me clippings and obituaries about eccentric Brits, and this one about the 17th Duke of Norfolk never left me.  That became the inspiration for the fictional Northrop family.

Becky:  You have such a fun social media presence on twitter (@meganmulry).  Which of your characters do you think would have an active online media presence, and which ones would absolutely avoid it?   (Just FYI, for some reason, I keep thinking all of the American ones would have one.  Why is that?!?  I don't think Twitter is totally gauche or anything, but I've thought someone like Claire, for instance, would avoid it, while many of the others might actively participate.)

Megan:  I love this question! Obviously Bronte is a total media whore, so she would be on Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Tumblr, Facebook—you name it—all the time. (I picture Max throwing her cell phone into the Thames on a regular basis).

I think Devon would probably have a secret Twitter account so he could stalk everyone without having to actually put himself out there.

Sarah would have a business account for the shoe company, but I don't think she'd feel totally comfortable with the self-revelatory nature of that kind of social media; maybe she'd have a Tumblr with lots of shoe shots from fashion shows and awards dinners.

I think Claire would actually thrive on Pinterest; her love of color and design and fabrics is a perfect match for that. One of my childhood friends who reminds me of Claire--temperate, creative, loving--surprised me when I learned about her very extensive social media presence.

I think Abby would hate it all. She barely carries a cell phone, except to sext Eliot, and I think she'd inherently dread putting herself before her cause for any reason. Eliot probably has some super stylish twitter account with a mix of cool philosophical sayings and candid pictures of Italy and Paris and Miami mixed in, with about 300,000 followers.

I think Ben would say, "I'm too old for Twitter."

Becky:  Oh my goodness, I love it!  :)  If it wouldn't take an inordinate amount of time, I'd love to see an account from any of these characters.  To be honest, the end of R is for Rebel had a nice spot for some blabbing on social media by some of these folks and a few others!  It would have been hilarious to see what they were thinking.

Megan:  Thanks so much for having me!

Thank you again so much to Megan for stopping in and sharing a little bit more with us about her Unruly Royals series and R is for Rebel.  Check out the series and this newest release.


About the Author:

Megan Mulry writes sexy, modern, romantic fiction. She graduated from Northwestern University and then worked in publishing, including positions at The New Yorker and Boston magazine. After moving to London, Mulry worked in finance and attended London Business School. Mulry is a member of RWA. She has traveled extensively in Asia, India, Europe, and Africa and now lives with her husband and children in Florida. Her latest book is R Is For Rebel, out now.

Now for a little giveaway:  
I'll make this simple this time around!  Do you have a thing for British royals/aristocrats in a story or not and why?  Respond to this simple little question before Monday, February 17th by midnight (MST) with your response and email address for the chance to win one copy of R is for Rebel, U.S. & Canada only.

Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway: In Love Again by Megan Mulry

Last week I posted a review on Megan Mulry's third in the Unruly Royal series, In Love Again.  Book three is a great "second chance" love story and adds a nice twist to the previous stories, with this book being told from the perspective of the royal (although, I can't say that seems to throw things off much in this case).

Here's a quick blurb about In Love Again:  

 

The Marchioness of Wick is about to get a second chance at life...whether she wants it or not. After twenty years in a loveless marriage to a duplicitous British aristocrat, Claire Heyworth Barnes finds herself broke and alone. Encouraged by her dynamic American sisters-in-law, the shy royal decides to start over in New York City. After landing a job with an interior designer, Claire reconnects with the first-and only-man she ever loved, Dr. Ben Hayek. Can they build a new love from an old flame? Or will a bitter past and a complicated future stand in their way?


Today, I'm excited to welcome Megan Mulry to my blog for a chat about her newest book!

When you started writing these books, did you anticipate writing about a different person in the family, their royal, and picture their individual stories?

 

 Yes, when I first sat down to write Bronte (A ROYAL PAIN), I knew I wanted to write a book about each member of the British Heyworth Family and the American they fall in love with. I don't really plot, but focus much more on character development (What type of person is this? How will they react in this type of stressful situation?) and then once I've got their personalities sorted I throw them together and let the story unfold. (Then lots of revisions and edits!) So I guess I picture them as people more than I picture their stories, if that makes sense.

Claire was an interesting mix of aloofness and vulnerability.  I really liked that Claire is a little older and with a little more life experience than some of the our younger characters.  Do you think that older characters, like Claire, deal with different emotional issues than younger characters (in terms of romance)?

 

Yes, but I think it's more than that. This book is different because Claire is different: whether I had told the story as an NA (New Adult) when she was 17 or as it is now, with her 38, it would have had the same tone. I thought about this question a lot and it gave me a sort of epiphany. I realize that each one of my books--even though they take place in the same fictional world and are told in third-person by the same narrator--ends up reflecting and projecting the characteristics and personality of the heroine. A ROYAL PAIN is neurotic and ambitious and eager, just like Bronte is. IF THE SHOE FITS is sparkly and young and bold, like Sarah James. IN LOVE AGAIN is softer--meditative and tender--just like Claire. I think my books are so character driven that it would be impossible for me to tease out the heroine's perspective from the actual telling of the story. (R IS FOR REBEL, my February release about Abigail Heyworth, further proves this point. She is going through some major soul-searching and her story totally reflects that.)

Benjamin is a dream.  I really loved that he remembered her all those years from when they first met.  He also seemed so incredibly vulnerable and scared of her, which was such a crazy combination.  How did you develop Benjamin?  Any fun tidbits about him?

 

 *sigh* I loved him too. Writing an older hero presented some different challenges. I wanted him to be established, to have built a good life, otherwise I don't think he would appeal to the heroine. But he also had to have lost sight of his dreams along the way (wanting children and a strong family life), in order to give him so much vulnerability. I have a few friends who really wanted children and for one reason or another never had them. I think this is a really universal feeling of regret and it just sort of came into my mind (and I think my fabulous editor Lisa Dunick may have pointed it out). Ben needed more motivation than just being divorced and lonely. (For the record, I also have a few friends who are childless by choice and perfectly happy about it…always feel like they deserve a mention too!) In terms of fun tidbits, about a year and a half ago, I had emergency oral surgery and I went to a new dentist and he was such a lifesaver. (And handsome!) I decided then and there to make my next hero a dentist. Which was also a fun challenge because for some reason lots of people think, "Dentist? How are you going to make a dentist sexy?" (Uh…in the usual way, lol.)

Yes, I think you completely succeeded in making Ben, the dentist, sexy!  :)

 It was nice to see Claire connect with her daughter, and Benjamin be a role in her life as well.  Do you think that the daughter will appear in later novels down the road now that she is more present in her mother's life?

 Lydia, Oh Lydia! I am still very much on the fence about writing Lydia's story. I would love to write an interracial romance with her and Alistair; I think we need WAY more representations of interracial relationships in fiction and in all media for that matter. The thing that is holding me back is my fear that Lydia's story will be very bitter--with her history of drug abuse and probably other forms of self-abuse. Yes, she's on the mend, but I suspect she's going to be careless and mean to Alistair and I just don't know if I have the heart to go through that. He can handle her, of course. And recovering drug addicts totally deserve their HEA, so… Ugh! See? Can you hear me developing their characters as I write this? This is always how it happens! Basically, I'm afraid Lydia's book could cross a line into depicting the horrors of drug abuse that I'm not sure I am ready to cross just yet.

I want to thank Megan Mulry so much for stopping by today and for chatting with me about her newest release! 

 

Now for a little giveaway:  

Tell me about your first love!  Do you have a first love, and do you know what happened to them?  Would you ever want to meet back up with them?  Respond to this fun little question by Monday, December 9th by midnight (MST) with your response and email address for the chance to win one kindle ebook copy of In Love Again, U.S. only.

Dewey's Readathon: Finish Line--Late Post

Yes, I finished up the readathon. I stayed up so much later than I every have before, this time making it to 4 am.  To be honest, I was nearly delusional though, which made me feel old and irritated at said "oldness."  Why?  Because I've always been somewhat of a night owl, who could stay up until all hours of the night through most of my teens and twenties.  Gone are those days!  *sigh*  Yep.  I'm an adult, and this confirmed it.


Anyway, besides feeling old and tired...  I really enjoyed myself.  I read some great books and rotated my way through quite a stack.  When you rotate, you don't necessarily finish very many, but I think read quite a bit. 

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?  11am to 1 pm???  I got SO sleepy that it was ridiculous.  I then hit the wall again right before I fell asleep around 4 am.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?  The Chocolate Thief by Lora Florand was such a great read!  I started it late afternoon, and it took me through some rough hours into the night.  I was pretty determined to finish it last night, but found myself asleep with it at 4 am.  It was so good though, that I woke up, grabbed the book, and finished it this morning/afternoon!  The thing about that book was that it transported me to Paris (which is always great), THEN, it kept talking about these amazing chocolates--which was a torture unto itself.  The relationship in the book had me flipping pages too though, so it was kind of an all-round perfect read for a readathon as it kept me going for quite awhile.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?  Really, no.  I have so much respect and appreciation for all of those who put it together and volunteer their time.  THANK YOU so much! 
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?  It was awesome, and I so appreciate all that everyone did to help make it a success!
5. How many books did you read?  Technically, just TWO, but because I rotate books, I probably read a third one.
6. What were the names of the books you read?  Insurgent by Veronica Roth and Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella.
7. Which book did you enjoy most?   The Chocolate Thief as mentioned above.  It was such a fun read!
8. Which did you enjoy least?  I don't think I had a least favorite read this year...
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? N/A
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?  I will always participate, when I can!  I'd love to participate in a mini-challenge again in the future.  I haven't done one in awhile, but I'd love to jump back in and do one again, if I can!  :)

Thanks again to all of those who put this together.  We all appreciate you guys SO much!

Just FYI, don't forget to check out my giveaway of James Dashner's newest book The Eye of Minds!  It will be running this week and I'd love to get you all in on the giveaway.   The publisher is offering two free books this week, which is awesome!  It really is a great read, so go check it out!

Book Giveaway: The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Yesterday, after posting my review of James Dashner's amazing new read The Eye of Minds, Random House contacted me with an amazing offer to pass along to my readers.  They are offering two free copies of The Eye of Minds, and here's all you need to do to enter:

•  Go to twitter and follow @jamesdashner
• Enter in a comment below and just say hello!  Please make sure you leave a current email address so I can contact you.
• The contest is only open in the U.S. and will close next Friday night, 10/18 at midnight (MST)

Join in today!  I'll be back to announce the reader on 10/19.  Good luck!

Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway: Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

I know I've been a bit silent around here on my blog (all work related), but I have read some mighty AMAZING books lately that I can't wait to share.  Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson came out on September 10th and was one of those books that I have been passing around to friends and neighbors, and just about anyone who I can get to listen!

Today I'm excited to be the next stop on a Blog Tour for Julianne's newest book Blackmoore, and I really can't say enough about it, so let's get to it.

About Blackmoore:  "Kate Worthington knows she can never have her heart’s desire and so believes she will never marry. But Kate’s meddlesome mother has other plans. Kate journeys to the stately manor of Blackmoore on the cliffs above the seashore, where she must face the truth and the man that has kept her heart captive.

Set in northern England, Blackmoore is a Regency romance that tells the story of a young woman struggling to learn to follow her heart. With hints of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, Blackmoore is a page-turning tale of romance, intrigue and devotion."

Review:  Here is a book that is so good that it makes writing the review almost too hard to write. Do I need to pull out an old fashioned ink and quill to do this time period novel its due credit?    In some ways, there is nothing short of a good old fashion I loved it that will work.  Julianne Donaldson has written a heart-rending romance that cannot be called sweet, and yet it is sweet; it cannot be called tragic, and yet it can be tragic; it cannot be called gut-wrenching, and yet it is gut-wrenching; and it surely cannot be called tear-jerking can it, and yet I definitely spilled many a tear reading this tear-jerking romance.  It was that good.

What can I say about this glorious novel?  Written with an Austen-esque/Bronte feel to it, Donaldson has captured all that is dark, brooding, and lovely about a Regency and Romantic period novel--and some that you didn't know that you missed.  Kate Worthington, as our main heroine, has sworn off marriage and has looked to India as the next frontier for adventure.  But as any reader knows, young ladies are expected to marry, and marry young and well.  Thankfully her dear friend Henry Delafield, the next in line to own Blackmoore, has grown up with Kate and knows her heart and her deepest desires.  Surely this "adventure" to India is misguided?  Although he is returning to Blackmoore to get engaged to his own fine young lady, he has invited Kate back to visit Blackmoore with him and his sister, hoping to uncover what might be behind her plans.

The novel, from beginning to end, is nothing short of a complete joy to read.  There are moments you think you know what is going to happen, and moments you know so until things change.  Regardless, I found myself shedding tears and loving these characters so thoroughly that I kept flipping pages back to the beginning to remind myself of things they had said in previous conversations.  On the whole, this novel was a pure delight to read and one that I felt sad to conclude.  It was one of those books that I almost wish I could unread, just so I could have the experience of reading again!

Giveaway Details!  Now, if YOU would like a chance to win one copy of this great read from the publisher, here's what you need to do.  First, go to facebook and "Like" Julianne Donaldson's facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/DonaldsonJulianne  Second, just leave me a friendly hello below w/ your name and email address so I can contact you if you win!  The giveaway will run through 9/25.  I will email the lucky winner personally.  (Sorry, this giveaway is U.S. & Canada only.)

Author Details:  Julianne Donaldson grew up as the daughter of a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. She learned how to ski in the Italian Alps, visited East Berlin before the wall came down, and spent three years living next to a 500-year-old castle. After earning a degree in English, she turned her attention to writing about distant times and places. She lives in Utah with her husband and four children.

Thank you so much to Shadow Mountain and Julianne Donaldson for the opportunity to review Blackmoore.  To check out other reviews, giveaways, and stops on the tour, visit the Blackmoore Blog Tour site at Shadow Mountain's site.

Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway: Emma: A Latter-Day Tale by Rebecca H. Jamison

I'm so excited today to have the opportunity to have Rebecca H. Jamison here today on my blog to introduce her new book Emma: A Latter-Day Tale, which is a fun retelling of Jane Austen's novel Emma, but from an LDS perspective (which fits with a lot of students here in my area).  When I was approached to read this novel, I was pretty intrigued with this retelling, so I thought I'd give it a try, so thank you to Rebecca Jamison and Cedar Fort for this fun opportunity!  Also, don't forget to check out the giveaway at the end.

Jane Austen's No Excuse Approach to Writing

Jane Austen had plenty of excuses to stop writing. She lived in a time when it wasn’t completely acceptable for a woman to write novels, let alone publish them. In fact, she kept her writing secret for years, hiding her manuscripts away whenever guests arrived. She wrote multiple novels before any of her writing was published. When she finally did publish her work, she had to rely on her brother to negotiate with the publisher, and she published under a pen name. Her first published novel, Sense and Sensibility, was published fifteen years after she started writing it.

Writing itself was difficult for Jane. By her own admission, she was a bad speller. Her writing desk was tiny. Just imagine what she’d say to you if you complained that your computer crashed. At least we have ballpoint pens! Even on her deathbed, with nothing more than pen, ink, and paper, Jane Austen managed to write Persuasion and revise Northanger Abbey.

Yet there was a time when Jane didn’t write much. During the years she lived in Bath, perhaps because of poverty or discouragement, she wrote very little. Later, when she went to live with her brother, she could have told herself that she hadn’t written in years and that it would be silly to go back to it. Thankfully, she chose to write.

Those of us who write have many of the same excuses. Though it’s now acceptable for women to publish novels, it’s not really acceptable for anyone other than a published author to admit she’s writing a novel. We’re luckier than Jane, in that we have word processors, laptops, and other technology to help us write. What we don’t have is time. It takes ingenuity and sacrifice to fit writing into a busy schedule. And, like Jane, we writers can easily fall victim to discouragement. One day of not writing can easily turn into years. The moral of Jane Austen’s story for me is this: Write anyway.

Rebecca H. Jamison Biography

Looking for love? Rebecca H. Jamison would love to set you up with that special someone, but you’re better off reading her books. She has a terrible track record as a matchmaker.

Rebecca grew up in Virginia. She attended Brigham Young University, where she earned a BA and MA in English with an emphasis in creative writing. In between college and graduate school, she served a mission to Portugal and Cape Verde.

Rebecca enjoys running, dancing, reading, and watching detective shows. She and her husband have six children. You can learn more about her at  

www.rebeccahjamison.com

Book Summary for Emma: A Latter-day Tale

Title: Emma: A Latter-day Tale

Author: Rebecca H. Jamison

ISBN: 978-1-4621-1260-9

Price: $16.99/$19.99

256 pages

Short Blurb: Emma's her name and matchmaking is her game! Quirky life coach Emma wants to help her first-ever client, a lonely nanny named Harriet. But all of her attempts at matchmaking result only in embarrassing miscues and blunders, leaving the pair disheartened and confused. This modern take on the Jane Austen classic shows that sometimes the greatest match is the one we make for ourselves.

Cover Blurb:

NOT Looking for Love: Single woman (23) seeks best friend to chat on the phone, shop the clearance racks, watch chick flicks, try out messy cooking projects, and eat Dove dark chocolates.

Emma isn’t so good at the whole life-coaching thing. Her first client ended up with a broken heart and is threatening to relapse in her bad habits. Now Emma has problems of her own to deal with, and all those problems start with one name: Justin.

Justin is her best friend, so it’s hard for Emma not to feel betrayed when she suspects he is falling for her childhood rival. And she knows she’s losing him despite her best efforts. No matter how much she tries, she keeps running up against obstacles. How is she supposed to help other people when she’s drowning in her own failures?

Fans of Jane Austen’s Emma will love this modern retelling of the classic romance novel. Fall in love with Emma’s latter-day tale of redemption, forgiveness, and the quest for true love.

Links

Blog:   www.rebeccahjamison.com

Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaHJamison

Youtube book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuZdfRJX8_s&list=LLIqrEppn8mTaoOdSpZk_9Jw&feature=mh_lolz

To buy:

Amazon:    http://www.amazon.com/Emma-Latter-day-Rebecca-H-Jamison/dp/1462112609

Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/emma-rebecca-jamison/1114719387?ean=9781462112609

Excerpt:

It was amazing how much more snow Phil could pick up with his shovel than I could with mine. He cleared three feet of the driveway before I was done with one.

“When we’re done, if you have time, you should come in and meet Harri. I think you two will get along.”

Phil stopped and looked at his watch. “I’m planning to do a couple more driveways before it gets dark.”

“I’ll go get Harri now if you’re in a hurry. She wants to meet you.”

Phil leaned on his shovel. “Harry is a she?”

 “Her real name is Harriet. She moved here a couple months ago and she’s hardly met anybody. I think you’ll like her.”

Phil threw his head back, laughed, and started shoveling again. “I thought you were trying to introduce me to your new boyfriend.”

“You think I would be out here shoveling snow while my new boyfriend stays inside?” I grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at him. I didn’t mean to hit him in the face, but that’s where it landed.

Phil wiped the snow off his face and grinned. “I wondered why you were dating such a loser.” I expected him to throw a snowball at me, but he just stood there. “So you don’t have a boyfriend?”

I giggled a little at his awkwardness. “Nope. Harri doesn’t either.”

Phil threw another shovelful of snow away from the driveway. “So you . . . I mean, you and your friend are . . . available?” Phil didn’t open his mouth enough when he talked. That was the one thing about him that always distracted me. I couldn’t help staring at his mouth.

I had to force myself to look into his eyes. “Why is that a shock, Phil? Every woman in that house right now is available. You can take your pick—Harri, me, or Barbara. You’re surrounded by single women.” It was safe to assume Phil wouldn’t pick me. I was at least three inches taller than he was, and it was a rare man who dated a taller woman.

Giveaway:  For the giveaway, Cedar Fort has one e-book version in Nook, Kindle, or PDF to award.  To be considered, leave a comment telling me what you are going to try not to give yourself any excuses with during the last half of the year.

Because the giveaway is digital format, as long as you can accept via these formats, you can enter!  :) Please leave a comment by next Wednesday, 8/14 by midnight and include your email address. 

Thank you again to Rebecca Jamison for stopping in today on her Blog Tour!  Don't forget to check out her other stops. You can check them out right here.  Also, stop back by later on this week for my review of her book!

Giveaway Winner: If The Shoe Fits by Megan Mulry

Thank you to everyone who stopped in to make a guess on Kate and William's baby name.  We'll now have to wait and see.  I have used Random.org to draw for the winner.

Congrats to:  

Danielle

I have sent you an email so we can get all the detail together so you can get your book!  Thank you again to everyone who joined in and stopped by to check it out.

Giveaway Winner: Miranda's Mount & Downton Abbey 2013 Calendar

Thank you to everyone who stopped in to my Miranda's Mount review and giveaway, thanks to the lovely and talented author, Phillipa Ashley.  I was excited to see the turnout and have used Random.org to draw for the winner. 

Congrats to:  

Emily K.

We will be getting in touch with and get you a copy of Phillipa's newest book release and calendar!  Thank you again to everyone who joined in and stopped by to check it out.

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!  :)

Giveaway Winner: Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Wolf Shaw

Yes, still using this pic.  I love it still, even though I'm not in Hawaii!

Thank you all for your patience as I missed the day to get this posted.  Why I ever chose a Friday to post it, I'll never know!  :) 

I am really excited though to pass along the name of the winner for the giveaway of Jennifer Shaw Wolf's great novel, Breaking Beautiful.  Thank you to everyone who stopped by to participate; I wish I had a book to send to each one of you!

Thanks to RANDOM.ORG, I drew numbers for our lucky winner, and it was

Elizabeth F.

Happy reading to you and I will have your book out in the mail to you later this week.  Congratulations!

Review & Giveaway: Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

There comes a first for a lot of things and this is one of those.  I finally had a chance to watch the dreams and hard work come about for one of my close friends from high school, Jennifer Shaw Wolf.  Jenni, as I knew her in high school, was a great friend of mine.  We actually hung out in a small group of friends who shared a lot of hilarious, good times.  As she can attest, we spent many a weekend dragging main--which makes me laugh and smile now.  Would parents let their kids do that now with gas prices sky high and crazies out and about?  Who knows, but we sure had a fun time!

Anyway, I'm so excited to get to share Jenni's novel here on my blog.  Thanks for sending over a great book Jenni.  I'm so proud of you!

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness."

Review:  In a time when teen novels are filled with pretty girls, magical powers, and popular crowds, Jennifer Shaw Wolf's novel captures a group of teens that feel more like the norm.  Allie, our main character, is flawed by the sadness and pain she carries after the loss of her boyfriend Trip.  She has a brother, Andrew, who has a disability that only draws the siblings closer together.  And Blake is the so-called "bad boy" in the story who proves to be more than what one sees.  Their story unfolds with a mystery that flashes back and forth between the present and the past, revealing even more about that fateful night when Trip died.

Since I'm not usually a mystery fan, I held my breath, and was nicely rewarded.  This is just a good story, with good writing.  I found myself flipping pages for the mere fact that I wanted to get to the heart of what really happened the night that turned every one's life upside down.  Allie is vulnerable, scared, angry, and frustrated, and yet her kindness towards the people she cares about seems to know no bounds.  It's interesting to see where that kindness takes her and how that affects her story.

In short, I really enjoyed Breaking Beautiful, with its character development, interesting relationships, and twisting plot lines.  The story is one that needs to be out there to open up the dialogue for anyone in an abusive relationship, and it is told in an interesting way.  What more can you ask for?  



Now, for the GIVEAWAY!  Enter below for a chance to win a hardback, signed copy of the novel.  The giveaway will run until 9/6 at midnight.  Good luck!
 

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon: Hour Nineteen & a Mini-Challenge Winner!

Thank you to everyone who joined in the "Me and My Book" Mini-Challenge!  For a mini-challenge later in the game, I was happy to see so many of you still hanging in there.  I drew numbers, and congrats to Jennifer at A Librarian's Library for submitting this fun twitter pic.   Thanks again!  It was fun getting all those pictures.

Now, for a quick update of my own.  I'm sure I'm like many others who started to go downhill after midnight.  We're heading towards 1 a.m. here, so it's getting a little harder stay awake.  I don't know that I should really stay up the full time anyway, as it will really mess with my sleep for work next week.  Yea, I feel like a big wimp, but it's true.  I'll stay up for a little bit though.  Let me share my stats and what I've read:

Books Read:  2
Hours Read: 6+???--I kind of lost track.
Snacks Consumed:  1--Lovely fresh fruit juice bar in Mango flavor.  Yum!
Pets Fed Because They Freaked Out That I Was Still Awake:  1
Books Finished Since Last Time:

This was a much longer graphic novel at 672 pages, but it was pretty gripping.  This was definitely no casual read.  

Well, I'm off to see what I can cover between now and when my eyes slam shut of their own accord!  Thanks to everyone who put this together or who stopped by to cheer me on.  This has been a great time!

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon Mini-Challenge: Me and My Book Mini-Challenge & Prize

Welcome!  I hope you're reading has been great so far and that you're holding out strong.  Now that we're on to hour 17, you might be getting a little tired.  I'm assuming that you've cast off the makeup and have settled into some nice, comfy clothes to finish off the challenge.  Why not hide that yawn, hold up your book, and share a picture with us?

Time to get reading Bree DeSpain's 3rd book, The Savage Grace!

Here are the challenge details:

• Grab your book
• Grab your camera
• Post your picture to your blog or somewhere else online like Twitter, Tumblr, or Pinterest.
• To be entered in the giveaway, fill out the form below, but please also share your permalinks with us in the comment section!

One participant will be selected to win a $15 gift card from Amazon.com, to be selected during hour 19.  The gift card is for the U.S. only--sorry.  Join in though and share what you're reading.  Besides, you get to hide your sleepy face!

I can't wait to see some of your pictures! 

Merry Christmas & a Giveaway Winner!!!

First off, Merry Christmas to one and all! I've been delightfully sidetracked and kept busy by family and friends.  I see salads and plenty of fruit and veg in my future to help me account for all of the goodies we've been eating, but it has felt pretty worth it for the moment!  We're staying in today, decked out in our pjs (even for Christmas dinner), and will be tucking into a stack a books later in the day.  That's my present to myself!

Also, I didn't get my Austen B-day Soiree winners posted on Friday, so I thought now would be a perfect gift to someone! 

The winner of a nice grab bag (drawn at random from Random.org) of Austen-related novels is: 

Heather M. 

Congrats!  I've sent you an email and will hope to hear from you some time after Christmas so I can get this little extra Christmas surprise off to you. 

Thanks to everyone who joined in on Jane Austen's Birthday this year and the great posts for the Austen Soiree.

Well, that's my hello on this Christmas Day.  However you spend this wonderful holiday, I hope you have a great one!

Happy Birthday to Jane Austen: Soiree & Giveaway

Happy Birthday to the amazing Jane Austen!  

Along with many other Jane Austen fans, bloggers, and authors, we want to take a moment to offer a gift in celebration of Jane Austen's Birthday.  One of the things I thought would be interesting to share a bit about today was the food that Austen would have been eating in her day.  What might have been shared around the table in celebration of her birthday?  Other than customary roasts of beef, chicken, partridge, lamb, etc., we would find lovely breads, marmalade, and soups.  What about the birthday cake?

Although the birthday cake as we know it today probably did not really gain popularity until near the end of Austen's life or just after, cakes and puddings in celebration of special occasions have existed since the Ancient Romans.  In that case, what kind of cakes existed in Jane Austen's day?  According to "The Jane Austen Centre," she might have enjoyed a Pound or Gingercake, a Boiled Pudding or Fruit Trifle, or even pie or cookie.  Regardless of the exact treat, I thought I'd share a couple of the recipe links here for you to check out and maybe try out over the holidays this year.

Here are a few:

Christmas Fruit Cake
Christmas Pudding
Just a Trifle
Gingerbread Cakes
Rich Pound Cake

Although fruit and nuts might have been more along the line of what they would have served for dessert, these delicious sweet treats were around in Austen's day and might have graced her table on her birthday, at some point. 

In celebration of Jane Austen's birthday, a number of us are going to be offering up wonderful treats and giveaways of our own. 

For the Giveaway:  I have a number of Austen-themed books that include:  The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy, Prom and Prejudice, and more!  I'd like to share these books in a nice grab bag to one person in the U.S. or Canada.  All you have to do is leave a comment, along with your name and email address where you can be reached.  The giveaway will close on December 23rd at midnight.

For other great posts and giveaways, please visit the following blogs and sites:

Sharon Lathan (Austen Author)
O! Beauty Unattempted!
Austenprose
Semi-True Stories
First Draft  (Cindy S. Jones, Austen Author)
Regency Sketches
Brant Flakes
Mesmered's Blog
The Heroine's Bookshelf
vvb32 reads
The Fiction vs. Reality Smackdown
Regina Jeffers (Austen Author)
Alyssa Goodnight
Jane Austen in Vermont
Jane Started It!
Choc Lit Authors' Corner
Reading, Writing, Working, Playing
The Jane Austen Film Club
El Salon de Te de Jane
Kaitlin Saunders  (Austen Author)
Patrice Sarath  (Austen Author)
Jane Austen Brasil
Jane Austen Sequels (Jane Odiwe, Austen Author)
Stiletto Storytime
Jennifer W. Becton
Urban Girl Takes Vermont
Pemberley Variations  (Abigail Reynolds, Austen Author)
Austen Authors
November's Autumn
My Jane Austen Book Club


Check them out!  There are amazing giveaways going on in celebration of Austen's birthday today. 

Thanks to Maria Grazia, of My Jane Austen Book Club, & Katherine Cox, of November's Autumn for hosting and putting together this great event.

Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to:

Margaret

I drew from Random.org and you're the winner of Jane Austen Made Me Do It!  Thanks to everyone who joined in the giveaway! This is a great collection of short stories, so I highly recommend that those of you who are interested in dabbling in Jane Austen stories, or are already die-hard fans to give it a try!

Thanks again to all who participated!  I loved your responses and hope to see you again.  Also, a big thank you to Laurel Ann Nattress for a lovely blog post here and for all her work on the book.

For more information on the novel, please see my review of Jane Austen Made Me Do It.

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Laurel Ann Nattress of Jane Austen Made Me Do It

I am so excited to have the wonderful Laurel Ann Nattress from Austenprose and the editor of the newly released Jane Austen Made Me Do It.  I'll be posting my review of the book tomorrow, but let me just say that Jane Austen Made Me Do It has been such a fabulously entertaining and relaxing read over the last several weeks.  When I was pushed to the wall to get grading finished, I could escape into one of the  many short stories in this compilation.  As a Jane Austen fan, this really was the perfect book for a nice escape from the daily grind.

Having said that, let me introduce Laurel Ann Nattress!

Hi Becky, it is a pleasure to be here at One Literature Nut during my Grand Tour of the blogosphere in celebration of the release of my new Austen-inspired anthology, Jane Austen Made Me Do It. One of the most rewarding aspects of editing the anthology was working with the twenty-four authors. With such a mix of personalities and styles, we were bound to get an equally varied assortment of stories – and we did! From Regency to contemporary, romantic to comical, there is something here for everyone.

One of the stories, “The Love Letter,” by Brenna Aubrey, I am particularly proud of. It was selected as the Grand Prize Winner of the Jane Austen Made Me Do It Short Story Contest that was held online at The Republic of Pemberley last January. The contest was my idea. I thought that since Jane Austen had dedicated much of her life to her craft, that fostering new writers was in the spirit of her ideals. My editor was also very excited about the project. We worked on the concept and the rules while Myretta Robens, the web mistress of our host site, created the pages and story board.

The contest ran for six weeks and we had hope for about twenty to thirty stories. Imagine our surprise when eighty-eight stories arrived! And, best of all was the variety and quality. The public had a chance to vote for the Top Ten Finalists, and my editor and myself had the difficult task of selecting the winner. I had been particularly moved by Brenna’s story the first time I had read it, and just loved it. I was thrilled when my editor revealed to me that she felt the same way and we were in agreement of the winner. The day I called Brenna at home was very memorable for me. She was so quiet when I called. I could hear the trepidation in her voice. When I finally told her that her story had been selected the Grand Prize Winner, there was silence, and then elation.

I think readers will be as moved as my editor and myself by “The Love Letter.” Here is a description:

“The Love Letter,” by Brenna Aubrey

Young doctor Mark Hinton thinks his life is perfect.  He is just about to finish his residency and has accepted the offer of a fabulous new job.  Things could not be better…  until the arrival of an anonymous letter in the mail forces him to confront the truth he’s been hiding from for seven years.

Sent on a quest by the mysterious contents of the letter, he is forced to discover the contents of his own heart thanks to Jane Austen, a canny librarian, a cantankerous patient, and a coolly observant sister.

Since the release of Jane Austen Made Me Do It on October 11, 2011, the reaction to Brenna’s story by readers has been amazing. Many reviewers have mentioned it as one of their favorites in the collection. That is especially rewarding for me. I feel like I have had a small hand in the beginnings of a talented new writers career. Jane Austen would be happy with that!

Thanks again Becky for letting me share Brenna’s story with you today. I hope that your readers enjoy “The Love Letter” as much as I did and can bask with me in my pride of playing a small part in spotlighting her talent.

Cheers, Laurel Ann    

Editor bio:

A life-long acolyte of Jane Austen, Laurel Ann Nattress is the author/editor of Austenprose.com a blog devoted to the oeuvre of her favorite author and the many books and movies that she has inspired. She is a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, a regular contributor to the PBS blog Remotely Connected and the Jane Austen Centre online magazine. An expatriate of southern California, Laurel Ann lives in a country cottage near Snohomish, Washington. Visit Laurel Ann at her blogs Austenprose.com and JaneAustenMadeMeDoIt.com, on Twitter as @Austenprose, and on Facebook as Laurel Ann Nattress.

Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature’s Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart, edited by Laurel Ann Nattress

Ballantine Books • ISBN: 978-0345524966

Giveaway of Jane Austen Made Me Do It

Enter a chance to win one copy of Jane Austen Made Me Do It by leaving a comment by Sunday, November 13th, stating what intrigues you about reading an Austen-inspired short story anthology. Winners to be drawn at random and announced on Monday, November 14th. Shipment to US and Canadian addresses only. Good luck to all!

Free E-Book Weekend!

This weekend, starting today and ending Sunday, three e-books are being offered for free:

 

Lydia Bennet's Story by Jane Odiwe

Love at First Flight by Marie Force

The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick

If you're interested in learning about other great e-book deals as they become available, go to the Sourcebooks web page and enter your name and email address in the upper right hand corner.

Happy reading and HAPPY WEEKEND!