LauraKenyon.com

March 7, 2014 · 1:00 AM

What you MUST watch this Sunday…

As the author of a series that reinvents our most beloved fairy tale characters, it’s hard not to get excited for the return of ABC’s hit series “Once Upon a Time” this Sunday.

But as a reader who is currently devouring Jason Mott’s bestselling novel THE RETURNED, it’s even harder to not shout from the rooftops (or, you know, this desk chair and my blog) that the pilot for “Resurrection” will hit the air an hour later.

Based on Mott’s novel, “Resurrection” is a product of Brad Pitt’s Plan B production company. It centers around a worldwide event in which people’s loved ones begin returning from the dead and attempting to resume their old lives–regardless of how things (and people) have changed. THE RETURNED is a remarkable book, so I expect big things from the TV series!

In honor of this momentous event, I’m beyond honored to announce that Jason will be visiting Skipping Midnight on Wednesday, March 12. You won’t want to miss what he has to say about the show, his vision, or his upcoming projects.

You also won’t want to miss his extremely generous giveaway: FIVE AUTOGRAPHED copies of THE RETURNED !

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Filed under Author Interviews, Hollywood

March 5, 2014 · 1:00 AM

Lori Rader-Day: “The mystery genre chose me”

If you don’t read The Debutante Ball blog or keep up with the publishing world, you may not have heard of Lori Rader-Day. But in just a few months, that’s all going to change–and it’s an honor to have her here before everyone else begins clamoring.

Lori’s debut novel, a mystery from Seventh Street Books, is set to be released July 8. But today, she’s offering a head start to one lucky reader. After the interview, leave a comment for a chance to win an advanced reading copy of THE BLACK HOUR.

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1. Your debut novel, The Black Hour, will be released in just a few months. I know this is a mystery, but what else can you tell us about the story?

The Black Hour is the story of a university professor, Amelia Emmet, who returns to teaching after being shot by a student she didn’t know, had never met. The story starts on that first day back. She’s been gone ten months, and the rumor mill’s been churning her over in her absence. The student shooter killed himself, so there’s no one to ask: Why her? But then she gets some help sleuthing from a far too enthusiastic grad student, and the real trouble gets started.

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2. What do think people will love most about the book? What do you love about it?

I had a lot of fun writing two narrators because Amelia, the professor, and Nathaniel, the student, aren’t really working together at all. So the reader gets to see how they’re actually getting everything wrong. And even though Amelia starts out a little difficult—she got shot, so she’s hair-trigger angry at life—I think people will like her and Nathaniel and the people who surround them. Continue reading →

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March 3, 2014 · 10:00 AM

Cover Reveal for ENLIGHTENED and Giveaway

I am so delighted to reveal the cover of Enlightened, the second book in A.L. Waddington’s Eve series.

The book doesn’t officially release until April 21, but the author is offering 20 e-book copies of its prequel, Essence, from now through March 10! Click on the code below for details.

But first, feast your eyes on this gorgeous illustration. I absolutely LOVE the colors!

Enlightened, Book2, EVE series

Click here for a chance to win an ARC e-book!

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Filed under Uncategorized

February 28, 2014 · 1:00 AM

Review of NEWSIES on Broadway: Amending sacred ground

Photo linked from Broadway.org. Credit: Heidi Gutman

A couple months ago, I posted about “Newsies,” a 1992 film that holds a sacred place in my heart because:
1) It gave me, at nine years old, my very first celebrity crush
2) The harmonies in the songs still do this fluttery, soaring thing to the inside of my chest
3) It shows the little guy defeating the giant with nothing but the power of the press

Looking at this list, I have to wonder how the film influenced my becoming both a journalist and a singer (through college but since neglected, to my chagrin). One of my best friends and fellow “Newsies” nut also happens to be a journalist. I’m not so sure that’s a coincidence.

But I digress. The point is I that was fiercely loyal to 1992’s “Newsies.” And not just to Christian Bale’s Jack Kelly with the red bandana, but to Crutchie and Racetrack and Davey and all of Brooklyn too. I knew every word by heart and for a while, “Are you a ‘Newsies’ fan?” was one of the first things I asked when meeting someone new. So when I found out that Broadway was adapting it, I was a little skeptical. Then, when I found out they CHANGED the storyline (gasp!) … SCRAPPED my beloved man Denton (hyperventilating) … and REWROTE many of the lyrics so carved into my brain (convulsing on the floor) … I was just about ready to form a picket line.

But to make a long story short, thanks to a half-price holiday deal and the desire to have a girls’ day with my mom, I found myself sitting in seat 5, row HH of the Nederlander Theatre’s mezzanine last Wednesday.

And I stand humbly corrected.

First, Corey Cott was phenomenal as Jack Kelly. Not only could his voice run circles around Bale’s (no big surprise there), but he really made the character his own. Lovable and goofy but conflicted and strong … he didn’t just try to imitate Bale’s version. Not at all. He took it and made it so much better. And with thousands of fiercely loyal fans holding him under a microscope, that is NOT an easy task! Continue reading →

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Filed under Misc

February 26, 2014 · 1:00 AM

Joan Leacott wants to give you “a smile, perhaps a bit of insight, and a sigh of romance”

If you like multi-generational stories and have ever wondered what your neighbors are up to, you might want to take a literary visit to Clarence Bay. Created by Joan Leacott, the shoreline community is the namesake for her contemporary romance series. I’m happy to welcome her here today to discuss her work.

After the interview, leave a comment for a chance to win e-copies of the first two books in the Clarence Bay series, ABOVE SCANDAL and SIGHT FOR SORE EYES.

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1. Your contemporary romance series is set in a place called Clarence Bay, “where the neighbors will keep your secrets.” Is this based on any real location? Where did the inspiration come from?

My husband and I have had a cottage on the shores of beautiful Georgian Bay for fifteen years. The nearest town for shopping is Parry Sound. Over the years, we’ve grown fond of the place, attended festivals and fireworks, done the cruises. The town is situated between the deep forest and rock of the Canadian Shield and the clear, island-dotted waters of Georgian Bay. The town has a human history spanning aboriginal settlement, through the lumber era, to modern tourism. A long history combined with awe-inspiring geography makes Parry Sound the perfect stand-in for Clarence Bay.

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2. The first volume centers around three different women, all from a different generation within the same family. What can readers expect in the second volume?

I love multi-generational stores told from multiple points of view, so that’s what I write. In Sight for Sore Eyes, a pair of scheming seniors have matchmaking on their minds. Jean is the heroine Emma’s grandmother and Horace is the hero Asher’s grandfather. Little do Jean and Horace know, they’re about to get caught in their own trap. Continue reading →

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February 22, 2014 · 1:00 AM

When your toddler knows Tolstoy better than you do…

Bassinet? Check.

Crib? Check.

Stroller? Check.

Jane Eyre for babies? You betcha!

While flipping through my issue of Kiwi Magazine the other day, hours after finally starting my own ever-daunting baby registry, I came across something that I simply had to share. It’s called BabyLit, and it’s a phenomenal way to introduce your little bibliophile-to-be to the world of classic literature.

The illustrated board books take on masters like Twain, Austen, Tolstoy, and Shakespeare–all while teaching kids how to count and identify colors. Check out the great selection of titles, almost all priced at $9.99, at babylit.com.

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Filed under Misc

February 21, 2014 · 8:58 AM

Guest Post at Jencey Gortney’s Writer’s Corner

Huge thanks to Jencey Gortney for asking me to guest post on her blog today! Here’s a taste, but you can find the whole thing over at jenceywrites.blogspot.com.

Have you ever wondered how Cinderella would feel ten years down the road, when her iconic ball gown no longer fit and she had four kids, royal duties up the wahzoo, and a husband who was hardly ever around?

And what about Beauty? After all, her husband was quite a jerk before he became a monster. Too hung up on looks to let a little old fairy in from the rain! Once his curse broke, how long would it take for “Beast” to go right back to his old ways? When would he realize there were a million other “beauties” in the sea … and it’s good to be the king.

These are the kind of questions that can drive a girl crazy. And as someone who can’t watch a movie without making a million “that-would-never-work” remarks, they’ve been driving me crazy for years! Click here to read the full article at jenceywrites.blogspot.com

New Canaan’s first female editor rethinks ‘happily ever after’

Here’s a link to the great article that appeared in last week’s New Canaan Advertiser. It’s Desperately Ever After’s first official press, so please forgive me for being giddy ;)

1 Comment

February 20, 2014 · 11:35 AM

February 19, 2014 · 1:00 AM

Arabella Stokes: Lawyer by day, romance writer by night

Lawyer by day, romance author by night, Arabella Stokes is a prime example of what it means to be a writer at heart. Come what may, she MUST write! She even has a name for the alter-ego muse who simply won’t let her rest until her ideas have been put down on paper.

Her first novel, PROOF OF LOVE, is a Georgian era romance (as opposed to Jane Austen’s Regency). After the interview, leave a comment for a chance to win an e-book copy of PROOF OF LOVE!

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1. You published your first book, a historical romance, in February 2012. What can you tell us about that story?

Proof of Love is a Georgian-era romance, which is a little bit unusual. Most of the ‘cravats-and-foxhunts’ romances are set in the Regency era, which Jane Austen made so popular. The Georgians were the generation before the Regency, so we are talking Mr. Darcy’s parents or grandparents — the big white wigs, the huge panniered dresses, and colorful velvet-and-satin clad gentlemen. The Georgians were a bit more earthy and less inhibited than the Regency crowd, so that is fun. At the same time, the Georgian era was a time of scientific discovery, religious questioning, and political change. The Georgians brought you the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the Declaration of Independence and Declaration of the Rights of Man, the first movement for abolition of slavery, the rise of social reform and philanthropy movements, and so much more. A nobleman in the Georgian era was likely to be a scientist, philosopher, or political reformer. Not just the men, either — Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire (played by Keira Knightley in the movie The Duchess) was active politically, supported scientific endeavors, and was quite the scandal in a way Regency and Victorian society would not have accepted. Continue reading →

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Filed under Author Interviews

Aside

Where to find me this week — and Desperately Ever After’s first press!

Check out luxuryreading.com for a feature about Desperately Ever After and a giveaway.

And if you live in the NY/CT area, snag a copy of this week’s New Canaan Advertiser (on news stands through February 26). Reporter Aaron Marsh did a terrific job capturing the essence of Desperately Ever After–and proving men can like it too! My favorite line: “Kenyon’s colorful imagery and often quick, lighthearted style makes it easy to keep flipping pages.” To Marsh and everyone else, I say, flip away!