LauraKenyon.com

April 11, 2014 · 8:16 AM

Fun for Friday: Fairy tale cocktails

While I still can’t partake for another few months (sigh), I simply HAD to share this fantastic post from Fairy Tale News.

Inspired by Disney heroes, heroines, and villains, Washington-based Cocktails by Cody has been creating a line of “Fairy Tale Cocktails” that, I think, look absolutely AMAZING. Instead of a handsome prince, I’ll probably be dreaming of the Evil Step Mother tonight. Chocolate vodka, chocolate liqueur, and pomegranate juice. ::Flutter::

Click on the link above for the full article and links to Cocktails by Cody’s Facebook page.

1 Comment

Filed under Distractions, Fairy Tale Spin-offs

April 9, 2014 · 1:00 AM

Interview and Giveaway with Stephanie Evanovich!

Praised by Time Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly, People, Booklist, and … well … need I go on (?) … Stephanie Evanovich took the publishing world by storm last summer with her debut novel, Big Girl Panties. I am elated to welcome her today as she opens up about her writing process, her famous aunt Janet, and her upcoming release, The Sweet Spot.

After the interview, leave a comment for a chance to win one of two paperback copies of Big Girl Panties!

Big Girl Panties is about a 32-year-old widow who tries to get her life back on track with the help of a handsome personal trainer—and winds up changing both of them in many ways. What else can you tell us about that story?

Of course, I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but Big Girl Panties is basically a story about first impressions and second chances. And by second chances, I mean the chances we take on ourselves, to break away from our own preconceived notions and all the wonderful things that can happen when we do. Both the heroine and the hero go through that transition, only from different perspectives and with different stakes.

What do think people will love most about the book? What do you think makes it unique?

Hopefully, readers will be able to relate to the comedy that comes along with the characters fumbling through self-discovery. Miscommunications, outside influences, all the foibles that accompany Holly and Logan busting out of their respective comfort zones. What makes it unique? I want to believe the voice of the storyteller. I think it’s what makes all books unique. Continue reading →

9 Comments

Filed under Author Interviews

April 7, 2014 · 7:49 PM

InD’tale Magazine helps me explore the dirty side of fairy tales

The following article was published in the wonderful (and free!) InD’tale Magazine, “serving self and small published with a romantic flair.” To read more and sign up for a digital subscription (Did I mention it’s free?), visit www.indtale.com.

When you think of “clean reads,” do you immediately picture a handsome knight rescuing a gorgeous damsel, placing her gracefully atop his snowy white steed, and trotting off to their standing-room-only wedding by the sea? Do you think of fairy tales in which good conquers all, true love never dies, and beauty (even if disguised at first) is the ultimate sign of virtue?

If so, you might be in for a rude awakening (though not nearly as rude as the first Sleeping Beauty’s, as you’ll soon find out). That’s because many of the wholesome, Disneyfied fairy tales we know and love are actually hiding much darker pasts—pasts filled with sex, violence, and terrifyingly inventive ways to kill people. Put it this way: if your kids read the original tales before bedtime, you’ll be calming their screams until morning!

I stumbled upon these grisly origins while doing research for Desperately Ever After, which takes our most beloved fairy tale characters and imagines what happened to them when the wedding bells stopped ringing. From Hans Christian Andersen to the Brothers Grimm, consider these the skeletons buried deep in the back of Walt Disney’s closet.

Fair warning: you may experience loss of innocence. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under Desperately Ever After, Fairy Tale Spin-offs, Journalism

April 4, 2014 · 1:28 PM

Sale! Get your beach read now!

In honor of spring…

and in the hopes that it sticks around…

Desperately Ever After is just $2.99 through the weekend!!

(That’s less than a grande latte at Starbucks!)

Click here for details

Summary & reviews:

Have you ever wondered how Cinderella would feel 10 years down the road, when her iconic ball gown no longer fit and she had four kids, a billion royal duties, and a husband who was never ever around?

Or what about Beauty? Once his curse broke, how long would it take for “Beast” to go right back to his old, wolfish ways?

Sprinkling women’s fiction with elements of fantasy, Desperately Ever After combines “Sex and the City,” “Desperate Housewives,” and the Brothers Grimm. At its core, the debut novel is about a group of ordinary women coming to terms with how their lives have turned out. They just happen to live in castles. Continue reading →

6 Comments

Filed under Desperately Ever After

April 4, 2014 · 9:53 AM

My tribute to a publishing heroine: Hazel Gaynor, author of THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME

About six months ago, when I was trying to figure out this whole publishing thing, I connected with a brilliant and wonderful author by the name of Hazel Gaynor. To an aspiring author, she was a beacon of hope and kindness in a world of locked doors.

By that time, her self-published e-book, The Girl Who Came Home, had sold nearly 100,000 copies and gone on to secure a re-publishing deal (plus an additional title) from William Morrow.

To me, she was living proof that an author with a good book and a dedicated work ethic would eventually find success. There may only be one Promised Land, but there are countless ways to get there.

When I reached out to her for advice with Desperately Ever After last fall, she could have easily glossed over my questions or sent me an indifferent, “Just keep at it!” But she didn’t. She took the time to answer all of my questions in-depth; she asked about my life and told me about hers; she put me in touch the brilliant Andrew Brown of Design for Writers; she introduced me to Catherine Ryan Howard‘s invaluable guidebook, Self-Printed; she offered to be my second-ever author interview on Skipping Midnight (after the also wonderful Heather Webb); and she has continued to support me in this brand new life that I’m determined to make work.

Hazel was the first of many writers I’ve since met who’ve completely disproved the notion that this industry is filled with cutthroat, uber-competitive people who are only out for themselves.

This past Tuesday, William Morrow released the “new and improved” edition of The Girl Who Came Home. Below are the Amazon summary and link. I just purchased my paperback copy (the original is on my Kindle), and hope you’ll consider doing the same. Continue reading →

3 Comments

Filed under Desperately Ever After, Writing Process

April 2, 2014 · 1:00 AM

Author Interview: Holly Martin, author of The Guestbook

After working first for a bank and then as a teacher, Bedfordshire author Holly Martin found her calling when a group of role-playing educators visited her school to bring Tudor England to life. Now, in her words, she spends her non-writing time driving around the country “in my little white van, dressing up as a Viking one day and an Egyptian High Priestess the next.”

It must be excellent practice for the imagination, which she needs for her other career as an author. So far, she’s published the first installment of a paranormal young adult series, as well as a women’s fiction treat that weaves a story of laughter, loss, and love in a very unique way — through the pages of seaside inn’s guestbook.

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1. I absolutely love the premise of The Guestbook, which centers around a young widow who runs a guest house (filled with loads of interesting characters), and comes face to face with an old flame while still dealing with the loss of her husband. What can you tell us about that story?

The story of The Guestbook is told solely through the messages left in a holiday cottage guestbook. Annie, the landlady of Willow Cottage, is the main character and it is her story that is told through the messages she leaves for her guests and their interactions with her. I wanted to have a story unravel through just the messages, to have one main story running through it, but also the guests that come to stay have their own story to tell and I love that we get a glimpse into their lives too.

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

That it’s something different and unique. It’s still a love story, with humour and great characters but it’s told in a completely different way and hopefully people will embrace that. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under Author Interviews

March 31, 2014 · 5:18 PM

Check out Swide.com’s 2014 fairy tale movie guide!

Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Hermione Granger in Beauty and the Beast, Kenneth Branagh’s take on Cinderella, and –gasp– a sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman. (Why, Chris Helmsworth? Why?!) It doesn’t seem like Hollywood plans to abandon the fairy tale trend anytime soon, which makes this newbie twisted-fairy-tale-series author quite happy. (hint, hint…)

But in all seriousness, Swide.com has put together a great movie guide for the fairy tale lovers out there, complete with trailers, gossip, and a whopping dose of heartthrob pics. Check it out here and then come back to say which film you can’t wait to see ;)

1 Comment

Filed under Fairy Tale Spin-offs, Hollywood

March 28, 2014 · 10:18 AM

Author tips: A promo code for the post office

Image courtesy of Boians Cho Joo Young/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A few weeks ago, I ventured out of my little writing den to mail two copies of Desperately Ever After–one to a fellow author and one to my first Goodreads contest winner.

Like many new authors, I’d been led to believe that rising postage had made print copies prohibitively expensive to give away. And with the rise of e-books, I should avoid doing so at all costs. But as I’ve said before, there’s just something about holding a physical book in your hands. So I sucked it up and pulled out my envelopes.

After assuring the teller that I was not attempting to send any live animals, explosives, drugs, or day-old poultry, this is what happened:

“What’s in it?” she asks, doing that casual I’m-not-actually-looking-at-you thing that postal workers so often do.

“It’s just a book.”

“You want the book rate?”

My head knocks back. She actually looks me in the eye and initiates a human connection. “There’s a book rate?” Continue reading →

Author Alex Hughes: Taking a big step outside the real world

Alex Hughes’ Mindspace Investigations series has been described as a mixture of “Chinatown” and “Blade Runner.” Just days away from releasing the third a planned nine books, she stops by Skipping Midnight today to talk about the next installment … and to give one lucky reader the chance to win an electronic copy of RABBIT TRICK!

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1. You are just a few days away from releasing the third book in your Mindspace Investigations series. What can you tell us about the story?

Thank you for having me on the blog! I’m very excited about the upcoming release, and of course, I’d be glad to share details. The series is about a telepath who’s a recovering addict working with the police in future Atlanta to solve crimes. In this book, Adam’s ex-fiance calls him to investigate a suspicious death at the Telepath’s Guild, and Adam finds himself juggling both a Guild case and a police case, the latter a brutal axe murder. Will he be able to keep all the balls in the air? If he doesn’t, he’ll lose more than just his job.

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

Adam is a very real character with very real problems, and getting deep in his head (and, through him, in the heads of others) is a cool experience. I love the contrast between the futuristic world (flying cars!) and the post-Tech Wars lack of computer technology, and I love getting deep into the Telepath’s Guild with all their powers and all their agendas. I also love the cop-show feel of the cases, as Adam and Cherabino fight for justice one case at a time. I try to be true to the expectations of both mystery readers and SF readers and the mix, I think, is cool.

Continue reading →