Thank you to everyone who read Julie Anne Lindsey’s interview on Wednesday! Both she and I had a fantastic time going through all the wonderful comments. Quoth the author: “The response was wonderful and I am giddy happy.” :)
Congratulations go out to Kimberly and Paula, who received their copies of DECEIVED and MURDER BY THE SEASIDE yesterday. For everyone else, there’s still hope!
Filed under Author Interviews
Now that all the gifts have been unwrapped, the stockings emptied and the bellies filled, it’s almost time to get back to business. But before we return to the grind, author Julie Anne Lindsey is here to help ring in the New Year with some words of wisdom and a DOUBLE giveaway!
With a “seize the day” mantra and loads of enthusiasm, Julie is beyond passionate about her craft. In just a few years, she published nearly a dozen novels and novellas with small publishers, and recently landed a cozy mystery series with Carina Press (a digital imprint of romance giant Harlequin). She equates the “big six” publishing world to an overcrowded swimming pool, and she won’t sit still until she’s fully immersed in the water. Well, let’s hope she has a towel nearby… because it seems she’s pretty darn close.
After the interview, leave a comment for a chance to win an e-copy of either DECEIVED (young adult suspense) or MURDER BY THE SEASIDE (cozy mystery). Please specify which one you want, or I’ll assume you’re interested in either.
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For someone whose writing career only officially got started in 2011, you’ve published a crazy number of novels and novellas—ranging from romance to mystery to thriller. Which is your favorite?
Wow. Okay. That’s really hard. ::taps chin:: Um. I’m deeply attached to most of my characters and stories for different reasons, so this is an insanely difficult question! Lol. I think I’ll say the October cozy mystery release, Murder by the Seaside is my favorite at this moment in my life. I pick this story because it was an underdog. It was on submission for months and I thought it was sunk — headed to the file drawer with so many others, but my agent called and voila! Carina Press wanted it along with two sequels. So, I feel like it has a victory story.
The next installment, Murder Comes Ashore, arrives in March 2014 and the final manuscript is now in the hands of my editor. Writing this set of stories opened a new world to me. Continue reading
Filed under Author Interviews
Sometimes, the best days are those during which absolutely nothing happens. This weekend, I could think of nothing better than sitting beside the Christmas tree, clicking away on my laptop while Hubby watched football by my side and Puppy cuddled near the crackling wood stove.
Of course, if this was an everyday occurrence, I might be bored out of my mind (as it is, my mind finds resting on often impossible task). But as 2013 draws to a close, I find myself at peace and grateful for so many things: a family reconnection in Ireland, Christmas lights, an enchanted week in Kauai, a dear old friend’s wedding, an afternoon stroll with my husband and our adorable dog. But even as I say goodbye to the year that brought me those memories, I’m thrilled over the promise of 2014. Continue reading
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I hope you all have a wonderful, restful holiday filled with love, laughter, and good food :)
And seriously, do you see the similarities? Desperately Ever After was bound to happen sooner or later. Check back soon for my BIG COVER REVEAL!
Filed under Misc
I used to be a huge Broadway buff.
Whenever I saw a show (with the exception of a rare few that just didn’t do it for me), I left with a massive smile plastered across my face and palms sore from clapping so hard. In high school, I acted in musicals. In addition to my regular friends, I had a circle of “drama friends” with whom I can recall singing passionately along to “Rent” for no other reason than someone had a CD player and the soundtrack and we had nothing better to do.
As I grew up and had to start paying for tickets on my own, however, my love for musicals suffered. Who in their right mind can afford to pay $190 per ticket just to go see a Wednesday matinee with friends? Were tickets always this expensive? Are deals harder to find than they used to be?
Alas, these are questions I cannot answer. But while I ponder them, and consider whether $82.50 (including fees) is discount enough to fund the reproduction of my beloved childhood obsession, “Newsies,” I wanted to spread the word. Continue reading
Filed under Misc
I am still humbled by the action Skipping Midnight received over the past two weeks, thanks to two fabulous authors and their generosity with their books. It was wonderful meeting so many readers and listening to your stories. I cannot thank you enough for being so involved, and hope you’ll keep coming back in 2014 for more giveaways, interviews, industry news, comic relief, and — coming very soon — the big “cover reveal” for DESPERATELY EVER AFTER. (We just finished it, and I’m absolutely thrilled!)
But without further ado, allow me to announce the winners for the last two contests.
Receiving a copy of Karen Doornebos’ UNDRESSING MR. DARCY: Tawyna Bentley
Cozying up over the holidays with Jennifer Laam’s THE SECRET DAUGHTER OF THE TSAR: Denise Benson
Thanks again to Karen and Jennifer for volunteering their time to chat with me and interact with everyone who left a comment. It was a blast. Please come back any time ;)
Filed under Author Interviews, Contests
Today, the extremely talented Jennifer Laam joins us to answer some questions about her debut novel, THE SECRET DAUGHTER OF THE TSAR. It is a historical reimagining of the Russian Revolution and the fate of the Romanov blood line, as told through three fascinating women.
After the interview, leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of her book!
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1. THE SECRET DAUGHTER OF THE TSAR tells the amazing story of what could have happened if Tsar Nicholas II had a fifth daughter who escaped Russia before the revolution. What attracted you to this period of history and to the Romanov family?
I feel attracted to times of upheaval. I grew interested in Russian History during the events leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union. From there, I started reading about the first Russian Revolution in 1917 and Rasputin and the last royal family. I think I was most drawn to the beauty of their lives, at least on the surface, and the juxtaposition of that beauty with the sad state of the country politically and the family’s ultimate fate. Continue reading
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It’s possible I learned about it in school at some point, but my first memorable encounter with the Romanov family came from a 1997 animated film called “Anastasia.” The protagonist had red hair (always a plus), the songs were catchy (hello, “Journey to the Past”), and I had an embarrassingly large crush on the hero, despite the fact that he was a cartoon.
It was a fun, lighthearted movie that I later found out was as realistic as Santa Claus.
Fast forward a decade, when I stumbled upon a historical documentary about the Russian Revolution and the eventual extrajudicial killing of the entire Romanov family (from the tsar to the maid to 13-year-old Alexei). Continue reading
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Today I have the absolute honor of hosting the next leg of author Karen Doornebos’ blog tour for her brand new release, UNDRESSING MR. DARCY. I’ve mentioned in the past how much I loved her first book, Definitely Not Mr. Darcy, and am thrilled not only that she chose to make a stop at Skipping Midnight… but also that she will be giving one lucky reader a copy of her spanking new book! (Read all the way through for details.) And now, without further ado, here’s Karen!
Hello from the Floris Perfumery in London!
As an ice-breaker to each leg of my Blog Tour for UNDRESSING MR. DARCY, I’m taking you along for a ride to England, where I traveled during the summer of 2012 to do some research for the book.
Where am I on this stop? The irresistible perfumery to Her Royal Highness—Floris of London. My heroine and her friend visit this shop in a pivotal scene in UNDRESSING MR. DARCY. This is the shop where my English hero Julian Chancellor, buys his cologne, a lime-based scent that had been originally created by Floris in the 18th century. If you are ever in the St. James area of London, Floris is worth a stop! Read my book and you’ll see why ;)
I’d like to thank you, Laura, for hosting me here on Skipping Midnight.
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A bit about the book:
He’s an old-fashioned, hardcover book reader who writes in quill pen and hails from England. She’s an American social media addict. Can he find his way to her heart without so much as a GPS?
You can read the first chapter here!
Buy now at Berkley Penguin – Indiebound – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – BAM – iTunes
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On to the interview!…
1. Karen, it’s been two years since you released your debut novel, DEFINITELY NOT MR. DARCY — which, I have to say, I absolutely loved. How has your life changed since you achieved the dream? How has it remained perfectly the same?
So glad you loved my first book. Everyone seemed to enjoy the humor in that one. As for the dream, I’m living the dream…international book tours, wearing sunglasses in the grocery store so I’m not recognized…just kidding! Although, I often wear sunglasses due to the fact that I didn’t put any makeup on! My life has become infinitely busier. Writing my second book became serious business with daily word counts and just sitting down and writing—everyday. I’m still a mom who goes to my teenagers’ concerts and recitals and I still drive them around to their activities. The days are never long enough! Continue reading
Filed under Author Interviews, Blog Hops
About a month ago, Melissa Amster, founder of Chick Lit Central, asked me to participate in an interview series inspired by Cecilia Ahern’s One Hundred Names. Dubbed “52 Stories,” the year-long series seeks to prove that everyone has a story to tell by asking thought-provoking questions such as “What part of your personality is now extinct?” and “What is an experience that is legendary for you?”
I had such a great time thinking about my answers, and cannot thank Melissa enough for seeking me out. My contribution went live on Wednesday. You can read it and the 48 previous interviews on Melissa’s other blog, Merryland Girl.
And while we’re on the subject…
I am absolutely thrilled to be hosting author Karen Doornebos as part of Skipping Midnight’s author interview series next Wednesday. After devouring her debut novel, Definitely Not Mr. Darcy last year, I was delighted to find out that she was writing another Austen-themed novel following a brand new protagonist. This second Regency-meets-modernity romp, bearing the provocative title Undressing Mr. Darcy, hit the shelves on Tuesday and is already getting rave reviews.
As part of her whirlwind blog tour, Karen has also agreed to give a copy of Undressing Mr. Darcy to one lucky Skipping Midnight reader! Continue reading
Filed under Author Interviews, Contests
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