Laugh Love Write

May

In the June memoir from Sourcebooks Inc., All Roads Lead to Austen the author Amy Elizabeth Smith took Jane Austen’s works along with her as she traveled to foreign countries. Her goal was to see if the magic of Jane Austen could hold its power across borders, languages and cultures.

Amy took Jane to far off countries – and Sourcebooks needs your help to take her even further! They are holding a contest called All Around the World with Jane! Join them on their Austen love fest by printing out their Jane Austen “flat Stanley.” Take pictures of yourself with Jane in your hometown or on your vacation, and submit it from April 30^th – June 30^th!

They will award the following prizes to the individuals with the most creative picture:

1 Grand Prize Winner will receive:

An E-reader with all of Sourcebooks Inc. available Austen
sequels/continuations downloaded on to it
A signed copy of All Roads Lead to Austen
by Amy Elizabeth Smith
A Skype session with Amy Elizabeth Smith

3 Second Place Winner will receive:

A signed copy of All Roads Lead to Austen
by Amy Elizabeth Smith
A choice of 5 Jane Austen sequels/continuations
from Sourcebooks

5 Third Place Winners will receive:

A signed copy of All Roads Lead to Austen
by Amy Elizabeth Smith

You can then submit your pictures on the All Around the World with Jane Facebook page or email your submission to landmark@sourcebookspr.com and be a winner of the game. Winning in this competition is just like a big winner in a game of bingo.

Here are some examples of where Jane has been already: Times Square, The Jane Austen Centre in Bath, and the Sourcebooks offices!

and here is the flat Stanley that you can print off (also available on the Facebook page).

One more thing! Barnes & Noble will be
offering this title as a NOOK early exclusive and will be offering the eBook at
$6.99 starting Monday April 30^th for a limited time!

Let’s see Jane go as many places as possible!

Category: Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Feb

Limited Time Only – Watch William Joyce’s Oscar Nominated Animated Short

Jessica @ Laugh Love Write

Click Here to Watch the Film

Category: Interesting stuff 2 Comments

Feb

And the Winners Are…

Jessica @ Laugh Love Write

Happy Tuesday everyone.

As I told the lovely winners via email, I wont beat around the bush or delay the inevitable as it were. I am here to announce the winners for the Shana Galen give away.

And the Winners are…

Lisa Richards and Sharon Abraham for the Shana Galen give away of The Rogue Pirate’s Bride.

Yay! Congratulations.

Now, the winners have 24 hours to respond to the email I sent them, and if I don’t hear back, the give away will continue and new winners will be drawn. Thank you to everyone who entered and I hope you all try again. (Winners were drawn using random.org and chosen through no decision of my own)

Category: Give Aways 2 Comments

Feb

Shana Galen Interview and Give Away

Jessica @ Laugh Love Write

Shana Galen is the author of five Regency historicals, including the Rita-nominated Blackthorne’s Bride. Her books have been sold in Brazil, Russia, and the Netherlands and featured in the Rhapsody and Doubleday Book Clubs. A former English teacher in Houston’s inner city, Shana now writes full time. She is a happily married wife and mother of a daughter and a spoiled cat and lives in Houston, Texas, where she is working on her next regency romance series.
LLW: Thanks for coming to Laugh Love Write Shana, it’s an absolute pleasure to have you… to get right to the point, how did you come up with the premise for The Rogue Pirate’s Bride?

SG:Thank you so much for having me!

The Rogue Pirate’s Bride is the third in a series about three brothers who are separated as children during the French Revolution. As I was writing the first and second books, I didn’t really know what had happened to Bastien, but when I read the manuscripts over, I noticed I had mentioned how he liked to play a pirate called Captain Cutlass when he was a boy. I decided he ran off and became a pirate. I’d always wanted to write a pirate hero.

LLW: I love knowing how authors envision their characters because everyone’s imagination is so very different, so, if The Rogue Pirate’s Bride gained a movie deal, who would you cast in the character roles?

SG:First of all, The Rogue Pirate’s Bride has not been auctioned for a movie, so if anyone reading this would like to make an offer, I’m all ears!

I think Henry Cavill would make a great Bastien. In The Tudors, he really has the look of Bastien—roguish and charming. Ewa da Cruz is an actress and the model on the cover of my last book, Lord and Lady Spy. I think she looks a lot like I envisioned Raeven. I’d want to cast William Moseley in the role of Raeven’s friend Percy. Moseley was Peter in the Narnia movies. Finally, I’d pick Jim Carter, who plays Mr. Carson in Downton Abbey, as Raeven’s father, Admiral Russell.

<—- Henry Cavill (very nice choice indeed)

Ewa De Cruz (cropped from Lord and Lady Spy book cover)—–>

LLW: Thinking about my favorite scene in The Rogue Pirate’s Bride was very difficult because there are so many great ones to choose from, maybe Raeven’s first escape from Bastien perhaps, or their first fight sequence, or gosh! I don’t know…what is your favorite scene?

SG:My favorite scene is when Raeven has sneaked on board Bastien’s ship in an effort to steal her sword back from him (that’s her story, anyway). She’s caught and Bastien tells her this is her last chance to get what she really came for (i.e. a night with him), and she says she’d rather kill him. So he basically says, “Go ahead.” It turned into a very sexy, fun scene. I loved writing Raeven’s inner turmoil in that scene.

LLW: I know the French Revolution is your favorite historical era and have done much research for your novels, did you have to research anything special for The Rogue Pirate’s Bride?

SG: Oh, yes. I had to research a lot about ships and sailing. The book actually takes place in 1802, so I didn’t need to know hardly anything about the French Revolution, which is too bad because I know a lot! But I pretty much knew nothing about naval warfare. Fortunately, my dad is a sailor and offered to help me make sense of all the books and research materials.

LLW: The 1st book in your new series The Fallen Ladies will be released in September 2012, can you tell us about When You Give a Duke a Diamond?

SG:Wow! You did your research! When You Give a Duke a Diamond is the first in a series of books about three glamorous courtesans in Regency London who get mixed up with some very dangerous diamonds and some equally dangerous men. In this first book, Juliet, the courtesan nicknamed the Duchess of Dalliance, witnesses the murder of the fiancée of the powerful Duke of Pelham. She realizes she’s the killer’s next target, and she and Pelham have to work together to protect her and find the murderer.

LLW: In your opinion, what do you think makes a good story?

SG:I like all kinds of books, but the best ones are those where the reader can really connect with the hero and/or heroine. The reader is thinking, “I’ve felt like that” or “I wish I would say something like that.” Many of us read to imagine ourselves as someone else, maybe living in another place or era, and we want that sense of escapism. A good book let’s us step into another person’s shoes for a little while.

LLW: When you are writing a book, do you still read other books? And if so, do you stay away from your genre?

SG: I am always trying to find time to read because there are so many authors whose work I love, and many of my friends are authors. I do try and stay away from historical romance when I’m writing, but since it seems I’m always working on a new book, I do sometimes read an historical while I’m working on a new book. The Rogue Pirate’s Bride is my eleventh book, so I’m a lot less worried about being influenced by another author’s voice now than I was when I had only written a few historical romances.

LLW: What do you think is the most important thing an aspiring writer should know when it comes to writing or getting published?

SG: In the words of Winston Churchill, “Never, never, never give up.”

LLW: To get to know you a little better, I have som fun flash questions for you to answer. Don’t think about the answers, just tell us what first comes to mind.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
SG: an opera singer
What was the last movie you saw?
SG: Crazy, Stupid Love
Biggest TV addiction?
SG: Downton Abbey
Guilty Pleasure?
SG: Sleeping
Fruits or veggies?
SG: Fruits
Favorite childhood toy?
SG: Star Wars action figures
What’s the worst thing you’ve ever eaten?
SG: Brussels sprouts
What’s your karaoke song of choice?
SG: Never done karaoke, but I’d probably pick something by Sheryl Crow or Jewel.

Thank you so much taking the time to answer these questions here at Laugh Love Write. Write On!

THE ROGUE PIRATE’S BRIDE BY SHANA GALEN – IN STORES FEBRUARY 2012

Revenge should be sweet, but it may cost him everything…
Out to avenge the death of his mentor, Bastien discovers himself astonishingly out of his depth when confronted with a beautiful, daring young woman who is out for his blood…

Forgiveness is unthinkable, but may be her only hope…
British Admiral’s daughter Raeven Russell believes Bastien responsible for her fiancé’s death. But once the fiery beauty crosses swords with Bastien, she’s not so sure she really wants him to change his wicked ways…
Enter for your chance to win a free copy of The Rogue Pirate’s Bride by Shana Galen

The amazingly generous Danielle at Sourcebooks Inc. is giving away one copies of The Rogue Pirate’s Bride to two lucky winners. USA/Canada only. To enter all you have to do is fill out this form and comment on this post with your answer to the following question… Who is your favorite kind of hero? (Do you fall for those nerdy guys with an incredible physique, alpha males with a dominating streak, or maybe it’s those bloodsucking vampires who get you all hot and bothered) Contest ends February 20.

Read my review of The Rogue Pirate’s Bride…here.

Category: Give Aways, Guest Posts/Interviews 18 Comments

Feb

The Elven Realm Blogger Hop

Jessica @ Laugh Love Write

I’m a day late and a dollar short (as the saying goes) but here is some info about The Elven Realm Blogger Hop from Danielle at Sourcebooks Inc. Publishing House (I will just post the email she sent me, word for word)…

Good Afternoon!

I’m pleased to announce a celebration of all things Elven! In honor of the release of The Lord of Illusion by Kathryne Kennedy this month, the third book in her Elven Lords Series, we have an exciting book blogger hop in which 7 bloggers will take you on a journey to the mythical version of England Kathryne Kennedy has created in her magical romance series.

Ruled by seven dangerously powerful Elven Lords, who use the Kind as a pawn in their wars and games, the rebellion of humans and half-breeds (half elven, half human) have joined forces and risked their lives to try to defeat the treacherous rule the Elven Lords have over their homes. In each book in this series—The Fire Lord’s Lover, The Lady of the Storm and The Lord of Illusion—brave men and women sacrifice almost everything for the rebellion… but they also fall in love along the way!

The blogger hop begins on Monday and will last until the following Monday, February 13^th. Each day you will learn about a different realm, read excerpts from the books handpicked by Kathryne, and have a chance to win fun prizes on each stop. On the very last date, Sourcebooks’ will announce the grand prize of a $100 B&N Gift Card. If you comment on the other blogs, those comments will also count in the big grand prize drawing!

You can find out more information about Kathryne at the following places:

We hope to see you along the way as we celebrate the magical world and breathtaking love stores Kathryne has created for the Elven Lords Series.

Best,

Danielle

Elven Realm Blogger Hop Schedule

Featuring the Elven Lords Series by Kathryne Kennedy

(Prizes open to US and Canada Only)

2/6 “Dewhame”—hosted by Star-Crossed Romance http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/

Grand Prize: Small Desktop Fountain + signed copies of all three books in The Elven Lords Series