And the winner is….
ALISON
Congratulations, Alison, you have won a signed copy of Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady
Email us with your snail mail address at
And the winner is….
ALISON
Congratulations, Alison, you have won a signed copy of Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady
Email us with your snail mail address at
My interview went up a bit late yesterday so today I thought I would just do a commercial (Ha! bet you thought it would be an Addendum!)
Like Sarah Palin, I’m going on a book tour, but my tour is virtual, my schedule less demanding, and my visitors, undoubtedly, fewer.
Here’s my schedule:
Dec 9 Interview on Harlequin Historical Authors Facebook page
Dec 9 Article on Regency Art on Harlequin Historical Authors MySpace page
Dec 11 Article on Regency Theatre at Romance Dish
Dec 16 eHarlequin’s Holiday Open House
Dec 27 Interview at Romantic Crush Junkies
I hope you all stop by!
I was lucky enough to have Megan and Carolyn come up with questions for my interview yesterday. Weren’t they creative asking how many research books I own? I really think they thought I would go upstairs, trip over the boxes and other junk, and count every last one of those books. Not me! I did Math. I estimated.
When I have to make up questions I lack such creativity, though. So my challenge for you today is to tell us what questions you want us to ask our guest authors. If you want me to answer any of these questions I will, but mostly I want to know what you want to know!
Don’t forget to leave a comment on yesterday’s interview blog for a chance to win an autographed copy of Gallan Officer, Forbidden Lady. I’ll choose a winner after midnight tonight.
Welcome, Diane! Tell us about Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady:
Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady is the first book in my Soldiers Trilogy. Three soldiers—an ensign, a lieutenant, and a captain—share a ghastly and distressing experience after the battle of Badajoz, an experience they agree to keep secret. It affects the rest of their lives.
Battle-weary soldier turned brooding artist, Jack Vernon, is hired to paint London theatre’s newest sensation, Ariana Blane. As this stunningly beautiful actress ignites feelings Jack thought destroyed in battle, another man has Ariana in his sights.
Thanks, Diane! And congratulations on Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady‘s release. What questions do you have for Diane? And don’t forget to visit her website at DianeGaston.com.
As if December weren’t busy enough, what with the gift-buying, early gift-returning, holiday decorating, partying, etc., this year the Framptons have been engrossed in the NYC middle school process; it’s like applying to college, only the kids are shorter and there’s no money involved.
So I haven’t done any writing.
I have been reading, however, and finding time to get coffee with friends. This morning, I was with a friend who happened to mention–not knowing what it would do to my psyche–that his wife often picks up books HE’S reading, with bookmarks and everything, and starts reading them herself. And then he proceeded to laugh at me as I noticeably freaked out at even the thought.
I accept that having to have a bookmark is my own idiosyncrasy that is not a dealbreaker for most people. But this one? OMG, I can’t BELIEVE it’s not cause for divorce (it doesn’t bother my friend, but oddly enough, it bothers his wife, because her dad does the same thing. She can’t help herself, though). If my husband did that to me–hoo boy. And it’s not just because I’m an only child! Is it?
Some people are end-readers; they have to know how the story finishes even before they’ve finished with the story. Some people have to read in order of a series (me!); others feel as though they have to finish reading a series, even if the author has swerved from what made them love the series in the first place along the way (Diana Gabaldon often comes up in this discussion). Some won’t stop reading a book, even if they don’t like it, because they feel compelled to finish. Some will give a book a certain amount of pages, or chapters, to prove itself or they’ll put it down.
What are your reading quirks? Does it bug you when people dog-ear pages, or crack the spines?
Are you tired of spoiled celebrities and nouveau riche wannabes behaving badly in the news? Yes, I know they’d fit right in with the Regency, but I’ve had enough. I can find better things to do online and I have just discovered some major timesucks that I hope you’ll enjoy too.
First, since we’re heading for Christmas, here’s a fabulous opportunity to take a look at Dickens’ editing process and enter a contest. The original manuscript of A Christmas Carol, owned by the Morgan Library and Museum, usually has one page at a time on display, but has entered into an agreement with the New York Times to photograph and display the entire manuscript, side by side with the final version, so you can compare the two.
City Blog is sponsoring a contest for readers to choose what they think is the most interesting edit and the winner will be invited to tea at the Morgan with blogger Alison Leigh Cowan (but you’ll have to get yourself up to NYC!). You can see the manuscript here.
Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in six weeks in 1843. He needed the cash, with six children and an expensive lifestyle to maintain, and his current serialized novel Martin Chuzzlewit was not selling well. The first printing of six thousand copies sold out, but Dickens made no money on it, having decided to splurge on hand-colored drawings by John Leech, a well-known illustrator.
If you’re planning a trip to the Morgan, there’s an exhibit A Woman’s Wit: Jane Austen’s Life and Legacy now through March 14, 2010 which includes manuscripts, personal letters, and related materials.
And back to Dickens–if you care to splurge on a Christmas present to yourself Sothebys is auctioning off a complete set of his Christmas books in original cloth bindings. I’ll be blogging tomorrow at History Hoydens about auctions of writers’ manuscripts and possessions, so I hope you’ll come on over and say hello.
Has anyone seen the Austen exhibit yet or visited any other museum recently? Tell us what you’ve seen! I’m planning to go to Written in Bone at the Natural History Museum in Washington DC this weekend. I visited the exhibit very briefly last summer but want to go back and linger over the bones.