{Giveaway!} Guest Post by Amanda Grange, Regency Author Extraordinaire!

Read to the very end to learn how to enter for the book giveaway for two lucky readers!

Bio: Amanda Grange is a popular author of historical fiction specializing in creative interpretations of classic novels and historic events, including Jane Austen’s novels and the Titanic shipwreck. Her novels include Mr. Darcy’s Diary, Mr. Knightley’s Diary, Captain Wentworth’s Diary, and Darcy, Vampyre. In her latest novel, Wickham’s Diary, Amanda tells the tale of Wickham, before Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and how he became the man he is and maybe, if he could change.

A novella!

After reading and loving A Darcy Christmas last year, in which Amanda Grange contributed a Chrismas novella, I knew I had to read her newest novella out this spring, Wickham's Diary. I really enjoyed this fun book, and you can read my review at The Burton Book Review.

Every once in awhile an author gets a guest post topic requested by the blog host.. and this time we asked Amanda Grange (Austen Sequel Author Extraordinaire!!) about how she would go about convincing die-hard Austen fans of the merits of Austen sequels.


Please welcome Amanda Grange with her thoughts:

Hi, and thanks for inviting me along today to talk about convincing die-hard Austen fans of the merits of Austen sequels. Perhaps surprisingly, a lot of die-hard fans don’t need convincing. They love Austen’s novels, they love her characters and her plots and they’re eager for more. They know I’m not Jane Austen, but they appreciate the trouble I take to make sure my Austen diaries are accurate and take into account everything Jane Austen said about her characters. Of course, my books also go into the realms of interpretation, but (with the exception of Mr Darcy, Vampyre) I go to great lengths to make sure they capture the spirit and the letter of the originals.

If readers still aren’t sure, I tell them about the way in which the diaries fill in the scenes we hear about in the originals but never see. In Mr Darcy’s Diary, we see Darcy going to Ramsgate and finding that Georgiana is about to elope; we see him follow Wickham and Lydia to London and arrange their marriage; and we see events after Darcy and Lizzy’s marriage, when they settle down at Pemberley.

With some of the books, I write the back stories of the characters as well, and this gives fans a view of things they have never seen before, things which are only glimpsed in the originals. This means they get to read something new, which at the same time feels familiar because they know that Austen provided the template for it. For example, in Captain Wentworth’s Diary I spent almost the first half of the book writing about Anne and Wentworth’s initial courtship, which took place before the start of Persuasion. Everything in Captain Wentworth’s Diary fits in with what Austen told us about Anne and Wentworth’s past, but it’s turned into a large section of the book, instead of the few paragraphs we have in Persuasion. I did the same thing with Colonel Brandon’s Diary and I particularly loved doing this because he has such an amazing back-story, full of heartbreak and tragedy. By the time I’d written it I was in floods of tears, and by the time I finished the whole book I really felt he deserved his happy ending!

Wickham’s Diary is a little different to my other books. It’s not a full length novel like my other diaries, it’s a novella, and it’s a prequel to Pride and Prejudice. It starts when Wickham is twelve and ends with his attempted elopement with Georgiana. I wanted to write the novella because I was intrigued by the fact that Wickham and Darcy started life as boyhood friends but later became implacable enemies. It gave me a chance to write about Wickham as a boy and a young man, and to see Darcy at those times of his life as well. So Wickham’s Diary gives die-hard fans a chance to revisit some of their favourite characters in new situations, which at the same time ties in with everything Austen told us about the characters.

A bit more of Amanda's work:
Darcy's Diary / Mr Darcy's Diary
Mr Knightley's Diary
Captain Wentworth's Diary - Editor's Choice, Historical Novels Review

Edmund Bertram's Diary
Colonel Brandon's Diary
Henry Tilney's Diary
Wickham's Diary - a novella
Mr Darcy, Vampyre - nominated for the Jane Austen Awards..

and now for the Grand Finale!!! Sourcebooks is graciously offering two lucky followers of HF-Connection a free copy of Amanda Grange's newest release, Wickham's Diary! This is open for US & Canada followers.

To enter:
1. Be a follower of this blog, and leave your email address in the comment.

For an extra entry

+1 Facebook this giveaway with a link back here.
+1 Tweet this giveaway with a link back here.


Giveaway is Closed! The winner will be contacted via email shortly!

Finding Emilie by Laurel Corona

Please welcome author Laurel Corona, announcing the impending arrival of Finding Emilie.

My third novel, FINDING EMILIE, is coming out one week from today, and I am so excited! The people who have seen advance copies have loved it, and the reviews have been great so far.

It’s based on the real-life story of Emilie du Chatelet, a French Enlightenment mathematician and physicist who lived in the decades just before the French Revolution. One of the great contributors to understanding of Newtonian physics, she published little in her lifetime because she was a woman. Today, those who have heard her name usually know only that she was Voltaire’s lover. They lived together for fifteen years at her absent husband’s remote ancestral estate close to the border with the semi-independent Duchy of Lorraine (Emilie’s husband didn’t mind, because Voltaire was renovating the chateau with his own money--such were the times!) Though far from the excitement of Paris, Voltaire could quickly get out of France if his writing got him in trouble with the censors.

Emilie was a bit of a wild one, whose three great loves were “study, gambling, and greed,” but her fourth proclivity, tempestuous love affairs with whomever pleased her, caused her to become pregnant at the unheard of age of forty-three. She paused from her great translation and commentary on Newton’s Principia Mathematica long enough to deliver a daughter, but six days later, within hours of putting the sealing wax on her greatest work and sending it off to the French Academy of Science, she complained of a headache and within hours she was dead.

FINDING EMILIE is the story of that daughter, Lili, whose own independent streak both confuses and exhilarates her. Kept from knowing most of the details of her mother’s scandalous life, as her own future closes in around her--a loveless, aristocratic marriage and the abandonment of her own identity and life goals--Lili sets out to “find” Emilie, discovering a story that is far beyond what she (or the reader) imagines. And it’s all true!

I hope you enjoy “finding” Emilie du Chatelet as much as I did. If you are a library book reader, I hope you will ask your library to put FINDING EMILIE in its collection. If you are an e-book reader, it’s available in all the major formats. And if you like holding your own copy in your hands, right now Amazon is offering it for only $8.56 (close to half off). That price is unlikely to continue after the pub date. I’ve been told it will be on front tables or racks at Barnes and Noble for a couple of weeks, so you can find it easily there, or my favorite option, patronize your local, struggling, independent bookstore.

Thanks again for all your support. I’ll try to keep writing interesting books for you!
~~
Thanks to Laurel for allowing us to post this.. she will also be back later this month with an article.
 Her books can be found at online retailers at the following links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository
Borders

Pitching Book Bloggers: Guest Post by Diane Saarinen

As a book blogger at The Burton Review for over two years, I've come across all kinds of pitches from authors and publicists. Some are welcomed, some are not geared towards my tastes. My blog is specifically tailored to certain genres, and when I get pitches for books that are not in my realm, I ignore them. Some authors just don't know how to look for our review policies. But some authors are pushy, self-righteous and quite frankly, rude in their own efforts to promote. Last month, I had the opportunity to participate (and vent!) in a survey for the Saima Agency who then compiled some key facts that are available in ebook format. Click here to view more details. Diane Saarinen of the Saima Agency wanted to share a few thoughts about what she found out from that survey, and she also welcomes any comments for discussion from bloggers and authors!

The Back Story of Best Practices: Pitching Book Bloggers

by Diane Saarinen

How can there be a whole back story for a little tiny ebook like the one our agency put out, Best Practices: Pitching Book Bloggers? That’s a fair question. But I’m here to tell you there is one and I hope to entertain you in the next few paragraphs.

I have been a blog tour coordinator for the past three years. Which means I work as a liaison between authors and bloggers so when a new book release comes out, it can receive maximum exposure in the blogosphere. My communications are as much with bloggers as they are with authors. And over the years, I feel I’ve gotten to know bloggers quite well. I keep up with what bloggers are reading, how their kids are doing, how their pets are faring. I genuinely love this interaction! I also can place myself, at times, in the shoes of bloggers as I volunteered a few years back for the excellent online publication Her Circle Ezine as Blog Producer. In this capacity, I would endeavor to match topics to bloggers, schedule these posts, and – in a pinch – roll up my sleeves and even write a few blog posts myself. And as a writer myself, I’ve been published not only in Her Circle Ezine, but Quiet Mountain: New Feminist Essays and Women’s eNews Daily. An essay of mine appears in the anthology, Working Women: Stories of Strife, Struggle and Survival (SAGE, 2009).

Is this guest post turning into a feminist treatise? Maybe. I will say this: I don’t know the statistics but it appears to me that most book bloggers are women. And anecdotally at least, women seem more predisposed for relationship-building; for giving freely of their time; and in general doing all these great things that we associate with the book bloggers.

But, let’s remember something. Book bloggers for the most part are not monetizing their blog. They are not getting paid. Reading – and reviewing books – is a hobby they are passionate about. Through the grapevine (i.e., Twitter) I began to hear more and more about bloggers grumbling about well-meaning publicists, even authors, taking advantage of their kind natures. By this I mean: sending unsolicited books. Or allowing insufficient lead time with review requests. What about requesting bloggers’ stats? To me, that’s just rude!

Well, now it’s clear I’ve gone off on a tangent. What does this all have to do with the e-product, Best Practices: Pitching Book Bloggers? In March 2011, our agency set up a survey that 30 book bloggers answered quite frankly about what constituted a good pitch and a bad pitch. The answers, to me, were amazing. One of the best summed-up examples of a pet peeve I read in the study was: “I know you say you don’t review self-published books, non-fiction, or Christian books, but I have a great Christian self-help book that I’ve published myself!” Publicists and authors, we can do better than this.

BIO: Diane Saarinen can be found at the Saima Agency which specializes in author services such as book blog tours, virtual assistance, copywriting and book trailers. Their ebook, BEST PRACTICES: PITCHING BOOK BLOGGERS is available here. Please note the e-guide is free to all bloggers. Just email info [at] saimaagency [dot] com with your blog URL for a complimentary copy.

Book Review: Elizabeth I: A Novel by Margaret George

Previously posted on The Burton Review:

Elizabeth I: A Novel by Margaret George
Hardcover: 688 pages
Publisher: Viking Adult (April 5, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-0670022533
Review copy provided by the publisher, with many thanks!!
The Burton Review Rating:







Margaret George is one of those iconic historical fiction authors that even if you have not read her books, you have heard of her. I have been collecting her books but have not been able to read them as they look so daunting in size. This year, fans are treated to another tome by Margaret George as she brings us a novel on Elizabeth I. This is not your ordinary Elizabeth I novel for two reasons: 1. It is written by Margaret George. 2. It begins in 1588, when Elizabeth is fifty-five and about to face the Spanish Armada.

I was ecstatic when I realized this was not another rehash of Elizabeth's life from Thomas Seymour's pats on her butt to her struggles during her sister's Mary's reign, though it does cover the rise and fall of the Earl of Essex in detail. I was then overly ecstatic when I realized that this novel also features Lettice Knollys, whom Elizabeth liked to call the she-wolf. My Enemy The Queen by Victoria Holt was one of my favorite Tudor reads and I loved Lettice as she tried to out-maneuver Elizabeth every chance she got. The rivalry was heightened when Lettice married Elizabeth's favorite, Robert Dudley the Earl of Leicester.

Elizabeth I: A Novel read very much like the Dickens' favorite A Christmas Carol. We see through the aged Elizabeth's eyes the ghosts of the past from her parents to her favorites who flit in and out of her consciousness; the present with the younger courtiers who no longer have anything of value to Elizabeth except their looks; the future of England because of course this Virgin Queen left no heir for England. The decisions of the past and the present and how they affect the future of England are also an underlying theme for Elizabeth as she struggles to maintain her hold on the country that she married for richer or for poorer. The Spanish Armada was always a threat, and even though she was able to defeat it in 1589, by the time Spain had rebuilt its forces to strike again, Elizabeth's most trusted advisors and the strongest fighters and nobles had withered away.

Elizabeth hated most of all Lettice Knollys, who had secretly married Elizabeth's perhaps one true love Robert Dudley. Lettice was like Elizabeth in many ways as far as stubbornness and force of will, but promiscuous Lettice lacked the self-control of the Virgin Queen. Lettice was also the mother of Elizabeth's next favorite after Robert Dudley, the Earl of Essex Robert Devereux. In and out of this story of Elizabeth we are treated to chapters devoted to Lettice, as she struggles in vain to regain all that she has lost since Robert Dudley's death. Her one shining hope remains with her son the Earl of Essex, as he hopes for favors from Elizabeth I to help sustain his family. Robert Devereux is headstrong and unruly, and both Lettice and Elizabeth had difficulty with restraining Robert's self-destruction, and this spiral of love and hate between the Queen and Essex became interwoven into the novel as a major theme.

There were many names and titles, and a few Roberts as Robert Cecil is also featured here. There were even surprising occurrences behind closed doors, including the famous Will Shakespeare. The cousins descended from the Boleyn family are a strong part as the old loyal favorites of Elizabeth who always stayed loyal. And yet there were always some who were tired of Elizabeth's Protestant ways as more religious strife occurred with both Catholics and Puritans. The crisis in Ireland and the years of crop failure are another focus as Elizabethans struggled to maintain the Golden Age. The wax and wane of Elizabeth's reign is well known to Tudor fans, but I have not read any novels that actually spotlight their entire work on the wane of Elizabeth's life such as Margaret George's does here. Names of courtiers are weaved in and out of the story like our own old friends, so that those readers familiar with the Tudor era will feel right at home without getting another monologue of the backstory of each person. It is only for that reason that newbies to the Elizabethan era may find themselves lost in the vague comings and goings of the important people of Elizabeth's time, but as a lover of Tudor fiction I appreciated it as the minute details are lightly touched upon as a refresher.

The first person point of view of Elizabeth (and intermittently Lettice) seemed spot on.. the face on the outside to her subjects being different than the thoughts swirling in her head; slightly sarcastic and witty in her aging years even though she seemed a bit shocked that she was as old as she was. The magnificence of this tome is the way that George encompasses the era, without leaving out the other minor and major players of the court. This novel is by far the most human look at Elizabeth that I've ever read as the author brings Elizabeth to grips with her legacy that includes her executed mother and her tyrant father. I especially loved the secret garden scene at Hever Castle.

 This is a very detailed book and even though it is fiction I felt like I was being educated during the read. I loved this look at the last decade of Elizabeth's reign, and admired the amount of facts and the imagery that were blended throughout the story. This is the epitome of a well-researched book, and since it was enjoyed on so many levels it would be remiss if you did not include this latest Elizabeth I novel on your Tudor bookshelf. Elizabeth I: A Novel is an absolute must read for Elizabeth I fans, as this novel is a fitting tribute to the woman and Virgin Queen that seemed to outwit many of her enemies and always made sure she was above reproach. This one is certainly going on my Favorites of 2011 post.

Other pieces that I recommend that deal with the fall of Essex and his relationship with Elizabeth are Elizabeth & Essex: A Tragic History by Lytton Strachey and  The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, a 1939 movie featuring Bette Davis. Also, I have yet to read The Walsingham Woman, by Jan Westcott, about Frances Walsingham married to Phillip Sidney first then the Earl of Essex. Frances is mentioned a lot in George's novel which is why I include Westcott's here. And as mentioned before, there is Victoria Holt's My Enemy the Queen which I loved. 

I am also beyond excited to be able to see Margaret George speak for the Arts & Letters Lectures held at the Dallas Museum as part of her book tour for Elizabeth I. You can buy tickets via the museum if you want to hear her speak and get your book signed. I hope to see you there, or you can visit this link to see if she will be coming to a town near you!

Book Review: The Raven Queen by Jules Watson

This review is a cross post from The True Book Addict blog.

The Raven Queen by Jules Watson
finished reading on March 11, 2011

My thoughts:

Epic...this is the word I choose to describe Jules Watson's new novel.  Jules takes the legendary Irish queen, Maeve, and weaves a tale around her reminiscent of other legends like Beowulf or Queen Boudicca.  I was drawn to Maeve like no other.  I love strong female characters and stories built around them and this is definitely Maeve's story.  Maeve, and really all the characters, are so richly drawn, I almost felt part of the story.  And the magical side of Erin, the four kingdoms--the Sidhe (Shee), the fairy folk or Otherworld beings--is so intricate and mystical.  Not since The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley have I been so entranced by this side of a story.  Set in 100 BC, the story tells us that strong female leaders have been around for a long time, perhaps since the dawn of time.  Maeve fights against insurmountable odds to take over a kingdom and rule as queen in what is most definitely a man's world.  And I cheered for her the entire time.  This is my first reading of a Jules Watson novel and I'm telling you, it will not be my last.  So please excuse me...I must go add all her books to my wish list.  You should do the same.

Book description (from goodreads):
She was born to be a pawn, used to secure her father’s royal hold on his land. She was forced to advance his will through marriage—her own desires always thwarted. But free-spirited Maeve will no longer endure the schemes of her latest husband, Conor, the cunning ruler of Ulster. And when her father’s death puts her homeland at the mercy of its greedy lords and Conor’s forces, Maeve knows she must at last come into her own power to save it.

With secret skill and daring, Maeve proves herself the equal of any warrior on the battlefield. With intelligence and stealth, she learns the strategies—and sacrifices—of ruling a kingdom through treacherous alliances. And to draw on the dangerous magic of her country’s oldest gods, Maeve seeks out the wandering druid Ruan, whose unexpected passion and strange connection to the worlds of spirit imperil everything Maeve thought true about herself—and put her at war with both her duty and her fate.

About the author (from goodreads):
Jules Watson was born in Australia to English parents. She came to fiction via archaeology and public relations, working most recently as a freelance writer in England. She and her Scottish husband divide their time between the United Kingdom and Australia.

To read more about Jules and her works, visit her website HERE

To view the entire tour schedule, visit Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.

This book was sent to me for participation in a virtual book tour.  This review is my honest opinion and I was not monetarily compensated for providing it.