Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 274
June 5, 2013
Review: PENELOPE by Anya Wylde
4 of 5 starsWhen country girl Penelope Fairweather is invited to attend the London Season by Dowager Radclyff, she has no idea that she'll have the adventure of her young life. No matter how hard Penelope tries to be a proper young lady, mishaps and madcap adventures follow her like a bad dream. She's managed to alienate the Dowager's son, Duke Charles Radclyff, within five minutes of meeting him and he does everything he can to send her back to Finnshire much against the protests of his mother and sister.
I picked up this book during a promotion and the description was so intriguing that I started reading it the same day. The author has such a unique voice and I absolutely loved the ups and downs of Penelope while she's in London. There were so many places that I was laughing out loud at the outrageous predicaments that Penelope finds herself in. Is the plot a tad ridiculous? Yes, it is, but that's what make it such a delightful read. The Regency Period was full of so many rules for young ladies and society decorum was an absolute must that it was fun to see that period written about in a light-hearted way. The book was so enjoyable I read it in one long sitting. Suspend your beliefs for a while and delve into the zany world of Penelope Fairweather. Recommended.
I loved the author's writing style so much that I immediately purchased her other book, The Wicked Wager.
June 4, 2013
Blog Tour: ANNE OF GREEN GABLES COLLECTION
Anne of Green Gables Collection
Cover links to Amazon
by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Doma Publishing presents to you The Anne of Green Gables Collection, which has been designed and formatted specifically for your Amazon Kindle. Unlike other e-book editions, the text and chapters are perfectly set up to match the layout and feel of a physical copy, rather than being haphazardly thrown together for a quick release.
This edition also comes with a linked Table of Contents for both the list of included books and their respective chapters. Navigation couldn't be easier.
Purchase this Anne of Green Gables Series and treat yourself to the following list of works featuring the lovable Anne Shirley and written by L. M. Montgomery:
Anne of Green Gables Series, Anne Shirley's age:
Anne of Green Gables, (1908), 11-16
Anne of Avonlea, (1909), 16-18
Anne of the Island, (1915), 18-22
Anne's House of Dreams, (1917), 25-27
Rainbow Valley, (1919), 41
Rilla of Ingleside, (1921), 49-53
Related books featuring Anne Shirley:
Chronicles of Avonlea (1912)
Further Chronicles of Avonlea (1920)
Poetry Collection:
The Watchman, and Other Poems
* BONUS other works by Lucy Maud Montgomery:
Kilmeny of the Orchard (1910)
The Story Girl (1911)
The Golden Road (1913)
Note: This Series is missing Anne of The Ingleside and Anne of Windy Poplars. Unfortunately, the rights for these two books aren't yet available for Kindle publishing. To make up for it, we also included Bonus Books of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and Call of the Wild by Jack London. Enjoy!
Thank you for choosing Doma House Publishing. We look forward to creating many more affordable Kindle Classics for you to enjoy!
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June 3, 2013
Blog Tour Blast: ALL FOR HOPE by Olivia Harden
All of Hope
To protect her heart, he left her behind.
To protect her life, he’ll leave the life he's made behind.
Sometimes the safest distance between two hearts is no distance at all…
Kidnapping a baby wasn’t something Hope ever dreamed she would do. But she’s been burned by the legal system before, so when the court places her friend’s child into the custody of an abuser, she takes matters into her own hands. She steals the baby and fakes her death, hoping to make a clean getaway. She planned every detail, except one.
Her high school sweetheart and best friend, who left her years before, sees her at a gas station.
Hope thinks all is lost, until he offers to help them.
Brennan had always been the love of Hope’s life, but he never wanted to be. She knows she cannot depend on him for long. However, as each day passes, it becomes painfully obvious that she is in way over her head. She goes with him, intending to keep him always an arm’s length away to protect her heart. But being on the run together sparks the old flames that once burned between Brennan and Hope.
Families, friends, and lovers must band together to save an innocent baby and a daring woman or both of their lives will be destroyed. Together, they’ll do it All for Hope…
Purchase on Amazon / Barnes and Noble
About the Author – Olivia Hardin realized early on how strange she was to have complete movie-like character dreams as a child. Eventually she began putting those vivid dreams to paper and was rarely without her spiral notebooks full of those mental ramblings. Her forgotten vision of becoming an author was realized when she connected with a group of amazingly talented and fabulous writers who gave her lots of direction and encouragement. With a little extra push from family and friends, she hunkered down to get lost in the words. She’s also an insatiable crafter who only completes about 1 out of 5 projects, a jogger who hates to run, and is sometimes accused of being artistic, though she’s generally too much of a perfectionist to appreciate her own work. A native Texas girl, Olivia lives in the beautiful Lone Star state with her husband and their puppy Bonnie.
Connect with her Online - Blog * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook * Literary Addicts
On Sale for the Tour! Only $1.99!
Follow the Tour
We are offering up 5 Swag packs (Water bottle & bookmark Open US) & a $25 Amazon GC (Open INT).
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Interview with Tracy Falbe
Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it
part of a series?
In October 2012 I published my 8th
novel Love Lost. It is the fourth and
final book in the Rys Rising series. It’s a novel about conquest and calamity
and loyalty. It draws together numerous characters from two civilizations led
by two magical races the rys and the tabre. It’s a multiple point of view epic,
and Love Lost finishes the weaving
together of several story lines.
Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one?
Did that change the direction of the novel at all?
After 8 novels I think I’ve had it
happen more than once, but the example that is most vivid for me is Lieutenant
Cevlead Fanlyre who first appears in Judgment
Rising: The Rys Chronicles Book III. Honestly I only intended him to be a
bit player. I needed an officer in charge of a military convoy, so I came up
with Lieutenant Fanlyre. Then he started getting more lines and doing more
things. And the next thing I know I have to give him a first name because he’s
playing a pivotal role and becoming an ally of the hero. He even got his foot
broken at one point. He’s a bit of a scene stealer. I guess he was meant to be.
He didn’t change the direction of the novel. I always know where my story is
headed, but I’m always open to all kinds of things happening along the way.
Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e.
querying agents/publishers?
I started writing novels in 1997.
After I had two manuscripts ready, I started looking for a publisher. I studied
all the Writer’s Market books and queried every publisher and agent for my
genre that I could find. I did this for four years from 2000 to 2004. It was to
no avail. Back then everything was done with paper and agents and publishers
would always say you had to include postage to send back your sample chapters
or synopsis, but then no one would ever mail my materials back with the postage
I included. I had this suspicion that agents and publishers had a big scheme to
harvest postage from writers and then just use it for their own stuff. It was
so frustrating and rude. I had originally planned to give myself 5 years to
find a publisher before self-publishing, but I scrapped that after 4 years. I felt
like querying agents was a waste of my time and I had to get on with being a
novelist.
What factors influenced your decision to self-publish?
I had always wanted to start a
business but did not know what to do, so making my love of writing novels into
a business had a natural appeal for me. The number one biggest reason I had for
self-publishing was the fact that it would allow me to reach readers with my
fiction. Letting my manuscripts sit in boxes in the closet was simply not an
option. When I started publishing I had written four novels and one nonfiction
title. I couldn’t just let that keep piling up.
What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do
you like silence?
I write while listening to music
or I write in silence. I think music is a beneficial force for my writing, but
I don’t always use it. Sometimes I can’t decide what to listen to, so instead
of wasting time picking music, I just get to writing. When I’m editing I prefer
silence.
Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books
are for sale?
I sell at every outlet available
to me. I sell my fiction at my own site Brave Luck Books because I was
publishing before there was Kindle or Nook or Smashwords. Ebook retailers used
to ban self published works, so I had few options in the beginning. Now my
novels are available at:
Brave Luck Books
http://www.braveluck.com
Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/profile/vie...
Amazon Kindle http://www.amazon.com/Tracy-Falbe/e/B...
Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/tracy...
iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/tra...
Sony Reader Store http://ebookstore.sony.com/author/tra...
Kobo http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=%22Tracy+Falbe%22&t=none&f=author&p=1&s=none&g=both
OmniLit http://www.omnilit.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Tracy+Falbe
DriveThruFiction http://www.drivethrufiction.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=5363
What kinds of marketing are you involved with for promoting
your books?
I do a mix of email marketing,
blog touring, guest blogging, blogging, advertising, online news releases, and
social media. My primary content marketing platform is my blog Her Ladyship’s
Quest http://www.herladyshipsquest.com that automatically feeds into Google
Plus, Facebook, and Twitter. And I’m always looking for other blogs where I can
contribute content to promote myself.
Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between
marketing your current book and writing your next book?
Sure, it’s difficult but not
really in a bad way. Although I hope I’m a better novelist than marketer, I
actually enjoy the marketing. I like guest blogging and coming up with concepts
for my blog tours and networking with other authors. But I have to remember
that I have to save my best energy for writing. Sometimes I think it would be
nice if someone else could sell my work for me, but that’s not going to happen
so I just try to enjoy everything about the business and learn from my
mistakes.
Besides writing, do you have any other passions?
I’m really into growing food. I
study a lot about permaculture and urban homesteading. I’ve planted ten fruit
trees in my yard plus raspberries and grapes. I grow vegetables. Last year,
even with the terrible drought, my garden still yielded over 300 pounds of food
for my family. I’m really big into home canning and preserving food so we eat
everything I grow. I’m a big supporter of local food. I have relationships with
farmers in my area for poultry, pork, beef, eggs, and cheese. I like to know
that the animals I consume were not tortured in a filthy factory farm and shot
up with antibiotics and hormones. Also food is expensive, and this way I know
my money is going to the grower.
What’s next for you?
Right now I’m very slowly
investing in the recording of audiobooks. I don’t know that I’ll do every novel
but Union of Renegades is completely recorded and for sale, and its sequel The
Goddess Queen is well over halfway complete. I sell audio episodes of chapters
as they’re finished to help pay the narrator. http://www.falbepublishing.com/braveluck/the-goddess-queen-audiobook.html
I’m also working on another novel,
but I’m not ready to give out details yet.
June 2, 2013
Book Tour Blast: RIPPLE by E.L. Farris
Ripple
When high-powered attorney Helen Thompson discovers that her fifteen-year old daughter has been sexually assaulted, she takes drastic measures.
Finding herself in trouble, Helen must relinquish control and put her faith in a process she knows to be flawed. As a team of lawyers, therapists and women from a safe house help Helen and Phoebe find hope and healing, a sociopath lurks, waiting for his moment to strike.
A lyrical, dark fairytale that will resonate with fans of women's literature and psychological thrillers, RIPPLE delves into the nature of evil, without seeking to provide final answers to the issue of what makes a human commit evil acts. And while the author takes readers to scary places, she ultimately shines a light on the human condition and celebrates the triumph of the human spirit in the face of great tribulation.
Purchase on Kindle / Paperback
About: Ex-lawyer E.L. Farris is a born-again, marathon-running married mother of three who resides in Northern Virginia.
What else do you need to know about me? I talk a lot. I write a lot. I adore my husband. I adore my children. What else? Well, I run. I’ve been running since I turned 14. I started to run then and I’ve been running ever since. Whenever I stop running, I land in a lot of trouble.
I ran through a childhood that could well be described as hell. I ran through major depressive episodes and often teetered one step from the edge of a breakdown. Through running, I held onto my sanity, my sobriety, my life and my belief in God. Each step I take, no matter how physically painful, draws me a shade closer into my better angels.
And the steps have become painful over the years, which is how I earned the nickname Phoenix. Some mornings I feel like I’ve been run over by a bus and the truth is, I was. I survived a collision with a metro bus, and it’s fair to say that the accident messed me up. And yet I keep rising from the pyre of a burning fire and as I run I realize that as long as I hold the Holy Spirit inside me, my spirit will never die.
Follow - Blog /Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / GoodReads / Literary Addicts
Follow the Tour!
Tour prize -
Autographed copy of Ripple, A Tale of Hope and Redemption
Autographed copy of I Run, A Novel
$25 Amazon gift certificate
Fill out the form below to enter.
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May 31, 2013
Book Tour Blast: UNFINISHED BUISNESS by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson
Genre: Chic Lit, Paranormal
When Angela's mother Fran dies and comes back as a ghost, Angela's ordinary life turns into a carnival show, starring both Angela and her nosy, dead mother. It seems Fran's got some unfinished business on earth and she's determined to get it done, no matter what. When Fran returned, she reignited her daughter's long suppressed psychic gift, one she neglected to mention to Angela, and now Angela sees ghosts everywhere.
And they won't leave her alone.
Fran can't help but stick her transparent nose where it doesn't belong, making Angela's life even crazier. Now Angela has to find a way to keep her old life in tact and help the dead with their unfinished business, all while trying to keep her dead mother out of trouble. And it's a lot for one woman to handle.
Purchase Unfinished Business:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
About the AuthorCarolyn Ridder Aspenson is a freelance writer based in Cumming, GA. She lives with her husband and three children, two dogs and one cat. Carolyn doesn't see ghosts, but swears she'd be okay with it, as long as it was only during daylight hours.
Follow the author:
Website | Facebook | Twitter
Ends 6/16/13 Open to US residents
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May 30, 2013
Review: SHADOW OF NIGHT by Deborah Harkness
4 of 5 starsIn this second book of the All Souls Trilogy, Matthew and Diana travel back in time to 1590 in the hopes of finding a teacher who can unlock the secret of Diana's magic and to find the elusive Ashmole 782 manuscript. Trying to pass as an Elizabethan woman proves challenging for Diana and she begins to attract unwanted attention. Matthew is more than a mere noble during this time and he finds it a challenge to balance his responsibilities to family, friends and the crown.
This book was a pleasant surprise especially as I thought the first book was disappointing. The story moved along nicely as the author wove in historical events. I do think that it was a bit much that Matthew was friends or knew every major figure of the time. There was a lot of history included and that may turn off some readers who are not enamored with the Elizabethan period. I enjoyed the romance between Matthew and Diana as they learned how to navigate the joys and pitfalls of marriage. Of all the characters, I absolutely loved the old witch Goody Alsop and Matthew's nephew Gallowglass. They both added much to the story line.
As this is a trilogy, this second book ends on a cliffhanger with many major story lines yet to wrap up. I hope it's not too long before the final volume is published. I'm looking forward to what hopes to be an exciting conclusion to this story.
I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 29, 2013
Top Pinterest Boards to Create to Promote Yourself and Your Books
isn't just for arts and crafts. Many businesses are finding ways to use the
social media juggernaut to promote their brand and their products. Through the
boards they create and the pins they share, there are limitless possibilities
for getting their brand out there and in front of a large audience.
As
a writer, you can also use the site to promote yourself and your books. There
are many creative ways you can use the site, depending on the kinds of books
you write and the kind of audience you want to reach. Here are a few ideas for
some of the top Pinterest boards you can create to promote yourself and your
books:
Book Catalogue
If
you have several published books under your belt, you can create a virtual book
shelf by creating a Pinterest board dedicated to them. Be sure to include
keyword-rich descriptions under each book title and to include an updated link
to where it can be purchased on Amazon or another online marketplace. Also, if
several versions of your book have been printed, be sure to select the most
attractive and compelling cover. Pinterest is a visual medium, after all, so
the most eye-catching photo will get the most views.
Character Boards
This
is where you can really have some fun. Create boards for each of your favorite
characters or for your main characters. For each board, choose pins that
reflect what you think are the characters' favorite foods, music, movies,
books, colors, places to visit and so on. Pin photos of hobbies, interests,
career aspirations and anything else you can think of that your character would
like. The more you can add to the board, the more interesting and
three-dimensional you will make your characters, helping readers to feel more
connected to them.
Settings and Places from
Novels
A
picture is worth 1,000 words. Sometimes, no matter how well you describe a
place, readers just won't be able to see it in their minds the same way you see
it. Bring the settings and places from your novels to life with Pinterest
boards. If they are real places -- like a small village in Italy or a quirky
neighborhood in San Francisco -- this should be very easy to do. If they are
imagined places, you can find pictures that most closely resemble what you had
in mind.
Inspiration
When
you are writing, you take inspiration from all kinds of places. Share that
inspiration with your readers. Show them the photos of the places, the art
work, and the things that inspired you. Share pictures of the musicians whose
work you listened to while you were writing. Share pictures of the authors who
inspire you. Share pictures of the people who inspired your characters. Not
only will you give readers a deeper appreciation of your work, but you'll also
create a board that you can refer to again and again for inspiration for future
projects.
Book Readings and Events
Help
readers learn about all the latest readings and other events that you will
attend. Creating pins linking to readings on your tour or to other appearances
that you will make. Make sure that the board is updated and that the links are
all active.
There
are many more ways that you can promote yourself and your books on Pinterest
with just a little creativity. Try some of these great ideas for Pinterest
boards or come up with your own unique boards that best reflect the tone and
style of your book (or books).
What
boards have you created on Pinterest to promote your books? Share your best
ideas in the comments!
Bio:
Amber Satka writes on
financial topics, such as her look into car rebate offers. Amber is a former office
manager and current mother and writer.
May 28, 2013
A Conversation with DEBORAH HARKNESS & Paperback Release of SHADOW OF NIGHT
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Q: <i>A Discovery of Witches</i> debuted at # 2 on the <i>New York
Times </i>bestseller list with publications following in 37 countries. What
has been your reaction to the outpouring of love for <i>A Discovery of Witches</i>?
Was it surprising how taken fans were with Diana and Matthew’s story?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A. It has been amazing—and a bit overwhelming. I was surprised by
how quickly readers embraced two central characters who challenge our typical
notion of what a heroine or hero should be. And I continue to be amazed
whenever a new reader pops up, whether one in the US or somewhere like Finland
or Japan—to tell me how much they enjoyed being caught up in Diana’s world. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Q: Last summer, Warner Brothers acquired screen rights to
the trilogy, and David Auburn, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning writer of <i>Proof</i>,
has been tapped to pen the screenplay. Are you looking forward to your novels
being portrayed on the big screen? What are your favorite casting ideas
that you’ve heard from friends and readers?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A. I was thrilled when Warner Brothers wanted to translate the All
Souls trilogy from book to screen. At first I was reluctant about the whole
idea of a movie, and it actually took me nearly two years to agree to let
someone try. The team at Warner Brothers impressed me with their seriousness
about the project and their commitment to the characters and story I was trying
to tell. Their decision to go with David Auburn confirmed that my faith in them
was not misplaced. As for the casting, I deliberately don’t say anything about
that! I would hate for any actor or actress to be cast in one of these roles
and feel that they didn’t have my total support. I will say, however, that many
of my readers’ ideas involve actors who have already played a vampire and I
would be very surprised if one of them were asked to be Matthew!</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Q: SHADOW OF NIGHT opens on a scene in 1590s Elizabethan England
featuring the famous School of Night, a group of historical figures believed to
be friends, including Sir Walter Raleigh and playwright Christopher Marlowe. Why
did you choose to feature these individuals, and can we expect Diana and
Matthew to meet other famous figures from the past? </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A. I wrote my master’s thesis on the imagery surrounding Elizabeth
I during the last two decades of her reign. One of my main sources was the poem
<i>The Shadow of Night</i> by George Chapman—a member of this circle of
fascinating men—and that work is dedicated to a mysterious poet named Matthew
Roydon about whom we know very little. When I was first thinking about how
vampires moved in the world (and this was way back in the autumn of 2008 when I
was just beginning <i>A Discovery of Witches</i>) I remembered Roydon and
thought “<i>that</i> is the kind of identity a vampire would have, surrounded
by interesting people but not the center of the action.” From that moment on I
knew the second part of Diana and Matthew’s story would take place among the
School of Night. And from a character standpoint, Walter Raleigh, Christopher
Marlowe, George Chapman, and the other men associated with the group are
irresistible. They were such significant, colorful presences in Elizabethan
England.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Q: In SHADOW OF NIGHT, we learn more about the alchemical bonds
between Diana and Matthew. In your day job, you are a professor of
history and science at the University of Southern California and have focused
on alchemy in your research. What aspects of this intersection between
science and magic do you hope readers will pick up on while reading SHADOW OF
NIGHT? </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A. Whereas <i>A Discovery of Witches </i>focused on the literature
and symbolism of alchemy, in <i>Shadow of Night </i>I’m able to explore some of
the hands-on aspects of this ancient tradition. There is still plenty of
symbolism for Diana to think about, but in this volume we go from abstractions
and ideals to real transformation and change—which was always my intention with
the series. Just as we get to know more about how Elizabethan men and women
undertook alchemical experiments, we also get to see Matthew and Diana’s
relationship undergo the metamorphosis from new love to something more.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Q: SHADOW OF NIGHT spans the globe, with London, France, and
Prague as some of the locales. Did you travel to these destinations for your
research? </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A. I did. My historical research has been based in London for some
time now, so I’ve spent long stretches of time living in the City of London—the
oldest part of the metropolis—but I had never been to the Auvergne or Prague. I
visited both places while writing the book, and in both cases it was a bit like
traveling in time to walk village lanes, old pilgrim roads, and twisting city
streets while imagining Diana and Matthew at my side. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Q: Did you have an idea or an outline for SHADOW OF NIGHT when you
were writing <i>A Discovery of Witches? </i>Did the direction change once
you sat down to write it?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A. I didn’t outline either book in the traditional sense. In both
cases I knew what some of the high points were and how the plot moved towards
the conclusion, but there were some significant changes during the revision
process. This was especially true for <b>SHADOW OF NIGHT</b><i>, </i>although
most of those changes involved moving specific pieces of the plot forward or
back to improve the momentum and flow.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Q: A <i>Discovery of Witches</i> begins with Diana Bishop
stumbling across a lost, enchanted manuscript called Ashmole 782 in Oxford’s
Bodleian Library, whose secrets Diana and Matthew are still trying to uncover
in SHADOW OF NIGHT. You had a similar experience while you were completing your
dissertation. What was the story behind your discovery? And how did
it inspire the creation of these novels?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A. I did discover a manuscript—not an enchanted one, alas—in the Bodleian
Library. It was a manuscript owned by Queen Elizabeth’s astrologer, the
mathematician and alchemist John Dee. In the 1570s and 1580s he became
interested in using a crystal ball to talk to angels. The angels gave him all
kinds of instructions on how to manage his life at home, his work—they even
told him to pack up his family and belongings and go to far-away Poland and
Prague. In the conversations, Dee asked the angels about a mysterious book in
his library called “the Book of Soyga” or “Aldaraia.” No one had ever been able
to find it, even though many of Dee’s other books survive in libraries
throughout the world. In the summer of 1994 I was spending time in Oxford
between finishing my doctorate and starting my first job. It was a wonderfully
creative time, since I had no deadlines to worry about and my dissertation on
Dee’s angel conversations was complete. As with most discoveries, this
discovery of a “lost” manuscript was entirely accidental. I was looking for
something else in the Bodleian’s catalogue and in the upper corner of the page
was a reference to a book called “Aldaraia.” I knew it couldn’t be Dee’s book,
but I called it up anyway. And it turned out it WAS the book (or at least a
copy of it). With the help of the Bodleian’s Keeper of Rare Books, I located
another copy in the British Library.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Q: Are there other lost books like this in the world? </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A. Absolutely! Entire books have been written about famous lost
volumes—including works by Plato, Aristotle, and Shakespeare to name just a few.
Libraries are full of such treasures, some of them unrecognized and others
simply misfiled or mislabeled. And we find lost books outside of libraries,
too. In January 2006, a completely unknown manuscript belonging to one of the
17</span><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.0pt;">th</span></sup><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> century’s most prominent scientists, Robert
Hooke, was discovered when someone was having the contents of their house
valued for auction. The manuscript included minutes of early Royal Society
meetings that we presumed were lost forever. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Q: Unlike Twilight’s Bella and Edward—hormonal teenagers who meet
in the halls of a high school—your leading characters Matthew and Diana are
established academics who meet in the library of one of the most prestigious
academic institutions in the world. This is a world where vampires and
witches drink wine together, practice yoga and discuss philosophy. Are
these characters based on something you found missing in the fantasy genre?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
<span style="color: black;">A. There are a lot of adults reading young adult
books, and for good reason. Authors who specialize in the young adult market
are writing original, compelling stories that can make even the most cynical
grownups believe in magic. In writing <b>A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES</b>, I wanted
to give adult readers a world no less magical, no less surprising and
delightful, but one that included grown-up concerns and activities. These are
not your children’s vampires and witches.</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Garamond; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>
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May 25, 2013
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May. It was formally
known as Decoration Day and commemorates all men and women, who have
died in military service for the United States. Many people visit
cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day and it is traditionally seen as
the start of the summer season.
Memorial Day started as an event to honor Union soldiers, who had died
during the American Civil War. It was inspired by the way people in the
Southern states honored their dead. After World War I, it was extended
to include all men and women, who died in any war or military action.
The current name for this day did not come into use until after World
War II. Decoration Day and then Memorial Day used to be held on May 30,
regardless of the day of the week, on which it fell. In 1968, the
Uniform Holidays Bill was passed as part of a move to use federal
holidays to create three-day weekends. This meant that that, from 1971,
Memorial Day holiday has been officially observed on the last Monday in
May. However, it took a longer period for all American states to
recognize the new date.
Whatever you decide to do on this 3-day weekend, say a prayer and a
"thank you" for all of the US military personnel who are serving around
the world to keep us safe.
