N. Gemini Sasson's Blog, page 15

Friday Funnies - Do cats like baths?

The answer to the question: Do cats liked to be bathed?

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!
Gemi

Featured Author: Anna Elliott

This week's featured historical fiction e-author on MDAMM is Anna Elliott. The author of Georgiana Darcy's Diary, as well as the Twilight of Avalon trilogy, published by Simon & Schuster (Touchstone), she lives in the Washington DC Metro area with her husband and two daughters.

Anna has generously offered to giveaway 2 free Kindle copies of her newest novel, Georgiana Darcy's Diary! To enter to win, simply leave a comment below. Entries close at midnight, U.S. Eastern time, on Thursday, May 19th. The winners will be announced Friday.

"Fans of Jane Austen will relish this captivating story. I loved the echoes of Austen's wit, the well-crafted drawing-room intrigues, and the engaging romance. Elliott's heroine is unique and believable, but totally true to Austen's original character. A delightful read!" -- Jules Watson, Author of The Raven Queen


I asked Anna to tell us more about why she writes and what inspired her to continue the story that Jane Austen began.

*****

"I've read Pride and Prejudice many, many times, and seen the various movie adaptations more times than I can even begin to count. (Colin Firth is my favorite Mr. Darcy!). I love Elizabeth and Darcy's love story, of course--it's a testament to Jane Austen's genius that it truly stands the test of time. Watching Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth fall in love, seeing the two of them overcome their initial first impressions of one another is as compelling now as it did 200 years ago. Maybe because that kind of love story truly is timeless. Isn't that the eternal magic of romance, that we're able to discover new facets of those we love--and that love has the power to transform us and our lives.

I could read Pride and Prejudice again and again, and be caught up in Elizabeth and Darcy's story every time. And yet, strangely, it's always been Georgiana Darcy, Mr. Darcy's younger sister's character, that stays with me the longest, each time I read the book or watch one of the films.

Georgiana's character is almost a plot device in the book--proof of Wickham's villainy, since he tried to seduce her when she was only fifteen. She's described as 'exceedingly shy' and we never actually hear her speak a single line; any dialogue she has is summarized by the narrator. And yet I've always wanted to know more about her--how did she really feel about George Wickham? What was it like growing up as Mr. Darcy's younger sister? And most important of all, I couldn't stop myself from imagining what might have happened to her after the close of Pride and Prejudice. Did she ever find her own happily-ever-after?

Georgiana Darcy's Diary was born out of all my wondering. I chose a diary format to tell Georgiana's story, first because I'd never written a diary form novel before, and wanted to challenge myself to master the form. But mostly that was just how I heard Georgiana's voice in my head: a shy girl, pouring herself onto the pages of the private journal that---at the beginning of the story, at least-- serves as her only real confidant.

I absolutely loved writing Georgiana Darcy's Diary, and I hope fellow Jane Austen lovers will enjoy spending a little more time in the Pride and Prejudice world."

*****

About Georgiana Darcy's Diary:

Mr. Darcy's younger sister searches for her own happily-ever-after...

The year is 1814, and it's springtime at Pemberley. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have married. But now a new romance is in the air, along with high fashion, elegant manners, scandal, deception, and the wonderful hope of a true and lasting love.

Shy Georgiana Darcy has been content to remain unmarried, living with her brother and his new bride. But Elizabeth and Darcy's fairy-tale love reminds Georgiana daily that she has found no true love of her own. And perhaps never will, for she is convinced the one man she secretly cares for will never love her in return. Georgiana's domineering aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has determined that Georgiana shall marry, and has a list of eligible bachelors in mind. But which of the suitors are sincere, and which are merely interested in Georgiana's fortune? Georgiana must learn to trust her heart--and rely on her courage, for she also faces the return of the man who could ruin her reputation and spoil a happy ending, just when it finally lies within her grasp.

*****

In addition to Georgiana Darcy's Diary, Anna Elliott is the author of a trilogy of Trystan and Isolde, published by Touchstone: Twilight of Avalon, Dark Moon of Avalon and Sunrise of Avalon (coming in 2011), as well as two shorts stories available as e-books: Dawn of Avalon (currently FREE) and The Witch Queen's Secret (only 99 cents).

For more information on where to find Anna's books, check her website, her Amazon.com author page or her Smashwords author page.

Many, many thanks to Anna Elliott! Next week I'll feature Shayne Parkinson, author of historical sagas set in 19th century New Zealand.

Happy reading,
Gemi

And the winner is . . .

The winner of this week's giveaway of an e-copy of Sarah Woodbury's Cold My Heart is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Debra Martin! An e-mail will be sent to you, Debra, with info. on how to obtain your copy.

Come back next week for an interview with Anna Elliott and another giveaway.

P.S. This was supposed to post earlier this morning, but Blogger seemed to be having a meltdown.

Happy reading,
Gemi

Book Giveaway and Featured Historical E-Author Sarah Woodbury

This week's featured historical e-author is Sarah Woodbury.

Sarah has offered to give away a free copy from Smashwords of her Arthurian novel Cold My Heart. If you'd like to be entered to win, just leave a comment below. Entries close midnight Eastern time on Thursday, May 12th.

I asked Sarah to share with us what inspires her to write and why she chose to write about medieval Wales.

*****
I have two historian parents, so I couldn't help but develop an interest in the past. My dad has a Ph.D. and I went on to get more than enough education myself (in anthropology) and began writing fiction when the stories in my head overflowed and demanded I let them out. My interest in Wales stems from my own ancestry and the year I lived in England when I fell in love with the country, language, and people. I even convinced my husband to give all four of our children Welsh names. Now, I live in Oregon, which is very far from Wales, although I'm hoping to visit with my husband in 2012.

I started writing intensively five years ago. In about six weeks, during my youngest son's naps, I wrote an epic fantasy (with elves no less). That book will never see the light of day, although I raid it occasionally for characters and plot points, but I learned that I could write a book and that I wanted to write more.

The first book I wrote that I set in Wales was Footsteps in Time. I started it after I had a dream where I drove my mini-van into the Middle Ages. It was (obviously) a very vivid and memorable dream! My daughter and I had been doing research on our ancestry at the time, and reading lots of books, both fiction and non-fiction, about the country. Since then, I've set all five of my published books in Wales, and am even more in love with the country and its past than when I started.

*****

About Sarah's novel, Cold My Heart:

A vision of King Arthur's death at the hands of Modred unites two of King Arthur's companions in this historical fantasy set in sixth century Wales.

By the autumn of 537 AD, all who are loyal to King Arthur have retreated to a small parcel of land in north Wales. They are surrounded on all sides, heavily outnumbered, and facing near certain defeat.

But Myrddin and Nell have a secret that neither has ever been able to face. Now, with the end of all that they know approaching, they must finally admit the truth: each has seen that on a cold and snowy day in December, Saxon soldiers will ambush and kill King Arthur by the Cam River, crushing Wales once and for all under Modred's boot.

And both of them, separately and together, must decide what they are willing to do, and to sacrifice, to avert that fate.

*****

Sarah is the author of five novels of historical fiction, historical fantasy and time travel: Cold My Heart, The Last Pendragon, Foosteps in Time, Prince of Time and Daughter of Time. Her books are available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and at Smashwords. To learn more about Sarah, her writing and her books, visit her website.

Many thanks to Sarah Woodbury for visiting here at My Dog Ate My Manuscript! Next week's featured author is Anna Elliott.

Happy reading,
Gemi

'The winner is . . .' and Friday Funnies

The winner of a copy of Sultana by Lisa Yarde is . . . *drumroll* . . .

NOELLE PIERCE!

A copy of Sultana is coming your way. Thanks to those who commented - and beaucoup thanks to Lisa Yarde for taking time out to appear here at MDAMM.

*****
She may be a camera ham, but Trim is very, very unhappy about sporting The Cone of Shame.

After multiple trips to the vet as a pupster, we finally figured out Trim is allergic to corn. If she eats ANY food with corn it (a single piece of cat food kibble, a stray kernel of popcorn that has bounced under the stove, even a cookie crumb with corn syrup in it) she gets itchy ears. Actually, just one itchy ear. Always the left. Sometimes, if we're not paying attention and she goes to town scratching it, she gives herself an embolism and has to go to that awful place called . . . The Veterinarian's, get her ear drained and stitched, and then get 2-weeks worth of antibiotics.

Possibly, she hates taking pills worse than wearing the dreaded Cone of Shame or going to The Vet. She can recognize the rattle of a pill bottle from three rooms away and will hide herself in a corner behind the chair. Since it's always one of two corners, we know where to find her. Just to put this in perspective about how brave she is, she also runs away from The Brush. And no, she has never been beaten with it.

As she has discovered, The Cone of Shame is terribly inconvenient, embarrassing and headache-inducing when it comes to a) snowdrifts, b) stairs and c) doorways.

*****
Tune in on Monday when I host Sarah Woodbury, author of Cold My Heart and The Last Pendragon!

Have a WONDERFUL weekend - and hug your pet today!
Gemi

Book Giveaway - Featured Historical Fiction E-Author: Lisa J. Yarde

I'm pleased to announce that during May I am featuring an exciting line-up of authors of historical fiction e-books. Although many of these books are available as paperbacks, all are out in various e-book forms. It's a great mix of time periods and sub-genres. Let me start by introducing this week's Featured Author here on My Dog Ate My Manuscript: Lisa J. Yarde.

Lisa has generously offered to provide a copy of Sultana (your choice of e-book or paperback) to one random commenter. If you'd like to be entered to win, just leave a comment and a way for me to contact you, in case you win! Entries close midnight Eastern time, May 5th.

I asked Lisa to share with us why she writes and why she chose the time period, setting and characters that she did.

"During my college years, I was fascinated to learn that there had been an Islamic presence in Europe. For seven hundred years, a diverse people known as Moors had ruled what would become one of the most influential Catholic nations. The thirteenth century in Spain was a brutal and turbulent era, as most of the medieval period, but it was also the flowering of an age of artistic, intellectual and architectural brilliance in Spain. Fatima and Faraj played pivotal roles in the history of that period, as did their descendants for another two centuries. I am truly fortunate that the primary setting of their story, the Alhambra Palace in the southern Spanish city of Granada still exists and is open of visitors. I hope readers will share my fascination with the Alhambra, the Moorish period, and Fatima and Faraj's lives."

I'm 3/4 of the way through reading Sultana and am awed by the wealth of detail included about Moorish life: the architecture, the clothing, the food, the customs. Like me, I'm sure other readers will be drawn in by not only the uniquely exotic setting, but also by the vivid battle scenes, political intrigue, and poignant love story between Fatima and Faraj. Here is some more information about the story, its trailer and links on where to sample and purchase it -

About Sultana:

"Sultana is a story of revenge and intrigue, the bonds of family and the redemptive power of love. The story takes place during a turbulent period in thirteenth century Moorish Spain, when the union of a child bride and her groom, precipitates a civil war. Fatima is the young granddaughter of the reigning Sultan of Granada and Faraj is his nephew. Although the couple is part of the same renowned family, each has separate, sometimes contrary interests. Fatima is utterly devoted to her family while Faraj, who is ten years older than her, has one cause in mind – to regain a heritage lost at the brutal death of his father. The union between Faraj and Fatima has endangered both their lives. It has turned the Sultan's one-time allies into powerful enemies. In addition, the Christian kings of Castile and North African Muslim rulers have their own designs on Granada. Fatima and Faraj have to overcome their initial mistrust and misunderstandings of each other. If they do not unite in the struggle against their common enemies, Granada will fall."

*****
Click here to view the book trailer for Sultana.

*****
Sultana is available in the following formats and locations:

Amazon.com (Kindle and paperback)
Amazon.co.uk (Kindle and paperback)
Barnes and Noble (Nook and paperback)
Smashwords (various e-book formats)

*****
Lisa Yarde is the author of On Falcon's Wings and Sultana. She is passionate about history and writing. Her love of the past inspires her to write historical fiction. Her favorite period is medieval, an interest that started when she wrote about knights and castles as a young teen. She currently lives in New York. You can find more information about Lisa and her writing on the website www.lisayarde.com.

Thanks, Lisa! Next week's feature will be on Sarah Woodbury, author of Arthurian historical fantasy and Welsh medieval time travel stories. Coming up later in the month - Anna Elliott and Shayne Parkinson.

Happy reading,
Gemi

Friday Funnies - Kitty Yoga

New feature! Since I keep my sense of humor well hidden, I thought I'd give it some overdue exposure and share with you all some of my Facebook wall photos.

This week's installment is our cat, Trouble, grabbing a snooze on the deck railing - or practicing kitty yoga, I'm not sure which. In case you were wondering, his head is to the right and he was in this position for over an hour. He earned his name as a kitten when he used to throw himself on the driveway in front of the car when we came home.

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!
Gemi

Friday Funnies/Caption Contest

New feature! Since I keep my sense of humor well hidden, I thought I'd give it some overdue exposure and share with you all some of my Facebook wall photos.

Please add your own caption in the comments! The winner gets the most laughs.

This week's installment is our cat, Trouble, grabbing a snooze on the deck railing - or practicing kitty yoga, I'm not sure which. In case you were wondering, his head is to the right and he was in this position for over an hour. He earned his name as a kitten when he used to throw himself on the driveway in front of the car when we came home.

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!
Gemi

Where to find good, cheap and sometimes even free books to load up your Kindle

Whether or not you've gone hog wild and decked out your Kindle, you can easily recoup the modest investment by loading it up with very affordable, and sometimes even free, e-books. I'm going to provide some links to where you can find those books. In the few weeks that I've had my Kindle, I'm reading more than ever. With the price of gas nowadays, buying an e-book from Amazon or elsewhere can even be cheaper for me (who lives out in the rural farmland of western Ohio) than driving into town and borrowing a book from the library. So, since my husband is now referring to my Kindle as my 'crack', I've decided that I'll be the enabler and get more of you hooked on this wonderful little device known as the e-reader.

First, let me suggest that no matter how cheap the book, always download a sample before buying. It only takes a few minutes to check out the synopsis, skim over reviews and then read a few pages. If you like what you find, by all means click away. If not, press 'delete'. Check out reviews, but keep in mind these were written by folks who may or may not have the same tastes as you. This is why the sample is important. Sometimes even negative reviews can be valuable to you as a reader/potential customer. If someone writes in their review how the graphic battle scenes disturbed them so much they had to give up on the book, I'm going to download a sample - because I LOVE battle scenes! Just remember: sample, sample, sample.

Now, here are some links to check out:

BLOGS:

Kindle Nation Daily - News about Amazon, Kindle and Kindle authors, traditionally and indie published. Tons of information available here.

Kindle Author - A place to discover new voices in Kindle books.

Kindle Obsessed - A showcase of both indie and trad published e-books.

The Indie Spotlight - Features on indie authors.

Daily Cheap Reads - Kindle books for $5 or less, indie and trad published.

Indie eBooks - A blog focusing on indie authors.

Bargain eBooks - Another blog featuring $5 or under bargains.

Red Adept Reviews - Want an honest opinion? Check out this well-respected review site.

Pixel of Ink - More bargain e-books!

E-Reader News Today - Reviews and bargain book alerts.

Note - For reviews of historical fiction books, please check out my blogroll to the right!



SITES and FORUMS:

Smashwords - Type in keywords or check out the various genres and bestseller lists. This isn't the most consumer-friendly place to navigate, but if you use the right search words you can hit on the topics you're interested in. You can usually download the first 20% (or more) of books here and find different formats (PDF, EPUB, PDB, LRF) in case you happen to have a different type of e-reader than Kindle.

Kindleboards' Book Bazaar - Check here for Bargain book finds and the Master List of Kindleboards Authors by Genre.

KindleBook Forum - Admittedly, this can be a lot to wade through, but if you're looking for a diamond amidst the heap of coal, you just may find it here. Various threads here on books under $3, under $1, or for specific genres.

Amazon's Most Popular Free Books and Games - Start here. Yes, you can get games for your Kindle, too.


Well, that should keep all you Kindle-holics busy reading for awhile. Just don't ignore your family... or your pets, your house, your job. Power down the Kindle and go for a walk every now and then.

Happy reading,
Gemi

The Not-So-Amazing Race

There are two things I remember most about airports: 1) Waiting at the gate for my flight, and 2) Going through Customs and Security. I wish I could sleep in airports like the contestants on Amazing Race do. I'd be a much less cranky traveler if I could, but my sense of fight-or-flight (no pun intended) in unfamiliar surroundings can't be overridden. I'm mortally afraid I'll either miss my flight, or that someone will abscond with my valuables, or worst of all that I'll start snoring and drool away my jet lag while complete strangers snap pictures of me with my mouth open. So I sit there, people-watching for entertainment when I'm not reading on my Kindle, one foot touching my carry-on bag and my purse snugly in my lap at all times. Needless to say, I arrive home from my vacations more tired than when I left.

Last week I was lucky enough to be able to travel to Belgium for a dog show judging assignment. On the trans-Atlantic flight over, I tried to fool my body into an early bedtime by popping a melatonin, since I lost five hours with the time change. I jammed my earplugs in and turned the movie sound down to a low buzz for white noise to drown out the screaming baby five rows up and pulled my sweatshirt sleeve over my eyes to blot out the glow from the TV directly overhead. But... my internal clock still said, "It's only 9 p.m., you fool. You don't go to bed until midnight." By the time I finally fell asleep, they were rumbling by with the breakfast cart. "What? Coffee at 2 a.m.?" Yeah, I attempted to caffeinate myself into a new time zone.

Two days later I was almost over the jet lag, when we went out to eat for supper after the show. Belly full, I was ready for a good night's sleep. Spent an hour in my room surfing the net, catching up at home, then a little reading. Started looking for my brush to tame the rat's nest that was my hair, when... I couldn't find my purse. Last I remembered, it was hanging on the back of my chair in the restaurant. But worse than my brush being in it, it also had my passport. Oh, #*%@!

So I laid awake all night replaying in my sleep-deprived mind where I might have left it. At the dog show? In the first car I rode in to the restaurant? Dangling from the back of the chair? Somewhere in the parking lot? In the second car I took to the B&B? Repeat this through maniacal thought process about 50 times. It then became replaced with: What happens if you have a plane ticket home and no passport? Do they put you in a windowless room, interrogate and fingerprint you and then let you get on the plane? Or do they just turn you away at check-in and say, "Sorry, you are not allowed to go home until someone in the U.S. verifies you are who you say you are and then sends the proper documentation. That should take about three weeks."?

I woke up early the next morning to catch the person who had been my ride the night before and who happened to be picking up that morning's judge. "No, I did not see a purse in the car," she said. Just. Freaking. Great. I closed the door and slid to the floor, resisting the urge to bang my forehead on something solid until a developed a bloody gash. A trip to the hospital about now might make a good distraction. How could I not be more aware of where my most valuable possession was?

Five minutes later, an almost inaudible knock on the door brought me crawling back. I stood up and mustered a painted-on smile. I opened it. There stood the judge's wife, Shelly, clutching my purse. "It slid underneath the seat." Happiest moment of the whole week. I grabbed it out of her hands and gushed profuse thanks. From then until I got home, I kept checking for that little blue passport book every 30 minutes like someone afflicted with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

On the day of my return, traffic was light and so we made it to the airport extra early. Relaxed, relieved, I checked my bags and went through Customs and Security (jacket off, laptop out, Kindle out, put all those and my purse in little trays to slide through the x-ray machine, then collect them and arrange everything for ease of carrying). Then I ambled through the airport shops to buy some much-needed Belgian chocolate. Got to the gate, saw the flight was delayed an hour, so passed the time reading. Then some lady with a distinct Southern accent comes by and says, "The flight's been canceled." We all thought she was joking. Uh, no.

Long story short (since you were probably wondering when this was going to end and what the point of it was), they sent us out of the terminal, back through Customs and we had to pick up our bags and get re-booked. Our flight was full and three other flights that day had been canceled, so just imagine how long that line was. My heart sank when several people in line ahead of me at the ticket counter asked where the closest hotel was, because they couldn't get out until the next day. Luckily, I got routed from Brussels through London to Chicago and then on to Dayton, scheduled to arrive at midnight.

Problem is that only left me about 90 minutes between flights and I had to go through Customs and Security at each airport. There was no time for a bathroom stop. I do not kid. Of course, my gates at both London and Chicago were in different terminals from the ones I landed at AND my gate was the furthest possible one. There must be some universal law that when you have minimal connection time, your gates must be further apart, but if you have five hours between, they'll be right next door to each other. I was literally RUNNING down the corridor at Chicago, flapping my ticket over my head, as they were paging my name, the door already closed. By the time I sat my rump in my seat on the last flight home, sweat was pouring down my sternum. No need for a workout that day.

When I found out my luggage didn't arrive home with me, I was completely unfazed. I was just glad to BE home after that marathon day. The dirty laundry inside my bag could wait. Besides, I had my Belgian chocolate in my carry-on bag. I may not know where my passport is all the time, but I do not let my chocolate out of my sight.

In all my years of flying, I've been incredibly lucky. This was the first time I've ever had a flight canceled and I've yet to miss a connection - although I tried real hard this time. After this, I'm putting in for the Amazing Race. I've got the airport terminal dash covered.

P.S. Second best moment of the trip - I'm 90% positive that Michael Flatley (Lord of the Dance) was sitting at the gate at Brussels, flipping through a newspaper. Since I didn't want to stare and my camera was in my checked baggage, I must've looked 20 times. "Is that him? Yes, I think it is. Well, maybe not. Oh definitely, it IS him." He left after about 10 minutes. He was probably getting annoyed by the American twisting around to steal glances at him.

Happy traveling,
Gemi