Kat Duncan's Blog, page 12
July 22, 2012
Guest Grace Elliot
Please welcome my guest Grace Elliot as she wraps up her fabulous book tour for Hope's Betrayal, book #2 in the Huntley Trilogy! Grace is here to talk about finding something to read. Welcome Grace!
How Do You Find Your Next Read?
Hi there, and a big thank you to Kat for hosting me. I've had such fun, visiting so many different blogs, soaking up their style and chatting about books. I love it when people leave comments, it's an honour to hear what readers are thinking. So, I thought it might be fun on my last stop to chat about how you find your next great read.
I vividly remember seeing a poster for the first eReader (a Sony 550). I was sooooo excited! As an avid bookworm it seemed the answer to the piles of books that line the walls of my bedroom like wallpaper. Luckily my husband took the hint (perhaps he was thinking we might have more room!) and gave me the Sony as a birthday present. In those days (hmm, three, maybe four years ago?) there were relatively few eBook retailers and the choice of books was limited. So I searched for classics by Dickens and Austen, and my favourite authors such as Gaelen Foley and Lisa Kleypas. In short, I tried to transfer my DTB (Dead tree book) library onto an electronic device - but without discovering new authors.
But with the revolution brought by Kindles and Kobos, the wonderful world of Indie books opened up. Now I browse the category lists on Amazon, pick up a book buzz on facebook or read excerpts via twitter. Perhaps I see a great cover, or a banner catches my eye - then it's just a click to investigate further, and another click to download. And the result? I've made some truly great finds; authors with fresh new voices and very different stories to tell - so much so, that for me, traditional published books can seem safe and uninspiring.
Which brings me back to my original question - how do you find your next great read? What makes you take a risk on a new author? Please leave a comment - I'd love to know.
*****
Hope's Betrayal (#2 The Huntley Trilogy.)
One wild, winter's night two worlds collide.
Known for his ruthless efficiency, Captain George Huntley is sent to stamp out smuggling on the south coast of England. On a night raid, the Captain captures a smuggler, but finds his troubles are just beginning when the lad turns out to be a lass, Hope Tyler.
With Hope as bait, the Captain sets a trap to catch the rest of the gang. But in a battle of wills, with his reputation at stake, George Huntley starts to respect feisty, independent Hope. Challenged by her sea-green eyes and stubborn loyalty Huntley now faces a new threat - his growing attraction to a sworn enemy. But a love where either Hope betrays her own kind, or Captain Huntley is court-marshaled, is not an easy destiny to follow.
Kat's Review of Hope's Betrayal
If you love historicals especially the Regency Era, Hope's Betrayal is a story you will enjoy. This rich story gives a view of the time period from a different perspective than the usual, that of the minor gentry, people who generally live outside of the highly-social ton. But that is not where the perspective ends. The story premise concerns the issue of smuggling and explores it from the desperate acts of smugglers who smuggle to survive to the wealthy people who are able to purchase smuggled goods at reasonable prices. Despite the premise, the story is not one of edge-of-the-seat tension, although there are scenes that are intense. The main enjoyment of this story is the thorough development of each character. Ms. Elliot has developed wonderful characters who care deeply about the people around them and who willingly sacrifice their own desires to do what is right. You will root for them especially when they make decisions that prevent their own happiness. The dialogue is also wonderful and brings out the sense of the period in delightful ways. This is a book that you should take your time with, to savor every scene and drink in the deep passions of the characters as they are forced to shake off their initial perspectives and live with the circumstances that are forced upon them by society. This was my first taste of the Huntley Trilogy and I'm intrigued enough to head off to get a copy of the first book and see what else Ms. Elliot has written. I'm also looking forward to the final book of the trilogy.
Buy a copy of Hope's Betrayal today!
Author Bio.[image error]
Grace Elliot leads a double life as a veterinarian by day and author of historical romance by night. Grace believes intelligent people need to read romance as an antidote to the modern world. As an avid reader of historicals she turned to writing as a release from the emotionally draining side of veterinary work.
Grace lives near London and is addicted to cats. The Elliot household consists of five cats, two teenage sons, one husband, a guinea pig - and the latest addition - a bearded dragon!
Social Links.
Grace Elliot (blog) "Fall in Love With History." http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com
Grace Elliot website www.wix.com/graceelliot/grace-elliot
Grace Elliot Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grace-Elliot/173092742739684?v=wall&sk=wall
Twitter @Grace_Elliot
Thank you, Grace for joining us today! Folks, please leave a comment for Grace so she knows you stopped by. And tell us, how do you decide what to read next?
July 1, 2012
Smashwords Annual Book Sale
It's time for the Annual Summer/Winter Book Sale at Smashwords! Use coupon code SSW50 to get Kat's books for $1.50US or FREE!
Hurry! Offer expires July 31st...
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/katduncan
May 14, 2012
A New Release from Barbara Conelli
Please welcome my guest blogger and amazing travel writer, Barbara Conelli! It's so nice to have you back again, Barbara!
Travel Writer's Secrets: Dream, Share, Write
Being a travel writer and sharing my Italian adventures with my readers has been an incredibly rewarding gift I truly cherish. And although I do call 
myself a travel writer to make it easier for others to understand who I am, deep inside I'm a collector of experiences who writes about the precious glimpses of the world she happens to catch, relying on the three pillars of her life work: Dream, Share, Write.
It all started with a dream: I had been collecting travel experiences for years, capturing them on the pages of my red travel journals and through the lens of my camera. But I felt a strong, growing desire to show the beauty and the magic to others. To help them see what I was seeing, to help them feel what I was feeling. Travel equals emotions. Travel gives you an extraordinary opportunity to learn, grow and discover who you truly are. I dreamt of finding a way to pass it on.
I wanted to share all of it. And one day I sat down and wrote a story that later became the first chapter of a book. I became an open channel and allowed the essence of the places to talk through me. I didn't want to publish a guide book, I wanted to share stories of the people who had been creating the real face of Italy through their ordinary, daily life. I wanted to bring my readers to Italy with me. To encourage them to explore and love the country. To understand it, to taste it, to become one with it. I wanted to create a magic carpet that would take my readers to Italy whenever they felt they needed the fresh breeze of la dolce vita.
In order to do this, I could have made a movie. I could have composed a song. I could have put together an exhibition of photographs. I chose to write. As I have said on several occasions, to me, writing is like breathing. It comes naturally, and it has always been a great joy. The connection of writing and traveling has been a blessing. My travel writing and publishing journey has not always been easy but I'm grateful for every single bump in this precious road. With my Chique Books, I have found my purpose, and the only way to describe it is ecstatic joy.
Being a travel writer / collector of experiences / sharer of stories does not require education or credentials. All you need is curiosity, passion, humbleness, an open mind and an eye for beauty. If you have all this in your heart and soul, images and words just flow through you, and one morning you wake up and find it stunningly, joyfully easy to Dream, Share and Write.
[image error]Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore by Barbara Conelli is now available! Read below for Kat's review of this special and inspiring book:
What is love? It is more than the love between two people; it is the love of life itself. In the Italian city of Milan, one of the greatest celebrations of life is experiencing a connection with previous and future generations. Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore is your guidebook for this experience. With insightful nostalgia and personal delight Barbara Conelli takes you on a soulful journey through the magnificent city. With her you will experience the waves of chocolate aromas in a confectionary shop, the pains and joys of life through dance, and the poignant loss of a beautiful and significant statue. In Milan you will discover where the old renaissance meets the new. As Ms. Conelli observes the whole city, "...knows the right moment to say goodbye to the old while opening the door to the new." Milan is a living, growing, changing city, bold in its freedoms of expression, and yet filled with people who strive to find the full meaning of love and life under the pulse of their environment.
The Milanese people are not afraid to experiment as long as the outcome brings with it an aspect of life that they aspire to such as peace, relaxation and joy. As you read this book you will be drawn into that world to enjoy all the myriad features of the city. In Milan you will find a restaurant where you can dine with exquisite taste and purchase the unique furniture you dined on. Furniture that will inspire you to experience the love of life to its fullest, to speed away to the exotic places that thrive in your heart of hearts.
Milan is a place of ironies, for all its strength in wanting to succeed and be a showplace, it has had its share of sadness and hard times. It has grown, going through its growing pains in stages and matured into a city that can contain both sorrows and successes in equal measure while not forgetting its past, nor turning away from its future. Ms. Conelli shows us so many sides of this amazing city that it becomes clear that Milan is a place both to be yourself and to be accepted as yourself by others. Despite its worldliness and unquestionable sophistication, Milan holds at its heart a wish to go on experiencing simple pleasures: a moment of conversation with friends or neighbors, a light snack of cheese and a refreshing drink, a taste of vegetable or fruit-filled bread, a quiet walk through cobbled streets.
Whether you plan to travel to Milan or not, you will enjoy reading this book and surrendering to the temptations Ms. Conelli offers you as you browse through her tour of Milan's dreams of past and present. And the most tantalizing dreams are those that have not yet come true.
Please visit Barbara's lovely website for more information on her books, her amazing talents and her refreshing outlook on life. You will not be disappointed!
Telling Grammar
Telling Grammar has been released!
This is a lesson and exercise book for writers who want to learn and practice grammar techniques to enhance their fiction writing. It includes a review of basic, intermediate and advanced grammar including parts of speech, capitalization and punctuation, clauses, phrases and common grammatical and usage errors, and active versus passive voices. Learn to identify common sentence pattern types and how sentence patterns and variety in sentence structure will improve the flow and rhythm of fiction writing. Additional lessons address fiction styles and topics such as the pros and cons of first-person and third-person points of view, dialogue, showing versus telling, figurative language, techniques for highlighting important details and some elements of story structure.
Purchase at Amazon only $2.99
April 4, 2012
Free Book Friday
$ix Days to Midnight is the featured book on Free Book Friday!
5 signed print copies will be given away this Friday...woohoo!
http://indie.freebookfriday.com/2012/03/six-days-to-midnight-by-kat-duncan.html
March 17, 2012
Guest Jordan K Rose
Please welcome the lovely Jordan K Rose to Write About! I am privileged to have Jordan as my invaluable critique partner. Her writing is fast-paced, filled with tension, and emotion-driven with a refreshing splash of humor. I am proud to present her debut book, Perpetual Light, offered by the Crescent Moon Press. If you are looking for a fast, delightful read full of anguish, suspense, and above all earth-shattering and unending love, you will not be disappointed in Perpetual Light. Don't read this book if you plan to sleep tonight! :)
Check out the links below...Jordan is giving away a Kindle/Nook!
Jordan K. Rose
After trying her hand at many, many things - from crafting and art classes to cooking and sewing classes to running her own handbag business, Jordan finally figured out how to channel her creativity. With an active imagination and a little encouragement from her husband she sat down and began to write, each night clicking away at the keys with her black Labrador, Dino curled up under the desk. A few short years later she's entered the publishing arena with no plans to ever turn back. Jordan's a member of RWA National, and the New England (NEC), Connecticut, and Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal (FFnP) Chapters.
Fate is cruel. Especially when the one you've sworn to love for all eternity, the very soul who changed your destiny, is the last person you should trust.
After more than three hundred years of running, Lucia Dicomano must make a choice.
Forced to take her place as a Pharo of Redemption, the divine slayer needs to master her forgotten powers. Lucia turns to Vittorio, the one vampire she's failed to deliver from eternal damnation. But overcoming smoldering remnants of love, lust and anger aren't their only obstacles.
Samuel, who may know Lucia better than she knows herself, hunts her with a fervor stoked by a thousand years of vengeful hatred. His plan-capture and enslave the weakened Pharo then take control of her elusive power.
Can Lucia trust Vittorio long enough to reclaim her powers? Or will she have no choice but to kill him and battle Samuel alone?
Excerpt:
This is a memory Vittorio shares with Lucia, the first time he realized he loved her. It's actually one of my favorite scenes.
"No. Vittorio can be the winner," Lucia said. Her soft voice carried over her shoulder as she headed down the row of grapevines, away from me.
"Oh, no, Lucia." Rinnaldo caught her arm. "I don't think you should just give him a victory. It would mean nothing to just hand it to him." Rinnaldo winked at me and steered her back to our waiting companions.
She frowned, eyebrows pulling together to form a crease above her upturned nose. Long lashes surrounded her beautiful green eyes as she glanced from face to face, looking for someone to intervene. The left side of her bottom lip tucked in. A telltale sign. She knew she'd been caught.
I'd known her since she was born, watched that same expression play across her face hundreds of times in these fourteen years, but in the past few weeks something about her had changed. She wasn't the little girl trailing after me yammering about some ridiculous happening. She was different. The sound of her voice put my stomach in knots. I found myself hanging on her every word and having to force myself to pay attention to my work.
When her gaze finally met mine, I bit my tongue to keep from telling her she was right. It was all my fault. And I love you.
I could have finished the row, should have. Instead I'd spent the last half hour listening to her very detailed story about making sausages and lentils and how every good wife is supposed to know how to cook. Too caught up in the idea of her cooking for me, I completely forgot to check her work on this row. I couldn't say for sure if she'd secured even one tie. She blinked and nibbled her lip, and it took all the will power I had not to touch her, to kiss away that frown.
"I agree," Arturo said, waving her to him. "I've always thought Vittorio was lazy. I think a contest is what we need to prove his worth. Come, ten feet should be enough. You'll check the ties on the vines for ten feet. Whoever finishes first is the winner." Arturo positioned himself behind her at the vine, wearing a smile so big he could barely speak. "When we learn which of you works the slowest, we will know who is to blame for not completing this work."
"Vittorio, are you ready?"
"Yes, Arturo." I faced the vine, trying not to laugh. I knew she'd be angry, if she thought I was laughing.
"Lucia?"
I stood with my back to them, fussing with the vines and pretending to prepare for our contest, all the while straining to hear her voice, knowing she was squirming with dread. More competitive than any man I'd met, but smart enough to know when she was out-matched, she knew this wasn't going to end well. And they'd taunt her for days. We'd all tease her.
"Papa, I don't want to do this," she mumbled.
I peered over my shoulder, but couldn't look at her for more than a second. She clung to her father batting those pleading eyes, and I nearly backed out of the little competition, completely swayed by her sweet little pout.
"I wouldn't want to either. He's faster than me," Arturo said, spinning her toward the vine.
The other farm hands stood by us, laughing mercilessly.
"If she actually beats you, Vittorio, I'm telling the whole town," Carlo said.
"Yes, including your parents," Paolo added.
"Papa," she whined.
"Lucia, you can't back down from the challenge. You're the one who blamed him for the unfinished work," Arturo said.
"Maybe it was my fault. Maybe I was talking," she whispered, side-stepping her father.
"Then maybe you deserve this," he said, guiding her back into position.
"Ready? One, two, three. Go!" He shouted and hustled her down the vines, barking orders and inspecting four ties to her one.
"Papa! Stop yelling!"
"Move it! Move it! You're missing some! Go! Go!"
As they reached the end, I turned back to the vine and began checking them, moving as slowly as I possibly could, raising each hand as if a hundred pound weight dangled from my wrist.
"You win!" Arturo announced, holding her hand above her head.
"Stop it. Look at him!" She pointed at me, her breath coming fast.
I huffed and shuffled a slow step closer to them.
"You were right. I knew he was lazy." Arturo wiped the sweat from his brow.
"You're only teasing me. You didn't even try," she said, hands on her hips.
"Oh, no, Lucia. You are so fast. I could never keep up with you. It was impossible to even see you moving. You were like a streak flying down the row." I continued to check the vines, moving faster than she or Arturo ever moved, finishing in half the time it took them.
I stood in front of her grinning. She rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh, sucking in her cheeks like she always did when she couldn't control them. A light breeze blew her soft brown curls and the scent of orange blossoms carried in the wind. My heart ached with sweet longing.
Find Jordan on her website at www.jordankrose.com
Follow her tweets on https://twitter.com/#!/jordankrose
Friend her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jordankrose
Purchase Perpetual Light at:
Jordan is blog touring and giving away lots of goodies. Follow her on the rest of her tour
March 26
http://thenakedhero.com/
$10 Sweenor's Chocolate Gift Certificate
Rafflecopter giveaway of a Kindle/Nook
Thanks so much for joining me here at Write About, Jordan! Looking forward to more fantastic storytelling from you in the future!
Guest Karen Mueller Bryson
Please welcome Guest Karen Mueller Bryson!
Karen will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commenter during her tour and to the host whose post has the most comments.
Karen Mueller Bryson is an award-winning screenwriter, produced playwright and published novelist. She has been writing since she learned to read and fell in love with books! Karen is the creator of Short on Time Books, a series of fast-paced and fun novels for readers on the go. When she’s not at her computer creating new stories, Karen enjoys spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.
In the romantic comedy, Twyla’s Last Trip, twenty eight-year old, Lucinda Starr is an uptight research psychologist, whose deadline to complete her doctoral dissertation is completely derailed by her estranged mother, Twyla Starr's sudden death. Lucinda must take her mother's ashes on a road trip on Route 66, in order to fulfill the requirements of her will and inherit her fortune. To make matters worse, Lucinda finds herself forced to travel across the country with her mother's easygoing country lawyer, T.J. Yates, who drives her crazy, and his drooling bloodhound, Dakota, who Lucinda finds revolting.
In the romantic comedy, One Last Class, thirty-two year old, Zak Spencer, is a washed-up teen idol, who decides to rebuild his life by returning to college in Arizona. Trouble ensues when Zak falls in love with the young professor, Amy Campbell, who teaches the one class he needs to complete his degree.
Excerpt from “One Last Class”
Thirty-two year old, Zak Spencer was sound asleep in his tousled bed, naked, except for the thin white sheet that covered the lower half of his body. Zak had been aged by recent disappointments but remnants of his boyish good looks were still visible. Elvis, Zak’s two-year old basset hound, snored on the floor next him.
Mindy, a 40-something cougar, slowly rose from the bed trying not to wake Zak. She carefully removed her clothes from the floor then snuck over to a corner chair and grabbed her purse for a quick escape.
But when Mindy tripped over Elvis and he let out a yelp, she crashed to the floor.
Zak awakened and noticed Mindy was no longer next to him. He scanned the room but didn’t see her anywhere. “Mindy?” he called.
“I'm down here.”
Zak peeked over the end of the bed and saw Mindy on the floor clutching her clothes and purse.
“What are you doing down there?” he asked.
“I tripped over your dog.”
Elvis wagged his tail.
As Zak rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he said, “You're leaving already?”
Mindy pushed herself up from the ground and tried to cover her nearly naked body.
“But it’s so early,” Zak continued.
“I've got a lot to do today,” Mindy lied. “I'll call you. I promise,” she blurted as she hurried out of the bedroom.
Zak jumped out of bed and pulled the sheet as a covering as he tried to catch Mindy. But she was quick. She had already made her way through the apartment and grabbed a jacket from a hanger next to the door before Zak caught up to her. Zak was now tangled in the sheet as he tripped up to Mindy and said, “You don't have my number.”
As Zak scrambled for something to write with, Mindy admitted, “I'm not really going to call you.”
Zak was genuinely hurt. “Why?” he managed to get out.
“This was fun and everything but I really don't want to date a former Malibu Boy. It's so last decade.”
“But…” Zak searched for something more to say.
“I've got to go,” Mindy shouted as she bolted out the door.
KD: Great excerpt, Karen, thanks for sharing. You have such a range of creative talent: acting, screenwriting, writing plays and novels, and yet you also have a background in human science and counseling. How do you see these two areas fitting together to define you as a person?
KMB: I’m not sure how many people want to be defined by what they do! When people ask me to describe myself, I usually use the term “spiritual creative” because those are the words I feel truly embody my life’s purpose. I see my work as a university educator and counselor as my “spiritual” work, in that I help others to learn and grow. I see my writing (and previous work in acting) as my creative work, in which I entertain and enlighten people.
KD: Your short, fast-paced novels feature romantic comedy. What do you see as the nature of comedy in a romance?
KMB: I tend to see the humor is everything, including romance. I believe having a sense of humor, and being funny, are attractive qualities to many people. I also think playfulness and fun are important when people are falling in love as well as in maintain passion in a relationship.
KD: Tell us a little about your early background. What was it like growing up? Were you a good student in school?
KMB: I was a quiet and reserved child. I always did what I was told and I loved school. (I guess I still love school because I ended up being a university professor!) I learned to read at an early age and fell in love with books. A fun Saturday for me was having my mom drop me off at the library and spending the entire day going through the stacks and finding books on every imaginable topic. I always ended up checking out more books than I could carry! For me, reading books was much more fun than playing outside with other children.
I was also quite ambitious and always strived to be the top student in every class. My parents were strict about my education and expected me to earn high grades. I tried very hard not to disappoint them, so I rarely earned anything lower than an A in my classes.
KD: What advice would you give young people today who want to nurture their own creativity?
KMB: I spent 20 years of my life pursuing a career, which has been lucrative, but has not allowed me to express myself creatively. Instead of pursuing my creative passion at an early age, I allowed others to dictate the path my life would take. Of course, I’ve had a wonderful life and career but I always wonder how my life would have been different if I had pursued a creative field in my 20s. Now that I’m in my 40s, I am finally following my passion and writing. I would tell a young person to pursue his or her passion regardless of what other people say. Don’t wait until you are in your 40s to pursue your dreams.
KD: Thanks for a great piece of advice, Karen! Pursue your dreams, writers and readers...
Visit Karen on the web:
Blog: http://shortontimebooks.tumblr.com/
Website: Publisher site (s) http://shortontimebooks.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/karenmuellerbryson
Twitter: http://twitter.com/karenmbryson
Review for Twyla's Last Trip
This book was a fast-paced, fun read. If you like adventure and lots of things happening in a story, you'll love Twyla's Last Trip. The Twyla in the story was a country singer whose single hit Hurricane in My Heart is still played on the radio and is as popular as ever. Twyla, who hasn't spoken to her grown daughter, Lucinda, in many years arranges for her daughter to take her on one last trip, with stops along the famous Route 66. Lucinda, about to complete her doctoral dissertation in science is as different from her bohemian mother as she could be. Or so she thinks. T.J., a friend of Twyla's, makes the trip with Lucinda, and together they uncover the unspoken truths of the past and uncork the beginnings of a new future. The story is all action and dialogue, and I didn't once miss the usual setting descriptions and inner thoughts of the characters. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a fast ride along the highway of romance. Let the wind blow through your hair and enjoy it as I did!
Review for One Last Class
This book was a hoot to read. The characters were unusual and fascinating and their decisions were quirky and unpredictable which made me read faster and faster to find out what they were going to do next. Zak, a former celebrity, tries to pick up the life thread he left off when fame knocked at his door. Upon returning to college he is plagued by people's impressions of him according to his reputation. To make things worse, he's followed by one of his celebrity pals who acts partly as a mentor and partly as a counterpoint to what Zak is trying to accomplish. Zak is astonished to discover a female professor, Amy, who not only encourages his pursuit of an advanced degree, but who has no knowledge of his celebrity status. The idea of being known for himself and not his television image makes Amy attractive to Zak. Amy resists Zak's romantic advances, but Zak is not about to give up. If you are looking for a fast escape from dreariness and are ready for a funny fling into relationships, give this wonderful book a try!
Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Follow the rest of Karen's tour here:
April 13: A Tasty Read
April 16: Books Are Magic
April 17: BK Walker Books
April 18: Megan Johns Invites
April 19: Christine Young Romance Writer
April 20: Reader Girls
April 23: Sugarbeat's Books
April 24: LASR Romance Guests
April 25: Crazy Four Books
April 26: Lynnette Labelle
April 27: Maken Words
Karen's tour arrangements by Goddess Fish Promotions: 
http://www.goddessfish.com
Guest Victoria Marshal
Please welcome our guest today, author Victoria Marshal! Read on for more information about this debut author, her book and a review. Victoria would love to hear your reaction to the book and/or her interview. Please leave her a comment to let her know you stopped by!
Victoria Marshal is the author of Bookended By Beauty Queens. She lives in Minnesota with her family. Bookended By Beauty Queens is her first book.
Bookended by Beauty Queens
Angie Palmer likes her life just the way it is–private. She has no desire to entangle herself in complex friendships, and her relationship with her two beauty queen sisters is safely distant.
Unfortunately, life doesn't always go as planned.
When disaster strikes her Grandmother, Angie takes her into her home. A life with Grandma comes a world full of changes, and new friends, including Val, a drag queen with hopes of being the next US-Gay Beauty Pageant winner. Angie is determined to keep Val at a distance. Val has an instinct for knowing what is in Angie heart.
Just as Angie gets comfortable with Grandma living with her, a budding friendship with Val, and a new romantic interest, everything takes an unexpected turn. Val becomes the victim of a violent crime and ends up in a coma. Angie begins a struggle against Val's family who wants to remove their son from life support.
Suddenly her private life becomes very public, and her world becomes a media circus. Angie is caught in a clash between religious beliefs and gay rights. Through many twists and turns, Angie discovers a new appreciation for family, friends, and love. In the end, Angie learns that a life filled with people to care about is never too crowded.
Interview:
KD: What prompted you to write about the unusual topics in Bookended by Beauty Queens?
VM: Bookended by Beauty Queens started out with me wanting write a generational piece about Angie and her Grandmother coming together to learn from each other, with a little romance for Angie thrown in. But like the tag line says life doesn't always turn out the way you planned and neither does writing.
When I started writing Bookended by Beauty Queens, the whole country was focused on the Terri Schiavo case, and I was trying to understand what was happening. How could people who really knew nothing about the circumstance feel so passionately about what this woman and her family. Val initially came into my story as a tool to draw the character of Angie out of herself and act as a bridge between her and her Grandmother. Then he ended up being a conduit for my understanding of the whole right to life campaign.
I always tell people I don't know what I believe until I write about it.
I didn't want to make the story a retread of the Schiavo case, so instead of being a battle between a husband and her wife's family, it became a struggle between a gay man's right to life and his disapproving family.
I'm a little nervous about how the book will be received. There are a lot of hot button issues in the book. Unfortunately, for the sake of story you have to choose a side. This might make the book hated by people because they disagree fundamentally with the choices the characters make.
KD: What does your family think of your writing? Are they supportive or do they think you are going through a phase or being selfish?
VM: I'm so blessed to have the most supportive family in the world. I know a lot of other writers who feel guilty about the time from their family and I've heard stories of husbands who ridicule their wife's for wanting to write. I find that painfully sad.
It's funny that most of these stories are women who are not being supported. I think it's because male writers don't crave that validation the way women do. We want people to tell us it's okay to do this. So for all you women out there who are aspiring writers – IT IS OKAY! We do so much for others that when we take time to do something for ourselves those that have had us at their beck-and-call feel slighted, but trust me they will get over it. And if they don't who cares. Taking time for yourself make you a better mother, wife, and person all the way around.
KD: Do you have other novels in the works? Tell us a little about what else you are planning to write about.
VM: I have a romance in the works, but I thought Bookended by Beauty Queens was going to be a romance. (LOL)So yes. I'm a slow writer though so hopefully there will still be an audience and a market for me when it's finished.
KD: Tell us a little about your early background. What was it like growing up? Were you a good student in school?
VM: I was a lot like the character of Angie. I was the smart one surrounded by pretty ones. Good in school. I didn't like to cause a lot of trouble. I always had my nose in a book even during the summer months when no one was making me. I was a complete dork and I think I still am. J
Blog: http://victoriamarshal.wordpress.com/
Website: http://www.victoriamarshal.com/
Publisher http://www.beforethefallbooks.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-Marshal/158538437540547
Twitter: @VMarshalWriter
Purchase link: http://amzn.com/0983713723
Review:
Bookended by Beauty Queens by Victoria Marshal is a fast-paced, tension-filled read full of characters you will fall in love with despite yourself. Angie has a quick wit and a sharp sense of humor. She knows what she wants and yet life isn't coming through with any good options for her lately. Still, Angie is not the sort of person to become bitter. She's open-minded and tolerant and maybe even a bit too generous when it comes to forgiving her sisters their faults both petty and large. When her grandmother's apartment burns down she gladly takes her grieving grandmother in.
A chance meeting with Val, a vivacious drag queen, on the subway introduces Grandma and Angie to a new world of friends. And just as these three sympathetic misfits are developing their unique support system, disaster strikes Val in the form of a hate crime that puts Val's life in danger. Both Angie and Grandma stand by Val, but Val's parents do not. The personal and public stakes deepen for Angie as she tries to understand the crime, fight the rigid attitudes of Val's family as well as fend off the salivating media and polarized public. With wonderful characterization that will keep you rooting for Angie, Grandma and Val as well as scenes both tense and tender that will have you gnawing your fingernails and crying into your makeup kit, Ms. Marshal succeeds in crafting a truly enjoyable and satisfying story that is well worth your time to read.
Thanks so much for visiting Write About, Victoria. Best of luck with Bookended by Beauty Queens and we hope to be seeing more of your work soon!
March 13, 2012
Featured Workshops
Deadline for registration is March 29th!
April 1, 2012 - April 30, 2012 with OIRW - Outreach International Romance Writers
Ever hear agents, editors or reviewers say "make me care". How do you make someone care about your story and the characters in it? Kat will show you a variety of ways to get readers to care. This workshop includes lessons on word choices and grammar, ways to use sensory imagery, body language, showing and telling and emotion to connect with readers. Kat explains how to present characters with clear, concise goals that readers will root for and hooks that keep readers on the edges of their seats. Got a story or scene that you can't seem to get readers to care about? Kat's workshop will help you identify what's missing and develop ways to hook those readers into caring as much about your characters as you do.
Pacing Pride versus Pace Robbers
Last chance to register for this brand new class!
March 19, 2012 to April 15, 2012 with Savvy Authors
Without proper pace, your stories can sag, drag or just fade away. Proper pace depends on knowing how to make your reader anticipate the next scene, and when to give your reader a moment to take a breath. The workshop will cover in-depth details about the pitfalls of pacing and how to avoid having their pace robbed by certain writing techniques. Participants will learn specific ways to perk up the pace of their novels through grammar styles, setting mood and tone, managing conflict and using point of view subjectively. Includes practical exercises and personalized feedback on participants' works in progress.
Featured Workshop
Deadline for registration is March 29th!
April 1, 2012 - April 30, 2012 with OIRW - Outreach International Romance Writers
Ever hear agents, editors or reviewers say "make me care". How do you make someone care about your story and the characters in it? Kat will show you a variety of ways to get readers to care. This workshop includes lessons on word choices and grammar, ways to use sensory imagery, body language, showing and telling and emotion to connect with readers. Kat explains how to present characters with clear, concise goals that readers will root for and hooks that keep readers on the edges of their seats. Got a story or scene that you can't seem to get readers to care about? Kat's workshop will help you identify what's missing and develop ways to hook those readers into caring as much about your characters as you do.
