Corrie Garrett's Blog, page 3
January 1, 2020
A new trilogy
[image error]It’s the first day of 2020! I don’t know about you, but I am ready for a new decade on a number of levels.
And… I’m thrilled to have the first two books of An Austen Ensemble available in paperback and ebook! The third will go live April 30, 2020, but is available for pre-order now. If you enjoy historical romance or Jane Austen, I know you’ll enjoy them.
This is my first foray into historical fiction, and I have even MORE respect for historical writers now. I thought, based on my obsessive reading of all things Austen, Bronte, and Heyer, that I would have a pretty good feel for the historical details needed. I was… wrong. So wrong. Hours of googling and research and staring at images on Wikimedia Commons wrong. Would Netherfield have a hallway? Would Anne use a vinaigrette in a carriage? What kind of carriage is it anyway?? On and on.
What does Tunbridge Wells look like? Would the de Bourgh’s private parlor in a hotel be near their rooms? What and why is a taproom? Why are miniatures only water-color?
I could go on and on, but that is all to say: I have whiter hair coming out of this than I had going in! I think when I have finished the last of A Gentle Touch (Book 3) I am going to detox with a space opera. I want to MAKE STUFF UP again… 
February 10, 2019
Pride and Prejudice and Passports News
My first press release! I’m trying different marketing approaches with this book. I’ve been getting my feet wet with marketplace ads, NetGalley, and… well, press.
Click below to see the full article!
February 4, 2019
Pride and Prejudice and Passports
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It’s finally out there! My Pride and Prejudice retelling is complete and available in ebook or paperback on amazon.com.
Phew, it always takes me a couple months to come off the high of finishing something. In the meantime, here is the description:
During the tumultuous 2016 presidential election, three Latina sisters navigate life and love in Southern California.
Elisa Benitez is happy to help her family clean cabins for the summer, but when her older sister falls hard for one of their rich guests, Elisa expects heartbreak. Her sister is a Dreamer, an undocumented immigrant, and he’s an elected state representative.
Even worse is his infuriating friend Darcy! He’s arrogant, rude, and based on a comment Elisa overheard, probably racist. He’s one of those guys who get by on money and looks, and she wouldn’t mind poking a hole in his self-image.
Darcy certainly didn’t intend to fall for a beautiful, well-spoken Latina on his short vacation to the mountains. Elisa would sooner turn off his hot-water heater than agree with him about anything. Why is debating with her more fun than agreeing with anyone else?
But when Elisa’s little sister runs away, and her parents are scared to go to the police, Darcy realizes just how serious she was. And how serious his own feelings have become.
Pride and Prejudice and Passports is a modern variation on Pride and Prejudice with heart and humor, a wholesome romance that brings Darcy and Elizabeth to life all over again.
July 12, 2018
Pride and Prejudice and Politics
My next novel is coming soon! My goal is October of 2018, but I’m still learning my way through efficient indie-publishing, so I’m holding that lightly.
What is it about? Well, for those of you who haven’t heard me moaning and hand-wringing my way through this, it is a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice! Unlike my Jane Eyre retelling, this one is straight-up contemporary–no paranormal or alien characters in sight. It’s the very first time I’ve written something like this, so it was definitely a challenge!
Working description:
In the summer of 2016, in drought-ridden Southern California, Elena Benitez heads home to help her parents handle cabin rentals while her dad recuperates.
When one of the elite guests falls hard for her older sister, Elena is uneasy. Charles seems like a great guy – despite being a Republican state representative – but he’ll never be interested in Elena’s sister when he realizes she’s an undocumented immigrant, a ‘dreamer’ brought to the US as a child by her own undocumented parents.
Elena can’t wait until Charles is gone, along with his opinionated and arrogant friend Darcy. And if Elena’s sisters are right that Darcy is hitting on her, well, that just makes it worse.
In a national election season of unfettered passion and prejudice, Elena has nothing to guide her but her instincts, and she’d sooner believe Trump could win than she could ever fall in love with a man like Darcy.
I always mess around with covers for a new book, trying to decide what I want to emphasize. Here are some of my mock-ups. Feel free to let me know what you do or don’t like! [image error]
November 13, 2017
Kindle Scout Results
[image error]Unfortunately my book was not selected for the Kindle Scout program, so you will be getting a notification of that! It’s always a let down to get rejected, but this was still a great experience. My book was short-listed and so I received very helpful feedback from one of Amazon’s editors. They read my whole book and advised me on market expectations, endings, dialogue, and all kinds of things. Thanks so much for helping me get to that level! I will be utilizing the feedback (at least some of it!), and then indie-publishing the novel through Amazon. I will make sure to announce when it is available! (Probably mid-December). Thanks again everybody!
If you’d like to be notified when it is available and/or has a free promotion day, sign up here!
October 30, 2017
Still Waters Release!
[image error]Phew, time to move on from Kindle Scout to other news! I’m so happy to have my Little Mermaid retelling included in the most recent anthology by C.J. Brightley. If you love J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle, and other uplifting fantasy writers, this anthology is for you.
“Noblebright fantasy is fantasy with a thread of hope even in the darkest hour, with characters who strive to do the right thing, even when it costs them everything.
In this exciting collection of noblebright fantasy, fresh new fantasy voices and award-winning authors explore grief and hope, sacrifice and heroism. Rediscover the best aspect of classic fantasy – the noblebright ideals that made heroes heroic, even when the world grew dark around them.”
My fairy-tale adaptation is called “The Ice of Heaven” and was actually inspired by my nine-year-old daughter. She wrote a fun little story about Galileo traveling to one of the moons he discovered and finding life. (She totally has the heart of a historical fantasy writer, if I do say so myself!)
Check out the anthology, you’ll love it. Links for all retailers below:
Amazon | B&N/Nook | Kobo | iBooks | Google Play | Smashwords
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Tagged: anthology, author, ebook, fairy tales, fanfiction, fantasy, fiction, free, indie, little mermaid, noblebright, novel, paranormal, retellings, romance, writing, young adult
October 12, 2017
Word Art: The Rise and Fall of Jane
Fun stuff from my Jane Eyre tumblr campaign. And because pictures are fun!
Kindle Scout link: http://amzn.to/2i8DZlb
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Tagged: author, charlotte bronte, christian romance, classic retellings, clean romance, ebook, fanfiction, fiction, free, jane eyre, kindlescout, novel, publication, retellings, romance, scout campaign, tumblr, writing, young adult
October 10, 2017
Kindle Scout campaign details
[image error]I’m ten days into my Kindle scout campaign, and several other writers have asked how much information I get as I go along. This may not be every reader’s cup-of-tea, but I thought I’d throw some thoughts up here.
First, if you have a moment, don’t forget to nominate my Jane Eyre romance! 
October 8, 2017
The Rise and Fall of Jane
[image error]Hurray! Almost three years after starting a contemporary retelling of Jane Eyre, it is polished and almost published! During the month of October, it will be up on Kindle Scout for readers to sample and nominate.
About the book: Jane Agosto wants to leave her lonely, dysfunctional past behind when she gets a job as a nanny at Miles Hayes’s mansion. It only takes a few encounters with Miles for her to feel drawn to him, but Jane refuses to be THAT nanny, the one who falls for her boss. She’s no Cinderella, and she won’t break her heart on a wealthy player, or raise the hopes of the little girl she cares for. But when attempted murder shakes up the family, Jane’s heart falters. Should she trust Miles, or hit the road?
You can read the first three chapters and nominate here!
What are the difficulties of writing a Jane Eyre re-telling or spin-off?
Well, first of all, it’s been done. It’s been done well. It’s been done with literary and poetic excellence. I’m thinking Wide Sargasso Sea and things of that magnitude. Yikes, right? I’ve also enjoyed several modern re-tellings, plus the innovative YouTube show The Autobiography of Jane Eyre that I loved!
So, I tried to decide what I hadn’t seen in the re-tellings that I wanted:
I wanted more faith. It is an integral part of the original story, but most modern re-tellings gloss right over it. I particularly wanted a Jane who wasn’t sleeping with her boss by the time the big twist comes. For me, without the moral and spiritual conflict, most of Jane’s reaction is lost.
A twist with the “Bertha” character that is not drugs. I get that drug addiction or related mental problems make sense in this retelling, but I wanted to do something else.
A Gothic sense of dread and supernatural. In the original, particularly the end when Jane hears Rochester’s voice over thousands of miles, there is a sense of natural (and divine) wonder. Almost a magical realism, in that Jane just accepts it and the story doesn’t pause to figure out what happened and how.
How did I include those? Well, it was tricky. I don’t want to give away the twists that I did use, but I can say that I fell a little further into the paranormal spectrum than I meant to, and that some mythology is used. There aren’t any shifters or vampires, but there are definitely some mysteries to be uncovered.
Most of all, I wanted it to be a compelling and un-put-downable love story!
Hope you enjoy. Thank you for following along.
Click here to get a sneak peek, and nominate for Amazon’s publication team!
Corrie
Tagged: adaptation, charlotte bronte, christian romance, contemporary romance, foster care, free book, jane eyre, magical realism, nanny, re-telling, romance, suicide, the autobiography of jane eyre, writing
October 2, 2017
Sisters are the best
Bahaha! My older sister and I have a great relationship, but recently I felt like I needed to apologize to her about something. We’re all good now, but we’d been talking a ton about book covers and titles (she was helping my brainstorm for my Jane Eyre retelling), so she sent me this. I love my sisters![image error]
