Sunday, February 28, 2010

Summary Sunday








Some writers I know write much faster than I do. Some writers I know write slower. Some writers I know write more hours a day than I do. Some writers I know write less. One thing I've learned. I cannot successfully complete a new book if I worry about comparing myself to others, therefore...I write the number of words a day that I write. I write the number of hours a week that I write. When my efforts feel so small that I sometimes wonder if it's worth it to continue, I take this verse as my mantra:

"Out of small things proceeds that which is great." (Doctrine & Covenants 64:33)

Here is a weekly summary of my often "small" writing efforts. And just for fun, I'm throwing in one "new" sentence a day from my daily writing. These sentences may or may not make the final editing cut when all is said and done, so enjoy them while you can!

Thanks for joining me on my journey!

Monday: 1011 words

Sentence: He blamed an unseen root for his stumble as he remembered Lisette.


Tuesday: 423 words


Sentence: He had marveled that a hand so small could feel so strong and determined against his sleeve and had experienced an almost overwhelming urge to tangle his fingers into hers to discover if he had only imagined their unexpected vitality.


Wednesday: 509 words


Sentence: One large section (of hair) stood up from the back of her head in a frizzy heap, while another exploded like a fuzzy bush from the right side of her head.


Thusday: 642 words


Sentence: He did not think his opponents today had been seasoned warriors, but he had never been faced with two assailants at once before, and he had been desperate that she not be proved right.


And that's all she wrote this week!


If anyone would like to start a Summary Sunday on their own blog, you're welcome to share my idea. All I ask is that you link back to my original blog link. Maybe we can start a new meme (rhymes with "cream") for working writers!

Friday, February 26, 2010

What Am I Reading for My 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge?

My choice for my next "Old Favorite" read is The Ogre Downstairs, by Diana Wynne Jones. I can't remember how long ago I read this one...it's been that long!...but it's sitting on my keeper shelf, so I figure it's time to read it again and find out why!

Back cover blurb:


Chemical Warfare?

Casper, Johnny, and Gwinny are sure they'll never be happy again when their mother marries Jack, who is as mean as an ogre. To make matters worse, two obnoxious stepbrothers, Malcolm and Douglas, move in as well. No one -- except the parents -- seems happy. But when Jack gives a chemistry set to each group of kids, bigger problems take over. These are, it turns out, not your average chemicals. In one hilarious experiment after another, the kids discover they can fly, switch bodies with one another, and even disappear. If only they could figure out how to undo all of this! Are one combustible stepfamily and two explosive chemistry sets a formula for disaster?

Stop by next Tuesday, and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!

If you'd like to join my 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge, its not too late! Click here and here for more information. And remember, there are prizes involved if you join us! :-)

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Tuesday Teaser

Tuesday Teaser is a weekly bookish meme (rhymes with “cream"), hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. (I’ve borrowed it from LDS Women’s Book Review.) Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share at least two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

I’m adapting the rules slightly: I’ll be quoting some random lines from the last page I read before I post my teaser. As I warned you, I'm a slow reader, so sometimes I'll be sharing teasers from the same book over multiple Tuesdays.

"With each meeting their attachment grows deeper, no doubt. Does she profess herself to be in love with him still? And does he reciprocate this sentiment openly to her? Then as time passes it becomes yet more inevitable that an elopement will be the obvious conclusion of the matter."

Easterfield, by Anna Jones Buttimore, p 141

If you'd like to share a Teaser from a book you're currently reading, I'd love you to do so in the comment section. And you don't even have to share it on a Tuesday! Be sure to include the title, author, and page number in case others would like to check out the book you're reading, too!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Winner of "Love Engineered"!

Congratulations to Martha Eskuchen of Florida! Martha has won a copy of the sweet Victorian romance, Love Engineered, by Jenna Dawlish. Happy reading, Martha!

Thanks to everyone who entered my drawing!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Summary Sunday

Some writers I know write much faster than I do. Some writers I know write slower. Some writers I know write more hours a day than I do. Some writers I know write less. One thing I've learned. I cannot successfully complete a new book if I worry about comparing myself to others, therefore...I write the number of words a day that I write. I write the number of hours a week that I write. When my efforts feel so small that I sometimes wonder if it's worth it to continue, I take this verse as my mantra:

"Out of small things proceeds that which is great." (Doctrine & Covenants 64:33)

Here is a weekly summary of my often "small" writing efforts. And just for fun, I'm throwing in one "new" sentence a day from my daily writing. These sentences may or may not make the final editing cut when all is said and done, so enjoy them while you can!

Thanks for joining me on my journey!

Monday: 1059 words

Sentence: "What?" Acelet said, sounding cross.

Tuesday: 730 words

Sentence: "We have become quite boon companions on our shared journey, most likely because you knew how it would irk your father."

Wednesday: Out of town all day

Thursday: 1011 words

Sentence: "Ah," Bricot said. "Um...er...that was not quite what I intended."

Friday: 1057 words

Sentence: Now he moved like a veritable whirlwind, driving off his two would-be attackers again and again.

Saturday: 1113 words

Sentence: Acelet heard two screams--one of pain, the other of sheer terror--and stopped spinning his staff long enough to look over his shoulder.

If anyone would like to start a Summary Sunday on their own blog, you're welcome to share my idea. All I ask is that you link back to my original blog link. Maybe we can start a new meme (rhymes with "cream") for working writers!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Arizona Renaissance Festival 2010



Real fairies live at the Arizona Renaissance Festival!



And so do walking trees!



You mustn't be late if you want to catch the Greenman, though.



The royal court



Here comes the King! (King Henry the Only)



Pitter patter, goes my heart as King Henry recites a poem just for me!



Me and a Renaissance fountain



A mechanical jester entertaining the crowds at the end of the day



Me and my Renaissance partner-in-crime. Thanks for a wonderful day, Rocio!

What Am I Reading for My 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge?

Now that I’m finished with a delightful re-reading of Georgette Heyer’s The Talisman Ring, it’s time to choose another “new” book to read. My book of choice is Easterfield, by Anna Buttimore Jones. The setting in 1850 England is one thing that attracted my interest in this book. As you’ll see from the book blurb below, the heroine, Catherine, encounters a Mormon missionary in Lancashire England in that year. One of my ancestors on my mother’s side, Robert Clarkson, was baptized into the LDS Church in Hull (Yorkshire), England on February 24, 1850. Interesting coincidence in dates, don’t you think? Well, I did! Although not set in the same country or shire of my ancestor’s birth, I nevertheless look forward to learning more about his native country during this important year in his life, as I read Easterfield.

Back cover blurb:

When Mr. Wilson, a Mormon missionary, arrives in the rural English town of Easterfield, Lancashire, in 1850, Catherine Waters finds herself intrigued by both the message he brings and his relationship to her reclusive and aristocratic neighbour. Through Mr. Wilson, Catherine is drawn into the strange world of Easterfield Hall, where both her cousin and sister find forbidden love, and Catherine uncovers secrets that change her entire outlook on their peaceful life. After Mr. Wilson is called back to Utah, the dashing Dr. Davenport is on hand to offer love, security, and help in piecing together Catherine’s fragmenting life. As she experiences gut-wrenching fear, hopeless love, and the loss of all she once thought important, she learns that the things that really matter are eternal.

Stop by next Tuesday, and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!

If you'd like to join my 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge, its not too late! Click here and here for more information. And remember, there are prizes involved if you join us! :-)


Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Tuesday Teaser

Tuesday Teaser is a weekly bookish meme (rhymes with “cream"), hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. (I’ve borrowed it from LDS Women’s Book Review.) Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share at least two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

I’m adapting the rules slightly: I’ll be quoting some random lines from the last page I read before I post my teaser. As I warned you, I'm a slow reader, so sometimes I'll be sharing teasers from the same book over multiple Tuesdays. This is one of those times. I finished The Talisman Ring last night and have yet to start my new read, so here's one last teaser from The Talisman Ring. I'll have a brand new teaser from a brand new book to share with you next week!

Miss Thane regarded him with misgiving. "Tell me at once, have I a black eye?" she said.

"No, not yet."

She gave a shriek. "Not yet? Do you mean that I shall have one?"

"I should think it highly probable," he said, a laugh in his voice.


The Talisman Ring, by Georgette Heyer, p 270

If you'd like to share a Teaser from a book you're currently reading, I'd love you to do so in the comment section. And you don't even have to share it on a Tuesday! Be sure to include the title, author, and page number in case others would like to check out the book you're reading, too!


Sunday, February 14, 2010

Summary Sunday

Some writers I know write much faster than I do. Some writers I know write slower. Some writers I know write more hours a day than I do. Some writers I know write less. One thing I've learned. I cannot successfully complete a new book if I worry about comparing myself to others, therefore...I write the number of words a day that I write. I write the number of hours a week that I write. When my efforts feel so small that I sometimes wonder if it's worth it to continue, I take this verse as my mantra:

"Out of small things proceeds that which is great." (Doctrine & Covenants 64:33)

Here is a weekly summary of my often "small" writing efforts. And just for fun, I'm throwing in one "new" sentence a day from my daily writing. These sentences may or may not make the final editing cut when all is said and done, so enjoy them while you can!

Thanks for joining me on my journey!

Monday: 1013 words

Sentence: "They have no imagination in fighting, so I rarely have to use mine."

Tuesday: 1013 words

Sentence: In another moment, the bafflement might flash into a realization that pierced her secret hurts, and that she could not bear for him or anyone to see.

Wednesday: 669 words

Sentence: Except for herself, because she was not a wife and no man had leave to strike her except Sir Hilary, whose courage she had been careful never to mock, however else she might nettle him.

Thursday: 1177 words

Sentence: "What was I going to do, tie it up in this cloak?"

Friday: 1234 words

Sentence: "I'm not the one who risked catching my death by standing out in the whipping rain, merely to wash some mud from my face."

Saturday: Spent all day at the Arizona Renaissance Festival. Huzzah!

If anyone would like to start a Summary Sunday on their own blog, you're welcome to share my idea. All I ask is that you link back to my original blog link. Maybe we can start a new meme (rhymes with "cream") for working writers!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Winner of "Missing"

Congratulations to Cassandra Cantrell of Utah! Cassandra has won a copy of Missing, by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen.

Thank you to everyone who read my interview with Ronda and entered my drawing!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Tuesday Teaser


Tuesday Teaser is a weekly bookish meme (rhymes with “cream"), hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. (I’ve borrowed it from LDS Women’s Book Review.) Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share at least two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

I’m adapting the rules slightly: I’ll be quoting some random lines from the last page I read before I post my teaser. Also, because I’m a slow reader, I may quote from the same book more than once over a period of two or three Tuesdays. Then again, if I’m reading more than one book at a time, I may vary my teaser from book to book. Anyway, I think this sounds like fun, so here we go!

Tuesday Teaser:

Sir Tristram said dryly: "I trust neither of you will hesitate to vilify my character whenever it seems expedient to you to do so."

"No, of course we shall not," Miss Thane assured him.

"But you do not mind, mon cousin, do you?"

"On the contrary, I am becoming quite accustomed to it.... I have been in swift succession a tyrant, a thief and a murderer, and now a fortune hunter. There is really nothing left."

The Talisman Ring, by Georgette Heyer, p 113

If you'd like to share a Teaser from a book you're currently reading, I'd love you to do so in the comment section. And you don't even have to share it on a Tuesday! Be sure to include the title, author, and page number in case others would like to check out the book you're reading, too!

Monday, February 8, 2010

What Am I Reading for My 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge?

Due to going through one of my "I can't sleep" phases this past week, I finished Apollo's Child, by Joan Smith, a "new" book for my 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge in record time for me! I don't usually review books for my reading challenge, but since Apollo's Child had NO reviews for it on Goodreads, I took the time to write one. Here's what I wrote:

"A YA book describing the life of a young man named Philo, a student of the ancient physician, Hippocrates, from whom the Hippocratic Oath that doctors take even today originated. Extremely well told, both funny and sad, though very occasionally, the author's terse style can leave her meaning slightly obscure. But that is a minor quibble. An enjoyable and painless way for young adults (and even adults) to learn more about life in ancient Greece and the impact of an ancient healer on today's medical knowledge and traditions. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end!

"Sadly, this book is currently out of print, but used copies can be found on Amazon or by Googling the title."

For my next "old" book, I've chosen a book that, happily, is still in print: The Talisman Ring, by Georgette Heyer. (Note: This is not the cover on my version, which I bought in 1976 to replace the copy my sister insisted on taking to college with her.)

Here's the back cover blurb:

One of Heyer's funniest Regency romances, and one of readers' favorites.

An impetuous young lady and a fugitive nobleman…
When spirited Eustacie stumbles into a band of smugglers, she is delighted to be having an adventure at last. Their leader, young heir Ludovic Lavenham, is in hiding, falsely accused of murder. Pursued by the law, Eustacie and Ludovic find refuge at an unassuming country inn.


And the delightfully sensible couple who try to keep them out of trouble...
The resourceful Miss Sarah Thane and the clear-thinking Sir Tristram Shield gamely endeavor to prevent Ludovic's arrest and Eustacie's ruin as the four conspire to recover the missing talisman ring that will clear Ludovic's name.








Stop by on Tuesday, and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!



If you'd like to join my 2010 New/Old Reading Challenge, its not too late! Click here and here for more information. And remember, there are prizes involved if you join us! :-)


Sunday, February 7, 2010

Summary Sunday

Some writers I know write much faster than I do. Some writers I know write slower. Some writers I know write more hours a day than I do. Some writers I know write less. One thing I've learned. I cannot successfully complete a new book if I worry about comparing myself to others, therefore...I write the number of words a day that I write. I write the number of hours a week that I write. When my efforts feel so small that I sometimes wonder if it's worth it to continue, I take this verse as my mantra:

"Out of small things proceeds that which is great." (Doctrine & Covenants 64:33)

Here is a weekly summary of my often "small" writing efforts. And just for fun, I'm throwing in one "new" sentence a day from my daily writing. These sentences may or may not make the final editing cut when all is said and done, so enjoy them while you can!

Thanks for joining me on my journey!

(And my other motto is: Some days are better than others! as you'll see below:)

Monday: 1026 words

Sentence: She understood this reaction to Acelet's touch no better, only that it shook her in an utterly bewildering way and that for the space of a heartbeat, her own fingers longed to twist themselves about and entwine themselves with his.

Tuesday: 610 words

Sentence: The merchants, too, were shuffling restlessly when the mad Nildred abruptly died and Janeta found herself rather murkily thrust into marriage with a rich, old, jealous lord who immediately thrust her into yet another tower to guard her from youthful and handsome rivals.

Wednesday: 1161 words

Sentence (brace yourself, it's a long one!): Though he sat perfectly still while Bricot flung himself dramatically around the room, flapping his arms like a hawk, clapping his hand to his breast in mimicry of Janeta's palpitating heart, striking a noble pose for the knight, and wringing his hands together with an exaggeratedly fiendish sneer as Janeta's husband plotted the young lovers' downfall, Acelet's lips moved silently, mouthing along Bricot's tale word for word.

Thursday: 1018 words

Sentence: Joslin tilted the comb closer to the light of the fire and saw that what she had first taken for tiny flowers among the garlands were, instead tiny seashells.

Friday: 351 words (due to distractions, some good, some just...distractions...and needing to stop to do some research)

Sentence: Surely men would take him more seriously at a glance if they saw him now, rather than waiting to be convinced by the speed and force of his staff?

Saturday: 435 words

Sentence: "But the sight would give our poor innkeeper the fright of his life, don't you think?"

If anyone would like to start a Summary Sunday on their own blog, you're welcome to share my idea. All I ask is that you link back to my original blog link. Maybe we can start a new meme (rhymes with "cream") for working writers!


Saturday, February 6, 2010

Whitney Award Finalists Announced

The 2009 Whitney Award Finalists were announced on Friday, February 5th. I was excited, pleased, and humbled to see my sweet medieval romance, Illuminations of the Heart, listed among the finalists in the romance category. My book is up against some stiff competition, but competition is good. Keeps us writers on our toes! Wishing the best of luck to every one of these authors...including me! :-)

2009 Whitney Award Finalists

Romance Category

Counting the Cost, by Liz Adair
Illuminations of the Heart, by Joyce DiPastena
All the Stars In Heaven, by Michele Paige Holmes
Santa Maybe, by Aubrey Mace
Previously Engaged, by Elodia Strain

Mystery/Suspense

Lockdown, by Traci Hunter Abramson
Methods of Madness, by Stephanie Black
Murder By the Book, by Betsy Brannon Green
Lemon Tart, by Josi Kilpack
Altered State, by Gregg Luke

Youth Fiction

Princess of the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George
Fablehaven IV: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, by Brandon Mull
My Fair Godmother, by Janette Rallison
Bright Blue Miracle, by Becca Wilhite
The Chosen One, by Carol Lynch Williams

Speculative Fiction

Servant of a Dark God, by John Brown
The Maze Runner, by James Dashner
Wings, by Aprilynne Pike
Warbreaker, by Brandon Sanderson
I Am Not a Serial Killer, by Dan Wells

Historical

Tribunal, by Sandra Grey
The Undaunted, by Gerald Lund
Alma, by H.B. Moore
The Last Waltz, by G.G. Vandagriff
In the Company of Angels, by David Farland

General Fiction

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford
No Going Back, by Jonathan Langford
Gravity vs. the Girl, by Riley Noehren
The Route, by Gale Sears
Eyes Like Mine, by Julie Wright

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Jenna Dawlish: Author Interview and Giveaway


Today we have an extra special visitor to JDP NEWS! An interview with British author, Jenna Dawlish. In addition to the interview, Jenna has graciously agreed to donate a copy of her Victorian romance, Love Engineered as a giveaway to one lucky reader. I’ll tell you how you can enter to win a copy at the end of our interview!

JDP: Thank you for joining us today, Jenna. On your website, I see you refer to yourself as an author of "Vic-Lit". What is "Vic-Lit"?

JENNA: Hi Joyce, thank you for having me on your JDP NEWS blog, it's great to be here. "Vic-Lit" stands for "Victorian Literature". It's a play on the "Chick-Lit" term which I thought might be fun to use - it's very tongue-in-cheek.

JDP: Please tell us a little about your Victorian romance, Love Engineered.

JENNA: Love Engineered is a book about a single woman who happens to be a wealthy land and estate owner in Devon. She is very interested in the engineering world and falls for the civil engineer Charles Lucas, who is tipped to be the next Brunel. (For those who don't know, Brunel is the most famous Engineer in Britain). This should be simple, because surely, a wealthy woman is what every man wants? But Charles is only interested in his work and because he has encountered a lot of problems with landowners like Louise, he naturally (or stupidly) thinks she is like the rest. Of course, there is a happy ending, but a lot happens along the way; slowly Charles realises there is more to Louise than he realised and for the first time he stops thinking about work and listens to his heart. Louise learns she can't always get what she wants (well, not at first anyway). She is very much a woman in a man's world, which is similar to my own situation at work and at home.

JDP: The Victorian Era lasted over 60 years (1837-1901). Why did you choose 1855 for the setting of your novel?

JENNA: There are specifics in the novel which meant that was the perfect year. I mention the Great Exhibition happening a few years before, so 1855 is about the right time in that respect.

I love the early to mid Victorian period because whilst there are changes going on, the railways etc, there isn't the technology you get in the later period. So, by the time Queen Victoria died, there is electricity, telephones, telegrams etc. Communication is much more advanced. But in the 1850's the railways were still expanding and the postal service was still the only method of long distance communication. That makes things interesting if people have to wait days for a letter to arrive. 

 JDP: We’ve certainly been spoiled with e-mail in the internet age, haven’t we! What do you find most fascinating about the Victorian Era?

JENNA: It's a long time ago, yet it's not. Here in England where I live, the Victorians had a massive impact on us even now. It was a time of huge change - leaps in engineering, science and technology. Factories and industry meant poor people had a good chance of bettering their situation. When the Victorians built things they built them to last, which sadly isn't true these days. I also love the way that life was slower compared to now. Modern life is so hectic, and I think it very appealing to be able to escape back into the Victorian period when you need to slow down a bit. But I like to come back to now where there are votes for women and modern medicine!

JDP: As a medieval author, I’m definitely with you on that! I’m always interested in how authors research their historical novels. Could you tell us a little about how you researched the historical background for Love Engineered?

JENNA: I've done research in a number of ways. General research is part and parcel of reading Victorian novels (like the Brontes, Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Gaskell). You can pick up a massive amount of research this way. In a similar vein, TV or film adaptations of Victorian novels also help. If there is something specific I want to know about, then I'll look on the internet or visit my local library for a book. 

Here in the UK there are a number of museums which have recreated Victorian streets or towns. I love visiting these, as you can really get a feel for the era. I've dragged my family to many places in the name of research!

Specifically for Love Engineered, I visited a number of Brunel's works (more about this later) to get a feel for the life of a Victorian Engineer and had a book on Victorian civil engineering. I also read a number of biographies on Brunel.

I also have a huge pile of book on the Victorian Era. If I pass a second hand bookshop I always pop in to see if they have anything that might be useful. I've picked up some pretty strange ones. For example, I have one that is about Victorian inventions. It's fascinating to look at (and quite amusing). For example there are a number of bizarre flying machines all of which with our modern hindsight would never get off the ground. But there are also some examples of Engineers being ahead of their time. There is a picture for a Printing Press from 1881 being driven using the sun to drive the steam engine. Not quite solar panels as we know it, but still the inventor was on the right track.

My next novel, Sprig of Thyme, is about a governess. So I bought a non-fiction book called The Victorian Governess by Kathryn Hughes which has helped a great deal. However, I've also read Jane Eyre and Agnes Grey both of whom are governesses, and they taught me a great deal.

JDP: Can you share with us your top three favorite research books or other resources for the Victorian Era?

Jenna: 1. A TV series called: "The Seven Wonders of the Industrial World", a brilliant set of seven hour long episodes which explain great engineering feats: The London Sewerage System, The Panama Canal, The Bell Rock Lighthouse, The Great Eastern Ship, The Transcontinental Railway, The Brooklyn Bridge and The Hoover Dam. It really brings history to life and gives the personal struggles behind those who built them.
2. A great book called What the Victorians Did For Us by Adam Hart-Davies. This gives a great general overview of what went on in the Victorian period.
3.  A Website: Victorian London (http://www.victorianlondon.org/) Even if your book or story is not set in London, this website gives you a great deal of general information about the Victorian period and what everyday life was like.
JDP: Are there any historical figures from the Victorian Era who particularly intrigue you?



JENNA: Definitly Prince Albert. If anyone saw the film last year "The Young Victoria" [JDP: Oooo, I wanted to see that, but the movie theater playing it was too far away! L ] then you'll know what an amazing man he was. He was ahead of his time. A philanthropist, and because of his experience with his parents broken marriage, he was a faithful husband and very moralistic. He even assisted Queen Victoria each time she gave birth, which was unheard of at the time. He has all the characteristics of a great hero for a novel. No wonder Queen Victoria mourned him for 30 years. 



I'm also a BIG fan of Brunel (if you couldn't tell already!). He was such an amazing man. Most of his work is still standing and I love visiting them when possible. Clifton Suspension Bridge, Royal Albert Bridge, the railway in Dawlish, SS Great Britain and tunnels in London which are now part of the London Underground. He was totally driven to become the worlds best engineer and I think he achieved his dream. He was a family man too, and whilst he was away from home a lot, he looked after his wife and children well.

JDP: What inspired you to write Love Engineered?

JENNA: It was the 2004 TV adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel North and South that kicked if off. I'd read the book before, but was intrigued how the heroine of the novel (Margaret) became the hero's landlord (John Thornton). This happens at the end of the book.  So I began to imagine what it would be like to have a lonely and wealthy female landowner who falls for a mill owner tenant of hers. Eventually the mill owner became an engineer and I changed other circumstances too, but you'll have to read my book to find out!

For those of you haven't seen the TV show or read the book North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, I heartily recommend it.

JDP: Are you working on any new projects?

JENNA: Yes, I have my second novel out in May called Sprig of Thyme. As I mentioned before, this is about a governess who becomes engaged to the tutor who works at the same country house. He has a BIG secret and ends up breaking the engagement. Then, five years later the story is picked up when they meet again in Bath. It's a classic, "love lost, but regained" story which is the type of novel I love to read myself. The reader gets to find out the secret and how they rebuild their relationship.

I'm always writing and have just started a new novel about a Victorian writer and her publisher, but it's very much in the early stages. 

JDP: Your books all sound so fascinating! Where can readers obtain copies of Love Engineered?

JENNA: From Amazon.com, (also available in Kindle version), Amazon.co.ukThe Book Depository (free worldwide delivery) or direct from my publisher as an ebook or paperback:www.escapewithabook.com

Later in the year my books will be available as an iPhone application.

JDP: Wow! iPhone! Very cool! (I’ve always wanted an iPhone, but so far…oh well, maybe someday!)

Thank you so much for joining us today, Jenna!

Okay, now for the giveaway portion of our program. If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Love Engineered, by Jenna Dawlish, please do one, two, or all three of the following:

(1) Visit Jenna's website to find out where in England Jenna lives. Send me the answer to jdipastena@yahoo.com with "Love Engineered #1" in the subject line, AND INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS.

(2) Visit Jenna's blog and tell me the name of the wharf clerk who's diary Jenna will be following all year. Email me the answer to jdipastena@yahoo.com with "Love Engineered #2" in the subject line, AND INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS.

(3) Quick! Without looking back to the beginning of this interview, tell me what Vic-Lit stands for! Email me your answer to jdipastena@yahoo.com with "Love Engineered #3" in the subject line, AND INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND MAILNG ADDRESS.

There you go, easy as Pi. (Or is that Pie?)

Please don't combine your entries, or you may only be counted once. Deadline for entries is February 21, midnight PST. The winner will be announced here on JDP NEWS on Monday, February 22.

Good luck to one and all!