Author Interview & Giveaway: "A Lady by Any Other Name," by Jennifer Kitchens

Today I have an interview with a lovely new Regency romance author, Jennifer Kitchens, and a giveaway for her debut romance, A Lady by Any Other Name. Stay tuned at the end of the interview for a chance to win a PDF copy of her book.

JDP: How long have you been reading Regency romances?

Jennifer: More years than I care to admit.  As a young teen, we would often take vacations to my Grandmother’s cabin where there wasn’t much to do but walk around outside, watch old movies, and play games. She had a great little collection of regency romances and I often found myself drawn to the bookshelf to pick out a new romance adventure. I’ve been reading them ever since.

JDP: What was the first Regency romance you ever read?

Jennifer: I’m not sure I remember. It was probably by Georgette Heyer though. I read a lot of hers first before branching out to find other wonderful authors.

JDP: My readers know I love Georgette Heyer, too! When did you first realize you wanted to write Regency romances?

Jennifer: A few years ago my husband encouraged me to write out some of the many stories that were rattling around in my head. As I started thinking seriously about it, the only genre that really called to me was regency romance because I love them so much. There is a lot to play with in this time period with the Napoleonic war, the war of 1812, British dealings with India and the Caribbean, the rising of the middle class, and more.  You can have spies, war heroes, political reform, and more in addition to dealing with strict rules of society and class.  With so much to play with, there are unlimited options to write with.

JDP: Which Regency romance authors have most influenced you in your love for the Regency period?

Jennifer: All of them. J  Of course I’ll have to say Georgette Heyer was a big influence on me when I was younger. To be honest, there aren’t too many other authors which I read more than one or two books, so there are so many I couldn’t name. I often have looked to those who were published about a decade ago, but there has been a recent resurgence of regency romances and I am enjoying them as well.

JDP: Since I’m always interested in how authors research their historical novels, could you tell us a little about how you researched the Regency era for A Lady by Any Other Name?

Jennifer: A lot of my research comes from reading hundreds of regency romances to get a general feel of the time period and how the people and society is viewed in literature. To get more technical, I have done research online of course. There are some good websites and Wikipedia should be every researcher’s best friend. There are a few books I used, some more helpful than others. Putting it all together helped me create a plausible and realistic background for my story.

JDP: Can you share with us your top three favorite Regency romance research books or other resources?

Jennifer: My favorite book was What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew. http://www.amazon.com/Austen-Charles-Dickens-Whist-Nineteenth-Century/dp/0671882368

This is a wonderful source for all aspects of society and everyday life. 

I’m not sure I have anything else that I would really cite as something I referred to often. Like I said, I often used my own knowledge from Regency literature and complemented it with Google searches and Wikipedia articles.

JDP: Do you have an all-time favorite Regency romance?

Jennifer: What a hard question!  I think I would have to say either The Twelve Days of Christmas by Regina Scott or The Substitute Bridegroom by Charlotte Louise Dolan. Fabulous books!

JDP: Ooo, thanks for the tips! I’ll check those books out. What inspired you to write A Lady by Any Other Name?

Jennifer: My husband was my motivation all along the way. Without his encouragement, I probably would have quit twice.  I also found that the book itself was its own inspiration. I often found that if I would re-read something I wrote, I would fall in love with it again and want to keep reading it, but as I hadn’t finished it yet I would have to write it myself. J  Then I would have to keep writing because I wanted to have the story keep going. 

JDP: Tell us a little bit about A Lady by Any Other Name. (You can share your book blurb here if you want)

JENNIFER: A Woman in Hiding

Nicole Farrington’s life had never been easy, but it had always been bearable. At least it had been until now. Faced with a horrible marriage her step-brother has contracted for her, she will do anything to get away.  She’ll run…run to anyone who might be able to help her. But running blindly down an unknown path may take her to an unexpected destination.

A Man Seeking Answers

Julian Huntington, Earl of Foxley, wants nothing more than to have his carefree life back. Now he is left with a title, a child, and a future that he never expected would be his. He refuses to believe his brother’s death was an accident, no matter what people say. Someone killed him and Julian plans to find out who and why. Maybe then he can go on with his life…his brother’s life. Will the answers he seeks be enough, or will he find love to be a worthier goal?

JDP: What project are you working on next?

Jennifer: I am working on another regency romance right now. It’s set during Christmas-time (a favorite of mine) and involves a bit of mystery and a lot of crazy relatives. I am really having fun with this one and I hope to be able to finish it before too long so I can share it with all of you!

JDP: I’m looking forward to that! Where can readers obtain a copy of A Lady by Any Other Name?

Jennifer: CreateSpace (Paperback): https://www.createspace.com/3901091

Amazon (Paperback): http://www.amazon.com/Lady-By-Any-Other-Name/dp/1477612416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344526465&sr=8-1&keywords=a+lady+by+any+other+name

Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Any-Other-Name-ebook/dp/B008H2Z7VK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1344526465&sr=8-2&keywords=a+lady+by+any+other+name

Barnes & Noble (Nook): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-lady-by-any-other-name-jennifer-kitchens/1111978555

JDP: Thank you so much for joining us today! 

You can read a short excerpt from A Lady by Any Other Name on my latest Tuesday Teaser post.

More about Jennifer! : Jennifer Kitchens is a life-long lover of romance novels. She started reading Regency romances as a teenager and hasn’t stopped. She is the founder and sole reviewer for Clean Romance Reviews. When she isn’t writing and reading, she is raising her young children and dating her husband. Visit Jennifer’s author website, her review blog, and follow her on Facebook.

Okay, now for the giveaway. Jennifer is offering a PDF version of A Lady by Any Other Name to one lucky reader of this interview! (Yes, that means that international entries are welcome!) Deadline is August 29. Winner will be drawn August 30. Enter via Rafflecopter below.

OFFICIAL RULES:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

USA entries only

Entrants must be 18 years or older

Entries may be left in a comment or sent via email to jdipastena@yahoo.com

Winners will be selected on August 30, 2012. Winners have 48 hours to respond to an email notifying them of their win.

Prizes not claimed within 48 hours will be reawarded

Sponsor name and contact info: Joyce DiPastena, jdipastena@yahoo.com.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!

As I noted in my last What Am I Reading Now post, I'm behind in sharing my Tuesday Teasers with you, so here are teasers from the last two books I read, plus the book I'm reading now.

From A Lady by Any Other Name, by Jennifer Kitchens:

He set the heavy ring on the table when she didn't take it from him. She couldn't. She couldn't move. The room spun and blurred as her eyes filled with pain. Henry was gone. Two weeks ago she had been a bride, and now she was a widow."

(From A Lady by Any Other Name, 2% Kindle version)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Black Ships Before Troy, by Rosemary Sutcliff:

Then [Hector] gave him back to Andromache, his arms for the moment around them both, holding as though he did not know how to let them go. "Dear, cease the weeping. Go back to your women and set them to women's work. War is the work for men."

(From Black Ships Before Troy, p 39)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And this is from the book I'm reading now, The Wanderings of Odysseus, by Rosemary Sutcliff:

And the pale ghosts came, eager to sniff the blood. Shades of brides who had died long ago, and youths and unhappy old men, and warriors who had fallen in battle, their spears shadowy in their hands, their wounds still upon them. And Odysseus, with fear clamped cold in his belly, bade his men flay the sheep and burn the sacred portions to Hades and Persephone.

(From The Wanderings of Odysseus, p 34)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

What Am I Reading Now?

I am waaaay behind on updating my reading list! This should more accurately be titled "What Have I Been Reading?" Well, here's a catchup with the last two books I read, plus the book I'm reading now. Check back on Tuesday, and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser from each one with you!

Last two reads:

A Lady By Any Other Name, by Jennifer Kitchens. Here's the back cover blurb:

A Woman in Hiding 
Nicole Farrington's life had never been easy, but it had always been bearable. At least it had been until now. Faced with a horrible marriage her step-brother has contracted for her, she will do anything to get away. She'll run—run to anyone who might be able to help her. But running blindly down an unknown path may take her to an unexpected destination. 

A Man Seeking Answers 
Julian Huntington, Earl of Foxley, wants nothing more than to have his carefree life back. Now he is left with a title, a child, and a future that he never expected would be his. He refuses to believe his brother's death was an accident, no matter what people say. Someone killed him and Julian plans to find out who and why. Maybe then he can go on with his life—his brother's life. But will the answers he seeks be enough, or will he find love to be a worthier goal?

Black Ships Before Troy, by Rosemary Sutcliff. Here's the back cover blurb:

Homer's epic poem, The Iliad, is one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. Rich with arresting imagery and memorable characters, its powerful metaphors still permeate modern culture. This brilliant retelling offers young readers an exciting introduction to the heroes of ancient Greece while providing the complete story of the battle of Troy. The legendary beauty, Helen, is abducted, leading to a decade-long conflict in which even the gods and goddesses take sides and intervene. This is the Trojan War, where the most valiant heroes of the ancient world are pitted against one another. Here Hector, Ajax, Achilles, and Odysseus meet their most formidable challenges and in some cases, their tragic ends. Rosemary Sutcliff makes such extraordinary stories as those of the Trojan horse, of Aphrodite and the golden apple, and of the fearsome warrior women, the Amazons, accessible to contemporary young people.

And what am I reading now? The Wanderings of Odysseus, by Rosemary Sutcliff. Here's the back cover blurb:

The long siege is over, and Troy lies in ashes. The black ships of the Greek war-host set sail for home. But for heroic King Odysseus of Ithaca, the return voyage holds hazards far greater than any he faced during the Trojan War. Forced by ill winds into unknown seas, Odysseus and his crew must contend with ever-stranger perils: the flesh-eating Cyclops, Circe with her deadly enchantments, the soul-chilling Land of the Dead. Woven through with a spectacular cast of men, magicians, and monsters, Odysseus' harrowing journey home to his family and kingdom tests the limits of his strength, and the power of his will. A vivid retelling of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey.

Zenobia, by Russ Wallace: Winner!

Congratulations to Danielle G, winner of                            Zenobia: Birth of a Legend, by Russ Wallace!

Thank you to all who read my interview with Russ 

and entered our giveaway!

Summary Sunday

Good news! I finished my first draft of Isabel's story this week. But here are three final new sentences to share with you before I dive into revisions:

Monday: "He wants a meek wife, not one who absconds with that ferocious destrier he brought back from the East and scrambles about in trees.”

Tuesday: “Blazes, Bel!"

Wednesday:  “Let us go down to the green.”

Thank you so much for following along!

Author Interview and Giveaway: Zenobia - Birth of a Legend, by Russ Wallace

Zenobia – Birth of a Legend, by Russ Wallace, was brought to my attention by a writer friend who knew of my interest in history. I was eager for an opportunity to read it, as after the Middle Ages, ancient history is one of my favorite time periods to read about. I found Zenobia in Mr. Wallace’s book a highly sympathetic character that I wanted to find out more about. This book had me so intrigued with various historical threads that I kept pausing in my reading to zip over to Wikipedia (thank you, iPad!) to read more about the great library at Alexandria (including a list of ancient head librarians and an ancient cataloguing system that was not fully replaced until the 19th century Dewey Decimal System), the legends about Nimrod (which in turn led me to the fascinating legends about additional sons of the Biblical Noah, including the Greek Titans...who knew? LOL), etc. I felt my knowledge, as well as my enjoyment, vastly expanded by the time I reached the end. Which is not really the end, as this is the first in a series covering the life of this historical figure, Zenobia. (Zenobia – Birth of a Legend was provided to me free of charge by the author, but this in no way influenced this brief review.)

Mr. Wallace kindly agreed to an interview and has offered to give away a hard cover copy of Zenobia to one lucky reader of my blog. So stay tuned at the end of this interview to find out how you can enter for a chance to win!

JDP: Tell us a little about your historical novel, Zenobia – Birth of a Legend.

Russ:  THE HISTORY: In the third century a girl of uncommon abilities was born in the desert wilderness of Syria. Rescued from death by her courageous mother, Zenobia masqueraded as a boy to stay alive.

  

Brilliant and beautiful, Zenobia developed into a military and political genius, the likes of which the world had never seen. When she gained sole control of the second most powerful army on earth, she set her sights on the greatest conquest of all -- Rome!

  

Book one in the series is a coming of age saga of Zenobia's life from age nine to fifteen. It sets the stage for her amazing rise to power.

  

By the way, the book just won an IPPY (Independent Publisher) Award for Historical Fiction, so the judges must have felt that the historical component was strong.

 THE STORY: Young Zenobia dreams of becoming a warrior, a serious problem for a girl born into a male-dominated desert tribe. She has been forced to conceal her gender to preserve her life! Her deception is unmasked, leading to an incredible turn of events.

  

The deadly warrior skills that Zenobia develops prove their worth in several gripping encounters. She appears unaware of a legend beginning to grow about her.

  

Her wise mother envisions a different life for her daughter -- that of a scholar -- and takes her to Egypt for an education. Here a conflict of desires surges in Zenobia, for she finds that she loves both paths. As she feeds an emerging hunger for justice, the stirrings of a future political and strategic genius begin to manifest themselves.

  

Classes on critical thinking and law train the intellectual prowess of Zenobia, while other courses cultivate her social consciousness. For a time, her warrior world recedes into the background.

  

Growing into young womanhood, Zenobia feels an awakening attraction to two very different males -- a vibrant young warrior from her own tribe and a brilliant bachelor scholar whose analytical mind cannot resist the pull of the most intriguing female he has ever met.

  

Meanwhile, Zenobia learns of the annual horse race in Alexandria. She decides to enter her powerful mare against the highly-bred stallions of the East. The power of a legend influences the surprising course of the contest to its thundering conclusion.

JDP: What inspired you to write Zenobia?

Russ: To me, Zenobia is the most fascinating woman who ever lived and one of the most captivating figures in history. Here’s why: She survived a decree of infanticide and grew into a deadly, dynamic warrior of extraordinary beauty who spoke five languages. She marched with the regular troops, developing a tremendous rapport with her fellow warriors.

None of that, however, got her into the history books. Zenobia developed into a political and military genius, the like of which the world had never seen in a woman! At 27 years of age, she came into control of the second most powerful army in the world. From this base she enlisted brilliant associates to fulfill her dream – the conquest of Rome, the greatest empire in history.

  

The more I studied her story, the more it seduced me – I wanted to fill it in, to write it. I decided it would require a series of novels to do justice to her saga.

JDP: Zenobia is set in Syria in the 3rd Century? What did you find most fascinating about this setting and time period?

Russ: It was a time of upheaval, politically, intellectually, and religiously. Rome had a series of weak emperors, which brewed rebellions. A Parthian emperor, Shapur, invaded the eastern end of the Roman Empire and for the first (and only) time, the Roman emperor himself was captured. A radical rabbi from Palestine, Jesus of Nazareth, had turned the religious world upside down and his teachings were gaining momentum. Alexandria and Athens and Rome were the intellectual centers of the world, where some of the greatest minds of all time taught. Onto this scene strode a young girl who was destined to upstage them all, with the exception of Jesus.

JDP: 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 Zenobia? 

Russ: I began with the internet, where there is a wealth of information. Next, I obtained books, like the history of Palmyra or Tadmor, where Zenobia came to rule as Queen, written by Richard Stoneman (Palmyra and Its Empire: Zenobia’s Revolt Against Rome).

  

Then I read fictionalized accounts of her life. When I first saw how many there were, I thought that I was entering the game too late. However, after reading some I realized that their view of Zenobia differed greatly from my own view. Finally, I secured some of the highly specific works about the era.

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

Russ: I used Wikipedia for a lot of basic research, but then I checked the information using other sources. I went to Google.com to locate specialized books on the period. And I read historical and fictional accounts of her life. Even the writers from her time do not agree on some important points, however.

JDP: Are there any historical figures, besides Zenobia herself, from the era who particularly intrigue you? 

Russ: Without doubt, the top would be Cassius Dionysius Longinus. He had one of the most brilliant minds in history. Some called him a living encyclopedia, and he studied everything. I have him instructing Zenobia’s favorite class, Critical Thinking, in book one, but this may not have actually happened.

  

What is certain is that he became her top advisor when she became queen and de facto ruler of Tadmor. He joined her campaign to overthrow Rome, lending his formidable analytical powers to her political and strategic skills. 

  

Most readers will enjoy the intellectual interplay between them, which really takes off in book two. He is intrigued by the toughness and brilliance of his beautiful pupil, while at the same time he fears her reckless daring puts her at risk. After Zenobia herself, Longinus was my favorite character to develop and work with.

  

Aurelian, the new Roman Emperor, is another great personality. A battle-hardened general of decades of military campaigns, he cannot believe that a woman thinks she can actually threaten Rome – until he meets her in war!

JDP: Are you working on any new projects?

Russ: Book two in the Zenobia series, Zenobia – Challenging the Legend will be released later this year.

JDP: Where can readers obtain copies of your books?

Geode Press: http://geodepress.com/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=zenobia-birth+of+a+legend

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94629

More about Russ! : Russ Wallace is a long-time student of history and religion. He employs a vivid imagination to fill in the life of Zenobia, a real historical figure and one of the most fascinating women who ever lived. He is working on future books in the Zenobia series.

Read more about Russ and his books on his website and blog, and follow him on Facebook.

Now for the giveaway! For a chance to win a hard cover copy of Zenobia – Birth of a Legend, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post with your email address so I can contact you if you win. If you forget to leave your email address, I’ll have to draw another winner, so don’t forget that part, it’s important. (If Blogger won’t let you leave a comment, you may email your entry to jdipastena@yahoo.com.) Deadline to enter is August 8, 2012, midnight, PST. USA entries only, please.

OFFICIAL RULES:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

USA entries only

Entrants must be 18 years or older

Entries may be left in a comment or sent via email to jdipastena@yahoo.com

Winners will be selected on August 8, 2012. Winners have 48 hours to respond to an email notifying them of their win.

Prizes not claimed within 48 hours will be reawarded

Sponsor name and contact info: Joyce DiPastena, jdipastena@yahoo.com.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW