What Am I Reading Now?

I finished Cousin Kate, by Georgette Heyer, last week. The story took place at a house called Staplewood, and the hero's last name was Broome. So how could I resist choosing Heyer's The Nonesuch for my next read? After all, the heroine works at a house called Staples and the hero inherits a place called Broom Hall. :-)

The Nonesuch is much lighter in tone than Cousin Kate. (Yes, this is a book from my "old favorites" list.) Here's the back cover blurb:

An impetuous flight...
Tiffany Wield's bad behavior is a serious trial to her chaperone. "On the shelf " at twenty-eight, Ancilla Trent strives to be a calming influence on her tempestuous charge, but then Tiffany runs off to London alone and Ancilla is faced with a devastating scandal.

A gallant rescue...
Sir Waldo Hawkridge, confirmed bachelor and one of the wealthiest men in London, comes instantly to the aid of the intrepid Ancilla to stop Tiffany's flight, and in the process discovers that it's never too late for the first bloom of love.

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

Back to the Books Giveaway Hop: Winner!

Congratulations to Aldrea Alien, winner of the Back to the Books Giveaway Hop on JDP NEWS! Aldrea has won her choice of my sweet medieval romance book titles. 

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Reading Clean Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Reading Clean Giveaway Hop, sponsored by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer, Clean Teen Fiction, and One Librarian's Book Reviews. All the books being given away at each of the hop sites are guaranteed to be free of sex, objectionable language, and gratuitous violence.

Here at JDP NEWS, I'm giving away a copy of my clean medieval romance, Dangerous Favor. The winner may have her choice of a print, Kindle, or Nook version. 

Please enter via the Rafflecopter form below. (NOTE TO READERS OF MY BLOG ON GOODREADS. TO ENTER THIS CONTEST, PLEASE CLICK OVER TO MY BLOG AND ENTER VIA RAFFLECOPTER)

The hop ends at midnight EST September 12. Winner will be drawn on September 13.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

USA entries only

Entrants must be 18 years or older

Winners will be selected on Sept 12. 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

All entered? Then hop along for some more great clean giveaways below!

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 chapter I read before I post a teaser. I'm a slow reader, so you may get multiple teasers per book from me. Here's a teaser from Cousin Kate, by Georgette Heyer:

"Mrs. Thorne, miss, makes quite a habit of dreaming of Disaster. The first time she did so, the second footman tripped on the back stairs the very next day, and fell to the bottom."

"Good gracious!" said Kate. "Was he badly injured? You don't mean, surely, that he broke his neck?"

"Oh, no, miss! It was worse than that," said Pennymore. "He broke three of the Sèvres cups, thus ruining the set."

(From Cousin Kate, p 202)

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.

Back to the Books Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Back to the Books Giveaway Hop, sponsored by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Buried in Books. Oooo, don't you love the sound of that? Buried in books? Well, I'm here to help you with that, even if it's only on your Kindle or Nook. 

Here at JDP NEWS I'm giving away winner's choice of any of my sweet medieval romances, but this time round, the prizes are only available for Kindle. (Or Kindle or Nook if you choose my third book.) Here are your choices:

Loyalty's Web (KINDLE ONLY)

In twelfth-century France, King Henry II of England has just finished crushing a rebellion by his power-hungry sons and now seeks to tame the lawless barons who supported them in this corner of his “Angevin empire.” To this end, the king has sent the Earl of Gunthar as his royal representative to ensure that Prince Richard and his former cohorts faithfully adhere to the terms of the peace treaty.

Far from being welcomed with open arms, Gunthar no sooner steps foot in the county of Poitou than he is greeted by a series of assassination attempts. All appear to be linked to the former rebellious prince through the agents of the family and friends of young Heléne de Laurant. A clever, intrepid young woman, she realizes that the only way to prove her loved ones’ innocence is by exposing the true assassin. Heléne races against time—and dark secrets of the past—to unmask the killer before the kingdom plunges back into war.

Fierce determination gives way to mutual attraction as Heléne and Gunthar spar over the identity of the traitor. But their blinding magnetism almost causes them to overlook an even deadlier threat from an entirely unexpected direction.

Illuminations of the Heart (KINDLE ONLY)

"Clothilde." He spoke the name on a breath like a prayer. Then he lowered his head and kissed her.

Her heart is lost in that first embrace, her world is shaken to its foundations. There is just one problem; her name is not Clothilde. It is Siriol de Calendri. Trained in the art of illumination in the far-off city of Venice, Siri is directed by her late brother's will to the county of Poitou in France, where she enters the guardianship of her brother's friend Sir Triston de Brielle. Once in Poitou, Siri hopes to find employment in an illuminator's shop - until Triston unexpectedly snatches her heart away with a kiss.

Triston is a man of quiet honor and courage, but the guild he carries for the death of his late wife, Clothilde, has left him numb and hesitant to love again. Worse yet, Siri bears an uncanny resemblance to his lost love. Or does she? Her merry laughter and twinkling eyes are very different from his late wife's shy smiles and quiet ways. Yet when he gazes into Siri's face, all he sees is Clothilde.

Then Triston's past returns to threaten them both. Will his tragic life with Clothilde be repeated with Siri? Trapped between the rivalry of the king's sons on the one hand and a neighbor out for vengeance on the other, Triston realizes it would be safer to send Siri away. But how can he bear to lose her again?

Siri is determined not to be cast off and not to live in another woman's shadow. She has illuminated many a priceless book with pen and paint. But can her own vibrant spirit illuminate the darkness in Triston's soul and make his heart beat for her alone?

Dangerous Favor (KINDLE OR NOOK)

Her father has been accused of stealing from the king, an allegation that has reduced her family to poverty. She has one chance to find and marry a man who can help her prove her father's innocence. Lord Therri, heir to a rich barony, has the wealth and connections Mathilde needs to delve into the mysteries of her father's past. Furthermore, Therri embodies all her romantic dreams.

Etienne, the younger son of a disgraced family, has neither wealth nor connections, but is smitten with Mathilde at a glance. She finds the knight intriguing, but believes he is only out to seduce her. While she seeks for a way to win Therri's attention, Etienne tricks her into granting him her favor, an embroidered white ribbon, for a tournament, setting in motion a dangerous chain reaction of events. Can Etienne save Mathilde from a nightmare from her past and prove himself the true hero of her dreams?

This giveaway is open to anyone, USA or International, AS LONG AS YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A KINDLE OR NOOK VERSION.

Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. (NOTE TO READERS OF MY BLOG ON GOODREADS. TO ENTER THIS CONTEST, PLEASE CLICK OVER TO MY BLOG AND ENTER VIA RAFFLECOPTER)

The hop ends at midnight EST September 7. Winner will be drawn on September 8.

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 Sept 8. 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

Now hop along to find some other great blog hop giveaways!

What Am I Reading Now?

As I was browsing through the books I've read so far this year, I remembered that I made a goal to read four "old favorites" before the end of the year. So far, I've only read one! (The Conquering Family, by Thomas B. Costain.) I've got four months to squeeze three more favorites in. A friend recently mentioned to me that she just finished reading Cousin Kate, by Georgette Heyer, which reminded me that it's been a very, very long time since I've read that particular title. So of course, I decided it was time to read it again! :-)

Here's the back over blurb:

The sudden invitation to live with her Aunt Minerva at Staplewood came as a complete surprise to young Kate Malvern. Now an orphan with no future, she gratefully accepted Lady Broome's offer, never dreaming there was anything strange about the older woman's kindness.

It was not until later that Kate began to suspect that something was amiss. It was very odd that she had received no letters from her dear old nurse, Sarah. Without Sarah there was nobody who cared about her. And there was Lady Broome's son Torquil. Torquil, whose handsome face hid a wild and deadly secret. Lady Broome wanted desperately for Kate to become his wife as soon as possible. Kate refused. But she had reckoned without Lady Broome.

Then Torquil's dashing cousin, Philip Broome, arrived at Staplewood, and Kate hoped they could become friends. It was ridiculous to hope for more. Or was it?

Stop by next Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you from Cousin Kate!

Winner: "A Lady by Any Other Name"

Congratulations to Anne Harder Fescharek! Anne is the winner of A Lady by Any Other Name, a sweet Regency romance by Jennifer Kitchens.

Thank you to everyone who read my interview with Jennifer and entered our giveaway!

Short stories update

I have a few exciting bits of news to share with you! Isabel's story has finally received a shiny new title, Caroles on the Green, and will be appearing in October in a new romance anthology series called Timeless Romance. The first release will feature six sweet winter romance short stories by the following well-loved historical romance authors: Sarah M. Eden, Heidi Ashworth, Annette Lyon, Donna Hatch, and Heather B. Moore. These lovely authors were kind enough to invite me to join them. The cover has been designed and I'm excited to share it with you. Ta-dah! What do you think?

No, I didn't design it, but I admire the person who did.

Meg's story also finally has a title: A Candlelight Courting. Stay tuned. Cover coming soon!

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