This week’s favorite involves books in a format complete different from what we’re used to seeing. It’s a project called All The World’s A Page by Blotto Design in Germany. They’ve taken entire books, one at a time, and printed them onto 70 x 100 cm posters. You can read more about the process in this article from Wired, or check out the other books Blotto has transformed here (hint: one of them is Pride and Prejudice).
It’s the end of our first month, fellow readers–did you start the challenge strong?
I’m struggling already. The big bad migraine monster is chasing me again, so I’m losing some valuable reading time there (more than I’d care to admit, actually). The day job has been unusually busy these past few weeks, too, so I haven’t been reading at my desk as I thought I might.
I am going to get back to audio books at work, though, which went well before. I can play the book right from my computer while I go about my daily tasks, and pause it when I need to talk to someone. I only need to make sure I actually get my work done, and don’t sink too far into the book 🙂
This week’s Favorite comes to you courtesy of the Historical Romance Network. It’s their Fall Back In Time event to celebrate historical romance. All you need to do to participate is take a picture of yourself/your pet/your kids’ toys/your favorite coffee mug with a historical romance novel and tag it with #FallBackInTime. Say why you love that particular book/series/author/time period (if there’s room on your post) and share the posts of your fellow historical romance junkies 🙂
Welcome to autumn in the Northern Hemisphere! And happy spring in the Southern Hemisphere! Three months left to go in our TBR Challenge, fellow readers–have you been making progress toward your goal?
I managed to read a single book this month (Tessa Dare’s A Lady By Midnight), but have otherwise been distracted by other commitments. The day job is going well, even if it’s a little dull at times (though I’ll take dull any day of the week over the stress and unhappiness I left behind). The editing business is picking up, too, enough that I haven’t had much time for my own writing (though I hope to remedy that in October, before Lady Cecilia becomes well and truly angry with me for putting her off). But lots of business is a good problem to have 🙂
As if my collection of audio books wasn’t big enough, our Favorite this week is going to add to the pile. Take the French Revolution, add a 14-year-old magician’s assistant and a 12-year-old marquis’s daughter, stir in a little magic…and ask Tom Hiddleston to read the resulting story 🙂 It’s The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner, a well-reviewed Young Adult Historical novel. Here’s the blurb from the back cover:
A mysterious gypsy boy, Yann Margoza, and his guardian, a dwarf, work for the magician Topolain in 1789. On the night of Topolain’s death, Yann’s life truly begins. That’s when he meets Sido, an heiress with a horrible father. An attachment is born that will determine both their paths. Revolution is afoot in France, and Sido is being used as a pawn. Only Yann will dare to rescue her from a fearful villain named Count Kalliovski. It will take all of Yann’s newly discovered talent to unravel the mysteries of Sido’s past and his own and to fight the devilish count.
Alas, Tom’s narration is only available in the UK at Audible or on CD, but here’s a little taste via Youtube:
Greetings fellow readers! I missed last month’s check-in getting ready for the Historical Novel Society’s conference in Denver (see the pictures–including shots of me in my new Regency ball gown during the costume pageant–here). And I nearly missed this month’s check-in because of a protracted argument with my internet service provider (I moved to a new town, my service didn’t).
But here we are, with five months left to go in this year’s Challenge. How’s your TBR pile doing? My print and kindle books have been languishing on my shelves and, since the move, in boxes, waiting for me to pay attention to them again. My day job has some slow times ahead, so perhaps I’ll be able to do some reading then. But I have to balance reading with writing time, and I have a story just itching to be told!
I did find regular blocks of time at that same day job to listen to the monstrous pile of audio books I’ve accumulated. Some people listen to music at their desks, but I’ve found that audio books are much more interesting to me (plus, I like to sing along with songs I know, and I really shouldn’t do that at work 😉 ). I’ve managed to (finally!) finish Outlander in audio form, and have begun Dragonfly in Amber. On deck waits Hamlet, Prince of Denmark read by the wonderful Richard Armitage, and the first two How to Train Your Dragon novels read by David Tennant, among a host of others. My ears are in for a treat!
It’s finally happening! In just under two weeks, my debut novella hits the digital stands. And Paula Lofting tagged me in the Meet My Character Blog Hop, giving me the perfect opportunity to introduce you all to my hero and heroine.
What are the names of your characters? Benedict Grey is our hero, and Lady Honoria Maitland is our heroine. If their names sound familiar, it may be because you helped choose them way back in in February of last year. The story I’d originally intended for them didn’t work out, but they started whispering in my ear again earlier this year.
Are they fictional or historical people? They are both fictional.
When and where is the story set? The bulk of the story is set in London during the social season of 1813.
What should we know about your main characters? Benedict is a Regency-era archaeologist (known then by the broader term antiquarian) who has a small circle of relatives and friends he’s close to. Honoria is the daughter of a duke and Benedict’s childhood friend. They were very close until he sailed away to Greece to work on Lord Elgin’s expedition.
What is the main conflict? What messes up their lives? Honoria and Benedict both find themselves in need of a spouse, though they each react differently. Benedict is the last heir to an old title and needs to secure the succession, but he’s the male equivalent of a wallflower and is more than a little uncomfortable in social situations. He makes up his mind to do his best, however unpleasant it might be.
Honoria, on the other hand, loves Society. But her father is dying, and she’ll have no male relative to look after her when he’s gone. He makes her promise to find a husband before he dies, but instead she tries to find a way to keep her independence without hurting her father. That’s where Benedict and a sham courtship come in.
What is the personal goal of the characters? Benedict and Honoria both want to do right by their families, but they also want to ensure their own happiness in the process. Benedict intends to look for a bride he likes, not just a girl who fits the profile. And Honoria decides that she’s better off on her own than with some aristocrat who wants a duke’s daughter to shore up the lineage of his future children or a large dowry to straighten out his finances.
Is there a working title for this novel? Can we read more about it? The novella itself is titled Save The Last Dance For Me, and can be found in the Sweet Summer Kisses e-book bundle. I’ll post links as soon as I have them 🙂 In the meantime, you can check out some “behind the scenes” stuff on my Pinterest board.
ETA: I have links now!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1f69TYN
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1MNrkbK
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1FWQ0sN
iBooks: http://apple.co/1Ba4idH
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1GBi2AG
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1J3AG26
When can we expect the book to be published? Tuesday June 23 is our scheduled release date.
Do you love reading or writing historical romance? Today is the day to show it! All day long on all your favorite social media sites, join authors and readers all over the world and share your love for historical romance! Use the hashtags below in your posts and tweets, and follow along to see why other people read or write historical romance 🙂
May is coming to an end reading friends–has your TBR pile grown any smaller?
Mine has, incrementally. I’ve been writing a lot again this month, so reading time has been hard to find. But I typed the last words this week, so I’m planning a reading binge to recharge my batteries. At the moment, I’m about halfway through Georgette Heyer’s last novel–a historical fiction piece (rather than one of her famous Regency romances) that centers around John, Duke of Bedford, brother of Henry V. It’s an incomplete manuscript, as Ms. Heyer passed away before finishing it (in fact, it stops mid-sentence), so I’m preparing myself for the lack of closure in this novel. But I’ve enjoyed the first half immensely, and I’m looking forward to the rest!
This week’s favorite combines books, animals, and good solid research (three of my favorite things!). It’s a program called Book Buddies, located at the Animal Rescue League of Berks County (Pennsylvania). Students in grades 1-8 can sign up to come to Berks ARL and read to the cats in the adoption room. The benefits are twofold: students who have reading difficulties get to practice reading books in a non-judgmental, low-stress environment. The kitties get socialization and interaction with the kids, and the rhythm of a voice reading is comforting for the animals. Researchers at Tufts University have studied this relationship, and confirm that it even benefits children with Autism
Click here for more pictures of cute kids cuddling with Berks kitties and books.
Programs like this are becoming more and more popular, so if you’re not near eastern Pennsylvania check in your area to see of there’s a shelter whose animals are in need of a little read aloud 🙂
Cora Lee, Regency Romance Author 