Marilyn Brant's Blog, page 4

Just a quick note to wish the incomparable Jane Austen a very Happy 238th Birthday!! May we all look as good at her age...or at least be as lovingly remembered ;).

And, of course, we must have a toast in her honor, right?!

Here's an easy recipe for Regency Rum Punch:
1 1/2 oz. dark rum
1/4 oz. lime juice
2 oz. orange juice
2 oz. pineapple juice
Dash of bitters
Add grenadine for color
Sprinkle with nutmeg
Enjoy!!

Thanks for the awesome stories, Jane!

Today, it's my pleasure to have my friend and Austen Author pal Karen Doornebos as my special blog guest and to get to celebrate the launch of her latest release: UNDRESSING MR. DARCY, a new Austen-inspired story!! Just check out the very fun premise below:

Taking it off in the name of history…
Thirty-five-year-old American social media master Vanessa Roberts lives her thoroughly modern life with aplomb. So when her elderly Jane Austen–centric aunt needs her to take on the public relations for Julian Chancellor, a very private man from England who’s written a book called My Year as Mr. Darcy, Vanessa agrees. But she’s not “excessively diverted,” as Jane Austen would say.

Hardbound books, teacups, and quill pens fly in the face of her e-reader, coffee, and smartphone…

…Until she sees Julian take his tight breeches off for his Undressing Mr. Darcy show, an educational “striptease” down to his drawers to promote his book and help save his crumbling estate. The public relations expert suddenly realizes things have gotten…personal. But can this old-fashioned man claim her heart without so much as a GPS? It will take three festivals filled with Austen fans, a trip to England, an old frenemy, and a flirtatious pirate re-enactor to find out…

Karen is here to take us on an excursion to Twinings in London and to share with us some of her inspiration behind the writing of her second novel... Welcome, Karen!!

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Hello from Twinings Tea in London!

As an ice-breaker to each leg of my Blog Tour for UNDRESSING MR. DARCY, I’m taking you along for a ride to England, where I traveled during the summer of 2012 to do some research for the book.

Where am I on this stop? The fragrant tea shop on the Strand in London where Jane Austen herself shopped: Twinings. I set a scene in UNDRESSING MR. DARCY in this very shop! They have a tea bar in the back of the store where you can sample various teas and a “museum” set in among the shelves that brings to life not only the history of Twinings, but the history of tea itself. If you are ever in London it’s worth a visit!
Thank you, Marilyn, for hosting me…I’d like to thank my fellow Austen Author, Marilyn, for having me visit today! You are one of my favorite authors and so inspiring! Not too long ago you revealed that your husband proposed to you on London Bridge—how romantic! How great that you and your family just went on a whim back to London and had a fabulous time. I’m sure that with your books ACCORDING TO JANE and PRIDE, PREJUDICE AND THE PERFECT MATCH, your readers need no introduction to Jane Austen and Mr. Darcy…
So, what’s up with this Undressing thing?Imagine a history lesson where you watch a very handsome Regency gentleman lecture about his clothing as he proceeds to take it off—down to his drawers. This is the premise of UNDRESSING MR. DARCY!
As I was researching male clothing for my first novel, DEFINITELY NOT MR. DARCY, I stumbled across an English website called The History Wardrobe and they had a show called Undressing Mr. Darcy in which a man disrobed while a woman lectured about his clothing. The show is no longer staged, unfortunately, but I have learned that there is a Dressing Mr. Darcy show in Louisville at the Jane Austen Society of North America’s Jane Austen Festival in the summer.
It wasn’t long after learning about the show Undressing Mr. Darcy that I came up with:
He’s an old-fashioned, hardcover book reader who writes in quill pen and hails from England. She’s an American social media addict. Can he find his way to her heart without so much as a GPS?
The rest is…history! Well, fun history. I also tossed a pirate into the mix. Not a real pirate, but a modern guy who, in his spare time, does some pirate reenacting. Did I mention he looks a lot like Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean?
You can read the first chapter here!
Buy now at Berkley Penguin– Indiebound - Amazon – B&N – Kobo – BAM - iTunes    
WIN!Brant Flakes readers, comment below for your chance to win a copy of UNDRESSING MR. DARCY… If you’re stumped for what to say, you can tell me what appeals to you about UNDRESSING MR. DARCY! To increase your chances of winning you can share this post on your Facebook page or Twitter—let us know you’ve done that! You can also increase your odds by following me on Twitter or Facebook, or, if you’re not already, following Marilyn on her social media—don’t forget to let us know about it in your comment, thanks! Contest limited to US entrants only.
Mr. Darcy’s Stripping Off…One of his stockings. Look at those shapely calves! At each blog stop Mr. Darcy will strip off another piece of clothing. Keep track of each item in chronological order and at then end of the tour you can enter to win a GRAND PRIZE of the book, “DO NOT DISTURB I’m Undressing Mr. Darcy” door hangers for you and your friends, tea, and a bottle of wine (assuming I can legally ship it to your state). US entries only, please.
Karen Doornebos is the author of UNDRESSING MR. DARCY published by Berkley, Penguin and available hereor at your favorite bookstore. Her first novel, DEFINITELY NOT MR. DARCY, has been published in three countries and was granted a starred review by Publisher’s Weekly. Karen lived and worked in London for a short time, but is now happy just being a lifelong member of the Jane Austen Society of North America and living in the Chicagoland area with her husband, two teenagers and various pets—including a bird. Speaking of birds, follow her on Twitter and Facebook! She hopes to see you there, on her website www.karendoornebos.com and her group blog with Marilyn: Austen Authors.
JOIN THE BLOG TOUR:12/3: The Penguin BlogLaunch! 12/3: Austenprose12/4 Laura’s Review Bookshelf and JaneBlog12/5 Chick Lit Plus - Review12/6 Austen Authors12/9 Fresh Fiction12/10 Writings and Ramblings12/11 Brant Flakes and Skipping Midnight12/12 Risky Regencies Q&A12/13 Books by BanisterJane Austen’s 238thBirthday! 12/16 Jane Austen in Vermont, My Jane Austen Book Club and Author ExposureQ&A12/17 Literally Jen12/18 Savvy Verse & Wit - Review12/19 Kritters Ramblings12/20 Booking with Manic- Review12/23 BookNAround12/26 My 5 Monkeys - Review12/27 All Grown Up - Review12/30 Silver’s Reviews1/2 Dew on the Kudzu
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Karen, thank you again for visiting us, for the great giveaway opportunity, and for letting us know about all of the cool stops on your tour. HUGE CONGRATS on this new book!! You know I can't wait to read it ;). xox

*Tossing confetti in the air!!*

Yes, it's time for the cover reveal for the new antho, ALL I EVER WANTED, coming in ebook and print on January 13, 2014!!

I'm so delighted with this project -- not only was it fun to write, but I had the chance to work with three authors whose work I admire and who are simply terrific people. Many thanks to Rhonda Helms, Lexi Ryan and Caisey Quinn for making it all happen, and to E.M. Tippetts for designing such a lovely cover for us!

Hope you all had a fabulous first week of December. Can't believe we're already in the midst of the holiday season... Wow, this year has zoomed by :). Any special weekend plans??

One of the sweetest, most intangible pleasures of writing a novel is getting to read the reactions of wonderful readers around the world who connected with the story and its characters. Of course, not everyone will love every book...but that makes the times when everything comes together all the more magical.

In the past 24 hours, I had the delight of reading several brand new reviews for THE ROAD TO YOU that brought a smile to my face and made me glad I'd spent those three long years writing this story!

One lovely reviewer, Charlene/Chucha from the Book Freak blog, not only wrote a review I adored (it's here), which included this line -- " I fell in love with the plot, the clues, the suspense, the thrill, the car chase, and not to mention – the twist" -- but she also made these two beautiful quote posters for the novel!! (I *love* them. :)

Kimber Leigh of Once Upon a YA Book shared her kind review online, too (it's here), and she wrote:  "I loved the way Ms. Brant included the handwritten pictures of the journal entry pages; seeing them helped me draw deeper into the mystery. This novel is full of intrigue and suspense, making it a real page turner. Aurora and Donovan travel along Route 66, unraveling the mystery bit by bit from pieces they discover in each town. In some ways it reminds me of a treasure hunt, the map being Gideon's journal."

Finally, I came across Sydney's review from The Peasants Revolt (it's here), and got a thrill from reading her thoughts on the story as well: "One thing I love about romance novels is feeling the tension built between the two main characters over the course of the book. One of the things I love about mystery novels is discovering the clues along with the characters as they progress through their journey. The Road to You is a romantic mystery novel that captures the best elements of both genres perfectly."
So, I wanted to say a BIG thank you to these three awesome reviewers for brightening my week and, also, extend my deepest appreciation to ALL of the amazing, thoughtful people who've taken the time to read and review my stories. I can't even begin to express how much that's meant to me over these past four years!!
To everyone celebrating Thanksgiving this Thursday, may you have a very happy one. And to everybody who reads this post, here's hoping the start of the Holiday Season will bring you only peace, abundance and joy. Thank you for being a part of my life -- I'm truly grateful for each of you!

I have a fun announcement to make, and I'm really excited about it! A novella of mine is part of a new adult romance anthology that's coming out early in 2014 called ALL I EVER WANTED. I've been working on it throughout the fall with three wonderful writing friends -- Lexi Ryan, Rhonda Helms and Caisey Quinn -- and, on December 6th, our cover will be revealed! (That'll happen through Expresso Book Tours, btw, so if anyone would like to be a part of it, the signup for the reveal is here. :) For now, though, we've got the titles of the individual stories in our collection and the blurbs for each... Take a peek: 
All I Ever Wanted 
Caisey Quinn, Lexi Ryan, Marilyn Brant, Rhonda Helms 
Publication date: January 13th, 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

Winterfest is heating up in Abbott Springs…As the town’s yearly festival kicks off, cold days turn into steamy nights, new flames will be ignited, and old romances will be rekindled.All About Us by Marilyn Brant—All Sami Abbott ever wanted was permission to be herself. At home, she aims to be the perfect daughter but never measures up. At college, she’s the bold girl who had a one-night stand with sexy musician, Alex Hamilton. When he arrives unexpectedly in Abbott Springs, her worlds collide and she must reconcile the girl she tries to be with the person she really is.All I Need by Caisey Quinn–All pink-haired rocker chick Everly Abbott thought she wanted was acceptance in her straight-laced hometown. But her best friend and bandmate Justin Cohen is about to show her that what she thinks she wants isn’t necessarily what she needs.All for Love by Rhonda Helms–All Maya Monterey ever wanted was to belong. Happiest with the Abbott family, Maya’s been secretly in love with sexy pastry chef Oliver Abbott for years. With a flirty new look, she’ll pull out all the stops to get him to notice her. And if her plan fails, she’ll walk away from the only home she’s ever known–and Oliver–for good.All or Nothing by Lexi Ryan—After years of placing the wrong bets, all Aubree Baxter wanted was someone to take a chance on her. Golden boy Kennedy Hale plays it safe in life and love, but to keep Bree in Abbott Springs, he’ll have to go all in.
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Looking forward to sharing more news about our "Abbott Springs" anthology soon!! I've loved getting to write Sami and Alex's story, and the Winterfest celebration is just pure fun. Wishing you all a fabulous November, and here's hoping we can keep the snow away this month. I don't mind a white Christmas, but I'd really like to avoid a white Thankgiving!

Just a quick note to wish you all a very Happy Halloween!!

Jane and I hope you're having a great day filled with fun and lots of tasty treats ;).

And here's hoping that November will be a wonderful month for each of you.

Now...back to those Milky Ways, Reese's of all varieties, Snickers bars, Almond Joys...and my character Donovan's favorites -- Kit Kats!

My lovely friend -- Olivia Mayfield -- now has out one of the coolest serials I've ever heard of...THE INHERITANCE! It's a six-part series, and the first two parts have already been released. The third one will be coming in just a few days (on October 29th) and the rest will become available to all during November. Just take a look at the fascinating premise:


Debut author Olivia Mayfield presents a thrilling and sexy new serial about seductive money, deadly secrets, and fatal attractions…

The Inheritance, 
Part I
The Will

Maggie Willings knew that returning home for her estranged grandfather’s funeral would not be easy, but she never expected the reading of his will to be the most difficult part. The four people named in the will—Maggie, her brother Robert, her ex-boyfriend Andrew, and her grandfather’s far-too-young girlfriend Bethany—are given a challenge: find out the truth about what happened to Maggie’s younger sister Cassandra, who vanished over eight years ago, and win the entirety of the estate.

Maggie is thrown by the strange request, reluctant to drag up painful memories of her sister’s disappearance, and bothered by her lingering attraction to Andrew, who wants to team up to solve the mystery. But there are ten million dollars on the line and Maggie has no idea where to start—or who she’ll be able to trust.

Buy now at  Penguin (Berkley) /  Amazon US / Amazon UK /  Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Books-a-Million / Sony /  iTunes! Squeee!! SO EXCITING! And these are the gorgeous covers for all six of the stories:

Because Olivia is AWESOME, she's giving away 2 ebook copies (the winners can each choose either a Kindle or a Nook version) of Part One in the series: The Will. All you have to do to be entered is to leave a comment on this post between now and the evening of Wednesday, October 30th and answer this question: What is one of your favorite mystery stories?
As many of you already know, I was a big Nancy Drew fan growing up and was inspired a bit by that when I wrote The Road to You, but one of my adult faves has been Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale -- very compelling! I'd love to hear yours ;).
Good luck on the drawing, everyone!!

One of my favorite shots of Mison as Ichabod Crane...
*swoon!*
Okay...I'll admit it, I'm captivated by Tom Mison! I love, love, love his portrayal of Ichabod Crane on the new TV show "Sleepy Hollow," but the thing I'm most mesmerized by is that I'd watched him in another role -- over 3 hours worth, when he played Mr. Bingley in "Lost in Austen" -- and I didn't recognize him as Crane until after I'd read his actor bio.
THAT is amazing acting! And stellar costume design. And terrific hair & makeup. But so much of the credit for the transformation has to remain with Mison himself. And, if truth be told, with the writers who've given him some pretty great dialogue worth of that sexy British accent :). 
Mison as the affable Mr. Bingley.I wrote about this on Facebook, but one of my favorite lines of dialogue from ANY television show this season so far was in the pilot episode of "Sleepy Hollow" when Abbie Mills, the police lieutenant, says to Crane, "I told you to stay in the car."

And, because he's been dealing with a police force that thinks he's crazy (not surprising, given his claims that he just awakened 250 years into the future because his wife saved him from certain death by putting a witch's curse on him that tied his life to that of the Headless Horseman...yeah, just go with it...), Crane replies, "As you know, I'm insane and, therefore, impervious to simple commands."

So. Brilliantly. Written. And. Delivered!

Anyway, I could keep gushing, but I'll stop here. Anyone else watch the "Sleepy Hollow" on Monday nights? (If so, then you're considered one of the "Sleepy Heads," too, LOL.) Anyone else see Mison in "Lost in Austen" from a few years back? Any other fall programs you're hooked on -- new or otherwise? I'd love to hear about them!

It's always so exciting to share the release of a friend's new book, and that's absolutely true in Robin Bielman's case! Congrats, Robin, on the release of HER ACCIDENTAL BOYFRIEND!

About the book:
Faking it with this flirt neverfelt so real...
Kagan Owens has a secret. One she thought she'd escaped by leaving New York, but when her past follows her to her temporary new life, Kagan lets a teeny lie slip. And now the town's biggest playboy and flirt, Shane Sullivan, has become her pretend boyfriend--just until she's ready to return to NYC. But the handsome, fun-loving Shane makes it tough to determine where their friendly agreement begins and ends...
Shane has no intention of settling down--in fact, his job depends on it, and nothing's more important than his work. Still, he can't help but agree to Kagan's scheme, if only to find out more about the mysterious beauty. But when every touch from her sets his heart and body on fire, he realizes playing an accidental boyfriend may be more than he bargained for--and more than he can give.
About the author:
Robin Bielman lives in Southern California with her high school sweetheart husband, two sons, and crazy-cute mini Labradoodle, Harry (named after Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books). When not attached to her laptop, she can almost always be found with her nose in a book. She also likes to run, hike, and dip her toes in the ocean. Filled with wanderlust, she longs to visit many different places and fulfill her curiosity. She wouldn’t mind indulging her sweet tooth in every location either. She’s a lover of Post-it notes, cable television shows and café mochas. Writing is a dream come true, and she still pinches herself to be sure it’s real.
Her other novels include Kissing the Maid of Honor, Worth the Risk, Risky Surrender and Yours At Midnight. She loves to connect with readers. Learn more and sign up for her newsletter on her website at http://robinbielman.com. She can also be found online here:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/RobinBielmanWriter
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RobinBielman
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/robinbielman   

Find Robin’s latest release, Her Accidental Boyfriend, online at:
Amazon| B&N| Goodreads
And there's a VERY COOL giveaway, too!In Her Accidental Boyfriend Kagan designs jewelry similar to this beautiful pink pearl double wrap bracelet that is up for grabs.Check it out here:a Rafflecopter giveaway

**And I also wanted to give a shout out to our friend Edie Ramer on the release of her newest novel this month, CHRISTMAS AT ANGEL LAKE!!

About the Book: 

A kitten saved her…Broke, pregnant and deserted by her boyfriend, Maddie Barrymore swerves to avoid a kitten while driving in a Wisconsin blizzard—and her life takes another turn. Like Puss in Boots, she stays in an empty house. She has the baby, the kitten, gets a job and a degree…yet every day she’s ready to flee if the real owner shows up.Five years later, he does…Dumped by the woman he loves, film producer Logan MacLeesh’s heart is as dark as one of his movies. He plans to hole up in his grandmother’s old mansion and throw himself into his work…until he discovers the sexy squatter and her four-year-old son. Before he can call the sheriff, Maddie’s tale of how she ended up there entertains him. They make a deal that as long as she tells him a story every night, she and her son can stay. Even the cat, though Logan’s always been a dog person.A dog in need of saving…Far away in another state, a homeless dog lifts his head, sniffs…and smells him. The human who’s meant for him. As he heads through the snow toward the scent, his journey seems impossible, even though it’s Christmas, a time when miracles happen.

Get your copy at:
AmazonAll Romance EbooksBarnes&NobleKoboSmashwordsCONGRATS, ladies!!! I'm so thrilled for you both!! :)

It's here!! Finally, finally... The Road to You is making its way into the world! It's available right now on Kindle, Nook and Smashwords in the digital realm (coming soon to Apple/iTunes, Kobo, Sony and more), and it can also be purchased in paperback from Amazon, Half.com and AbeBooks (soon to be at B&N, IndieBound and others as well). Check out the novel's Goodreads page for story details and early reviews.
**Throwing confetti in the air in celebration!**
In fun other news, as many of you know, my husband, son and I traveled to Minneapolis, MN for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) last week, and we had a blast. The ladies of Jane Austen Books -- who sold copies of my two Austen-inspired titles, According to Jane and Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match -- were as gracious and helpful as always. And my husband and I loved browsing through the books they had available in the Emporium, as well as the other crafts and Regency delights for sale. (Yes, I did buy something called "Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Trivia Game"...who wants to play??)
Me (in my "I randomly quote Jane Austen" t-shirt) & my husband Jeff
I had the pleasure of seeing lots of the Austen Authors in person, too. We had a special dinner one night, which was a loud and fun-filled occasion!
From L to R: Karen Doornebos, Jack Caldwell, Susan Mason-Milks, Maria Grace,
C Allyn Pierson, Sharon Lathan, me, Syrie James, Shannon Winslow & Abigail ReynoldsThis musically designed building was across the street from our hotel. I never could figure out why, exactly, these notes were on one side (or what the song was), but I thought it looked really cool regardless...

Another interesting thing that I got to do while at the AGM was to go on a tour of the Elmer L. Andersen Library, which has a really impressive collection of Sherlock Holmes books and memorabilia!!

And a fascinating presentation that all of the JASNA members got to hear was about the YouTube sensation "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" -- thanks to a panel discussion with one of its creators, Bernie Su, along with a producer of the series (Jenni Powell) and a writer for it (Kate Noble/Rorick) as well. It was a hoot to listen to them, and now I'm hooked on the show...

I've got a bunch of dancing and dining pictures up on my Facebook page, if anyone wants to see more, but the AGM was definitely an exciting way to end September. And, now...October has begun!! Wishing you all a wonderful month ahead :).