Marilyn Brant's Blog, page 5

I've had better Fridays... I'm congested, feverish, a little headachy and basically still in my pajamas, even though it's late afternoon. So, yes, I'm definitely moping around and feeling sorry for myself for managing to catch a cold (for no discernible reason!) on this last weekend of summer/first weekend of autumn. But I'm sure it will pass quickly -- well, I hope it will, lol -- and that I'll be germ-free again before the big JASNA conference starts next Thursday. I'm looking forward to the AGM and to seeing my Austen friends once more!

Until then, I do have one bit of fun news to share: There's a Goodreads Giveaway in progress right now for 5 signed trade paperback copies of The Road to You!! If you're a member of the GR site, I hope you'll enter!

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Goodreads Book Giveaway The Road to You by Marilyn Brant Giveaway ends October 02, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win And, yes, the print copies of the novel have just become available (whoo-hoo!), and the digital versions will be ready soon.

For anyone who may be interested in being an advanced reader for this story, I'm doing a review tour from Oct. 3rd - Dec. 3rd through AToMR Book Tours, and there's a sign-up page here for my novel: http://atomrbookblogtours.com/2013/09/19/review-opportunity-the-road-to-you/ .  I can't tell you how thrilled I am that I finally will get to share this book with you all... I truly hope it's a story you all will enjoy!

Have a good weekend and a happy Autumnal Equinox, everyone, and please stay healthy!! ;)

Last week's special book sale for The Sweet Temptations Collection was really exciting -- not only because my 3-book boxed set reached #9 on Kindle and #1 on Nook (!!!), but because the response from readers was so wonderful. I ended up being able to extend the discount for an additional few days to give those readers who found out about the sale later in the week a chance to pick it up during the long Labor Day Weekend. I truly hope that all who were interested grabbed a copy!

However, for anybody who may have missed it or for those who might like to get the set as a gift for someone they know who enjoys light romantic comedy, the price of the collection will be discounted to $5.99 (regular price is $8.99) during the month of September on both  Amazon and B&N . My characters -- Elizabeth & Rob ( On Any Given Sundae ), Cait & Garrett ( Double Dipping ), and Shannon & Bram ( Holiday Man ) -- hope to make your acquaintance, and I can't thank you enough for ALL of your enthusiasm and support.

The icing on the cake for me was that I just found out this afternoon that the boxed set hit #89 on the USA Today Bestseller List !!! It's really and truly a dream come true, and there are no words to express the thrill of it. Just...THANK YOU!!

Oh, my friends...I've got some very exciting news!!

My 3-book boxed set of romantic comedies, The Sweet Temptations Collection -- which includes the novels On Any Given Sundae, Double Dipping and Holiday Man -- is on sale for just a few days this week for only $0.99 (reg. price $8.99)!! It's discounted on both Amazon Kindle (worldwide) and B&N Nook, but just through Thursday the 29th, so please spread the word. And, if you don't have one or more of these three novels yet, I hope you'll consider adding this boxed set to your ebook collection or giving it as a gift to a romance-loving friend!

In other great news this week, my friend Robin Bielman has a brand new release!! Risky Surrender is the second story in her "Risk It" series from Entangled Books.

Here's a little more about it:
Archeologist Lucy Davenport made a promise to retrieve an elusive piece of history buried in the walls of an iconic Indian village. But when she draws unwanted attention that interferes with her plans, she’s forced to risk it all with a man who threatens not only her goal, but the walls she’s carefully constructed around her heart.Keats McCall is an environmental preservationist navigating the globe on behalf of heritage protection. When he catches Lucy at his latest project, he suspects she’s up to something. She’s secretive, sexy as hell – and has trouble written all over her. He devises a plan to keep her close so he can keep an eye on her. But what he isn’t prepared for is just how close he wants to get.Definitely check it out!! The story is available for only $1.99 at Amazon, B&N and Apple/iTunes!! Congrats, Robin :).
Wishing you all a wonderful week...and to help you stay cool ('cuz it's been broiling here!), this is a link to a thirst-quenching recipe for Electric Lemonade. Be forewarned, there's vodka in it -- but, in reading the rest of the ingredients, I think it would taste pretty refreshing even without that added kick. Enjoy!!

I don't know how it managed to be the middle of August already, but when I flipped the calendar to this week and realized that -- for my son, at least, the school year was beginning -- I couldn't deny that little pang telling me summer was nearing its end.

Not that I'm unhappy about that, mind you! As much as I love the joys of long hours of daylight, the absence of snow/hail/frost, the time spent with my husband and son while they're on their vacations...I'm looking forward to this fall BIG TIME!! There are so many events coming up in the next couple of months that I feel like a little kid right before the holidays. So many treats and presents! (Of both the edible & non-edible varieties. ;) So many fun gatherings! (When, exactly, am I going to get any sleep?!) So many occasions ahead for celebration...it's a little overwhelming, actually.

In just a few weeks -- on Friday, September 6th -- there will be the cover reveal day for THE ROAD TO YOU! And, if you have a blog and are at all interested in being a part of it, you're more than welcome to join in (there's a sign-up at Xpresso Book Tours HERE for anyone who'd like to participate). The book itself will be available in early October (planned release date is 10-3-13), and I'm naturally thrilled about that! I spent three years writing this novel -- my first coming-of-age romantic mystery for older teens through adults -- and I can't wait to finally get to share it with you all.

Before that, though, the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Jane Austen Society of North America will be coming up at the end of September!! I'm now a lifetime member of the organization, and it's going to be such fun to get to take part in this wonderful conference as a published author for the first time. I've been to two prior AGMs -- in Milwaukee 2005 and Chicago 2008 -- but this time I get to visit Minneapolis, sign my books at their author event and meet in person several members of the Austen community that I've gotten to know online. We'll be talking about Mr. Darcy and the P&P gang nonstop!! (How could that not be a blast?!) It's my kind of conversation for sure :).

Just a few weeks later, on October 18th, I'll have the honor of speaking at the annual Illinois Association of Teachers of English conference in Normal, IL as their 2013 Author of the Year. So, truly, this is an autumn season that's already packed with exciting things!

However, I know I'm not the only one busy with upcoming plans and events... What are you doing? Any special end-of-summer activities on your agenda? Looking into September or October, do you have anything ahead that you're particularly looking forward to seeing or doing?

On a totally different note, today is "Left Hander's Day." So, in honor of the many Lefties out there -- including my son, who just started high school yesterday (OMG...) -- I wanted to wish you and all of the Loveable Lefties in your life a wonderful one!

 We just got back from a family road trip that spanned 11 states in 10 days, took us over 2,700 miles and introduced us to such delights as the tame prairie dogs in the Badlands of South Dakota, the picturesque Garden of the Gods and the thrill of spray-painting grafitti on cars in Amarillo's Cadillac Ranch! Add to that Mt. Rushmore, Rocky Mountain National Park, the Sandias of New Mexico, the awesome kitchy-ness of Catoosa, Oklahoma's Blue Whale and more... and you have a sample of our hot-n-humid, wild-n-wonderful summer vacation ;).

Aside from my hungry prairie dog friend above, here are a few other shots I really liked:
 Beautiful Bear Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park. We walked all the way around it and every picture we took seemed prettier than the last.
  Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. One of the ten cars at the famous Cadillac Ranch...I left a pink note to say I was there!
 Oklahoma is home to the National Route 66 Museum -- another fun stop on our journey.

 The new novel I have coming out this fall -- The Road to You -- is a coming-of-age romantic mystery that involves a trek down the Route 66 of the late 1970s. So, truly, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to snap some photos on that famous ribbon of highway, and I'll be sharing many more of them in the next few months!! Hope you'll fasten your seatbelts and get ready to go on a road trip with me... ;-)

Have any of you been down Route 66 or visited any of the other places I mentioned above? Are you driving/flying anywhere special this summer? If so, happy travels!

This has been a wildly busy summer already and we've barely hit July ;). I just wanted to say a HUGE thanks to all the readers who picked up a copy of Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match during the recent sale. I was thrilled that it reached #23 in the Amazon Top 100 (see left), #4 on the Barnes & Noble Bestseller List and #1 on their Romance List (see both below). Very exciting for me (I mean, c'mon! I took screen shots!!), and I couldn't be more grateful to all of you. Thank you SO much.

 Those of you in the States, do you have any special 4th of July plans? That night, my brother and I are going to a concert together -- the Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox Twenty are playing together. I've seen both bands before, and they're terrific. Plus, I love spending time with my Bro. Can't wait!!

It's already the 19th of June (How did that happen? HOW?!), and I've been chasing down these days in hopes of catching one of them, but I haven't managed that yet... So, consider this is a drive-by blog post to share just one big, important announcement: The digital version of  Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match is on sale right now!! (It'll run through the weekend for sure, but I'm not sure how long it'll last beyond that...)

Any readers who are interested can pick it up for just $0.99 (75% off the regular price!) on either Barnes & Noble/Nook or Amazon/Kindle. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, or if you know of someone who might enjoy the story, I hope you'll consider snagging a copy at this super-sale price!

Summary:  A single mother and an ER doctor meet on an Internet dating site—each for reasons that have little to do with finding their perfect match—in this modern, Austen-inspired story. It’s a tribute to the power of both “pride” and “prejudice” in bringing two people romantically together, despite their mutual insistence that they should stay apart…

Would an Elizabeth Bennet by any other name be as appealing to a Darcy?

Beth Ann Bennet isn’t looking for love. She’s an aspiring social worker using an online alias to study sex-role stereotypes. Dr. William Darcy isn’t looking for love either. He’s just trying to fund his new clinic by winning a major bet. Both think Lady Catherine’s Love Match Website will help them get what they want—fast, easy and without endangering their hearts. Both are in for a big surprise.

Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match…where true love is just a fib and a click away.

Praise: "Brant couldn’t have done a better job at pulling me into the story and keeping me hooked until the end. I loved how her work was different enough that I felt really out of my element at first but then brought back to the themes of compassion, forgiveness and love that really hold Darcy and Elizabeth together. This was an amazingly smart move that left me more than satisfied at the end of this work. I liked this book so much that I delayed watching the season 3 premiere of Downton Abbey!"~Kimberly Denny-Ryder, Austenprose

Thanks to all of you for your supportiveness and kindness toward me. I appreciate each and every one of you!!

p.s. You realize June is National Dairy Month , right?! Yeah. So, PLEASE eat some ice cream, yogurt, cheese...drink a milkshake or two tomorrow (the 20th is National Vanilla Milkshake Day , if you need a formal excuse ;), and have a very happy official start to summer this week!

Just in case anyone here hasn't seen it yet (I've already posted the image on Facebook and Magical Musings but, seriously, I'm over-the-moon delighted and can't stop talking about it!), here is the Polish cover for A Summer in Europe!!

The publisher is Prószyński i S-ka, and this is the page that has all the cool info about the book on their website. Just had to share this exciting news here on the blog!! Wakacje w Europie will be released on June 18th!

And in other areas of great excitement, Angie Kroll of Austen Admirers has the app for Jane Austen lovers ready to go! It's already available on Google Play and iTunes, and open enrollment to be part of the RSS app begins on May 31st. If you're on Facebook, definitely check out the FB page, too. Congrats, Angie!!  Thrilled to be a part of this ;).

Wishing all of you a wonderful weekend and a very Happy Memorial Day!

Ahhhh, now it feels like spring!! It's mid-May, with temps in the 70s & 80s, and I see flowers blooming outside (along with, perhaps, a few too many dandelions in our yard...), but I love that burst of color. Another great thing about May is that it's the release month for novels by two of my good friends! Just out this week is Robin Bielman's Kissing the Maid of Honor (contemporary romance)! Check out this awesome premise: Kissing her best friend’s brother never felt so right…

Sela Sullivan is resolved to be the best maid of honor ever, even if it means tolerating the best man. Insufferable, too-handsome Luke Watters is not only the guy who humiliated her at a kissing booth in high school, but he also happens to be her best friend’s older brother. Positive he’s the same arrogant jock, Sela vows to focus on her duties and steer clear of the frustrating—and frustratingly tempting—Luke.

As a world-renowned extreme-sports photographer, Luke is used to undertaking life-risking adventures. But risking his heart for the beautiful Sela Sullivan, who clearly still hates him for his rejection all those years ago? He didn’t see that coming. Sela inspires a passion he’s never known, and the more time they spend together, the more he craves her. But can he prove to the maid of honor he’s become a man of honor?
 And, coming out on the 27th is the newest novel by Lexi Ryan, Unbreak Me (contemporary new adult)! Read about this wonderful story below:  “If you’re broken, I’ll fix you…”

I’m only twenty-one and already damaged goods. A slut. A failure. A disappointment to my picture-perfect family as long as I can remember. I called off my wedding to William Bailey, the only man who thought I was worth fixing. A year later, he’s marrying my sister. Unless I ask him not to…

“If you shatter, I’ll find you…”

But now there’s Asher Logan, a broken man who sees the fractures in my façade and doesn’t want to fix me at all. Asher wants me to stop hiding, to stop pretending. Asher wants to break down my walls. But that means letting him see my ugly secrets and forgiving him for his.

With my past weighing down on me, do I want the man who holds me together or the man who gives me permission to break?  Robin and Lexi, HUGE congrats!! You know how excited I am for you two, and I can't wait to read both of these!!!

Today, it's my pleasure to have as my guest one of my fellow Girlfriends from the GBC, Leslie Lehr, author of What A Mother Knows (Sourcebooks Landmark, May 2013). It was just released yesterday -- yay! congrats!! -- and I think it's a perfect novel for Mother's Day.

Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and One Breath Away, called it: "A fast-paced and gripping exploration of a mother's love. A powerful affecting novel."

And Long and Short Reviews wrote: "Almost impossible to put down. ... What a Mother Knows is an intense and emotional rollercoaster ride."

Welcome, Leslie!!

Can you tell us the basic premise of your new book?
A woman who recovers from a fatal car accident and is accused of murder risks everything to find her missing daughter, the only one who might know the truth of what happened that day.  People are calling it contemporary drama or literary suspense, but for me it’s a love story. What's one scene from this story you loved writing and why did it excite you? I loved writing the scene in Key West because it’s such a vivid place. My aunt has a bed and breakfast there called the Curry Mansion, and if it didn’t exist, I would have to make it up. There’s a picture of it on the map on my website. It’s a historic landmark full of antiques and there’s a piano player on the veranda at cocktail hour every afternoon. The sights and sounds of the main tourist drag and the excitement on the boardwalk at sunset are so colorful. The setting really adds flavor to the twists and turns in this chapter when Michelle, the main character, searches for her daughter. And it has a big ending. Bam!

Did you use any musical references in your novel? If so, do they play a significant role? If you check out the playlist on my website, you’ll se that most of the songs are from the Doors, who are considered the quintessential LA band. Jim Morrison, the singer/songwriter was this gorgeous poet who epitomized the sex, drugs, rock ‘n roll attitude of the sixties. He died before I’d ever heard of him, but you’d recognize the haunting music – it’s on every ‘best of ‘ list. I don’t want to ruin the story, but there is a young musician in it. So the music adds another dimension to the drama, one that embodies the worst fears of any mother.

Who was the first person you told when you got The Call announcing big news about your first novel? My mother. While visiting, I was roller blading with my daughters in the park across from her condo. My mom called me in to get the phone and came out to watch the girls. She had a funny expression on her face as I clomped past her and didn’t even tell me to take off the rollerblades. Joe deSalvo, from the Pirates Alley Faulkner Society, said that my novel won a prize and he invited me to New Orleans, all expenses paid, to get it.  At first I thought it was a friend playing a practical joke, but they flew me in and put me up in a Penthouse with a fruit basket and everything. Then there was a hurricane, so everyone fled the city and I didn’t get my award. But they sent the manuscript to an agent, and by the time I came back the next year, she was there along with my new editor from Random House. It still seems like a dream - makes me smile just thinking about it.

What's your Writer Fantasy--i.e., to see your book make into a feature film, to be on the New York Times bestseller list for 40 consecutive weeks, etc.? All of the above! Isn’t fantasy what writers are all about?


What's one piece of writing advice you've found valuable on your journey to publication? I didn’t know any writers, but I used to play a tape of this old reggae soundtrack called The Harder They Come just hear the Jimmy Cliff sing, You Can Get It If You Really Want. Just imagine “If at first you don’t succeed, you gotta try try try again” with a reggae beat. It helped me stay motivated when I was broke and splurging on stamps to mail query letters. My dad always told me. “You can’t fail until you quit.” I couldn’t quit.

What's a personality trait you love about one of the characters in your novel and why? Michelle, the main character, becomes a kickass mom. She won’t let anything get in her way. She’s like Sally Field in that old movie, Not Without My Daughter, but even better. All the moms in this story are like that, but they all go about it indifferent ways….

Did you go on any special trips to research the setting? I used places that I’d already been. I did go back to Hawaii and Key West on vacations, and New York for business, so I kept my eyes open. Then I followed up with research online to keep things current.

What do you think readers might be surprised to know about you? I'm a terrible typist.

Any favorite movies you've seen? Ones you've watched over and over again? I’m a sucker for romantic comedies. While You Were Sleeping is my comfort food. My daughter and I love Romy & Michelle. We can also quote every line from Legally Blonde – it’s fun to watch it together.

Thank you so much, Leslie! (And you know I share your love of "While You Were Sleeping" -- one of my all-time faves! ;-)   

For readers who'd like to connect with Leslie, please visit her website http://www.leslielehr.com , check her out on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/authorleslielehr  and Twitter @leslielehr1

Also, if you are part of a book club and would like to have her visit via Skype, email her at [email protected] (and there are fun features plus book club ideas on her website, too).  

Finally, for all moms who are reading this, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!! Are you doing anything special to celebrate this weekend?!