Pride & Prejudice – Vanessa Kelly, Author

I’ve got a very special guest on the blog today, one who fits in perfectly with the recent 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride & Prejudice. She’s Alyssa Goodnight, and she writes delicious and quirky contemporary romance inspired by Jane Austen. Her first book got great reviews, including this one from Publishers Weekly:

“Jane Austen meets Austin, Tex., in this fast-paced, quirky novel about the unpredictability of love. … Goodnight’s breezy style with a believable heroine, lively conflicts and lots of best-friend confidences elevates this above the usual chick lit fare.”

Alyssa has a new book just out. Let’s ask her about it, shall we?

Jane Austen meets Austin, Texas, is how Publisher’s Weekly described your previous book, Austentatious. Austensibly Ordinary also plays off Jane’s beloved canon of books. How did you come up with such a great idea?

Honestly, it was quite by accident. I had just started writing the manuscript that would become Austentatious and was trying to incorporate a magical journal into the story. Meanwhile, I was loving all the Jane Austen fan fiction options, and suddenly it hit me: What if the magic in the journal was coming from Jane Austen, match-maker extraordinaire?? I thought it was a super fun idea, and just what the story needed. And honestly, I had such fun writing it and imagining the possibilities if it were actually true… Austensibly Ordinary was just as fun, and and now I’m feeling like I might need to write a few more stories that feature the Jane Austen Journal.

What’s Austensibly Ordinary about?

Austensibly Ordinary is about two best friends, Cate and Ethan, both high school teachers. Cate feels like she’s in a rut and needs a little adventure–maybe even an alter ego… She also suspects that Ethan is keeping something from her–something big–and she’s determined to ferret it out. When Cate stumbles across the journal, intending to use it to chronicle her newly exciting life, she doesn’t realize that its magical messages are about to wreak some serious havoc in her life and relationships. Loosely based on Jane Austen’s Emma, it’s light and fun women’s fiction.

Your first book was a Regency historical romance. Why the switch to contemporary fiction?

For the simple reason that there was a shift in my reading preferences. For years, I read a TON of Regency romances, so when I decided I wanted to try writing a book, my natural inclination was to write a Regency. My Regency novel is Unladylike Pursuits. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I adore the Regency period, but my tastes started to run to chick-lit, and then Jane Austen fan fiction. From there, it just seemed a natural slide into my own Jane Austen-inspired homage.

What’s up next for you?

I’m currently working on the first book in a series of contemporary romance novels set in the Texas Hill Country, tied together with a hint of magic.

There you have it, readers. For those lovers of contemporary romance, chick lit, and/or Jane Austen, Alyssa’s books are just perfect for you! For my readers today, Alyssa is giving away a copy of her first book, Austentatious. For a chance to win, simply tell us which is your favorite Jane Austen novel, or an Austen-inspired movie or TV show. One person who comments will win Alyssa’s fabulous book!

And don’t forget to visit Alyssa’s website for all her book info.

I’m so pleased to have contemporary and historical romance author Mary Campisi visiting with us today. Mary has been published with Kensington Publishing, Carina Press, The Wild Rose Press, and Jocelyn Hollow Romance. Two years ago, she began digitally self-publishing her front and backlist books. In October, four short months after she offered her contemporary romance, A Family Affair, as a free download on Amazon, Mary had over half a million downloads!

Wow, that’s amazing! Let’s have a little chat with Mary and find out what else is going on in her world.

You have both contemporary romances and historical romances under your writing belt – do you prefer one genre over the other? What attracts you to these two different genres?

I began with historicals for the pure joy of falling into romance through a fairytale setting. The beautiful young women, the wealthy men, the titles, the gowns, even the villains are pure fairytale material reminiscent of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Sleeping Beauty. The historical lifts me up and carries me away into happily ever after. And here’s a confession; I watch Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice at least once a month. (The Matthew Macfadyen and Keira Knightley version.) I know many Austen critics say it’s not true to the story, but I can’t help it, the chemistry is there for me. I love the scene in the rain when Mr. Darcy professes his love for Elizabeth and proposes — she rejects him and then there is the ‘almost’ kiss. And when Mr. Darcy hands Ms. Elizabeth into the carriage and squeezes her hand, I can feel that emotion.

Writing contemporary romance comes naturally to me. Most of my contemporary works are hybrids; combination contemporary romance and women’s fiction. I love to explore relationships and how they are affected by things like betrayal, deception, death, or dealing with the aftermath of a difficult decision. I’ll toss these things at the main characters and see how they do or do not deal with these issues. Once they’ve struggled enough, I’ll follow them along on their character growth trail and cheer as they find that second chance at life and love.

Your books have a lot of heart and you don’t dodge the tough stuff. Why is that?

I guess I write about tough situations because I’ve lived through quite a few of my own. I know what betrayal feels like, and loss—of dreams, hope, a marriage— and I understand the pain, the self-doubt, the not knowing if you’ll ever feel whole again. I use these emotions to create my characters and to explore relationships that are less than perfect – but are real life as I see it. It’s interesting that you should mention this because I’ve recently begun analyzing the recurrent themes in my books and I’m compiling a collection of short stories with a commentary tied to each which addresses the reason behind the story and the novel/s with like themes that grew out of those stories. My biggest and most used theme is second chances. And of course, I often write about that one true love that surpasses time, situation, and circumstance.

What can you tell us about your upcoming release, Simple Riches?

Simple Riches is a contemporary romance set in a small town much like the one in northwestern Pennsylvania where I grew up. Here’s the blurb…

Alexandra Chamberlain is a cosmopolitan woman whose uncle taught her to discard everything but the bottom line on a balance sheet. She’ll do anything to earn his approval and prides herself on excelling at her job, which is selecting small towns to buy up, flatten, and replace with luxury resorts. When Alex decides to investigate Restalline, Pennsylvania as a potential site for the next resort, she enters the town under the guise of a researcher gathering information for a documentary. It should be easy, just like all the others. But this town is different, from Alex’s zany landlord to Nick Androvich, the town doctor with a battered heart who questions Alex’s motives yet can’t deny his attraction to her. As Alex and Nick explore their growing relationship, they must face the truth about each other and themselves as they search for their own Simple Riches.

And now for the fun question: If you were stranded on a deserted island with the man of your dreams, what two luxury items would you bring along with you?

A razor? Hmmm. A toothbrush and Colgate Total Advanced Clean toothpaste? Oh, no…my very favorite Caribou coffee – decaf and regular, depending on morning or evening. And I’ll need cream. Or are there animals that produce milk on this island? Black coffee bothers my stomach. I guess I can forgo the coffee machine because there won’t be electricity but the man of my dreams is highly intelligent and capable of constructing an apparatus to brew coffee. I suppose I can craft a mug of some sort – I’m quite crafty…Ooops..forgot about soap. I’ll need quite a bit of that. Maybe a tube or two of Bath & Body mentha chapstick and moisturizer…and shampoo. Did I say dental floss? Hmmm. Where will we sleep? And what about pillows? We can share T-shirts but not shorts – I am a bit curvier than the man of my dreams! Do you know what kind of food will be available on this island? Exotic fruits? Veggies? Fish? I bet I’ll have a lot of time to write, so will need several notebooks and pens. I think that’s it. Let me think. Oh, no. What about toilet paper? I bet THAT’s not provided. Well. I’ll have to think about that. I’m not going to ask the man of my dreams if he’ll need anything, because he’ll have me – what else could he possibly need?!

So, I can really only pick two things? Okay. Two suitcases stuffed with all of the above!

Clever, Mary! I just might let you get away with that. For my readers today, Mary is giving away a copy of Simple Riches. For a chance to win, just tell Mary and me what are a few of the simple riches in your life.

Simple Riches – Amazon B & N, i-Tunes

Paradise Found – Amazon, i-Tunes, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords

website: www.marycampisi.com

twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MaryCampisi

facebook http://www.facebook.com/marycampisibooks

Guest Author: Alyssa Goodnight & Giveaway!

Guest Author: Mary Campisi & Giveaway!