Saturday, January 12, 2013

The Forgotten Ones with Laura Howard


I'm over-the-moon excited for my fellow Nancy Drew loving friend, Laura Howard.  This is a big moment for Laura.  One that she has been cultivating and dreaming of for a very long time.  Laura is giving us a sneak peek at the cover of her soon-to-be released novel.  Without further ado, here it is...

Title: The Forgotten Ones

Author: Laura Howard

Genre: NA Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Expected release date: May 15, 2013

Age Group: New Adult

Cover Designer:
Stephanie Mooney 



Book Description:

Allison O'Malley just graduated from college. Her life's plan is to get a job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She doesn't have room for friends or even Ethan, who clearly wants more.

When Allison's long-lost father shows up, he claims he can bring her mother back from the dark place her mind has sent her. He reveals legends of a race of people long forgotten, the Tuatha de Danaan, along with the truth about why he abandoned her mother.

I just adore her...

Get excited everyone, because it's coming soon!  Congratulations, Laura!  My wish for you, is that you enjoy the journey.   You have been such an amazing supporter and cheerleader to so many.  It's your time to shine, my friend!

Bless and be blessed!

XOXO
Jen


PS.  You can find the fabulous Laura here: Laura Howard | Facebook | Twitter

Friday, January 4, 2013

Downton Pre-Premiere Q&A and Giveaway!


Downton Pre-Premiere Q&A and Giveaway

     Lords and Ladies, the time is upon us.  Announcing the premier of Downton Abbey Season 3 on January 6, on PBS!  *Trumpets sound*  A group of authors have gathered to cheer on this event by means of Twitter during the premier.  Make sure that you join us by using the hashtag #DowntonGala.  We will also be taking turns recapping the episodes for you this season, and cannot WAIT for you to stop by to dish on all things Downton.


     To ready us for the festive mood, the lovely Laura Chapman and Tracie Banister crafted questions to get us in the mood for we lovers of the pen to answer for you.  Without further pomp and circumstance, may I present The Duchess of West Lafayette, Indiana, Jen Tucker, of the Purdue University Tucker’s.

You're planning a dinner party for the Downton crew - who would be No. 1 on your invite list?
Mrs. Patmore, the cook, would sit to my right.  Her sharp tongue and honesty are so refreshing to me.  She is very territorial of her kitchen, devoted to those she loves, and loves to stick her neck out from time to time.  Who wouldn’t want that kind of sass at their dinner party?  To see Mrs. Patmore served, rather than one who serves, would be a treat.

2) Whose closet will you raid before the party?
Lady Mary Crawley has some divine dresses that I’d love to snatch when her head was turned away.  She has a number of frocks that remind me so much of the beauty of “The Roaring 20’s.”  I would relish any of them, and their intricate beaded beauty.

Once your guests have arrived, who are you most likely to flirt with?
If my husband, Mike (also coined “LMT”), were to descend the staircase dressed in a tuxedo, I would hope it would be after the guests arrived.  If I saw him all decked out and handsome before then, I might just hang a sign on the locked, front door simply stating “Party Cancelled,” and have a little party of our own (hee-hee).  Flirting with LMT, dressed to the nines, would make my evening spectacular.  Plus, he’s a sure thing, so I’ve got that going for me too.
     
Who will you likely smack before the dessert course?
My smacking money is on Lady Edith.  I just want her to stop sniveling and get on with life.  No whiners allowed!    

5) Let's adjourn to the drawing room for some not-so-polite conversation: What's your theory on Patrick Gordon aka The Bandaged Man? Impostor or legitimate Crawley?
Oh, I love this question.  I’m convinced it is someone who knew Patrick Crawley well enough to know all the intimate details of his life.  Perhaps he’s a mate from his college years who decided to seize an opportunity.  What better way to reappear to family than in an unrecognizable state!

6) How about Bates? Did he do it? Could he do it? If not, who killed Vera?
I think that Vera was killed not by Bates, but perhaps by whomever Mr. Bates caught her tramping around with. 

7) Favorite quip from the Dowager Countess?
Here it comes.  Are you ready?  “What is a weekend?!”

8) Favorite Downton spoof?
 
Enjoy this little bit by Jimmy Fallon, called Downton Sixby: Episode II 

9) Now you've done it! You've landed a guest spot on the show. What's your storyline?
The much younger, effervescent sister of Lady Grantham arrives unannounced to Downton Abbey.  She comes bearing secrets, and Purple Passion wine coolers, that will disrupt the lives of many residing in the manor if she so choses to spill either entity she possesses.  Camille Levinson, played by Grammy Award, Emmy Award, and 12 time Oscar winner Jen Tucker, has come to show more than sisterly love to Cora; she’s come to change the game. 
 
10) What would you like to see happen in series three?
I would love to see at least one of our couples in distress, find their way to love and happiness.  Whether Anna and Mr. Bates have conjugal visits more often, or Matthew and Mary finally exchange “I do’s,” yet there’s also Lady Edith and her bandaged up imposter cousin, or the other candidate in her life, the old dude with the bum arm.  Can we just find some happiness for someone?  Will O’Brien get smacked upside the head?  Will Daisy continue to experience paranormal Ouija activities (my least favorite storyline in the history of storylines)?  Find out, along with the rest of the world on January 6, 2013.

Be there, or be talked about!    

Well, no premier would be with its salt without a giveaway, right?  Up for grabs is this fabulous book!


To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace

From the Gilded Age until 1914, more than 100 American heiresses invaded Britannia and swapped dollars for titles–just like Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, the first of the Downton Abbey characters Julian Fellowes was inspired to create after reading To Marry An English Lord.  Filled with vivid personalities, gossipy anecdotes, grand houses, and a wealth of period details–plus photographs, illustrations, quotes, and the finer points of Victorian and Edwardian etiquette–To Marry An English Lord is social history at its liveliest and most accessible.

- You lucky readers can enter to win the giveaway by posting a comment on any of the author’s blogs (Earn up to 9 entries if you leave a comment on all 9 blogs.) The comment will need to be a reply to one of our blog blast questions.  The question for you to answer, here at Princess With a Pen, is naughty number 9!  Now you've done it! You've landed a guest spot on the show. What's your storyline? Answer this in the comment section for your chance to win!  PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO THE WINNER CAN BE CONTACTED!!!
- Contest is over on January 10 at Midnight!  And lucky me, that’s my birthday!
- Winner announced on January 11, which is my hubby's birthday!
- Providing me with birthday gifts will make me happy, yet do not help your chances of winning; sorry about that.
- Here are links to the other author’s blogs for more chances to win the book!
Jenny Gardiner:  http://jennygardiner.net/blog/ 
Tracey Livesay:  http://traceylivesay.com/

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Good luck to you all!
Bless and be blessed,
Jen
XOXO

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Heart vs. Head with Pj Schott


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  *Jen throws confetti*  I hope you enjoyed family and friends, and even a little piece of peace during the holidays.  It’s a new month, a new year, and I am pleased as punch to welcome Pj Schott back to Princess With a Pen!  Pj has lived in several U.S. port cities, Europe, Greece, and the Middle East. A marketing professional, mystery writer, and futurist, Pj is known to those with whom she works as a problem-solver, an innovative thinker, a top-notch communicator, a visionary, and the soul of a group. She is the owner of the Boston, Massachusetts based company GENIUS and is the woman behind the new Facebook page and blog, Survival for Blondes, where Pj is entirely surrounded by imagined disasters and learns to rise above.

HEART VS. HEAD
In which Pj learns to trust her feelings and not think so much


Most folks would describe Pooh as a bit of a dunce. But the warm, welcoming bear is a master of the art of living in the moment. Pooh neither dwells on the past nor worries about the future. And he always follows his heart.

FEEL, DON'T THINK
Our society places great value on the ability to analyze and evaluate things. But Universal Law teaches us that the heart and the head are mutually exclusive. You can't be in both places at once. And, given the choice, it is better to rely on the heart than the head when making an important decision.

Pooh was never one to overthink a situation. Philosophers might call him a stoic. He doesn't worry about what other people think. He knows better than to react emotionally to a situation over which he has no control.

In the spirit of stoicism, or Poohism, we would therefore focus only on what we have control over, which is our reaction to a situation. We can't control what others think, feel, or do. But we alone choose what goes on in our own heads. The wise, and Pooh-like among us, would ask "Do I respond or do I react?"

REACTION OR RESPONSE
You're running late for an important business presentation, when someone crashes into you in the coffee shop, covering your best jacket with foamy liquid. You start to panic. Anger rises. You resist the urge to smack the offender, who actually looks remorseful. 

To berate the poor thing would be to react to the situation. You do a quick check-in with your heart, which says, given the choice to be right or to be kind, be kind. Then you respond to the situation at hand, letting your heart rule your head.

Now you use the old noggin. You face your audience, point out the puddle on your chest, and joke about having to let the guy pay for your coffee in order to make him feel better. Voila, you're an instant hero.


RABBIT HAS BRAIN

Pooh would always choose heart over head. But if ever he needed to apply logic, he would simply go to Rabbit, with reservations.


“Rabbit's clever," said Pooh thoughtfully.
"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit's clever."
"And he has Brain."
"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brain."
There was a long silence.
"I suppose," said Pooh, "that that's why he never understands anything.”

LOVED THIS!  Thank you, Pj, for stopping by!  You lucky readers will love hearing that, Pj has a gift for you!  She loved the feeling of blessing others so much, that it is something she wishes to carry out  during 2013!  Isn't she the best?  Simply let us know what you trust more, your heart or your head for a chance to win… 




Description from Amazon: When Christopher Robin asks Pooh what he likes doing best in the world, Pooh says, after much thought, "What I like best in the whole world is Me and Piglet going to see You, and You saying 'What about a little something?' and Me saying, 'Well, I shouldn't mind a little something, should you, Piglet,' and it being a hummy sort of day outside, and birds singing."
Happy readers for over 70 years couldn't agree more. Pooh's status as a "Bear of Very Little Brain" belies his profoundly eternal wisdom in the ways of the world. To many, Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and the others are as familiar and important as their own family members. A.A. Milne's classics, Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, are brought together in this beautiful edition, complete and unabridged, with recolored illustrations by Milne's creative counterpart, Ernest H. Shepard. Join Pooh and the gang as they meet a Heffalump, help get Pooh unstuck from Rabbit's doorway, (re)build a house for Eeyore, and try to unbounce Tigger. A childhood is simply not complete without full participation in all of Pooh's adventures. (All ages) --Emilie Coulter

THE RULES:
  • Giveaway ends on Tuesday, January 8th at noon EST. 
  • Please leave your email address with your answer so we can let you know that you won. 
  • Good luck!

Bless and be blessed,
Jen
XOXO