The Next Big Thing Blog Hop!

‘The Next Big Thing’ Blog Hop is a chance for authors to tell you what they’re working on. An author answers 10 questions about her next book, then tags five other authors to help spread the word!

A huge thank you to Alyssa Goodnight, who tagged me!

Here’s my Q&A about the sequel to A Breath of Eyre, A Touch of Scarlet, releasing March 26, 2013:


1 What is the working title of your book?
A Touch of Scarlet, as the book is inspired by The Scarlet Letter.

2 Where did the idea come from for the book?
Did you ever have a book you hated in high school, but then you read it again as an adult and were like, “Wow, this book is amazing; I just didn’t appreciate it when I was sixteen.” That’s what happened to me with The Scarlet Letter. After I wrote A Breath of Eyre, in which my character gets lost in the novel Jane Eyre, I was looking for other classic novels to inspire Books 2 and 3. For the sequel, I needed to send Emma into a book that would put her through the wringer, so to speak. The Scarlet Letter deals with identity, power, guilt, hypocrisy, sexuality—many of the issues teens face in high school—so it seemed like the perfect catalyst to force Emma out of her comfort zone.

3 What genre does your book fall under?
Not an easy question, but I guess I’d say contemporary with a touch of paranormal.

4 Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Even though I don’t usually imagine actors while I’m drafting, these casting choices wouldn’t ruin my day:

Lily Collins as Emma
Olivia Thurlby as Michelle		Hayley Williams as Jess
Annasophia Robb as Elise		Colton Haynes as Gray
a young Brandon Flowers as Flynn		Steven R. McQueen as Owen

5 What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A girl with the ability to slip into the books she’s reading finds truth and fiction merging through the pages of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic, The Scarlet Letter.

6 Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I am represented by April Eberhardt Literary, and the book is being published by Kensington Books.

7 How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
For some reason, the sequel took much longer to write than Book 1. From start to finish, it probably took me a year and a half to write, although I was teaching full-time as well.

8 What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Maybe other books inspired by classic literature, like Kelly Creagh’s Nevermore, Lesley Livingston’s Wondrous Strange, or Kathryn Burak’s Emily’s Dress and Other Missing Things.

9 Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I am always inspired by my students, who manage to navigate some treacherous waters with grace and resilience.

10 What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I think A Touch of Scarlet might appeal to readers who love gothic novels, New England settings, romance, family dynamics, classic literature, and themes of identity and coming of age.

Now I’m going to tag the following wonderful writers:

A.C. Gaughen
Sarah Perry
Tiffany Schmidt
Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Please visit their blogs on Monday, November 12, when they will publish their answers to the same questions.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and feel free to leave me a comment below!!

Message for the tagged authors and interested others:

Rules of The Next Big Thing
***Use this format for your post
***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress)
***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:
What is the working title of your book?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
What genre does your book fall under?
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.

Piece of advice: Line up your five people in advance.

Cover Reveal Giveaway Winner

The winner of the signed copy of A BREATH OF EYRE & A TOUCH OF SCARLET swag is

Angelica!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered and for all your fun comments!!

A TOUCH OF SCARLET Cover Reveal Giveaway!

I have been absent from this blog for quite some time, consumed with book revisions and personal challenges and going back to school. But A Touch of Scarlet releases six months from now, and I find myself wishing it were out now. If this book had a season, it would be fall. The story begins where A Breath of Eyre left off, with Emma starting her junior year at Lockwood Prep. But everything is changing—the leaves on the trees, her relationships, and most important, Emma herself. Feeling lonely and restless, Emma begins to run in the woods behind her school—sometimes in an attempt to evade her fears, other times in search of something that seems to be calling to her. As the ghosts of the forest draw her in, she comes face to face with the characters from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. And if she’s brave enough to face them, they might just have a lesson or two to teach her. Here’s the gorgeous autumnal cover!

To those who have already read A BREATH OF EYRE, you’ve probably seen the cover in miniature on the back flap of the book, but it looks so much lusher in full size! While ARCs won’t be available for several months, the book is available for pre-order. You can also add it to your Goodreads list. To celebrate the cover reveal, I am giving away a prize package that includes:

• A signed copy of A BREATH OF EYRE
• A signed cover flat for A TOUCH OF SCARLET
• Bookmarks and magnets for both books

 

Just answer the following question in the comments: What is your favorite thing about fall? You’ll also get:

          +1 entry if you retweet this post (Win a signed copy of @evemariemont's A BREATH OF EYRE plus swag for A TOUCH OF SCARLET: http://tinyurl.com/9yeuluc)

          +1 entry if you post this link on Facebook

          +1 entry if you post the contest on your own blog (please leave a link here)

The giveaway is open internationally and will end at midnight E.S.T. on Tuesday, October 16. Good luck!

A Breath of Eyre & Swag Release Day Giveaway Winner

The winner of the signed copy of A Breath of Eyre & the Jane Eyre-themed prize pack is:

Krista!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered and for all your fun answers to my question. The hands-down winner for a book people want to get lost in was Harry Potter with Pride and Prejudice coming in second place! Very interesting...

I wish I could give you all copies of my book and tons ‘o swag as well. It’s ridiculous to think this many people want to read my book. Seriously, thank you for entering, and happy reading!!!

A BREATH OF EYRE release day giveaway & prize pack!

I am one week from my release day for A BREATH OF EYRE, and I’ve got to say it’s both terrifying and thrilling! In celebration, I’m running my final giveaway until midnight on March 26, at which time my books will be available at these fine retailers: Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Indiebound.

The prize pack will include:
A signed copy of A Breath of Eyre
Signed bookmarks and magnets
A lovely Jane Eyre pendant
Perfume and lip balm inspired by the moors of Thornfield

In other news:
1. My "Spring is in the Eyre" launch party will take place on Saturday, March 31 from 3-5pm at The Doylestown Bookshop. Snacks, refreshments, and books will be available. I’d love to see you there! http://www.doylestownbookshop.com/event/eve-marie-mont-book-release-signing
2. I will also be signing copies of A Breath of Eyre at The Spiral Bookcase in Manayunk, PA on Saturday, April 14 at 2 pm with fellow young adult debut authors, Elisa Ludwig (Pretty Crooked, March 13, Harper Collins) and K.M. Walton (Cracked, Jan. 3, Simon Pulse). http://thespiralbookcase.com/
3. For the six days leading up to my release, I’ll be posting a teaser from the book every day on my Facebook author page. Please hop on over and “like” my page if you haven’t already: https://www.facebook.com/evemariemont
4. You can read the first chapter of A Breath of Eyre on K Teen's website HERE!

To enter my giveaway, just leave a comment below telling me which book you’d love to get lost in, literally. Plus, you’ll get:
+1 entry if you retweet this post (Win a signed copy of @evemariemont's A BREATH OF EYRE plus a Jane Eyre-themed prize pack: http://tinyurl.com/6rq7e9h)
+1 entry if you post this link on Facebook
+1 entry if you post the contest on your own blog (please leave a link here)
The giveaway is open internationally and will end at midnight on Monday, March 26. Good luck!

A Breath of Eyre First Reviews!

Thank you, Kirkus, for this lovely review! (Yes, I am freaking out just a little.)


From Kirkus Reviews:
A BREATH OF EYRE [STARRED REVIEW]
Author: Mont, Eve Marie


This richly satisfying tale of first and last love transcends its genre—not another breathless, fan-fiction take on a literary classic but an intertextual love letter.

Raised by a distant father and ex-debutante stepmother, shy, bookish Emma misses the mother she barely remembers. At Emma’s 16th birthday party, her mother’s college roommate, Simona, gives her a copy of Jane Eyre. Emma finds Simona’s son, Gray, disturbingly attractive, but he dates an A-list girl at Lockwood, the boarding school Emma, a scholarship student, attends. The alliance she forges with her new roommate—fellow scholarship student and Haitian science whiz Michelle—heartens both until, struck by lightning, Emma wakes up to find herself Jane Eyre. Though her world is comforting at first, Mr. Rochester’s controlling ways trouble Emma, who feels deepening compassion for Bertha Mason. (Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea is clearly a referent here.) She fights her way home, but unresolved issues and mysteries, especially the connection between Jane’s world and Emma’s mother, draw her back. With evocative settings and compassionately drawn characters, this trilogy opener offers affectionate insight into the gifts literature gives readers. If treasured books have the power to change us, it’s a two-way street. As we change, so does our relationship to those books and so, in a sense, we change them.

A smart and rewarding ode to literature. (Fantasy. 12 & up)


And from Publishers Weekly:
A BREATH OF EYRE

Eve Marie Mont. Kensington/KTeen, $9.95 trade paper (352p) ISBN 978-0-7582-6948-5

Adult author Mont’s (Free to a Good Home) enjoyable YA debut, first in a planned series based on classic literature, introduces 16-year-old Emma Townsend, a student at the elite Lockwood Prep. At school, Emma and her roommate are taunted for being scholarship students, and she has a crush on her English teacher as well as a confusing friendship with Gray, a reformed bad boy. When Emma is struck by lightning and wakes up in the novel Jane Eyre as the governess herself, the memories of her life at Lockwood soon fade as she falls in love with the dashing Mr. Rochester, “two lost souls trapped in a gloomy mansion together—one haunted by a past he could not relinquish, the ­other haunted by a past she could not remember.” Emma senses that she has ­unfinished business in both worlds (in which characters cleverly mirror each ­other), and she travels between them to discover truths about her past and future. Brontë fans should appreciate this romantic, time-slipping reimagining that addresses finding a voice in writing and in life. Ages 14–up. Agent: April Eberhardt, Kimberley Cameron & Associates. (Apr.)

The Terrified Author Post

No, it's not another giveaway. *cue disappointed faces* This is the post where I confess how absolutely terrified I am that my book is coming out in 33 days. People might read it. Or they might not. They might like it. Or they might not. Right now, it's all in front of me--this big abstract MOMENT I've built up in my mind which could turn out to be anything from abysmally disappointing to supremely lovely to anywhere in between.

The strange thing is, as the release day ticks ever closer, instead of wanting to publicize and promote and pimp like crazy, more than ever I want to hide from the world--just hibernate in a comfy cell with no internet connection and emerge some time in May after it's all over. I'm an introvert at heart--always have been. Anything remotely resembling a spotlight sends me into "fight or flight" mode, and right now I'm a major flight risk.

But I know I can't go anywhere. I have a release date set. A launch party planned. Yes, family and friends and colleagues are coming out to cheer me on at a real live bookstore. There will be food! And a reading! And a signing! The stuff of my adolescent dreams! And while I am endlessly grateful for this opportunity and for the support of friends and loved ones, I am also still that little girl who cried when she got one question wrong on her Kindergarten achievement test.

Yes, I'm a perfectionist. A people pleaser. I want you to like me. I want you to like my words. The thought of my little book going out into the big scary world sometimes paralyzes me. And yet, this is why I took my manuscript out of the drawer one day and sent it away to agents. Because I wanted to be a writer then, and I still do. All introversion aside, I want to connect with people, and this is the best way I know how.

So on March 31, as much as I might want to hop the next flight to Mazatlan and not come back until I'm fluent in Spanish, I'll be at the Doylestown Bookshop signing copies of my book. If you live in the area, I'd love to see you there. And I'll try real hard not to throw up on your shoes.

February ARC giveaway of A Breath of Eyre & Exclusive Sneak Peek!

A Breath of Eyre is six weeks from its release day, so I thought this would be an excellent time for another ARC giveaway (I'm giving away 2 signed ARCs with swag!) plus a teaser excerpt. As many of you know, A Breath of Eyre is about a girl who gets lost, literally, in her favorite novel, Jane Eyre. Emma is a sucker for storybook romance, so much so that she fails to see the possibilities for love in her own world.

I’m also sharing an exclusive teaser from A Breath of Eyre in which Emma may or may not be ready for a little real world romance. All you have to do to enter is read the teaser below and then, in the comments section, predict what's going to happen next. Plus, you'll get:

 +1 entry for tweeting or posting on Facebook: February ARC #giveaway for @evemariemont's A BREATH OF EYRE, plus exclusive sneak peek teaser: http://tinyurl.com/7m8a8cp
+1 entry for posting the contest link on your blog
+1 entry for following my blog
The giveaway is open internationally and will end Monday, February 20 at midnight EST. Remember there are 2 ARCs up for grabs now, so better chances! Thanks so much for entering!

A Breath of Eyre Excerpt:

“Tell me about your necklace.” He stopped walking and reached across to touch the pendant. When his finger brushed my skin, I stopped breathing.

“It was my mother’s,” I said, hearing my voice shake.

“Oh yeah. I knew I’d seen it before.” He bent his head to inspect it, his eyes at my level. I dropped my own because the moment felt too heavy, too real. I was staring at the top button of his shirt when I saw a glint of silver. “Hey, you’re wearing something, too.” I reached out and barely grazed his collarbone with my knuckle. He drew open his shirt to reveal a pair of dog tags.

“My uncle’s,” he explained. “He died in Cambodia when he was nineteen. My dad tells me I’m a lot like him. I wish I’d known him. My dad and I don’t really get along, but I have a feeling me and my uncle would have. My dad just thinks I’m a screw-up.”

“My dad thinks the same thing.”

“Your dad thinks I’m a screw-up?” he said.

“No, no,” I said, laughing. “He thinks I am.”

Gray regarded me quizzically. “He couldn’t possibly. You’re, like, the goody-two-shoes, straight-A student. My mom told me you have over a 4.0 G.P.A. with all those honors classes you take. We refer to you as Miss Perfect around the dinner table."

“Believe me, I’m not perfect,” I said, flattered that they talked about me at the dinner table. “Barbara thinks I’m troubled. My dad doesn’t even like me anymore. I’m just so tired of trying to please everyone. I’m tired of being good all the time.”

“Don’t underestimate good. There are times I’d give anything to be good.” His face clouded over, like some awful memory had just caught up with him. I wanted to say something to make him feel better, but I didn’t know what. When he turned to face me, he looked like he wanted to tell me something.

“What is it?” I said.

“Nothing. It’s just…” His voice trailed off, and he bit the inside of his cheek. For a moment, his eyes held on to that vulnerability, and then they got a mischievous glint in them. “It’s hard to take you seriously in those braids, Townsend.”

I glanced down at my costume. “I know. I feel so stupid. Nobody else dressed up.”

“Don’t feel stupid,” he said. “You look adorable.” He tugged gently on one of my braids, and my heart soared. One little compliment, and I was getting all soft around the edges.

I started to say something, but before I could finish my sentence, his hand was cupping my cheek and he was leaning in to kiss me.

The YAmazing Race Begins!

Welcome to my stop on the YAmazing Race with MGnificent prizes, a crazy whirlwind blog hop featuring over 50 debut authors and prize packs featuring ARCs, gift certificates, swag, and more! If you haven’t yet been to the Apocalypsies website, please click here: http://apocalypsies.blogspot.com/ to start from the beginning and read the complete rules. Now on to the race!

A BREATH OF EYRE by Eve Marie Mont

Emma Townsend has always believed in stories—the ones she reads voraciously, and the ones she creates in her head. Perhaps it’s because she feels like an outsider at her exclusive prep school, or because her stepmother doesn’t come close to filling the void left by her mother’s death. And her only romantic prospect—apart from a crush on her English teacher—is Gray Newman, a long-time friend who just adds to Emma’s confusion. But escape soon arrives in an old leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre…

Reading of Jane’s isolation sparks a deep sense of kinship. Then fate takes things a leap further when a lightning storm catapults Emma right into Jane’s body and her nineteenth-century world. As governess at Thornfield, Emma has a sense of belonging she’s never known—and an attraction to the brooding Mr. Rochester. Now, moving between her two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane’s story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own…

If you can spare a moment from the race, please consider adding A Breath of Eyre to your GoodReads list and checking out my trailer. And feel free to leave a comment below saying hi!

Now you're ready to move on. Remember, you must complete ALL FIVE quizzes to be eligible for a prize pack. Click here: http://authoraghoward.blogspot.com/ to go to the next stop on the race! Good luck!

A Breath of Eyre ARC winner!

Congratulations to Joanne Renaud (suburbanbeatnik) for winning my A Breath of Eyre ARC giveaway. And thanks to everybody who entered!

Beginning on Monday, I'll be participating in the YAmazing Race with MGnificent prizes, a crazy whirlwind blog hop featuring over 50 debut authors and prize packs featuring ARCs, gift certificates, swag, and more! If you haven’t yet been to the Apocalypsies website, click here: http://apocalypsies.blogspot.com/ to start from the beginning and read the complete rules. But remember, the race doesn't begin until Monday, January 16 at noon. Hope to see you there!

New Year's ARC giveaway of A BREATH OF EYRE!

Today is January 3^rd, which means my book will be hitting shelves in less than three months, 83 days to be precise—yikes! It is absolutely terrifying to think of people actually reading this book to which I’ve given so much of my heart, time, and sweat. But I hope people fall in love with Emma, Gray, Michelle, and Owen as I have and enjoy spending time lost in the world of Jane Eyre. And I really hope people love the characters enough to pick up the sequel, A TOUCH OF SCARLET, which I have finally finished in draft form! While I had outlined the sequel for my editor this summer, this second book kept surprising me and taking me down unexpected paths, particularly as Emma travels into The Scarlet Letter this time—lots of secrets and scandal! Emma grows up so much in this book, and the relationships developed in A BREATH OF EYRE just get more complicated and meaningful. If the series sounds like your cup of tea, I’d love it if you would consider adding the books to your Goodreads list. 

SHAMELESS PROMOTION ALERT: A BREATH OF EYRE is also available for pre-order at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Indiebound. ;)

For those who haven’t read it yet, here is the official synopsis:
Emma Townsend has always believed in stories—the ones she reads voraciously, and the ones she creates in her head. Perhaps it’s because she feels like an outsider at her exclusive prep school, or because her stepmother doesn’t come close to filling the void left by her mother’s death. And her only romantic prospect—apart from a crush on her English teacher—is Gray Newman, a long-time friend who just adds to Emma’s confusion. But escape soon arrives in an old leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre…

Reading of Jane’s isolation sparks a deep sense of kinship. Then fate takes things a leap further when a lightning storm catapults Emma right into Jane’s body and her nineteenth-century world. As governess at Thornfield, Emma has a sense of belonging she’s never known—and an attraction to the brooding Mr. Rochester. Now, moving between her two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane’s story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own…

To celebrate the new year, I am giving away one ARC of A BREATH OF EYRE, complete with bonus materials like the quiz: “Which literary heroine are you?” and a teaser chapter from A TOUCH OF SCARLET. All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me one reason why you’re excited about 2012. Plus, you get:


 +1 entry for tweeting or posting on Facebook: New Year's ARC giveaway for @evemariemont's A BREATH OF EYRE: http://tinyurl.com/7lyuk9w
+1 entry for posting on your blog
+1 entry for following my blog


The giveaway is open internationally and will end Friday, January 13 at midnight EST. I will be giving away more ARCs in February and March, so stay tuned. Thanks so much for entering, and have a very happy and healthy new year!

Interview & Giveaway for A BREATH OF EYRE!

For her Debut December feature over at Word for Teens, Nicole is featuring some exciting 2012 debuts and hosting authors for interviews, guest posts, and giveaways! Check out my interview in which I discuss the perks and pitfalls of debut novels, inspiration for my book, my love for Rochester and Samoa Girl Scout cookies, and a teaser excerpt. A copy of A BREATH OF EYRE is up for grabs, too. Please stop by, say hi, and enter to win!
http://www.wordforteens.com/2011/12/debut-december-interview-eve-marie-mont.html

Blurbs from Two Amazing Authors!

I am humbled and thrilled to be able to share two blurbs I received for A Breath of Eyre by two authors I respect and admire immensely. Both are master storytellers whose YA books, like mine, have literary inspirations. Lesley Livingston is the author of the Wondrous Strange trilogy, which follows the star-crossed romance of Kelley and Sonny as they battle wits and faeries and surmount all sorts of otherworldly obstacles along the path to love. Each book is inspired by a Shakespeare play, and accordingly, Livingston's writing is rich and strange, full of allusion, humor, and wit. Her most recent novel, Once Every Never, which she was gracious enough to send me--signed!--was equally smart, clever, and addictive. Time travel + Druids + ancient curses + whip-smart protagonist + snarky but loyal BFF + gorgeous nerdy guy = pure genius!


Kelly Creagh is the author of Nevermore. If you haven't heard of this book yet, run to your bookstore now! Inspired by the twisted work and even more twisted mind of Edgar Allan Poe, Nevermore is an unconventional romance that seamlessly blends a contemporary YA world with a fascinating dream world full of poetry, nightmare visions, and thwarted love. It is wholly original, romantic, and spell-binding. And oh, the sensitive goth love interest Varen? He will win your heart even if goth isn't your thing. I am also happy to tell you that Nevermore is the first in a series (yay!), so the Gothic-tinged adventures of Isobel and Varen will continue!

Obviously, I'm a bit of a fangirl of both authors, so you can imagine my elation when I found they had offered blurbs for A Breath of Eyre. The practice of established authors helping newbies is one of the most rewarding aspects of this industry, and so far, I have found YA writers to be collegial and supportive in the very best ways. Huge heartfelt thanks go out to Lesley and Kelly for their thoughtful and gracious words about my book:

"Eve Marie Mont’s A BREATH OF EYRE is a layered and lovely story, full of both heart and mind. I fell into this book in the same way Emma falls into Jane Eyre and I didn’t want to fall back out again. Ms. Mont is a smooth and beguiling storyteller who writes with a keen sense of both the ache and the awesomeness of growing into adulthood. Her transitions between worlds and times, between Emma’s reality and Jane’s, are seamless and gripping and propel the story forward with a kind of heart-hammering rhythm. A rich, wonderful, smart adventure, steeped in romance. More please." --Lesley Livingston, award-winning author of ONCE EVERY NEVER (Penguin) and the WONDROUS STRANGE trilogy (HarperTeen).

"A captivating and heartrending read, richly layered and intricately woven. Like waking from my own mysterious dream, Emma's touching story stayed with me long after the final page was turned. Definitely one for the favorites shelf."  --Kelly Creagh, author of NEVERMORE (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)

Guest Post at The Nightstand: Interview with my Characters

Hey, I'm blogging over at The Nightstand, where we've been interviewing characters from our upcoming books. This week, I interview Gray Newman from my YA debut, A Breath of Eyre. Gray and my protagonist, Emma, have known each other since they were little, but now that they’re teenagers, they’re not sure how they feel about each other. Here, Gray offers a rare glimpse of the heart hidden under his sleeve. Come check it out!

A BREATH OF EYRE COVER REVEAL CONTEST!

I am so happy to be able to share the cover for A BREATH OF EYRE!!!

Isn't it lovely? The model's eyes are so arresting; it's hard to look away. Despite the intensity of her gaze, the model is only 16 years old, exactly the age of my protagonist, Emma. I think she’s perfect! And the dress, the pose, the color? I couldn’t be happier. A huge thank you to the art department at Kensington for making my cover dreams come true!

A BREATH OF EYRE is now available for pre-order on Amazon, and you can add it to your GoodReads list, too!

And if you haven’t seen the book trailer yet, please stop by my website to check it out: http://www.evemariemont.com/books.html

To celebrate the cover (and being only seven months from publication), I’m giving one lucky commenter a JANE EYRE-themed book package including:

 

You guessed it, Charlotte Brontë’s JANE EYRE

April Lindner’s JANE

Jasper Fforde’s THE EYRE AFFAIR

and a gorgeous JANE EYRE pendant

All you have to do to enter is comment below with your thoughts on the cover, JANE EYRE, or anything JANE EYRE related, but you’ll get:

+1 entry if you retweet this post (A BREATH OF EYRE cover reveal contest: http://tinyurl.com/3l9efjc)

+1 entry if you post this link on Facebook

+2 entries if you post the cover on your own blog (please leave a link here)

Contest is open until next Thursday, August 25, at midnight EST.

The contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.

New Website & Book Giveaway!

If you’re here on my blog, it’s probably because you just visited my new website, so THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! So, what do you think? I love it! It’s whimsical, bookish, and a little bit Gothic, all of which are perfect for a trilogy about a girl who keeps getting lost inside the books she’s reading. First off, a few shout-outs:

1.     To my web designer, Denise, at Biondo Studios, thank you so much for all your hard work and for a website that I want to live in! Not only is the site gorgeous, but you were so professional, creative, and easy to work with. I’d recommend you to anyone!

2.     To my brother, Phil, who has handled so many of the technical aspects of my website and blog and has just generally been one of my biggest fans, thanks for everything you do for me!

3.     To my publisher Kensington Books/KTeen, for donating some fantastic new books for my giveaway! (KTeen now has a Facebook page. Please check them out!)

4.     To anyone who’s here on this page right now, thank you so much for putting up with all the shameless plugs and Facebook messages. I wish I didn’t have to do it, but you make it all worthwhile.

To celebrate, I’d like to give away the following brand new KTeen titles, courtesy of my publisher:

1 signed ARC of the not-yet-released TOUCH OF FROST by Jennifer Estep

2 copies (one signed!) of TORN by Erica O’Rourke

 

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment, but you’ll get:

+1 extra entry if you become a follower of my blog

+1 extra entry if you post a link to my website on your Twitter, Facebook page, or blog

Contest is open until Thursday, July 7, at noon EST.

The contest is open internationally.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHARLOTTE BRONTË!

When I first read Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre in my junior year of high school, I thought it was the most passionate book I’d ever read. And when I considered that it had been written 140 years ago when women were discouraged from expressing even their tamest emotions, let alone their most ardent passions, it made Brontë’s achievement all the more stunning. From a 21^st century perspective, there are definitely some thorny little problems such as the mad wife in the attic and perhaps even the poignant yet slightly anti-feminist ending; however, the romance between the shy yet resolute Jane and her gruff, wounded Rochester is so intimate and real that it has stood the test of time. No matter how often I read the novel, the slow burn of feelings between Jane and Rochester never fails to move me. Each time, I sit with Jane in the firelight, studying Rochester’s rugged face until I grow to love it. And each time, I listen--rapt with longing--as Jane and Rochester’s relationship grows from a tentative friendship simmering with tension to a deep and abiding love.

 

It is this restrained but fiery romance that probably accounts for Jane Eyre’s timeless appeal and its recent revival in modern literature and pop culture. In 2010, April Lindner’s Jane retold the classic love story with Jane as a modern-day nanny for her rock star Rochester. Sherri Browning Erwin’s campy Jane Slayre transformed Jane into a feisty orphan pitted against zombies, vampires, and one pissed off werewolf. This spring also saw the release of Cary Fukunaga’s moody and lush adaptation of Jane Eyre for the big screen (although the 2006 BBC version still holds my heart). And this time next year, I'll throw my hat into the ring with my first young adult novel, A Breath of Eyre.

In honor of Charlotte Brontë’s birthday and the genius that is Jane Eyre, here is one of my favorite passages from the novel:

“My master's colorless, olive face, square, massive brow, broad and jetty eyebrows, deep eyes, strong features, firm, grim mouth,--all energy, decision, will,--were not beautiful, according to rule; but they were more than beautiful to me: they were full of an interest, an influence that quite mastered me,--that took my feelings from my own power and fettered them in his. I had not intended to love him: the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, green and strong! He made me love him without looking at me."

Sigh, and swoon…