A magical new year to you all!

Many delightful surprises on the very first day of 2010:

Two of my favorite book bloggers included RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT in their best-of lists for 2009.

Historical-Fiction.com named RUDE AWAKENINGS "MOST ENTERTAINING" of 2009:

AND Peeking Between the Pages included it in its 10 Favorite Books of the year.

Apart from that, there were giant bulldogs, fairies on horseback, origami creatures, and all manner of wondrous beings roaming the streets of my town. In others words, the Rose Parade! Well worth dragging myself out of bed at the crack of dawn to see.

   

May the new year bring you much happiness, health, prosperity, and MAGIC!

Laurie

Sex and the Austen Girl

Check out my guest post on the pros and cons of courtship today vs. courtship in Jane Austen's world. It's a question I pondered constantly while writing my latest novel, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

The post is on Stephanie's Written Word as part of her Everything Austen Challenge.

Oh yeah, and there's a BIG giveaway: Dutton is providing three copies of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, and I'm providing three copies of CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

So head on over to Stephanie's Written Word and enter!

 
[Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam in EMMA.]

Triple Giveaway & Review on College Candy

The fabulous College Candy has made RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT its Saturday Read and is offering three signed copies as a giveaway!

To enter, see rules at the end of the review. It involves tweets & RT's about the giveaway with @CollegeCandy. Whoever gets the most RTs by August 1st wins!

And check out RUDE AWAKENINGS' cutest fan, on the cover of College Candy:

 

By the way, if you want your pet to look like a rock star, too, check out the website of Deborah Zeitman, who took this photo of the lovely Speck, Chihuahua extraordinaire.

Q&A & Giveaway on Living Read Girl

The giveaway madness continues! Check out my Q&A on Living Read Girl, and enter to win a copy of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT or CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

 

A Real Writer Writes Every Day, and Other Myths

Please check out my guest post on Peeking Between the Pages, where I discuss some of the most common myths about writers and writing.

And there is yet another chance to win a copy of my new novel, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, plus a copy of my first novel, CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. Enter to win at Peeking Between the Pages!

Q&A and Giveaway on Jane Austen Today

Come read my Q&A on Jane Austen Today and enter to win a copy of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict!

Reading & Signing July 22

Come raise a glass of bubbly with me and hear some passages from my brand-new novel, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

The reading and signing is at my most wonderful neighborhood indie bookstore, Vroman's, where I teach writing workshops, lose myself for hours in the aisles of bookstore heaven, and find the perfect book, card, or can't-live-without-gift.

How can you resist?

See you there!

July 22, 2009 7:00 PM

Reading and Signing of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT

Vroman's Bookstore

695 E. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101
Tel: 626-449-5320

 

More Giveaways

The list of giveaways is growing. I've already posted about a number of giveaways in June, most of which are still taking entries.

Now there are even more chances to win a copy of my new book, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, at these fine blogs:

DATES ARE WHEN ENTRIES BEGIN. PLEASE CHECK EACH BLOG FOR ENTRY DEADLINES AND RULES:

Jane Austen Today (began June 25)

Historical Fiction (began June 25, with Q&A)

Brant Flakes*(begins June 29 with Q&A)

Austenblog (begins late June or early July; check Austenblog for details.)

Jane Austen Today (begins July 15, with Q&A)

Peeking Between the Pages (begins July 16, with guest post)

 Living Read Girl (begins July 20, with Q&A)

And coming up in early August (exact date TBD; check the Austen Addict homepage for further details):

Stephanie's Written Word (guest post)
 Stephanie is hosting the Everything Austen Challenge, which runs from July 1, 2009 to January 1, 2010. The challenge is to read, listen to, and/or watch six Jane Austen-related things. Check out Stephanie's Written Word for a list of suggestions. The challenge kicks off on July 1 with a review of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. Stephanie's got lots of giveaways scheduled, so keep checking back.

RUDE AWAKENINGS is here, and CONFESSIONS needs your vote.

It's heeeeere! RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. June 25 is the day!

 At a time like this I find myself caught between channeling Mrs. Bennet ("Oh, Lord! What will become of me. I shall go distracted") and that Mike Myers character (you know, the one who's always verklempt).

Romantic Times has made RUDE AWAKENINGS a Top Pick for July, SisterDivas Magazine praises it for its "great main character, solid storytelling, and social commentary on women, independence, and love," and the Deseret News calls it "the perfect summer read."

Enjoy the book, and please check the Jane Austen Addict homepage for giveaways and other news.

And please vote for CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, which has been nominated for  a 2009 Regency World Award.* 

Polls close June 30, so please cast your vote now! 

*The Regency World Awards are sponsored by The Jane Austen Centre in Bath, a wonderful place to visit.

Many thanks, and may this summer bring you much happiness! 

AustenFest on BrantFlakes!

What does that mean, you might ask?

BrantFlakes is the blog of author Marilyn Brant, whose upcoming Austen-inspired book, ACCORDING TO JANE: A NOVEL ABOUT PRIDE, PREJUDICE, & THE PURSUIT OF THE PERFECT GUY, comes out October 2009. ACCORDING TO JANE is already a winner—it won the 2007 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements.

So what is AustenFest?

AustenFest is a series of Q&A's and giveaways of Austen-inspired books and more on Marilyn's blog.

Here is the AustenFest lineup:

6/22/09: Syrie James, author of THE LOST MEMOIRS OF JANE AUSTEN, which was nominated for a 2008 Regency World Award for Best New Fiction; and her new novel, THE SECRET DIARIES OF CHARLOTTE BRONTE.

6/24/09: Kim Wilson, author of TEA WITH JANE AUSTEN and IN THE GARDEN WITH JANE AUSTEN, which is nominated for a 2009 Regency World Award for Best New Nonfiction.

6/26/09: Abigail Reynolds, author of THE PEMBERLEY VARIATIONS series of novels.

6/29/09: Laurie Viera Rigler (that's me), author of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, which comes out June 25; and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, which is nominated for a 2009 Regency World Award http://www.janeausten.co.uk/awardsurvey.ihtml for Best New Fiction.

Although Marilyn Brant won't be doing a Q&A herself, she just received the ARCs of ACCORDING TO JANE and will be giving away at least one of them.

Each of these authors is giving away at least one book, so be sure to go to AustenFest to enter!

Win a Copy of RUDE AWAKENINGS and more

To celebrate the release of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT on June 25, there are lots of book giveaways coming up: 

June 21:  Lipstick Chronicles

June 25 (approx.):  Austenblog

June 25:  Historical Fiction

June 29:  AustenFest, hosted by Brant Flakes*

But wait, there's more!

Check back here on the Austen Addict Blog  and on the Austen Addict homepage  for more RUDE AWAKENINGS giveaways in July and August.

*Brant Flakes is hosting a series of giveaways and Q&As called AustenFest.  Check out  AustenFest starting June 22 to win books by Syrie James, Kim Wilson, Abigail Reynolds, Marilyn Brant, and me.

More details about AustenFest in my next post...

Good Bedtime Reading

...or so I've been told.

[Photograph by Deborah Zeitman]

Book Trailer: Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict

Thomas Rigler, my very own Mr. Darcy/Mr. Knightley* produced, wrote, and directed a new viral video in support of my about-to-be-released novel, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. I hope you are as delighted and diverted as I am:

Many thanks to the incredible team who, along with Thomas, generously poured their time and talent into this trailer:

Jane's Scene Readings:
Arabella Field
Multitalented Arabella Field is an accomplished stage and film actress who frequently guest stars on your favorite TV series and has way too many credits under her belt to mention. She co-stars in the upcoming motion picture releases PAPER MAN and FLYING BY. Someday we're going to see her with one of those cute little gold statues they give out here in Los Angeles.

Music:
Paul Haslinger, Composer, Producer
The fabulous electronica track was pulled from one of Paul's solo CDs. Check out two of Paul’s most recent offerings, the spectacular soundtracks for UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS motion picture (he's composed the soundtracks for all three UNDERWORLD movies) and X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE video game.

Piano:
Sigrid Trummer
Germaine Tailleferre Piano Concerto D-Dur, Edition Frauentöne Vol. 1
Sigrid just completed solo piano tour across the US and Canada that brought her to Chicago, Washington, Montreal and Ottawa. I don't know about you, but I cannot get that gorgeous piano music out of my head. And why would I want to?

VO:
Mehran Azma
An accomplished graphic designer and indie musician with The Lost Libraries, Mehran got drafted as a voiceover artist and narrator for this project. With that golden voice he should be narrating movie trailers and audiobooks, too!

VO recordings:
Silvia Ryder @ Starfish Records
Get the excellent new CD Chinese Leftovers by Starfish Records' house band Sugarplum Fairies. One of the tracks on Chinese Leftovers, HOLD ONTO ME, was featured on the 2009 season finale of GREY'S ANATOMY.

Photography Courtney’s bedroom:
Elissa Merola
Quintessential Silver Lake photographer, new media artist and decorator.

Animation, visual & sound effects, editing and other wonders:
Dave ‘The Rave’ Emmendorfer
Dave is an incredibly accomplished editor and animator and pulled out all the stops for this trailer. We still don’t quite know where the space shuttle entered the picture, but it’s beyond brilliant. And we're still not quite sure how we got so lucky as to work with Dave.

* Also sometimes known as Captain Harville when he's puttering around the house fixing things or building shelves.

A Day of Pride, Prejudice, and Politics

The theme of the Spring Meeting of JASNA-SW, the Southwest Region of the Jane Austen Society of North America, was "A Day of Pride, Prejudice, and Politics," and I had the good fortune of being on the program with a stellar group of speakers:

First, there was Dr. Charles Lynn Batten, the UCLA professor about whom I've been hearing for years. The conversation with my fellow Austen addicts usually goes like this:

"You mean you've never heard Lynn Batten speak?"

"No."

A disbelieving shake of the head and pitying look follows.

Well, now I have heard Dr. Batten speak, and he is not only exceedingly knowledgable and insightful about Jane Austen, he was also downright hilarious. Dr. Batten's talk was called "Jane Austen: Conservative or Liberal?" His verdict: Austen was most likely a moderate Tory.

My opinion? I see his point, which is far more well-researched than my own belief, which is, quite simply, that Jane Austen had exactly my politics and beliefs. Same favorite colors. Would have like the same movies, too. As Karen Joy Fowler put it in THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB, "each of us has a private Austen."

[Back row, from left, Dr. Charles Lynn Batten, Syrie James, Laurie Viera Rigler, Dr. Margaret Horwitz. Front: Colin Firth! Photo by Barbara Smith.]

Then there was Margaret Horwitz, JASNA's Traveling Lecturer, who gave an illuminating talk called “The Legacy of Her Voice: Ethics and Wit in Austen’s Novel Pride and Prejudice and Its Filmed Adaptations." Dr. Horwitz's talk made me want to go back and watch both the BBC mini and the 2005 movie (as if I need an excuse) to see all the symbolism in props and camera angles that Margaret pointed out in her lecture.

Syrie James,  author of the best-selling LOST MEMOIRS OF JANE AUSTEN, gave us a sneak preview of her upcoming SECRET DIARIES OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË. Can't wait to read it.

As for me, I gave the very first public reading of my upcoming novel, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. If I am to judge by the laughter in the audience, then everyone was having as good a time as I did.

If that wasn't enough fun, there was a white elephant sale of – you guessed it—Jane Austen related books and tschotschkes. I spent $60 on 12 back issues of PERSUASIONS, the wonderful bound journal of the Jane Austen Society of North America. Such a deal! My bookshelves are groaning. But I'm all smiles.

RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT: the first copy!

If there's anything more thrilling than holding the first copy of one's finished book in one's hands, I'm hard pressed to say what it is.

It's here. In my hands. RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.  And all I can say is…WOW.

Just five more weeks, and it will be out there in the world. No longer just a story inside my head, but a story inside other people's heads.

Guess I've just figured out what's more thrilling than holding the finished book in my hands. You holding it in yours. And having a smile on your face as you read it.

May this book spread happiness wherever it goes.

A Jacket Pretty Enough to Wear

A couple of days ago two jackets for RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT arrived in my mailbox. Of course I had already seen the cover art on my computer screen. Nevertheless, there is nothing like holding the finished jacket in one's hands, seeing the colors in vibrant, real-life glory, running one's fingers over the raised letters, and best of all, imagining the jacket wrapped around an actual book. That pleasure is still to come…

 

In Two Places at Once. I Think.

Two reviews in major UK papers in the space of a week. What riches! Lord bless me! I shall go distracted.

Okay, enough channeling of Mrs. Bennet.

But it is thrilling that CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT is receiving such a warm welcome in England, as it's just been published there by Bloomsbury.

Here's an interesting thought: Jane Mansfield, the protagonist of the upcoming parallel story, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT (and no relation to the 1950s screen siren), will be able to go online and read The Observer, the same paper she could read in print in 1813 (it's been around since 1791). What I really can't wrap my mind around is that this nineteenth-century woman will be able to sit in her apartment in the twenty-first-century and read a 2009 review of CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, which will tell her what's going on in the nineteenth-century life she left behind.

Brain in pretzels? Me, too. Absolut martini? Thought you'd never ask.