King Arthur Movie Tristan

Happy Sunday everyone :)

Some of you may know that I'm a big fan of Laurie Viera Rigler. Her two books, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, are fantastic and not to be missed.








There is a new web series inspired by Laurie's books! *yay* I can't wait to watch.

SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL premieres on the broadband network Babelgum.com on May 17.



Here's the trailer:

http://www.babelgum.com/5003474/sex-and-the-austen-girl-teaser.html



Here's the official site:

http://www.babelgum.com/sexandtheaustengirl


I'll definitely be watching, it looks like fun.

The fabulous Laurie Viera Rigler has kindly offered autographed copies of her books to two of my lucky blog readers!
And the winners are....








Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict : Margay











Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict : Suko






Congrats! Thank you to all who entered. And special thanks to Laurie!

Hello fellow bloggers, I have a special treat today. The fabulous Laurie Viera Rigler
has kindly taken time out of her busy schedule to do a guest post here at my blog.





Laurie is the author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict .




You can follow Laurie on Twitter where she is tweeting Jane Austen's PERSUASION and will soon be tweeting NORTHANGER ABBEY.


Read Laurie's guest post below, then read on for information on how you can win a signed copy of her book.





Scenes from the Writing Life: Embracing the "I Don't Know"


Not knowing can be a pretty unpleasant place to be. Not knowing the answer to the test. Not knowing what's in style. When you're going to find a job. What you're supposed to wear to the party. What you should say to that gorgeous neighbor of yours when you finally get up the nerve to introduce yourself.



When we don't know, we can feel small, uncertain, inadequate, out of control. Even frightened.



It's no wonder that when writers find themselves in the place of "I don't know," as in, "I don't know what's supposed to happen next in my story," they often freeze. Or block.



I've done it myself, many times. See, I tend to be a control freak. And the thought of not knowing what's going to happen can be terrifying, storywise and otherwise. How can I have control over something that I can't see coming? How can I prepare for it, manipulate it, and predict its outcome? Truth is, I can't.



And that doesn't have to be a bad thing.



When I was in the early stages of writing my first novel, CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, I wrote an outline, figuring it was my key to certainty. I wouldn't have to worry about what was going to happen next, because I'd made all of the decisions beforehand. Makes sense, right?



Not for this author. By the time I finished the book, it bore almost no resemblance to the outline. And when I look at the outline now and see what I had planned for my story, it wasn't nearly as good (understatement; it was terrible) as what happened when I just let the story unfold in its own way.



That doesn't mean that plotting and outlining is a bad thing. Quite the contrary. I know many fine authors who are plotters. Plotting works for them. But what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another.



All well and good, you might say, but what about those times when nothing's coming out? What about those times when you're staring at the blank page or the blinking cursor on your screen?



If you find yourself in that position, I have some helpful rules for you—guidelines, actually—that helped me tremendously while I was writing my second novel, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.



By the way, these rules aren't only for those of you who are writing a novel or a short story—they could also be helpful if you are writing narrative nonfiction. Or a paper for school. Or a college application personal statement. Or a presentation to a prospective client. Or maybe even a difficult email (as long as you make sure you're not getting your brilliant ideas for said email while in a state of anger. Brilliance comes when your mind is clear, not clouded with anger).



Rule number one: Don't freak out.



Rule number two: Step away from the vehicle, i.e., stop trying to turn over that engine in your head. It's flooded with too much analytical, know-it-all thinking.



Rule number three: Decide that you are in the wonderful land of "I don't know," where magical answers appear without any effort.



Rule number four: Sit in a quiet space (it's often a good idea to get away from your desk) and close your eyes. In your mind, ask your character or whomever you're writing about or your inner wisdom or whomever you turn to (or wish you could turn to) for guidance to show you or tell you what happens next. Or what you're supposed to say. Trust that whatever you need to hear or see will be revealed to you.



Rule number five: Be open to the possibility that what comes to you may be quite different from what your analytical mind would have thought up.



Rule number six: If nothing happens and you start getting frustrated sitting around in silence, or you second-guess the process and start grinding your analytical thinking gears again, decide that the answer will come to you in good time. Then do something mindless. Like go for a drive,* do the dishes, take a shower, work in the garden, or organize your collection of DVDs. Or Jane Austen action figures.



Rule number seven: Have faith that the answer will come. Because it will. You'll see: Like magic, the ideas start flowing. You'll see/hear the scenes or words unfold in your head. At times you'll be hard pressed to keep up with the flow of words and/or pictures as you try and write it all down.


*If you start getting a flow of ideas while driving, do pull over. I once got so lost in a flow of creative ideas while I was pulling out of a parking space that I scraped the car parked next to me. In other words, don't try and operate heavy equipment while your muse or character dictates to you. Besides, if you pull over, you can actually take dictation on paper or pull out the mini cassette recorder you keep in your glove compartment.



Rule number eight: Decide to remember the exhilarating, mind-opening experience you've just had. Which will help you put into practice rules one and seven the next time you get stuck.



Has any of you ever had a similar experience? I'd love to hear about it.



Would any of you like to try out these rules with your own writing or with something else that doesn't involve writing at all? I'd love to hear your thoughts about that, too!



Please feel free to ask me questions as well. Who knows; I may even have an answer. :)

------------------------------------------


Thank you so much for stopping by and chatting with us Laurie! You've given some great advice here. I think rule number one is one to live by!

And I agree with rule number seven, 'Have faith that the answer will come'. So many times in life, if you just step back and take a minute away from the situation, the answer to the problem or dilema will come to you when you least expect it.




Giveaway info:


I'm giving away one personally inscribed copy of my new novel, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, which is the parallel story to my first novel, CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT. I'm giving away an inscribed copy of CONFESSIONS, too. Everyone who enters a comment or a question gets a chance to win.



***This contest is now closed***




***Thank you again to Laurie for kindly offering two signed copies of her books!***



Here's a trailer for Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict .

title: Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict

author: Laurie Viera Rigler


genre: romance/chic lit

published: 2009

first line: A piercing sound, like a ship's horn but higher, shriller, shakes my frame.

pages: 289

rated: 4 out of 5

Laurie Viera Rigler’s debut novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, was a hit with fans and critics, and a BookSense and Los Angeles Times bestseller. Its open-to-interpretation ending left readers begging for more—and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict delivers. While Confessions took twenty-first-century free spirit Courtney Stone into the social confines of Jane Austen’s era, Rude Awakenings tells the parallel story of Jane Mansfield, a gentleman’s daughter from Regency England who inexplicably awakens in Courtney’s overly wired and morally confused L.A. life.

In Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, Jane Mansfield who is from Regency England, wakes up in the body of Courtney Stone, current day in Los Angeles. At first Jane thinks she is dreaming, and wills herself to wake up.


Courtney's friends explain to Jane that she hit her head pretty hard while in a swimming pool and that her 'confusion' might just be a concussion. Her friends are also wondering why Courtney is now talking as if she just stepped out of a Jane Austen novel.


The last thing Jane remembers is riding her horse and bumping her head while taking a fall. While in Courtney's apartment, she finds copies of Jane Austen books as well as movie version of the novels. She begins to read the books and watch the films.

I do not know how I come to be in this time, in this place, in this body. But I do know that any place where there are six novels by the author of Pride & Prejudice must be a very special sort of heaven.

Jane is in shock to see so many differences in society. Besides television, cell phones, internet, cars and radio, Jane is stunned to see ladies unchaperoned, working and exposing so much skin.
As the story goes on, Jane is getting flashbacks of Courtney's life. She realizes she has alot to figure out and wants to help Courtney set things straight. One thing Jane does find out is that both she and Courtney were unlucky in love at the time they switched bodies.

With the help of her friend Deepa, Jane winds up going to a fortune teller who does seem to be other wordly and has some answers to Jane's questions.

As Jane is trying to adjust to current day L.A., she is also wondering how and if she can ever get back to her former life.



I had been eagerly awaiting this book. Having read and really enjoyed Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and seeing what happened to Courtney while she lived in Jane's body, I was very curious to see what happens with Jane while she inhabits Courtney's body. Laurie does answer some of the questions, and she leaves the ending a bit open. I wonder will there be a third book?


If you're in the mood for a fun, light read, pick up a copy of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, you won't regret it! First of course, you have to read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict . These books are the perfect read for Jane Austen fans. The way Laurie writes, you can tell she is a true lover of Austen's work. I like how she refers to Jane Austen novels throughout both books.









See the book trailer:





About the author:




When not indulging herself in re-readings of Jane Austen’s six novels, Laurie Viera Rigler is a freelance book editor who teaches writing workshops, including classes in storytelling technique at Vroman’s, Southern California's oldest and largest independent bookstore.

visit Laurie's website:

http://www.janeaustenaddict.com/



I want to say 'Thank you very much!' to Laurie Viera Rigler for being so sweet as to send me a copy of Rude Awakenings. Since reading her first book, i've contacted her through email a few times and she is a sweetheart. Not only has she stopped by my blog for an interview and book giveaway, she has also taken the time out to personally email me and thank me for mentioning her at my blog.
It's always nice to know that the author behind the books is a kind person and makes time for thier readers.

My Mailbox Mondays post is up a bit early this week because I have a review I'll be posting tomorrow for a great book called The Secret Keeper.

Anyway, I received some great books in the mail this past week!



Some of my readers may remember my raving about Laurie Viera Rigler's Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.


Well, Laurie was kind enough to send me a copy of the sequel to her book, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict.

Laurie Viera Rigler’s debut novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, was a hit with fans and critics, and a BookSense and Los Angeles Times bestseller. Its open-to-interpretation ending left readers begging for more—and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict delivers. While Confessions took twenty-first-century free spirit Courtney Stone into the social confines of Jane Austen’s era, Rude Awakenings tells the parallel story of Jane Mansfield, a gentleman’s daughter from Regency England who inexplicably awakens in Courtney’s overly wired and morally confused L.A. life.

Also in the mail this week:



Charlene Ann Baumbich - Don't Miss Your Life!: An Uncommon Guide to Living With Freedom, Laughter, and Grace

Along comes a book by a storyteller who holds the power, in true stories well told, to offer a motivating and healing balm for those thirsting and eager for somebody to remind them to "say YES to life, slow down, wake up, let go, hold on and LIVE!" As readers listen to Baumbich's stories, laugh and cry, and then revisit their own stories, they will discover the sovereign hand of God not only loving them in the midst of adversity but wooing them to live life to the fullest.

Viva Cisco by Patrick Shannon

"Viva Cisco" is a trilogy of funny stories for kids at the Age 10-13 reading level. All three tales unfold in a land called Topopootl, which lies in a hidden valley deep in the heart of Mexico. Because of its seclusion, the inhabitants have created a society without the benefit of human contact, and they don't seem to have missed out on anything important in the absence of that dubious blessing. In fact, they probably have more pure merriment and boisterous excitement than any human community could ever conceive. Much of the credit for that, though, must be laid at the feet of Topopootl's most..uh.. stimulating citizen, one Cisco las Verde Arara del Gucigalpa. Aka, Cisco the Parrot.

What books arrived at your home this week?

In this Jane Austen-inspired comedy, love story, and exploration of identity and destiny, a modern LA girl wakes up as an Englishwoman in Austen's time.
After nursing a broken engagement with Jane Austen novels and Absolut, Courtney Stone wakes up and finds herself not in her Los Angeles bedroom or even in her own body, but inside the bedchamber of a woman in Regency England. Who but an Austen addict like herself could concoct such a fantasy?

Some of my blog readers may remember my raving over Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.


Well, the sequel is finally coming! Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict will be available June 25, 2009! This will be the perfect summer read.






If you haven't read Laurie Viera's Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, I recommend reading it, so you can be ready for the sequel :)




About the author:

When not indulging herself in re-readings of Jane Austen’s six novels, Laurie Viera Rigler is a freelance book editor who teaches writing workshops, including classes in storytelling technique at Vroman’s, Southern California's oldest and largest independent bookstore.

visit the author's website:

http://www.janeaustenaddict.com/

Some of my blog readers may remember my reading and reviewing Laurie Viera Rigler's book, 'Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict'. It was a great book, a must read for any Jane Austen fan. Laurie also stopped by my blog for an author interview and giveaway back in September.



Being that I enjoyed her book so much, I included 'Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict' in my top 20 favorite reads of 2008. Laurie sent me an email thanking me for including her book in my favorites list. I thought that was nice of her, its me who should be thanking her, for writing such a fun and clever book. I am eagerly awaiting the
Sequel to Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict coming in Spring of 09.

'As my bedside candles illuminate a page in the precious first edition I hold in my hands, I understand, as I have long understood through my own insatiable appetite for readings and rereadings of Jane Austen's six novels, why children want the same stories read to them a thousand times. There is comfort in the familiarty of it all, in the knowledge that all will turn out well, that Elizabeth and Darcy will end up together in Pemberley, that Anne Eliot will pierce Captain Wenthworth's soul, and that Mr. Elton will be stuck with his 'caro sposa' for the rest of his life.'

visit the author's website: http://janeaustenaddict.com/

Hello everybody, I have a very special blog treat for you! As I mentioned before, author Laurie Viera Rigler has graciously taken time out of her busy schedule to grant me a blog interview.







I recently read and reviewed her wonderful book 'Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict'.













Not only has Laurie agreed to a blog interview, she has generously offered to giveaway not just one, but two signed copies of 'Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict'!!




That's right, two copies of her wonderful book will be raffled off here on my blog to two of my lucky blog readers. Read on for the review, then find out how you can sign up for a chance to win a signed copy of Laurie's book.





















Bookworm: What inspired you to write 'Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict'?







Laurie: It happened without any planning on my part. One day I was standing in my kitchen and saw, in my mind's eye, Courtney waking up in that four-poster bed in 1813, and not in her own body. I couldn't put her out of my mind, and I started writing down her story.













Bookworm: What was the hardest part about writing this book? How long did it take you to write? What kind of research did you do?







Laurie: I think the hardest part was creating the internal arc of language, thought, and attitudes that Courtney undergoes as she becomes more and more Jane, the nineteenth-century woman whose life she inhabits. It took me six years to write this book, including a great deal of research. I read books and articles on the period, traveled to England, and even did some experiential research. Not time travel, unfortunately. But I did take English country dance lessons and went to a few Jane Austen-themed balls. Which led to expanding one of my favorite scenes in the book, which is when Courtney/Jane dances with Edgeworth in the assembly rooms in Bath.













Bookworm: Courtney really made me laugh. I found her to be witty and very smart. I loved when she ran into the real Jane Austen and er...scared her off just a wee bit. How did you come up with Courtney's character? Is she based on someone you know?





Laurie: Oh, that's a tough one to answer. Courtney is neither a self-portrait nor a portrait of anyone I know. Yet I could also say that there are certainly some similarities between her and, shall we say, a less emotionally mature and more reckless version of myself. Though my husband might disagree about the emotionally mature part. And compared to Courtney, I'm a cheap date. She could drink me under the table. And yes, much as I would like to think of myself as cool and collected in extreme situations, I would have probably turned into a babbling fangirl if I had found myself on a street with Jane Austen in 1813.
















Bookworm: If your book were to be made into a film, what actress would you want to play Courtney? Which actor would you choose for the elegant Mr. Edgeworth?





Laurie: There are so many brilliant actors and actresses who could play these roles that I don't even like to limit them in my imagination. Would be very exciting to see this book made into a film. And I'd love to hear who you picture in these roles. (BTW, there's a whole thread in my site's forum where some of my readers discuss who they think should be in a movie version of the book!)







Bookworm: The forum discussions on this topic are fun. Personally, I'd love to see the multi-talented Leo DiCaprio as Mr. Edgeworth and I think Charlize Theron would make a great Courtney.

















Bookworm: We know you adore Jane Austen and her work. When did you get hooked on her books? Who are your other favorite authors?






Laurie: The first Austen novel I picked up was Sense and Sensibility. That was about 13 years ago, and I fell instantly in love with the author. I read the other novels in quick succession, and I have been re-reading them ever since. In writing Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and the upcoming sequel/parallel story (Jane's story in the 21st century), I have given a great deal of thought about what it is that keeps me coming back to Austen again and again. And to me it is her keen observation of human nature, the fact that I gain new insights about myself and the people around me every time I read one of her stories, which are tremendously entertaining, comforting, and satisfying on all levels.
In addition to constantly re-reading Austen, I read a great deal of contemporary fiction. Two of my favorite authors happen to remind me of Austen: Nick Hornby (About a Boy, High Fidelity, How to Be Good, Long Way Down), and Zadie Smith, whose On Beauty, though it is actually an homage to E.M. Forster's Howard's End, very much brings to mind Austen's three or four families in a country village. And there are so many other authors I love. I'm a voracious reader.















Bookworm: Who is your favorite Jane Austen hero? heroine?






Laurie: You mean I can only pick one? That's tough! My favorite hero changes all the time as I change and appreciate new things about each of them, but today I'll say that Mr. Knightley is my favorite. Probably because my husband reminds me of Mr. Knightley lately. He's my truth-teller who always gives me faithful counsel. Though I do love Mr. Darcy, who also reminds me of my husband...And then there's Capt. (sigh) Wentworth. See what I mean? How can I pick only one?





As for heroine, I'd say it's a tie between Elizabeth Bennet and Anne Elliot. I love Lizzy's saucy wit and cleverness, and she is able to admit when she's been completely blinded by her own prejudices as well as laugh at her own follies. But I also love Anne's gentleness and strength, her patience and determination, and her wariness of Mr. Elliot when everyone else was completely fooled by him.












Bookworm: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?




Laurie: May you know happiness here, in 1813 England, and wherever your own story takes you.












Bookworm: Last but not least, if you had to be stranded on a derserted island with either Mr. Darcy or Mr. Wentworth, which would you pick? Personally, I think Wentworth writes a love letter like nobody's business... *sigh* Decisons...decisions...





Laurie: I feel your pain. That's like having to choose between Josh Holloway and Naveen Andrews on "Lost." How can one make such a decision? Well, if I must choose... I think I would have to go with Captain Wentworth. His naval experience makes him the most likely candidate to actually build and pilot a seafaring craft that could get us off that island. After several seasons of island bliss, of course.







Bookworm:
I think thats the perfect comparison, having to choose between Josh Holloway and Naveen Andrews from LOST. I'm a big fan of that show myself. And I totally agree, Captain Wentworth could build a fabulous seafaring craft to get off the island. In between his writing his amazing love letters of course.







I want to thank Laurie for taking the time to answer my nosey questions. This has definitely been a fun interview.
I hope fellow readers will pick up a copy of 'Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict'.
I'd also like to mention that Laurie is currently writing a sequel to her book! I'm really looking forward to reading it.





Visit Laurie's website: http://janeaustenaddict.com/








---------------------------







Now, as I mentioned before, I will be raffling off two signed copies of 'Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict'.



This contest is now closed.

the winners have been announced here

title: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict


author: Laurie Viera Rigler
pages: 288

published: 2007

first line: Why is it so dark in here?

genre: fiction/chic lit

rated: 4 out of 5

In this Jane Austen-inspired comedy, love story, and exploration of identity and destiny, a modern LA girl wakes up as an Englishwoman in Austen's time.


After nursing a broken engagement with Jane Austen novels and Absolut, Courtney Stone wakes up and finds herself not in her Los Angeles bedroom or even in her own body, but inside the bedchamber of a woman in Regency England. Who but an Austen addict like herself could concoct such a fantasy?

Being a big Jane Austen fan, I just had to read this one. Courtney, a modern woman from LA, who is having man troubles, wakes up one day to find herself in a bedroom in nineteenth-century England. She is a big Jane Austen fan and remembers going to sleep while reading Pride & Prejudice. So Courtney just figures she's dreaming.




Sound bizzarre? It gets better. Courtney finds herself being called Jane Mansfield and living with her meddling other and her father. Her mother is trying to make 'Jane' marry Mr. Edgeworth. Courtney figures she might as well play along, since she will wake up anytime from this odd dream. Strangely enough Courtney is even talking in an English accent and is able to do beautiful needlework with no problem.



But as the days pass, and she doesn't awake from this 'dream', Courtney starts to worry. She wonders what is going on. She thinks maybe she is losing her mind. She starts to have flashbacks and memories, these are Jane's memories. And she starts to put the pieces of the puzzle together when her best friend and Edgeworth's sister, Mary, comes to visit her and fills her in on some details. Including Jane's recent encounter with a fortune teller when she wished for another life.



I found this to be a fun, light read. It made me LOL, at work no less, as I was reading certain parts. I really liked how the author refers back to Austen novels, quotes and characters throughout the story. At one point, while riding in the horse & buggy to church with her parents, Courtney...a.k.a... Jane, looks out and sees Pemberley in the distance.

'As my bedside candles illuminate a page in the precious first edition I hold in my hands, I understand, as I have long understood through my own insatiable appetite for readings and rereadings of Jane Austen's six novels, why children want the same stories read to them a thousand times. There is comfort in the familiarty of it all, in the knowledge that all will turn out well, that Elizabeth and Darcy will end up together in Pemberley, that Anne Eliot will pierce Captain Wenthworth's soul, and that Mr. Elton will be stuck with his 'caro sposa' for the rest of his life.'

As for the main character, Courtney, I liked her.
Her character was okay, but the annoying thing about her was that she depended upon men too much. For example, in her pre-Austen life, her fiancee is cheating on her, and when she catches him, they break up. As he's packing his things to leave thier apartment, she's checking out his butt and wishing he'd stay with her. She even acknowledges being attracted to the wrong men throughout the story, and has to remind herself not to give into temptation. I found that part about her character weak.



And the ending was a little weak as well. It felt a bit rushed. I would have liked a better explanation as to why and how Courtney became Jane.




All in all, this was a very entertaining, very sweet read. I recommend it, especially to Jane Austen fans.

'That's when I decided to order myself a large clam-and-garlic pizza and reread Pride and Prejudice. I would self-medicate with fat, carbohydrates, and Jane Austen, my number one drug of choice, my constant companion through every breakup, every dissapointment, every crisis. Men might come and go, but Jane Austen was always there.'

About the author:

When not indulging herself in re-readings of Jane Austen’s six novels, Laurie Viera Rigler is a freelance book editor who teaches writing workshops, including classes in storytelling technique at Vroman’s, Southern California's oldest and largest independent bookstore.

visit the author's website:

http://www.janeaustenaddict.com/







Jane Austen related links:

http://www.austen-beginners.com/index.shtml

jane austens house

http://www.austenquotes.com/

http://www.findingjaneausten.com/

http://austen.com/

http://www.jasa.net.au/index.html