Wednesday 28 November 2012

Interview and Giveaway: Christy English and How To tame a willful wife


Today I have Christy English over at my blog for an interview, and there is also a giveaway of her new book :)

Welcome!
1. Could you tell me a bit about yourself?
Thank you so much for hosting me, Blodeuedd. I’ve been a romantic all my life, so branching out from writing historical fiction (THE QUEEN’S PAWN & TO BE QUEEN)  into Regency romance was a lot of fun. As much as I enjoyed exploring the lives of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Princess Alais of France in my earlier novels, I had a ball diving into pure romance with Anthony and Caroline

2. You have a new book out, HOW TO TAME A WILLFUL WIFE. What is it about?
HOW TO TAME A WILLFIL WIFE is the story of two strong-willed people who, over the course of the novel, learn to live together as equals. Anthony Carrington, an earl and a cavalry officer fresh from the wars with Napoleon, comes home to marry his commanding officer’s daughter, sight unseen. He and Caroline meet, not in a drawing room, but in her bedroom for the first time, and sparks fly. And so does her throwing knife…in the beginning it’s safe to say that Caroline is not happy to see him. But she marries him to save her father from debt, and once she agrees, she never looks back.

It doesn’t hurt that Anthony is pretty easy on the eyes, but she discovers that he is not very easy to live with…

3.  This is a re-telling of Taming of the Shrew, was it fun or hard to make it your own?
It was easy to make it my own, because there were so many things I wanted to do differently. As much as I enjoy Katherine and Petrucchio’s banter and wit in The Taming of the Shrew, in the end, he starves her into submission and withholds sleep until she agrees to anything he says. This is all done in a comedic way, of course, and modern productions gloss over this, but I have never been able to overlook it. 

In my book, as unreasonable as Anthony seems to the modern eye, he never starves or beats his wife. And Caroline gives back as good as she gets. They fall into a pattern of fighting for dominance, which always winds up with them back in bed. But when they wake in the morning, their problems are still there. Good sex does not solve anything. It’s only when they begin to talk to each other, and to listen, that they begin to find a way to live together.

4.  Now who would play Anthony and Caroline if a movie was made? 
I think Gerard Butler would make the perfect Anthony, though I am sure his agent would not agree. LOL Caroline is harder to pin down…she is a strange mixture of strength, beauty, and craziness…maybe Sophia Myles…I always love her in anything she does.

5.  Are you working on something right now?
I am happily in the midst of revising the second book in this Regency series, LOVE ON A MIDSUMMER NIGHT based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Lots of fairies and magic in the play… the magic of true love takes over for Raymond Olivier, Anthony’s best friend, and his lost love, Arabella. Nothing I love more than seeing a hard-drinking, womanizing rake reformed. 

6.  What is the best thing about being a writer?
Listening to my characters when they show up, and giving their story a voice. I am convinced that our characters choose us, not the other way around. When they do, we have to be ready, pen in hand…or in my case, laptop. LOL

Giveaway
1 copy of How to tame  a willful wife

1. Open to US and Canada
2. Ends Dec 6
3. Just enter :)

49 comments:

  1. Ooo yes to Gerard Butler! I pretty much go see any movie he's in, and I think he would make such a great historical romance hero:)

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    1. Seriously Jenny...could he get any hotter? LOL :)

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  2. Gerard Butler! He is so pretty to look at :)

    Also can I say how much I love the Title of this book? It is fantastic :)

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    1. Thanks Felicia! We came to the title by committee...my editor, my agent, the marketing folks at the house all got together and brain stormed. I am thrilled with the results and I'm glad you like it too :)

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  3. You had me at Gerard Butler, lol. Also, I liked To Be Queen so I'd love to win a copy of How to Tame a Willful Wife!

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    1. Thanks Mary :) I;m so happy to hear you enjoyed To Be Queen...I love strong women and Eleanor and Caroline are amazingly strong :)

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  4. I'm with previous commenters... If Mrs. English sees Gerald Butler as her hero, Anthony... I want to read that book.
    Thank you for the giveaway.

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    1. I tell you, Bookaholic Cat.... In my head, Anthony looks like Mr. Butler with longer hair...gorgeous :)

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  5. Gerard Butler! YES! There is an actress that looks like the girl on the cover, but I can't think of her name. I could see this as a good romantic movie.

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    1. From your lips to God's ears, Melissa :) LOL Anthony and Caroline definitely rolled out a movie right in front of me as I wrote this...they are two wild people.

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  6. A retelling of Taming of the Shrew now that sounds like fun!

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  7. Thank you so much for hosting me, Linda...and thank you to everyone who has popped by...I hope you enjoy the book :)

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  8. Well hello this sounds wonderful! Lovely interview and I so want to read this one :)

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    1. Thanks Kim :) I hope you love it :) Anthony and Caroline are a couple who loves to battle :)

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  9. Great interview. I love hearing author's picks for character casts if a movie.

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    1. Wasn't that a great question? Blodeuedd does a great interview :)

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  10. Twitted about your giveaway at: https://twitter.com/cherrymischivus/status/273907798583177217

    Goodluck everybody!!

    Cherry Mischievous
    (not an entry)
    (non-US/Can)

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    1. Thanks for tweeting us, Cherry :) And thank you for putting your name in the hat

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  11. I used to be a big fan of movies, going after all the classics in French, German and English. However, for the last 15 years or so, I'd be hard-pressed to come up with a dozen titles I've seen, other than the Lord of the Rings cycle. Maybe I'm just too old for the current crop of films. I'm definitely not much for the paranormals that abound nowadays. I read a few of the series that involve history. But otherwise, no thanks. That's why I would like to enter this giveaway.

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    1. Thank you for entering. I adored the Lord of the Rings films...they are three of the very few films I own.

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  12. Always enjoy your interviews. I love the cover of this one!!

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    1. Thanks Staci...I adore the cover, but I am biased :)

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  13. Amen to Gerard Butler!! I may be sort of in love with him lol! This interview was a lot of fun to read, thanks for sharing on Book Blogs! :)

    Leigh Ann
    MaMa's Book Corner

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    1. He is hot Leigh Ann...thanks for coming by and tossing your name in the hat :)

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  14. I've got To Be Queen waiting patiently on my bookshelf, but this historical romance sounds great, feisty and fun lol
    Love Gerard Butler. Thanks for the fun interview :)

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    1. I am so happy to hear you've got my Eleanor on your shelf...yay! I hope you love them both Teddyree :)

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  15. I think Gerald Butler looks good. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

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  16. Thanks for a great post and congrats on the new release! It sounds fantastic!

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    1. Thanks erin :) It is a wild ride :) I hope you like it

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  17. I enjoyed the post and I'm looking forward to reading How to Tame a Willful Wife, it sounds fantastic.

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    1. Yay! Thank you Barbara E...thanks for coming by and joining our give away :)

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  18. Oh it must be very interesting to make so many reseaches about the characters. I'm always impressed when someone writes about French people when they're not French. it must be a lot of work.

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    1. So true, Melliane...researching the past is part of what makes historical fiction and historical romance fun for me...an entirely new world to dive into :)

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  19. If sex is not the solution to all the problems I might enjoy this one more than I think I would. A nice interview, thank you!

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    1. LOL They keep trying it, Anachronist, and they find that it doesn't solve anything. Anthony just can't figure out why...I hope you enjoy the book...

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  20. Gerard Butler! So HOT!!!!
    Thanks for the great interview. This book sounds fantastic. Can't wait to read it.

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    1. Thanks Joanne...Blodeuedd comes up with great interviews :) I had such a blast...thanks for coming by

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  21. I would LOVE to read this book and as for leading men, I generally imagine Alexander Skarsgard. SO BEAUTIFUL.

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    1. Oh Meghan, that is one fine man...thank you for joining us :)

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  22. Yes I am another Gerad Butler fan. Sounds like a wonderful book!

    Margaret
    singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. HI Margaret! I am a huge fan of Mr. Butler...he is charming and funny onscreen as well as hot...the hotness always takes over for me though, I have to admit :) Thanks for joining in our give away

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  23. Mmm...Gerard. lol
    Thanks for the giveaway! I enjoyed the interview and would love to win this book. :)

    nicnac63 AT hotmail DOT com

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  24. I'm reading this now! Can't wait to see how these two start getting along :) No need to enter me in the contest :)

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  25. I love stories like this! Would love to read it!

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  26. Since it has been 4 days the new winner is:
    Mary Bookfan

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