1. Welcome to my blog. Could you tell us about yourself?
Gina: Hi, thanks for inviting me to be part of your blog. I love where you live (from your pictures on twitter).
I write Viking and Georgian romance because I love those eras of history - specifically the end of the Viking Age and the middle Georgian period. I’m a wife and mom (of two teen boys) and some time organic gardener.
2. Also tell us about your new book, Meet the Earl at midnight.
Gina: Meet the Earl at Midnight gives a Georgian spin on Beauty and the Beast only this ”beast,” Edward thinks life is fine as is. He needs a wife and Lydia needs help – a midnight bargain is struck. Distracting chemistry and troubling secrets soon change their course.
I wrote the book to take a break from the Vikings and Edward kept showing up in my head. Before long I knee deep into Edward and Lydia’s story and having a lot of fun with it.
3. As most go for regency, what made you write Georgian romance?
Gina: I see Georgian England as gritty with a veneer of refinement. The mid-1700s were pivotal with inventions and the Canal craze. The Bow Street runners were founded in 1749, and there were changes with the colonies and the middle class.
You could say Georgian England is to the Regency period what America’s Wild West was to the Gilded Age. In all of the Midnight Meetings series there’s only one (maybe a second) ballroom scene, and they’re not dazzling. There’s more cocky Bow Street runners, pretty mid-town coffee shop girls, middle class Royal Exchange traders, and flirtatious mantua makers than dukes and earls in this series.
4. Tell us 3 things about Lydia?
Gina: Passionate self-taught artist, favors bold colors, likes Scotch now and then
5. And 3 things about Edward?
Gina: Brilliant, lives a world of science and books, driven crazy with Lydia getting him out of his head and into his body with sex
6. Last, what are you working on now?
Gina: I’m working on dual series – Midnight Meetings (Georgian romance) and the Norse series (Viking romance). The Lady Meets Her Match, book 2 in the Midnight Meetings series, releases April, 2015. Book 2 tells the tale of Cyrus, a self-made man dubbed England’s King of Commerce. Cyrus meets a mysterious woman named Claire at a masked ball and sparks fly. She flees at midnight, leaving behind a common brown shoe. He hunts for her, but what happens when his Cinderella doesn’t want her shoe back?
At the same time I’m deep into Norse Fire, book 2 in my Norse series out December, 2014. This story features Brand a rough-souled, lone wolf warrior who must work with a feisty slave to save the kingdom. Then book 3, Norse Wolf, tells the story of Addis, a bad boy Viking who finds himself at the mercy of a tender-hearted healer, Gisla (out March, 2015).
Thanks!
And now to the Giveaway. First mine.
1 copy of The Earl at Midnight
1. Open to the US and Canada
2. Ends May 24th
3. Just tell me in the comments if you enter for this one :)
And then to Gina's
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks!
And now to the Giveaway. First mine.
1 copy of The Earl at Midnight
1. Open to the US and Canada
2. Ends May 24th
3. Just tell me in the comments if you enter for this one :)
And then to Gina's
a Rafflecopter giveaway
MEET THE EARL AT MIDNIGHT BY GINA CONKLE – IN STORES MAY 2014
The Phantom of London. Enigma Earl. The Greenwich Recluse.
Half of his face, shadowed by gold and brown whiskers, showed male perfection, but the other half, a bizarre pattern of scar lines and puckered flesh. Truly, staring at his face was akin to seeing a painting of two men, split down the middle. Lydia recoiled as much from the hot anger flashing in his eyes as from astonishment.
HE’S A MYSTERIOUS RECLUSE…
Lord Greenwich is notoriously elusive. His tendency to hide his face in public and refusal to appear in London Society have even earned him some choice monikers, including “the Phantom of London.” Is he disfigured? Mad? Hiding something? With a reputation like that, no woman wants to get near the dark earl. And no one is more surprised than Miss Lydia Montgomery when she is betrothed to the earl in order to save her family from penury. But if Lydia wants a chance at happiness, she’ll have to set aside her fear of Lord Greenwich and discover the man hiding behind the beastly reputation…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
GINA CONKLE, a history nerd to the core, loves castles and museums. Her motto: “the older and moldier, the better.” When not enjoying relics, she lives in the present, dabbling in organic gardening. Gina married her favorite alpha male, Brian. The two live with their boys in San Diego, CA. Learn more at www.ginaconkle.com,
on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GinaConkleWriter,
and on Twitter, @ginaconkle.
To Purchase Meet
the Earl at Midnight:
I like the sound of Edward and Lydia! And I'm super excited about her Norse series, those books sound right up my alley:)
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny,
DeleteThank you! I have a passion for Vikings and I love the 1760-1780 era of history in Europe and in the American colonies. And, yes, there's something about those uniquely Alpha men of the Viking Age. :-)
Thanks for stopping by!
Gina
It's true, this is an era that has a lot more room to grow. Gotta love the idea of a beauty and the beast spin too, and wow, sweet giveaways!
ReplyDelete~Mogsy
Hi,
DeleteYes, there's so much that can written about the mid-1700s. Love that era and Vikings. I hope you enjoy Edward and Lydia's story and glad to offer sweet giveaways!
Take care-
Gina
Hi Felicia,
ReplyDeleteYes, Lydia is different and this historical romance is a little different (ie no ballroom or social intrigue). I hope you enjoy Edward and Lydia's story...they definitely had a lot of banter which is fun to write.
Gina
Hi Heidi,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! It was fun to write and I still get a kick out of diving back into the book Meet the Earl at Midnight. I hope you enjoy Edward and Lydia's story.
Gina
Thank you for the interview Gina :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting me on your blog. I'm curious. What are your favorite, all-time romances?
DeleteAll-time, now you ask the the hard questions. I think I need to go with those from my youth, I read Velvet Song by Jude Deveraux when I was 12 and well the rest is history
DeleteA Scotch drinker? Sounds like Lydia is my kind of girl! Great interview, and thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeleteHi,Carmel,
DeleteLydia is a one of a kind heroine. I wanted to write something different than the usual husband hunt in ballrooms and this story/the characters took over. I hope you enjoy Edward and Lydia's tale.
Love the 3 things about the characters. Really gives a feel for them. :) I also love the sound of this world. So curious about the book!
ReplyDeleteHi Melissa,
DeleteThanks so much for that! This isn't your typical historical romance. I hope you enjoy Meet the Earl at Midnight. Thanks for stopping by the blog.
Thank you for entering me in the giveaway. I'm in the mood for a good romance novel.
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteGood luck with the giveaway! If you win the book, I hope you enjoy Meet the Earl at Midnight.
Interesting to hear that the georgian and norse romances.
ReplyDeleteHi Brandi,
DeleteI'm glad the Norse and Georgian romance caught your eye. It is pretty different to write in those two eras. I'm even specific within those eras: I like the late Viking Age (early 1000s) and the mid to late 1700s (1760s - 1780s). Thanks for stopping by the blog and happy reading!
I'd love to win a copy of The Earl at Midnight. This sounds like a wonderful story.
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara,
DeleteNice to see you here! I can't figure out what book that is in your picture, but I love the hint of smile behind the covers! :-) I hope you get to enjoy Edward and Lydia's story.
It's always interesting to discover a new period for historical romance because we have so much to learn. thanks for the interview!
ReplyDeleteHi Melliane,
DeleteDigging into 1768 was a blast for me as a writer. I even found out 1768 was an extraordinarily rainy year for England (which figures in the story). Thank you for stopping by the blog today!
I've read a fer retellings of Beauty and the Beast lately but I'm always on the lookout for more, and this sounds lovely.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read a lot of Georgian England novels but must admit you all have me curious :)
ReplyDeleteI do love Beauty and the Beast retellings. A hero with a touch of vulnerability is irresistible. ♥♥
ReplyDeleteI've always loved Beauty & the Beast stories - they have that bit of anxiety in them until that turning point when we see the reality of the Beast. I'd love to enter for the copy of this book!
ReplyDeletesallans d at yahoo dot com
Oh so checking this out. I love Regency but fun to see a slightly different time period. And oh how I love Beauty and the Beast set ups. Thanks for the heads up ladies!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read a good romance in a while. Kinda got off onto a young adult/urban fantasy binge. This book sounds like it might bring me back to romance. And now I'm going to goodreads to see about your viking books bc they sound good too!
ReplyDeleteWinner Carmel
ReplyDelete