Tag: The Sister Queens
Bet You Didn’t Know I was a Fair Queen
Today I am visiting fellow historical fiction writer Susan Spann’s blog. Turns out Susan and I have more than a passion for history in common—we share a disdain for socks. 
Stop by as I talk about my desire to “respect history but don’t be smothered by it” and point out that some of the most bizarre and dramatic moments in my novel are truth not fiction.
It’s Launch Day Mes Amis!!!!
It is launch day at last! I am off to celebrate at a luncheon including two of my favorite historical authors—Kate Quinn and Stephanie Dray. But don’t hate me.
The truth is, launching a book involves more work (and sheer terror) than it does champagne. And what launching a debut novel entails in this age of social media is one of the topics I discuss today at The Paperback Swap. Other subjects on the table—why I chose to focus The Sister Queens on only two of the four daughters of Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence; a family controversy about whether I am more like Marguerite or Eleanor; and the book I am working on next. 
Oh and you just might win a copy of The Sister Queens in the Paperback Swap giveaway.
Fairytale Pre-Release Day — Bippity Boppity Book and a Visit to Tanzanite’s Castle
Today Holly at Bippity Boppity Book shares her thoughts on The Sister Queens in a marvelous and very favorable review. Holly says:
In Marguerite and Eleanor Sophie Perinot manages to create two characters who are polar opposites but equally interesting and believable.
And she will be:
recommending this to everyone I know who loves historical fiction and putting this author on my “buy immediately” list for her future releases.
Thank you Holly!
And while The Sister Queens is enjoying the star treatment at Bippity Boppity, I am paying a visit to a castle—Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books—where my hostess Daphne (besides excellent tea and crumpets) has some very insightful questions for me. Stop by for a crumpet and find out how I became a writer and what drew me to the 13th century.
Finally, if you haven’t ordered your copy yet, both Holly and Daphne have copies to giveaway.
Never on a Sunday – Well, Hardly Ever
Generally I take a blogging break on weekends, but I just had to make an exception for a visit with Lisa Yarde at Unusual Historicals. Lisa and I met several years ago at a Historical Novel Society Conference and have been friends since.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Savoyards (Marguerite and Eleanor’s powerful relations on their mother’s side), or you’re curious about the creative passion I pursue when I am not writing, put down your Sunday paper, pour yourself a mug of coffee and stop by.
The Sister Queens Virtual Tour Pulls Into A Bookish Affair
Today my blog tour makes a stop at A Bookish Affair (motto “sometimes reading a good book can be like a great love affair”) where I am pleased to say The Sister Queens receives an exellent review which calls the book “fascinating,” and says it will “appeal to historical fiction lovers like me that love good stories with bright characters and rich detail.”
A Birthday Interview with Yours Truly at Passages to the Past
Today is my birthday and I can’t think of a better way to spend it than with Amy Bruno at her marvelous blog Passages to the Past. In the first big interview of my official HFVB Tour I share the inspiration behind The Sister Queens and discuss some common misconceptions about 13th century women.
Come on over and get to know me better. They’ll even be virtual cake in the form of a giveaway 🙂 Just don’t expect me to tell you my age.
A Book Only a Mother Could Love? Apparently Not!
I end this penultimate week before my launch with a pair of reviews in blog-land. The first at Dolce-Dolce and the second at Writer Writer Pants on Fire. It is, I will admit, a balm for my pre-launch nerves to hear phrases like:
Kingly ambitions and sibling rivalry, love and lust all come into play between the pages, unfolding in a mesmerizing story about two Queens who were sisters above all else.
and
The novel captures the nuances and intrigues of court life, as well as the excitement and danger of forbidden passions in the torrid Middle Eastfrom a fascinating feminine perspective.
spoken by people who are not my kith and kin. Perhaps that bag I’ve prepared to wear over my head when I go to the grocery store will NOT be necessary. At least this week. 
Tell a Friend (or a Non-Friend)
When I became active on social media and started blogging I promised myself I was never going to use those tools to say “buy my book.” I made this vow primarily because such direct shilling makes me profoundly uncomfortable when I am on the receiving end of it.
Now, with the launch of my debut novel. The Sister Queens, only 2-weeks away (March 6th), and knowing as I do how important it is to sell well in the two weeks after the book debuts there is a considerable amount of temptation to break my word. As an individual who embraces “historical” values, however, I still believe “a man’s word is his bond” (ditto a woman’s word). So what to do? Make all the new friends I’ve made on twitter, facebook and through this website feel uncomfortable by hitting them up? Or remain silent and possibly miss sales?
As I tend to do whenever faced with unpalatable choices, I’ve imagined a third option (darn creative types, always imagining things). So today, and without breaking any promises, I am asking you to tell someone else to buy my book. You don’t have to spend a dime of your own money on The Sister Queens if you don’t want to, but please consider suggesting or recommending it to someone else.
How, you may ask, can I do that when I’ve never read The Sister Queens? Ah, but here’s the beauty of my suggestion—I didn’t specify WHO you should tell. If you suspect, based on your virtual acquaintance with me, that I am only good for 140 character quips and I probably should have stuck to Twitter, then recommend The Sister Queens to your mother-in-law, that lady in the next cubicle at work who talks too loudly on her phone about matters of personal hygiene, or any other person you are not particularly crazy about. Sale for me; revenge for you.
If, on the other hand, anything I’ve said in this forum or elsewhere has resonated with you or made you think, “that woman can write,” then please mention The Sister Queens to a friend. It won’t cost you anything and you will be doing me a big favor. Heck you might be doing your book-mad friend a favor too.
The Shit Hits The Fan – What a Way to Start a Blog Tour
Two weeks until The Sister Queens’ publication date!!!
Today I officially dip my toe into the blogosphere in support of the launch of my debut. Over the next weeks it will be hard to avoid me in the virtual world, as many gracious bloggers open up their personal space to me.
First up, a visit with my dear friend and fellow book-preggo Mindy McGinnis at her blog Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire. And right out of the starting gate (as anyone who knows Mindy would expect) the SHIT has hit the fan. To wit, Mindy subjects me to one of her “SHIT (Submission Hell – It’s True)” interviews. Please drop by and find out about my personal journey on the way to securing my book deal. My advice for those going out submission – never say yes (to an agent or a publisher) just to say yes, and keep lots of chocolate handy.
Gifts My Sister Gave Me – Part II: The Giveaway
A sister is a gift. Whether she is the mirror allowing us to see ourselves clearly when we’ve imagined we are somebody we are not, or whether she is a cautionary tale whose mistakes we act to avoid, our sisters shape us in profound ways.
Last week I shared how my sister gave me the gift of reinvention – reinvention as a writer. Today, I am interested in hearing about your sister – specifically I want to know what positive gift or gifts she has given you. I don’t mean that cashmere sweater she sent you for Christmas. I want to know the good stuff — how she made you the person you are today, opened your eyes to something you might not have seen, or otherwise shaped you for the better. The floor (or rather the comments section) is open.
And, in celebration of the fact that my novel, The Sister Queens, makes its debut one month from today I am going to make the sharing fun. I will select two individuals from among those posting their comments (about their sister–see above) to this blog by midnight February 12th and send each of them TWO (2) signed “advance-reader “copies of The Sister Queens – one for themselves and one for their sister. 
That means the winners will have galleys of The Sister Queens before anyone can purchase the novel.
Check this comment thread Monday, February 13th (one week from today) for names of the winners and instructions for those lucky two. Bonne chance!