Where I share my love of books with reviews, features, giveaways and memes. Family and needlepoint are thrown in from time to time.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Countess of Scandal by Laurel McKee - Giveaway!


Countess of Scandal
by Laurel McKee


As children, Eliza Blacknall and William Denton ran wild over the fields of southern Ireland and swore they would be friends forever. Then fate took Will away to England, while Eliza stayed behind to become a proper Irish countess.

Years later, Will finally makes his way home-as an English soldier sent to crush the Irish uprising. When he spies the lovely Eliza, he is captivated by the passionate woman she has become. But Eliza's passions have led her to join the Irish rebel cause, and Will and Eliza now find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous conflict.

When Ireland explodes in bloody rebellion, Will's regiment is ordered to the front lines, and he is forced to choose between his duty to the English king and his love for Eliza and their Irish homeland.

Listen to an excerpt.


Five Fun Facts

1) When I was a teenager, my friends were mostly fan-girls for movie stars and rock musicians. Not me. I was a geeky history fan-girl for people like Madame de Pompadour, Marie Antoinette, Anne Boleyn, and Elizabeth I. (I had one friend who inexplicably liked Mary Queen of Scots! Despite the odds, we are still friends.) This made me a weird 14-year-old but has given me endless inspiration for stories. For Countess of Scandal, I looked at women like Mary Ann McCracken, Emily the Duchess of Leinster, and Margaret King.

2) As well as being a historical fan-girl, I’m a bona fide girly-girl, with secret guilty pleasures like Hello Kitty, bright pink shoes, and MAC lipgloss. That means I spend huge amounts of time researching my heroines’ wardrobes.

3) I had an inkling for the beginning of a story that would grow into Countess of Scandal years ago on a tour of the grand house Castletown outside of Dublin. Castletown was once owned by Lady Louisa Conolly, one of the famous Lennox sisters, and the home is stunningly gorgeous. The tour guide provided lots of information about the lives of the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy and what they faced in 1798. It just took me a while to meet the characters to fill the story!

4) I have no sisters and always sort of wanted one. I even made my poor little brother have tea parties with me when we were kids. Maybe that’s why I love writing connected stories about sisters.

5) I always create characters collages when I start a new book. This usually entails copious amounts of time online looking at photos of hunky actors. Very hard work, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice for my book! For Countess of Scandal, I was inspired by Rupert Friend in uniform in Pride and Prejudice, and I pictured Eliza as looking something like Rachel Weisz. (I also create soundtracks for books! Lots of Chieftains and the Young Dubliners for this book…)

Giveaway

I have five copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT) tell us if you were a fan-girl of movie stars and rock musicians or a historical fan-girl like Laurel McKee and leave your email address. (I was a fan-girl of movie stars and rock musicians - remember Leif Garret? and then there was a variety show I think in the late 70's with the Keane (?) brothers - very short lived but it was the first fan letter I ever wrote!)

For additional entries you can sign up to follow (old followers let me know), Twitter or post it on your blog. Each entry must have it's own comment. (Four entries total.)

This giveaway if for U.S./Canada only - no PO boxes and will end Feb 10th! Good luck!

60 comments:

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

No need to enter me, doll. I'm dropping in to say thanks for the e-mail. I've got this posted at Win a Book for you.

Kaye said...

When I was a teen I was more a fan of rock and roll. Please enter me in the drawing.

florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Kaye said...

I'm a follower.

florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Miss Haley said...

eh, i've never really been a fan girl of anyone. i'm homeschooled and very conservative so i never really watched tv or read magazines... hahaha i still dont ;) but i have to say that i have this thing for the guys of the Switchfoot band. :D but it's more of an "geez they're so awesome" than anything else.

haleymathiot@yahoo.com

clenna said...

As a kid I thought rock and roll stars were fantastic. But I loved reading historical books.

clenna at aol dot com

Jane said...

I was a fan girl of movie stars and rock stars like Keanu Reeves and U2.

janie1215 AT excite DOT com

Jane said...

I'm an old follower. Thanks.

janie1215 AT excite DOT com

Sue A. said...

I'm historical fan-girl!

alternate email other than blogger
magenta 2 red [at] gmail [dot] com

Sue A. said...

I'm an old follower.

alternate email other than blogger
magenta 2 red [at] gmail [dot] com

scottsgal said...

I was a fan of rock and rollers
msboatgal at aol.com

scottsgal said...

already a follower
msboatgal at aol.com

rubynreba said...

I was more of a fan of rock stars and musicians.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

I follow
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Booklover1335 said...

I've also been a historical fiction fan, which then turned into a historical romance junkie :)

cldivineATyahooDOTcom

justpeachy36 said...

justpeachy36@yahoo.com

Please enter me in the giveaway.
I was a big movie star fan when I was a girl. I remember putting all kinds of posters and stuff LOL...

justpeachy36 said...

justpeachy36@yahoo.com

I am an old follower.

justpeachy36 said...

justpeachy36@yahoo.com

I tweeted here:

http://twitter.com/justpeachy36/status/8050132825

Ali said...

I was a fan girl of english alternative bands like Depeche Mode and the Cure, man the hours I spent copying their lyrics onto paper!
Thank you for the giveaway, it sounds like a wonderful book!
gibbylet(at)gmail(dot)com

Benita said...

I was a fan girl of movie stars...and rock musicians, too.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Benita said...

I'm a follower on GFC.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Virginia C said...

I was, and still am, a fan of rockers and actors. Even better, rockers who become actors and star in movies made from historicals! And...they sing the theme song : )

gcwhiskas at aol dot com

Virginia C said...

Already a follower and subscriber.

gcwhiskas at aol dot com

Katrina said...

I have always been and always will be a historical fan-girl

ykatrina at hotmail dot com

Simply Stacie said...

I used to be a big fan of Guns n Roses and had Axl's posters all over my bedroom!

simplystacieblog at gmail dot com

Simply Stacie said...

follower

simplystacieblog at gmail dot com

Beth (BBRB) said...

Not really a fan-girl here. :)

BethsBookReviewBlog AT gmail DOT com

Beth (BBRB) said...

I'm a follower.

BethsBookReviewBlog AT gmail DOT com

traveler said...

Thanks for this giveaway. I was a fan of specific actors whose movies I always saw. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I was and have been a book fan-girl of almost any genre. I guess it has never ended...

I was a typical "band-nerd" who lived in her reading.

This book sound fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

bsyb100 at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

I am follower.

bsyb100 at gmail dot com

Lee P said...

I was and still am a rocker chick! This book sounds really good because I enjoy reading historical romance novels. Thank you for this giveaway and please count me in.

chinook92 at gmail dot com

Lee P said...

I follow Books And Needlepoint via Google Friends.

chinook92 at gmail dot com

Lee P said...

Tweet:

http://twitter.com/chinook92/status/8184698758

chinook92 at gmail dot com

Chèli said...

Definitely an historical fan girl.

cyderryATyahooDOTcom
Chèli
Cheli's Shelves

Chèli said...

I'm a loyal follower

cyderryATyahooDOTcom
Chèli
Cheli's Shelves

mountie9 said...

When I was a teen I was definitely a rock and roll girl, I had a crush on Tommy Shaw from Styx -- guess that ages me as well
I'm a follower
contestmom@hotmail.com
Also tweeted at: http://twitter.com/mountie9

Jaime said...

I was a music, non rock and roll, fan girl
copperllama at yahoo dot com

Jaime said...

old follower
copperllama at yahoo dot com

Lacey said...

I was a huge teen fan star of all the boy bands in the 90s

Lacey914 at sbcglobal dot net

Lacey said...

I am a google friend follower

Lacey914 at sbcglobal dot net

Lacey said...

http://twitter.com/HtxAstrosFan/status/8394490935

tweet

Lacey914 at sbcglobal dot net

Deborah said...

I was a fan girl for rock musicians.

asthenight at gmail dot com

Deborah said...

I signed up to follow with Google Friend Connect. asthenight at gmail dot com

Deborah said...

Tweet: http://twitter.com/AsTheNight/status/8472455365. asthenight at gmail dot com

bison61 said...

I was a fan girl of movie stars!

tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

Retsbar2Go said...

Fan of Rock n Roll musicians when I was a teenager!!


retsbar2go AT gmail DOT com

LittleEagle said...

I wasn't a raving fan club fan when I was young however I did enjoy a good rock song.

Jennifer said...

I was a fan-girl of movie stars and rock musicians. I've always loved books but I never really appreciated the historical aspect until after college. Now I am definitely an historical fan-girl!

mattandjen[at]gmail.com

Emma said...

I've never been a fan girl .Please enter me in the giveaway.augustlily06(at)aim(dot)com.Thank you.

Anita Yancey said...

I was a fan-girl of movies and rock musicians. The book sounds great. Please enter me. Thanks!

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

Anita Yancey said...

I follow on Google Friend Connect.

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

spynaert said...

my daughter is sure a fan of pop stars today, like lady gaga and fergie
spynaert@gmail.com

Tea said...

I was a fan of rock and roll.

teakettle58atyahoodotcom

Tea said...

I am an old follower.

Tea said...

I tweeted you. teakettle58 to Kherbrand.

CherylS22 said...

I was a fan-girl of rock musicians.
Thanks ~ megalon22 at yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

I used to be a fan-girl of The Monkees, especially Mickey Dolenz.
I would love to be entered in your draw. Thanks.
wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I am an old follower of your blog.

wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

Reading said...

I was definately a fan girl of movies stars. Please count me in. Thanks for the chance.

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

sue14625 said...

when i was younger i was a fan girl of Movie Stars Rock Hudson now i am a Historical fan girl

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