Goodreads giveaway for Breaking the Governess's Rules

My author copies for Breaking the Governess's Rules arrived yesterday. So...

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Breaking the Governess's Rules

by Michelle Styles

Giveaway ends March 01, 2011.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

In shredding news: I threw away pair of cords as they are now too big. My daughter was very pleased as she said they were pants only a mother could wear. I informed her I was a mother.

And yes, today is my birthday as well being Australia Day. I am another year older. It is ALWAYS good to hang another year on the line. Can't do anything about it, might as well enjoy it. Looking forward to what this year will bring.

Birthdays and other things

Today is the ever so lovely India Grey's significant birthday. Hooray for India! And hooray that she is writing more books!

I will be appearing on the newish Silk and Shadows blog tomorrow. There is a signed copy of An Impulsive Debutante up for grabs.

My revisions are being done. My editor was right about the book (editors generally are) but I am working away. Unlike some authors, I do not mind admitting that at times I have to sweat and slave over my work. Writing can be tough. It is supposed to be challenging as the author does have to pour emotion in. 99% persperation, 1% inspiration.

Yesterday, as part of my Orlando prep, I bought an Acer netbook. It was a good deal and should be more than adequate for my needs. Basically I want to be able to communicate with outside world...and if an agent asks to see my single title paranormal, I want to be able to send it. I was surprised how light they are. As my dd pointed out, the basic wordpad programme is fine as I can save and then do a cut and paste thing if I want. In theory, it make doing the chunks easier.

We will not mention how the exercise is going. Some day it will make a difference...

29 May and all that

Today is Oak Apple Day -- Charles II's birthday and the day that the monarchy was restored in 1660. Oak Apple because he hid in an oak tree to escape during the English Civil War

Today is the day that the Ottoman Turks broke the siege of Constantinople in 1453 and ended the Byzantine Empire. Some scholars also consider it is the date the Roman Empire finally fell as the Byzantine was merely Rome in the East. No word on if this was the Sultan's birthday...

Today in 1953, Hillary and Tenzing Norgay (his adopted birthday) reached the summit of Everest in 1953.

My daughter informs that it is a very good day to have a birthday. Today is the 17th anniversary of that date. She is having a quiet day because she has AS levels...A girl has to have priorities! She confidently predicts that when she becomes the Supreme Master of the Universe, everyone will be forced to have it as a holiday...

Birthday

Today is my birthday (not yesterday as Donna Alward put on the PHS blog). I have always enjoyed being born on the 26th.

People born on my birthday include General Douglas MacArthur, Paul Newman, Jose Mourinho (former Chelsea manager, 47), Martin Dunn (the editor in chief of The New York Daily News), Christopher Hampton (playwright) and many others. It is St Eystein's Day -- 12 century the archbishop of Nidaros near Tronhiem who worked to bring the Norwegian church in line with other Europeon churches (it is somehow appropriate to have a Norwegian bishop saints day). In fact tonight the Viking festival Up Helly Aa will be happening on Shetland. This is a Victorian recreation of what a Viking festival could be like but not less inspiring for all that!
Also in 1790 Cosi Fan Tutte had its world premiere in Vienna.

One good thing that happened to me 25 years ago is that I started going out with my husband. He remains the best birthday present a girl could get!

Lady Day

Today is 25 March and the traditional start of the new year for employment contracts, rents etc or at least it was until they changed the calendar and got rid of 11 days. Canny landlords etc objected and the tax year was moved to start on 5 April. Something that confused me no end when I first moved over here.

The reason for it being called Lady Day as it was exactly nine months from Christmas. This goes to show that various people listened to tradition, rather than researching facts. The celebration of the birth of Jesus was a reaction to Saturnalia. The Coptic Christians celebrate the birth of Christ in May (or so I understand) May makes more sense because of the way the Romans did their census, but it sort of puts paid to carols like in The Bleak Mid-winter... It is interesting to see how the myths and traditions develop.

It is also my husband's birthday. And birthdays are made to be celebrated. We had carrot cake and coffee for breakfast, plus cards.

Birthdays, revisions and reviews

Today is my birthday. I am halfway to 90 and very happy with my age. It has been a quiet birthday. My husband insisted on celebrating over the weekend so I had a gift each day -- books in the main.We have also had several nice meals. I had a lovely cake this morning, followed by cards and a few more presents. It is good to be remembered. As the card that my sister sent said: birthdays are the icing on the cake of life.

I sent my Viking in again today, hopefully for the final time. It is a far better book and I do agree with the tweaks that I was asked to make. In the end, if the story flows, that is the main thing and I park my ego at the door...It is Ivar's story in case anyone was still wondering. And I was bound to hit a book like this. Tomorrow, it is back to the word mines and writing the mainstream single title.

My ego took a boost over the weekend. Jayne from Dear Author posted a B review of Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife. As I remembered from her review of Taken by the Viking that the Viking period is not one of her favourites, I was pleased that she liked it. You can read the full review here.
I have thought and thought about why the cover for Viking Warrior Unwilling Wife is not my favourite. I love the background. The woman is quite pretty. But the man neither engages the reader with his glance, nor does he engage the woman. Instead he appears to be lost in his own world and is not inviting the reader in. The picture on the inside front cover is much nicer and shows a tender moment where the coupl are actively engaged with each other. However, there is nothing to be done about it and I am allowed to have favourites.

Reaching the teen years

My youngest officially becomes a teen this year.In fact today. 13 years ago, it was decided that the babe was cooked and I should be induced. So he arrived a couple of weeks early. The day with its sights and sounds is embedded on my memory.
Time simply marches and babies do not keep. Neither do teenagers...
I am so glad that I was able to stay at home with my children and look after them.
In the wake of Francesco, comes a BBC 4 series about three great traveller writers of the 20th century --Eric Newby, Laurie Lee and Patrick Leigh Fermor. Last night's episode was on Eric Newby. Absolutely fascinating. Everyone in the family enjoyed it.
What can I say except it would be hard to do them justice because their words are so wonderful. If you have not read their travel books, you have not lived. Hopefully Benedict Allen's series will help raise their profile. Equally maybe the BBC will put this on BBC2 so that a large majority of the public can see.
Patrick Leigh Fremor is still alive (over 90) and hope remains that he will actually finish his trilogy about his journey across Europe in the 1930s... Sir Paddy served in Crete during WW2 and some of his exploits are recounted in Ill Met by Moonlight. He has been described as a cross between Indiana Jones, James Bond and Grahame Greene.
The next episode is on Laurie Lee who is probably best known for Cider With Rose but who also wrote a masterful account of Spain during the Spanish Civil War.

Happy Birthday PHS

Today is my day to join in the treasure hunt at the Pink Heart Society. Lots of lovely cyber presents have been given already. And the grand prize for the person who collects all the presents is a mega hamper full of lots books and other goodies. All the blogs taking part are listed at the PHS, so there is plenty of time to join in!

I could have gone with something pink which seems to be a definite theme, but I am not really all that fond of pink champagne. I prefer vintage and so my present is a bottle of Moet et Chandon champagne and a pair of crystal glasses -- just right for drinking a toast to the blogzine's birthday!