Author Interview with Historical Romance writer Delilah Marvelle

It's been a long time since I interviewed someone on Review Carnival. To make up for the lost time, I have a really interesting guest this time- historical romance author Delilah Marvelle. Her Scandal series is fabulous and she's working on a new series. Be sure to check out her books on www.DelilahMarvelle.com

Here's the interview-
RC- Why did you decide to write Historical romance?


DM- I've been writing for a VERY VERY long time. Since I was about 8 years old. I was always that kid that wanted to rewrite every story that didn't end the way I wanted it to. I always wanted a happily ever after, which lent to the whole idea of fairy tales and romance. I totally rewrote stories like Peter Pan. In my version, he went home with Wendy and they grew up and had kids together, lol.


When I read Jane Eyre in high school, I fell in love with historicals and knew that was what I wanted to write. When I read Judith McNaught based off of a recommendation by some random woman in the library, that's when I devoured more and fell madly and lustfully in love with the sweeping romance and everything in between. That's what I've been writing ever since. For me, digging into the facets of history and creating a relationship between a man and a woman during a time when women had very few rights and men held all the power lent to stories and conflict galore. I adore the challenge of writing about a relationship set in history and doubt if I'll ever write anything else.

RC- What traits do you think make a good/strong romance novel hero/heroine?

DM- What I think makes for a good/strong hero and heroine would have to be honesty, passion, and the willingness for the characters to go against the world around them in the name of everything they believe in. Because the world isn't always right and the heart is what ends up beating for those who are true to it.


RC- Historical romance must be a tough genre to write due to the amount of research involved. How do you research on the speech patterns (like the kind of words used, level of formality), clothes they wore, social views on things at that time?

DM- I more or less stick to one era and one era only when I write, because there is just SO much to learn about one given era, I couldn't even begin to veer off the path by learning anything beyond 1828-1831. It would be like wanting to learn six more languages. It's overwhelming. But it's a passion that arose from reading books of that era, collecting out of print books and constantly researching the era and finding anything and everything interesting. From the clothes to the furniture to the food they were eating, everything comes together to create a world that feels real to me. The more I research, the more I find that the people back then weren't any different from the people of today. Their environment is what made them different from us. Because people back then still ate, slept, drank, had sex, had fun, joked, worked, and did everything we did. They just carried it out in different manners and a mindset that was created by the mores of their time.

RC-Is the life of a writer what you imagined it to be like?

DM- Ha. No and no. It's a lot harder than I imagined it would ever be. And I'm not talking about the writing aspect of it. The writing comes easily and naturally enough to me. It's the time and all that is expected of me. From both my agent/editor/publisher and then my readers/fans and then from reviewers and bloggers and then keeping up with hundreds of emails that I get every day and then trying to blog, twitter and facebook on top of it, all while traveling and signing books and ensuring I don't let my family feel neglected. I really never expected it to involve this much time. I always thought, I write a book, I edit it the way my publisher wants and I'm done. Not so. The internet has definitely changed the interfacing between readers and authors in a BIG way. I think Hemingway would have shot himself much earlier in his career if he were writing today, lol.

RC- (Okay this one is out of sheer curiosity) Are the people on your book covers real people or painted?

DM- The people are in fact real. Either taken from stock photos or done with a photo shoot that is coordinated by the Cover Art Department of my publisher. I think it's AWESOME. Because I could actually go and technically meet my own characters!


RC-What are your hobbies other than writing?

DM- I love to run, hike, do Tae Kwon Do, read and above all...I love to cook. I'm actually a chef by trade and so it's my second love I dive into when I have extra time.

RC- Tell us something about your books.

DM- My books are what you call historical romance on crack. For many years readers have gotten used to reading a sterilized version of romance, due to what publishers would or would not allow due to taboo. Because of that, I think a lot of readers have gotten used to drinking the kool-aid they were being offered and when something other than kool-aid is being offered, they have a tendency to immediately dislike it. That's where I come in, lol. I like the idea of reintroducing a sliver of reality into not only romance but the historical aspect of romance that people think doesn't exist due to the books they have read or the movies they've watched. I love writing about characters that are not only set within a time that would never accept them for who and what they are, but that they are flawed and have to redeem themselves not only in eyes of the person they love but within their own eyes. It makes that redemption so much sweeter and so much lovelier and real. I'm not all doom and gloom, though, I'm all about twisted humor and twisted versions of fairy tales.

RC-What message would you like to give your fans?

DM- I would like to tell my fans THANK YOU. I wouldn't be where I'm at without them and I'm pouring my heart into the pages of every book I write just for them. They mean so much to me.

Thank you so much for the interview, Delilah. You can buy her books on Amazon.com. Please leave your comments for her.

Book review- Six Frames by Edward De Bono

Six thinking frames (I am going to refer to it as that. It's name is Six Frames:For thinking about information) is a non-fiction, self-help kind of book by Edward De Bono- a very famous writer in his niche. It is something along the lines of Six Thinking Hats (reviewed earlier) and Six Thinking Medals.

Six thinking frames aims to organize thoughts, which admittedly, is a difficult task. Edward urges people in organizations, homes etc. to think of a particular idea or thing in certain ways. What I could gather was, that the writer wants us to see everything in six different ways using the six different frames. They are- Square, Triangle, Circle, Diamond, Heart and Rectangle.

Each frame has certain qualities associated with it, which you must use when you think about something using that frame. The author probably things of frames like thinking caps of different shapes. 'Put on your triangle thinking cap/frame' is what he means.

The book aims to create efficiet thoughts and promote thinking differently among people, which is the major theme in many of his books.

While all the principles were nice, it is very difficult and time consuming to apply them to real life. It is best left as a theory of thinking.

Style-2.4

Pros- If used, the thinking frames can really help in thinking well

Cons- The writing style is too boring/dry.

Book review- Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

These days, I'm really into books by Lisa Kleypas, and romances, in general.

Dreaming of You is a wonderful book by her about novelist Sara Fielding, who wants to research about casinos (or whatever they were called in historical England) for her new book. She has already written a controversial bestseller, which is the talk among the ton. During her vvisit to London, she saves a mysterious man- Derek Craven, who turns out to be the owner of the most fashionable club in London- Craven's. She manages to get his permission to research his club. Slowly, a relationship develops between them....

In Lisa's usual style, it is highly passionate with a tortured, troubled alpha hero (I'd really like to see some beta heroes in this genre) and the stereotypical strong-willed, high-class working woman.

The heroes, are much like many of the tortured alpha heroes/spunky heroines in many romance novels, especially Lisa Kleypas'.

It is a great read if you are the fan of this genre, or a good place to start reading historical romance. But for me, who has read so many of them, it was a repetitive book. That doesn't mean it wasn't good, though. The scenes were almost perfect, but I already knew what was going to happen before even getting to that part.

But I guess, that happens when you overread a genre so much. I am really going to try getting into contemporary romances from now on. Any good authors that you can suggest me?


Story- 4.1
Plot-3.2
Style-4.2
Characters-3

Pros- The hero is not a duke/marquis/earl/viscount, so you can get a glimpse into the life of someone who is not from the nobility in historical England.
Independent female lead

Cons- Despite having intriguing characters, it plays out exactly like Lisa's other novels with less engaging characters (Ex. Scandal in Spring)
Not groundbreaking, in fact is like a repetition of some of her other works. Now, I know that this novel was written before many of her other works, but I read them all before this, so this is my viewpoint.

I would recommend this book more to those starting to read this genre rather than experienced fans. But for Kleypas fans, it is as entertaining as any of her other books. It is by no means, a mediocre or bad book, though.

Character Interview- Abby from Family Ties by ottilie Weber

It's been a long time since I last posted something on Review Carnival. Today, I have another interesting character interview of Abby- the protagonist of Ottilie Weber's new Young Adult book- Family Ties. You can purchase the book by clicking on the following link- http://www.amazon.com/Family-Ties-Ottilie-Weber/dp/0982981694/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302752810&sr=1-1


So, it's great to have you here, Abby.

RC- What kind of person would you describe yourself as?

Abby- I would describe myself as a sarcastic human being, who does not hold back on their thoughts. I see no reason to hold back what I’m thinking and I don’t let what others think get to me, I know who I am and I’m proud of it.

RC-What are your favorite things (to do, eat, see etc.)? What are your least favorite?

Abby- Favorite: Wit! I truly enjoy using wit against people. I like hanging out with my friends, not too long ago Cory, Zoey, Danielle and I went bowling making a fools out of ourselves! Then there is eating ice cream and Oreos while walking on the boardwalk, in addition to watching movies curled on the couch with my friend Cory. My weapon of choice outside my words is shoes, when one is small it is fun to surprise others!

Least favorite: I do not care for people who are arrogant. I’m not sure what gives them the right to think they are higher then someone else. Currently I’m at war with my front gate, my Dad keeps putting off fixing it, my bruised feet is evidence of that! People tend to rub me the wrong way. I do not like nuts in my brownies or cookies. I do not like when people touch my hair, it is a curly mess that must at all times be tied back.

RC-Tell us about your dreams.

Abby- I just want to be able to graduate my small town high school and be able to travel the world to get out of this town. Well leave the area without having to be kidnapped. I do want to go to college, but I haven’t figure out what I want to major in yet, it’s kind of a big deal to pick what I want to do for the rest of my life. I figured I’ll live for each moment.

RC- If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?
Abby- 1. That all skirts and dresses were burned!
2. That my parents were not so overbearing.
3. My last wish would be for endless supplies of Oreos!



Abby decided she did not want to sit still long enough to get a picture of her done.

So I hope you all enjoyed the interview.

Book Review- Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Rich dad, Poor dad is a book on financial literacy by multimillionaire Robert T. Kiyosaki. The book contrasts the thinking style of the Rich and the poor (this term is used throughout the book to actually refer to the middle class). The middle class tell their kids to study, get good grades and get a good job but even after having well-paying, secure jobs, they are stuck in a web of debts, taxes, mortgages and other liabilities. The rich, on the other hand, accumulate assets which will continue to produce income.

The author describes his own childhood expreience in the first few chapters where his father (a PhD) wanted him to study, get good grades etc. However, his father was always short of money and struggled financially. He contrasts this with his friend's father, who dropped out in eighth grade and died a billionaire.

The book is about all the lessons he learnt from this man.

It first criticizes the education system for teaching kids nothing about money or how to manage it (which is very true). Then he explains what assets and liabilities are and how to accumulate assets.

The book is on the whole, very useful in learning about money and how to accumulate wealth. I would anyone struggling with financial difficulties to read it.

Ratings
Content- 4
Style-4.5

Pros

It is very easy to understand
The author uses personal examples which make things clearer
Not too many technical words.

Cons
The concept of assets and liabilities is repeated in virtually every single chapter.
Towards the end, it gets a bit boring.

Blogger Interview- Glenda Cates

Another blogger interview today! This time it is blogger Glenda Cates who writes reviews and other interesting stuff on her blog

Here is the interview-

Favorite color- Purple
Favorite author- Danielle Steele
Favorite book- The Bible
Zodiac sign- Sagatarius
Your motto- Beleive and Never give up.
City of your dreams- Maui in Hawii

1. When did you start blogging?
Christmas of 2010

2. What do you love about blogging?
That I can share my thoughts with others while meeting new people.

3. Tell us about your blog. My Blog is a site where I share stories of my son and my family and friends. The businesses I am in as well as the Reviews and Giveaways I host.

4. Would you like to read comedy, romance or science fiction/fantasy (which of these is closest to you interests?)
Romance but I am learning to branch out and read all types of books.

5. Your favorite books, authors.
Danielle Steele as well as Debbie Macomber and her Cedar Cove series

6. Make a question up yourself and answer it.
If you had the chance to work with any Author who would you choose and why?
I would pick Danielle Steele as I lost a child and I know she has too and we could share stories and maybe work together to comfort others who have as well.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Glenda and all the best for your blog.

Relaxing jpop songs

So, I decided to another random article on relaxing jpop songs. Here are some songs that calm my nerves when I need to calm down. Please do not hesitate to post your favourites in the comments.

Maaya Sakamoto- Universe


Maaya Sakamoto's songs can easily be classified as easy listening. Everywhere, kazemachi jet, universe, no fear aisuru koto, platinum.....the list goes on and on. Her voice is soothing and her songs contain strings that give an etheral atmosphere. If you're looking for easy listening songs, Maaya Sakamoto should definitely be on your list.
Universe starts of slowly and picks up with an orchestra in the chorus. The emotions of lonliness, searching and sleep can easily be associated with the song. One of the truly wonderful relaxing songs.

4.8/5

Miki Imai- Pride


Miki Imai is another singer who sings easy listening. Her songs Piece of my wish, ruby, goodbye yesterday, haru no hi, miss you should definitely be tried too. Pride is one of her best selling singles. There is a choir singing in the beginning. Miki Imai takes it from there. The songs doesn't have a prominent chorus but can be enjoyed anyways.

4.6/5

Yui Makino- Tsuki no shijima


Yui Makino has a typical childish, anime singer voice. Many of her songs feature in animes. Tsuki no shijima really stands out in her discography despite the weak chorus because of the calming effect and arrangement. Her other songs like amrita, jasmine, euphoria, undine etc. are also relaxing.

4.6/5

Kanon- Wings to fly ~Tsubasa wo kudasai~


Kanon is one of the rare classical crossover singers in the jpop scene. She is best known for singing Brand new breeze for the la corda anime which I reviewed earlier. Her voice is very uplifting and emotional. She is a soprano so her voice sounds a bit like Sarah Brightman, Hayley Westenra and other classical singers. Wings to fly is a cover of Akai Tori's tusbasa wo kudasai. Kanon has done a wonderful job here.

4.6/5

Sia- Hoshi wo kazoeru yori mo


All those Bokura ga Ita fans might recognize this song. Hoshi wo kazoeru yori mo starts with a touching piano prelude. Sia's airy voice remains same throughout the song. I didn't like Sia's voice very much but the song is great.

4.6/5

Mai Kuraki- I Sing a song for you


Mai Kuraki's ballads like Ashita e kakeru hashi, kaze no la la la, like a star in the night, can't forget your love etc. are relaxing too but I Sing a song for you stands out among them. It is a typical ballad with piano in the background and Mai vocals.

4.5/5

To cut the article short, I have reviewed only one song by each artist. The other songs I have mentioned (by the same artist) are wonderful too and worth a try. Many anime songs fit under relaxing because anime singers usually don't have very powerful voices which reduce the song's water like qualities. Mebae drive, Rythem's songs, Chihiro Onistuka's songs, Akanishi Jin's eternal, Mizu no Akashi, Fields of hope, Shonen Jidai, Yumi Matsutoya's songs etc. fit in the category too. Feel free to suggest any relaxing songs you like.

Character interview of Sed Lionheart from Rock Hard

I am really excited today because I am doing the first character interview of Review Carnival. And my guest today is none other than.....Sedric Lionheart who is the lead singer of the uber-cool rock band 'Sinners' in Olivia Cunning's new erotic romance series Sinner on Tour.

To find out more about Olivia and the Sinners (there is a book for each band member) visit www.oliviacunning.com. The first book featuring guitarist Bryan is already available in bookstores and Rock Hard featuring Sed will go on sale in April 2011.

So here's Sed

Allow me to introduce Sedric “Sed” Lionheart, the lead singer of the sensational rock band, Sinners.
Thanks for having me. Is this a book blog?

Yes, but it’s also about music and other things.
Oh. I was wondering why you invited me here. I don’t read much, but music is my life.

You are the lead character in a book. Rock Hard by Olivia Cunning.
I haven’t read it.

Here's the band together- group photo!


Do you mind if I ask you some questions?
That’s what I’m here for.

Favorite band- I don’t have a favorite band. We’re opening for Exodus End in Las Vegas soon. They’re awesome.
Favorite music genre- Hard rock and metal
First love- Music. Or did you mean a girl?
Zodiac- Leo
Favorite place- On stage
Qualities admired in a woman- smart, sexy, caring, and I love a woman with a temper
Biggest secret- I have dimples (I hate them)
Your motto- Anything for a fan.

What made you decide you wanted to be a singer?
I wasn’t good at anything else. Honestly, it’s my only talent. I didn’t even know that’s what I wanted to do until I used a fake ID to get into some crappy little bar in Los Angeles. On stage, was some unknown band called Crysys made up of a bunch of punk teenagers, like myself. They were amazing. I’d never heard a more sensual sound. Sometimes you just know that you were meant to do something. You feel it in your gut. I knew instantly that these guys were going somewhere and I had to be a part of it.
Unfortunately, they already had a singer and I don’t play an instrument. A little violin, but nothing that would get me into a band with that kind of raw talent. I’m still not sure how I convinced Eric to give up singing to become Sinners’ drummer. I tend to be a little pushy, I suppose.
So we rearranged the band a little. They hadn’t found a permanent drummer, so the guy helping them out—he was in a different band—stepped aside. Eric Sticks, who had been their singer and bassist, became the drummer. Since you can’t drum and play bass at the same time, Eric got a friend of his, Jon Mallory, to join as our new bassists. The guitarists Brian Sinclair and Trey Mills stayed on. They’re the heart of the group. We had to keep them together. And I sang. We changed the name of the band to Sinners and became an instant failure. We didn’t let that stop us. I believed in the group. They believed in the group. We never let ourselves quit or lose our vision, even when it looked like we’d never catch a break. When we finally hit it big, we didn’t stop and rest on our laurels, we kept pushing, growing, evolving.
Sorry, I think I lost sight of the question there. You can probably tell I’m passionate about this band, our music.

So how long has Sinners been together?
Ten years now. We starved for the first eight.

I thought Jace Seymour was your bassist. Who is Jon Mallory?
Jace has been with the band for two years. Jon Mallory was forced to quit for personal reasons.

Which would be?
Personal.

Okay. Touchy subject. What is your favorite song to sing and why?
My favorite song to perform live is Twisted. It really pumps up the crowd. I love the crowd. I also like Goodbye Is Not Forever. That’s our ballad. More singing, less screaming. Did I mention Sinners is a metal band?

Do you have any pre-show rituals?
I chew red licorice. It keeps my throat and cords pliable. I do a lot of screaming during a live show. If I’m not careful, I could damage my throat.

When you aren't touring, what do you like to do in your free time?
Workout. Write music. Swim in the ocean. Shoot pool. Watch a game and have a beer with my buds. Play beach volleyball. Sex—that’s my favorite pastime.

What's your favorite position?
That’s a tough one. There are so many great positions. Quarterback. Running back. Linebacker. I can’t choose just one. Or were you talking about some other type of position?

Never mind. Are you close to your other band mates?
They’re my best friends. I’d die for any one of them. Even Eric. Because we tour so much, we practically live on top of each other ten months out of the year. If we didn’t get along well, we’d end up killing each other.

How do you keep in such great physical condition while on tour?
It isn’t nutrition. We don’t eat healthy when we’re on tour. I do have a weight set in the equipment truck. I work out with free weights at least an hour a day. I also do a lot of sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups on the bus. Wanna feel my abs? They’re rock hard.

Is that why this book you’re in is called Rock Hard?
What do you think?

What singers do you look up to?
Axl Rose, Freddie Mercury, Maximilian Richardson, and Luciano Pavarotti

What do you do with the bras women throw at you on stage?
The roadies have made a giant slingshot out of them. We use it to fling pies at cars when we get bored on the tour bus.
Really?
*lol* No, not really. The roadies collect them after the shows. I don’t know what they do with them. Sorry, ladies. We don’t sleep with them under our pillows or anything. The roadies might.

Over the past couple of years, you’ve gotten the reputation of being quite a playboy. It’s said you go through women like most men go through socks. Any chance that you’ll settle down?
Yeah, sure. If I found the right woman. I thought I found her once, but she left me to go to law school. I must have been wrong about her.

So what’s next for Sinners?
We’ve started working on our next album. Amazing stuff on this one. It should be out later this year. We’re still touring and promoting our last album, Shattered, so if we stop in your town, you should come out and see our show. I guarantee you’ll have a great time.

Thank you, Sed, for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to us.
Anything for a fan.

Isn't he sweet? I'm so glad I got the opportunity to interview him. Want to find out more about this upcoming superstar? Go to http://www.oliviacunning.com/fun%20stuff.html and read excerpts, short stories and participate in fun contests.