Thursday, June 7, 2012

Aloha to Jayne Fresina and THE MOST IMPROPER MISS SOPHIE VALENTINE



Just in time for Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee - English author Jayne Fresina joins me for a cozy chat to celebrate her new novel, THE MOST IMPROPER MISS SOPHIE VALENTINE!  From her bio,


Jayne Fresina sprouted up in England, the youngest in a family of four girls. Entertained by her father’s colorful tales of growing up in the countryside, and surrounded by opinionated sisters— all with far more exciting lives than hers— she’s always had inspiration for her beleaguered heroes and unstoppable heroines. Visit www.jaynefresina.com for more information. 




Kim:  We are Anglophiles at SOS Aloha! I saw on your website that’s where you are from! Can you share your corner of England - your favorite sight, smell, and sound?


Jayne:  I am from a town called Huntingdon in East Anglia. If you know who Oliver Cromwell was, that's where he was born. I can still smell the Saturday market in the town square. That may sound strange as not all the smells were good, but it brings me back to my childhood and going to buy sweets at the market! Also - and I know this sounds even odder - I used to spend a lot of time wandering around churchyards, so the smell of damp, mossy stone always reminds me of home too. And the cooing of woodpigeons on a lazy afternoon. I loved watching and feeding the swans on the river, taking family trips to look at ruins and walks along the river bank on Sundays. Our father taking us to watch him fish, while we sat on a freezing cold beach, watched grim, gray waves and felt rain pelting us in the face. Those are my best memories of home. 

Kim:  I am curious about those opinionated sisters - have they influenced (or inspired) your writing?

Jayne:  They would like to believe that they're the heroines in my books. Ha ha! I do actually use bits and pieces of people in some of my characters, but I doubt they would recognize themselves. I always tell one of my sisters that she has a "bit" part in my latest book. Just a small part. That makes her sulk. I joke that she gets typecast. We were all big readers growing up and we had wild, inventive imaginations, so I suppose all that rubbed off on me. As a writer I think everything I have experienced is somewhere in my books. Most of the time I don't even know it's there until someone points it out to me. 

Vittorio Reggianini's THE LETTER.

Kim:  Tell us about THE MOST IMPROPER MISS SOPHIE VALENTINE!

Jayne:  Sophie Valentine is in danger of becoming an old maid. She's almost thirty, scarred, and hides herself away in a small country village where she lives with her brother and his wife. But despite her meek appearance she has a streak of willfulness that she can't seem to tame and it comes out at the most unpredictable moments. One day, fed up with her sister-in-law's nagging, she decides to advertise for a husband in the local farmer's gazette. She regrets this impulsive act as soon as it's done, but she can't take the advertisement back. The best she can do is own up to the prank and hope no one answers it. Along comes the mysterious, handsome stranger Lazarus Kane and he isn't about to let Sophie change her mind about needing a husband, no matter what she does to put him off. 


Kim:  What's next for Jayne Fresina

Jayne:  I just finished working on the sequel - THE WICKED WEDDING OF MISS ELLIE VYNE - which is all about Sophie's best friend falling in love with her childhood nemesis. Next I'll be finishing off the third book in the series - LADY MERCY DANFORTHE FLIRTS WITH SCANDAL

Mahalo, Jayne, for taking time from the Jubilee Celebrations to join us at SOS Aloha!  I posted my review on Amazon at this link and Goodreads at this link.  Sourcebooks is giving away a print copy of  THE MOST IMPROPER MISS SOPHIE VALENTINE BY JAYNE FRESINA – IN STORES JUNE 2012:

"Wanted: one husband, not too particular. Small dowry, several books, sundry furnishings, and elderly aunt included. Idlers, time-wasters, and gentleman without other attachments need not apply."—Miss Sophie Valentine

A SCANDALOUS LADY…

Sophie Valentine knew placing an ad for a husband in the Farmers Gazette would bring her trouble-and she was right. When the darkly handsome, arrogantly charming Lazarus Kane shows up on her doorstep, the nosy residents of Sydney Dovedale are thrown into a gossiping tizzy. After all, it's common knowledge that Sophie is a young lady In Need of Firmer Direction. But even Sophie isn't so scandalous as to marry a complete stranger. .. is she?

SEEKS HANDSOME STRANGER… 

Lazarus Kane has been searching for Sophie half of his life. She may not remember him, but he could never forget her. But the past is a dangerous thing, and it's best if his remains secret if he wants to tempt Sophie with ... 

A MOST IMPROPER PROPOSAL… 



To enter the Sourcebooks giveaway, leave a comment about the most daring thing you have done - leap off a balcony?  Flirt with a younger man?  Read a scandalous book hidden under a dull cover?

This giveaway is open to US residents only.  But I will give my ARC to one international reader.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 9, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, June 10.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii



32 comments:

  1. I am not exactly known as a daring person, but I used to love to sneak out of the house as a teenager. Until I got caught by my dad. That was not pretty.
    Mel

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  2. When I was younger too many to write down!!

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  3. I also did a lot of very daring things when I was younger, but will keep those things to myself. LOL

    However, one of the daring things that I did do was to hook one of my sisters' up with one of my husbands friends' (against my sister's wishes). I'm happy to say that my sister ended up marrying this man that she didn't want to know. They've been together now for 30 years.

    Thank you for this opportunity. I'd love to read this book by Jayne. I think that the cover is gorgeous!!!

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  4. fufufu i think i'm Reading a scandalous book hidden under a dull cover *grin

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  5. I'm "guilty" of reading a scandalous book or two. Not very daring as no one knew I was reading it. And when I was a teenager I climbed out of my bedroom window to go to a party I wasn't allowed to go to. Got grounded for a week... never did it again.

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  7. Oh, the same for me. My sister and I snuck out of our window to go to a party down the street. Coming home we were going back in through the same window. As I nudged my sister up and tried to push her over she kept resisting me and I told her to knock it off until I saw my father lean out and say "Get in". A month of being grounded sure changed our ways. lol But it was really funny. lol
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

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  8. I'm the youngest of three girls... so I watched and learned from the older ones... it didn't take me long to figure out that in a small town, there are no secrets...and the parental units 'known all' or find out pretty darn quickly... So I guess the most scandelous thing I've done -- skinny dipping....

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  9. Either river rafting on an extreme river in Colorado (they shut the rafting down after the rafts went down that afternoon) or swimming with the sharks! :)

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  10. I don't know anything that I would consider scandalous - tho some very straight-laced people would frown on some of the books I've read (I know I blush at some of them).

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  11. The most daring thing that I've probably done was run after my favorite basketball player and hugged him for the world to see.

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  12. Hmmm...a lot of things I can't talk about. lol! But one daring thing I did was ride a cable car up to the top of the Matterhorn.
    I love British authors! I'd love to win Jayne's book!

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  13. I have done a lot of daring things in my life when I was younger. The one that I got in trouble for the most was taking off my clothes in front of a boy when I was 5-6 years old on a dare. Did I ever get in trouble for that one...

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  14. I'm not an overly daring person but the most exciting/daring thing I've ever done was to take a flight in a small 4 sitter plane which was owned by my then boss and her husband with her husband as the pilot. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  15. Well of the things I can mention lol was riding a horse (I don't ride) up a mountainside in Haiti. Coming down was even worse!

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  16. I dated a younger man when I as a teen.

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  17. Congrats to Jayne on the new release. I have flirted with younger men. He was so cute I couldn't resist.

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  18. I have done my share of daring things but cannot share here.

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  19. while I get daring or adventurous every so often, I can't say I've ever done anything really scandalous -- of course others may think it was a bit scandalous, but no me ;)

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  20. I traveled around the world by myself.

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  21. This book looks great! Thanks for the post!

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  22. I've not only flirted with a younger man, I dated one for quite a few years. :D The most daring thing I've done is ask a guy I liked to go out with me when I was a teen. He said yes, but apparently he was just being nice, because nothing ever came of it. I was disappointed, but glad I got to go out with him.

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  23. I used to sunbathe topless in the back yard when I was young & foolish.

    These were the days before we were made fully aware of the dangers of skin cancer. Now I barely bare an inch of skin.

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  24. The most daring thing that I have done is scuba diving. Wat a wonderful exciting world there is under the waves!!

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  25. When I was 16 I had gone on a date with a boy I really liked. I had only been kissed a couple of times before so I didn't really know what to do. But like I said, I really liked him and wanted him to kiss me. He happened to be as timid as I was unfortunately. So near the end of our night I grabbed his coat with both my hands, pulled him to me and kissed him. We were both in stunned silence for a few seconds after that.
    Doesn't sound very daring, but at the time (and my expierence level) it felt incredibly daring.

    Oh, and I married that boy =)

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  26. I just don't do daring things! lol

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  27. This is terrible! I can't think of one single scandalous thing I've ever done! (sigh)

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  28. I am not a daring person so the most daring thing I can think of is sailing on my husband's sailboat.

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  29. Kim -

    Thank you for "introducing" me to Jayne! I just visited her website and am looking forward to reading all her books! My Kindle will have some her her books added to it before the night is over!

    Jayne -

    I can't wait to read more about Lizzy's advertisement for a husband in the local farmer's gazette and what happens when Lazarus shows up at her house!

    The most daring thing I've ever done is marry my husband! He was in the Navy during Vietnam and I met him in May of 1969. Keeping in mind that he was deployed several times after I met him.

    The daring part was when he asked me to marry him in November on my birthday the end of November I said yes! and we got married in February the next year!

    My parents said getting married to someone you barely knew would never last! We celebrated our 42nd anniversary in February and it was the best daring decision I ever made!

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  30. The most daring thing I ever did & still do Is share myself with Strangers Via the Internet.
    Most of these Strangers have become my closest friends Helped me in ways i would never have imagined.
    I hope to thank most of these Treasured friends in Person SOMEDAY.
    Have a good one Ann/alba

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  31. Thank you all so much for taking the time to comment on my blog post!

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