Marilyn Brant Takes Us to the French Riviera!

Today I'm so happy to be hosting Marilyn Brant who's taking readers on a virtual trip around Europe.

Marilyn is the award-winning women's fiction author of ACCORDING TO JANE (2009), FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE (2010) and her newest novel, A SUMMER IN EUROPE (December 1, 2011), all from Kensington Books. She's also a #1 Kindle bestseller and has written a series of fun and flirty contemporary romantic comedies, available exclusively as original ebooks. The first of these, ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAE, was released in June 2011 and hit Amazon's Top 100 List for "Bestsellers in Humor." Her second digital story, DOUBLE DIPPING, was a September 2011 release. Marilyn has traveled to 46 states and over 30 countries (so far -- she's not done yet!), but she now lives in the Chicago suburbs with her family.

About A SUMMER IN EUROPE:

Click here to buy!

Brant transports readers across the pond on a grand journey of self-awakening amidst the classic architecture and stunning vistas of Europe...

On her 30th birthday, Gwendolyn Reese receives and unexpected present from her widowed Aunt Bea: a grand tour of Europe in the company of Bea's Sudoku and Mahjongg Club. The prospect isn't entirely appealing. But when the gift she is expecting -- an engagement ring from her boyfriend -- doesn't materialize, Gwen decides to go.

At first, Gwen approaches the trip as if it's the math homework she assigns her students, diligently checking monuments off her must-see list. But amid the bougainvillea and beauty of southern Italy, something changes. Gwen begins to live in the moment -- skipping down stone staircases in Capri, running her fingers over a glacier in view of the Matterhorn, racing through the Louvre and taste-testing pastries, wine and gelato. Reveling in every new experience -- especially her attraction to a charismatic British physics professor -- Gwen discovers that the ancient wonders around her are nothing compared to the renaissance unfolding within...

"Brant's newest...distinguishes itself with a charismatic leading man and very funny supporting cast, especially the wonderful elderly characters with their resonant message about living life to the fullest." ~Publishers Weekly

GET TO KNOW MARILYN BRANT

Thanks so much for inviting me here today, Maureen!!

Maureen: My pleasure. What’s the best vacation you’ve ever been on?

Marilyn: My husband and I were both public school teachers in the 1990s so, before becoming home owners or parents, we would go on these backpacking trips together for weeks at a time. For a several summers we traveled to Europe, stayed at cheap hotels or youth hostels, Eurailed to different sites, walked for seven hours or more on most days (sightseeing is great exercise!) and lived on pub food in England, bakery pastries in France, chocolate bars in Germany and gelato in Italy. Definitely my kind of vacation.

Maureen: What’s your favorite dessert?

Marilyn: Anything with chocolate! Well, okay, there are some things dipped in chocolate I wouldn’t eat (i.e., crickets, celery, any kind of fish…ugh), so I’ll amend that: ALMOST anything with chocolate!

Maureen: If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would you go and why?

Marilyn: There are so many historical figures from the past that I’d love to meet in person…or even observe from a nice safe distance (was Attila the Hun *really* that bad?! LOL), but from a literary standpoint, Jane Austen was always my idol. So, it would be fascinating to return to England of the early 1800s to meet her for tea.

Maureen: What do you do to unwind and relax?

Marilyn: I listen to music on my iPod -- too loudly, I’m sure. And, when I’m feeling motivated and the weather isn’t keeping me inside, I love to listen to the music while walking. My heroine in this new novel loves Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals (so do I), so I listened to a lot of soundtracks while writing it -- especially The Phantom of the Opera.

Maureen: Strawberry daiquiri or a beer?

Marilyn: Strawberry daiquiri, hands down (although, I have a hard time *spelling* “daiquiri…). I wish I liked the taste of beer a bit more. I used to live in La Crosse, Wisconsin -- home of the G. Heileman Brewing Company, the makers of Old Style Beer -- and they had the world’s largest six-pack right in front of the building back then. I was an undergrad in college at the time and EVERYONE I knew loved beer… I loved it only as a helpful cooking ingredient for beer bread and beer brats, which are both delicious, by the way!

Gotta Ask/Gotta Answer:

Maureen: I love the settings in A Summer in Europe. Which location was one of your favorites? How many of the places your characters visit have you actually traveled to?

Marilyn: To answer the second question first, I’ve visited almost every place my characters traveled to in the book -- all the locales mentioned in Italy, Hungary, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Belgium and most of the ones in France and England. I never got to Monet’s home and gardens in Giverny, France, and that was a stop I’d always wanted to make. I also didn’t visit Guildford Castle in Surrey, England, which I would have liked to see. The others…yes ☺.

As for a location I loved -- I have some very fond memories of the French Riviera, though probably for all the “wrong” reasons. It was unusual, specific and sometimes really random things that made the place special to me, not the typical sites, though gorgeous (!!), that tourists are supposed enjoy. For instance, our favorite lunch spot along the coast was a tiny, inexpensive Vietnamese café that served really fresh spring rolls with a mint dipping sauce. I loved those spring rolls! (I think we ate them every day for 3 or 4 days…) And the beach, which was beautiful to walk along but, in my opinion, ONLY if you were wearing shoes! There were so many sharp stones along the shore that I much preferred the pedestrian walkway. (I’ve included a picture of my husband and me standing there from the early ‘90s -- ahhh, we were so young!)

But probably the oddest memory that stuck with me through the years was that, at our little hotel in Nice, someone had left a romance novel in the room. It was in English and, when I tried to turn it in to the lady owner, she told me to keep it. I later gave it to someone else I met on the trip and have since long forgotten which author wrote it…but I’ll never forget that I was compelled to read it. That I was visiting a lovely and romantic place and was also enjoying a story that was as lovely and romantic. It was like being in two wonderful places at once. And I really loved that, even though I’d had no idea at the time that I’d ever write a romantic story myself.

Question for GLIAS readers:

Okay, now I want to know…what are books that you consider to be especially romantic? I was just asked that question for the Goodreads newsletter this month. Five of my choices are here: http://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/632.Marilyn_Brant , but I would love to know a few of yours. And, what’s one of the most romantic places you’ve ever traveled to? Did something in particular make it memorable?

If you’re a travel lover like me, I’m doing a virtual grand European tour (with pictures and a few personal stories) for anyone interested in taking part in the adventure! Most of the itinerary is below:

Friday 11/25: Rome at Magical Musings
Monday 11/28: Pompeii at SOS Aloha
Tuesday 11/29: Isle of Capri at The Stiletto Gang
Wednesday 11/30: Venice at Girlfriends Book Club
Thursday 12/1: Budapest at Women's Fiction Writers
Friday 12/2: Florence at Writer Unboxed
Monday 12/5: London at Austen Authors
Tuesday 12/6: Salzburg at Robin Bielman's Blog
Wednesday 12/7: Lake Como at Brant Flakes
Monday 12/12: French Riviera at Get Lost in a Story  (today!)
Wednesday 12/14: Pisa at Fly High
Wednesday 12/21: Vienna at What Women Write
Monday 1/9: Brussels at Uni-Verse-City
Tuesday 1/10: Paris at Chick Lit Central

The full list of travel stops, interviews and giveaways will be updated through the month on my website: http://www.marilynbrant.com . I hope you'll join me for a few other cities on the tour! And if you'd like to read an excerpt from A Summer in Europe, which is a Literary Guild, BOMC2 and Rhapsody Book Club featured alternate selection for December 2011, you can find one here:  http://www.marilynbrant.com/MBbooksEURO.html  

Thanks to Maureen and to everyone here at GLIAS for having me as a guest -- it was a pleasure!

~Marilyn

GIVEAWAY!

One lucky commenter will win A SUMMER IN EUROPE luggage tag and t-shirt!

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

Marilyn Brant

Marilyn Brant is the award-winning women's fiction author of ACCORDING TO JANE (2009), FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE (2010) and A SUMMER IN EUROPE (coming 11-29-11), all from Kensington Books. She's been a classroom teacher, library staff member, freelance writer and national book reviewer. Since turning to writing, her novels have won a number of awards (like the Golden Heart, the Booksellers' Best and the Aspen Gold), and they’ve been selected as Doubleday & Book-of-the-Month Club Featured Alternate Selections. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and son, surrounded by towers of books that often threaten to topple over and crush her. Visit her at www.marilynbrant.com.

GET LOST IN:  FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE

 

Every woman remembers her firsts: Her first kiss. Her first lover. And her first time contemplating an affair…


Each Friday morning at the Indigo Moon Café, Jennifer, Bridget and Tamara meet to swap stories about marriage, kids and work. But one day, spurred by recent e-mails from her college ex, Jennifer poses questions they've never faced before. What if they all married the wrong man? What if they're living the wrong life? And what would happen if, just once, they gave in to temptation…?


Soon each woman is second-guessing the choices she's made—and the ones she can unmake—as she becomes aware of new opportunities around every corner, from attentive colleagues and sexy neighbors to flirtatious past lovers. And as fantasies blur with real life, Jennifer, Bridget and Tamara begin to realize how little they know about each other, their marriages and themselves, and how much there is to gain—and lose—when you step outside the rules.


You can read an excerpt from FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE, here.



GET TO KNOW MARILYN

Welcome, Marilyn! Thanks for stopping by to chat with our readers. What was most important to you in the writing of this story?

I’m always trying to be honest about the complexities of human emotion, particularly in regards to relationships. I would say with Friday Mornings at Nine, the biggest issue I wanted to explore was not so much the concept of “cheating” as a theme but, rather, the far less titillating subject of “choosing.” That a woman can really only be in a relationship fully—marital or otherwise—once she understands how and why she’s chosen to be there. That she has to look closely enough and listen deeply enough to know who she is and what she wants. And that in every romantic relationship or good friendship, she chooses over and over again (either consciously or unconsciously) whether she wants to stay. I believe that’s true of all of us, and I wanted my characters in this story to move from unconsciously living very unexamined lives to consciously and actively making a choice about where they were headed.

I love that -- looking at our day to day lives in a much more active way. You're right. Even not doing something is a choice. So, what’s your favorite movie of all time?

This is impossible for me to narrow down! I love lots of movies…especially classic films like “Roman Holiday” (with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn) and “The Philadelphia Story” (with Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart and Katharine Hepburn). I also love “A Room with a View,” all the “Pride & Prejudice” films, “While You Were Sleeping” and “When Harry Met Sally…”

All great ones. And I'm sensing a theme. ☺ My first two novels are fairy tale adaptations, so I'm curious... What’s your favorite fairy tale?

Cinderella, hands down! My new book, Fridays Mornings at Nine, has a fairy-tale theme, though, so it was fun to explore a mix of tales and give them a modern suburban twist, particularly using Little Red Riding Hood (with Bridget), Rapunzel (with Tamara), and Goldilocks and the Three Bears (with Jennifer).

What turns you off like nothing else?

Insincerity. I don’t expect everyone I meet to become a close friend, but I expect those who are my friends to be genuine and trustworthy. Period.

Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?

No. I wish I could. I LOVE music, but it’s wildly distracting to me while I’m writing. (I am too often tempted to sing along—and, sadly, I don’t always do it especially well!) However, I reference songs quite a bit in the narrative itself, so I listen to a lot of music while I’m working on a story—just not when I’m actually sitting at the computer doing the typing. One of my favorite things to do is to go on walks with my iPod and think about scenes, testing out different songs to see if they provide the right musical subtext. For my debut book, According to Jane, I have an entire soundtrack of ‘80s tunes amassed. For Friday Mornings at Nine, I returned to the sounds of the '70s. And for my upcoming novel, A Summer in Europe, I'm referencing musicals, especially those of Andrew Lloyd Webber. (I have a "Soundtrack" link for each novel on the BOOKS page of my website at: http://www.marilynbrant.com/MBbooks.html)

What’s your favorite kind of cheese?

You realize I’m originally from Wisconsin…we Wisconsinites know cheese. I love fresh mozzarella, provolone, Monterey jack and—as a throwback to my childhood—salami cheese (especially delicious on sourdough bread!) and white curd cheese.

Who’s your favorite villain?

Mr. Wickham from Pride and Prejudice. I think he’s a terrific villain because he’s so charming and cunning that people don’t suspect him for the longest time. He knows how to flatter people so they fall under his spell, and then he betrays them. But, once someone is onto his schemes, it’s easy to see through him and he loses his power.

He is a great villain. Handsome and charming villains can be the worst! What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?

Order a carry-out dinner in celebration (I don’t want to have to cook—LOL) and get something chocolaty-good for dessert!

Mmmm. Chocolate.... What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

It means a lot to me to get to work on something creative every single day. Truly, that’s been such a gift. Even when the plotting of a scene is giving me fits or the synopsis doesn’t seem to make sense at all…I love knowing that I have a place to play with these characters and storylines. My hope is that by writing about women’s dreams and experiences as honestly as possible, I might get closer to helping readers recognize truths about their own lives. It was this sense of “recognition” that my favorite novelists gave to me, and I'll always be grateful for that.

GOTTA ASK -- GOTTA ANSWER ☺

A very personal question... What’s in your purse?

Lots of little scraps of paper. Seriously. Besides the basic set of cards (credit, insurance, library, bookstore, grocery, etc.), loose change and a few dollar bills…it’s mostly old crumpled receipts that I scribbled something on at some point. And one tube of lipstick. And my keys. Sometimes my cell phone, too—if I remember to charge it.

MARILYN'S JUST GOTTA ASK HER FANS

So, it’s the New Year…are you someone who does or doesn’t make resolutions? If you do make them, have you chosen yours for 2011 already?

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GIVEAWAY!

Marilyn is generously offering a Friday Mornings at Nine t-shirt as a prize for a random commenter. (Cool!) The draw is open to any random commenter within North America and the chances of winning will vary depending on the number of comments.

GET IN TOUCH 

You can keep in touch with Marilyn here:

Website: www.marilynbrant.com
Blog: http://marilynbrant.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/marilynbrant