Mary Strand brings P&P's Liz and Darcy to fun, contemporary YA life!

Mary Strand has joined us here at GLIAS in the past with her wonderful women’s fiction novel COOPER’S FOLLY, and I couldn’t be more excited to have her back so she can introduce us to her brand new YA novel - PRIDE, PREJUDICE, AND PUSH-UP BRAS (The Bennet Sisters Book # 1) from Triple Berry Press. I am so excited about this series and cannot WAIT for all the books to be out! Mary is a fellow

Minnesotan, an RWA chapter mate, and, most of all, a great friend and writer well known for her wit and humor on Facebook and for getting into jealous tussles with me about our favorite Minnesota Twins player Brian Dozier. But that’s for another time; for now, I hope you’ll give a huge Get Lost in a Story welcome to my bud, Mary Strand!

A LITTLE ABOUT MARY

Mary Strand practiced law in a large Minneapolis law firm for 16 years until the day she set aside her pointy-toed shoes (or most of them) and escaped the land of mergers and acquisitions to write novels. She lives on a lake in Minneapolis with her husband, two cute kidlets, and a stuffed monkey named Philip. When not writing, Mary lives for sports, travel, guitar, dancing (badly), Cosmos, Hugh Jackman, and ill-advised adventures that offer a high probability of injury to herself and others.  She writes YA, romantic comedy, and women’s fiction novels.  Pride, Prejudice, and Push-Up Bras is the first in her four-book YA series, The Bennet Sisters.

A LITTLE ABOUT PRIDE, PREJUDICE, AND PUSH-UP BRAS  

College freshman Liz Bennet refuses to let her name—or Jane Austen, for that matter—define her. Even though she’s one of five teenage sisters named after the Bennet sisters in “The Book,” as Liz not-so-fondly calls it, she can’t afford to let her life parallel The Book in any way. Period. Liz has big plans for her future, and they don't exactly mesh with the life laid out for a fictional young woman 200 years ago.

When two gorgeous guys, Charlie Bingham and Alex Darcy, arrive in Liz’s Minnesota town, her whole world is turned upside down. Her sister Jane starts acting like a lunatic with Charlie. Alex is tempting but also a jerk.  Seeing too many uncanny connections to The Book, Liz is afraid she can’t win. Is this fate’s little joke on her modern Bennet family? What’s a girl to do? Fight? Or ... surrender?

PURCHASE LINKS FOR PRIDE, PREJUDICE, AND PUSH-UP BRAS  

Amazon e-book (trade paperback is also available)

B&N/Nook

iTunes (Apple iBooks)

Kobo

MARY ANSWERS MY CRAZY QUESTIONS

LIZ: What was your favorite book as a child?

MARY:  Can I declare a tie?  I first really fell in love with

reading with Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books and Louisa May Alcott’s books - all of them - but I tended to prefer action stories, which back then were often more “boy” stories, so I’d choose Laura Ingalls Wilder’s FARMER BOY and Louisa May Alcott’s LITTLE MEN.

LIZ: How did you come up with the idea for this book? 

MARY:  Out of a writers’ voice class taught by Barbara Samuel!  One of the writing exercises we had to do was to type the first 2-3 paragraphs of a favorite book, then retype them in our own voice.  I chose PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.  When the class read my new opening for P&P, they basically laughed and said, “Yep, that’s exactly how you talk!”

LIZ: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

MARY:  Sports and music, music and sports.  At the moment, though, I’d have to say that it’s music.  I’ve just joined a rock band (for the first time in my life, if we don’t count my fifth-grade band, the Bell-Bottom Blues), and I’m playing guitar (badly), and it’s an utter blast.  Our first gig is in November.

LIZ: If you could have dinner with any three book characters, who would you choose and why?

MARY:  Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice; Lord Rothgar from Jo Beverley’s Malloren series; and Ranger from Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.  But, um, could each of those dinners be separate?  We’re talking Rothgar and Ranger.  J

LIZ: If your house was on fire and you only had time to save three objects, what would you save?

MARY:  I actually had this dream scenario LAST NIGHT and discovered that, ultimately, the only thing that mattered was saving my life.  So I’ll say the kidlets ... and my convertible. :-D

LIZ: Write us a haiku about your book or one of your characters!

MARY:  Warning: haiku is not among my strengths!

Liz lives for rock songs

Until Darcy rocks her world;

She’s “All Shook Up” now.

LIZ: I love this (especially because at first I thought it was about me)—and that you’re one of my few guest/friends to take on this challenge. You can claim it as a strength if you want to as far as I’m concerned!

LIZ: Time for a mini blitz!

a)Favorite color? Song? Movie?

b) Summer or winter?

c) Morning or night?

d) Rain or shine?

e) Sweet or salty?

MARY:

a) yellow - Rodney Crowell’s “Please Remember Me” - DON’T MAKE ME PICK ONE MOVIE!

b) summer (but actually fall)

c) morning

d) SHINE!

e) sweet

LIZ: Name three things on your desk right now.

MARY:  A large bottle of Airborne; a magical stone; and my next manuscript.

LIZ: Where is your favorite place to write?

MARY:  Sebastian Joe’s!  It’s a local coffee and ice cream shop here in Minneapolis (two locations; I go to the one closest to my house), where I write with the enthusiastic assistance of triple-berry scones and Diet Coke.

LIZ: What’s on your bucket list for this year?

MARY:  We already hiked to Machu Picchu this year, six months ago.  For the coming year ... my hope is to hike the entire 500 miles of the Camino de Santiago in the early summer of 2017.

LIZ HAS GOTTA ASK: What’s the most personal thing you’ve ever put in one of your books?

MARY:  It’s a book that’s written but not yet published, about a girl who has to face her biggest fear and survive it.  A few years ago, two different creepy guys, a month apart, each tried to abduct my daughter.  She did Every Single Thing I’ve ever taught her to do in such a situation and even amazed the investigating police afterward.  So I started writing that book about a girl my daughter’s age (then 12), but then advanced her after the first chapter to age 17.  The 17-year-old heroine suddenly (and without warning!) turned into me, and the book also dealt with a guy who was my big love (although he wasn’t 17 in real life).  It was like ripping out my heart every day I wrote it.  I gave her a happy ending, though.  J

MARY’S QUESTION FOR HER READERS?

PRDE, PREJUDICE, AND PUSH-UP BRAS is the first book in the four-book Bennet Sisters series, about five modern-day sisters named after the five Bennet Sisters in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.  Liz Bennet’s three younger sisters often drive her crazy.  What’s one thing that drives you absolutely CRAZY about your sister(s) or brother(s)?  Or, if you don’t have sibs, one thing that drives you crazy about someone else!

I have an e-book copy of PRIDE, PREJUDICE, AND PUSH-UP BRAS for one commenter today!

WHAT’S NEXT?:

My next release is BEING MARY BENNET BLOWS, the second book in my Bennet Sisters YA series.  It’s coming in November, I hope!

CONTACT MARY:

Website:   www.marystrand.com

Facebook:   www.facebook.com/marystrandauthor

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/Mary_Strand

Goodreads:  https//www.goodreads.com/author/show/7328368.Mary_Strand

Instagram  http://instagram.com/Mary_Strand

Get Lost with Darcy Woods and Summer of Supernovas

I'm thrilled to have my friend and fellow Golden Heart finalist (and winner) on GLIAS today!.  Please meet the delightful Darcy Woods!

Before we get to the juicy details  - I want to make sure you know that Darcy is giving away the last signed ARC of SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS!   Please make sure you comment for a chance to win.


MEET DARCY WOODS 

Young adult author Darcy Woods had three big loves in grade school: reading, writing, and pizza day. Some things never change. She lives in Michigan with her madly supportive husband, two tuxedo cats (who overdress for everything) and a closet full of neatly organized shoes. SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS is her Golden Heart-winning debut novel.


Tell the readers about your fabulous debut - SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS!  Release date --  MAY 10, 2016.

THE STORY BLURB

Fans of Jennifer E. Smith and Jenny Han will fall in love with this heartfelt and humor-laced debut following one girl’s race to find the guy of her cosmic dreams.

When zodiac-obsessed teen Wilamena Carlisle discovers a planetary alignment that won’t repeat for a decade, she’s forced to tackle her greatest astrological fear: The Fifth House—relationships and love.

But when Wil falls for a sensitive guitar player hailing from the wrong side of the astrology chart, she must decide whether a cosmically doomed love is worth rejecting her dead mother’s legacy and the very system she’s faithfully followed through a lifetime of unfailing belief. 
Nan: I can't wait until this shows up on my Nook.  I have already pre-ordered!

READ A LITTLE 

Sadly, I don't have any excerpts in the wild yet. But there IS an exclusive chapter reveal coming soon on Bustle! And since I'm a firm believer in consolation prizes, here's a tiny taste of what you can expect from SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS…

Nan: Love it!

PRE-ORDER THE BOOK

Amazon |Barnes & Noble |IndieBound |Powell’s

A LIGHTING ROUND OF Q&A WITH DARCEY WOODS

NAN: How often to you get lost in a story?

DARCY: Every single day if I'm living right! Unfortunately I don't get to devour books at the speed I once did, but I still make reading a daily practice. That's what fills the well. Even if it's only thirty minutes while I'm sweating my ass off on the elliptical--I'll take it wherever I can get it! Next up in my diet of YA reads? The Darkest Lie by Pintip Dunn. Secrets, lies, and tangled truths… I AM SOLD!!!

Nan: I can't wait to read that one, too.  My TBR pile is toppling over!

NAN:  What is your hope for the future of the romance genre?
DARCY: Hold on, let me grab my rose-colored glasses. Ah, that's better. I dream of a world where people don't feel the need to apologize when they say they read romance. If a book makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes your heart hammer, makes you contemplate your immortal soul, or simply offers an escape from your own reality--THAT BOOK IS IMPORTANT. Which makes any preconceived notions about a genre's worth, irrelevant.
Nan: I can't wait for that to become a reality.

NAN: High Heels or Hiking Boots?
DARCY: No contest…HEELS. (Although never while hiking because I'm a practical gal at heart.) But I do require very specific heels--the kind with wedges and/or platforms. Since my affair with gravity is lifelong and I've been known to take an inelegant tumble, stability is key! And they need to be FUN. Here's one of my fave pairs that will accompany me to Nationals this year. I pretty much live in the shadow of these shoes.
Nan: I love these shoes!  They are so you!


NAN: Which already filmed movie represents your writing style?
DARCY: This is such a magnificent question! I honestly never gave it much thought until some recent reviewers mentioned it. So I'm going to sponge off their collective awesome and say, John Hughes. Think Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink for the millenials. Lots of humor. Lots of heart.
Nan: Fabulous comparisons.

NAN: What was the first story you remember writing?
DARCY: Oh, I'll do you one better, Nan! I have actual photographic evidence of one of the first short stories I wrote when I was four. As you'll see, it's a rather complex tale of an unlikely friendship between Fred the Shiny Frog, and Chipy the Chipmunk. They played. They shared. All was peaceful. It wasn't until much later I learned about this thing called conflict. (And also spelling and vocabulary, but I digress…) 
Nan: This is too funny!  Obviously, you were born to write.
 




NAN: What could we find in your heroine's purse?
DARCY: Well, her purse would definitely be vintage. And it would have her favorite lipstick--Parisian Pout, her license (even though she doesn't have her own car), a guitar pick from a forbidden boy, a tampon that will likely fall out at the worst possible moment, and her soul mate's astrology chart. Also, if physics allowed, she would squeeze in one of her gram's Hubba Hubba Hazelnut cupcakes.
Nan: I want one in my purse.  Which would not be vintage!


NAN'S GOTTA ASK: What color would you make the sky if it wasn’t going to be blue anymore and why?

DARCY'S GOTTA ANSWER:  Purple! I have ALWAYS had an affinity for the color purple. When I was little, I went through a phase where it was the only color I wanted to wear. So basically I went through a chunk of my childhood looking like a grape. But I stand by my fruity color!
Nan: Love purple!

FIND DARCY WOODS:

Author Links:

Website|Twitter|Goodreads|Instagram|Facebook

Book Links:

Goodreads|Pinterest

DARCY WOODS WANTS TO KNOW: Nan's question about my heroine's purse got me thinking… What's the strangest thing or combination of things in your purse right now? 

Me? I just found not one, but THREE different tubes of lipstick, plus a Cheddar Bunny with missing hindquarters.

So? What treasures did YOU find???

Nan:  Thank you for hanging with the crew today, Darcy!  Prosecco pouring for a fantastic launch of your debut.

Darcy's drawing will be open through Sunday - so please comment for a chance to win.

Get Lost in Forget Tomorrow with Pintip Dunn

 I am so excited to welcome another of my Golden Heart sisters to Get Lost in a Story!  Please welcome Pintip Dunn.  I first met her when I judged the 2011 Finally a Bride contest.  Her Young Adult entry blew me away.  The only way I knew her name, was that she sent me a thank you note for judging.  Which meant I had an email contact to congratulate her when she was a 2012 Golden Heart finalist and then met her at the RWA conference that year. It was lovely to be a finalist with her in 2014.

Before we get to the good stuff--don't forget to leave a comment on Pintip's question on the bottom for a chance to win an autographed copy of FORGET TOMORROW.


MEET PINTIP DUNN

 Pintip Dunn graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School, where she was an editor of the YALE LAW JOURNAL. She also published an article in the YALE LAW JOURNAL, entitled, “How Judges Overrule: Speech Act Theory and the Doctrine of Stare Decisis,”

Pintip is represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. She is a 2012 RWA Golden Heart® finalist and a 2014 double-finalist. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Washington Romance Writers, YARWA, and The Golden Network.

She lives with her husband and children in Maryland. 

Nan:  I'm so impressed!  

Let's talk about your Young Adult Debut--FORGET TOMORROW--Forget Tomorrow Series Book 1. 

THE STORY BLURB

Imagine a world where your destiny has already been decided...by your future self.

It's Callie's seventeenth birthday and, like everyone else, she's eagerly awaiting her vision-a memory sent back in time to sculpt each citizen into the person they're meant to be. A world-class swimmer. A renowned scientist.

Or in Callie's case, a criminal.

In her vision, she sees herself murdering her gifted younger sister. Before she can process what it means, Callie is arrested and placed in Limbo-a hellish prison for those destined to break the law. With the help of her childhood crush, Logan, a boy she hasn't spoken to in five years, she escapes.

But on the run from her future, as well as the government, Callie sets in motion a chain of events that she hopes will change her fate. If not, she must figure out how to protect her sister from the biggest threat of all-Callie, herself.

Nan:  I love this premise!

BUY THE BOOK

Buy links at Entangled

Nan: I'm so frustrated.  I have this on my Nook, but can't get the book open!  Grrrrr.  I have sent 2 messages to Nook support.  I can't wait to read this book.  But your cover is stunning!

A LIGHTING ROUND OF Q&A WITH PINTIP DUNN

NAN: How often do you get lost in a story?

PINTIP:  I am (in my opinion!) a writer's dream reader. I very, very, very frequently get lost in a story. It used to be that I would read nearly every book in one sitting, simply because I could not put the story -- any story! -- down. This has changed since I've had three kids because I simply don't have time. Still, probably three or four times a year, I find a book that falls into this category. The holy-crap-it's-3-am-what-am-I-doing-I-have-to-get-up-early-oh-well-gotta-see-how-this-ends category. Of course, this number doesn't include the times I have to scold myself, "Put the book down. I mean it. Back slowly away from that book!" 

Nan: I can't put books down either!

NAN: What’s the first book(s) you remember binge-reading? 

PINTIP: Anne of Green Gables. When I was a kid, we would fly to Thailand every summer to visit my grandmother. The plane ride, for most people, was a torturous 24 hours. I remember thinking when I was about ten years old that I would pay the airline just for the plane ride alone. Why? Because it was the only time in my life I could read as much as I wanted, and my parents wouldn't make me stop. On one particular trip, my plan was to binge-read the entire Anne of Green Gables series. I'm not sure how far I got, but I read almost every minute of those flights. I'm pretty sure that's the most I've ever read within 24 hours in my entire life! 

Nan: Love those books and so envious that you spent so much time in Thailand.

NAN: Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your latest release?

PINTIP: Yes! The Forget Tomorrow soundtrack! Let me explain. Liz Pelletier, publisher of Entangled Publishing, recently partnered with Grammy-nominated songwriter, David Elliott Johnson, to form Entangled Music. This record label produces original songs specifically written for books, and the first songs they released were for FORGET TOMORROW! There are currently two songs in the soundtrack, but there will be more. 

I cried the first time I heard "Crystal Ball," sung by the stunning Kimberly Brown, because it exactly captures Callie's mindset at the beginning of the book. And the fun and catchy "I Am" encapsulates a major decision point about two-thirds into the book. 

I love these songs SO much. They are perfect for the book. You can purchase the soundtrack on iTunes, or you will receive them for free when you purchase the e-book version of Forget Tomorrow.

To hear a sample of "Crystal Ball," click here: YouTube

Nan:  This is so amazing.  I love that you got this opportunity and that you were first!

NAN: What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that you would love to pass on or did pass on to your children?

PINTIP: Hands-down, one of my favorite memories as a kid was going to this stationary store in Thailand with my aunt and being able to buy anything I wanted -- and I mean, anything. Pens, erasers, little notebooks, pencil cases, scissors, rulers, binders, folders. Everything was decorated with Hello Kitty or some other adorable cartoon. It was the only time in my life I had been allowed this unlimited indulgence, and I remember how absolutely thrilling it was.

So, when my daughter was old enough, I took her to the same store and told her she could buy anything she wanted. She very sweetly chose one pencil and one eraser and said she was ready. "That's all you want?" I asked. Her eyes widened. "You mean I can have more?" I repeated that she could literally have anything she wanted. She asked me two or three more times if I was sure, and even then, I had to coax her to choose more things. But man, the look on her face. It brought me back to my own childhood. As a parent, I certainly don't believe in excess, but as a limited, special occasion treat, the experience can be magical. 

Nan: I love this.

  

NAN: Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

PINTIP: Ha. This is such an interesting question for me, because I can't believe how quickly my attitude has changed. If you had asked me a few months ago if I had intended on reading my reviews, I would have said, "Of course!" I like information. All kinds of information, and I much prefer to know than not know -- even if it's bad news. In the beginning, when the reviews were trickling in, I read every single word. And I took them to heart. But now, just a few short weeks later, I can honestly say that I don't read all my reviews anymore. More importantly, the critical parts I come across don't bother me. Instead, I just shrug and think, "That's too bad. But you can't please everybody, and most people like this book, so oh well." This is a huge statement for me! Being as sensitive as I am, I'm probably more surprised by this than anyone else. I'm very proud to be able to say, NO! I don't let reviews influence my writing.

Nan: Great attitude!

NAN: What does it mean to love someone?
PINTIP: Ah, I love this question! It is one of the very things that motivated me to write FORGET TOMORROW. When I had kids, my understanding of love changed -- and yet, in some ways, it stayed exactly the same. I realized I'd felt this grand, all-consuming, unconditional love before -- with my twelve-years-younger sister, Lana. I wanted to write a book about the deep, maternalistic love that an older sister can have for her much-younger sister -- and the lengths she would go to in order to protect her. 

So, to me, how much you love someone is the amount of sacrifice you would be willing to make for that person. 

Nan: Okay now you're making me tear up.

NAN: What would you say is your most interesting quirk?
PINTIP: Another interesting question. To us, our "quirks" aren't really quirks, right? They are just a fact of life. But the thing that surprises people the most is that I write all my books on my smart phone -- and I have for my last four books. In fact, I do everything on my smart phone -- emails, critiques, interviews (lol). I have a physical condition, fibromyalgia/RSI, which means I cannot type on a keyboard without intense pain. I've been living with this condition for nearly twenty years now, and like I said, it's a fact of life. I got through college and law school by hiring a typist and taking my exams orally (I even took the bar exam orally). I used a voice recognition program, Dragon Naturally Speaking, for years, and I hated every moment of it. When I realized I could type on an iPhone, locked in portrait position, without pain, I celebrated. Finally, I could write the way I wanted -- by hand. 

Nan: I know you have talked about this before and I am amazed by this.  (I pretty much hate typing on my phone because of the auto correct errors!)

NAN: What will always make you smile, even on a bad day?

PINTIP: My kids. They are the joy of my life. To give a concrete example: my sixteen month's old smile. If we tell him to "yim wan" (translated roughly: "give a sweet smile"), he lifts his little face into the air, scrunches his nose, crinkles his eyes, and grins from ear-to-ear. It melts my heart every. single. time. 

Nan:  Ahhh enjoy those fabulous moments.  Too soon they are teenagers!

NAN: GOTTA ASK:   How do you put on your bra? Clasp in back or front and spin? 

PINTIP: GOTTA ANSWER: Front and spin! Never tried any other way! 

Nan:  LOL!

UP NEXT FOR PINTIP

THE DARKEST LIE, a YA contemporary thriller (June 28, 2016, Kensington)

Nan:  Another great cover!

I'm so excited you are celebrating your debut with us, Pintip.  Thanks for spending the day here!

FIND PINTIP DUNN:

Contact: pintip@pintipdunn.com

Website: www.pintipdunn.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorPintipDunn

Twitter: www.twitter.com/pintipdunn

Instagram: www.instagram.com/pintip_dunn

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=pintip

PINTIP WANTS TO KNOW: If you could send any memory back to your younger self, what would it be?   

Pintip will be giving away an autographed copy of FORGET TOMORROW to one lucky commenter.  US only.