Sunday, December 23, 2012

Interview with Brenda J. Webb + Giveaway!

It is my great pleasure to have Brenda J. Webb visiting today. Recently I tracked her down, and she very kindly sent me a copy of her book, agreed to answer my questions, and to give a copy of her book to you! To read my review of An Honourable Man, go here.

Hello, welcome to Songs and Stories! Would you like a cup of tea? Or perhaps coffee?

A spot of tea with cream and sugar would be lovely.

What was it like the first time you read Pride and Prejudice? What led you to open it?

If I remember correctly, the first time I read it was during an English class when I was about fourteen years old. My motivation for reading was strictly academic, as it was required for that class. At that age, I was not properly awed by Mr. Darcy or Jane Austen’s works, and when I read them after seeing the 2005 movie, I was amazed at how much they had improved! Funny how a little life experience and not being forced to read can improve a novel. I’ve loved Austen ever since.

Are there any authors other than Jane Austen that influenced your writing?

I do not know if they influenced my writing, but I grew up reading stories by Margaret Mitchell, Zane Grey (my father had all his books), and Anna Sewell. Later, I read Boris Pasternak, Pat Conroy, Jackie Collins, Barbara Taylor Bradford, James Patterson, Barbara Cartland, Catherine Marshall and Janet Oke. I have always read anything worthwhile I could get my hands on.

In writing Fitzwilliam Darcy: An Honourable Man, what kinds of scenes did you find the most difficult to write? Which were the most fun?

The scenes that are always the most difficult to write are the love scenes. I try to write scenes that are sensual and romantic and never want to cross the line into anything graphic. I have the most fun writing the repartee between Darcy and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. I see his cousin as a bright spot in Darcy’s somber world and someone who tries to raise his spirits. I love writing Richard’s dialogue. It’s always interesting to see what mischief he’ll come up with.

Are you planning on publishing another book soon?

Yes, I have just published Mr. Darcy’s Forbidden Love on Amazon.com. Here is the blurb for my new book:

When Fitzwilliam Darcy meets Elizabeth Bennet for the first time, he is already married to another woman. Forced into a loveless marriage to the widowed Lady Gisela Grantham because of his father’s sins, Darcy is obliged by honour to remain in the marriage to hide a dark secret.

That unhappy part of his life, however, is quickly coming to an end as he meets the love of his life in a little-known village in Hertfordshire. Mr. Darcy’s Forbidden Love is a Pride and Prejudice variation, not a simple retelling. It is the story of a love that was meant to be—a passion too strong to be denied.

Have you considered writing a variation on any of Jane Austen’s other books? Personally, I would love to see your take on Persuasion. :) Ooh, or Northanger Abbey since you have such a lovely gothic writing style... And, I just have to ask because you quoted it in An Honourable Man and I love it so much, have you ever thought about writing a variation of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell?

The thought has crossed my mind, but for now, I support my forum, DarcyandLizzy.com with the proceeds from the sales of my books, and my readers prefer Pride and Prejudice based stories. So, when I am done with writing to support the forum, perhaps I will tackle a Persuasion or North and South variation.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what is your remedy? (I have been attempting to discover my own cure for years, so this question comes in under the realm of personal research.)
If I waited until I felt like writing, I fear my books would never be written, so I force myself to write even when I don’t want to. There are very few days when I do not write something. I find that often all I need do is begin and the words follow.

And now, for something completely different...


White, milk, or dark chocolate? 

Milk.

Matthew Macfadyen or Colin Firth? 

Matthew Macfadyen, though I do love Colin too.

Night Owl or Early Bird? 


Early Bird.

Thank you so much for letting me ask you all these questions!  

It’s been my pleasure. Thank you for asking me.


******

And now, for the giveaway! Brenda is giving away a physical copy of one of her books, either  Mr. Darcy's Forbidden Love or An Honourable Man, and a kindle copy for international readers. To enter, leave your e-mail in a comment below, as well as your choice of book and format and something nice for Brenda. :) For extra entries, share this giveaway as much as you can and send me the links! Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, etc. This contest runs until Jan. 7th, 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time. Clicking on the covers above will take you to the books' Amazon pages. Good luck and Merry Christmas!



                         Lieder Madchen

29 comments:

  1. Lovely interview, ladies!
    Brenda, I just read the excerpt for Mr. Darcy's Forbidden Love and it sounds intriguing! Like one one might not be able to put down! :)
    Thanks so much for the giveaway! If I win, I would love a paperback of Mr. Darcy's Forbidden Love. :)
    jakki36 AT yahoo DOT com

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  2. Wonderful interview.

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  3. Both books sound fantastic! Thank you for the giveaway and Merry Christmas!

    (Canada)kindle or kobo

    -shared on google+ You publicly recommended this as Margaret Literary Chanteuse

    -shared on facebook https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fliedermadchen.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F12%2Finterview-with-brenda-j-webb-giveaway.html%3Fspref%3Dfb&t=Interview+with+Brenda+J.+Webb+%2B+Giveaway%21

    -shared on twitter Songs and Stories: Interview with Brenda J. Webb + Giveaway!

    -shared on blog http://literarychanteuse.blogspot.ca/

    Margaret
    singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tweeted again!!
    https://twitter.com/J_Leatherberry/status/283613371482398722

    Shared via Google +1 as well, as Jakki Leatherberry!! :)

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  5. Ooh, very interesting! I have had the first book on my wishlist for ages, it has such good reviews on amazon. I'd love to read either book in kindle format if I'm lucky enough to win :-)

    Frawli1978 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  6. At that age, I was not properly awed by Mr. Darcy or Jane Austen’s works, and when I read them after seeing the 2005 movie, I was amazed at how much they had improved!

    Heh-heh! Yes, we have very unique views of men when we are 14.Glad he improved on you. And I enjoy your take on Colonel Fitzwilliam, our mischief-maker.

    ~ junewilliams7 [at] yahoo [dot] com

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  7. I have read both of Brenda's stories and cannot give them enough praise. After reading hundreds of JAFF books, it is so refreshing to read a story that has an intriguing plot with lots of character development. Thanks for the interview, and good luck with your new book, Brenda. ~Jen Red~

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  8. Matthew Macfadyen or Colin Firth?

    Matthew Macfadyen, though I do love Colin too.

    I have to agree on this one :) I would like the paperback version of An Honourable Man. I have to say it is one of my favorites.
    liz78_97[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  9. I L-O-V-E-D An Honorable Man and will keep my fingers crossed to win a copy of Mr. Darcy's Forbidden Love (which I also enjoyed following as it was posted on-line!). I must say, however, that much as I like Macfayden, I am squarely on "Team Firth." :-)

    azelenka[at]ujft[dot]org

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  10. I loved reading both of your books, and though I liked Macfayden, I too am a member of Team Firth. amadaun777 at gmail.com

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  11. Hello a great interview, I really like very much Brenda's work, and I Lieder you should come to Brenda's forum is amaizing, If i win I really would like Fitzwilliam Darcy An... on kindle because I'm from Mexico, my e-mail is socorm79 AT gmai dot com. Happy New Year for all....

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  12. An Honorable Man is one of the best books I ever read!
    As for Matthew Macfadyen or Colin Firth, I would say both.
    carmen_otilia21 AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Tweeted this giveaway again!
    https://twitter.com/J_Leatherberry/status/286118693975502848
    @J_Leatherberry
    jakki36 AT yahoo DOT com

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  14. Great interview! I'm a milk chocolate girl myself, though I take mine with a side of Colin instead of Matthew ;)

    I would love to win Mr Darcy's Forbidden Love! It sounds so intriguing and...forbidden! lol I loved An Honorable Man, as well. Thanks for the giveaway and Happy New Year!

    tweeted: https://mobile.twitter.com/jaffobsession/status/286124156192448514?p=v
    @jaffobsession

    ReplyDelete
  15. tweeted again: https://mobile.twitter.com/jaffobsession/status/286528244847624192?p=v
    @jaffobsession
    monicaperry00 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Tweeted today!
    https://twitter.com/J_Leatherberry/status/286549288685805568
    @J_Leatherberry
    jakki36 AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  17. elf68@optonline.net
    Forbidden Love (hard copy)

    I own two copies of FD: An Honorable Man...I love the story and have read it many times. One copy has pages falling out!

    Oh and I am definitely a Firth Fan.... But not just because of Darcy. :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Tweeted again today!
    https://twitter.com/J_Leatherberry/status/286873582615805952
    @J_Leatherberry
    jakki36 AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Tweeted this today: https://mobile.twitter.com/jaffobsession/status/286971161412268033?p=v
    @jaffobsession
    monicaperry00 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Tweeted again! :)

    https://twitter.com/J_Leatherberry/status/287249789337362432

    @J_Leatherberry

    jakki36 AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I very much enjoyed "Fitzwilliam Darcy an Honourable Man" and your story "Passages to Evil". So I would love to read Forbidden Love!
    shy.eagerATgmail.com (obviously, replace AT with @)

    ReplyDelete
  22. I, too, first read Pride & Prejudice in my teens and became "hooked on Austen."(About 45 years ago!)

    Feeding my Jane habit took a back seat while I pursued my education and raised two kids (and sometimes pursued two kids), but now that they're out of the nest, I'm enjoying re-visiting Jane. I think it's great that she experienced a revival 200 years after she was born and has so many new fans. I've enjoyed reading some of the many Pride and Prejudice variations and sequels being published.

    After reading the glowing reviews on Amazon.com, I'd love to have a copy of Mr. Darcy's Forbidden Love.

    Thanks for helping to keep Elizabeth and (especially) Darcy alive!

    Thanks and best wishes for a wonderful 2013.

    Nancy
    kteam73@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. tweeted again! I so want to be the lucky winner!

    https://mobile.twitter.com/jaffobsession/status/287353305494061056?p=v

    @jaffobsession
    monicaperry00 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thanks for the interview with Brenda. The book giveaway is a great way to start the year. I would enjoy adding Mr Darcy's Forbidden Love to my collection, but would also like to read An Honourable Man. So either way I win. And for me it is Team Firth all the way.

    Thanks again to you both,
    luisa1111@email.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Tweeted again today!
    My fingers are crossed! Mr. Darcy's Forbidden Love sounds wonderful!! :)

    https://twitter.com/J_Leatherberry/status/287689925602705408
    @J_Leatherberry

    jakki36 AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Tweeted today! :)
    https://twitter.com/J_Leatherberry/status/288045337539665922
    @J_Leatherberry
    jakki36 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  27. I enjoyed reading the interview and learning more about Brenda. I haven't read either book. I'd love to win a paper copy of Mr. Darcy's Forbidden Romance. Thanks for the opportunity.
    sophiarose1816 at gmail dot com

    I shared on Google+, FB, Twitter and Pinterest as Sophia Rose.

    Google+ Link-https://plus.google.com/105618598786510426315/posts

    FB Link-http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fliedermadchen.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F12%2Finterview-with-brenda-j-webb-giveaway.html%3Fspref%3Dfb&t=Interview+with+Brenda+J.+Webb+%2B+Giveaway!

    Twitter Link-https://twitter.com/sophiarose1816/status/288170920147812352

    Pinterest link- http://pinterest.com/pin/272538214922082436/

    ReplyDelete
  28. So glad to see this interview today. Somehow I had missed this one. I have had the first book on my wish list for quite some time. Now this second one most definitely is on the TBR list. It sounds very intriguing. I enjoyed reading the interview. I always enjoy fun scenes with Darcy and Fitzwilliam. The colonel is one of my favorites behind Darcy and Lizzy of course. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. Happy new year.
    Mr. Darcy's Forbidden Love would be my choice.
    jbtaylor12(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Tweeted! https://mobile.twitter.com/jaffobsession/status/288410388335304704?p=v
    @jaffobsession
    monicaperry00 at Gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete