Mundie Moms

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

MANOR of SECRETS by Katherine Longshore, Blog Tour: Interview / Giveaway



Welcome to today's MANOR OF SECRETS tour. I'm so thrilled to have author Katherine Longshore on the blog today to talk about her new release. First, here's a little about the book:



About the Book
MANOR OF SECRETS
Author: Katherine Longshore
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Point (Scholastic)
The year is 1911. And at The Manor, nothing is as it seems . . .

Lady Charlotte Edmonds: Beautiful, wealthy, and sheltered, Charlotte feels suffocated by the strictures of upper-crust society. She longs to see the world beyond The Manor, to seek out high adventure. And most of all, romance. 

Janie Seward: Fiery, hardworking, and clever, Janie knows she can be more than just a kitchen maid. But she isn't sure she possesses the courage -- or the means -- to break free and follow her passions.

Both Charlotte and Janie are ready for change. As their paths overlap in the gilded hallways and dark corridors of The Manor, rules are broken and secrets are revealed. Secrets that will alter the course of their lives. . . forever.



Hi Katherine! Thank you for being on Mundie Moms. I'm so thrilled to have you with us today. Congratulations on your new review. I love the cover. I have to ask, did you have any say in your cover?

I love the cover, too!  The model is stunning, and the dress is to die for.  But no, I can claim no credit for the cover at all.  I basically just saw the image and said, “I love it!”

I love the time period your book is set in. What inspired you to set your book in 1911? Did you enjoy all the research you did for this time period?

When Scholastic asked if I could write a book set in Edwardian England, I settled on 1911 because it seemed right on the cusp of some major changes in the world—the rise of labor unions, the redoubling of efforts for women to get the vote, the rumblings along the faultlines that would eventually rift into the Great War.  But society (or, more specifically, Society—the upper class invention) still clung to the “old ways.”  Huge potential for tension and historical foreshadowing.

And I love research!  There’s a book by Juliet Nicolson just about 1911, titled The Perfect Summer, and I scoured it for details and characters and historical drama.  But I truly became obsessed with the memoirs of servants.  I started with Jean Rennie’s Every Other Sunday and continued on through several that have been published on the coattails of Downton Abbey.

What's something you came to admire about both your characters, Charlotte and Janie?

I love Charlotte’s imagination.  She reminded me a little bit of Walter Mitty—projecting herself into adventures that she didn’t think she’d possibly live out in real life.  

Janie’s tenacity was a real inspiration—her deep-rooted strength.  But also, her realism.  She knows how her world works and tries to work within its boundaries.

So really, the things I admire about each of them are the things that need to be balanced in most of us.  We all need to have some ambition, and a hope for a brighter (or at least different) future.  But by the same token, we all need to recognize our own limitations, if only to be able to find ways around them.

Which character did you find yourself relating to the most?

Probably Janie, because if I’m perfectly honest, that’s where I’d be in 1911—belowstairs.  But also because my husband is English, and his family was all in service just a couple of short generations ago.  I’ve heard a few stories that have been passed down, and seen some photographs.  Relating to Janie makes me feel closer to that side of the family, and gives me a much more visceral understanding of the culture of England—then and now.

There are a lot of fabulous YA releases hitting shelves this year. Which releases are you looking forward to picking up?

I can’t wait to get my hands on copies of INTO THE STILL BLUE by Veronica Rossi and LADY THIEF by A.C. Gaughen.  I love E. Lockhart’s books, so I’m eagerly anticipating WE WERE LIARS.  One of my favorite 2012 debuts was Huntley Fitzpatrick’s MY LIFE NEXT DOOR, so I’m counting the days to WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TRUE. And Donna Cooner’s CAN’T LOOK AWAY will be out in the fall..
.
Are you working on any new projects that you can tell us about?

I’m currently working on something very different from my previous books—the characters are allowed a lot more freedom, and use it effectively.  No kings, no pretty dresses, but they still have to cope with the preconceived notions of who they are and how they should be acting.  I’m still in the early stages of writing, and enjoying it.  

Thank you for being with us today!
Thank you!  Always delighted to be here.


About Katherine:
Katherine Longshore grew up on the northern California coast. At university, she created her own major in Cross-Cultural Studies and Communications, planning to travel and write. Forever. Four years, six continents and countless pairs of shoes later, she went to England for two weeks, stayed five years and discovered history. She now lives in California with her husband, two children and a sun-worshiping dog.


Giveaway Details:
5 Signed finished copies of MANOR OF SECRETS US Only
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule
Week One:
1/27/2014- Fiktshun- Guest Post
1/28/2014- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
1/29/2014- Good Books and Good Wine- Review
1/30/2014- Hobbitsies- Review
1/31/2014- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Interview
Week Two:
2/3/2014- A Glass Of Wine- Guest Post
2/4/2014- Mundie Moms- Interview & Review
2/5/2014- Read My Breath Away- Guest Post
2/6/2014- Page Turners- Review
2/7/2014- Tales of a Ravenous Reader- Guest Post

6 comments:

  1. I want to read this book, and she is local author to me. I love that she is doing historical books for youth :)

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  2. I'm looking forward to reading this

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  3. cannot wait to read this one!!
    congrats to Katherine!!!

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  4. This book sounds so good I can't wait to read it!

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  5. While I'd purchase this book solely for the gorgeous cover, the synopsis drew me all the way in. MANOR OF SECRETS is now on my TBR! Congrats on the release and thanks for the chance to win a copy!

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  6. This cover reminds me so much of Sybil from Downton Abbey. I love her so much.

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