December Joyathon: Interview + Giveaway with Shana Galen

Meet Shana:

coming 2012

I'm the author of numerous adventurous, romantic Regency historicals, including the Rita-nominated Blackthorne's Bride. My books have been sold in Brazil, Russia, and the Netherlands and featured in the Rhapsody and Doubleday Book Clubs. I taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston's inner city.

Now I write full time. I'm happily married to an incredibly supportive man I like to call Ultimate Sportsfan, and I have a beautiful daughter and a very spoiled cat.

Where To Find Shana: Author Site | Twitter | Facebook | The Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills

Kati: Who is Shana during the holidays? (author, gift giver, last minute shopper, baker)

click to read excerpt

Shana: I’m definitely not a baker or a last-minute shopper. I’m still an author. One of these days, I’m going to take the whole month of December off, but not this year. I do enjoy buying gifts. I do a lot of shopping online and in catalogs.

K: What is your favorite thing about the holidays?
S: Being with family.

K: Do you write more or less during the holidays?
S: Usually about the same.

K: If you’ve written a holiday themed/titled book, what is it about? If you have not, would you write a holiday themed/titled book in the future?
S: I haven’t written a holiday-themed book. I’d love to do so in the future. Gently falling snow and roaring fires can be very romantic.

K: Which of your heroes would you go on a sleigh ride with? (with permission from the heroine of course)
S: Which of my heroes wouldn’t I go on a sleigh ride with? If I had to choose, I’d pick Adrian Galloway from Lord and Lady Spy. I know if we ran into any highwaymen or international spies, I’d be safe (and warm) with him. (yes you would)

K: Which authors (dead or alive) would you invite to your holiday party?

click to read excerpt

S: This could be a long, long list. I’d want my friends around during the holidays, so that would be Sophie Jordan, Ashley March, Robyn DeHart, Margo Maguire, and Tera Lynn Childs.

K: Real tree or fake tree?
S: Fake, but maybe real when my daughter gets older.

K: Specific gifts or gift cards?
S: I always try to give specific gifts, but I don’t mind receiving gift cards at all.

K: Fruit cake or gingerbread?
S: Gingerbread! Yum!

K: Just enough decorations or “every tree lighted, blow up snowglobe, snow man in the yard” decorations?

click to read excerpt

S: Just enough. Someone is going to have to take all that down, and that someone is me.

K: Home for the holidays or visiting relatives?
S: Home this year.

K: What do YOU want for Christmas?
S: An e-reader and new Converse sneakers. (do you hear that Ultimate Sportsfan?)

K: Author’s choice.
S: What’s your favorite holiday food/drink? For me it’s not the holidays without egg nog.

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Thanks Shana for participating in the Joyathon!

LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH:

All Sophie Windham wants is peace, quiet and the novelty of a little solitude in the Duke of Moreland's London mansion before she joins her family for Christmas at the family seat in Kent. In the middle of a very inconvenient London snowstorm, Sophie finds herself stuck with an abandoned baby, and only the assistance of handsome stranger Vim Charpentier standing between her and complete disaster...

Vim Charpentier's worst memories are of Christmases spent with family in Kent, so when he has an excuse to tarry for a few days in London, he willingly lends a hand helping Sophie and her new little charge become acquainted. The growing attraction he shares with Sophie warms both their spirits, but when Sophie's three brothers arrive (from the East) to whisk her away, Vim has to decide between facing his memories, or letting the Christmas gift of a lifetime slip through his fingers.

Where To Buy: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Nook | Book Depository
Book Extras: Read an Excerpt

Shana is giving away a copy of LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH by Grace Burrowes to one(1) lucky reader. Here's how to enter:

• Leave a comment with an answer to Shana's question along with your email addy, ninja style: your name at gmail dot com.
• Fill out the rafflecopter form below. You must answer Shana's question. All other entries are optional.

Easy peasy right? Don't forget to enter for the awesome super secret prize here.

A huge thank you to Shana for participating in the Joyathon and for giving away a copy of LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH.