Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Guest Post by Ann Redisch Stampler, author of Where It Began + Giveaway

The fabulous Anne Redisch Stampler joins us today for a brilliant, inspiring and laugh-out-loud funny guest post about everything she knows about true romance! Ann is the author of upcoming YA contemporary novel, Where It Began - a novel that totally blew me away! Enjoy the guest post and be sure to enter the draw for a signed copy of Where It Began!




About the author:
Ann Stampler was born in Connecticut, grew up mostly in Santa Barbara, and has spent her adult life in Los Angeles.  She studied English literature, psychology, and law; is married to a psychologist; and has two children, a journalist and a filmmaker.  Raised in a family of people who loved stories and told them avidly, she has carried on the tradition, retelling folk tales in her picture books, and reflecting on the beginnings of adulthood, and life and love  in LA in her novels.

Where to find Ann Redisch Stampler:






About Where It Began:

Expected publication: March 6th 2012 by Simon Pulse

Sometimes the end is just the beginning.

Gabby lived under the radar until her makeover. Way under. but when she started her senior year as a blonder, better-dressed version of herself, she struck gold: Billy Nash believed she was a the flawless girl she was pretending to be. The next eight months with Billy were bliss...Until the night Gabby woke up on the ground next to the remains of his BMW without a single memory of how she got there.
And Billy's nowhere to be found.
All Gabby wants is to make everything perfect again. But getting her life back isn't difficult, it's impossible. Because nothing is the same, and Gabby's beginning to realize she's missed more than a few danger signs along the way.
It's time for Gabby to face the truth, even if it means everything changes.
Especially if it means everything changes.

Everything I Know About True Romance, I Learned From Pride and Prejudice
by Ann Redisch Stampler
      
            We all know that Pride and Prejudice is the best book ever written, and if you sleep with it under your pillow, you wake up knowing the meaning of life.  Indeed, I realized the true perfection of my agent when she revealed that during college, as a parlor game (Shut up!  Of course people who read Jane Austen play parlor games.  Duh.), she would get people to read her a sentence of Pride and Prejudice, after which, she could produce the next one.

            I, myself, am not a good memorizer.  The only piece of literature I’ve ever memorized is the prologue to the Canterbury Tales.  This was because a professor said that if we did that, we’d get an A on the final and could leave.  Imagine his surprise when I handed in the prologue and left. 

            All right, I’m somewhat literal. 

            Bringing us to how, if you take Pride and Prejudice literally enough, you are perfectly equipped to have a divine romantic existence appropriate for carrying on about at Valentine’s Day. 

            I have boiled this down to the P&P Romantic Rules to Live By:

1.) Just because he’s cute, you’re totally attracted to him, and he’s the 19th century equivalent of a freaking Navy Seal (Well, at least he had a nice uniform.), it doesn’t mean that he’s The One.  Witness Mr. Wickham.  The man represents a treasure trove of cautionary romantic tips.

2.) Just because he’s telling you the searing story of his life, explaining why he’s so – not unattractively – wounded, it doesn’t mean that he’s opening up to you on a far far deeper level than you’ve ever experience before and is, therefore, now your soul mate.  Indeed, he could be selling you a soul-full of snake oil.

3.) It is a bad idea to make up who you think the potential love-object is, positive or negative.  Consider getting to know him before deciding where he stands in your romantic universe.  Note Lizzie and Mr. Wickham.  Note Lizzie and Mr. Darcy.  I rest my case.

4.) He has to treat other people well; not just you.  What Lizzie learned when she found out about Mr. Darcy’s relationship with the staff of Permberly should be extrapolated (in an inverse kind of a way) to how your guy treats waiters and valet parkers.  Creepy is creepy.  Dump him.

5.) Just because he makes your mother do a happy dance in the front hall, that doesn’t mean he’s Not The One. 

All right, all Mrs. Bennett wanted was for Lizzie to marry money and Mr. Darcy happened to have a vast fortune.  All right, Mrs. Bennett was a menace to society and not someone you’d be happy to take out in public and show around.  But even though this utterly foolish mother thought Lizzie hooking up with Mr. Darcy was the best idea ever, that didn’t make it the worst idea ever. 

6.) Just because he lets his awful family and friends poison his mind against you in an outrageous and pretty much unforgivable way, that doesn’t mean It Wasn’t Meant to Be.  It just means that you and he should, in modern terms, move to the other coast and tactfully unfriend them all.  (Unless they’re Mr. Darcy and are very, very sorry, thereby facilitating the course of True Love.)

7.) Two every-so-slightly ditzy, goodhearted people who think the best of everyone and lack any judgment whatsoever can find true happiness.  It helps if a medium-sized fortune is involved.  Caveat:  In the pursuit of true love, do not turn up your nose at something just because it isn’t angsty.  Screw angsty.  This is Mr. Bingly we’re talking about here.  If he frowns, just show him a puppy.  You know what I mean.  It could work.

8.) Don’t trust your instincts.  Just don’t.  So you hate him the first time you lay eyes on him based on several tiny pieces of evidence that you spin into a hateful whole.    (See Rule #3)  Hating someone for very good reasons doesn’t mean he isn’t the man of your dreams.  Yes, I know this is confusing.  OK, let’s go cinematic.  Think: What if I accidentally hated Colin Firth?  Wouldn’t I want to have trusty Rule #8 to refer to so that I could live happily ever after with him in his stately mansion eventually? 

Of course I would.


Ann generously offered a signed copy of her phenomenal book up for grabs (Thank you, Ann!)

Ends: March 15th
US/Canada

Enter through Rafflecopter below:




a Rafflecopter giveaway



CONTEST ALERT:

Ann Redisch Stampler, the author of Where It Began (YA contemporary novel coming up March 2012), is hosting a PRE-SALE Giveaway 

You can score: one of  5 SIGNED copies of Where It Began and some seriously awesome book-related SWAG.


Check it out here:
LINK



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About the Author
Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.
She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.
You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing

54 comments:

Reading said...

Love that the make over changed her life. The premise sounds very good. Added this one to my wish list.

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Christi said...

Thanks for the giveaway. Love the post, especially #1--just because he's good looking & you're head over heels for him, doesn't mean he's a good match. Such a hard, but true, fact of life.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful guest post! Thank you so much for sharing, Where it began sounds wonderful =)

Mel (He Followed Me Home) said...

Rule #3 is soooooo true LOL and yet so hard to control!

What a fun read, thanks for sharing!

Sara @ Forever 17 Books said...

A really good post right before Valentine's Day. I really liked #4. It is important to see how a man treats others besides you. If you were the only one he was nice and caring with, it would seem fake. Thanks for the giveaway I can't wait to read this book! :)

Amy said...

I really enjoyed reading the guest post. #5 made me laugh.(well, the others did too, but I got a visual with #5) This book sounds fantastic. Thanks for the chance at the giveaway.

Angie said...

Great post! I still really need to read Pride and Prejudice, but those look like good lessons. :)

Angie @ Pinkindle Reads & Reviews

Na said...

I agree with the point that he has to treat other people well not just you. A good sign to look for.

Lexie said...

Okay, yeah, definitely have to get a copy of Pride and Prejudice now. o_o Everyone seems to love Mr. Darcy, but I wasn't sure. Now, though . . . well, it'll be just in time for Valentine's Day.

Ariel Wilson said...

Wow, this book sounds intense. Not a good situation to be in!

Bookish in a Box said...

Those rules are fantastic! I hadn't ever boiled them down to something to succinct, but they're spot on, especially the bit about Mr. Bingley and a puppy. :-P

Unknown said...

Ooooh, beautiful cover! Thanks for the giveaway!

M.A.D. said...

This sounds wonderful [those rules are spot on lol) - I love these *makeover* & change type of tales!! Gorgeous cover, too~~~

Patrice said...

The books sounds great. Hope to be able to readd it soon

Unknown said...

This book sounds really good. I would love to read it. #1 is so true. Most people judge a person by what they look like and not what is inside of them. So they think because they are cute, they are the one for them. The one for you isn't necessary going to be cute. Tore923@aol.com

Suzy Vitello said...

Pretty fantastic premise, Ann. Look forward to reading it. Enjoyed your take on P & P, too.

Kelly said...

Love these rules, although from personal experience (which I shall not go into) I disagree with #6. :P

candice (thecrjreviews) said...

Those are some great P&P Rules to live by, especially #3.

Diana Birchall said...

Wonderful! Glad you rate Pride and Prejudice exactly where it should be - the best novel in the world! And you've culled very good pithy (and funny) advice right from the source. Cavil: Mrs. Bennet actually wanted Lizzy to marry Mr. Collins. Now THAT is not romantic!

Tiffany Holme said...

Great post!! I really love Rule #1. As sucky as it is it is soooo true!!

May said...

I've heard a lot about this book and I love the cover. Great interview :)
Thanks for the giveaway!

tellingmelies said...

I think it's pretty awesome that you host giveaways like this one :)

~Jenn
(I think I entered the contest under my yahoo email: tellingmelies31@yahoo.com lol)

Totally Booked Solid said...

Fabulous interview .. this book sounds intriguing its so going to my TBR pile

Bonnie said...

Fantastic guest post! I will be bookmarking this and reading again once I actually read P&P all the way through. I've read bits and pieces here and there and honestly don't know why I haven't just read the entire book. Summer reading I think!

Thanks so much for the giveaway Evie, this book looks A-MAZING and I seriously cannot wait to read it.

Bonnie @ www.handsandhome.ca

Devony said...

I love that she could quote the next line of P & P and that you memorized the prologue of Canterbuty Tales. The book sounds fantastic and I would love a chance at it! My GFC name is Devony - there wasn't a place to put it on the rafflecopter form. Thanks!

Lexie@BookBug said...

Number 4 on the list is so true. I can't figure out on The Bachelor (yes, it is my guilty pleasure!) why they never listen when someone tells them hoe awful their potential suitors are. No wonder none of them last!
GFC: Lexie@BookBug
lexie.bookbug at gmail dot com

Kris Mathewson said...

Thank you for the Giveaway!!! Great post!

Tiffany Drew said...

This is one of the best guests posts I have ever read. These rules are too great. Thank you for sharing this :)

-Mystery Rose said...

The rules..oh the rules! I need to read this book! The wording has been stamped into my brain and will not leave until I had satisfied it!

Sandra @ Waiting For Wentworth said...

I love the guest post! I've had Where It Began on my tbr for a while. Can't wait to read it. Thank you so much for the giveaway.

Forever Lost in Books said...

Great guest post!! Thanks for the giveaway!

FireStarBooks said...

Oh what a beautiful book.
LOL. I learn a lot from the book as well!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I love Pride and Prejudice. Can't agree more with the rules, especailly rule 4 . Thanks for the sharing! :-D

Lilian said...

As a fan of Pride and Prejudice, I had to smile at this guest most.

especially #5
"5.) Just because he makes your mother do a happy dance in the front hall, that doesn’t mean he’s Not The One. "

Doodle said...

Love #1! Great giveaway!!

Doodle said...

I added you to my blog roll too!

You can find it here

Anonymous said...

if this book is anything like P&P, I"d love to give it a good look. It may seem strange coming from a male, but I dig this kind of work.

Patricia's Particularity said...

Being a HUGE HUGE fan of P&P this post caught my attention right away. I love what she has learned from it, especially "two ditzy people" can find true happiness - boy this is true!

Unknown said...

Thanks for the great giveaway!!
Blog:
http://howlingbooksanddesign.blogspot.com/

GFC: red_tigergirl2

ZaraAlexis said...

I really like rule #4: He has to treat other people well; not just you.

It reveals what kind of man you're getting involved with especially considering he may only be showing his "best" face to you because he wants your approval.

It's a great rule to remember in deciphering whether someone is a good partner, let alone a "good person."

Thanks,
Zara D. Garcia-Alvarez
Email: zgarcia(dot)alvarez(at)gmail(dot)com
On Twitter: @ZaraAlexis

Anonymous said...

I realy like #4!!! It sounds like a great book!!!!
lucy

Jessica said...

Great guest post. Loving the rules. The only one that I disagree with is the last one. I have to learn to trust my instincts more when it comes to relationships. If I did, I would have saved myself a whole lot of trouble. Lol.

Emily @ Falling For YA said...

I absolutely agree with all on your list! Pride and Prejudice has taught be so much about love. Especially #'s 4 and 5. That was fun to read thanks!

Megan said...

Haha, that is too funny. I like #7. Angst-free romance is lovely!

Stephanie said...

Loved this the P&P rules. And the book sounds wonderful!

Carl Scott said...

Not sure that I agree with such a lofty assessment of P&P but then, I'm a man and men know very little. I think we can all agree on that.

Natalie said...

I'm a big fan of Ann's picture books so I can't wait to read this one! Thanks for the giveaway.

Kimberle Bibiano said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kimberle Bibiano said...

YAY!!!! thanks so much for this giveaway!!!!

Jenna D. said...

I seriously cannot wait to read this book. Picked up a copy this week. Thanks for the excellent giveaway!

Jackie said...

Totally love this cover! I am super excited for this one. Thanks for the giveaway!

Jessi (Geo) said...

I've not read that book (yes, glare at me all you want...) but the list is fabulous!!

And Evie, I'm perfectly fine with you stalking me as long as you're perfectly fine with me stalking back :D
Love your blog too, I believe I have your button on my blogroll. If not, it's going to be! Thanks for the awesometastic comments and the wonderful giveaway :)

Jessi @ Auntie Spinelli Reads

ChiKittie said...

What a lovely guest-post. I loved reading it. Thank you and great giveaway. :)

GFC - Chi Kittie

Added your blog button on my blog:
http://www.bittersweet-enchantment.com/

- Beckie
ChiKittie(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Nice guest post! And this book sounds great. The cover is lovely!

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