It’s so exciting to have the lovely Shana Galan on my blog today. Did you all know that the name Shana in Yiddish means beautiful? Anyway,  I was lucky and managed to steal her away from her release of her newest book Rake a Ruby, as well as her blogging duties at the sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills, the Casablanca Authors blog, and Peanut Butter on the Keyboard. and lets not forget being the parent of her own little heroine in training, Baby Galen.  Yikes I’m tired already!!

I’m grabbing her now while I can!

Nancy: You state that you began story telling when you were a little child. Do you remember what those stories were?

Shana: I remember some of them. I’m sure my little sister can remember. She was my captive audience. They were mainly what I’d been watching—Sleeping Beauty or Star Wars or Indiana Jones. I’d just retell those stories and add my own twist.

Nancy: Did you always love romance, even as a child, and why do you think we are drawn to romance novels; is it the happily ever after?

Shana: I always loved it. One of the first stories I ever wrote at about age 7 ended with “and they kissed and kissed and kissed.” I loved the happy feeling I got when I would see two people in love. There’s something so magical about it.

Nancy: You are involved with so many projects; your own blog, Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills, Peanut Butter on the Keyboard and Casablanca Authors. How did that all come about? When do you get time to breathe?

Shana: They all came about at different times. The Jaunty Quills began in 2005 with a group of authors who wrote for Avon. We have been blogging together for years now, and we’ve added new members like Kristan Higgins and Mia Marlowe. When I began writing for Sourcebooks, I joined the Casablanca blog as well. It’s a fun way to interact with the other authors I know who also write for my publisher. And just recently I began Peanut Butter on the Keyboard with some of my favorite author moms. We wanted an outlet to talk about mom stuff. We were already emailing one another for advice and we thought, why not just do it as a blog? Maybe readers have some advice for us.  I don’t sleep or breathe. And I hired an assistant last year, and she helps me more than I can say.

Nancy: I fell in love with your books right away; please tell us of your series, The Jewels of the Ton; what was your inspiration?

Shana: My inspiration for the series was a book I read by Jo Manning titled My Lady Scandalous. It was a biography of the courtesan Grace Dalrymple Elliott. I thought she was so fascinating, and I thought readers might like a series about a trio of heroines like her.

Nancy: Can you give us a little blurb about your newest, If You Give a Rake a Ruby?

Shana: Of course!

HER MYSTERIOUS PAST IS THE BEST REVENGE . . .

Fallon, the Marchioness of Mystery, is a celebrated courtesan with her finger on the pulse of high society. She’s adored by men, hated by their wives. No one knows anything about her past, and she plans to keep it that way.

ONLY HE CAN OFFER HER A DAZZLING FUTURE . . .

Warrick Fitzhugh will do anything to protect his compatriots in the Foreign Office, including seduce Fallon, who he thinks can lead him to the deadliest crime lord in London. He knows he’s putting his life on the line . . .

To Warrick’s shock, Fallon is not who he thinks she is, and the secrets she’s keeping are exactly what make her his heart’s desire . . .

Nancy: I’m not going to spoil this for everyone, but I told Shana already, there is one scene in this book that had me crying.  I LOVED this book!

Shana: Thank you! It was an emotional book for me to write. I seem to need to write one of those every third book or something like that.

Nancy: How do you come up with your ideas and along that vein, are you a plotter or a pantser?

Shana: Sometimes a movie or book triggers an idea. Sometimes I have a little kernel of an idea and as I mull it over and turn it around in my mind, it blossoms into something I think could become a book. I am a total pantser, which is why Sapphires Are an Earl’s Best Friend, which I just finished, is a complete mess in the middle. That’s why they call them rough drafts, I guess.

Nancy: I see you have your own app; that’s very cool.  How do you think social media, such as Facebook and Twitter have affected the publishing industry?

Shana: I do have an app (and it’s free!). Social media affects publishing in two ways. First of all, it allows readers to connect with their favorite writers. When I started reading romances, authors weren’t real people to me. They were these strange, amazing beings. Now I think readers know we’re just like them. Maybe that takes some of the mystery or magic away, but readers who don’t want to know more, don’t have to friend authors on Facebook.

Secondly, social media allows readers to give word of mouth to books they love that might not have a big audience. This happened for me with Lord and Lady Spy. Readers loved it and told their friends (via social media), and now it’s become a series!

Shana will be giving away a copy of her new release “If You Give a Rake a Ruby” (US and Canada only, please) to one very lucky commenter who answers the following question:

Do you prefer your romance as a straight up love story, or one with a touch of intrigue and mystery?

Nancy: OK, my little fun facts:

Take out or Fine Dining?

Take out all the way

Dress and heels or sneaker and jeans

Sneakers and jeans

Beach vacation or Ski resort?

Beach. I don’t like being cold.-Yes Shana I remember.  Neither do i!!! and once again today it is snowing here and freezing!

Favorite snack while working, or not working!

Cookies!

If You Give a Rake a Ruby by Shana Galen—in stores March 2013

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Shana Galen is the bestselling author of fast-paced adventurous Regency historicals, including the RT Reviewers’ Choice The Making of a Gentleman. Her books are published all over the world and have been featured in the Rhapsody and Doubleday Book Clubs. She 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 she writes full time. She’s happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making. Shana loves to hear from readers: visit her website at www.shanagalen.com or see what she’s up to daily on Facebook and Twitter.