Author Interview: Nancy Moser

I am honored to post my first official author interview on Fire & Ice. Nancy Moser was kind enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to reply to my questions, and I can not thank her enough. Nancy Moser is a fantastic author, I discovered her through my love of historical fictions by reading Mozart’s Sister. She has also written fantastic books Just Jane, Washington’s Lady, and her newest book coming out soon How Do I love Thee. Being a historical buff these are of course the ones that call to me, but Nancy has written others as well, you can see her full list of titles at her website NancyMoser.com.

I would like to again thank Nancy for replying to my humble questions, and make sure all of you pick up one or more of her books. You can see my Review for Mozart’s Sister here. And keep an eye open for my reviews of her other work coming soon, I have just gotten a nice big order from Book Closeouts and Washington’s Lady and Just Jane are at the top of the list. And my shinny review copy of How do I love Thee? Is calling my name from the shelves. Enjoy the interview!

AJ: If you could work with any author who would it be?

NM: Jane Austen. We could have been good friends, I just know it. I can imagine sitting out in a garden with her, brainstorming some romance and laughing and making up characters—trying to one-up each other with a new and improved Mr. Darcy.

AJ: Who is your favorite author and is your writing style similar to theirs?

NM: I like Stephen King a lot because of his imagination and characterization. I’ve learned a lot about how to create characters from his books. So though the content of my books is far different from King’s, the use of a lot of unique characters is the same.

AJ: What’s your favorite part of a book?

NM: Being done. Old joke. Actually, I like editing, making it better. After the months and months of the writing process, it’s like taking a fresh breath. The hardest part of writing is getting the first third of a book down. I don’t know the characters yet and it’s a struggle. Yet once I know them and feel at ease in letting them loose to do their own thing, the writing starts to flow.

AJ: What inspired you to write historical works?

NM: The event that opened my eyes to Nannerl Mozart’s life story happened while I was standing in the Mozart family home in Salzburg in the summer of 2004—that little three-room apartment where both Wolfgang and Nannerl were born. In truth, I was only half-listening to the guide, being very close to tourist-information overload. Yet one statement reached into my weary brain and ignited it: Most people don’t know this, but Mozart’s sister was just as talented as he was, but because she was a woman, she had little chance to do anything with her talent. That one statement stayed with me all the way home to the States.

At the time I was putting together a proposal for a contemporary novel (I only wrote novels set in the present day.) Because of the tour guide’s comment, I got the idea to have one of my characters write a book called “Mozart’s Sister”. My agent sent the proposal to publishers.

Within days we got a call from Dave Horton, an editor at Bethany House Publishers. “I don’t want the contemporary book, I want the book the character is writing: Mozart’s Sister, an historical book about the sister’s life.”

“But I don’t write historicals.”

“I want Mozart’s Sister.”

“But I don’t write in first-person, in one person’s point-of-view throughout an entire book. I write big-cast novels in third person.”

“I want Mozart’s Sister.”

“I hate research.”

“I want Mozart’s Sister.”

Well then. He seemed so sure, so excited. I could not ignore him—actually, I could, but I didn’t.

The rest is … literally history. I’ve written a biographical novel on Nannerl, Jane Austen, Martha Washington, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

AJ: If you could meet any Historical figure who would it be? And why?

NM: Queen Elizabeth I. She was such a woman ahead of her time—living in a ruthless time. In many ways I think she was one of the first women to have to juggle a personal life with a career. She took England from chaos into peace.

AJ: What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

NM: My family. My husband and I have been married 33 years. Our three kids have turned out great and we have three lovely grandchildren. They all live close, so being together for family events—and them wanting to be together—is true happiness.

AJ: What advice would you give to people who “run out of creativity” when writing?

NM: Take a walk or a drive. Or a shower. When I have a plot problem, doing one of those three things and letting my mind wander usually does the trick. Sometimes we get too caught up in the work of it that we stifle creativity.

Friday Finds #11

Alright, The Host makes my Friday Find list because it just arrived the other day in my mail box. I will be reviewing it, and I will be taking part in a Stephanie Meyer blog Tour next month. So LOOK for that. This is not a book I would have picked myself but I am looking foward to it.

And my other find for this week is a Historical Fiction, The Pleasure Palace by Kate Emerson

Booking Through Thursday: Gluttony

Mariel suggested this week’s question

Book Gluttony! Are your eyes bigger than your book belly? Do you have a habit of buying up books far quicker than you could possibly read them? Have you had to curb your book buying habits until you can catch up with yourself? Or are you a controlled buyer, only purchasing books when you have run out of things to read?

Oh, this reader definitely falls into the gluttony category. I am not controlled with my book habits at all. Although I do not always buy them, I do get them free, or through swaps as well. However, I certainly have more books than I can read quickly. My TBR currently boasts just over 600 books (610 to be exact) so at my current goal of 125 books per year it would take me just a shade over under 5 years to finish all of the books I have now. In addition, that is IF I do not get any new ones, and frankly that is just not likely. So yes, I am a book glutton and you know what I am proud of it. I love books I love the way they feel, I love having a selection to choose from. I just love books. Therefore, if I am a glutton, well I guess that is my Sin. Nevertheless, a sin I am proud to claim.

Radio Disney Presents..

I used to listen to radio Disney, I don’t anymore but I know a lot of you out there who read my blog have kids and so you probably listen to radio Disney, or they do. Anyways they are doing some concerts this summer End of June though end of August and they are FREE. That’s such a nice word isn’t it? FREE. It’s a concert series and will be in Wildwood, New Jersey at Morey’s Piers. Pretty Fantastic right?

New Jersey is a great place for a fun family vacation they have a lot of things to offer, Amusement Parks, and Water parks and all sorts of things that will attract a family that is looking to have some fun. If I was going on vacation this summer I would head on out here. And maybe I would only take half as many books as I usually take on vacation. Check it out for some family fun.

New Jersey water parks
Jersey Shore beach Vacation

Wicked Wednesday #4


Wicked Wednesday a place to be wicked to other book readers and make them get those TBR piles growing. The concept is simple. Pick a book or two and tell s about them. If its one you read tell us what you liked. If its one you found tell us about that to. Than leave a comment to let us know where to find your Wicked Wednesday titles. Make sure to link back in your posts for other people to follow Wicked Wednesday.

Today’s Wicked Wednesday I have selected a book that I am giveing away on this blog, and a book that just arrived in my mail box for reviewing! I am excited to review it, and excited to be giving it away thank you Hatchett.
That book is
Testimony by Anita Shreve

Equestrian Singles

Alright, I don’t need this service *laughs* I will admit that I am happily settled and taken. But if I did, this website is very neat. Especially if you’re a horse person. There is no secret that I myself am a bookie and a horse person that is how it is; I have often been caught reading while riding.

I have to say this site is different because it is focused on people who already have one common thread horses. They actually have a topic of “favorite type of riding.” that is fantastic for horses people. Although I firmly believe mixed relationships of English and Western can go together.

But seriously if you’re a horse person and you’re on the singles market think about checking this website out. If I was single I would be checking it out, it’s easy to navigate and friendly place to be. Focused on the wants and thoughts for horse people you really can’t go wrong.

They even boast some other services. Like horse greeting cards, and horse related blogs. You can get all of your horse related needs in one spot. It makes it a lot easier than trolling around on all the miscellaneous (and often not friendly) horse forums and websites. Best of all the sign up is free. So give the following links a little click or two and check it out, You dont wanna miss the FREE sign-up over at equestrian cupid.

Teaser Tuesday #12

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!Please avoid spoilers!

Rain pelted down, sheets of heavy drops obliterated the landscape. Fate’s message couldn’t have been clearer: Escape was impossible. His features grim, Vane closed the door-and followed the cat. ~Pg 9 A Rake’s Vow by Stephanie Laurens

May Madness Book Giveaway #2: Testimony by Anita Shreve


BOOK INFORMATION: Testimony By Anita Shreve

At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora’s box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices–those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal–that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

PRAISE FOR TESTIMONY:

“Shreve, consummate craftsman and frequent provocateur, is on fire in her latest novel, a mesmerizing read centering on a sex scandal at a prestigious Vermont prep school….Shreve views all of the characters, even the most flawed, with a good deal of compassion, revealing the heartbreaking consequences of a single reckless act.”— Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist (starred review)

Anita Shreve is the critically acclaimed author of fourteen novels, including Body Surfing, The Pilot’s Wife, which was a selection of Oprah’s Book Club, and The Weight of Water, which was a finalist for England’s Orange Prize. She lives in Massachusetts.

Thanks to Hatchette book Group we have 5, yes 5 copies to giveaway. So we will have 5 winners for this great book! Do not miss out on this one!

*US and CANADA ENTRIES ONLY please*

So here is how to Win this book. The first thing you need to do. And this is required to particpate.Is Comment! This give away will be open til the 22nd of May.

And some other ways to get entries:
Follow this blog (1 entry)
Put our Button on your blog (1 entry)
Put is in your blog roll (1 entry)
Join the feeder service (1 entry)
Follow me on facebook (1 entry follow the FB link on the sidebar)
Follow me on Twitter (1 entry Follow twitter link on sidebar)
Create a post on your blog advertising the contest and linking back to us here at Fire & Ice for the contest. make sure you post the link to your post in the comments. (1 entry)

Book Review: The Perfect Waltz by Anne Gracie

Hope Merridew dreamed of dancing the perfect waltz with the perfect man — and he’s not the tough, dark stranger who has come to London to court another woman. Only how can she resist him?
Sebastian has his own demons: a dark past to come to terms with and two desperately needy little sisters to care for. For their sake he must resist Miss Hope Merridew — but can he?

The Perfect Waltz is not a typical romance novel in some ways, and in many ways it is. The difference in this novel and so many others is that it deals with some difficult subjects. Our wonderful hero Sebastian has two sisters; his sisters were kidnapped before he could protect them properly. You see Sebastian didn’t start out as a rich man in ton society, he married into it. Due to what happened to his sisters they are a hard pair to deal with, they run off governesses one straps a knife to her thigh the other doesn’t talk. What is he to do? Find the perfect wife, of course. Ah, yes this is where we find it is a typical romance novel.

But fate and Sebastian will find themselves at odds, he wants a sensible, older, do good wife who will be able to handle his sisters. Fate wants him to have a lively, fun, chipper young woman. Sebastian of course rails against this. He won’t list to his friend who tries to tell him that Miss Hope Merridew is probably the best match he could find because hope has suffered too. Hope suffered under the brutish hand of her grandfather who was abusive. Truly what better woman than that to help care for some battered children?

The story is written well, and over all I enjoyed it better than the first one. It still has a few small moments where it drags, but over all I did enjoy it. I liked the subject matter, and I liked that it was not afraid to go into deeper topics. The nice thing about this book as well is that it is a stand a lone there are some references to The Perfect Rake, but not many. You will still be able to know what’s going on. And enjoy getting to know Hope Merridew. If you’re looking for a historical romance, I recommend this one.

48 Hour Book Challenge


I am excited this will be my first read-a-thon type Challenge.I missed the 24 hour one. But I plan on taking part in that the next time is comes around. Til than I have this challenge. And here are the rules. Sign up and take part of you want to. It should be fun.

June 5–7, 2009, with the check-in day on Monday, June 8th.

Here are the basic guidelines:

The weekend is June 5–7, 2009. Read and blog for any 48-hour period within the Friday-to-Monday-morning window. Start no sooner than 7:00 a.m. on Friday the fifth and end no later than 7:00 a.m. Monday. So, go from 7:00 p.m. Friday to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday… or maybe 7:00 a.m. Saturday to 7:00 a.m. Monday works better for you. But the 48 hours do need to be in a row. Edited to add: But during that 48-hour period you may still have gaps of time in which you can’t read, and that’s fine. In the middle of the three different challenge weekends I’ve had to go to work, attend a ballet recital, and drive for a Girl Scout event. You can certainly work around the other events in your weekend.

The books should be about fifth-grade level and up. Adult books are fine, especially if any adult book bloggers want to play. If you are generally a picture book blogger, consider this a good time to get caught up on all those wonderful books you’ve been hearing about. Two graphic novels can be included in the reading. I’m not trying to discriminate, I’m just trying to make sure that the number of books and page counts mean the same thing to everyone.

It’s your call as to how much you want to put into it. If you want to skip sleep and showers to do this, go for it. If you want to be a bit more laid back, fine. But you have to put something into it or it’s not a challenge.

The length of the reviews are not an issue. You can write a sentence, paragraph, or a full-length review. The time spend reviewing counts in your total time.

On your blog, state when you are starting the challenge with a specific entry on that day. This makes it easier to track the participants. Write your final summary on Monday, and for one day, we’ll all be on the same page, so to speak.

Your final summary needs to clearly include the number of books read, the approximate hours you spent reading/reviewing, and any other comments you want to make on the experience. It needs to be posted no later than noon on Monday, June 8th.

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