Aloha to Leigh LaValle and THE RUNAWAY COUNTESS

We have a long weekend in Hawaii - Monday is a state holiday in honor of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Piʻikoi - familiarly known as Prince Kūhiō.  I think of him as a modern Robin Hood of the Pacific.  Prince Kūhiō was a member of the House of Kalākaua when the kingdom was overthrown by an evil sheriff, er, businessman.   He joined the unsuccessful rebellion, served a year imprisonment, but emerged as a voice for Hawaiians in Congress when Hawaii became a US territory.   

Robin Hood inspired today's guest, Leigh LaValle. From her bio,

I live in the Pacific Northwest with my family. When I am not writing, mommying, or reading, I am rarely seen cleaning, and more often found hiking or, when I am really lucky, in the white powder of the ski slopes. I am also a devoted yoga practitioner and instructor.

I hold an honor's degree in English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing. My poetry is published in several small literary magazines.

The Runaway Countess was a finalist in the 2011 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart contest. It is my second completed manuscript, the first having been relegated to the dust bunnies under my bed after my son was born. 

Leigh's photo of a beach tree

Kim: Can you share your favorite sight, sound, and smell of the Pacific Northwest?

Leigh: I am a recent transplant to the Pacific Northwest, having just moved from Colorado. The lush environment is so different from the high desert and powerful mountains I am used to. I find Nature here to be very feminine, replete with soft shapes, abundant fertility, and a welcoming embrace. (I use that word in juxtaposition to the harsh challenge that is the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains.) I notice both in the forest and on the coast patterns laying over patterns, curves and swirls abounding everywhere, layers of life living in relaxed harmony. 

Leigh's photo of the beach

My favorite sound would have to be the ocean. There is something so relieving about the timeless force that is the sea. Really, what good does it do to resist anything in this life? Rolling in, rolling out, one wave rises and falls away. The next comes with its force of purpose and becomes only soft surrender.

My favorite smell- the deep forest. Life, life, life! 

Leigh's photo of a "Lady" tree.

Kim: Hiking, skiing, and yoga - you must be fit! We have such freedoms today as modern women - what would you like (and dislike) about living in the Regency Era?

Leigh: I would definitely have been a tomboy relegated to the countryside were I to live during the Regency Era. I certainly would not have made a proper debutant, and neither do any of my heroines.

What attracts me to the Regency time period is the courtly manners, the elegance, the fashion, and the stirring of cultural change that lay beneath it all. France had already grappled its way through a revolution. Unrest was also brewing in England. Politics were heated, creative expression was alive, and the British (well, the rich anyway) celebrated it all with soirees and operas, garden parties and grand balls. 

RWA's Golden Heart
www.rwa.org

Kim: Congrats on being a Golden Heart Finalist last year! Who or what helped you on your path to publishing?

Leigh: I think I would have been more excited to sit up front had I not worried about making a speech in from of 1,000+ people! It was a lovely night. My dad was my date and expressed his pleased surprise over the professionalism of the ceremony and RWA in general.

It was very exciting to be a 2011 Golden Heart Finalist! I could never have gotten there without the support of my writing partners, and the inspiration of artist everywhere who never gave up on their dream.

My mom passed away while I was writing this book. A few days after her funeral, on March 25, 2010 to be exact, I sat by my phone and waited for a Golden Heart phone call that never came. I was so certain I would be a finalist that year- not only had I worked so hard on my manuscript but I was now motherless. Certainly I deserved to final! Alas, I did not.

It took me some time to get up the gumption to write again. But my writing partners never stopped encouraging me, from soft words of compassion to harder ‘threats’.

In the end, it was simply the beauty of the written word that pushed me back into my writing chair. I read novels and articles on craft that fired my blood with inspiration. I editing my book one more (thousandth) time, was nominated for a Golden Heart, and sold. Easy peasy. 

Kim: Tell us about THE RUNAWAY COUNTESS - what inspired it?

Leigh: THE RUNAWAY COUNTESS is a Regency retelling of the Robin Hood legend in which the figurative Sheriff of Nottingham captures one of Robin Hood’s Merry Maids.

This book was inspired by a romance that colors my entire life- my parent’s marriage. My mom was a die-hard Democrat and my dad a card-carrying Republican. This made for many interesting discussions at the dinner table. I soon realized that, while my parents might spar over the evening news, they were never actually angry at each other. They agreed to disagree, even if they still argued about it.

As the US descended into bickering and battle lines during the 2008 presidential elections, I decided I wanted to write a story that demonstrated how two sides of an issue could both be right. I considered the huge ideological rift in our country and I kept thinking that, if we could only take time to understand each other’s backgrounds and the reasons for our opinions, there would be a lot less animosity amongst fellow Americans. It’s a great lesson for today’s climate as well. 

Maclise’s ROBIN HOOD ENTERTAINING RICHARD THE
LIONHEART IN SHERWOOD FOREST (1839)

I chose the Robin Hood tale because 1. I love it and 2. I thought it provided a great opportunity to juxtapose conflicting viewpoints. Truly, stealing is not the answer, no matter how justified the reasons. But neither is oppression.

Book Blurb:

Once the darling of high society, Mazie Chetwyn knows firsthand how quickly the rich and powerful turn their backs on the less fortunate. Orphaned, penniless and determined to defy their ruthless whims, she joins forces with a local highwayman who steals from the rich to give to the poor.

Then the pawn broker snitches, and Mazie is captured by the Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire. A man who is far too handsome, far too observant…and surely as corrupt as his father once was.

Sensible, rule-driven Trent Carthwick, twelfth Earl of Radford, is certain the threat of the gallows will prompt the villagers’ beloved Angel of Kindness to reveal the highwayman’s identity. But his bewitching captive volunteers nothing—except a sultry, bewildering kiss.

And so the games begin. Trent feints, Mazie parries. He threatens, she pretends nonchalance. He cajoles, she rebuffs. Thwarted at every turn, Trent probes deep into her one vulnerability—her past. There he finds the leverage he needs and a searing truth that challenges all he believes about right and wrong. 

Leighton's SIGNING THE REGISTER

Kim: What's next for Leigh LaValle?

Leigh: Right now I am working on an anthology that will release in the spring. THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER is a fun project I put together with Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan and Carey Baldwin to raise money for breast cancer research. My novella in the anthology features Lady Catherine, a secondary character in THE RUNAWAY COUNTESS.

I am also working on a story about Roane, The Midnight Rider. This will be a novella as well. (I am in a hurry to get Cat and Roane’s stories told before my baby arrives in September!)

AND I am also working on a full length historical featuring a lady spy and the rogue who thwarts her. I hope to release this story in 2013.

Thanks for having me here, Kim! I love talking to readers, it’s by far the best part of my debut experience so far. Come say hi in the comments section below, or find me at my homes on the web. 

Mahaho, Leigh, for joining us at SOS Aloha!  Leigh is giving away an ecopy of THE RUNAWAY COUNTESS to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about Robin Hood - have you read the original legend? Which is your favorite movie version - Douglas Fairbanks? Errol Flynn? Kevin Costner? Russell Crowe?


I loved Cary Elwes in Mel Brook's MEN IN TIGHTS.

2. This giveaway is open to all readers.

3. Comments are open through Saturday, March 24, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, March 25.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Leigh and her books, check out her social media:

Website www.leighlavalle.com
Facebook www.facebook.com/leigh.lavalle
Twitter www.twitter.com/leigh_lavalle
Blog www.DashingDuchesses.com 

Princess Kaiulani (Kuhio's cousin) also challenged the evil
sheriff who overthrew the Kingdom of Hawaii.

March Madness continues here at SOS Aloha! All commenters in March will be entered into a special drawing for prizes from RT in Chicago. 3 US, 3 Canadian, and 3 international readers will win a package with books and goodies. Comments can be made at:

- SOS Aloha, sosaloha.blogspot.com
- Aloha On My Mind, alohaonmymind.blogspot.com
- My guest posts at the Reading Reviewer (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) at marygramlich.blogspot.com

I'll post the winners of March Madness on Monday, April 2.