Let's kick off the week with Mary Wine as she celebrates her new steampunk novel, A LADY CAN NEVER BE TOO CURIOUS. From her bio,
When she’s not abusing a laptop, she spends time with her sewing machines…all of them! Making historical garments is her second passion. From corsets and knickers to court dresses of Elizabeth I, the most expensive clothes she owns are hundreds of years out of date. She’s also an active student of martial arts, having earned the rank of second degree black belt.
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| Mary (left) with readers at RT/2012. |
Kim: I know you wear your gorgeous dresses to Medieval Festivals - how did you become involved in them? What attracts you to them? What is your favorite food from them?
Mary: My fascination with dresses began early. I used to make my Barbie dolls clothing. The renaissance faire we have near us hooked good. Why here was a place I could wear fancy dresses, thereby giving myself a reason to make them and also explore history. There was the added benefit of being able to meet other people who enjoyed debating the little details of history too. Some folks have RV’s or horses…we have swords, corsets and Elizabethan dance classes. The food which delights me is historical. We tend to plan banquets and among the other junkies that work these events are people who strive to make recipes from the period. I make a fine almond pudding.
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| Here's the Hawaiian dress throughout the ages! |
Kim: Second degree black belt? Congrats! Have any of your heroines used any of your moves?
Mary: I need to update that because I took my three degree test last fall. My first books were paranormal and yes, my martial arts was used in those.
Kim: You have attended RT and RomCon - what do you enjoy most from meeting readers?
Mary: It’s really an amazing thing to encounter someone who loved one of my books. I’m really not kissing up by saying that. It just doesn’t get any better than to discover someone who enjoys the ramblings of my imagination.
Mary: It’s really an amazing thing to encounter someone who loved one of my books. I’m really not kissing up by saying that. It just doesn’t get any better than to discover someone who enjoys the ramblings of my imagination.
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| Hawaiian culture also had separate societies. |
Kim: Tell us about A LADY CAN NEVER BE TOO CURIOUS!
Mary: This is my first Steam Punk. A new hybrid of romance, it’s Victorian Science fiction. At its core, it is a historical. I wanted to introduce my idea of what ‘Steam Punkers’ were. In this case, a secret society that is based on science. The Victorians did adore their secret orders! They also clung tightly to their ideas of the classes not mixing. Which allowed me to play with a lady and an Illuminist man who are drawn to one another in spite of the culture surrounding them.
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| I'd like to find trouble with a Highlander ... |
Kim: What's next for Mary Wine?
Mary: Next up will be ‘The Trouble With Highlanders’. This book follows ‘The Highlander’s Prize.’ At the end of book one, Daphne went home after allowing Norris Sutherland to seduce her and get her out of marring Broen. But Norris isn’t in the mood to allow Daphne to turn her back on him,, in fact, he wants her and intends to bring her home.
Mahalo, Mary, for joining us at SOS Aloha! I posted my review of I posted my review of A LADY CAN NEVER BE TOO CURIOUS on Goodreads at this link. I am giving away a print copy of A LADY CAN NEVER TOO CURIOUS to one randomly selected commenter:
On the outside, Janette Aston appears to be a proper young lady; however, the people of England have no idea that this poised young miss secretly studies the scientific discoveries of the mysterious Illuminist Society. Janette soon grows hungry for more secrets about this Society, and she finds herself impersonating an Illuminist to discover more information. As she is exposed to secrets and dangers she never could have imagined, she begins to wonder if she's finally gone too far. But when she runs into gorgeous Illuminist Guardian Darius Lawley, she finds that, while her life is in danger, her sense of curiosity is most certainly piqued...
To enter the giveaway,
1. Leave a comment about your curiosity - if you could enroll in one class for a semester (traditional or nontraditional), what you like to learn?
I'd like to learn more about the Hawaiian language!
2. This giveaway is open to all readers.
3. Comments are open through Saturday, September 1, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 2.
Mahalo,
Kim in Hawaii
To learn more about Mary and her books, check out her website at marywine.com.
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| The Place of Refuge was mysterious to outsiders .... |
I'd like to take an art class of any kind.
ReplyDeleteThat's a tough question, because I couldn't pick just one thing I'd like to learn more about ... so, let's see - astronomy! One semester would barely scratch the surface though! ;-)
ReplyDeleteA computer class. I am technologically challenged.
ReplyDeleteI would like to take a medical technologist course as well as martial arts.
ReplyDeletekscathy@yahoo.com
I would love to learn Italian!
ReplyDeleteI would take a class on ancient runes.
ReplyDeleteI would love to learn French. I love the accent, especially on the French men.
ReplyDeleteI love Steampunk Romance books, and I'd love to read this.
Thank you for this opportunity Kim.
I would love to learn more about the Amish. They are able to live seperately within the US population and have pretty much remained the same while doing it.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to win Mary's book!! TY for the opportunity.
A cooking class
ReplyDeleteIt would be a toss up between computer, cooking, or photography.
ReplyDeleteI'd probably take some type of crafts class - like sewing, quilting, etc.
ReplyDeleteA sewing class: I know how to make a quilt but have never made an item of clothing & lookig at Mary's gorgeous dress I'm thinking it's something I'd love to do.
ReplyDeleteFrench Class..been wanting to be able to speak and read french. it's a beautiful language :)
ReplyDeleteMy crochet needs some work. I just wing it. I'd love to be able to follow a pattern.
ReplyDeleteWhat I need to do is take a class on something like Excel, but what I'd want to do is take a class on something like photography.
ReplyDeleteI am from NY, right outside the city. I would like to take another Spanish class. I had 4 years in high school and a year in college, but moved to NH where no one spoke it. Now I find I really want to understand it more. I love Mary Wine and her books!
ReplyDeleteFrench or Spanish class. I really want to learn to speak other languages.
ReplyDeleteI love to enroll for English Class or China Class :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great post! I'd love to take a class and learn how to knit and crochet.
ReplyDeleteHi Kim -
DeleteI'm a little late visiting you but when I saw that you had Mary visiting I had to visit and your interview was wonderful!
Hi Mary -
A friend recommneded your books to me and the first one I read was Highland Heat just last year. I loved it so much I immediately downloaded To Conquer a Highlander that came out the year before and loved Highlander's Prize amd I was just getting ready to download My Fair Highlander when I noticed Kim's post! I'm thrilled that you have The Trouble with Highlanders coming out this fall!
After reading your interview and finding out about A Lady Too Curious I'm fascinated by a secret society based on science set during the Victorisn era. I never heard about Victorian science fiction before and love finding books set in that period with a different twist to them!
Kim - Unfortunately my curiousity usually get the best of me! My husband kids me that even if I want to buy an "everyday" product I have to do hours of research - which he says is ridiculous when I'm looking to buy something like a new iron!
He kids me constantly and laughed when after reading an article on ironing I started "preping" the old fashion way! Since you're of the "younger generation" that means rolling up sheets, shirts, etc. out of the washer, rolling them up in towell and putting them in the refrigerator before ironing them! Yes, by the way, they are easier to iron and you don't have to use spray starch, etc.! The only problem is having enough room in the frig! My husband wasn't happy last week-end when I took all his soda out of the frig and there wasn't much ice so he had to drink luke-warm soda!
Remember, we're all going to be waiting to find out what you learned about the Hawaiian language!
I'd want to take a graphic arts class. That would get my creative juices rolling.
ReplyDeleteI love to learn the techniques of watercolor - I'd love to be able to do some pictures of flowers & gardens.
ReplyDeleteAnd maybe Italian (& then I'd go there for vacation).
I'd like to learn to paint.
ReplyDeleteI would love to take a mythology class! Love it. ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat interview.