Wednesday 5 August 2015

Giveaway and Author Interview! Lauren E James, author of The Next Together


Happy Wednesday all! Hope  you're all doing well.

 
To cheer up this dreary day, I am delighted to be doing the first ever giveaway on this blog! And I can't think of a nicer author to kick things off with than Lauren E James and her fantastic debut The Next Together.
 
 
Synopsis:
 
Katherine and Matthew are destined to be born again and again. Each time their presence changes history for the better, and each time, they fall hopelessly in love, only to be tragically separated. How many times can you lose the person you love?
 
For Matthew and Katherine it is again and again, over and over, century after century. But why do they keep coming back? How many times must they die to save the world? What else must they achieve before they can be left to live and love in peace? Maybe the next together will be different.
 
A powerful and epic debut novel about fate and the timelessness of first love.
 
 
 
 
The Next Together is a brilliantly original and pacey read, full of epic romance and wonderfully researched and executed historical settings. I really enjoyed the jumpy plot and all the mysterious twists and turns - towards the end I was racing to finish it. It also scores major points for me being partially set at Nottingham University, my alma mater.
 
Here is a little Q&A with Lauren all about The Next Together:
 
 
Hi Lauren. So jumping right to it, where did the inspiration for The Next Together come from? 

I'm not really sure - it's a story idea I've been working on since I was 16. It was always the story I'd write about in English lessons if we were told to do some creative writing. It kind of grew from there!

What was your favourite time landscape to write?
 
I have a huge soft spot for regency romances, so I think the 1745 timeline was my favourite. There's a scene set during a carriage ride near the beginning that still makes me swoon when I reread it! 

Were there any other time periods you were interested in writing for this? I'm yearning for a 1920s Matthew and Katherine...
 
Several people have mentioned this, so I feel like it's going to have to happen one day. Flapper Kate would be so sassy and hip, I'm not sure I'm cool enough to write her! 
 
I did once write a medieval short story, and there may be a WWII one in the works........so keep your eye out for that!

From The Next Together, I get the feeling you are lover of epic romances and historical novels. Any favourites?
 
Oof, so many! I love The Time Traveller's Wife, Outlander, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Fingersmith and The Ghosts of Heaven. But I could list my faves all day!

If you had to spend multiple lives across history with one famous person (either from the present or from history), who would it be?
 
Probably the unbelievably cool La Maupin (a 17th-century swordswoman and opera singer. Her tumultuous career and flamboyant life were the subject of gossip and colourful stories in her own time, and inspired numerous portrayals afterwards).
  
If I could cheat and choose someone fictional, I'd probably go for Artemis Fowl!
 
 
 
 So to the GIVEAWAY! For your chance to win a signed copy of The Next Together, pick a famous person/historical figure you'd want to spend multiple lives with and tell me why in the comments section below. I'll be picking a winner from there!
 
Good luck!

Big thanks to Lauren E James for being on the blog today, The Next Together is published by Walker Books on September 3rd 2015.
 
 

4 comments:

  1. fabulous question I would choose Johnny Depp, not because of the obvious handsomeness but because i think he would be able to re-invent himself over and over. i dont think things would get boring

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    1. Thanks for taking part in this giveaway Tracy. I've randomly selected the winner and I am happy to let you know that it's you. Email me your address at yabberingbooklover@gmail.com and I will send out your signed copy to you. Thanks!

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  2. I hope I'm not too late for this give away! This is a very hard question... maybe King Arthur because what would be cooler than living with a literal legend? Plus it would be funny to watch the legends shift and grow over the centuries.

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    1. Hi Kate, Thanks for taking part in this giveaway. I've randomly selected the winner and I'm afraid on this occasion you were not the winner. But do keep an eye out on the blog for giveaways in the future, next time could be the lucky one!

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