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Sunday, March 3, 2013

{BLOG TOUR} THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL by GINA LAMM ~ REVIEW and INTERVIEW

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the blog tour for The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl. My stop includes a review and interview with author Gina Lamm. Thanks to Sourcebooks for inviting me to take part in the tour.



The Geek Girl and the Scandalous EarlSeries: Stand alone
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: 3/5/13
Format: ARC
Pages: 352
Source: Received from publisher for review


THE STAKES HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER…

An avid gamer, Jamie Marten loves to escape into online adventure. But when she falls through an antique mirror into a lavish bedchamber—200 years in the past!—she realizes she may have escaped a little too far.

Micah Axelby, Earl of Dunnington, has just kicked one mistress out of his bed, and isn’t looking to fill it with another—least of all this sassy, nearly naked girl who claims to be from the future. Yet something about her is undeniably enticing…

Jamie and Micah are worlds apart. He’s a peer of the realm. She can barely make rent. She’s wi-fi. He’s horse-drawn. But soon the pair will do anything to avoid a Game Over.

The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl (whew, that's a mouthful) is a fun, charming story of a time-traveling girl and the man she loves.

I'm a big fan of time-travel books, of books in which a character is a "fish out of water" and must adjust to the time they are stuck in. TGGaTSE was a fun take on that particular storyline, mostly because of Jamie, the Geek Girl. What made Jamie so much fun was that she is such a spirited character. She is an avid gamer, a regular RPG-er. She swears a lot, asks questions, and doesn't take no for an answer. As you may guess, she doesn't exactly fit in when she lands in 1816 England.

As for her Earl, Micah...well, any man who's described as looking like Colin Firth gets an automatic pass from me. Micah was given an authentic voice for a man of Regency London. That means he's appropriately stuffy, honor bound, but like a good scandalous Earl, Micah knows how to turn things up behind closed doors.

The story got off to a quick start, with Jamie landing in 1816 within a few pages. That was good because I like my stories to have a fast pace, but I also felt like I didn't know Jamie and her situation very well. Once she lands in London, the plot continued to move forward quickly, still a good thing, but I did feel the relationship did move a little too quickly, particularly the love. I really didn't see where the feelings were coming from. As the story continued, with Jamie and Micah getting to actually know one another better, I did feel the chemistry between them, particularly in the bedroom. Holy wow! There was some seriously hot bed action happening between Geek Girl and Scandalous Earl! Two thumbs up!

There is nice secondary mystery involving a woman from Micah's past, and a dangerous woman from his present. That aspect provided good tension and drama between Micah and Jamie, and really moved the plot forward.

The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl was charming and a lot of fun. I look forward to seeing what the future, or past, holds for Jamie and Micah.



Favorite Quote:

  Her heart sped at the way he guided her. His hand on the small of her back burned her. He led her through the swirling steps--one, two, three, one, two, three--spinning her in dizzying circles. Their eyes were locked, their hands clasped, and she rested her other palm on his muscled shoulder, she didn't know if she was Jamie Marten, songwriter and self-avowed geek girl from 2012, or Miss Jamie Marten, genteel and refined English miss from 1816.  ~eARC, 29%


 
Interview with Author Gina Lamm 
 
 
Describe Geek Girl & the Scandalous Earl, Twitter-style. 
GL:  A modern day geek girl gets sucked through a mirror and falls in love with a handsome and haughty earl. Hijinx and hot lovin’ to follow.


What was your inspiration for the story?
GL
:  I had just finished reading Stephen King’s book ON WRITING. While driving home one evening, I mulled over something he said. The common rule of thumb is “write what you know.” But Stephen King’s opinion was we should write what we LIKE. While tumbling that idea over in my head, I thought about it. What do I love? Online games like World of Warcraft. But what else do I love? Regency romances. While turning the corner onto the narrow country road, the idea for Jamie and Micah was born. I started writing as soon as I got in the door.


Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?
GL
:  Not at ALL. I used to write poetry when I was a teenager, and I’ve sort of taken the same approach to writing fiction. A line would pop into my head, and it would instantly have to be written down. That happens now, too. I’ll be thinking of the story, and a line drops from the ether into my fingertips. It can be sort of annoying. For instance, there are chapters and chapters of THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL’s sequel that were written on, of all things, my iPhone. A bit inconvenient. J


What do you think sets Geek Girl apart from other books in the genre?
GL
:  I don’t know of any book that really mashes these two particular worlds together. Jamie is very modern, very independent, and very opinionated. Micah is very traditional, very proper, and also very opinionated. Being able to use both modern geeky and proper Regency voices was incredibly fun, and I think the juxtaposition is something that most people will enjoy.


What made you choose to set the story in 1800s London?
GL
:  I’ve been addicted to Regency romances since I was a teenager. My sister and I used to devour those little Signet category books like they were sacks of candy. I love the pageantry, the society, and the heroines and heroes who manage to find love despite all those ridiculous rules. And the clothes! I am a bit of a costume whore.


Do you have a favorite Historical Romance or time travel book/series?
GL
:  My all-time favorite Regencies are from Catherine Coulter. I adore THE WYNDHAM LEGACY, and THE SHERBROOKE BRIDE, as well as many others. As far as time travel, I have to say that Lynn Kurland’s STARDUST OF YESTERDAY is my all-time favorite. A little paranormal element in that one as well, which makes me happy.


What book (besides your own, of course) do you wish everyone would read?
GL
:  Oh gosh, it’s like asking me to pick my favorite fur kid! Okay, I’ll try.

I wish everyone would read DOLORES CLAIBORNE, by Stephen King. I know, it’s hardly a romance, but the voice in that book is INCREDIBLE. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read it. I’ve read it to shreds. That book is as human as anything I’ve ever read, and I think it’s really helped me to understand how deeply people can really feel.
 
Thanks to Gina for stopping by.  
 
 
About the author:
Becoming a magician proved to be less interesting than Gina Lamm had anticipated when she was six, so in her adult life, she’s turned to writing.

This belly-dancing, wisecracking, marshmallow-addicted mother of three energetic fur-children loves nothing more than penning funny, emotional tales of love, lust, and entertaining mishaps.

Married to a real live superhero, she and her family live in North Carolina, surrounded by tobacco farms, possums, and the occasional hurricane.


Connect with Gina at:
Website  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads 
 
 
 
Order The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl at:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository



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21 comments:

  1. Ooh, this sounds really good! I love World of Warcraft and am a gamer myself and time travel is one of my ultimate favourites, so this is going to be a MUST READ for me! Love the review and excellent interview! I've just been reading On Writing myself!

    Liza @ Book Crook Liza

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    1. Hi Liza!
      What race/class? I love to talk to fellow WoW-ers!
      I solo a lot, so my go-tos are my Belf pally and an Undead DK. :)

      Jamie, however, prefers the warriors, but can rock a priest when she has to. ;)

      I hope you enjoy the book! Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Gina

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  2. Ahhh, I played WoW when I dated my last boyfriend and gave it a try again last summer. LOL. I think I still have it in my laptop. It's kind of addictive -.- I wouldn't think it's a time travel book based on that cover, which is really cheesy btw, but I love the sound of it! I probably wouldn't have discovered this book if it weren't for you. I think the fact that it's fast-paced, is definitely a plus for me, because I, just like you, like my stories like that. What a lovely review and interview, Andrea! Thanks for sharing :)

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    1. Hi Sirtsu!!

      You're right, WoW is definitely addictive! You've got to try the new stuff from the recent release. I'm having a ton of fun leveling in Pandaria!

      I hope you enjoy GGSE. :)

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  3. Oh yes, this sounds like a very cute read. The premise sounds very different and I always like different. Great review and loved the interview!

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    1. Hi Teresa!

      I'm glad you stopped by. :) I really hope you enjoy the book! It was an incredibly fun story to write.

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  4. This sounds really cute and fun!! And OMG I used to play WoW and loved it. I want to get back into it, but I don't have time and I used to spend hours and hours playing.

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    1. Hi Amy!

      WoW is a big time-suck, if you let it be! But it's so fun. I try to limit myself to a couple of hours a day, and I don't watch TV if I play. Of course, I solo, and I don't raid, so it's easier to call it quits when I need to. :)

      I hope you enjoy GGSE! :)

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  5. THis sounds like a lot of fun! Time travel is always interesting when a good writer takes hold of it.
    Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog

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    1. Hi Brandi!

      I hope it's as fun to read as it was to write! Thanks for coming by.

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  6. This sounds brilliant! I love the thought of an RPG-er being stuck in the 1800s... with a handsome earl. Sounds like a lot of fun! It's been a while since my last time travel book, too, so I'll have to try and get around to this sooner rather than later. Great review and interview! :)

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  7. This books sounds soooo cute! I have to ask -- was there any birth control in the sex scenes? I read an Outlander book where a girl was transported to Medieval Scottland and was forced to get married. All I could think was, holy cow, she's going to have like 15 kids before the end of the book!

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  8. I love time travel books and would pick this one up just for that! I think the guy looks a little funny, but I love the girl with her glasses!
    It sounds like a cute and fun read!

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  9. Okay, I have to admit I wouldn't pick this one up because of the gaming element...I'm clueless about that! ;) But your review has intrigued me...it sounds really fun AND that Micah looks like Colin Firth...yeah, I'm hooked! ;) Thanks for the review and the interview! I loved her twitter-style description of the book! :)

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  10. I'm with you on the time traveling thing. This looks cute. Not sure about the love thing though. I want to see the feeling develop.

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  11. *heads to Goodreads to add yet another book that you reviewed* I swear I should start getting money from you for all the books I want to buy after I read your reviews. I really am not huge on time-traveling books but I really think this one would be great for me. I've been dying to read about historical romance lately. Dukes & Earls always know how to spice it up. :)

    Thanks for another great review, glad you liked this story!

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  12. Ahhhh! This sounds so cute. I do often struggle with wrapping my head around time travel books, the concept is really hard to pull off, but this seems like it is a more light & fun take on the concept. It's great to see that, even though the romance moved forward a bit too quickly you still got taken in by it with some hot bedroom action. Fantastic review!

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  13. This sounds like such a fun book!

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  14. This sounds cute! I love online gaming and historicals so this one will have to stay on my radar. I haven't read too many time-travel books I don't mind it as long as it's pulled off correctly.

    Great review and interview!

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