Shana Galen | Heroines in Disguise
June 2, 2010
Have you ever pretended you were someone you’re not? Have you ever masqueraded
as someone famous or gone along when you were mistaken for someone else? I haven’t, but I’ve always loved stories where the heroines were in disguise.
Think of Shakespeare’s
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE,
TWELFTH NIGHT, or AS YOU LIKE IT. Those are some of my favorites.
And the best part? When the ruse is discovered, of course! And maybe reading Shakespeare all those
years ago in high school and college was part of the inspiration for Sarah in my
next novel, THE MAKING OF A
DUCHESS. Sarah is an orphan and a governess for one of the top men in
England’s Foreign Office. She’s a quiet, unobtrusive sort of woman who minds her
own business until one day her employer tells her he needs her to become a spy.
And the man he needs her to spy upon? Julien Harcourt, duc de Valére. Sarah doesn’t know anything about Julien, which is a good thing. If she knew how
wealthy he was, how powerful, how intimidating, or how handsome, she would never
have accepted the assignment. She’s pretty reluctant to accept anyway, but her
employer makes her an offer she really can’t refuse. I think one of the reasons I like disguise stories is because I enjoy putting
characters in challenging circumstances. I don’t know about you, but it seems
I’m always in situations where I have no idea what’s going on. It’s like
everyone but me got the memo, and I have to muddle along until I figure out the
unwritten rules. I have an 8-month old daughter and dealing with play dates
(really? for a 8-month old?) and infant educational activities has taught me
that there’s a whole side of the world I knew nothing about. There are rules and
protocols and all sorts of expectations. And where do you buy the book
explaining all of this? So even though I’m not adventurous enough to pretend to be someone I’m not, I
can relate to Sarah’s plight. She’s not only forced to become a spy, she’s
forced to play an aristocrat as well. The results, as you might imagine, are
funny, poignant, and unexpected. I hope you’ll pick up THE
MAKING OF A DUCHESS. Check out an excerpt on my website. And I’d also love to know if any of you have pretended to be someone you’re not.
If not, do you have any favorite books with that theme? I’ll be checking in
later to read your answers. THE MAKING OF A DUCHESS
by SHANA GALEN--IN
STORES JUNE 2010 A very dangerous attraction... Julien Harcourt, duc de Valère, is more than willing to marry the lovely young
lady his mother has chosen. Little does he know, she’s been sent to prove him a
spy and a traitor... And an even more dangerous secret... Sarah Smith’s mission is to find out whether the Duc’s trips to the Continent
are as innocent as he claims, but the way he looks at her is far from
innocent... Their risky game of cat and mouse propels them from the ballrooms of London to
the prisons of Paris, and into a fragile love that may not survive their
deceptions... About the Author Shana Galen is the
author of five Regency historicals, including the Rita-nominated Blackthorne’s Bride. Her
books have been sold in Brazil, Russia, and the Netherlands and featured in the
Rhapsody and Doubleday Book Clubs. A former English teacher in Houston’s inner
city, Shana now writes full time. She is a happily married wife and mother of
one daughter and two spoiled cats. She loves to hear from readers: visit her website.
Comments
39 comments posted.
Re: Shana Galen | Heroines in Disguise
Wow, The Making of a Duchess sounds like my kind of romantic adventure. It is a bonus to me that the story takes place in France for a change. Wishing you the best of success, Shana. I'm certain readers are going to love this story. (Lettetia Elsasser 7:19am June 2, 2010)
I have read a couple of books where the heroine pretended to be someone else and 1 that the hero pretended to be someone else but it was a while back and can't remember the titles or authors. Blame it on old age. lol I love these type stories and can't wait to read your book. I have added you as new author and your book to my wish list. Thanks for the great story and keep on writing for us readers. (Brenda Hill 9:22am June 2, 2010)
Oh, I'm interested because of the era and location. It's good to see authors mix it up a bit. (Cathie Veres 9:28am June 2, 2010)
When I was young my girlfriends and I used to trade names and act like one another when we would go out.Now that I look back I think it was silly but we had fun at the time. I do love these kinds of books that are fun to read, I can't wait to pick yours up. (Vickie Hightower 11:41am June 2, 2010)
I love this kind of book. don't you think a lot of ladies of that period were bored to tears by living a "proper" life? Or maybe their corsets cut off enough air to their brains that they didn't notice. (Caroline Kolb 12:05pm June 2, 2010)
I never have, but Suzanne Brockmann's Prince Joe has a black ops operative posing as a prince to save the prince's life. (Kelli Jo Calvert 12:14pm June 2, 2010)
As a kid, My friends and I were great at pretending, but as an adult nope... I have read a few historicals that had someone pretending to be someone else, whether another person or a person with a title... (Colleen Conklin 12:59pm June 2, 2010)
This happens yet today. Blessings, Marjorie (Marjorie Carmony 1:42pm June 2, 2010)
I have enjoyed a lot of historical romances with a mistaken or false identity theme. Most recently Jennifer Haymore's A Touch of Scandal. (Jacqueline Cook 1:45pm June 2, 2010)
I love historical romance, they are my favorite read! I can't say I have ever pretended to be someone else. Maybe as a child but not since I have been an adult! (Gail Hurt 1:48pm June 2, 2010)
Thanks for the book recommendations, Kelli and Jacqueline. I'm adding them to my TBR list. Good luck to everyone! (Shana Galen 1:57pm June 2, 2010)
Sounds great!!! I love coming to Fresh Fiction to learn all about the new books coming out! (Veronica Jarvis 2:07pm June 2, 2010)
great prize (Deb Pelletier 3:04pm June 2, 2010)
Great to visit Fresh Fiction and hear about new releases-thanks for the contest! (Barb Kettler 3:15pm June 2, 2010)
Congrats on the new release, Shana. I have never pretended to be someone else. In Kathryn Caskie's "How to Propose to a Prince" the hero masquerades as his cousin who is a prince. (Jane Cheung 3:31pm June 2, 2010)
SOUNDS VERY INTERESTING. (Debbi Shaw 4:28pm June 2, 2010)
I've never truly pretended to be anyone else except when I was 11 and a friend and I played being the wives of famous TV characters. I can remember it was kinda fun. However, I think that is one reason I've always loved spy stories; they've got a cover and a different identity and have to make sure they're not "un"covered. I think the joy of reading such books is that you try to pick out instances where the characters are giving themselves away. In reality that is what we would fear. In the book I'm reading right now, Karyn Monk's THE WEDDING ESCAPE, the heroine is an American heiress who runs away from her wedding to a duke. She is rescued by a former thief and thus has the reverse problem of being a poor girl after growing up with wealth, as well as needing to disguise herself to evade being captured for a large reward. (Sigrun Schulz 5:46pm June 2, 2010)
Congratulations on the new book. I love to read historical, romantic fiction. (Teresa Ward 5:56pm June 2, 2010)
these sound sooo good!!! (Brandy Blake 6:44pm June 2, 2010)
When I was in my early twenties, my friends and I did a 4 or 5 day trip to Myrtle Beach every spring as a kinda recharge your batteries type of trip. Well, when we out to the clubs dancing, we always took on an alternate personality. We used a character from the soaps, you know, like Nicki, Ashley, Jill from Y&R. Well, we also had to take on their personalities. It was all in fun and we still laugh about it today when we get together. (Lisa Richards 6:53pm June 2, 2010)
Thanks, Jane and Sigrun. I love Kathryn Caskie and Karyn Monk's books. Lisa, your Myrtle Beach escapades sound too fun. Thanks everyone for the support. (Shana Galen 7:11pm June 2, 2010)
I love stories where one pretends to be someone's else. A person could also pretend that they're someone they're not but the person's personality never changes. That's where the the revelation if the relationship can really survive. (Kai Wong 8:40pm June 2, 2010)
Your new novel, THE MAKING OF A DUCHESS, will be a perfect summer read. I am looking forward to this guilty pleasure. (Rosemary Krejsa 8:41pm June 2, 2010)
When I was much younger, I had to pretend I was someone I wasn't at times to make my parents happy. I can't say that it made me happy, though, because I've always believed in being myself, and honest with myself and others. I'd much rather be reading the pretentious stories like the one in your new book. (Peggy Roberson 9:51pm June 2, 2010)
Hello Shana, Please enter me in your fantastic contest and please let me know when I am a winner too! May God bless you with success too! Thanks, Cecilia (Cecilia Dunbar Hernandez 10:38pm June 2, 2010)
Congrats on your new release! I'm not too much into the mistaken identity stuff. I feel rather frustrated while reading those situations. (Molly Wilsbacher 11:37pm June 2, 2010)
happy writing and hope you have a great summer, congrats on your new release (Gloria Vigil 11:45pm June 2, 2010)
cool (Sagrario Vigil 12:12pm June 3, 2010)
No, I have never pretended to be someone else; but in a story like yours, the ides sounds intriquing. (Gladys Paradowski 12:42pm June 3, 2010)
Back in the seventies the drinking age here was 19 and my girlfriend and I would hit the bars and if we were approached by some losers we would tell them we were undercover narcs. (Susan Lathen 1:42am June 3, 2010)
When I was in college, a girl in my dorm mistook me for another girl. Since I was too embarrassed to correct her (after the third time) I let her call me "Irene" for the next five years. Does that count? (S Tieh 2:18am June 3, 2010)
The Making of a Duchess sounds wonderful. I have never pretended to be other than I am. (Mary Preston 4:54am June 3, 2010)
No, I have never pretended to be someone else, I have one of those faces that says guilty as charged so would not be able to get away with it. Your books sounds so goods! (Barbara Hanson 5:10am June 3, 2010)
I've never pretended to be someone else & I can't say that I ever would. However, I do like a good masquerade story. I'm out on a limb here because I can't remember the author or the titles, but one of my favorites wrote a 2 book series about 2 sisters (or perhaps cousins) where one lady found herself in a situation she didn't want to be in and asked the other lady to impersonate her. All worked out well for both at the end of the 2 stories. Dang me, wish I could remember but it's either Medeiros, Quinn or Laurens. Anyway, fun stories & enjoyable reads. (Karen Haas 8:51am June 3, 2010)
Me again. I forgot to ask what time period your new book was set in. I also forgot to congratulation you on the release of a new book. Good to see something by you back on the market after a long spell away. (Karen Haas 8:55am June 3, 2010)
I do love historical romance. At a Winking Lizard in the 70's, each table had a phone where you could contact the number at another table. You chose who to contact, but the fabrications still make me giggle. (Alyson Widen 10:12am June 3, 2010)
I some times fantasize about being trapped in a time when I can't be who I am or do what I want, and then I break all the rules! (Mary Lynn Hayes 11:57am June 3, 2010)
I don't need to pretend to be someone else in my everyday life, because books provide me that outlet. (Sue Ahn 5:42pm June 3, 2010)
I like to fantasize I am someone different. Not celebrities, but a better version of myself. (Marianna Gizzarelli 8:57pm June 3, 2010)
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