Review: Rogue Pirate's Bride by Shana Galen, Interview and Giveaway

Today I am pleased to announce that we have the talented Shana Galen with us to talk about her upcoming release ROGUE PIRATES BRIDE. 

Welcome Shana, I am so happy you could join us today.

Thanks so much for having me. It’s a pleasure.

Lets start off today with you telling us a bit about yourself.

I’m a wife, a mom, and a writer. I’ve been married for almost six years to a man I like to call Ultimate Sportsfan because he never met a sport he didn’t like, except plane racing, and I didn’t even know that was a sport. I have a two-year-old daughter, who is exhausting and wonderful. I’ve been writing since 2000, and I published my first book in 2005. I live in Houston, Texas, and write during naps and in the wee hours of the morning.

I understand that you have written many different things from contemporary to historical but today we are going to focus on your upcoming release, THE ROGUE PIRATE'S BRIDE. This is the third installment in a trilogy about 3 brothers that were separated very young. Why don't you go ahead and tell us a little about it, without giving too much away of course.

Bastien, the pirate (although he prefers to be called a privateer), in THE ROGUE PIRATE’S BRIDE is bent on revenge. As a child, he escaped the horrors of the French Revolution by signing on aboard a ship. As the book opens he’s an adult, his mentor has been killed by the Barbary Corsair, Jourdain, and Bastien wants to sink Jourdain’s ship.

Raeven is the daughter of a British admiral, and she also wants revenge. Her target is Captain Cutlass, a pirate responsible for the death of her fiancé. Have I mentioned Bastien’s sobriquet is Captain Cutlass? It’s a wild, adventure-packed, fun love story.

These historical romances are a little nontraditional, in a sense, would you mind telling us where you came up with the idea to write these books? Why did you decide to focus more on the action and adventure vs the regency or historical portion?

I came up with the idea as an homage to one of my favorite books, which is Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities. Julien’s story in The Making of a Duchess is a little like Charles Darnay’s story, and Armand’s story in The Making of a Gentleman is reminiscent of Dr. Manette. There aren’t any pirates in A Tale of Two Cities, but I always wanted to write a book with a pirate in it.

Writing is one of those things that improves with practice. My first few books were written blindly in that I wrote whatever I wanted and had no idea what I did well and what I did poorly. Of course I had an editor who helped me shape the book, but no one ever came right out and said, “Shana, you write action scenes well. Shana, you can write humor well.” But over time I began to find my ideas leaned in the direction of adventurous stories, and those always seemed to be readers’ favorite scenes in my books. There are lots of authors who write Regency drawing room scenes well and know more than I ever will about all the minutiae of the nineteenth century. I read many of those authors and enjoy their work. But my favorite authors have always been those who have a lot of action in their stories, like Marsha Canham and Joanna Bourne. And I’m always happiest when I’m writing an exciting fast-paced scene.

As stated above THE ROGUE PIRATES BRIDE is the third in the trilogy. I chose to read all three in a row in order to get the full affect and to hear the story from the very beginning. Was it your intention to write three books that have to be read in order or would you say these are all stand alone.

I try to be intentional about writing every book as a stand-alone because most readers don’t buy everything an author writes. They hear about one good book or see a cover they like and buy the book. They don’t want to open that book and realize they have to read two or three or seven other books first to understand what’s going on. They just want to enjoy a good story. Of course, this series of books is related, and the books build on one another. Characters from the first book show up in the second and third books, and hints about the third book are scattered in the first and second. That’s fun for readers who want to read the series in order, but if you’re a reader who doesn’t care that much about that sort of thing, you aren’t missing anything.

Ok so now that we got that stuff out of the way, let’s talk a bit about yourself, if you don't mind.

When did you decide to become a writer? Was this your intention all along or was it something you decided later?

It’s definitely something I decided later. I didn’t even know writing was a career when I was growing up. Sometimes I’m still not sure it is! But I always loved writing and making up stories, even from a very young age. When I discovered romance novels, I had the urge to try and write one myself. As soon as I started writing what later became When Dashing Met Danger, I knew I had found my passion and what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing?

I was a teacher before I was a full-time writer, and while I did enjoy that, there were some aspects, like discipline, I didn’t love. I have always wanted to work with animals, though, so if I wasn’t a writer, I might work in a veterinary hospital or for an animal shelter.

Are there any certain things that you need when writing?

Not really. I can write pretty much under any circumstances. I guess if I had my choice, I’d want quiet, a cup of chai, and some chocolate nearby. I think I can count the number of times that’s happened on one hand!

If you could marry any one of your heroes, who would it be and why?

I fall in love with every one of my heroes when I’m writing their books. I really do have a soft spot for Bastien because he’s so charming and pirates are really very sexy. But I don’t want to live on a boat, so I couldn’t marry him. Right now I’m writing a book I’m calling The Marchioness of Mystery (you can be sure my publisher will change that title. Marchioness is never going to fit on a cover), and the hero is kind of dark and edgy and dangerous. He’s a spy, and he’s not always a nice guy. But as I write his story, I’m finding out why he is the way he is, and I’m falling in love with him. I think he would make a great husband because he’s ready to give up being a loner and wants a family.

If you could visit any place or any time period, where would you go?

I would definitely go to Regency England. There are a lot of time periods I would like to visit, but I have researched the Regency so much that I would want to see it for myself. I think I’d be like one of the tweens screaming for Justin Bieber if I spotted Beau Brummell or Lord Byron. I would only want to visit, though, because they didn’t have very good plumbing or hygiene. I can gloss over that in a romance novel but not in real life!

Thank you so much for sparing your time to talk with me today. I really appreciate it.

Thank you! I’ll be stopping by all day, so I’d love for your readers to post comments or questions, and I’ll be happy to answer or respond.

Shana Galen is the author of numerous fast-paced adventurous Regency historical romances, including the Rita-nominated Blackthorne’s Bride. Her books have been sold worldwide, including Japan, Brazil, Russia, Spain, Turkey, and the Netherlands, and have been featured in the Rhapsody and Doubleday Book Clubs. A former English teacher in Houston’s inner city, Shana now writes full time. She’s a wife, a mother, and an expert multi-tasker. She loves to hear from readers: visit her website at www.shanagalen.com or see what she’s up to daily on Facebook and Twitter.

Another thrilling adventure from Ms Galen!

ROGUE PIRATE'S BRIDE is a bit different then the first two books but no less exciting. This book takes place on a "pirate" ship in the middle of the ocean. Sabastian Harcourt better knows as Captain Cutlass, is a privateer sailing with the Spanish flag. After being forced to flee his home during an attack on his family, he went in search of a place to stay. He found himself on a ship working to pay his way. His father figure taught him everything he could which resulted in Cutlass gaining a ship of his own, The Shadow.

Raeven Russel is the daughter of the Admiral of the British Navy and a spit fire. She is out for Cutlass' head. She is under the impression that Captain Cutlass was responsible for her fiance's death. Come hell or high water she is going to avenge his death. That is...until she meets Cutlass for the first time. He is not only huge but he is also unbelievably handsome. Now she is at war with herself. Kill him? Or kiss him?

This was a fantastic read. The book basically starts off with a fight scene between Cutlass and Raeven and it doesn't slow down after that. Ms Galen does a fantastic job of sucking you in right from the first page. The plot was fast paced and exciting with twists and turns the whole way through. The characters were amazing. I absolutely loved Raeven. She was so full of fire and so determined to get what she wanted. She was witty, mouthy, and talented. Cutlass was dreamy. He was your typical pirate that radiated power and authority, yet he was sweet and caring. 

I would definitely recommend this entire series to anyone looking for a fantastic adventure.

I am serving this one up with 4 martinis!!!

Now for the contest! Shana has generously offered up a signed copy of the entire trilogy to one random commenter. That is three books!!! So leave a meaningful comment below and fill out the form to be entered.