One Week & Counting!

One week and counting down until the release of Archangel! Lots happening next week! Stay tuned...

New Cover - New Everything

Perpetual Love, the #1 western historical romance, has been re-edited, reformatted and has a brand new cover (thanks to Anya Kelleye Designs). The remaining three books in the series will get the same treatment and will be relaunched throughout the remainder of 2015!

As always available at all fine booksellers!

Mary Tudor aka Archangel- Part 2

I recently interviewed Mary Tudor to get a feeling of what it was like to be this phenomenon known as Archangel. This is the second and final part of our interview.

JS:  Favorite classical composer?

MT:  It's a tie between Paganini and Mozart. Mozart because his music always moves me deep inside unlike any other composer. Paganini because he was a bit of a rebel; ahead of his time.

JS: Favorite musical artists of today?

MT:  My brother Amadeus and Daniel.

JS:  If you could go back and time and meet any one person, who would it be and why?

MT: *laughs* This is a trick question, because there are actually three people I'd love to meet - all related. But if you insist on one, Elizabeth I. She was ahead of her time- a leader in a man's world. And she gave her life to her country, sacrificing her personal wants and needs.

JS:  Where does the name Tudor come from? I understand there are no direct Tudor decedents...

MT:  You are correct - there are no direct Tudor . decedents. At least relating to Henry VIII. My family are indirectly related however. Anne Boleyn had a sister, Mary and that is how most families, including mine can claim Tudor blood. That would make Anne an aunt.

JS:  You enjoy genealogy then?

MT:  Yes, I find it fascinating knowing where I came from. I did the DNA swab for both sides of my family. That alone can make it a bit easier when you're researching your family.

JS:  Any other hobbies?

MT:  I like to dabble in painting. By that I mean taking images I've shot and incorporating them into perhaps other's I've taken. It's hard to explain, and I'm still experimenting with it.

JS:  So we might see a showing of your work someday?

MT:  *laughs* Not in this century! Like I said I'm still experimenting with the process. It's nowhere near ready for anyone to see.

JS:  If you could have one wish, what would it be?

MT:  That my father could see me now, meet Daniel.

JS:  One last question...what would you like to see in a third book?

MT:  *grins*  I can't say. I think this one will lead right into it however...

Thank you, Mary.

You can pre-order Archangel from Smashwords. It is set to release on May 5th (Cinco de Mayo)!

Smashwords Pre-Sale Link

Interview With Archangel aka Mary Tudor

Recently I sat down with Mary Tudor to get a little more insight into the woman known as Archangel.  She requested a list of questions ahead of time.  Two days later I received an email with a list of the questions she would not answer. Anything personal was off limits.  Here is a portion of my interview with her.

JS:  Thank you for this opportunity, Mary. I know you don't give interviews yourself very often, so I was ecstatic when you agreed to meet with me.

MT: I'm happy to do it. You're right, I don't interview often, especially on my own. Usually it's Daniel and me together. So doing it on my own is still a little foreign to me.

JS:  What made you decide to take up photography?  And will you ever go back to just doing it?

MT:  *smiling* I had to make a living somehow. After Julliard I moved to London. Unfortunately I wasn't able to secure a full time job with an orchestra, and as the part time ones began to dwindle, so did my income. I found out it was something I was good at. I've never completely quit doing photography. At the moment I do it for existing clients only. I doubt I'll ever return to doing it as a full time occupation. It's something I enjoy, an outlet away from the music which seems to be the dominating force in my life.

JS:  How did it feel to step out on stage in front of thousands of people as Archangel? 

MT: I'd already been sporadically playing in the clubs in London so I was used to playing in front of an audience.  You can't see the audience when you're on stage. You can hear their applause, which makes all the practicing and planning worthwhile. Very gratifying. 

JS: Does Archangel plan to tour alone at some point?"

MT: At some point, yes. Nothing has been planned outside of recording.

JS:  Favorite city?

MT: Vienna.

JS:  Vienna? Really? Why?

MT: Very old, historical, musical.  I bet you thought I was going to say New York or London.

JS:  You grew up with three brothers, all famous rock stars in their own right. That had to be tough for you. How do they feel about Archangel?

MT:  Yes it was. It wasn't easy being the only girl with an interest in music. The three of them were loud and cocky. Still are. Amadeus and me are the only ones with classical training, which I think gave us an edge. They all support me, and what I'm attempting with Archangel. Amadeus in particular,

JS:  So what's the future hold for Archangel?

MT:  For now I'm comfortable recording, playing clubs here and there. Small venues. It's something I'm growing into, and it can't be rushed. I tried that and quickly learned it's not the way to go.

Come back next week as I continue this one of a kind interview with Mary.

You can pre-order Archangel on Smashwords! Release day:  May 5th

Smashwords Pre-Sale Link

For more information, visit my website!

Website

Performing Arts

May 5th is around the corner, and that means the release of Archangel, the sequel (book 2 of the Tudor Saga series) to Encore!

Mary and Daniel both attended The Julliard School in NYC, or as it is come to be known - Julliard. To start April out, I'm going back to where these two first met - Julliard. The school has some well known alumni - below is a brief history of the school.

Source: The Julliard School

Throughout its history, The Juilliard School has maintained a commitment to providing the highest caliber of artistic and educational experience to exceptionally talented young performing artists from around the world. Juilliard was founded in 1905 as the Institute of Musical Art by Dr. Frank Damrosch, the godson of Franz Liszt and the head of music education for New York City’s public schools. Damrosch was convinced that American musicians should not have to go abroad for advanced study, and created the Institute as an American music academy that would provide an educational experience comparable to that of the established European conservatories. With the initial enrollment figures nearly five times what was expected, the Institute quickly outgrew its original home at Fifth Avenue and 12th Street (seen in photo above) and moved to new quarters near Columbia University in 1910.  

Nine years later, a wealthy textile merchant named Augustus Juilliard died and left in his will the largest single bequest for the advancement of music at that time. The trustees of the bequest founded the Juilliard Graduate School in 1924 to help worthy music students complete their education. In 1926, the Graduate School and the Institute of Musical Art merged to become the Juilliard School of Music under one president, the distinguished Columbia University professor John Erskine. Erskine was succeeded in 1937 by renowned concert pianist and composer Ernest Hutcheson, who served in the position until 1945.

Succeeding Hutcheson in 1945, composer William Schuman expanded Juilliard’s identity as a conservatory devoted exclusively to music study with the establishment of the Dance Division, under the direction of Martha Hill, in 1951. In 1968, during the tenure of Peter Mennin, a Drama Division was created, with John Houseman as its first director and Michel Saint-Denis as consultant. The School changed its name to The Juilliard School to reflect its broader artistic scope, and moved to its current home at Lincoln Center the following year. The first production of the Juilliard Opera Center, Igor Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, celebrated the opening of the Juilliard Theater at Lincoln Center in 1970.

Following Mennin’s death in 1983, Dr. Joseph W. Polisi became the School’s sixth and current President, beginning with the 1984-85 academic year. Major projects that have been realized during his administration include the completion of the Meredith Willson Residence Hall in 1990; significant additions to the curriculum with new programs in jazz studies and historical performance; strengthening the School’s liberal arts program; implementation of numerous educational and community outreach programs; and a major expansion and renovation of Juilliard’s facility, completed in fall 2009.