Mandy Hubbard, author of Prada and Prejudice, which was released a month ago and already has great buzz, is stopping by the blog party today!
To impress the popular girls on a high school trip to London, klutzy Callie buys real Prada heels. But trying them on, she trips…conks her head…and wakes up in the year 1815!
There Callie meets Emily, who takes her in, mistaking her for a long-lost friend. As she spends time with Emily’s family, Callie warms to them–particularly to Emily’s cousin Alex, a hottie and a duke, if a tad arrogant.
But can Callie save Emily from a dire engagement, and win Alex’s heart, before her time in the past is up?
More Cabot than Ibbotson, Prada and Prejudice is a high-concept romantic comedy about finding friendship and love in the past in order to have happiness in the present.
Thanks for stopping by and joining in the blog party, Mandy! Let’s get things started with some music: What song always makes you want to dance whenever you hear it?
SAVE A HORSE (RIDE A COWBOY) has never gotten old for me. I think that’s probably a lame song to admit to, but I totally love it. I like to blast it in the car and really belt it out.
I love the idea of throwing a 21st century teen girl into Jane Austen’s world. How did you come up with the idea for PRADA AND PREJUDICE?
I really loved regency romances, but I wanted a more modern heroine. There’s also a real shortage of historical YA’s out there! So I blended it all together into my dream book.
I’ve always had an obsession with Regency England. That’s one of the top time periods I would love to travel back in time to. How much research went into writing PRADA AND PREJUDICE? Is there anything strange or surprising about the time period that stands out in your mind from your research?
Gosh, there was a lot of research involved for sure. I watched a lot of period films and took seemingly random notes, like “ivy. Pond. geese. candelabra” so that I could have a lot of small details that would paint the picture. I also have several non-fiction books on the period.
For me, the most surprising things I uncovered were actually small details– like the fact that lunch didn’t really exist, because Breakfast was served super late (and very informal– they just put out a bunch of food and you wandered in whenever you finally got out of bed). “Morning calls,” when a person would go visiting, usually took place in the afternoon, despite the name. For a dance to be considered a “ball”, it had to have hundreds of people (if it didn’t, it was just a dance). Bacon was considered something for the lower-class. The waltz was considered scandalous and didn’t come into fashion until around 1820.
Without getting into spoilers, what was your favorite scene to write or what scene did you have the most fun with?
I think I had the most fun whenever I stuck Callie into a situation where etiquette was highly important– she never knew where to sit or what utensil to eat with. I also really liked torturing her with corsets.
Can you tell us one weird fact about you that makes you the life of the party?
Who said I was the life of the party? You saw those pictures, didn’t you? I swear that was a one time deal, and I put those construction cones back where I found them.
*cough* No comment. *coughcough* But if any tabloids want those scandalous pictures, please send money to–Oh, um, where was I?
Where can you be found during a party? Are you making the rounds talking to everyone, enjoying all the great food, or doing something else?
I’m definitely a grazer, so I like to munch on food and mingle.
Can you tell us a bit about what’s coming up next after PRADA AND PREJUDICE and when we can look for it in stores?
I have a romance novella for Harlequin’s NASCAR series coming June 2010, as well as a number of YA projects in the works. Watch my website (mandyhubbard.com) for the latest– I’ll make an announcement as soon as anything is official!
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Mandy Hubbard grew up on a dairy farm outside Seattle, where she refused to wear high heels until homecoming–and hated them so much she didn’t wear another pair for five years. A cowgirl at heart, she enjoys riding horses and quads and singing horribly to the latest country tune. She’s currently living happily ever after with her husband (who, sadly, is not a duke) and her daughter (who is most definitely a princess). Prada and Prejudice is her first novel.
Thanks for partying with us, Mandy! Visit Mandy online at mandyhubbard.com and look for Prada and Prejudice in bookstores now!
I have GOT to read this book! 🙂 Thanks for the interview!
Hey, thanks for the interview! I really liked this book, in fact, I was up until 2 am the other night finishing it! Then I had to go to work the next day, and it’s a good thing I’m the boss. I think I went home early that day. 🙂
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