Monday, August 29, 2016

Hidden Gems: Regina Doman

Time for some fairy tales, my friends! Today you're going to discover some amazing, contemporary fairy tale retelling novels by the fabulous author, Regina Doman! ^_^ You don't want to miss out on these!

Enter the giveaway at the end of this post!



Reasons I Think This Author Is One You Need To Discover:

  • Books are Fairy Tale Retellings in a Contemporary Setting, making them somehow both Relatable and Magical! ^_^
  • Characters are so Awesome and Lovable! They're just Modern-day Knights and Princesses!
  • Suspense and Action! (caution: there little bits of violence/gruesomeness)
  • Thoughtful Themes and Lessons
  • Interesting and Breath-takingly Sweet Romances


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Introducing ... Regina Doman


REGINA DOMAN is a Catholic wife, mother, author and editor. Currently she runs her own company, Chesterton Press, which publishes and distributes quality Catholic fiction. When she worked as the editor of Sophia Institute Press' fiction line, she launched the popular John Paul 2 High series for teens, and Rachel's Contrition became a #1 Best Seller in Amazon's Women's Fiction category, and winner of the 2011 Catholic Arts and Letters Award for best adult fiction. As an author, she has written the Fairy Tale Novels, a series of books for teens and adults that places fairy tales in modern settings with Christian themes interwoven. The fifth book in that series, Alex O'Donnell and the 40 CyberThieves, won the 2011 Catholic Arts and Letters Award for best young adult fiction. In 2013, she published her longest and most challenging fairy tale novel yet, Rapunzel Let Down. Her only picture book Angel in the Waters has sold over 120,000 copies. In 2010 she was presented with the "In Defense of Sanity" award from the American Chesterton Society. Regina and her husband Andrew live in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley on a farmstead with their children. To the question, “How do you manage to get it all done?” Regina responds, “What makes you think I get it all done?”

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~ A FAIRY TALE RETOLD Series ~


Once upon a time ... 

In New York City, a young, secretive street tough who calls himself, Bear, lands on the doorstep of two teenaged sisters. On the one hand Rose is delighted with his surprising knowledge of literature, poetry, and music; on the other hand Blanche is afraid of his apparent connections to drugs, murder, and a hidden treasure. Even as Blanche learns to trust him, her fears that Bear's friendship threatens their family prove terrifyingly true.

Originally published in hardcover in 1997 as Snow White and Rose Red: A Modern Fairy Tale, Bethlehem Books released The Shadow of the Bear: Snow White and Rose Red Retold in paperback in 2002.





A novel for teens based on the popular fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm

Way after midnight in New York City, a girl runs down the streets, looking for someplace to hide ... is there anywhere she can go to escape? Is there anyone who can help her ... now?

This dark but fulfilling sequel to The Shadow of the Bear is based on a familiar fairy tale "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" from the Brothers Grimm. Circumstances have placed Blanche Brier entirely on her own this summer in New York City while Bear is wandering through Europe and her family is on vacation. Blanche is fast becoming the focus of a terrifying play of evil forces. Even the refuge she takes among some lively Franciscan friars does not protect her from dangerous attacks. Rather, they continue to escalate as she struggles to persuade a sick and aged man from killing himself. Discovering Blanche's disappearence, Bear and Fish cut short their European vacation and join up with Rose to begin scouring New York City looking for Blanche. But the same malevolence that is lurking over Blanche seems to be hunting them as well and drawing them all togther into a death trap until it seems that all hope is gone. Yet during this time, the desires of Blanche's heart are being clarified - and so are Bear's.

A black night. Tested faith. Honest love.





A novel for teens and adults based on a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm

"I love him more than poetry ... I love him more than song."

Ever since he rescued her from Certain Death, Rose Brier has had a crush on Ben Denniston, otherwise known as Fish. But Fish, struggling with problems of his own, thinks that Rose should go looking elsewhere for a knight in shining armor. Trying to forget him, Rose goes to college, takes up with a sword-wielding band of brothers, and starts an investigation into her family's past that proves increasingly mysterious. Then a tragic accident occurs, and Fish, assisted by Rose's new friends, finds himself drawn into a search through a tangle of revenge and corruption that might be threatening Rose's very life. The climax is a crucible of fear, fight, and fire that Fish must pass through to reach Rose and conquer his dragons.





Why live in the light, when the night seems so irresistible?

Rachel Durham, 18, is tired of her father and stepmother’s staid morality and pristine prosperity. The summer of her senior year, she’s more than ready for a walk on the wild side, and the door opens - literally - when she and her eleven sisters and stepsisters discover a secret passageway out of their historic home on the Chesapeake Bay. At night, boys in boats and a forbidden island beckon from the shore, and Rachel and her sisters jump aboard. The night becomes Rachel’s true world, and her daytime life becomes a disposable mask. Her puzzled father tries to tow his daughters back into line by enlisting the help of Paul, a med student with a seasonal job juggling at the town festival. But Paul realizes that simply blocking the girls from their midnight parties isn’t going to solve the family’s problems. So he embarks on a risky balancing act to gain the girls’ trust – and to make Rachel see that splitting her life between night and light is a dangerous dance.





When his computer hacker dad discovers a secret website, Alex O'Donnell and his girlfriend Kateri become embroiled in a mystery that leads to sudden wealth and murder. A modern retelling of the classic Arabian Nights tale "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves."





(Caution: This final book is classified as ADULT, as opposed to the YA categorization of the rest of the series. It contains mature themes and elements that aren't appropriate for audiences under 18. 
Due to this, I have not read this book as of now, and thus can't give any recommendations.)

Hermes McCaffrey is sick and tired of sharing his life with his father’s political career and his overbearing older brothers. So during his family’s vacation in New England, when he meets Raphaela, a lovely and brilliant girl dreaming in a hidden tower, is it surprising that he wants her all to himself? But visiting Raphaela is dangerous, and not just because of her mother’s paranoia about strangers or her estate’s sinister caretaker. When Hermes decides to go too far, the results are devastating for Raphaela ... and for Hermes as well.

What happens when falling in love means falling into deep sin? Can sex destroy love? And when you do fall from grace, is there any way back?



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Author Interview

What genre(s) do you write?

Regina: Young adult fiction, fairy tale retellings, Catholic fiction, romantic comedy, comic books, audio dramas, screenplays, picture books, adult novels. Currently attempting fantasy.  I have edited in most of these genres as well, including mystery and women's fiction and grade school fiction. Lots of stuff I've done can be found at www.ChestertonPress.com.

What’s one of the best things about being an author?

Regina: Doing what I was made to do. :)

What made you decide to start writing?

Regina: I'm not sure how it started. What makes me continue is the hope to give hope to others, to make sense out of life and pass it on. It's how I live.

Of all your books, do you have a favorite cover?

Regina: I have been fortunate enough to be able to create most of my own covers. Some covers have gone well: others not as well. BLACK AS NIGHT was a hard cover to make, and we did two versions of it. WAKING ROSE needed several photo shoots and I'm still not happy with it. By stark contrast, SHADOW OF THE BEAR was the easiest cover ever. My friend Alex Fedoryka (of Scythian) provided his own photo and I found the perfect picture of a church spire to go with it. The back cover was inspired by a street scene and I took a picture of a forest road in order to match it. All in all, the easiest book cover I ever made. And I love the title font, although it's a bit tough to read: Alleghieri by The Scriptorium.  

Are there any fellow authors who inspire you?

Regina: Another wonderful gift to my life is Ben Hatke and his family who live down the street from us and who are great folks to bounce stuff off of. Then there's Andrew O'Neill and Ryan Corrigan and my brother John Doman who all help write John Paul 2 High. And I enjoy texting with fellow authors Rebecca Bratten Weiss and Michelle Buckman. I could go on and on with the names: I'm grateful to have so many creative people in my life.



What do you do for fun?

ReginaMake toys for my children. Not that I've done all of the things on this Pinterest board but it's an idea of the things l like making. :)

What was your hardest book to write, and why?

Regina: The current one, if I ever finish it, will go down as the hardest one ever to write. When I figure out why it's so hard, I will probably finish writing it. ;)

What writing project are you working on right now?

Regina: A Biblical fantasy trilogy and a projected five-volume follow-up. It'll be awesome, if I ever finish it.

What does your writing process look like?

Regina: Snatched and stolen from moments when I should be doing something else. Particularly sleeping. So it can look very odd, and it changes.

Where do you usually write?

Regina: On a computer. I can't do longhand, except for taking notes.

When do you usually write?

Regina: Currently at 4 AM till 7 AM. But it's summer and I've got a wee bit more time. I resume teaching English in the fall.

Thanks for the opportunity!!

You're welcome, Regina! Thanks so much for being on my blog! I enjoyed getting to know you a bit, and I hope this post will help more readers discover your books! ^_^


Connect Further With Regina Doman:





Additional Blog Stops:


Thurs. ~ Claire Banschbach @ The Overactive Imagination: Book Review for the first five novels in A FAIRY TALE RETOLD series

Giveaway

Enter to win an e-book copy of one of Regina Doman's books! Reader's choice!

I (Regina Doman) will give a free eBook to the person who asks me the most interesting question (in the comments below), particularly one I haven't been asked before. The question needs to be topically-appropriate (ie: not something random like "Have you ever lassoed a walrus?" but something to do with writing and books), in good taste, and not-privacy-invading. ;) ~

25 comments:

  1. Oooh I've never heard of this author, but these books sounds awesome! I love retellings, and fairytales. Adding to goodreads :)

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    1. They are, Stefanie! ^_^ I'm so glad you added them to Goodreads ... they're amazing! :)

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  2. Loved this post! Great fun! :) I so enjoyed The Shadow of the Bear and look forward to reading the others someday. ^_^

    Question for Regina: Have you ever dreamed about your own books or characters?

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    1. Thanks, Deborah! :) Eep, hope you can read the others soon! I think The Shadow of the Bear and Waking Rose are my favorites; but all the ones I read were fabulous! :D

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    2. Hi all, sorry I'm a few days late with my replies. Actually I don't think I have. I wonder why. Hmm.

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  3. I loved reading this post! I haven't read any of her books before, but I really want to give them a try! :)

    Regina, what is your go-to inspiration when you're having trouble with writer's block?

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    1. So happy you enjoyed, Deborah! :) You should! A caution, some of them can get quite gruesome/violent (there are themes having to do with kidnappers, gangs, drugs, and the like). But if one can handle those bits, they truly are lovely books! ^_^

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    2. Returning to the discipline of writing and just trying to have margin in my life. Also I do jump to another project when I'm really stuck on one, just to keep in the writing habit.

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  4. I know why your next book is so hard to write... I found it in your bio and the description of the WIP.

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    1. Does sound like Regina Doman keeps quite busy, hey? :D And her work-in-progress sounds epic and amazing! :)

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  5. Question: Have you ever had a conversation with one of your characters?

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    1. Well, not outside of working on them in a book: but sometimes they do talk to me about the story, and that's helpful.

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  6. These look soooo cool!!

    Question: Which of your characters do you think hates you the most?

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    1. They're incredible, Alyssa! Such sweet characters, fairy tale feel, and delightful references to the tale they're retelling! The romance is heart-melting! And there's action and suspense! Some scenes concerning villains got a little dark/disturbing (for me anyway), but overall they're just amazing fairy tales! ^_^

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    2. Oh, that's a great question! Probably Fish, since I put him through so much.

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  7. I totally thought I had commented here. Whoops. :b
    Your books look so great! I'll be adding them to my ever growing to-read list. :)

    Have you ever had characters appear WAY before there story does?

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    1. Correction *their not there.

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    2. That's also a good question. No, not typically ... I'm more of a plot person so the plot usually crystallizes for me before the characters do. My characters usually appear "in action."

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  8. The Rose and Blanche series sound interesting. . .
    So here's my question for the author: How many times did you give up on these books, or think you had dropped them, before they were finally finished? Any, or none?

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    1. Oh my, more times than I could count! I always say that every book, whether I've edited it or written it, extracts a few pints of blood from me before it's finally published. There are a few books I have started and not gone back to, but for most of them, I nourish the hope of finishing them someday.

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  9. @s.m. b. and @makingthenovelabetterplace, I hope you will give these books a try! ^_^ I'm glad you added them to your to-read list. And Rose and Blanche are totally awesome! :D

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  10. Great post! I enjoy fairy tale retellings.

    Question: Which of your characters would you like to spend a day living in their shoes?

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    1. Either Rose Brier or Cate Frank (see http://www.chestertonpress.com/catholic-philosopher-chick/) because Rose would make it interesting and because Cate would have the best shoes. :)

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  11. And the winner is ... Alyssa V.! Congrats, Alyssa! You should be receiving an email from Regina Doman shortly, asking which e-book you'd like to receive. Blessings! :)

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  12. Thanks everyone. It was hard to pick because so many of your questions were awesome!

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