Guest Post & Giveaway: "Seducing Cinderella" by Gina Maxwell

I'm very excited today to have Gina Maxwell on my blog for a guest post about the title of her book and she has donated a ebook copy of "Seducing Cinderella" for a giveaway.

THE STORY OF THE PERFECT TITLE

This title did not come easily! Until about a month before its release it was known as Indulgence #1 (SC was originally set to release for the Indulgence line, but my smexy scenes were a little too steamy, and therefore more appropriate for Brazen *wink*). My editor, Liz, and I wanted something that conveyed the Ugly Duckling trope, but it’s not an easy thing to accomplish without insulting the heroine right in the title.

I’m not even sure how long we went back and forth. Neither of us really liked any of our suggestions. At some point, I suggested a title with “Seducing” in it that I liked, but Liz didn’t. Then a little bit later, she suggested one with “Cinderella” in it that she liked, but I didn’t. Then, just before I pulled the last chunk of hair from my scalp, I looked down at my notepad and somehow my eyes put the two words together. I swear the Heavens opened and choirs of angels sang. LOL Okay, maybe it wasn’t that dramatic, but I definitely felt like it was perfect, and thankfully Liz agreed! From then on my book had the perfect title: Seducing Cinderella.

Without a doubt, my favorite fairy tale is Cinderella. I mean, who wouldn’t want a Fairy Godmother (or in Lucie’s case, a Sexy Godfighter) to poof her into a killer gown to attend the party of the year where the man of her dreams falls instantly in love with her? Yeah, I know, sign me up!

But even though the title implies a retelling of an old favorite, it actually isn’t. Truly, the only similarity Seducing Cinderella has with the original fairy tale is that Lucie goes from being unnoticed and plain to getting a complete makeover and attending a function where the man she’s been crushing on finally notices her and asks her out.

The main difference is that Lucie’s transformation isn’t only physical. More important than her outer appearance, Reid gives her an internal makeover, helping her see that she’s a beautiful woman both inside and out, and anyone who doesn’t see that isn’t worth her time or effort. In the end, Lucie is definitely more confident and comfortable in her own skin, but she doesn’t suddenly have the attitude of an A-list celebrity on the red carpet. It would be unrealistic for someone to change that drastically in such a short period of time, so I was okay that she still had a few nervous moments.

But getting back to the title…

Once we set it in stone, I went back through the book and made sure the title fit the story. The seduction part was a given. It’s a huge part of the storyline, so nothing needed fixing there. As for the other half, Reid had already referred to Lucie as Cinderella once, so all I had to do was add a few more subtle references throughout and tweak a couple of scenes—namely the end—to pull the theme through just enough to support the title without beating the reader over the head with it.

In the end, Seducing Cinderella ended up being my very own Cinderella story—taking me from Unpublished Author to NY Times Bestselling Author in only 5 weeks—so I guess it’s perfect in more ways than one…and I couldn’t be happier!

Title: Seducing Cinderella

Author: Gina L. Maxwell

Genre: Category – Contemporary

Length: 277 pages

ISBN: 978-1-62266-949-3

Release Date: July 2012

Imprint: Brazen

 

He’ll teach her the art of seduction…for a price.

Mixed martial arts fighter Reid Andrews’s chance to reclaim his title as light heavyweight champ is shattered when he’s injured only months before the rematch. To make sure he’s healed in time, his trainer sends him to recuperate under a professional’s care—Reid’s best friend’s little sister, all grown up.

Disorganized and bookish Lucie Miller needs some professional help of her own. She’d do anything to catch the eye of a doctor she’s crushed on for years, so when Reid offers seduction lessons in exchange for 24/7 conditioning for the biggest fight of his career, Lucie jumps at the chance.

Soon Reid finds himself in the fight of his life…winning Lucie’s heart before she gives it to someone else.

Purchase from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Seducing-Cinderella-ebook/dp/B008NGFLPC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343865466&sr=8-1&keywords=seducing+cinderella

Purchase from Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seducing-cinderella-gina-l-maxwell/1112180837?ean=2940014977678

 

Growing up in small town Fort Atkinson, WI, Gina L. Maxwell, formerly Bisbee, could often be found onstage in the latest theatrical production, performing with her high school show choir, or holding office in her local FFA chapter. She dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps in the entertainment business, of enabling her audience to forget about life for a few hours as they enjoyed the stories she told through her love of singing, dancing, and acting. It wasn’t until her sophomore year in college when she realized she had no acting talent to speak of and her dream needed some adjusting. Another ten years would pass before she discovered a different means to accomplishing the same dream.

Within those ten years Gina married her high school sweetheart, had two beautiful children, and moved more times than she cared to count. In 2009 she started writing as a hobby while her kids were in school, and it quickly became an obsession she couldn’t stop, and then a dream to publish stories of love and passion for romance addicts just like her.

Three years later, her dream came true when she signed with Entangled Publishing for a total of seven books in two of their imprints.

Her Fighting for Love series with MMA heroes debuted July 20^th, 2012 for the digital Brazen imprint with the first book, Seducing Cinderella, and reached #9 on Barnes & Noble’s best seller list in just seven days.

The first book in her paranormal romance trilogy, Desires of the Soul, is set to release both digitally and in mass trade paperback in Summer 2013 for the Entangled Select imprint.

When she’s not writing or wrangling plot bunnies, Gina keeps busy with her wonderful family and their ever-growing extra-curricular schedules. Thanks to their immense patience and support, she’s able to do The Thing She Was Meant To Do and live her dream of bringing a little romantic fantasy to the world, even if only in the pages of a good book.

Author Website: http://ginalmaxwell.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gina_L_Maxwell

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6446604.Gina_L_Maxwell

Tour Schedule:  http://www.entangledinromance.com/2012/08/13/seducing-cinderella-blog-tour/

Gina has generously donated one ebook copy of "Seducing Cinderella" to give away on my blog. This giveaway is going to be international and you must be 18 or over to enter. Just fill out the rafflecopter below to enter.

 

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