Peeking Between the Pages

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Book Spotlight & GIVEAWAY: Born Under A Lucky Moon by Dana Precious

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I’m very excited to spotlight a debut novel today – Born Under A Lucky Moon by Dana Precious and give away a few copies to my readers! I even learned that the novel is based on the author’s true story and its described as funny and heartwarming which only makes me more excited to read it. It releases on February 8, 2011 by HarperCollins.

About the Book (from Born Under A Lucky Moon website)…

The first inkling I had that I might be a writer was when I was ten years old. My dad and I drove past a billboard announcing a new car. The headline was ‘The Eagle Has Arrived’. I turned to my dad and said, “Wouldn’t it be better if it said ‘The Eagle Has Landed’?”

I never took a writing class. I was too afraid I would be told I wasn’t good at it and that would be that. So I just read everything I could get my hands on. My Fifth Grade book report was on Trinity – a book about twelve hundred pages long. I didn’t much understand it and neither did my Fifth Grade class. I completed my first (unpublished) novel when I was twenty years old.

The novel Born Under A Lucky Moon, while fictional, is based on real life events in my life. The story that takes place in 1986 is largely true. It noodled around in my head for decades until I knew I had to write it down just to stop thinking about it. I did compress some events to fit into a specific time frame. The two weddings on one weekend did happen in the way it was written. The Bear Lake Tavern did and still does exist.

If any one of my siblings had written this story instead of me it might have been framed as a tragedy. But my heroes of literature are Fanny Flagg and Erma Bombeck. I didn’t want to write a tragedy. I wanted to write a warm comedy that understood that families are complicated but that they still love each other deeply. I was also weary of reading a book jacket that cheerily announced the story was “Funny and poignant” only to discover that it was yes, poignant, but downright depressing. I wanted to make readers feel good and laugh.

Why I felt I had to write part of Born Under A Lucky Moon also as a present day love story was not self evident to me for a long time. It just kind of kept inserting back itself into the book – much like it kept inserting itself into Jeannie’s life. It started as a tale of two confused lovers with the most vague of a Hollywood setting. Gradually it took form and I’m pleased with the results. Hopefully you will be too. Other than the fact that I worked (and still work) as a film studio marketing executive, this part of the story is completely fictional. Maybe I was inspired by the behaviors, excesses and eccentricities that I witnessed in the film business but no character, event or place is true.

Read the First Chapters
Follow Dana Precious on Twitter
Find Dana Precious on Facebook
Born Under A Lucky Moon website.

About the Author…

Dana Precious lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son. She has two dogs: a small border terrier named Thompson (as in Hunter—long story) and Bella, a very large bullmastiff whose activity of choice is sleeping on the couch and watching Oprah. Prior to writing, Dana worked for several major film studios.
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I don’t know about you but I’m excited to give Born Under A Lucky Moon a read once my copy arrives!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

I have 2 copies of Born Under A Lucky Moon by Dana Precious to share with you courtesy of HarperCollins. Isn’t that fantastic! To enter…

  • For 1 entry leave me a comment with a way to contact you.
  • For 2 entries follow my blog. If you already do, just let me know and the extra entry is yours as well.
  • For 3 entries, blog or tweet this giveaway and spread the word.

This giveaway is open to US & Canadian residents only (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winners on Saturday, February 19/11. Good luck everyone!

© 2010, Darlene of Peeking Between the Pages. All Rights Reserved. If you’re reading this on a site other than Peeking Between the Pages or Darlene’s Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

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Comments

  1. Sounds like an amusing story! Please put me in for 2, as I am a follower also! Love your blog!

    ladybbok21 at yahoo dot com

  2. Sounds great! Thanks for the chance! I am following you so please put me in twice.
    schaefer7382 at aol dot com

  5. "funny and heartwarming" sounds like a book I would love. Thanks for the giveaway.
    lcbrower40(at)gmail(dot)com

    extra entry – Google follower

  6. I would love to read this book. Thanks for the giveaway.
    I am a GFC follower
    aploughery (at) yahoo (dot) com

  10. I think this one sounds fun and I love the cover. Thanks for the chance to get a copy.

    janezfan(at)yahoo(dot)com

  11. Oh, this book sounds wonderful, and I am intrigued by the fact that it is based on real events! Sign me up for the giveaway, please, and thanks, Dar!!

    zibilee(at)figearo(dot)net

  18. I love books that can make me laugh and 'Born Under a Lucky Moon' sounds even more lucky than being born under a lucky star!!!

    +2 Google Friend Connect follower

    +3 I tweeted. My Twitter name is Carolee888

    https://peekingbetweenthepages.com Giveaway of 'Born Under a Lucky Moon'

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

  23. Sounds like a good book for when I want a change from the historical ones I'm reading now.
    seknobloch(at)gmail(dot)com

  33. I'd love a chance to read this, sounds like a good book!

    unforgetable_dreamer_always (at) hotmail.com

  40. Definitely looks like a book I'd like to read! 🙂
    I follow you, and I'm tweeting this!!

    kimbers10[at]yahoo.com

  44. It's nice when the author can weave his/her own story into a fictional account.

    pboylecharley AT hotmail DOT com

  56. no need to enter me in the giveaway, since I just got a copy the other day, but I must say I am looking forward to getting a chance to read this one.

  57. Please don't enter me in the giveaway! I just wanted to say that I'm reading the book now to review in a couple of weeks for TLC Book Tours.

    It's great! Born Under A Lucky Moon is about a family, The Thompsons: 4 girls, 1 boy, told from the viewpoint of the youngest, Jeannie & focuses on two particular years, one year in the past and the current year. It's funny, poignant, exciting…I'm really enjoying it and highly recommend it!

    ~ Amy

  65. Thanks for the awesome giveaway! Looks like Born Under a Lucky Moon will be a good read! 🙂

    Email: yiliang0124[at]hotmail.com