Blog Tour: A Tale of Two Centuries

Top 5 Moments In History

Writing time-travel stories are so much fun because it gives me an excuse to unleash my inner history nerd. When I wrote My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, I researched everything I could get my hands on relating to the sixteenth century, Florence, art, and clothing. It was a blast. For A Tale of Two Centuries, where a sixteenth century chica time-travels to modern day Beverly Hills, the research didn’t let up as much as I would’ve thought. For every new experience Alessandra had, it required research into the past for comparison.

Now that I’ve fully immersed myself in that time, the question that keeps popping in my brain is: Where can I travel via research next?   

History is FULL of interesting events. Moments we read about in books and dream about seeing live. So if I had Reyna, the cool as heck gypsy with the power to send me hurdling through time, which moments would I want to see?  

Rachel’s Top Five Moments in History She’d BEG Reyna to See:

1.       The First Olympics – When I toured Greece a few years ago, I went to Olympia and the site of the original games. Walking around, breathing it in…it was just so freaking cool. Ancient Greece is a fascination of mine anyway so it would be a win-win—I’d see a cool time in our world’s history, and I’d experience the beginning of a worldwide tradition that, after a very lengthy break, continues to this day. Pretty awesome.

2.       Globe Theatre – I heart me some Shakespeare. It was my fascination with Romeo and Juliet that sparked my love of all things Italy and the Renaissance. How cool would it be to travel to London circa 1602 and watch one of the Bard’s plays in person, the way he intended? I’ll tell you how cool—VERY!

3.       Woodstock – I admit, I’m more of a 50’s girl in general (see below), BUT I couldn’t pass up seeing this moment in person. 400,000 people, thirty-two different acts, free love…Over forty years later and this moment in history still has sparkly, dreamlike edges.

4.       The 1950s – Yes, total cop out, I realize. I really did try to narrow it down to ONE event during this time, but I just couldn’t do it. Televisions in homes for the first time? Marilyn Monroe and James Dean (the original bad boy) on the big screen? Elvis the Pelvis Presley on Ed Sullivan? Cool cars and fun clothes… The beginning of mainstream rock and roll… Sigh. I think I was born in the wrong time.

5.       Regency London – Yep. Another cop out and another reason to think I was born in the wrong time. I LOVE reading Regency novels. I love all things London. I love the balls, the dresses, and sexy, bad boy rakes. But if I had to narrow it down, I’d swing by around 1813 and snatch me a first edition of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Darcy makes me swoon, y’all.

There you have it, my top 5 moments in history I’d Beg Reyna to let me experience. Where would YOU go??   

The Book

Blurb:

Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble/The Book Depository

The Author

As a teen, Rachel Harris threw raging parties that shook her parents’ walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels. As an adult, she reads and writes obsessively,

rehashes said embarrassing fodder, and dreams up characters who become her own grown up version of imaginary friends.

She grew up in New Orleans, watching soap operas with her grandmother and staying up late sneak reading her mam's favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life's problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

She homeschools her two beautiful girls and loves watching reality television with her amazing husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult Fun, Flirty Escapes, and LOVES talking with readers!  

Website/Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Giveaway

Tarot cards

"Keep Calm and Call On Reyna" T-shirt

a signed poster of the cover

swag pack including magnets, bookmarks, and "Austin makes me blush" pin

Pastel "Crazy" color hair chalk so they can be like Less

Drama Queen sign

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Tour

7/29/2013- Coffee, Books and Me                            Guest Post

7/30/2013- K-Books                                                Interview

7/31/2013- The Book Belles                                     Review

8/1/2013- The Irish Banana Review                          Guest Post

8/2/2013- Jenna Does Books                                    Interview

8/5/2013- Seeing Night Reviews                              Review

8/6/20130- Parajunkee                                            Review

8/7/2013- Hobbitsies                                               Interview

8/8/2013- Tsk Tsk What to Read                               Review

8/9/2013- Book briefs                                              Guest Post