Interview with Pam Jenoff and giveaway of The Ambassador’s Daughter

1. Did you have to do much research to get the details of your book just right?

There is always a lot of research, but the type and extent depends on the book.  Writing a scene set in somewhere I’ve lived is easier than somewhere that I have only been briefly or not recently.  My wings are a bit clipped these days on travel due to my three kids. So I rely heavily on the internet and book research.  For The Ambassador’s Daughter, I read loads about the Great War, the Paris Peace Conference and the artists in Montparnasse.

2. If you could invite anyone over for dinner (fictional, deceased, famous, etc) who would it be, and what would you make?

My very boring but heartfelt answer would be: my dad.  We lost him very suddenly this year and I would give almost anything for a few more minutes.  But he would never eat my cooking so we’d have to go out!

3. What are your favorite things to do when you’re not writing?

Playing with my kids (I have three under the age of four!) and husband, preferably outdoors.  Outlet shopping with my mom.  Screaming my head off at a Philadelphia Eagles game with my brother.  Running.  A nap would e nice too.

4. If you could change places with one person for a day, who would it be?

Myself, ten years ago.  It would be nice to do the old things like nap and be alone with my thoughts.  And then I would miss my family terribly and be so glad to come back, so one day would be quite enough!

5. What achievement are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of creating the life I want, a crazy balance of raising kids, teaching law school and writing novels.  It is an embarrassment of riches and I’m so happy that so far I’m pulling it off and making it work, even if I have a messy house and disheveled appearance to show for it.

Also please join the live chat at Booktrib on February 5

As the world’s leaders gather in Paris following World War I to chart a new political order, one young girl suddenly finds herself at the center of it all in a city full of mysterious figures, foreign intrigue and dark, deadly passions. THE AMBASSADOR’S DAUGHTER (Harlequin MIRA, February 2013, $14.95 U.S./$17.95 CAN.) is bestselling author Pam Jenoff’s long-awaited follow-up to The Kommandant’s Girl and The Diplomat’s Wife. 

When Margot Rosenthal’s diplomat father is summoned to Paris in 1919 as a German delegate to help rebuild a new world from the ashes of the Great War, Margot is eager to accompany him and delay her return to Berlin and her wounded fiancé, Stefan, who now feels like a stranger to her.

Although Margot spends her days frustrated by the overcrowded streets of Paris and her nights bored at her father’s dreary political functions, she nevertheless relishes what little freedom she has left before her impending marriage. But Margot’s entire world is suddenly turned upside down when she strikes up new alliances with two separate people, each as different as night and day, but to both of whom Margot is drawn as strongly as a moth to a flame.

As Margot fights to suppress her burgeoning new desires, dark forces are at play, seeking to manipulate her for their own nefarious purposes. With the fate of the world looming, Margot finds herself being used as a pawn in a political chess match played by people who are willing to sacrifice the lives of everyone she holds dear to achieve their goals. For a girl who has never had freedom of choice before, suddenly Margot has too many choices to make, each more harrowing than the last.

I have 1 copy of The Ambassador’s Daughter to giveaway.

Open to residents of US & Canada only

To enter please leave your name and a valid email address.

Giveaway ends February 15, 2013

**my review for The Ambassador’s Daughter will post tomorrow.

Best Wishes & Good Luck,

Angela