I’ve been a fan of Shakespeare since I was a little girl, listening to recordings of his plays with my mother as she cleaned the house. I didn’t understand the plots, but I loved the cadence of the words. I saw my first play in elementary school and loved it, and went on to study Shakespeare in college.
My first real job was curating a small historical museum, operated by the Southern Oregon Historical Society, in Ashland, Oregon, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Incredibly, as a twenty-three-year-old I was able to collaborate with employees of the Festival on exhibits and historical productions. Best of all, my husband and I saw numerous plays while we lived in Ashland.
The summer we left Ashland, we took a trip around the States, stopping in Lancaster County. My husband had lived in Pennsylvania as a boy and fondly remembered weekend trips to visit Amish country. I’d been intrigued with the Amish before—but after that trip I was smitten and began reading more and more about Anabaptists. A few years later after we’d settled in Portland, Oregon, our four children, one after the other, went to a Mennonite preschool, a place we’re still grateful for, ten years after the last one “graduated.”
Back to Shakespeare . . . when I went to grad school five years ago, I took a Shakespeare course where I retold plays in contemporary short story form. I loved it!
Although I’m certainly not a scholar, I’ve appreciated the Bard’s work my entire conscious life.
When I started co-writing Amish fiction with Mindy Starns Clark, I got the wild idea that Anabaptist settings and characters lent themselves to Shakespeare retellings. Thankfully my publisher, Bethany House, agreed and contracted me to write four novels inspired by Shakespeare’s plays. Courting Cate, inspired by The Taming of the Shrew, came out last November and made the ECPA best-seller list. Adoring Addie, inspired by Romeo and Juliet, releases TODAY! I’m working on edits for Minding Molly, inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and will soon start writing Becoming Bea, inspired by Much Ado About Nothing.
I can’t tell you how much fun I’ve had writing these novels, researching both the Amish and Shakespeare’s plays, and rereading and reviewing retellings based on his plots.
Romeo and Juliet, without a doubt, is one of the most well-known stories of all time, and countless retellings exist. I’m hoping readers will have as much fun reading my “retelling” as I had writing it. Adoring Addie is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and ChristianBook.com.
Please visit www.lesliegould.com for more information and to find out about more upcoming giveaways of Adoring Addie.
Leslie is also giving away a copy of Adoring Addie here on my blog! Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Only those in the U.S. are eligible to win.
Am I really the first to comment? Yikes!
Honestly, I like Shakespeare retellings more than the original plays BUT I do have a favorite, The Merchant Of Venice. I just loved how the girl got to be the hero for a change, not exactly the most common plot-line back then.
Jasmine A.
montanamade(at)gmail(dot)com
I love to read and your stories are wonderful, I will be reading this one win or not, thanks for sharing your comments today.
Paula O(kyflo130@yahoo.com)
My favorite story/play be Shakespeare is Romeo and Juliet.
Without a doubt, Romeo and Juliet!
I loved Shakespeare in high school English class. I think Amish stories based on his plays would be fantastic. What a great idea. Carol Ellmore barlenbay@comcast.net
I’m a big fan of Shakespeare too, and of Leslie Gould! Good luck, everyone, on winning the book!
Will be honest here. Im English born and bred, and I have never read or seen a shakespeare play. I do love Amish books though.
mrsajward@hotmail.com
I have Courting cate, but still in TBR pile. So, I sure hope I can win this second book. Just hope it has a better ending. Maxie mac262(at)me(dot)com
I would say my favorite is Romeo and Juliet. I would love to read this one. Thanks for the giveaway.
Blessings
joeym11@frontier.com
OH, forgot. Romeo and Juliet Maxie mac262(at)me(dot)com
An interesting concept. I’m like the commentor above. I hope the book based on Romeo and Juliet has a better outcome.
My favorite is Romeo and Juliet.
sandicoughlin@yahoo.com
I enjoyed studying Romeo and Juliet so long ago when I was a freshman in high school and would love to win this book.
pamburke74@gmail.com
Romeo and Juliet, however, hope your retelling has a happy ending.
Brittany McEuen
I loved Romeo and Hillier. Would love to win. Love your other books. Abel.barb@Yahoo.com
Thank you for your comments! I should go back & re-read those fabulous classics. Well, I might read Leslie’s new novel first!
If I had to pick one, it would be Romeo and Juliet!
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
I love Romeo and Juliet! Would love to win!
Romeo and Juliet!
Katie J.
johnsonk133 at yahoo dot com
i would love to win this book
Romeo and Juliet is my favorite story!! I would love to win a copy of this book
Oh, my gosh. I just got wind of this from your post on my FB page. I was so happy to hear of this contest and would so, so, so love to win this book! I do not have a kindle yet so I rely on books. The title and the cover are so interesting and enticing that they are making me so very thirsty to read this novel! Please do enter me and keep in touch. The title of the book itself has my heart! Really looking forward to this and your other novels. So glad I heard of you now. Thanks much. Mary Lou
debbie mosley…….i would love to win.thanks for the chance