Wednesday, July 1, 2009

July Book Giveaway: My Name is Will: A Novel of Sex, Drugs, and Shakespeare by Jess Winfield ends July 31

Thanks to Anna at Hatchette Books Group, we have 5 copies to give away!


About the Book, courtesy of Hatchette Books Group:

Book Information:

A Tale of two Shakespeares...

Struggling UC Santa Cruz grad student Willie Shakespeare Greenberg is trying to write his thesis about the Bard. Kind of...

Cut off by his father for laziness, and desperate for dough, Willie agrees to deliver a single giant, psychedelic mushroom to a mysterious collector, making himself an unwitting target in Ronald Reagan's War on Drugs.

Meanwhile, would-be playwright (and oppressed Catholic) William Shakespeare is eighteen years old and stuck teaching Latin in the boondocks of Stratford-upon-Avon. The future Bard's life is turned upside down when a stranger entrusts him with a sacred relic from Rome... This, at a time when adherents of the "Old Faith" are being hanged, drawn, and quartered as traitors.

Seemingly separated in time and place, the lives of Willie and William begin to intersect in curious ways, from harrowing encounters with the law (and a few ex-girlfriends) to dubious experiments with mind-altering substances. Their misadventures could be dismissed as youthful folly. But wise or foolish, the bold choices they make will shape not only the 'Shakespeare' each is destined to come... but the very course of history itself.


About the Author, courtesy of the Author's website:


With credits ranging from portraying Hamlet on the London stage to writing self-help books and Saturday morning cartoons, Jess has lived an eclectic creative life.

A Southern California native, Jess was raised in the bohemian artists' enclave of Lake Sherwood before it was transformed into a top ten golf course. His mother, a freelance writer, and his father, a writer and producer for the Walt Disney Studios, instilled early on a love of language, wordplay, and talking animals.

Senior Yearbook
Wisely giving up sports for drama, speech, and journalism at Newbury Park High School, he continued his education at the University of California, Santa Cruz and the University of California, Berkeley. Although he majored in English and specialized in Shakespeare, Jess mostly hung out in the dark, subterranean hallways of experimental theater, studying improvisation with Shireen Strooker of Amsterdam's Het Werkteater.

In 1981, he joined forces with high school chum Adam Long and writer/director Daniel Singer to form The Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Early Hamlet
After six years of busking at Renaissance Faires and tourist haunts with their freewheeling, half-hour versions of Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, their full-length show The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1987 and became an international sensation, leading to multiple world tours and lengthy engagements in Los Angeles, New York, London, Montreal, Dublin, and Edinburgh. In 1991, the show opened in the West End to rave reviews. Jess retired from the RSC in 1992, but The Complete Works continued with various casts, finally closing at Piccadilly's Criterion Theatre in 2005 as the longest-running comedy in the West End.

Jess as Bard
Although the 1990s found Jess adapting and editing the trade paperback version of The Complete Works (now in its fourth printing) and directing critically-acclaimed productions of the show both Off-Broadway and at San Diego's Old Globe Theater, he largely turned his attention from Shakespeare to animation. Following in his father's footsteps, he embarked on a second career as a writer and producer for the Walt Disney Company that culminated in two Daytime Emmy awards for Disney's Teacher's Pet (starring Nathan Lane and Jerry Stiller) and the hugely successful Lilo and Stitch spinoffs Stitch! The Movie; Lilo and Stitch: The Series; and Leroy and Stitch.

After dipping his toes back in Shakespearean waters with the lighthearted self-help book What Would Shakespeare Do? in 2000, Jess left Disney in 2005 to begin work on his first novel, My Name Is Will — A Tale of Sex, Drugs, and Shakespeare, which blends a historically plausible story of William Shakespeare's young adulthood with a contemporary romp loosely based on experiences from Jess's years in Santa Cruz and Berkeley.

Emmy Winner
Jess lives in Hollywood with his wife Sa, an accomplished ceramicist.

In his spare time, he blogs about Los Angeles's dynamic ethnic food scene (lafoodcrazy.blogspot.com) and supports the L.A. Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl, the Los Angeles Kings, and the distillers of Ketel One vodka, as well as many progressive causes and charities.
Learn more about Jess Winfield on Jess Winfield's website and blog http://www.jesswinfield.com/index.html

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter, please share your favorite Shakespearean play or character.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win.
2. For an extra entry, sign up to become a follower and mention this in your comment. If you're a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry.
3. For an extra entry, become a subscriber and mention this in your comment. If you're a subscriber, let me know and you'll get the extra entry.
4. For an extra entry, follow me on twitter (startingfreshny) and let me know that you do.
5. For an extra entry, blog about this contest and post the link.
6. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to U.S. and Canada. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends on midnight of Friday, July 31, 2009.

64 comments:

  1. Oh, this is the second contest so far that I've entered to win My Name is Will...It's just so good!
    lilibethramos@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I so want to win this book!

    My favourite Shakespeare play is A Midsommer Night's Dream and you gotta love Puck.

    I'm a follower.

    melacan at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am a follower! Seriously, who wouldn't be?

    lilibethramos@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Posted link on my contest sidebar: http://lilibethramos.blogspot.com

    lilibethramos@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. My fave is Macbeth
    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. already a follower
    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  7. blogged
    http://throuthehaze.blogspot.com/2009/07/more-books.html

    ReplyDelete
  8. subscriber
    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Twelfth Night is my favorite play.
    heatherzilla(at)care2(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  10. This book sounds great! Favourite Shakespearean play? Hmm, I'd have to say Midsummer Night's Dream. I think because we've seen it recently performed live in the park beside us. Just wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm also a follower of your great blog through my google reader. You'll have to tell me your secret -- how are you able to read so many (great) books :-) Thanks for offering great reviews and giveaways.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Favourite has to be A Midsummer Night's Dream.

    This looks like a good book, please enter me into this drawing.

    I'm also a Blogger follower.

    Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
    jake.lsewhere[at]gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Please enter me.
    My favorite play is Hamlet
    thanks
    rebecca.bradeen(at)verizon(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  14. Please enter me! I love A Midsummer Night's Dream.

    allison DOT campbell AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  15. No need to enter me. I'm dropping in to say thanks for the e-mail. I've got this posted at Win a Book for you.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Please enter me. My favorite is Hamlet.

    nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  17. My favourite play is the Merchant of Venice.
    chey127 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  18. My favorite Shakespeare play is Romeo and Juliet. milou2ster(at)gmail.com Thanks for the great giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love A Midsummer Night's Dream. I follow you on my Google Reader-- does that count? Thanks for the giveaway!

    Rachelhwallen@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Went to see Twelfth Night and loved it.

    budletsmom at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I am a follower.

    budletsmom at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  22. I am a subscriber.

    budletsmom at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  23. My favorite play is Romeo & Juliet. :0)

    Thanks!
    librarygrinch at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm a follower

    melacan at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Subscribe via google reader

    melacan at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  26. I really enjoyed Romeo and Juliet.
    oheeyore at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  27. I follow your blog.
    oheeyore at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  28. I subscribe via google reader.
    oheeyore at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  29. I love Romeo & Juliet.

    rsgrandinetti@yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  30. My favorite play is Romeo and Juliet

    Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Chat - join us at CoolCanucks.ca


    bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  31. I follow

    Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Chat - join us at CoolCanucks.ca


    bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  32. I am an email subscriber

    Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Chat - join us at CoolCanucks.ca


    bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  33. I want to win this book!
    delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  34. I already subscribe via google reader!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hamlet is my favorite!
    dag888888[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  36. I (unfortunately) haven't read Shakespeare in a long time, but my favorite character AND play must be Hamlet. Thank you!

    lesleymfan(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  37. I already follow your blog through Blogger; thank you!

    lesleymfan(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  38. And I subscribe via e-mail already; thanks!

    lesleymfan(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  39. I also follow you on Twitter (username: uwsreader); thank you so much!

    lesleymfan(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  40. please enter me

    tashiluvsu@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  41. Golly, I really want to read this book lol! My favorite play is Midsummer Night's Dream. Thanks for the great giveaways!

    ReplyDelete
  42. I follow on twitter! My name is sparkleglow.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Tough choice...but I think I would have to go with Hamlet as my favorite.
    Thanks!
    Aimee
    sierranelsby (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  44. ettolrahc0124@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  45. Cool Contest!
    Hmmm My favorite play would be The Taming Of The Shrew
    Liz

    liztapioka14 [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  46. I am a Follower!
    (On This Blog)
    Liz

    liztapioka14 [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  47. Im Following you on Twitter!
    Im LizLizLiz16

    Liz

    liztapioka14 [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  48. I love A Midsummer Night's Dream.

    denise_22315(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  49. Romeo and Juliet would be my favorite.
    Carol M
    mittens0831 AT aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  50. I follow your blog.
    Carol M
    mittens0831 AT aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  51. I'm a subscriber.
    Carol M
    mittens0831 AT aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  52. I follow you on Twitter - CarolAnnM
    Carol M
    mittens0831 AT aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  53. Please enter me! bethrevis@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  54. Please enter my name in your draw. Thanks.
    wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  55. And I now subscribe! :)

    tworboy(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  56. I'm all about the tragedies: Macbeth!

    tworboy(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete