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Monthly Archives: November 2009

Our Risky Regencies blog is not really the place to discuss Harlequin’s recent announcement that they were adding a vanity press component targetted specifically to writers who aspire to write for Harlequin. If any of you are not aware of the issue, Keira amassed a great list of sites discussing it on her blog Cognitations and Meditation.

I’ve been consumed by this issue since its announcement, so there’s no way I could blog today without mentioning it. As a Harlequin Historical author, I was particularly upset about this venture’s name (Harlequin Horizons–now withdrawn by Harlequin) and its double H logo, because it was distressingly similar to Harlequin Historicals logo. This article was posted by the New Yorker, using a Harlequin Historical cover to illustrate, rather proving the point. If you follow the comments, mine is the one asking the writer to remove the cover. She did and she apologized.

I’m in total support of Romance Writers of America’s immediate and tough stance, even though the consequences of the position will affect Harlequin authors like me.

So…. Since we’re talking about elephants, let me mention that you might be able to find my December Harlequin book, Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady, in bookstores this week. If you can’t find it, ask for it, especially in a Barnes & Noble, where it may be shelved after the Zs in the single title romances. Check out my website and its new content, including Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady’s Behind the Book which should be posted today.

How do elephants relate to my December book and the Risky Regencies blog?

Well, the hero and heroine of Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady visit The Egyptian Hall, Bullock’s Museum in Piccadilly. Opened in 1812, it contained William Bullock’s collection of artifacts, including display after display of “stuffed” animals. You can see in this engraving that there is a “stuffed” elephant on display. Napoleon’s carriage, captured at Waterloo, was also exhibited and was very much a success.

Georgette Heyer’s Cotillion and Arabella include visits to the Egyptian Hall. Do you remember this scene from Cotillion?

Enlightenment dawned on Miss Charing. She gave an irrepressible gurgle of mirth. “Oh, Freddy, is that what brings you here?”

“Yes, it is, and it ain’t anything to laugh at!” said Freddy. “Good God, you don’t suppose I’d come to a place like this for no reason, do you? I’d as lief visit Westminster Abbey again!” He levelled his glass, and swept a condemnatory glance round the room. “In fact, liefer!” he added. “I don’t say those effigies weren’t pretty devilish, but they weren’t as devilish as this freak you was staring at when I came in. You know what? – you’ll start having nightmares if you don’t take care! Lord, if it ain’t just like Dolph to choose a place like this for his dashed flirtations! Shows you he’s queer in his attic.”

“He did not bring me here to flirt with me!”

“Now, don’t you tell me he wanted to look at curiosities from the South Seas!” said Freddy warningly. “I ain’t a big enough bleater to swallow that one! Just a trifle too loud, Kit!”

“No, of course he did not. Oh, dear, how awkward this is! I wonder what I should do?”

“Well, I can tell you that!” said Freddy. “You can stop making a cake of me. What’s more, if you let Dolph go on hanging round you for ever I’ll tell everyone that our betrothal is a hum!”

Ah, there’s nothing like Georgette Heyer’s voice!

What’s your favorite Heyer? You know, the one you reread when you need a soothing escape?

(I think I’ll go reread Venetia)

A great big Risky welcome today to debut author Lori Brighton who will give away two signed copies of her book today! Your comment or question enter you into the drawing.

Like a breath of fresh, rain-washed air after a thunderstorm, Wild Heart awakens the senses and speeds up the heart rate…. A great read! Long and Short Romance Reviews

Lori, tell us the story behind the story: what inspired this book?

This is going to sound odd, but the Disney Cartoon Tarzan. My son was watching the movie a few years back. Around the same time, I saw a documentary on Discovery or some equally educational channel about feral children. I’d seen them both rather close together and thought, hmm, what it would it be like if my hero had been lost in the wild during his childhood? I also tend to like more alpha males and you couldn’t get a male more alpha than one who had survived on his own in a foreign country.

How easy did you find it to build paranormal elements into your setting and what makes your paranormal elements stand out?

I didn’t set out to make it paranormal but it just kept bugging me, insisting to be let in. I’ve had reviewers say that the paranormal element is subtle and blends well, which is exactly what I wanted.

Leo, the hero, lived a sort of animalistic life in the wilds of India. At first Ella, my heroine, was merely going to be an animal lover, but then I realized, why not make it paranormal? What if Ella had powers to control and sense the feeling of animals? Since Leo is more animalistic than most humans, she would be able to sense his emotions. I thought it would make the story more unique and connect Leo and Ella in a way they wouldn’t have been.

I’ve started calling the book “Heroes set in the Victorian Era.”

Did you discover anything particularly unusual in your research that you’d like to share?

Hmmm, I wrote the book such a long time ago, it’s hard to remember! I’ve had to do a lot of research into the Indian culture and history for this first book and even more so for the second book. So the entire culture as a whole was interesting and new to me.

As for Wild Heart, the one thing that sticks out was how hard it was to take away a person’s title. Leo’s cousin is out to get Leo’s rightful title and the fortune that come with it. The problem was how to get that title from Leo without having him die. Come to find out, it was pretty much impossible to get a title taken away from someone, even if they’d done horrible things. The closest I came was my understanding that if someone was insane, a board might be appointed to take on the responsibilities.

Whom did you identify with most closely when you wrote this book–your hero or your heroine? Why?

Leo, my hero, is very alpha, very blunt very much a left brain sort of man and so very different from me. But I’ve also thrown in some unique qualities to soften him, such as his love of art. Art is definitely something I’ve always enjoyed.

But overall, Ella is more like me. I think in most instances the author associates with the same sex character. Not always, but in most instances. And so far I associate more with my heroines than heroes. Ella loves nature and travel, like me. And like most women, Ella is caring, often at the expense of herself.

What drew you to the Victorian era?

I’ve always loved the Victorian era, probably because it’s the era most noticeable in the United States, especially the Midwest where I grew up. Big, old Victorian homes and those gorgeous dresses and ornate furniture. It was a very elegant time period, but also an era when people were expanding on their knowledge and environment. It was a big era of travel, antiquities and natural science. It’s also the first time period in which you have women leaving the home to work, so in that way there’s more freedom. Everything about it intrigues me.

And as I said in another interview—corsets and tight riding breeches, can’t get much sexier than that!

(Mmmm. Ahem.) Is there anything about the Victorian era you don’t like or that you have trouble incorporating in your writing?

The truth about general hygiene at the time would certainly take the romance away from the story. So it’s always nice to leave out the fact that they probably only took a bath once a week. Let’s not even discuss women and their lack of shaving their legs and underarms. And can you imagine dental hygiene? Have I ruined it for you yet, because I can keep going…lol.

I think one of the most interesting aspects of the Victorian era is the fact that women were suddenly working outside the home, you have a rise of the middle class. There’s a lack of romances novels that focus upon these working women and the long hours and horrible jobs they had to do just to survive. Perhaps that will be my next heroine!

What is there in Wild Heart that you consider risky? (the Risky question!)

Definitely having the paranormal element is a little risky. I’ve tried combining two of the most popular genres- historical and paranormal. I know most readers want either straight historical, or straight paranormal but I had to take that risk because it felt right and I’m hoping it worked, that lovers of both genres will give their nod of approval.

As for the story itself…there’s also a rather risky scene in a Greek folly and then later in a carriage…but I won’t go into detail 😉

What’s next for you?

I have ideas for three new series that I can’t wait to get started on! The problem is deciding which to start first.

As for the next book that will be released, it will be a spin off of Wild Heart. The book isn’t titled yet but it will be out near the beginning of 2011 and will feature a secondary character from Wild Heart as the hero. It takes place in India; it’s very much an action adventure and still contains that paranormal and romance. I’m really excited about it.

Lori will drop by today to chat more about her book, the naughty Victorians, and paranormal romance, so please ask away and your comment or question will enter you into the drawing for a prize.

I’m filling in for Megan today so I’m afraid the cool factor will be missing from your Friday post. My apologies in advance.

Some of you may know that I am on Team Eric. But Megan is Team Bill. This picture is a good enough illustration of why that might be. Notice, please, that Bill, er, Stephen, is wearing the official New York uniform of black.

Here’s another example of Megan-esque cool. Let’s just call it the M-Factor:

As an example of how Megan is cool and I am not, when I Googled for photos of Clive Owens, I typed in Clive Butler because I was confusing Clive with Gerard. Not a mistake Megan would ever have made. Because I don’t want you to make the same mistake, here’s this:

I think all three of these M-Factor men could play a Regency hero.

Stephen Moyer as Mr. Darcy?

Clive Owen as Captain Wentworth?

Gerard Butler as Rochester? (OK, so that’s not Regency. It’s because I’m not cool.)

How, where and when would you cast these men in a Regency Story? Feel free to chose a book.

Moyer as Aiden Bedwyn From Balogh’s Simply series? Or is he more Wulf? Maybe he’s Wulf.

I think Butler or Owens could play the lead of Chase’s Lord of Scoudrels.

Go on. Speculate wildly. Call on your inner Megan and cast these men in a Regency Romance.

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I know I should be writing something erudite about the latest Harlequin-RWA debacle but I’m also reading Terry Pratchett and I think it’s coloring my perception. Truly, this is something that belongs in Discworld. I am also in the thick of deadline hell and am about to behead Jane Austen so you can see I’m rather distracted.

So I’ll tell you instead what I did last weekend, which was to attend the Ladies Day at the federal-era Riversdale House Museum, a wonderful day of activities centered around Rosalie Stier Calvert‘s love of gardening and typical flower-related activities. Here are all the ladies in costume (once again my maid neglected to clean and iron my gown in time), with a rather beautiful golden glow that looks like candlelight but is in fact a result of the failing battery in the camera.

We made perfume using essential oils and yes, vodka, and mine has a bergamot base because I like the name rather than the smell, but I hope it improves over the next couple of weeks.

One very exciting part of the day was a lecture by Stacey Hampton, an expert on nineteenth-century hairstyles and hair ornaments. She gave us a terrific list of resources, including the website Timely Tresses.

She brought in a selection of Regency hair ornaments from her collection which we were allowed to touch, and she also gave a demonstration, on fake heads, of how to build a Regency hair style.

Also on display where these three beautiful bonnets decorated with flowers, constructed by Riversdale’s historian Dr. Ann Wass. You can see in the background the original front doors of the house, a source of great pride for Rosalie Calvert, who boasted that not even Tommy Jeff in the White House had real solid mahogany doors.

In the afternoon we had afternoon tea with scones, neither of which are period, but are just plain good; we made the scones and we also attempted to sugar petals as decorations for the cupcakes, for which we made very runny icing (those egg whites would not stiffen. I spent a long time outside in the cool air with a bowl and a whisk). Sorry about the pic blurred with greed. We had spiced pear compote made with Riversdale’s own pears and an interesting Swedish carrot marmalade for the scones.

So that’s what I’ve been up to. What are you up to? And, aargh, it’s Thanksgiving next week. Are you ready? I’m off the hook since I don’t have a working oven…

Another bit of news. You can buy my next Regency chicklit book IMPROPER RELATIONS in advance at 55% off at bookdepository.com! Still no final cover but I know it will be pretty. The release date is February, 2010.

I have a book called The History of Fashion in France, or The dress of women from the Gallo-Roman period to the present time, from the French of M. Augustin Challamel by Mrs. Cashel Hoey and Mr. John Lillie.

The Present Time, by the way, for the purposes of this book is 1882. I bought it because the plates are intact and really pretty.

Now, the first thing I find interesting is that this doesn’t say translated by so really, you can read this as stolen from M. Challamel because, come on, he wrote the book (in French) and Mrs. Hoey and Mr. Lillie translated it, right?

Well, whatever. Let’s gloss over the fact that I own an apparently pirated PRINT book and get right into some interesting stuff.

From Chapter 1, the very first paragraph:

We learn with horror from ancient writers that certain women of Gaul were accustomed to dye their skin with a whitish matter, procured from the leaves of the woad or pastel, a cruciform plant from which is derived a starchy substance, that may be substituted for indigo for certain purposes. Others were tattooed in almost the same manner as the savages of America.

So, Gaulish women dyed themselves blue. Or had tats. To my vast regret there are no pictures of the tats. I wonder which savages of America they mean? Anyway, obviously these women kicked ass and took names while they were doing it: (not that!, sheesh you have dirty minds, you know that?)

But then time passed. . . and France began to practice industry . . .

The cleanliness of the Gallic women, which has been praised by historians, added another charm to their unrivaled natural beauty. No Gallic woman, whatever her rank, would have consented or even ventured to wear dirty, untidy, or torn garments; nor did any one of them fail to frequent the baths which were established everywhere, even in the very poorest localities. The Gallo-Roman woman was admired for her fair complexion, her tall and elegant figure, her beautiful features; and she neglected nothing that might tend to procure her that homage. Cold bathing, unguents for the face and often the entire body were to her a delight, a duty, and a necessity.

Are you seeing the same image I am? Happy peasant women skipping through the fields (watch out for the cow pies!) humming and perhaps even trilling out loud, their clothes pristine and put together with that certain Je ne sais quois.

Honey, mon amour, I cannot feed the children or milk the cows until have I spent three hours with the cold bath and applying unguents. Tra-la-la-la!

And really a COLD BATH? Are you freaking insane? I think that’s the work of Mr. Lillie. He made that up. No woman would actually take a cold bath without ending up kicking some ass.

Anyway, on to Chapter XXL – Reign of Napoleon I, because that is our period here at the Riskies.

Under the Empire, which was proclaimed in 1804, the fashion of short waists continued in favour, and even developed into extra-ordinary results. The fair sex adopted “sack” dresses, with the waist close under the arms, and the bosom pushed up to the chin. This was far from graceful, and a woman needed to be perfectly beautiful to look well in such a costume.

Gold, precious stones, and diamonds were lavishly used. Numerous balls were given, and official receptions held, and the dress of the women was handsome, nay, even magnificent. Unfortunately, it was chiefly remarkable for its bad taste. A French-woman seemed to have attained the height of glory when it could be said of her: “Voila une personne cossue!”
[There’s a warm, substantial person.]

However, I question the accuracy of the translation. I believe it should be Here is a well-to-do person. But whatever.

Handsome, magnificent gowns in bad taste. Is that awesome or what?

I particularly admire the glib description of Napoleonic extravagance that sounds like someone grabbed their fifth grader’s report and cribbed at will (Mrs. Hoey? Was that you?) but then someone brilliant added the thing about bad taste.

So, pretend you’re a French lady (or better yet, an English Miss, pretending to be a French lady) and you’re at a ball or official reception.

What are you wearing?

Extra credit if it barely hides your tattoo.

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