Author Archives: Elena Greene

About Elena Greene

Elena Greene grew up reading anything she could lay her hands on, including her mother's Georgette Heyer novels. She also enjoyed writing but decided to pursue a more practical career in software engineering. Fate intervened when she was sent on a three year international assignment to England, where she was inspired to start writing romances set in the Regency. Her books have won the National Readers' Choice Award, the Desert Rose Golden Quill and the Colorado Romance Writers' Award of Excellence. Her Super Regency, LADY DEARING'S MASQUERADE, won RT Book Club's award for Best Regency Romance of 2005 and made the Kindle Top 100 list in 2011. When not writing, Elena enjoys swimming, cooking, meditation, playing the piano, volunteer work and craft projects. She lives in upstate New York with her two daughters and more yarn, wire and beads than she would like to admit.

Cara’s 2006 Favorites

Updated on December 26, 2006 by Elena Greene

This week, we’re talking about our favorites of 2006. Of course, that raises the question… Our favorite whats? For the sake of argument, or, rather, lack thereof, I will limit it to favorite books/movies/plays that I can at least pretend have something to do with the Regency or Regency Romance.

BOOKS

1. I had great fun with Naomi Novik’s imaginative Regency dragon book, HIS MAJESTY’S DRAGON (known as TEMERAIRE in the UK). It was the Regency background we know, crossed with Anne McCaffrey, with some Patrick O’Brian thrown in. Great fun!

2. I just loved Jennie Klassel’s THE LADY DOTH PROTEST. It’s a romantic romp set during the Middle Ages — no, I’d never heard of such a thing either! It’s broad and hilarious and bizarre, and I’d never read anything like it. And it’s link to the Regency is….that there once upon a time were a lot of Regency romps out there. (Yeah, I know, it’s a stretch.)

3. I really loved the science fiction novel SPIN by Robert Charles Wilson. Todd and I both voted for it to win the Hugo Award this year, and then it won, convincing us we were invincible. And the link to Regency Romance is…um…. Well, there’s a love story in it…

4. I loved the FIREBIRDS anthology of fantasy stories, and its follow-up, FIREBIRDS RISING. Fantastic authors. And the link to Regency romance is…um…well, I really liked it, and I like Regencies too.

MOVIES

1. Okay, here’s something that has a real Regency link! TRISTRAM SHANDY. Bizarre and massive book. Massively bizarre movie, though not quite as random as the book. Very funny. Very weird. Has a childbirth scene in for Elena! Go rent it. (Released in Britain as “A Cock and Bull Story.”)

2. Other movies that I either really liked this year, or that I liked better than I expected, included: MUNICH, THROUGH A SCANNER DARKLY, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, THE PRESTIGE, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, THE QUEEN, MARIE ANTOINETTE, and THE FOUNTAIN. (And by now you’ve all seen through my ruse of pretending this have any link to the Regency, so I won’t keep on with it. Well, except I guess that MARIE ANTOINETTE does actually have some relation. Or maybe THE QUEEN.)

PLAYS

1. I saw the RSC put on all three of Shakespeare’s Henry VI plays in one day, at their cool new theatre in Stratford. That was really exciting, fascinating, and fun (believe it or not).

Well, those were my favorites, as I remember them! If you read/saw any of these, what did you think?

Cara
Cara King, author of MY LADY GAMESTER — which is also one of my favorite novels, albeit in a rather different manner

Indulgences

Updated on December 20, 2006 by Elena Greene

Well, I’m finally over my stupid sinus infection and getting back into the holiday swing.

Last night we went to my daughter’s 5th grade chorus concert where she sang a short solo in “Masters of this Hall.” One cannot pay for entertainment like that! 🙂 It is one of my favorite holiday tunes, too. Here’s a version from the Christmas Revels Collection: Six Centuries of European & American Christmas Music.

Besides music my other holiday preoccupation is baking. When asked to help out with church or school activities, I always volunteer to do cookies. For one thing, it’s a great way to avoid having to run games with 20 odd sugared up kids. But frankly, I love getting my fingers into squishy dough, I love the smell of cookies baking, and of course, I love eating them.

Last year I blogged about my experiment at Banbury Cakes. They were not especially accurate but good. This year I’ll inflict another recipe on you. This one’s really easy and the results are melting.

VANILLA CRESCENTS

1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts, whatever you like best)
Additional confectioners sugar for dusting

1. Cream butter, gradually add in sugar, then vanilla.
2. Sift flour and salt together; add gradually to butter/sugar mixture. Add nuts.
3. Let chill for an hour or so.
4. Roll into balls about 1 inch diameter, then form into crescents.
5. Bake at 350 deg on lightly buttered cookie sheet for about 15 minutes. Cookies will not change color much but they are done when they get just a bit golden around the bottom edges. While still hot, roll in more confectioners sugar.

Another holiday favorite is Grasshopper Squares, a recipe I found in Gourmet magazine. If you like the combination of mint and chocolate and have some time for fussing and assembling, it’s well worth the effort and calories.

I figure by the end of the holidays I may resemble this lady from Gillray’s satire on Following the Fashion (1794). Right now I don’t care. 🙂

So what are your favorite holiday tunes? Cookie recipes? Eating strategies?

Elena Greene
LADY DEARING’S MASQUERADE, RT Reviewers’ Choice, Best Regency Romance of 2005
www.elenagreene.com

Bertie Reviews MISTLETOE KISSES

Updated on December 19, 2006 by Elena Greene

Greetings, O Adoring Public! Welcome to the debut of Bertram St. James, Exquisite, in the guise of Critic. I shall now proceed to review the “Regency Christmas Anthology” entitled Mistletoe Kisses.

(First, an aside: why has my beautiful era been named for the eminently less-than-beautiful Prince George? I hereby suggest that we all begin calling it not “The Regency Period”, but “The Bertie Epoch.”)

The first story in Mistletoe Kisses is “A Soldier’s Tale,” by Milady Elizabeth Rolls. This is the touching tale of a young nobleman, who was very handsome and admired, and an officer to boot. (I love those uniforms! I would have bought myself a commission — nearly did, in fact — but it turns out if you do so, you may be sent off to fight, perhaps even getting blood on those lovely uniforms! “Not I,” quoth Bertie. And he didn’t.)

This debonair young officer unfortunately became injured, and lost his looks. What tragedy! I never understood why Hamlet was wailing on about having a dead father — happens to us all, don’t you know? — but when I learned that handsome young Dominic Alderley had lost an eye, become frightfully scarred, and even had his hand damaged, I cried tears of sympathy into my silk handkerchief.

Poor Alderley is filled with shame at his dreadful looks, and hides away in his rooms in London, seeing no one except his faithful man, and — well…certain, er…persons…of a sort… whom he, er…pays…for their…for their…scintillating company. (Pardon my red face.)

Luckily, the story ends happily. It turns out that Alderley is not ugly after all, but piratically dashing. Once he realizes this, all is well in the world, and I cried tears of happiness into my silk handkerchief.

Oh, yes. There is also a romance in the story, but it is obviously a subplot to the much more important saga of Alderley’s manly beauty. In fact, the true meaning of “A Soldier’s Tale” is revealed by the inclusion of a play of “Beauty and the Beast,” clearly showing that the core story here is of Alderley’s beauty, his transition to thinking he looks like a beast, and then his triumphant realization that he has beauty still.

The second story in Mistletoe Kisses is “A Winter Night’s Tale” by Milady Deborah Hale.

The heroine of this story is named Christabel. This put me in mind, of course, of that ghastly poem thing by Mr. Coleridge.
Never could figure out why anyone thought his verses worth reading! I ask you, who could be remotely impressed by a rhyme like:

“O weary lady, Geraldine,
I pray you, drink this cordial wine!
It is a wine of virtuous powers;
My mother made it of wild flowers.”

Even I could do better. That is, had I the leisure. However, being decorative takes so very much time! (As does my slavish devotion to the TeleVision Device. I do love the show “Heroes.” It has so many beautiful people in it. As, indeed, does “Lost.” But in the “Lost,” the beautiful people are so dirty!)

The most heart-warming moment in this tale is when the hero manages to circumvent propriety, and make the impoverished heroine a gift of an elegant ball gown, a lace bandeau for her hair, evening gloves, silk stockings, and fine kid slippers. True love at its purest! And, I might mention, if any of you wished to give me silk stockings for Christmas (or Chanukah, or the Winter Solstice, or indeed any other occasion), I would not think it at all improper.

The third story in Mistletoe Kisses is “A Twelfth Night Tale” by Milady Diane Gaston.

This story truly resonated with me. To begin with, the characters in it are all extremely careful about being clean and elegant! Indeed, in one scene, in which a — er — how shall I put this — a new life comes into the world…yes, that will do!
Anyway, in this particular scene, even amidst all the hubbub, the women are all calling for clean linen, and clean clothing. Such admirable attention paid to sartorial aesthetics! This is truly what elevates homo sapiens above the mere animal.

Speaking of the mere animal, there is a dreadful creature in this story, and she is called Lady Wansford. I shuddered each time she was mentioned as she is the exact replica in prose of my much-loathed and feared Aunt Gorgon. Oh, do beg your pardon, I mean my Aunt Gordon, of course. Frightful thing. Always after me to marry her repellent daughter Harriet. The very thought sends me into a paroxysm of hysterical laughter. (By the way, why doesn’t “laughter” rhyme with “daughter”? I will never understand such things.)

Sorry — where was I? Oh, yes. The dreaded daughter. The chit giggled. And slouched. And wore ruffles! “Not I,” quoth Bertie. And he didn’t.

The daughter in this story is just as repellant as my Aunt Gorgon’s daughter, and the mother every bit as bad. Luckily, our hero, the Earl of Bolting, is a handsome young lord, and very wealthy, and our heroine has much beauty and fashion sense herself, so all comes out right in the end, and the gorgons are sent packing (quite literally!)

I highly recommend Mistletoe Kisses. All the talk of greenery and Yule logs carried me back to my childhood, and brought an elegant tear to my eye. Oh, for mince pies and brandy! I must tell my hostess to find me some for Christmas.

If any of you delightful folk have read any of these stories too, do share your impressions of them! I await eagerly your reaction to this, my first foray as Critic.

Yours in clove-scented elegance,

Bertram St. James, Exquisite

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bertie, Bertram St James | 10 Replies

Bah humbug!

Updated on December 13, 2006 by Elena Greene

I’m still fighting this stupid sinus infection and feeling very holiday-challenged. All I really want to do right now is curl up under the covers.

When I feel this way I crave Comfort TV, less caloric than comfort food and possibly a bit healthier. My Comfort TV consists of makeover, decorating and cooking shows, and a smattering of comedy. Some of my favorites are What Not to Wear, (both the American and British versions), Changing Rooms (crazy decor, cute designers and all the different British accents–what’s not to love?), Emeril and Whose Line is it Anyway?.

The one drawback to Comfort TV at this season is the commercials, which bring out my inner Scrooge like nothing else. Tops on my Most Egregious Commercials List:

Singing greeting cards held by mute human beings swaying to the tinny electronic tunes. Blech.

The one that says it’s not your clothes (music, favorite color, neighborhood, etc…) that say the most about you, it’s your watch. Blech again. (Did they not think to include the books you read? Philistines.)

Electronic learning toy commercials that imply your child will not get into college if you don’t buy them. (How about buying them books instead? How about actually reading with them?)

The good thing is one can escape to commercial-free Comfort Reading. My favorite providers are Georgette Heyer and Loretta Chase. When I’m done with this post I’m slinking back to bed with LORD PERFECT.

Do you indulge in Comfort TV or Comfort Reading? What are your favorites?

And which holiday commercials bug you the most?

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

P.S. The picture is of Bill Gorman playing Scrooge at the Cider Mill Playhouse in Endicott, NY and looking a good bit better than I do at the moment!

Posted in Risky Regencies | Tagged Uncategorized | 18 Replies

Northactionfigure Abbey

Updated on December 13, 2006 by Elena Greene

Announcement! Next Tuesday, our own delightful Regency time-traveler, Bertram St. James (a.k.a. Bertie the Beau), will join us to blog about his thoughts on the Regency Christmas anthology Mistletoe Kisses. (He promises to read it by then.) So do join us!

Now, on with today’s very important, very serious debate, in which YOU will decide the fate of….. (Drumroll please)…. JANE AUSTEN!!!

Okay, not really. But you will really decide the fate of…. THE JANE AUSTEN ACTION FIGURE!!! (Pictured here. Genius sold separately.)

Just answer the following questions, and the majority will determine her future! (After all, ActionFigureLand is a democracy. Hmm…. Now that I think of it, if it is, it must be one in which the actual action figures don’t get a vote. Not sure that’s fair. Then again, I’m not an action figure, so who cares!)

QUESTION ONE: If the Jane Austen action figure sits down one day and reads all of her own novels — oh, and lets throw in some Heyer for good measure, surely Austen would have read her given the chance — so, she reads all of Austen and Heyer, feels very romantic, and decides to find her true love.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, perhaps), she finds she has only three choices. So…. WHO DOES SHE PICK?

Does she pick the Sherlock Holmes Action Figure?

Or the Casanova Action Figure?

Or does she go for Herr Beethoven’s Action Figure?

And which of the three would give her the most talented offspring???

Now… for QUESTION TWO!!!!!! This one has two parts.

A. If the Jane Austen Action Figure gets into a fight with Barbie, who wins?

Keep in mind that Barbie may be more physically active… But Jane probably knows how to gouge with her quill (as well as her wit). Who’s the victor? To whom the spoils? (If Jane wins, she gets all Barbie’s shoes.)

B. If the Jane Austen Action Figure had a knock-down, drag-out fight with the Marie Antoinette Action Figure, who would triumph, and who would be guillotined???