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.

Summer’s going fast!

Updated on August 15, 2014 by Elena Greene

I’m insanely busy, so my apologies for a quick, catch-up kind of post.

I haven’t had a great deal of time for writing, but I’m still doing some story brainstorming. Last weekend, I spent a day at Salt Springs State Park in PA with friends from church. I hiked up a waterfall (no pics of the waterfall as I am too klutzy to dare carry a camera or phone while doing something like that) and also walked along the creek. Later I spent some time working on ideas for another novella, this time a sequel to Lady Em’s Indiscretion, rounding out the trilogy.

I’ve also been working on another Big Project which I’ll tell you all about when the time gets closer.

Now I’m concentrating on getting my oldest ready to head off to college next week. So many emotions! I had a mini-meltdown, breaking into tears as we were leaving Bed, Bath & Beyond yesterday. But I’m excited too, and of course happy that my daughters have opportunities not available to ladies in the Regency. (Read more about education during the Regency in this article by Cheryl Bolen.)

A fan has suggested I write a story inspired by these experience, kind of “Yentl in the Regency”. I don’t know. Has that already been done? How’s everyone else spending the end of this summer?

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

Posted in Risky Book Talk | 2 Replies

Vacation Miscellany

Updated on August 8, 2014 by Elena Greene

So here I am on Friday morning, and unusually for me, I did not have my post written in advance. From unpacking and catching up from my two week vacation, I’ve moved into Trying-Not-To-Panic Mode while getting ready to send off my oldest to college. So maybe I’ll talk some more about things I enjoyed during vacation—with a tiny bit of Regency interest thrown in.

One thing I love about vacation is having more time to read. One of the many books I enjoyed over break is Steel and Song, the first in a new steampunk series by Ani Bolton. I’ve been intrigued by the idea of steampunk but hadn’t actually read anything before this. I was caught up by the world-building and the compelling characters.

After the Club Med interlude, I spent a few days in Orlando with my husband’s family and visited two museums. Among the offerings at the Tampa Museum of Art was an exhibit on “Poseidon and the Sea: Myth, Cult and Daily Life” . I saw some lovely and intriguing ancient objects and realized how much my daughters knew about the mythology (their interest sparked by Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series). Some of the depictions of ladies in the exhibit reminded me again of the influence of the classics on the Regency. Not only did Regency ladies often wear classically-inspired clothing and hairstyles, the way they were depicted in fashion prints–that straight line from forehead to nose–resembles ancient depictions of women.

Later, I visited the Morse Museum in Orlando, which houses “the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933)”. It was a feast for the eyes and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves art and/or needs a break from theme parks.

So what have you enjoyed this summer? Any good summer reads?

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

Back and inspired

Updated on August 1, 2014 by Elena Greene

I’ve just returned from a 2 week family vacation: a week in the Bahamas with a little time before and after to visit my husband’s family in Orlando.

Because my oldest is heading off to college, I wanted to have one more big family vacation and splurged on a trip to the Club Med at San Salvador in the Bahamas. No cooking, cleaning or driving once we got there. Just lots of great food, friendly staff and fellow guests, cute French Canadian kids for my daughters to dance with (the resort is very French), snorkeling, and sun like we never see in upstate New York.

Here’s me with one of the Club Med specialty drinks. It’s called an Oasis–kind of a gin and tonic fancied up with blue Curacao and mint leaves. Refreshing and very pretty!

And here’s the view from our room. Besides ogling pretty tropical fish and enjoying the drinks and food (did I mention the chocolate croissants at every breakfast?) I also enjoyed sitting out on the balcony and story brainstorming.

I haven’t gotten very far yet with the series I mentioned earlier; I’m still doing research. But I did finish outlining an idea I’d had earlier for a prequel to Lady Em’s Indiscretion, my sexy novella. This story will feature the couple who own the folly in which Lady Em and her hero had their romantic interlude. I’m also thinking about a story for Lady Em’s brother, so eventually this may become a trilogy of novellas for those of my readers who enjoy a short reads that are a bit hotter than my usual.

So what has everyone else been doing? Any good vacations or accomplishments? Any interesting cocktails you’ve tried recently, or that are your favorites?

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

Posted in Risky Book Talk | 2 Replies

Wish me luck!

Updated on July 17, 2014 by Elena Greene

This summer I’m starting a new endeavor I may have mentioned before: a new series. I’m not ready to discuss it here yet, because it’s still so shapeless in my mind I can’t quite believe in it. It’s a project that excites me and scares me at the same time, because it’s going to require a lot more research and plotting on a level beyond what I did for my “Three Disgraces” trilogy, which were only loosely connected.

I hope readers will be patient with me as I take this climb. It looks steep, and after a point, I’m not sure what the path will entail. But there’s also the prospect of some amazing views as I get closer to the end.

So I have ordered some new reference books and stocked up on journals and my favorite pen (G-2 Pilot, in blue, not black), because I do my best brainstorming in longhand. I may also play with some easier side projects (I have several ideas for novellas) to take some of the pressure off.

I’m also taking some time to spiff up how I do ebook formatting. Many thanks to Risky Carolyn Jewel who spent an hour or so patiently answering my questions and gave me some excellent suggestions! Although it is technical work, it’s creative too, and that feeds my muse and it’s fun! (Yes, I am a little bid mad, but harmless, I promise you.)

What do you do to psyche yourselves up for a big project?

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

Posted in Writing | Tagged challenges, series | 2 Replies

Winner and Jane Austen in the News

Updated on July 11, 2014 by Elena Greene

First, let me congratulate Vona! You’ve won an ebook of your choice of my titles (see the list at my Risky Books page). I’ll be sending you an email. If you don’t receive it for any reason, feel free to email me at elena @ elenagreene.com (no spaces).

Now to today’s post.

Once again Jane Austen’s making the rounds in the news and social media.

Mary Balogh shared this image of the Pride and Prejudice Bookbench in the “Books About Town” series. More on the P&P bench here and the whole series here.

While I love the idea, I agree with Mary Balogh that this particular bench could have been better executed. I don’t object to the cartoony style overall, but it feels a little too crude for me, the layout feels a bit random and why don’t we get an image of Darcy? I love many of the other benches (Mrs Dalloway, Peter Pan and more) so I wish this one were as good.

Here’s something I did like. The Jane Austen Centre has just unveiled a new waxwork of Jane Austen, said to be based on forensic research and contemporary eyewitness accounts. I was a little surprised to see the gingery hair. The description says it’s brown so I wonder if it’s the lighting. The nose definitely looks Austen-ish. (I remember reading that Jane’s mother prided herself on her Roman nose.) And she looks intelligent and in possession of a good sense of humor, which feels right. Read more about the waxwork here.