Category: Reading

Posts in which we talk about reading habits and preferences

Mischief-Making And Risk-Taking

Updated on January 23, 2013 by megan

It’s Mischief Night, and it got me to thinking about making mischief and taking risks. In my personal life, I am the dullest person imaginable: never caused my parents any stress (at least, I don’t think so–they were usually causing me stress), never pulled an all-nighter, never had a wild period. And no, the purple hair does not count as a wild period.

Which, I guess, is why I write fiction. In fiction, I get to create all kinds of mischief, from heroines disguising their true motives to heroes going determinedly after what they want, to villains not playing fair. After all, how much fun would it be to read about characters who do exactly what they’re supposed to? Not much fun at all. Boring, in fact.

So I like my characters, whether I’m writing or reading them, to be a little bit wild. Mischievous. Risky. If I could be a character from Regency fiction, I’d probably pick Jessica Trent from Lord Of Scoundrels. Actually, I’d probably be happy being any one of Loretta Chase’s heroines: tough, no-nonsense women who are uncharacteristically flummoxed by the hero. Yum.

Who would you like to make mischief as?

Posted in Reading, Writing | Tagged heroines, Megan, mischief | 4 Replies

Romance in Books

Updated on January 18, 2013 by megan

I spotted this on someone’s Facebook timeline, and had to share–I am so grateful to my local libraries, and still remember the ‘whoosh’ of excitement when it was Library Day at my elementary school. I would borrow as many books as I could carry, even though one of the librarians told me I couldn’t possibly read that many books in one week.

I could.

I’m in Brooklyn without my son, who’s off having adventures–I’ve been working on A Hero’s Return, the next Loveswept book after Hero of My Heart, and am preparing to write the black moment–where he asks her to forsake what she is planning to do to be with him, and she says no–and that takes a lot of fortitude, so it’s taking me awhile as it builds in my brain.

But with the son gone, I hope to be able to get a lot more work done on this. Not to mention more date time with the husband, more outside time at night, and maybe more shoe shopping. And more reading? The worse thing about being a writer is that you suddenly don’t get to do enough reading–thankfully, I still commute to and fro work, and have waiting time in airports and such, so I still sneak as much as I can.

I’m currently reading Anne Bronte’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. What are you reading?

Megan

Posted in Reading, Writing | Tagged Megan | 3 Replies

Summer Malaise

Updated on January 17, 2013 by Diane Gaston

The Riskies are dropping like flies! First Elena’s sinus infection, now Megan.

Megan is under the weather today but will be, we trust, back on her feet by next week. Meanwhile, send some remedies for the various summer bugs that are abounding.

What will make Megan feel better?

What book should be her “comfort read?”

Posted in Reading | Tagged comfort reads | 4 Replies

Benefits of Being Sick

Updated on January 17, 2013 by Elena Greene

I’ve been down with a sinus infection this week, so I haven’t got much to report on research or writing progress. However, there have been some bright sides to this week.

I just downloaded my copy of Interviews with Indie Authors: Top Tips from Successful Self-Published Authors, which contains interviews with over thirty self-published authors including yours truly. Romance writers are well represented, including RWA members Marie Force, Barbara Freethy and CJ Lyons. I’m truly honored to be in such company!

The interviews were collected by Tim and Claire Ridgway. For those interested in the Tudor period, Claire created The Ann Boleyn Files website which provided source material for several books on Ann Boleyn. You can learn more about the book at Interviews with Indie Authors website.

I found it interesting to read about the authors’ various paths toward success in self publishing. There’s broad agreement on some issues, such as the quality of the writing, proofreading and covers. There are also a lot of differing opinions on how to promote indie works. Some credit their success to doing a lot with social media, which is very daunting to someone juggling as many plates as I am.

But my very favorite bit of advice from the book was from CJ Lyons: “Don’t get caught up in the promotion whirlwind, your best promotional tool is writing the next book. The more books out there the more your fans will do the promotional work for you.”

I like that, because I don’t have the time nor the desire to spend half of my day on Facebook and Twitter! I would rather be writing. I’m currently looking for ways to coax more writing time out of my schedule. One thing I’ve realized being sick this week is that my daughters are capable of more than I thought. They’ve mowed the lawn (even the sloping back bit), cooked meals and cleaned. I need to use them more. What are children for?

Being sick also gave me the excuse to watch North and South (based on the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell–the title refers to the industrial north of England versus the rural south) with my oldest daughter. It was fun to watch her reactions to the hero, John Thornton, played by Richard Armitage. They mirrored the feelings of the heroine, Margaret Hale, played by Daniela Denby-Ashe.

Episode 1: I don’t like him.
Episode 2: I’m not sure.
Episode 3: Maybe he’s redeemable.
Episode 4: OK, he’s cool.

We also watched the bonus material, which included an interview with Richard Armitage. To prepare for his role, he not only read the book but also did extensive research into the background of the story. So he’s intelligent as well as hot (well, the two go together for me).

When she overheard us discussing this, my younger daughter said, “Mama, you’re sick.”
And she wasn’t talking about the sinus infection.

So what has everyone been doing this week? If you bought any books, did social media affect your decisions? What is your favorite way to handle being sick? If you have children, do you enjoy embarrassing them and how?

Elena
www.elenagreene.com
www.facebook.com/ElenaGreene

Posted in Reading, TV and Film, Writing | Tagged Daniela Denby-Ashe, Interviews with Indie Authors, north and south, Richard Armitage | Leave a reply

Contests and Top Ten Recyclables of History

Updated on January 17, 2013 by Janet Mullany

I’ll tell you about the contests at the end of this post, so keep reading.

I’ve decided to rewrite something that was set vaguely in the late 18th century (a period I find much more interesting than the Regency proper with all it froufy dresses. Is froufy a word? I guess it is now) and set it in an imaginary world. I want to keep some of the elements of the imaginary world we have already created in the Regency, so here is my Top Ten Recyclables of History:

1. Non froufy dresses. Pretty dresses, yes. Here’s one at left. It’s slightly froufy but not overly so.

2. Battling superpowers because this makes for good conflict if Country A is about to declare war on Country B at any moment for the flimsiest of reasons.

3. Men have the power but women get the last laugh.

4. Great cities with universities and cathedrals.

5. A huge emphasis on manners and propriety beneath which buzzes wild passions and politics.

6. A changing social order where you can slip and slide from wealth to poverty and back again.

7. The beginnings of change with the use of steam and scientific enquiry.

9. Servants, because I’m interested in them.

10. Tight pants for guys. I’m sure this is something you don’t need a pic for because it’s already imprinted on your brain but I’m giving you one anyway. This is Napoleon, looking less short and fat than usual, and heavens, could that boy fill out a pair of pants, in the artist’s imagination at least. Maybe he was keeping a spare handkerchief, or battalion, or something there. (This is what happens when you do a search on google images for regency tight pants. Go on. Try it.)

So now it seems the question is what else do I need to make this a convincing world that is like Europe and the Near East in the late eighteenth century but different? Nope, no dragons or other paranormal elements. What would convince you? Or what have I missed out that you’d like to see?

And now, trumpet fanfares, CONTESTS!

I’m thrilled to offer an eARC of Julie Anne Long‘s next release A NOTORIOUS COUNTESS CONFESSES which comes out at the end of October. It sounds fabulous. So help me build my imaginary neo-Georgian world, or just stop by and say hello or whatever, and your comment or question will enter you into a drawing. The usual restrictions apply. Contest ends tonight at midnight, EST.

And you can also hop on over to Goodreads to enter to win a signed copy (recycled tree product) of HIDDEN PARADISE which is being released in about a month’s time.