My birthday present to you! My bookcover for Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady coming Dec 2009 from Harlequin Historical. I LOVE this cover
My real Risky Regencies birthday is April 17, because I joined this lovely group on April 17, 2006, but, the Queen doesn’t celebrate her birthday on the anniversary of her birth, so why should I? I choose to celebrate with my other Riskies.
I was so creative. I called my first blog “My First Time by Diane Gaston Perkins” (I was still writing for Warner Forever as Diane Perkins at the time). I talked about why I think the Regency is so popular as a Romance genre. And I sounded reasonably intelligent! Who knew?
Risky Regencies came about when there were still Signet and Zebra Traditional Regencies, but we all knew they would not last. Janet, Amanda, Elena, and Cara were innovating, trying to give the subgenre new life. It was a risk, but that was the reason to name the blog Risky Regencies.
I decided to see what these Riskies chose to write about for their first times.
Janet’s first blog was, as you might expect, extremely witty with creative surprises, telling what was risky about her first book, Dedication.
Megan talks about her risky Regency, A Singular Lady, in the sassy slightly self-depreciating style we’ve come to love, admitting she made mistakes with titles.
Cara’s first blog was about cards! She talks about the idea that became My Lady Gamester. (I still miss Cara, so I’m including her here!)
Amanda’s first real blog (after a brief one about covers, citing both a movie and fashion, natch) was a cute Jane Austen quiz. We’ve had lots of quizzes since.
Elena does another thing we’ve repeated often–talking about other books and authors we admire. Elena will be blogging on Sept 26. Yay!!!
And finally our newest Risky, Carolyn, who started her time here with a quirky introduction in Regency-speak and her first real blog about The Regency Ottoman Empire. What could be more Risky than that???
Like the Regency genre, we’re still evolving. I love the community we’ve become, and that includes our commenters!
Do you have any Risky Regency blogs you remember? What ones have stuck in your memory?
My prize, awarded at the end of the month, like Janet’s, is a DVD: 1815 The Battle Of Waterloo. It is a documentary released by Kultur.com that I used in writing my Three Soldiers Series (and ordered twice because I forgot I already owned it). If you don’t win you can order your own from Amazon.
My website is updated! And there is a new contest there.
And I’m now on Twitter as well as Facebook.
Good morning Diane,
First I’d love to start out by telling you I love the cover of your new book. Beautiful !
I can’t think of any blogs right now but I do have to say that Risky Regency has been so informative these last couple of years and that you are all incredible. Have a great day!
Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com
Diane, so glad the Good Cover Fairy visited–you deserve it!
That cover is lovely! And thanks for the walk down Memory Lane–I have to say, it’s hard to single out one favorite post, because they’re all so different, as we are.
Kind of a namby-pamby answer, but it’s the truth. Thanks for reminiscing!
That cover guy looks great in his regimentals.
Thanks to all the Riskies for being here then and now!
Congrats on the lovely cover, Diane. Some of my favorite posts were about costumes and hats. I also enjoyed the post about Sharpe because I had just seen one of the Sharpe movies.
I enjoyed meeting you at one of your booksignings in DC, Diane. Love the cover of your new book! 🙂
One of my favorite blogs was the one about Sean Bean and Sharp’s Rifles. I especially love it when characters come to the blog and speak from the heart in their own special way. 😉
A very fine cover, Diane, and of course my most memorable post was your interview with Richard Cerqueira about cover models. (Intelligent and handsome, definitely swoon worthy!) I’ve enjoyed interviews with other authors, like Elizabeth Rolls, and travels the Riskies have shared with us. I loved finding out the little things that have inspired certain details that have and have not made it into a story. I always enjoy reading about the writing process, like being able to laugh that I’m not the only one who gets side tracked researching. 🙂 I think it’s the encouragement that I appreciate the most. There is such a sense of being proud of each others’ accomplishments.
Fabulous cover, O Divine One, as I think I have said before it is perhaps my favorite of your covers so far.
There have been so many wonderful blogs here at the Riskies. And I actually have several of them copied in a research notebook for future reference. I love the fashion blogs, of course, and the neat little research tidbits you ladies find and share with us. Meeting so many of my favorite authors here is fun too.
The Waterloo anniversary blogs are always very meaningful to me and chock full of great information.
Oh and any time one of you takes a trip and comes home to shares photos and research with us it is a real treat!
Kathy!!! How nice of you to drop by. We should do a Sharpe blog soon, obviously, since you and Jane mentioned it.
Judy, I loved having Richard visit us. Haven’t heard anything from him or his publicist lately.
Louisa, I’ll have to think about what interesting research might go along with my December book, the one with the fabulous cover!
Thanks for stopping by, everyone.
Diane, let me first say I love the cover of your new book, its beautiful. I can say the I love the Risky’s blog and I learn a lot here. I may not post everyday but I do check the blog most days. This is one of my favortie places to visit. You ladies do a wonderful job here.
Diane,
I just discover this site about two weeks ago. I love it. I keep hoping to find the time to read the earlier entries. I think the one on jokes is the one I remember the most. That is because I linked over to Prints George and those joke really were disgusting. Keep up the good work all of you. We love those Regencies.
librarypat@comcast.net
the fashion blogs are my favorite also.
The cover is awesome!!!
I love coming here for the funny, informative blogs.
Great great cover, Diane! I know you’re celebrating.
I couldn’t pick a “favorite” blog because they are all so witty and informative. Thanks to you and the other Riskies for a daily dose of inspiration and delight!
Diane wrote:
Cara’s first blog was about cards! She talks about the idea that became My Lady Gamester. (I still miss Cara, so I’m including her here!)
I still miss her, too! Well, aside from living in the same house, and all. 🙂
I promised I’d come around more, so here I am again. Twice in less than a week!
I am contractually obligated to say that Austen Trek was my favorite Risky blog post ever. But I’ve enjoyed many others over the last few years.
Todd-who-is-rapidly-wearing-out-his-welcome
Thanks for the shout-out, Diane! And the trip down memory lane. (Ah, my first post, back when I didn’t realize it was nice to add a pic or two!) 🙂
There have so many posts I’ve loved over the years…so I’ll just name one: the one where Janet added dialogue and captions to Regency pictures…priceless!
Cara
Todd! I miss you, too. I even miss Bertie!
Austen Trek was extremely memorable! As well as Janet’s captions. And Amanda’s fashion posts! Elena has blogged about Sharpe more than anyone, I think. And who can forget Megan’s poignant blog about her father? Carolyn is right up there with her Link-o-matic and Google books.
I have enjoyed a variety of posts over the years from true historical information and people to guest authors and then the celebrations of Risky releases.