The winner of a signed copy of Sally MacKenzie‘s The Naked Viscount is…
gamistress66
gamistress66, email us at riskies@yahoo.com with your mailing address.
The Riskies
The winner of a signed copy of Sally MacKenzie‘s The Naked Viscount is…
gamistress66
gamistress66, email us at riskies@yahoo.com with your mailing address.
The Riskies
I’m so excited this month (June) to see the launch of the last volume of “The Muses of Mayfair” trilogy–To Kiss a Count! It’s been quite a whirlwind trip with the Chase sisters and their gorgeous heroes, and I’m happy to see them all settled with their HEAs–though I’ll also miss them a lot. I had a lot of fun in their Regency world, and maybe one day I’ll be able to re-visit them and see how they’re faring. To celebrate today, I have a prize for one lucky commenter– a signed copy of To Kiss a Count, plus a copy of Maggie Lane’s A City of Palaces: Bath Through the Eyes of Fanny Burney (I found two copies of this on my shelf when I cleaned out my books this winter!).
To Kiss a Count is the story of Thalia Chase, the third of the Muses, and what happens when she’s reunited with the dark, dimpled, charming–and mysterious–Marco, Count di Fabrizzi. Thalia is the most beautiful of the sisters (the heroine on the cover actually looks very much as I pictured her while writing the book! Marco–not so much. My Marco was Rodrigo Santoro!). She’s also the most musical and artistically talented. But being the youngest, her older sisters tended to protect and cossett her, keeping her away from their adventures when all she wanted was to help them and do her part as Chase Muse. Clio finally realized this at the end of To Deceive a Duke and utilized Thalia’s talent as an actress to catch a villain (almost). When Thalia met Marco in that story, she certainly got more adventure than she bargained for! And she also fell in love with him. But they had to part, and she returned to England to try and mend her heart. But fate isn’t done with Thalia and Marco just yet.
Thalia journeys to Bath with her eldest sister Calliope (from To Catch a Rogue). Cal is recovering from the difficult birth of her daughter Psyche and goes to Bath to rest and take the waters. Thalia wants to help her with the baby, as well as find some fun distractions from her memories of the excitement of Sicily. Then Marco appears in the Pump Room–with the villainess Lady Riverton on his arm! (Lady Riverton also appeared in To Deceive a Duke…) Thalia knows things are not what they seem–and she won’t rest until she finds out what’s going on. She and Marco have to unite to save the ancient silver hoard while they try not to fall even more in love. But of course that is impossible!
I loved writing this story, especially since it’s set in the gorgeous city of Bath. By the time of this story, Bath was a bit past its prime, but it seemed like the perfect place for these scholars of antiquities, with its rich Roman and medieval history. (It also has some secret spots in the hills and caves just right for hiding contraband–and having secret trysts!). The museum of antiquities Thalia and Marco visit is my own invention (though the objects they look at are based on some found in the Roman Baths museum), but I used many real sites as well–the Pump Room, the Assembly Rooms, the Theatre Royal, Sydney Gardens, and Mollands pastry shop. One of the most fun research books I came across was Walks Through Bath by Pierce Egan, published in 1819, which gave me some fun tidbits to use in the story. For instance:
“Upon gala-nights (in Sydney Gardens) the music, singing, cascades, transparencies, fire-works, and superb illuminations, render these gardens very similar to Vauxhall. The Orchestra is close to the back of the Tavern, neatly arranged and elevated, with a large open space before it well-gravelled…The walks are all well rolled and gravelled; and seats and places for refreshment are to be met with in various places of the gardens. There are also several swings, adapted for the ladies, and others for gentlemen.”
There are also great descriptions of the Labyrinth (which Thalia and Marco walk through), which “might puzzle any cunning person if left to himself and without a clue, for six hours.”
(At the end of this post I’ll list a few sources I enjoyed for Bath! I’m working on an article about the history of the city, and one about the history of the Italian independence movement which Marco is a part of, for my own website. Thanks to the Deadline From Hell, finally nearing its end, I’m behind on that. But be sure and visit anyway for a chance to win the whole trilogy and a gorgeous Muse pendant from Tartx! Only a few days left on this contest…)
And that concludes my Springtime of Muses! What are some of your favorite Regency settings (Bath, London, country estates, Waterloo)? Have you visited Bath–what’s your favorite site there? And which Muse would you want to be yourself?
Some Bath sources (and one Italian!):
George Holmes, ed. The Oxford Illustrated History of Italy
Joyce Reynolds & Terence Volk, The History of Sulis Minerva at Bath
Maggie Lane, A City of Palaces and A Charming Place: Bath in the Life and Novels of Jane Austen
Walter Ison, The Georgian Buildings of Bath
RS Neale, Bath 1680-1850, A Social History
William Lowndes, The Theatre Royal at Bath
Guidebooks for the Museum of Costume and Assembly Rooms, Number One Royal Crescent, and the Pump Room
I attended my friend Beth’s birthday party the other day. Beth loves vintage everything from the 1960s so it was a 1960s themed party complete with peace symbol party favors and a game of 1960s Jeopardy (to which I answered a couple of questions right…)
So I got to thinking…How was the Regency like the 1960s?
Most obviously, perhaps, there was a war going on, a war lasting several years.
The war with Napoleon must have felt to the British citizens like a far away event, but the Vietnam War was played out in our living rooms through the magic of television. And, of course, the wars ended very differently.
There was social unrest.
The Peterloo Massacre happened when the local magistrate ordered the militia to break up a protest demonstration against the Corn Laws and advocating for other civil liberties.
The 1960s also had protests broken up violently, both those fighting for Civil Rights and, later, those protesting the Vietnam War.
Fashions changed dramatically
From the Georgian to the Regency
I’m sure there were other similarities, like technological advances. The Regency was beginning to explore the uses of the steam engine, for example, and the 1960s introduced manned space flights.
Can you think of other similarities or differences?
Don’t forget I’m blogging on Thursday on Diane’s Blog. Tomorrow there I’ll announce last week’s winner of a signed copy of Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady.
Sally’s going Naked again. No….not that kind of naked. Sally MacKenzie is back again with her latest Naked book–The Naked Viscount. Sally will be giving away a signed copy of The Naked Viscount to one lucky commenter.
I’ve been with Sally at various conferences and events and one thing is always true. Readers greet Sally with a smile. I’m delighted that readers will soon (June 1, for certain) find Sally’s The Naked Viscount on the bookstore shelves.
“Ah, another naughty, naked hero to brighten MacKenzie’s irresistible romance.
There’s plenty of sizzle, delicious repartee (filled with double entendres),
excitement and mystery to satisfy anyone who needs a bit of love and laughter to
brighten their day.”–Kathe Robin, RT Book Reviews
So let’s give a big Risky Regencies welcome to my pal, Sally MacKenzie!
Welcome, Sally. Tell us about your latest Naked book, The Naked Viscount.
Here’s the story from the Viscount’s back cover copy: After eight London Seasons, Jane Parker-Roth is ready to quit the dull search for a husband in favor of more exciting pursuits. So when she encounters an intruder alone in her host’s townhouse, she’s not about to let the scoundrel escape–especially when she discovers she’s wrestling Viscount Motton, the one noble she wouldn’t mind meeting in the dark. And when their struggle shatters a randy statue of the god Pan, even more mischief ensues. The viscount is indeed searching for evidence of a scandal, but the shocking clues inside the nude statue are far from what he expected. The same can be said of Jane, who shows a talent for interfering in his affairs. And as his quest becomes more than a little bit improper, he finds the impetuous lady has a talent for impropriety as well.
Did you come across any interesting research writing The Naked Viscount?
Hmm. I’d have to say the most interesting thing was the drawing that became the inspiration for the sketch Jane and Motton are looking for in The Naked Viscount. I was leafing through Vic Gatrell’s City of Laughter; Sex and Satire in Eighteenth-Century London when there on p. 404 I saw Thomas Rowlandson’s pornographic print, Lord Barr…re’s Great Bottle Club. Very eye-opening, indeed. I knew Rowlandson drew pornography, so that part wasn’t a surprise. But this particular print…there’s a lot going on there. Perhaps it’s just me, but I tend to picture our forebears as stiff and formal like the portraits I’ve seen in art galleries and school history books. This sketch is more “peers gone wild. “
We’re all about being risky. What is risky about The Naked Viscount?
You Riskies were in the back of my mind as I was writing this book–it has “risky” written all over it. Did I mention the pornographic inspiration? And then there are the Pan statues with the prodigious penises in which the clues are hidden. And all the visual jokes as our lovely heroine goes about finding the clues–while our manly hero gnashes his teeth. And then there’s the aphrodisiac… I suspect there is really no such thing as a true aphrodisiac, but by then my characters were on a roll.
You recently attended the RT Book Reviews Convention. Can you tell us about it? What was the most outrageous part of the Convention? Can you share any photos?
Well, I had a novella, “The Naked Prince,” due May 1, so I spent more time than usual in my hotel room. Wednesday I was part of a group that hosted the Midnight Mad Hatters Historical tea, which was great fun except for the midnight part. Here’s a picture of me with my friend (and one of the other hosts), Kristina Cook/Kristi Astor. 
And here’s another picture of me at the event–my borrowed hat appears to be trying to escape. I had a lot of laughs during the historical panel I was on–“Bringing Historical Characters to Life.” The panel was moderated by Kristi, and my fellow panelists were Courtney Milan, Victoria Dahl, Sylvia Day, and Victoria Alexander. 
Perhaps the craziest thing happened before the Faery Ball. I write for Kensington Zebra, and “they” (I think the idea came from one particular editor) thought it would be fun if some of the Zebra authors made a grand entrance at the ball as a herd of zebras. Here we are–I’m the one with the tan “hooves” on the far right. Two of the zebras are editors, but I won’t say which two!
What is next for you?
I’ve got two more Naked stories coming. My novella The Naked Prince will be out in February 2011 in the anthology An Invitation to Sin. Jo Beverley is the lead author; Vanessa Kelly and Kaitlin O’Riley join me rounding out the list. Then The Naked King is scheduled for June 2011.
And now for some questions: 1. Do you think of historical figures as very proper folks, always polite, never speaking in contractions? Or are they just like us, only wearing less comfortable clothes? 2. I know I can never write with a completely historical perspective–heck, I’m an American writing about English nobility for goodness sake. Where do you think the line is between strict historical accuracy–dirty hair, bad teeth, and all–and romance?
Great questions, Sally. Go at ’em, Risky Readers, and remember that one lucky commenter will be chosen at random to win a signed copy of The Naked Viscount.
(Apologies in advance for my woeful lameness in posting pictures. Everyone else here can make theirs line up all nice, but I just can’t.)
A few years back, two friends and I started working on a fun historical project, a writing collaboration that was almost as much fun to write than it was to talk about.
That got tabled, but is now back in my sights, and so all of us are back on board again, trying to knock out some words so we can show people what we got.
As I’ve realized (and talked about a lot), I cannot write a compelling character unless I have a rock-solid image of the person in my head.
So earlier this week I went to Twitter, and asked:
“Suggestions for a male actor who’s lanky, tall, intellectual-seeming, kinda nerdy, but secretly hot? Bonus pts for a brunette.”
And, boy howdy, did I get a lot of replies.
Just to give you a taste of the guy (so to speak), here is how we’re first introduced to him (this may change, but it works for me thus far):
Damn it. Where the hell was his cravat?
Last time he knew he had it on was when he was tugging at it, when he was doing his translation. Right before Lulu arrived.
Aristotle surely didn’t have these kind of burning sartorial questions. Even more than usual, he envied the ancient Greek; all he had to deal with were those flowing robes, perhaps a sandal or two; now, Society demanded he wear several items of clothing, which usually meant he walked out on the street frequently missing a jacket, or a hat, or gloves. Gloves. Even the word made his jaw clench.
Gloves were the devil’s bane.
Christian frowned and ran his hand through his hair.
And after all the looking, I ended up with Matt Smith, the new Doctor Who.
Now I just have to find my heroine.
