Risky Regencies

Friday Nonsense

Updated on September 28, 2007 by Diane Gaston

Megan is swamped and unable to blog today, so here is a little nonsense for a Risky Regencies Friday.

A Google Alert came in to my email. I google alert many things– my book titles, my author names, Gerard Butler. Today an alert came in for Diane Perkins. It led to a blog by Elisa Rolle who led to a website that promoted Italian books. (I can’t make that link work anymore, though. You can give it a try) This month the releases were by these authors: Jeanne Savery, Sophia Nash (my pal), Diane Perkins, Sara Blayne, Lois Greiman & Sandra Heath

Diane Perkins! My alter ego!

I had to go back through my records to see that, yes indeed, The Marriage Bargain by Diane Perkins had sold to an Italian publisher. So here, Risky Regencies Readers, is the Italian bookcover and what the website said about the book:

785. Diane Perkins – Contratto di nozze (The Marriage Bargain)
Un matrimonio per interesse può diventare un amore per sempre?
Emma Chambers accetta di sposare Spencer Keenan. All’apparenza sembra un ottimo affare per entrambi: Emma otterrà completa libertà, Spencer avrà chi si occuperà della sua tenuta. Ma quando il giovane viene gravemente ferito in un duello, Emma è al suo fianco per assisterlo: la timida fanciulla che ha preso in moglie per convenienza è diventata la donna che ha sempre sognato. Riuscirà ora a convincerla del proprio amore e a farsi concedere una seconda possibilità?
Nota di MarchRose: Un tenero e commovente romanzo regency sul tema degli amanti separati dalle vicende della vita che si ritrovano ad anni di distanza, più maturi, diffidenti ed amareggiati ma anche più forti ed appassionati. La Perkins, che scrive anche sotto il nome di Diane Gaston, è un’autrice molto abile e sensibile, capace di creare personaggi sfaccettati e davvero credibili dal punto di vista umano, le cui vicende riescono a coinvolgere emotivamente in profondità il lettore.
Livello di sensualità “caldo” (warm)

Nice, huh?

Do you Google Alert something? Care to ‘fess up?

Here’s how to set up your very own Google Alerts

Cheers!
And do not forget to join us for our Jane Lockwood interview on Sunday. Doesn’t Jane look familiar????

A Visit to Montpelier

Updated on September 27, 2007 by Janet Mullany

Last weekend I went to an amazing historic house in Virginia, Montpelier, the home of James Madison.

One reason I loved it so much was that the house is under major reconstruction. One notable owner of the house was the Dupont family, who bought it in 1900. The last Dupont to own the house left it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation with instructions that the house was to be restored to Madison’s time. This was a bit of a problem. The Duponts had converted the original 22-room house to a 55-room house (with real plumbing). So the trick was to get from this:

to this (illustration courtesy of Montpelier Foundation and PartSense Inc.):
and this is how things look from the outside at the moment:
Inside, I found it absolutely thrilling. The rooms are down to lathe and some original plaster as the house is restored to its former 1820s glory. Tiny fragments of original materials have been found (one amazing find was in a rodent’s nest, which had become a time capsule thanks to a scrap of paper with Madison’s handwriting, plus some fabric and wallpaper). Everything is being re-created as it was in Madison’s time, using historically-correct materials and tools. There’s a huge amount of documentation too, as Jefferson, Monroe and Madison were all building at the same time and exchanging letters and ideas.

The house is in a beautiful location at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, only two hours from Washington DC but it feels like another world. It also has beautiful grounds, with some trees dating from Madison’s time, including some cedars that were brought as a gift when Lafayette visited.

At one point we were standing in a room that frankly looked a mess–it was the original dining room, and our docent said something like “Imagine the greatest political conversations of all time when Lafayette, Jefferson, and Monroe visited Madison.” I got shivers down my spine.

You can see a blog of the restoration of Montpelier here.

Try and visit the house before restoration if you’re as fascinated by historic construction and restoration as I am. It’s due to open officially in about a year’s time. But the docent also told us that one room will be left in its current lathe-and-plaster condition for visitors to see how it looked before.

Do you have a favorite historic site? Tell us about it!

Enter to win copies of my books at longandshortreviews.com this week, and meet my dirty-minded alter ego Jane Lockwood this Sunday!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Jefferson, Lafayette, Madison, Monroe, Montpelier, restoration | 6 Replies

Sweet or Spicy or None of the Above?

Updated on September 26, 2007 by Elena Greene

First, this post is NOT about the relative merits of romances called “sweet” versus romances called “spicy”. It’s about how the terms themselves. I’ve disliked the designations of “sweet” versus “spicy” (or sometimes “hot”) for a long time. Somewhere online I recently saw “sweet” equated to “clean” and decided I wanted to blog about it.

I realize the industry needs an easy way to describe the level of sexuality in a romance, especially since some readers (unlike me) have strong preferences one way or the other.

But I still don’t like the terms.

“Sweet” can translate to “cute” or “safe”. It doesn’t do justice to the fiercely clever characterizations and witty dialogue in a Jane Austen or a Georgette Heyer. Or to romances that have dark themes but don’t happen to take the characters to the bedroom.

“Spicy” or “hot” makes me think of Buffalo chicken wings but my bigger concern is this: that I’ve seen “sweet” romance defined as romance that focuses on the emotional development of the relationship–implying others focus on the sex alone. “Spicy” or “hot” just don’t do justice to the body/mind/soul sort of lovemaking you find in a Laura Kinsale or Julia Ross.

It’s hard to think of better terms though. I can come up with definitions but it’s hard to come up with single words that don’t either imply “sweet” romances are uptight or “hot” romances are trashy. “Clean” vs “dirty”? “Chaste” vs “sexy”? See what I mean? At least both “sweet” and “spicy” can be thought of as good things.

But two terms aren’t enough anymore.

All About Romance has a Sensuality Ratings Guide that defines levels from “Kisses”, “Subtle”, “Warm”, “Hot and “Burning”. Their definitions look useful and pretty optimal to me, despite the lingering chicken wing connotations.

So what do you think? Are you content with the old definitions of “sweet” vs “spicy”? Do you have other ideas to suggest?

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

Posted in Risky Regencies | Tagged Uncategorized | 17 Replies

AUSTEN TREK, THE NEXT GENERATION: Borg and Prejudice

Updated on September 25, 2007 by Elena Greene

AUSTEN TREK: or, If Jane Austen Wrote Star Trek…

“I must,” said Captain Picard, “tender my apology, with great sincerity, for telling you (during that time in which I was a member of the Borg Collective) that you would be assimilated.”

“On the contrary, it taught me to hope,” said Commander Riker, “as I had scarcely ever allowed myself to hope before. I knew enough of your disposition to be certain that, had you absolutely, irrevocably decided to assimilate me, you would not have spent nearly so much time boasting of the fact.”

Captain Picard coloured and laughed as he replied, “I see you know me very well.”

“And I, too,” continued Riker, “wish to apologize, for my vigorous and whole-hearted attempt to end your life at that time.”

“What did you say or do, that I did not deserve? For, though your arguments that my humanity was irrecoverable were ill-founded, formed on mistaken premises, my behaviour to you at the time, had merited the severest reproof. It was unpardonable. I cannot think of it without abhorrence.”

“We will not quarrel for the greater share of blame annexed to that stardate,” said Riker. “The conduct of neither, if strictly examined, will be irreproachable; but since then, we have both, I hope, improved in civility, if not humanity.”

“I cannot be so easily reconciled to myself!” exclaimed Picard. “The recollection of what I then said,–‘I am Locutus of Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life, as it has been, is over. From this time forward, you will service us.’–of my conduct, my manners, my expressions during the whole of it, is now, and has been many months, inexpressibly painful to me. Your reproof, so well applied, I shall never forget: ‘Mr. Worf, fire.’ Those were your words. You know not, you can scarcely conceive, how they have tortured me;–though it was some time, I confess, before I was reasonable enough to allow their justice.”

“I was certainly very far from expecting my order to fire to make so strong an impression.”

“I can easily believe it,” said Picard. “You thought me then devoid of every human feeling, I am sure you did. The turn of your countenance I shall never forget, as you said ‘Then take your best shot, Locutus, because we are about to intervene.'”

“Oh! do not repeat what I then said. And think no more of any unfortunate utterances which you made whilst you were Borg. The feelings of you as Locutus, and you now, are so widely different from each other, that every unpleasant circumstance attending your erstwhile collectiveness, ought to be forgotten.”

And remember: next Tuesday, October 2, our Jane Austen Movie Club will be discussing the Patricia Rozema version of MANSFIELD PARK! So bring your opinions, and get ready for a hot debate!

Cara
Cara King, author of MY LADY GAMESTER, and fan of Tea, Earl Grey, Hot

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Austen, austen trek | 22 Replies

Winners, We’ve Got Winners

Updated on September 24, 2007 by Diane Gaston

We’ve got lots and lots of winners….

I have the great pleasure of announcing the winners for our Risky Regencies Second Anniversary celebration. And there are a lot of ’em.

But first….
The winner of Claudia Dain’s October book, The Courtesan’s Daughter, is…Maggie Robinson!

Congratulations, Maggie!

Our Weekly Winners are:

Monday KimW!

Kim, you win Diane’s hardback/bookclub version of The Marriage Bargain, A Reputable Rake (a rake, not a book) and a hand-embroidered handkerchief for your sniffles.

Tuesday Lois!

Lois, this is such poetic justice! It is too funny that you will have to make a DECISION on which prize you want from Cara:

PRIZE A: A new, never-read, still-in-its-shrinkwrap softbound copy of A PASSION FOR PERFORMANCE: SARAH SIDDONS AND HER PORTRAITISTS published by the J. Paul Getty Museum.

PRIZE B: A Regency novel grab-bag, including two copies of Cara’s award-winning MY LADY GAMESTER, signed and dedicated to whomever you choose; used paperback copies (varying amounts of wear) of Carla Kelly’s SUMMER CAMPAIGN, Carla Kelly’s MISS CHARTLEY’S GUIDED TOUR, Jasmine Cresswell’s LORD CARRISFORD’S MISTRESS (a Fawcett Coventry Regency from 1980), and Patricia C. Wrede’s MAIRELON THE MAGICIAN (a fantasy novel set in Regency England.)

Wednesday Haven!

Haven, you have another choice. Either Elena’s most recent release, LADY DEARING’S MASQUERADE (Romantic Times Top Pick and Best Regency Romance for 2005) or HIS BLUSHING BRIDE, an early anthology Elena participated in, along with authors Alice Holden and Regina Scott (also a Romantic Times Top Pick).

Thursday diane!

(not me, Diane, but diane diane, who commented on Janet’s blog)

diane, you don’t have to decide. You get to win both a signed copy of Janet’s Dedication and The Rules of Gentility.

Friday AndreaW!

Andrea, your prize is a copy of Megan’s book, A Singular Lady, and a DVD of The Lady And The Highwayman, a Barbara Cartland adaptation starring Hugh Grant, and one of the worst movies Megan has ever seen. It is kind of her to dump…er…donate this DVD to you. And…Megan hints at something else she will include in your prize package.

Saturday doglady!

doglady, you win Amanda’s prize, an autographed copy of her August book A Notorious Woman (look for its sequel in April ’08, to find out what happens to Nicolai), plus a fancy beaded bookmark from Ganz (Trust her, it’s pretty)

That’s it for the weekday prizes. Congratulations, ladies!

Now for the Grand Prize winner…Drum roll, please…

Kim Giglio!

Congratulations, Kim! You have won our Grand Prize, a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate.

Our heartfelt Risky thanks to all of you who participated in our week-long Anniversary party. We are the real winners to have readers like all of you. Thank you all for making this the best Risky Regencies week ever!

Winners, send an email to riskies@yahoo.com to tell us where to mail your prizes. Include your real name and any other details we may have requested, like which prize you picked or how you want the books signed.

All our winners were picked entirely at random, just like Bertie told us to do. To see more of Bertie, stop by Risky Regencies often. You never know when he’ll show up.

Posted in Risky Regencies | Tagged Uncategorized | 12 Replies