Risky Book Talk - Risky Regencies

Gail’s Winners and Lord Langdon’s Kiss Giveaway!

April 11, 2014 April 11, 2014 Elena Greene 12 Comments

First of all, Gail would like to thank everyone who participated in the fantastic discussion of epilogues last week. She also asked me to announce the winners of her giveaway. Congratulations to Beth Elliott and Linda, who have won Kindle or Nook versions of The Captain’s Dilemma, the Regency romance which Gail has recently reissued with a lovely new epilogue.

This week I’m celebrating the reissue of my Regency, Lord Langdon’s Kiss, which unlike The Captain’s Dilemma, needed a lot more work than the addition of an epilogue. Lord Langdon’s Kiss was my first book, and although I’m proud that it sold, I’ve learned a lot in the fifteen years that have passed since I wrote it. In this version, I tackled an issue I’d shied away from the first time around and found that it helped me torture the hero a little more. That’s always a good thing. I also pruned out a lot of redundant introspection, cutting about 17,000 words. Maybe I can make a novella out of the chopped bits.

Anyway, I feel very happy about the revisions and I’m pretty sure I kept everything that people enjoyed about it the first time around. I’m hoping my favorite review is still true.

“Lord Langdon’s Kiss is a fine Regency romp that will satisfy lovers of the genre like ice-cold lemonade on a hot afternoon. This is what Regency romance is all about.” (Four hearts) — The Romance Reader

I think the digital revolution has been a wonderful boon to the traditional Regency genre. It’s helped make many previously published Regencies available to new readers, and also opened up a market for new traditional Regencies, filling the void left when the major publishers ended their Regency lines.

Have you discovered or rediscovered any good traditional Regencies lately? Please share, for the chance to win a copy of Lord Langdon’s Kiss on Nook or Kindle.

Elena

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here’s Amanda……

March 24, 2014 March 24, 2014 Diane Gaston Leave a comment

I’m yielding my blog day to Amanda, so you can all catch up on her post yesterday about her fabulous new Amanda Carmack mystery, Murder at Westminster Abbey!

I’ll be back next week.

Can “sweet” and “romp” describe the same book?

March 14, 2014 March 13, 2014 Elena Greene 17 Comments

I just sent off the heavily revised (and 16,000 words lighter!) version of Lord Langdon’s Kiss to my critique partners and beta readers. I’m starting to look at new cover art and thinking about a topic that concerns many authors, especially those who self publish: keywords. These are the (often invisible) words that help customers on a website find what they’re looking for, beyond general categories like “Historical romance”. They could include words that describe the tone of the book, like “sexy”, “funny”, “dark”, etc…

So I’ve been thinking about how to describe a book which has no sex scenes other than kissing, but does have sexual tension.

Some of the terms I’ve seen that readers use when looking for Regency romance without sex scenes include “sweet”, “clean” and “decent.” I have a lot of problems with the latter two, because I don’t believe sex is dirty or evil. Readers who use such terms might not like the sexual tension in Lord Langdon’s Kiss and they definitely won’t like most of my other books.

So that leaves “sweet”, which I also take issue with as it implies that “spicy” stories are all about the sex. But that pet peeve aside, what do people really mean by the term “sweet romance”? Obviously, no sex scenes. However, a lot of the old traditional Regencies, the ones that were as much comedy-of-manners as romance, didn’t even sexual tension, or even sexual awareness. So if there’s physical attraction and/or a hot kiss or two, is the story no longer “sweet”?

So I’d love to know. What do you think “sweet” means?

And here’s a bonus question. The Romance Reader described Lord Langdon’s Kiss as a “fine Regency romp”. I’ve seen “romp” used to describe traditional Regencies before, but recently it seems to imply a fun and sexy read. If I use the word “romp” anywhere, will it mislead readers into thinking this book is sexier than it really is? Because I don’t like to disappoint!

And here’s a Wordle I created using this blog post. That site could be addictive!

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

Signs of Thaw

February 28, 2014 February 28, 2014 Elena Greene 4 Comments

So we’re dealing with yet another cold snap in upstate NY. I’m ready for spring, even though I haven’t gotten out onto the ski slopes yet, due to my daughter’s college search and a three week long sinus/flu/something-or-other. I can still enjoy spring skiing. That means having to adapt to snow that goes from ice in the morning to slush in the afternoon, but it also means shorter lift lines and warmer weather. So come on spring!

I do get a sense of thaw in the surge of creativity I’m feeling and seeing all around me.

I’m close to finishing some rather major improvements to Lord Langdon’s Kiss, my first book which I plan to reissue in April. I’m also brainstorming a bunch of new story ideas. When I ran the free promo for my sexy novella, Lady Em’s Indiscretion, a reader asked if I planned to put it out in paperback. I replied that it seemed too short; I’d have to write a couple more and make it into an anthology. She and others really liked the idea, and that same evening ideas for a prequel and sequel poured into my mind. I’m also starting to think about new full-length stories, possibly a series.

I’m not the only one. I was so happy to hear that Amanda is coming back from a rough patch. I’m also delighted that Gail has been able to spend more time on her writing—you’ll hear more about that from her later. Another friend has a new book out, and yet another is getting ready to launch a steampunk series.

This all makes me very happy.

How about you? What is everyone up to? Any signs of spring in your life?

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

Featured 99 cent ebook – Fly with a Rogue by Elena Greene

February 16, 2014 February 13, 2014 Elena Greene Leave a comment

A village schoolmistress’s life takes a turn when a Waterloo veteran turned aeronaut crashes his balloon near her cottage. Passion sweeps them along, taking them on a scandalous flight across the English countryside. They must marry, but can they make a life together?

“This book does not disappoint and took Regency romance to a whole new level (pun intended).”
— (5 stars) Amazon reader review

“I enjoyed the interaction of these two characters. It was many things…humorous, serious, caring, annoyance and of course, romantic. You never knew quite what to expect next from them.”
— (5 stars) Amazon reader review

Buy at: Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Apple ~ Kobo ~ Smashwords

Elena Greene grew up reading her mother’s Georgette Heyer novels, but it wasn’t until she went on an international assignment to the United Kingdom that she was inspired to start writing her own. Her first Regency romance was published in 2000 and was followed by five more Regencies and a novella. Her books have won the Desert Rose Golden Quill and 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. Elena lives in upstate New York with her stroke survivor husband and two daughters.