Cathy P, Patricia, Irene, bn100, and Catherine L. I’ve sent you an email.
Thanks everyone for playing!
Janet
Cathy P, Patricia, Irene, bn100, and Catherine L. I’ve sent you an email.
Thanks everyone for playing!
Janet
Just as Janet has released A Certain Latitude, I’m starting to rework my first book, Lord Langdon’s Kiss, on the opposite end of the heat spectrum, though.
Lord Langdon’s Kiss is my only totally “sweet” traditional full-length Regency. (Even though I’m not comfortable with the idea that “sweet” and “hot” are opposite ends of a spectrum–you can have emotional warmth and sensuality at the same time–I use the terms because everyone understands them.) I haven’t reissued it yet because I suspected it needed some rework to meet the standard of my subsequent books.
When I first talked about the idea of a Do Over, Carolyn suggested it might turn into a completely different story. Now that I’m getting into it, I don’t really see that happening. I like the characters pretty much as they are (with some tweaking I’ll describe further down) and I’d have to really change them in order to send the story in a different trajectory, like making it sexier. I’ll keep the same title, because it’s going to be very much the same traditional Regency, but better. I hope.
It’s not a story I would write now. Instead, I’m pretending to be the older, wiser critique partner of my younger self and giving her advice on how to improve the story she imagined.
As I’m reviewing the manuscript, I can see that my suspicions were right. The hero is a blockhead. That was intentional, and still is, but I need to better set up the reasons why he’s a blockhead at the start, and he needs to get a clue sooner. The initial conflict goes on for too long.
The other thing is the introspection. I love introspection, but in my later books I think it’s much more in balance with everything else. In Lord Langdon’s Kiss it really goes on and on! A lot of the older Regencies have that, but it doesn’t suit modern tastes and I actually think the story will benefit from tightening.
Has anyone else ever dusted off and reworked an old project? (It doesn’t have to be a book.) Do you smile or cringe at what your younger self produced? Have you been happy with the results?
Elena
www.elenagreene.com
In all the delightful chaos of my life (but not as delightful as Ms. Jewel’s–all those dongles! It sounds rude) I have naturally dithered about promoting my new book A Certain Latitude which is now available on Kindle. Huzzah! And here’s the blurb:
1800—Allan Pendale, lawyer and the youngest son of the Earl of Frensham, is bound by ship for the West Indies, to impart the news to his estranged father that his mother has died. But he also has another mission—to find out the truth of his origins.
Miss Clarissa Onslowe is also on board, traveling to take up the role of governess to the daughter of the wealthy planter Mr. Lemarchand. There is nothing to keep her in England. An indiscretion five years before led to her reputation being ruined; her abolitionist family has disowned her and no gentleman would marry her now. But now she seeks redemption with her family by revealing the truth about the miserable lives of the slaves who work on the sugar plantations.
Clarissa’s previous encounter with love has left her aroused and restless, and Allan is a man for whom lust is a daily pastime; thrown together belowdecks during the long sea voyage, they embark on a sensual odyssey where no desire is left untested. But if they thought their exploration and ecstasy could not be bettered, then there are more pleasures to be taken and boundaries to be broken at their island destination—where “March” Lemarchand, sugar king and master of seduction, awaits them both…
You can read an excerpt here.
Now if all this sounds familiar, there was another book, six years ago (that’s about six centuries in the age of digital publishing and mass market fiction) called Forbidden Shores, by one Jane Lockwood, a name the publisher insisted I adopt to protect those who didn’t know my natural tendency to produce total filth finely crafted erotica. I got the rights back, rewrote, got a new cover, woohoo, we’re in business. (My first selfpubbing experience. It was educational.)
It’s delightful to be able to reinvent oneself and get the chance to spruce up a book that never quite worked. I just hope it works now. But hear for yourself. If you’re in the Greater Washington DC area, I’m reading at our new Lady Jane Salon this Saturday in Rockville along with Eliza Knight and Meredith Bond. Check it out. And enter the contest–I’m giving away five copies of A Certain Latitude.
Mr. Ephraim Hardcastle, Dry Salter and leading Old Fogey of the Regency has endeared himself to me. Assuming this isn’t really some impoverished, scandal-ridden fellow writing under an assumed identity, ala William Ireland, I have a fondness for the fellow. I worry about that because he says he’s 80 but his buddies many years older. Maybe he meant relatively many years.
I haven’t figured out yet why this book is titled Wine and Walnuts, but he’s also giving writing advice. Except let me back off a bit and say I find his remarks about First Person interesting. I suppose there’s a conceit there, the 3rd person thing.
Now, having said this much, I will endeavour to show how this marvellous faculty had birth —call me Egotist, if it be your pleasure, for I am of the old school, and save a world of circumlocution, (being too old now to alter) by persisting to pen my sage observations in the first person— I myself I, hating congenially with my ancient friends *, Baron M ***** s, and Mr. C * * * e, among the other ten thousand innovations, those of Him and We, as though in this mincing age every man must mince the matter of propria persona, and worry his brains to stand before the world after all, another Tom Fool, his own amanuensis, by writing as though mister some-one-else sat at his elbow and prompted every line. Well, gentle reader, I will endeavour to show thee how this faculty arose in my mind, how far it* has been indulged (if it have bounds), what have been its concomitants, and what an unceasing source of happiness it has been from early infancy to the present moment — and what a solace midst a multitude of cares; for its interest has “grown with my growth, strengthened with my strength,” and I may add, has lengthened, through God’s goodness, with my thread of life.*
Translation:
I’m too old to change. I’m giving you my advice in the first person. In fact, my buddies Baron M and Mr. C, also hate third person, among about 10 bazillion other things. [Insert eye roll here] Those youngsters today make everything more complicated and they couldn’t find themselves if they were alone in a closet. They can’t write “I did this!” Oh, no. They have to get all fancy, and say, “He did that.” As if we’re going to believe there’s someone sitting beside him telling him what to write. So, look, I’m just going to tell it to you straight.
*Nobody eats pies anymore. What’s the hell is up with that? Who needs those fancy tarts? I’m telling you, in my day, we had pie for dinner, and we were better for it. All my friends ate pie, just like I did, and none of need to wear glasses today! And we’re old!
You go Ephraim, with your pie and first person and not needing glasses. I agree with you. More pie!
I didn’t know much about audiobooks until this summer, when I had the pleasure of working with Robin Rowan, who narrated the audiobook version of Lady Dearing’s Masquerade.
I learned a lot and was incredibly impressed by what the narrators can do to make a book come alive in audio. There were a number of good auditions, but I ended up picking Robin because she did the best job at handling the full range of voices, from the heroine, Lady Dearing, to the many male characters including the hero, Sir Jeremy, and very importantly, the four children Lady Dearing “adopts” from the Foundling Hospital.
Robin was kind enough to answer some questions about the process of narrating this book.
What is it like to narrate a romance novel? How do you prepare to handle all the different characters’ voices?
I find one character (usually the heroine) that I can completely relate to, and then put myself in her situation, in her life, for the duration of the book. It isn’t always a woman, though. I think I especially enjoy the historical aspect of some of the romances I voice. I get to live in another time for a while. I hope the listeners are also transported to another time and can really feel that. I can visualize the characters so well—how they’re dressed, the setting they are in, the particular social mores they have to deal with in the book.
Was there anything particularly challenging about narrating this book?
I have honestly never done a complete book where all the characters and the narrator were British! I’ve done characters before, but I had to “become British” for this book. Did I drive my husband crazy staying in character all the time? Oh, yeah. And how do I prepare to narrate such a book? Why, watch all the Harry Potter movies, of course!
What did you most enjoy about narrating this book?
I could really sink my teeth into this story because of all the different stories and lives that finally merged at the end. And how much fun was it to get to be pompous Sir Digby Pettleworth and the wretched nephew Adolphus? I LIVE for these moments! Keep writing those awful and completely fun characters, Elena!
Thanks, Robin!
I’ll be giving away 10 free download codes from Audible for Lady Dearing’s Masquerade. Comment on this post between now and next Saturday, Oct 19th. I’ll announce the winners on Sunday, Oct 20th.
And check out the Youtube video below which includes a sample from the audiobook!