So it IS my birthday today, and thanks to the interwebs, loads of people are wishing me a good one.
Which is very sweet, but also makes me uncomfortable and squirmy, because I kinda hate having the spotlight on me.
On the other hand, all my squeeing about seeing Conan the Barbarian, and Jason Momoa, inspired my husband to ask said Momoa to hold a sign up wishing me a happy birthday while he was at the husband’s workplace. So that’s a good thing. I’m still blushing.
It is with great pleasure that I introduce Muphry’s Law (courtesy of my lovely daughter the artist), as defined by John Bangsund of the the Victorian Society of Editors who is allowed the spelling in #1 because he was Australian:
It’s tough to follow that, but I thought I’d talk about writing sex scenes. Or rather, YOU will talk about writing sex scenes, since I want some reader feedback.
What anachronisms do you tolerate in the heroine’s underwear
What location do you favor?
How long do you like the orgasm to last (the characters‘)?
At that moment, the hero should cry out the name of
Afterward, the heroine should say
Who laces the heroine back into her stays?
Any other preferences?
Here at Riskies, we just finished celebrating our blog birthday celebration! This week is Risky Megan’s birthday, plus another friend of mine is having her birthday party tomorrow night (note to self: go buy card!), so birthdays are on my mind today. And what’s the best part of a birthday? (besides getting bookstore gift cards, that is…) Cake of course! So I was curious and looked up a very brief history of the birthday cake…
It seems that our idea of a birthday cake dates to around the middle of the 19th century (the Victorians liked to do everything up big–weddings, funerals, birthdays), but cake associated with special occasions goes back to the ancient Greeks. In Greece and Rome, cakes that resembled flat rounds made with nut flour, leavened with yeast and sweetened with honey, were served at important birthdays and weddings. Candles seem to have come from this time as well, since it was believed that covering a cake with lighted candles made it glow like the moon (so it was often an offering to Artemis, virgin huntress goddess of the moon). It’s also thought that the smoke from the candles could carry prayers to the gods–maybe a precursor to our idea of the birthday wish?
In parts of Germany in the 15th century, some savvy bakers hit on the idea of making special one-layer cakes for customers’ birthdays. By the 17th century, the upper classes had cakes much like our own idea of a proper birthday cake–multi-layered, icing, decorations. Elaborate birthday parties seem to be a Victorian thing–the Victorians really liked doing everything up big (weddings, funerals, etc). In the Regency, birthdays would be celebrated but in a more low-key way–a special dish at dinner maybe, cakes, gifts like handkerchiefs or books. But a well-known personage’s birthday was always more elaborate. A letter written in 1799 by Goethe says, “…when it was time for dessert, the prince’s entire livery…carried a generous-size torte with colorful flaming candles – amounting to some fifty candles – that began to melt and threatened to burn down, instead of there being enough room for candles indicating upcoming years, as is the case with children’s festivities of this kind…”
Oh, and the song “Happy Birthday” became popular in the early 20th century (it first appeared in print in 1912). Now it’s the number one most recognized song in the English language…
Here is a recipe for a black forest chocolate cake I always like on my birthday! (but I’ll have to wait a while for it, since my big day is not until January…)
Ingredients
Of course, if you feel like going the opposite direction, there is always Cake Wrecks for inspiration. I love that site!
What do you do on your birthday? What’s your favorite kind of cake?
Courtney Herda, you’re Maggie’s winner!
Congrats! Email your contact info to riskies AT yahoo.com and we’ll contact Maggie.
Thanks for visiting, everyone!
Today I’m giving up my Monday for a special guest! Mia Marlowe. Mia was a classically trained soprano, who learned storytelling from performing operatic roles. Now she’s an award winning author. Her work was even featured in the Best of 2010 issue of PEOPLE Magazine. Today, Mia is here to talk about A Knack for Trouble, her novella in IMPROPER GENTLEMEN.
“Suspense abounds in Marlowe’s Victorican A Knack for Trouble! The stories all will appeal to fans of antiheroes and historical romance.” — Publishers Weekly“A sizzling tale, Mia Marlowe’s A Knack for Trouble is a delightfully humorous and suspense-filled read that will keep you guessing.” — Romance Junkies
Tell us about A Knack for Trouble, your novella in IMPROPER GENTLEMEN.
A Knack for Trouble is the story of Aidan Danaher. Against all odds, he’s become Lord Stonemere and the English side of his family is scandalized by an Irish baron in Wiltshire! Of course, the fact that he also spent time in the penal colony on Bermuda doesn’t help. However, Aidan’s real gift for trouble is related to his “Knack”–a Celtic ability of being able to implant an idea in another person’s mind. Think of it as a Jedi Mind Trick, but delivered with buckets of Irish charm!
What was the inspiration for A Knack for Trouble?
My DH and took a cruise to Bermuda last year and had a chance to tour Royal Dock and the Commissioner’s House, which was built by Irish convict labor in 1827. The place had built in conflict and the idea of the commissioner’s daughter having an illicit affair with the leader of the Irish prisoners took shape in my mind.
What is risky about the story?
Forbidden love is always risky. The tale opens with Aidan sneaking out of the airless ship at the dock that held the prisoners and scaling the outside of Commissioners House to join Rosalinde in a secret tryst. If you’d like to read that scene, here’s a SECRET LINK to the excerpt!
Another reason this story is risky is that while Aidan confessed to murder to protect someone else, now he wants to clear his name. To do that, he and Rosalinde have to uncover the real killer, who obviously doesn’t want anyone poking into the past.
Oh! if you’re collecting Romance Trading Cards, I’d love to send you set of my heroes. Visit my website for details on how you can receive Aidan Danaher and friends in your mailbox!
Did you come across any interesting research while writing A Knack for Trouble?
Part of the story takes place on Aidan’s estate in Wiltshire, a lovely part of England famous for its Chalk Horses carved into the hillside turf. And part of the tale takes place on Bermuda, one of the few British outposts that didn’t have an indigenous population to displace when the first shipwrecked settlers straggled ashore. The Brits always recreated their culture wherever they went and as you can see from this photo, Commissioners House is a jewel of late Regency architecture. If you’d like to see more pics of this lovely place, please visit my blog about this special setting.
Did you and your fellow anthology mates collaborate on the stories?
No, we didn’t, but we all had the same mandate–that our heroes needed to be outside the box. I didn’t think I could get much further beyond the Regency pale than a hero who spent time as a convicted felon.
What is next for you?
Thanks for asking! I’m so excited about my next release–SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER! Speaking of collaborations, this is my first novel written with romance legend Connie Mason. Since Connie’s readers are used to globetrotting, the tale is set in 16th century Scotland. If a slightly mad hero and a heroine who has the Sight sounds like your kind of story, I hope you’ll put SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER on your list. I’ll be updating my website soon with an excerpt from this story, so if you’d like to be notified when it’s available, please sign up for my newsletter.
Since my co-author Maggie Robinson was just here and probably offered a copy of IMPROPER GENTLEMEN, I’d love to offer Risky Regency readers a chance to win a copy of TOUCH OF A THIEF.
This is one of my backlist titles that recently earned a rare starred review from Publishers Weekly. It’s the story of Greydon Quinn, who wants to intercept a rare red diamond on its way to the Royal Collection. He needs the help of the Mayfair Jewel Thief, so he sets a trap for the burglar. Quinn never expected the thief to be a woman who’d steal his heart as well.
I love this story. Plus I think the cover deserves an award for sheer beauty of composition, don’t you?
Leave a comment or question for me to be entered in the random drawing and be sure to check back tomorrow to see if you’re a winner! To get the ball rolling, I’ll start with a question for YOU: What’s your favorite name for a hero and why does it appeal to you?
Oh, good question, Mia! And great information. Thank you so much for being our guest on my Monday!
