Things change, people change, and time moves on.

(Unless one has a time machine. And Todd hasn’t built one for me yet, though he did give a talk this week to a group of eminent physicists on the cool things one could do with a time machine! That’s my trusty Todd. Who else would have the nerve to do something like that?)

But, as I said, time moves on. And I’ve decided that now is the time for me to move on.

I think I really need to focus on my young adult writing now, for one thing. (I’m not great with focus, and I find that cutting out distractions helps there.)

Plus, I really need to focus on my writing. That is, my work-in-progress. I love the Riskies, I love being here with all of you wonderful folks, and talking about Drury Lane and the rules of duels and the writing process and great covers and Gerard Butler and Clive Owen and Orlando Bloom and great Jane Austen (and Scarlet Pimpernel) movies…but sometimes I love it too much.

Sometimes it takes up too much of my time, and energy.

So I’ll be leaving the Riskies. (Wow, it’s hard to type that!)

Next week will be my final week here…and so I decided I wanted to do a humorous post next week, and give you all the heads-up and farewell today….so that next week I can sign off with a lighthearted post, if not with a light heart.

I will miss you all so much! Though I will stop by from time to time, and I may even do a guest blog every now and then…who knows? (I still owe Diane that Jane Austen’s Phantom that I promised!)

As to the Jane Austen Movie Club, it will be up to the other Riskies whether or not it will continue. We were getting fewer and fewer comments on it anyway, so I think if it goes, it goes at a sensible time. We did have some great discussions!

So to my five fellow bloggers and all of you wonderful readers and commenters: thanks for all the fun, all the education and information. Thanks for your friendship and warmth and concern. Thanks for years of good times!

I’ll miss you all….

Cara
Cara King, who will still try to stay Risky

Milka!
You are the Winner of Miranda Neville’s debut novel, Never Resist Temptation.
Email us at riskies@yahoo.com with your snail mail address.

Congratulations!!!!

So, this Tuesday is St. Patrick’s Day! The day when everyone gets to be just a little bit Irish. As you all know, I’ve been deeply immersed in late 18th century Irish history for my WIP (which is finally closing in on The End, slowly but surely!), and I thought about pulling out some of my mountains of research for a post today.

But, let’s be honest–St. Patty’s Day isn’t really about oppression and uprisings (though there are plenty of great, sad ballads about such to be heard in every bar on the day!). It’s about dyeing your dog green (disclaimer–I would not do this myself, because my dogs probably wouldn’t stand still for it, but a guy I knew in college did…), putting on a silly hat, and going to parades to wave at other green dogs, bands, and step dancers. It’s about going to a pub to listen to jigs, eat some fish and chips, and have a pint.

So, in honor of the day, here’s a brief history of everyone’s favorite St. Patty’s day drink, that wondrous Irish institution–Guinness!

Arthur Guinness was born in Celbridge, County Kildare, in 1725, where he first learned the art of brewing from his father Richard, whose job as land steward to the Archbishop of Cashel included overseeing the brewing of beer for the workers. In 1759, Arthur signed a 9000-year lease on a disused brewery in St. James’s Gate in Dublin for the price of 45 pounds per year.

He started by brewing ale, and in the 1770s started brewing porter, a newish type of English dark beer that was growing in popularity (the distinctive feature in the flavor is the roasted barley, which remains unfermented. It gives Guinness its dark color and taste). This porter proved so successful that by 1799 Arthur had ceased brewing ale, and by the time of his death in 1803 he left a highly prosperous business behind (he also left a widow, the former Olivia Whitmore, and 21 children, 10 of which lived to adulthood). His son, Arthur Jr., then took over the brewery.

Arthur Jr. grew the business even further, expanding the export trade (the first Guinness exports was in May 1769, with six and a half barrels of ale sent to England), and brewing a new beer “Extra Superior Porter.” By the 1830s, the St. James’s Brewery was the largest brewery in Ireland.

A couple of good sources are: Guinness’s Brewery in the Irish Economy: 1759-1876 by Patrick Lynch and John Vaizey, and Iowerth Griffith’s Beer and Cider in Ireland: The Complete Guide. You can check out the Guinness website here, and Little Shamrocks for some fun Irish trivia. And this is a great recipe for chocolate Guinness cake (chocolate and Guinness! How can you go wrong? And it’s from Nigella, too)

I’m off to a parade this afternoon, and then to listen to some Irish bands at a local “pub” (not a totally genuine pub, natch, but the bar did come from a pub in Ireland that was being torn down! So at least it looks authentic…) What are your plans for the day? Do they involve Guinness???

The first time I ever read Jane Austen, I was in eighth grade. The book was Pride and Prejudice, and I utterly loved it.

It’s recently occurred to me that this was by no means my first encounter reading a book set a ways in the past…and this might have had something to do with my ability to understand (for the most part) and enjoy Austen.

I began reading the Oz books when I was in first grade.

When I was eight, I (and the rest of my friends) all started reading the Little House books.

Then, when I was nine or ten, I started on Louisa May Alcott.

Elementary school also introduced me to Caddie Woodlawn, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Anne of Green Gables, The Happy Orpheline (and Luvvy and the Girls), Half Magic, and Ballet Shoes.

By junior high, I had encountered The Story of Treasure Seekers and Cheaper By the Dozen.

And I wonder if that made all the difference?

Would I lack my current interest in history (and historical fiction) if I hadn’t read so many of these books when I was young?

What do you think?

What books set in earlier times (whether written then or now) did you read when you were a kid? Do you think they inspired a love of historical fiction in you?

All answers welcome!

Cara
Cara King, who wouldn’t mind hanging out in Oz for a while

Today we welcome to the Riskies debut author Pearl Wolf whose book Too Hot For A Spy debuts this month. She’ll give away an autographed copy of the book to one person who comments or asks a question, so drop in, say hi, and chat.

Readers who enjoy action-adventure series by Celeste Bradley have a treat in store with Wolf’s daring debut. The nonstop pace, feisty heroine and alpha hero will take you on a wild ride as two strong-willed people encounter their match in a sizzling tension-filled love story. — Romantic Times Bookreviews – 4 Stars

Pearl, welcome to the Riskies and congratulations on the release. Tell us the story behind the story—how did your book come about?

For one, history is my passion. For another, large families fascinate me, since I grew up in one. Put the two together and you have Too Hot For A Spy, out in March. This is the first in the series about the Fairchilds, the children of the Duke and the Duchess of Heatham.

Tell us about your journey to publication.

My generous friend, noted author Shelley Freydont (AKA Gemma Bruce) who is my critique partner as well, introduced me to her agent Evan Marshall. I sent him a partial—three chapters and a synopsis, expecting him to decide whether or not he would represent me. Two weeks later he called and said he’d sold a two-book contract to Kensington Publishers.

Why the Regency?

It’s one of the most colorful periods (1810-1820) in English History. My fictional characters live within a world informed by that history, just as we live in our world today.

What do you love about the period?

Royalty dictated a strict code of behavior then, but breaking the rules ran riot anyway. No author wants to write about characters who play by the rules when it’s so much more fun to write about the rebels.

What do you dislike about the period?

Given my rebellious nature, I wouldn’t have fared very well living in this period. I might have been beheaded given the fact that, like my heroine Olivia, I have enormous difficulty following other people’s rules.

Who are your writing influences?

Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, Daphne DuMaurier, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare. Want more? Suffice it to say I read, read, read read!

The risky question: What risks did you take with this book?

Women take risks even though we struggle against impossible odds. Today women break records in spite of those odds: The glass ceiling; outer space; presidents and prime ministers of our country. The list is endless. My heroine Olivia, the daughter of a powerful duke, had a tougher time in the Regency period. She risks everything and manages to succeed in an all male spy school against all odds.

What makes it stand out?

Olivia’s determination is key. In spite of the obstacles she faces because she’s a woman, she succeeds. She submits to the humiliation of scrubbing the kitchen galley on her hands and knees with the same determination she shows in mastering push-ups, something she’s never done before either.

What’s next for you?

I’ve just completed Too Hot For A Rake, due out in 2010. Olivia’s younger sister Helena, a timid young woman who is jilted by her betrothed, must decide what to do with her shattered life. I’m already thinking about the third book in this series, Too Hot For A Scoundrel, about Georgiana, another of the duke’s daughters. Bitter Steppes, a stand-alone Russian historical saga that takes place in the time of Catherine The Great is high up on my list of projects as well.

How old are you? (Riskies disclaimer–Pearl made us do it!)

I turned seventy-nine a short time ago. Imagine! I’ll be eighty years old next year. That’s middle age, isn’t it?