Romanceland's Wildest Horse Bloopers

Last week during Megan's post on historical accuracy Cara and Kalen both talked about errors regarding horses, like the Bionic Horse that can gallop for hours nonstop. It got me thinking about some of the other howlers I've read.

Here are just a few.

Errors in terminology. The heroine who referred to the strap that held the saddle on as a cinch. That would be OK if she were a cowgirl but in English riding it's called a girth. The words phaeton and curricle used interchangeably for the same carriage. A phaeton (left) has four wheels; a curricle (below) two.

But these are really minor gaffes compared to the abuse of terms for horses themselves.

Confusing a pony with a baby horse. A baby horse is called a foal (or colt if male, filly if female). This is a foal. No one in his right mind would put a child or small adult on its back.


Ponies are a type of horse that are small even at maturity. They are generally longer-lived and hardier than horses. This is a pony. As you can see it is not a baby. :)

(Image from RIDING ACADEMY, by Norman Thelwell.)

Sex changes. Yes, I've read more than once where a mare turned into a gelding or stallion during the course of a ride. It's as if the authors just looked in a thesaurus to find alternatives to "horse". Even if these were mistakes of the oops variety, where were the copy editors?

Testosterone gone wild. Most male horses were and are gelded, to make them more manageable and to preserve only the best for breeding.

Still I can't deny there are few more virile and beautiful images than that of a powerful stallion and I understand why so many historical romance heroes ride one. Stallions can be extremely trainable and responsive mounts. While I was in England I was lucky enough to see Jennie Loriston-Clarke riding her glorious stallion, Dutch Courage. The rapport between those two was a wonder to behold.

However, stallions generally do require more expert handling than other horses. So I couldn't help raising my eyebrows on reading about a hero giving the heroine her first ever riding lesson on his stallion or about the hero who kept teams of black stallions stabled along every major roads in England. My feeling is these authors are trying a little too hard with the sexual imagery!

OK, time to share. What are your favorite horse bloopers from Romanceland?

And which authors do you think get horses best?

My favorite has to be Julia Ross. The best horse scenes I've ever read are from her MY DARK PRINCE (read more at http://www.juliaross.net/mdphorses.htm).

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

Favorite Books from Childhood

The first actual book I ever read was L. Frank Baum's "Ozma of Oz." I was in first grade, and my book-loving third-grade brother wanted to introduce me to the Oz books, which were among his favorites.

I turned up my nose at "The Wizard of Oz" -- I'd seen the movie, and so I figured I'd be bored reading the book. The second Oz book, "The Land of Oz," had a boy as the main character -- and I wasn't so interested in that. So I started with the third Oz book, "Ozma of Oz," and that started me on a lifetime of loving books.

As a kid, I used to make lists of my favorite authors, and favorite books. Ten of each wasn't enough -- so it became "my ten favorite authors" and "my other ten favorite authors" and "seven others who are also really really good."

At different points in grade school, my different lists included authors such as Edward Eager, Louisa May Alcott (always top ten), L. Frank Baum, E.L. Konigsburg, Joan Aiken, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Carol Ryrie Brink, Natalie Savage Carlson, Eleanor Cameron, Mary Norton, Noel Streatfeild (also always top ten), Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Alexander Key... By sixth grade, C.S. Lewis and Tolkien were on the list, with Diana Wynne Jones to come along just a year or two later. (Hmmm, I see if I go on I shall need more than just a top twenty-seven!)

I read the Nancy Drew books too, and the Bobbsey Twins and Trixie Belden, but my favorite books were any sort of fantasy, or books set in the past.

So -- what books turned you onto reading as a child? Which ones did you love best? Which authors stirred your imagination, or inspired you, or drew your greatest devotion?

If you're a writer, which books made you want to start writing?

All answers welcome!

Cara
Cara King, author of My Lady Gamester, and obsessive reader and buyer of way too many books

Diane talks about INNOCENCE AND IMPROPRIETY

Today we’re interviewing RITA award winning author Diane Gaston, who has been known to impersonate that other fabulous Risky author Diane Perkins on occasion. Learn more about Diane and her books at www.dianegaston.com.

Diane is going to tell us about her new release, INNOCENCE & IMPROPRIETY. Leave an original, meaningful comment for the chance to win one of either the Mills & Boon or the Harlequin Historicals versions of the book. Winners will be selected based on comments left between February 25 and 28 and will be announced March 1.

“For an engaging romance with moments of suspense and danger, I highly recommend INNOCENCE AND IMPROPRIETY.” Jane Bowers, Romance Reviews Today

How did you think of writing this particular book? Did it start with a character, a setting, or some other element?

I wanted to stay in the world I’d created with THE MYSTERIOUS MISS M, THE WAGERING WIDOW and A REPUTABLE RAKE, so I looked for a character from A REPUTABLE RAKE who needed a romance. I picked Rose, one of the courtesan students.

In A REPUTABLE RAKE, Rose wanted to be a singer and she had already sung at Vauxhall Gardens, so that was a logical place for the story to start. I just had to figure out who deserved to be her hero.

How long did it take? Was this an easy or difficult book to write?

I can’t remember exactly how long it took to write. I generally allot 4 months to write a Harlequin/Mills & Boon book, but that includes all the interferences life tosses at us (and a lot of Scrabble Blast playing).

There were difficult parts to INNOCENCE AND IMPROPRIETY, but they also were the parts that make writing historicals fun. I had to learn about Vauxhall Gardens, well enough to move my characters around the Gardens, and I had to learn about Kings Theatre and the Opera and singing, all things I really knew nothing about.

“Brilliant writing, a classic reformed rake plot, and vivid depictions of the Regency period make this a compelling read for fans of this era.” Romantic Times BOOKclub on THE REPUTABLE RAKE

Tell me more about your characters. What or who inspired them?

I’d created Rose for A REPUTABLE RAKE, so all I needed to do for her was flesh out her character and backstory a little. It was a little more difficult to figure out who could be her hero. I like to stay true to my vision of what society was like in the Regency, so I did not think her hero would be a titled lord. Because she was Irish, I thought an Irish hero would be nice. Rose was strikingly beautiful, the most beautiful of the courtesan students in A Reputable Rake, so it stood to reason that she would attract male admiration. So I came up with the idea of a marquis who was smitten with her, but it was his Irish secretary who fell in love with her.

The original conflict was that the marquis, Tanner, wanted Rose for his latest mistress, but he needed his secretary, Flynn, to make the arrangements. The story needed more, though, so I threw in another rival. The sadistic Greythorne from THE MYSTERIOUS MISS M and my eHarlequin Daily Read, THE DIAMOND, was a tailor-made villain. He needed to be vanquished once and for all.

My favorite character was Tanner. By the end of chapter one I knew Tanner needed a book of his own!

Did you run across anything new and unusual while researching this book?

The other performers in INNOCENCE AND IMPROPRIETY were real people who actually performed at Vauxhall Gardens and King’s Theatre. It was fun to include them!

What do you think is the greatest creative risk you've taken in this book? How do you feel about it?

The biggest risk was choosing a non-traditional hero and heroine. An Irish secretary was not your typical Regency hero. Flynn was without the power of a gentleman with a title and I just wasn’t certain if readers would like that. Rose as a heroine was less of a risk, but again, as a singer, she was not typical of Regencies I’ve read.

I’m still wondering what readers will think of Rose and Flynn!

“Perkins takes a standard marriage of convenience plot and brilliantly turns it into an emotionally intense, utterly captivating story that will thrill readers to their core.” -- Kathe Robin, Romantic Times BOOKclub on THE MARRIAGE BARGAIN

What are you working on next?

I just turned in Tanner’s story! (titled THE VANISHING VISCOUNTESS). Tanner rescues a lady fugitive from a shipwreck and decides to help her escape to Scotland.

I’m also putting the finishing touches on my next Warner book. Remember the Ternion from THE MARRIAGE BARGAIN? DESIRE IN HIS EYES tells Blake’s story. Blake meets a woman he cannot resist--an imposter and a thief.

How does your Gaston writing style differ from your Perkins writing style?

There is no difference in style between the writing in my Gaston books and my Perkins books. My Perkins books are slightly less risky and tend to have more traditional characters and settings. Of course, DESIRE IN HIS EYES has a con artist as a heroine. Not too traditional.

What did you think of 300?

Only 13 more days to go!!! Then I’ll tell you.

Thanks, Diane!

Remember to comment for the chance to win a copy of either the the Harlequin Historicals or Mills & Boon version of INNOCENCE AND IMPROPRIETY! Contest ends February 28.

Imaginary Friends

Well, it has been a busy week at chez McCabe! I finished the Muse book and sent it off into the cold, cold world (aka the UK Harlequin office). I started an Intro to Samba class. Not yet ready for America's Ballroom Challenge, but I do have a nifty new pair of t-strap dance shoes, and I'm going to samba roll those holiday pounds away! And I'm following Cara's Shakespearean example and auditioning for a local production of A Midsummer Night's Dream this afternoon. I'm a bit nervous. In high school and college I did some theater, but not much since. I do have some experience with Midsummer. Granted, I was seven years old and my one line was "Peas-blossom". But I think it should count. We have to present a prepared monologue (I'm doing Titania's "These are the forgeries of jealousy") and read from the script. I would love to play Titania, but would be more than happy with "third fairy from the right." Oh, and tomorrow night I'm having an Oscar party and still don't know what food to serve. Wish me luck!

In between dancing and reciting Shakespeare (often at the same time), I've been reading essayist Adam Gopnick's Through the Children's Gate: A Home in New York, the follow-up to his very entertaining Paris to the Moon. Gopnick riffs on art, food, mortality, family, post-9/11 New York life--and imaginary friends. In the chapter "Bumping Into Mr. Ravioli," he discusses his three-year-old daughter Olivia's imaginary friend (hereafter IF), the fabulously named Charlie Ravioli, and how he reflects modern urban life. Ravioli does seem a very New York-ish kind of IF. He lives in an apartment at "Madison and Lexington," and never has time to meet with Olivia. She leaves messages for him on her toy cell phone, until they happen to "bump into each other" and "hop into a taxi" to "grab a coffee." Ravioli also has an assistant who tells Olivia he is very busy, and a wife named Kweeda, who sadly dies of that dreaded urban disease Bitterosity (also prone to strike writers, I hear). Olivia also announces to her father that "Ravioli read your book. He didn't like it much." Everyone is a critic.

A famous set of literary IFs belonged to the Brontes, of course. A different set-up from the Ravioli gig, the young Brontes had a whole invented universe with their lands of Angria, Gondal, and Gaaldine. What sort of IFs would, say, little Jane Austen have? Young Thomas Hardy? Wee George Eliot? Small Virginia Woolfe (I might be scared of that one!)?

My own IFs were sadly mundane. A man named Bill, his wife Lila, their daughter Eve, and a Scottie dog named Mr. Scott. Their main purpose was to accompany me to the grocery store when I went there with my mother, so I could say "Bill and Lila think we should get Lucky Charms instead of whole wheat bran flakes." Never worked. And they never did anything so dashing as hop into taxis, either. I think they worked in a library or something.

Anyway, the whole idea of IFs just seemed to tie into what I've been doing lately, writing and theater. With every book I feel like I create a whole new crew of Bills and Lilas (though hopefully more interesting!), who seem so real to me as we imagine new adventures together. I don't usually argue with them in the cereal aisle, but they have been responsible for more than one missed highway exit. I sometimes tend to get caught up in plotting while driving, so if you see a red Toyota with a short brunette at the wheel coming at you, get out of the way!

What kind of IF did you have, or do your children have now? Did your imaginary worlds as a child make you more of a reader/writer? Any ideas on those IFs of famous people? Or suggestions for my Oscar party???

Happy weekend! Hope we can hop into a taxi and grab a coffee soon, even if only in our imagination.

It's Not About The Dates

Recently, I asked a much-more-knowledgeable-than-I friend, "Doesn't it kinda make you sick that I'm writing Regencies, and yet I have no clue about some of this basic stuff?" It was during one of those frequent moments when I feel like a fraud for doing what I love. The plight of a lot of women, but that is not the point of this post.

Her reply, being a friend and all, was that no, it didn't matter if the writing was good. And knowing me well, she went on to assure me that my writing is good.

And I've been thinking about that since, especially since I have asked both her and my dad (my research partner--hi Dad!) to answer some research questions for me: Towns and inns along the Great North Road, titles, Church of England common talking points, and a good first name for my villain (we settled on Elisha).

When I was in college, I took a course titled America Since 1945 (I minored in political science and religion). I came out of high school without a clue as to how to study, so when it was time for the first exam, I frantically memorized dates and events. But when the test came back, I did poorly. Why? Because while I knew the dates, I didn't understand the why behind the dates. The dates themselves didn't matter, it was the progression of history and various moments of cataclysm that mattered. I learned a lot that day, which might be why I am so laissez-faire about my own research; yes, getting it right is important if you're writing historical fiction, but it's not as important as getting the feeling right.

So while I am occasionally embarrassed about my mistakes, I feel as if I have the tone right, the feeling of the period oozes through every word of my writing. And I might never know the right way to address the daughter of a peer (Lady Megan Frampton, I think, whereas the married-into-it address would be Megan, Lady Frampton), but my characters are inspired by the time, which in my opinion trumps perfect historical accuracy every time.

Of course there are sore points for every reader; I roll my eyes when I read a book where the titled lord can decide to whom his title will fall when he's dead, like he's bequeathing a toaster or something (Carla Kelly does this, but I still LOVE HER WRITING). Others can't deal with marriage details (special license inaccuracies? Guilty as charged).

What are your sore points? Do you fault authors who don't get it right, or do you turn a blind eye if the writing is good? Have you pre-ordered the fabulous Carla Kelly's Beau Crusoe yet? And which authors get everything right? Loretta Chase springs to mind; who else?

Megan
www.meganframpton.com

Two People, One Brain

Okay, I admit it. This is an excuse to show you the cover for my HarperCollins release (October, 2007) which is so awesomely beautiful I cannot keep it to myself. This is the book whose title has changed more times than my hair color. The last time I blogged about this, we were still in the throes of finding a title (not too romance-y! Not too funny!), and now progress is being made.

Meanwhile, I'm about to start revisions on the book by The Other Person, Forbidden Shores, and life being the funny old thing it is, in this one I'm being told to make it more romance-y, since it's coming out (also in October) as a Signet Eclipse. I am, however, allowed to keep the heaps of writhing sweaty bodies this book is all about.

Moving on from stuff about me--me--me, here's something interesting. There are specific areas of the brain related to reading, speech, and writing, Exner's Writing Area and Broca's Expressive Speech Area in the left frontal lobe, and Wernicke's receptive speech area in the left temporal lobe. (I'm giving you the locations to impress you, not to encourage digging around in someone's head, by the way.) They're the bits of the brain that don't function properly when someone suffers from agraphia, the inability to write and spell. I discovered this in research I was doing for work as part of a new book, The Elements of Internet Style: The New Rules of Creating Valuable Content for Today's Readers. Sign up here if you'd like to receive more information on the book (scroll down to the bottom left of the screen). And the question all this raised was what were these bits of the brain doing before humans spoke, or wrote? Did they merely lie dormant until someone picked up a piece of charcoal and thought, Hmm, better let Ig know about that big herd of buffalo I saw down by the lake?

And does this mean there are other parts of the brain ready to spring into action? I wonder what those would be. The driving while gabbing on a cell phone area is extraordinarily primitive and should be surgically removed on those who attempt it. Teenagers have a new area for IM-ing friends while talking to another friend on a cell phone, watching American Idol with the sound turned down, and doing homework. The area for making sure your feathered headdress doesn't catch on fire while not worrying too much about whether the skirt of your gown will fall off after your maid hastily re-fashioned it and whether the gentleman you are waltzing with is holding you far too closely is a part of the brain rarely used nowadays.

Any new or old brain areas you'd like to invent?

Skiing

I just got back from a day on the slopes. Conditions were good, the weather was glorious (for a change!) and we all got back in one piece. :)

Of course, since this is my blog day I had to think about whether skiing as such even existed during the Regency and whether anyone in our stories might have seen or done it. So I did some appallingly brief research into the subject and read an article on the history of skiing at http://www.skiinghistory.org/history.html.

There I learned that there are Stone Age rock carvings around the Artic rim showing "ski-shod hunters in hot pursuit of game". There are further references and images throughout ancient history, including this picture of a skiing Lappish woman (or goddess--what is the difference?) by Olaus Magnus (1553).

So skiing has been around a long time, although it first began as a practical means of transportation in northern countries. The first skis were of the cross country type, attaching at the toe but allowing the skier to lift his/her heel.

Mountain farmers in the Telemark region of Norway refined cross country skiing, introducing a technique for turning which is known by the same name. I've seen Telemark turns performed by expert cross country skiers on regular alpine slopes and it's quite impressive.

Interestingly, according to the article the British gave the impetus to the development of alpine or downhill skiing. "This idealistic sport of the Norwegians, stressing endurance on snow and fearless flight through the air was wrenched around by British skiers on the Continent to focus on the experience of ski descent on the snow, a form much more appealing to many more people." This happened around the late 1800s and the popularity of downhill skiing rose when Mathias Zdarsky of Austria popularized the "stem turn" sometimes called the "snowplow" which is still taught to most beginning skiers.

What I have not been able to discover is what British tourists on the Continent might have witnessed during their Grand Tours. I can certainly imagine some hardy young gentleman seeing skiers racing down a slope in the Alps and deciding to emulate them. Anyone read an account of a Grand Tour to confirm this notion?

By the Regency the Little Ice Age (which some theorize is partially responsible for the glorious sound of Stradivari violins) was ending, so I doubt conditions existed in most of the British Isles to really encourage skiing. It's fun to imagine some hardy Scotsman flying down the Cairngorms, perhaps not in a kilt. An intriguing image, though. :)

So do any of you know more about this than I do?

And does anyone else ski?

If you do, are you one of the brave souls who attempt slopes like Outer Limits in Killington, Vermont (pictured above)? I have looked at it from the safety of a lift and freely admit that a 45 degree slope covered with moguls (bumps) the size of VW bugs does not appeal to me. But I have friends who love just that sort of a challenge.

Or are you an intermediate like me? Here's one of my favorite runs: Alcmene at Greek Peak. Steep enough to be interesting but not too scary.

Or would you prefer to stay in the lodge sipping hot chocolate or crooked coffee, perhaps wearing a fake cast?

Elena :)
www.elenagreene.com

Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, pt. 2

As I mentioned last week, I'm currently playing the role of Paulina in a local production of Shakespeare's lovely and slightly bizarre tragical comical romantical problem play, The Winter's Tale.

(For more on the story of the play, and some neat RSC pics, see last week's post: Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, pt. 1. And for more neat pics, and some great historical theatre info, see the RSC website.)

I have skimmed Garrick's odd mini-play version of The Winter's Tale, which he called (at least in his published versions) Florizel and Perdita (which is pretty much just the second half of Shakespeare's version, with Garrick additions and rejumblings), and am working on getting my hands on Kemble's acting version of TWT (I thought I had it, but I was mistaken), so I will talk more about the different Regency-era versions of the text in a later post.

Here is a portrait by Gainsborough of Mary Robinson, also known as "Perdita," who drew the eye of the young Prince of Wales (later Regent, still later George IV) when she played Perdita at Drury Lane in 1779.

Mary Robinson later wrote of her first encounter with the Prince during her performance in Florizel and Perdita (which she refers to as "The Winter's Tale," although it was the half-length version which Garrick had adapted):

The play of THE WINTER'S TALE was this season commanded by their Majesties. I never had performed before the royal family; and the first character in which I was destined to appear was that of PERDITA. I had frequently played the part, both with the Hermione of Mrs Hartley and of Miss Farren: but I felt a strange degree of alarm when I found my name announced to perform it before the royal family.

In the Green-room I was rallied on the occasion; and Mr Smith, whose gentlemanly manners and enlightened conversation rendered him an ornament to the profession, who performed the part of Leontes, laughingly exclaimed, 'By Jove, Mrs Robinson, you will make a conquest of the Prince; for to-night you look handsomer than ever.' I smiled at the unmerited compliment, and little forsaw the vast variety of events that would arise from that night's exhibition!

I hurried through the first scene, not without much embarrassment, owing to the fixed attention with which the Prince of Wales honoured me. Indeed, some flattering remarks which were made by his Royal Highness met my ear as I stood near his box, and I was overwhelmed with confusion.

The Prince's particular attention was observed by every one, and I was again rallied at the end of the play. On the last curtsy, the royal family condescendingly returned a bow to the performers; but just as the curtain was falling, my eyes met those of the Prince of Wales; and, with a look that I never shall forget, he gently inclined his head a second time; I felt the compliment, and blushed my gratitude.

Questions for the day (answer any or all!): What Shakespeare plays did you study in school? Did you think the teacher(s) taught Shakespeare well, or in such a way to make the students bewildered bard haters? Do you think Shakespeare is better seen than read? Why do you think Shakespeare was so popular during the Regency?

Cara
Cara King, author of My Lady Gamester (which contains no Shakespeare, but does have a character named Richard)

Watson and the Shark

Barbara Metzger is a hard act to follow, so what better to do than show a shark.

This is one of my favorite paintings- Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley, painted in 1778, the first of Copley's "History Paintings."

One copy of the painting (there are two, I believe) hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. I can remember seeing it when a child and now every time I go to the gallery, I must stop by and look at it.

It is a huge painting, a glorious and fearsome sight! I love the drama and emotion of it. The composition is ideal, making the eye travel from the highest figure with the pole to poor Watson, so bright in his nakedness and the shark, so sinister and murky.

The painting depicts a real event that took place in Havana, Cuba. Brook Watson, a 14 year old orphaned crewman, went for a swim and was attacked by a shark. In the painting, Copley successfully makes us wonder if his shipmates could save Watson. They did, although he lost a leg. Watson went on to become a London merchant and even served as mayor of London in 1796.

John Singleton Copley was an American who was urged to move to London by Joshua Reynolds and another American artist, Benjamin West. He and his family settled in London at the dawn of the American Revolution. Watson and the Shark was the painting that brought Copley his membership in the Royal Academy. By "our period" Copley's works were no longer receiving critical acclaim, although he continued to live and work in England. He died in 1815.

Watson and the Shark appeared in the first book I ever wrote, an unpublished romantic suspense about a mental health social worker (I followed the advice of "write what you know") who finds her favorite client dead of apparent suicide. The police detective charged with investigating the death believes her that the death was murder, not suicide. A print of Watson and the Shark hung in her office, as a reminder to clients that no matter how desperate and hopeless life becomes, there is always hope. (And, no, I did not have a print of Watson and the Shark in my office in the mental health center)

My pal Colleen Gleason (remember her book The Rest Falls Away and her interview here) told me about this wonderful website that offers art images free of any copyright restraints. I found the painting's image there.

http://www.the-athenaeum.org/index.php

Whoo hoo! I expect we can have fun with this site!

Have you any painting or other piece of art that has affected you in some special way? Can you find it on Athenaeum?

Cheers!
Diane

Countdown to release of Innocence and Impropriety - 9 days
Countdown to Gerard Butler in 300 - 18 days

Interview with Barbara Metzger, author of THE HOURGLASS

The Riskies are thrilled to have beloved Regency author Barbara Metzger with us today. She has won RWA’s RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, the Madcap Award for romantic comedy and two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times. You can learn more about Barbara and her books at http://www.barbarametzger.com/.

Her latest novel, THE HOURGLASS, garnered 4 ½ stars and a Top Pick from Romantic Times. Leave a relevant and original comment or question on this post for the chance to win an autographed copy!

Praise for Barbara Metzger and THE HOURGLASS

“One of the genre’s wittiest pens, Barbara Metzger deliciously mixes love and laughter.”

"After reading Metzger's marvelous new book, readers will know why she's considered a grand mistress of the Regency. A smart, emotionally intense, three-hanky novel..."

--Romantic Times

The Interview

You’re well-known with romance readers for your unique voice. Did you set out to have your own comic prose, or was it something that emerged naturally as you wrote your novels?

I never set out to be a writer, much less have a voice. I never knew I had one until a reviewer mentioned it. The humor developed on its own too, although it is less prevalent in the latest books. My editor wants deeper, darker, books (I worry she wants a different author!) with less alliteration, less Regency cant, less "rompish" plots. Sigh.

What of your writing process did you have to change when you started writing the longer romances?

With the longer length I had to add more complex plots, more characters, and more dialogue. I still struggle to make the word count, and still miss the novellas and shorter traditional Regencies. And see 1, above. The longer books seem to require more depth, less sight-gags, one-liners, and puns. Sigh.

Speaking of changes--your new book is a paranormal! Where did you get the inspiration for this story?

I have never had a clue where my ideas come from. The Idea Fairy, maybe. But I have used paranormal elements many times in the past, with talking dogs, talking paintings, talking mice, ghosts, fairies, and angels. When my editor suggested something "different" I was ready with ideas I was never able to use before. After more than 3 dozen novels and a dozen novellas, I was delighted to play with new imaginary worlds.

Tell us about the new release, and books you have coming up in the future!

THE HOURGLASS is set in Regency times, after a stop in Hell, where the hero gambles with Satan for another chance at life. He's been assigned to the Grim Reaper as Ar Death, one of the Dead Letter Carriers. He has to find his hourglass, his humanity, his soul, his heart. Which is where the heroine comes in, naturally. Signet gave it a gorgeous cover, the best I have ever had. RT loved the book, making it a Top Pick with 4 1/2 stars, and putting the hero on the KISS list. My next book is TRULY YOURS, for Sept. 2007. Its cover is by the same artist. It's also a Regency-set paranormal, but altogether different. In this one, the heroine is accused of murdering her step-father, and the only one who can save her is a disgraced lord who has the unique, secret talent of being able to discern truth from lie. What a good time I had playing with that!

What were some of the challenges researching for these new projects?

Well, I have never been to Hell or met the Grim Reaper, and I have no idea how lie detectors work, so Imagination was Rampant. The challenge in both books was keeping the premises consistent.

What is it about the Regency era that first drew you to it?

It was not the Regency era that drew me so much as the Regency Romance, the comedy of manners, the wit, the repartee, lords and ladies, the notions of honor and True Love.

Are there any authors who inspired your own writing?

Georgette Heyer, of course, and Claire Darcy after her. But also Barbara Cartland in her era, for making the Regencies sweet, short--- and popular.

We pride ourselves on writing "Risky Regencies". Tell us what is "risky" about your books, including the new one!

Well, if writing about Death isn't risky, I don't know what is! Maybe the Trilogy (ACE OF HEARTS, JACK OF CLUBS, QUEEN OF DIAMONDS) that was far more connected than most, or putting a serial killer in Regency London (A PERFECT GENTLEMAN.) For that matter I once put Elvis in a short story, "Love and Tenderness" in VALENTINES. And I wrote a whole Regency romance about Yankee baseball that few people realized. So you could say I often push the envelope. That gives way more avenues for plots and characters, and keeps the writing fresh for me, and for the reader, I hope.

Writing is a risky business from the start. Will the book sell? Will people like it? Will I still like it after months of work or will I be bored with the characters and plot? Above all, writing is hard work. The rewards can be great though: seeing your books on the shelf; having a small book store owner in Florida say "Hi, Mom," when your mother walks in; the joy that comes from creating, imagining, making something out of nothing; and knowing that other people like what you are fortunate enough to do. I love to hear from readers--- instant reassurance and encouragement. Anyone can write to me through my web site, http://www.barbarametzger.com/.

What are some new risks you'd like to take in the future?

I wrote one contemporary (LOVE, LOUISA) and I'd love to write more, maybe paranormal, maybe not.

Will you be making any appearances or booksignings in the near future?

Not if I can help it. I'd rather be writing a new book instead! I did my best promoting THE HOURGLASS by getting that color ad in RT so people could see the beautiful cover.

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions!

Weekend Away

I know being a stay-at-home mom (and sporadic writer) is a joy--I get to be with my son, watch him learn, and grow, and take care of him as only a parent can.

But it's a helluva lot of hard work.

This year, we've had two bouts of pneumonia (not me), a catheter experience (not me), two ER visits (not me), virii (me and everyone else in the house), as well as real estate-related stress, tons of freelance work, the hating of school, the loving of video games, the balance of homework, dinner, and TV, and lots of other stuff that makes my teeth clench.

So this weekend, the son has gone to the in-laws', the husband is in Vegas (poor guy) for the NBA All-Star Weekend, and I am going to Massachusetts. My plan is to a) hang out with Myretta Robens, otherwise known as the Delightful Phone Friend. She will take me book-shopping and treat-eating. Then b) sleeping past 7:00. And c) seeing my dad, the owner of a new car, which he WON a few months ago. That's right, WON. In a contest.

(I am more excited about seeing my dad than the car, btw, but I am excited to see what a brand-new car looks like. I don't think my parents ever bought a car straight off the lot.)

I will, of course, bring books: Lilith Saintcrow's Dead Man Rising, the second book in her Dante Valentine series, probably a Regency-set historical to offset all the demons and psionics of Saintcrow, and then maybe something fun and contemporary, like my friend Marianne Stillings' book Sighs Matter.

What are your plans for the long weekend?

Megan
www.meganframpton.com

How to Keep Warm

It's cold here, but I'm one of the lucky ones in my area who still has power, and of course in a modern house it's only a question of turning up the thermostat, or, as I urge my family, to put on another layer of clothes. I haven't lived in a house with a fireplace for years and on nights like this I think I'd like to have one....and in the Regency that's all you would have--if you were lucky.

If you were in fairly humble circumstances you would also be cooking on the only source of heat in your house. (An interesting fact--scholars have determined that one of the major causes of death for women in the eighteenth-century was not from burns while cooking over an open fire. Basically, you can tell if your skirts catch on fire and back off.)



Further up the social scale, you might have a fireplace that looked like this, and maybe even a grate designed by the great (sorry) John Nash himself.







And naturally, you'd commission some fine marble decoration for your fireplace. You'd have a staff to keep the marble--and the rest of it--clean, because coal is dirty. Very dirty. The reason London doesn't have infamous "pea soup" fogs anymore is that coal was banned in the city about forty years ago. So your unfortunate housemaids would battle the black dust every morning, and meanwhile a nasty accumulation would build up inside the chimney itself, necessitating a visit from the sweep.

The sweep would bring with him a little boy to climb inside the chimney and clean where the long brushes wouldn't go--one of the worst jobs a small child could have. Many Georgian houses have flues which take odd twists and turns (for instance, not all the chimney pots on the roof may be functional but they are there for aesthetic symmetry). William Blake wrote about the wretched life of the child chimney sweep in the Songs of Innocence and Experience, and later in the nineteenth century Charles Kingsley's novel The Water Babies was an expose of the trade.

But unfortunately, however much of a roaring blaze you had, you'd still be wearing muslin, and one side of you inevitably would be cold. So you'd have to do what I continually urge my nearest and dearest to do to keep the heating bills down--put something else on. Shawls, made a fashion item by the Empress Josephine, were something of a necessity.

So what's your favorite way of keeping warm? Do you like a real fire, do you put on more clothes, or do you snuggle up with a hero (picture not provided!)

IS it romantic?

It’s Valentine’s Day and it’s a snow day. The kids' cards are all ready and packed in their backpacks. This morning we baked heart-shaped cookies for the class parties which are now going to take place tomorrow. This afternoon we're going to venture out though we may rush back in quickly for hot chocolate--it's cooooold out there!

Tonight we’re going to have our usual celebration: dinner (pink food: ham and a Lithuanian beet salad we like which is also very pretty, along with sparkling grape juice for the kids and the real stuff for the adults) and a few small gifts, books and chocolate, the like. Low-key and relatively non-commercial. Babysitters and dinner reservations are a bear to get this night anyway and my husband and I hate crowded restaurants. Even in the BK (Before Kids) years we usually had an intimate dinner at home. We eat out at other times. And what we do afterwards isn’t something we don’t do the rest of the year either.

Which gets me to the root of my Valentine’s cynicism: I have overheard married guys say it is their big night for the year. I could further ponder whether the ritual wouldn’t occur without the customary offerings of heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and diamond pendants. I find that anything but romantic.

But I wonder if this holiday has its uses. I bet some of these men who enjoy complaining about married life really do love their wives but are too embarrassed to find unique ways of showing it. I suspect the average American male (if there is such a thing, of course) likes a script: the chocolates, the dozen roses, the pendant. It doesn’t necessarily mean the feelings aren’t genuine. Some of the grumbling is just backhanded boasting, maybe.

Still, isn't it amazing when guys take a chance and do something original? In romance novels, especially historicals, men seduce their ladies all sorts of ways. I’ve always thought I would melt if someone sang to me or composed a poem to my fine eyes. But I won’t hold my breath waiting for my husband to break out in verse. He does buy me books, gives good massages and makes me gourmet sandwiches invented from whatever is in our fridge and pantry. The best thing is he does these things for me year-round.

So no, Valentine's isn't a big romantic deal for me. OTOH it's not a bad way to liven up a doldrumy sort of month.

So what do you think? Do you love or loathe this holiday, or something in between? Are you doing anything special? And if you could imagine the ultimate romantic gesture, what would it be?

Hoping fantasy and reality aren’t too far apart, that everyone stays warm and safe, and wishing you all a happy Valentine’s Day!

Elena :)
www.elenagreene.com

P.S. Make your own Valentine’s candy heart image at www.cryptogram.com/hearts/.

Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, pt. 1

Ooh, look! The Theatre Royal, Covent Garden -- my favorite Regency Theatre, home to Kemble and Siddons and the other Kemble and the other two Kembles. (And Siddons was a Kemble by birth! Can you say nepotism?)

As long-time Risky Regencies readers know, Todd and I both have