Snowed in

I don't really believe in New Year's Resolutions. Not of the sort like "I will exercize/write/whatever-makes-me-feel-virtuous more" variety. They generally don't work out.

I do, however, believe in New Year's Plans. Things like "I will go to the pool and swim half an hour three mornings a week." I did that several years ago and have kept up with it pretty religiously. Or "I will work on my mess-in-progress for so many hours a week". I find that as long as I make it specific, I'm pretty good at following through.

This year, I'm making a simple resolution, to remember to treat myself as a valued employee of my writing business rather than a slave. This means rewarding myself for making progress, allowing myself sick time if necessary, and making the time to lunch with writer buddies more often.

Of course, plans sometimes go awry. I'd planned to host my writer buddies at my home today for a post-holiday detox/New Year's recharging party (complete with Mimosas, egg and cheesy things and of course, plenty of chocolate). However, we've had a minor blizzard which puts me to Plan B, hanging with the kids. I'm also snatching an hour to write while they're out playing in the snow.

I expect the plans for this evening should work out. My husband and I used to go out for New Year's in the years BK (Before Kids) but after that, sleep deprivation and the difficulty of getting sitters took over. Although in spirit I like the idea of family-friendly First Night celebrations, it's usually so bitterly cold in our area that we've gone over to "cocooning". We have a nice dinner at home, including at least one new recipe for the New Year. This year it's cannoli cheesecake. Afterwards we all get into our PJs and go into the finished basement (aka the Man Cave) to watch movies until midnight. We watch the ball drop, we hug and kiss and then we're all in bed by about 12:05.

So what is everyone else doing today or this evening? And I wish you all a happy and prosperous 2009!

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

Regency Coffee

Some snippets from an 1829 cookbook:

Coffee, like tea, promotes watchfulness; indeed some persons cannot sleep after drinking it in an evening.

It is considered good for asthmatic patients. A mixture of made-mustard in coffee, is reckoned good for rheumatic persons. Coffee is also considered beneficial in dull headache.

Roasted acorns, beech-mast, rye, pease, beans, &c. &c. are all used as substitutes for coffee; and by frugal French families chicory put to the coffee grounds, and boiled up afresh, is allotted to servants and young members of the household.

The bad quality of English coffee is become a sort of national reproach. Its capital defect is a want of material, or that material having either lain too long in powder, or in roasted berries. Coldness is the reproach of our coffee even more than muddiness.

So, coffee lovers: does this curl your toes? Are you picky about your coffee? Or do you drink whatever comes your way, as long as it has caffeine?

And don't forget: next Tuesday, we're discussing the first Ioan Gruffudd "Horatio Hornblower" here at Risky Regencies!

Cara
Cara King, who prefers tea

Omigosh It's Monday

I am caught unprepared!

First of all, I stayed up all night to finish my Undone. You know, the one you all helped me with on 11/24/08. (janegeorge, I still promise to write about my writing routine.....someday).

Now before you feel sorry for me; it was my own fault that I didn't use my time more efficiently. This story was only 10,000 to 15,000 words and I should have been able to write that in a week or two.

And I didn't spend a great deal of time on the holidays except for one marathon 5 1/2 hour binge of shopping for everything last Tuesday.

New Year's resolution--MAKE BETTER USE OF MY TIME!

Anyway I wound up pleased with the story and here is hoping Linda Fildew likes it, too. At least this time I did not accidentally delete it before sending it, like I did last summer when I stayed up all night to meet a deadline.

BUT...What I really wanted to blog about was my very favorite Christmas gift. My IPhone!

On Christmas eve my husband decided to get himself an IPhone for Christmas, which was fine with me, because what I got him was very unexciting and I was sick of hearing him discuss the pros and cons of various phones. To me this was an extravagance that we didn't really need, but, let's face it, I caved.

He came back with an IPhone for me, too!!!
Mine is white (as you can see) and I've fallen in love with it.

I can read my email anytime, anywhere, and even answer it, although the keyboard is a bit tedious. I used it to respond to Megan's and Amanda's blogs! I can read our Risky Regencies blog anytime, anywhere. It already has my calendar and my addresses and my ITunes. It has GAMES and YouTube! Plus it is a breeze to use.

Needless to say, I spent a lot of time playing with my IPhone when I should have been writing. I also enjoyed my family who all came for Christmas dinner here, my kids, my sisters, my brother-in-law and niece. My sister said the magic words a few days before Christmas, "Why don't you get a ham?" Yay! No turkey to cook!

What was your favorite Christmas gift?

By the way, The Wet Noodle Posse will be back after Jan 1.
There is still a contest on my website and updates to be made very soon.

Inspirations

I wasn't sure what to blog about today. I'm still in a post-Christmas stupor of wine, candy, piles of new books (yay!), whipping the WIP into shape to be sent in, playing with the dogs with their new toys, etc. I've also been wasting lots of time reading other blogs--beauty product blogs, opera blogs, movie blogs, whatever looks interesting. On some of my favorite movie blogs, they have had a meme going around listing 20 favorite actresses, which I have really enjoyed following. On these blogs, "favorite" can mean anything--most beautiful, most interesting, actresses you will watch in any movie no matter how bad. So I decided to do something like that.

These are 20 favorites. 10 actresses and 10 actors, which I find to be especially useful when needing some inspiration for characters. They're not necessarily the best actors (though some definitely are), but they are interesting in many ways. (And, btw, if you need a pick-me-up kind of movie this dismal time of year, run out and see Happy-Go-Lucky. It's fabulous, definitely my favorite of the movies I've seen this year, and I hope to see Sally Hawkins in the Oscar line-up next month. I didn't much like her as Anne Elliott, but she is perfect in this movie).

Ten Actresses:

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Audrey Tautou (I do like French movies...)

Penelope Cruz

Cate Blanchett

Keira Knightley

Emily Mortimer

Nicole Kidman

Natalie Portman

Rachel Weisz

Kate Winslet

And Ten Actors:

Orlando (of course!)

Matthew McFadyen

James McAvoy

James Franco (I love how he can be both intense and hilarious!)

Hugh Jackman

Rufus Sewell (btw, does anyone know what this movie is???)

David Tennant

Christian Bale

Gerard Butler (Happy Holidays, Diane!)

Clive Owen (And Happy Holidays to Megan, too!)

Who are some of your favorite "inspirations"? Seen any good movies this holiday season, or found any good bargains in the post-Christmas sales?

See you in 2009! (And be sure and join me next weekend as I "launch" my January book, High Seas Stowaway. There will be giveaways and fun pirate stuff, though sadly no warm sandy beaches...)

Give More (and no punching!)

Today, as many of us Anglophiles (and Janet) know, is Boxing Day. Boxing Day is not, as some (i.e. my son) might think, a day when it is okay to punch who you want, most usually (in the case of my son), your mom.

It refers to the day when the more fortunate people would give to those less fortunate, dropping tips into the box the servant or tradesperson was carrying. It usually also takes place on St. Stephen's Day, in honor of the first martyred Christian saint. As in Good King Wenceslas, who looked out

On the feast of Stephen
...
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel

And that Good King did his part for Boxing Day, saying to his page,

"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather

and Wenceslas does his part, and the song ends with:

Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing

Now, unless some of you are in much different circumstances than I would guess, you don't regularly employ servants, so Boxing Day doesn't have as much relevance. Presumably you tip some of your regular suppliers--newspaper delivery, doormen, mail carrier, etc.--but that's not done on a specific day. It has become the custom for the boss and servants to switch places, but I am fervently hoping most of you have today off, so that hopefully isn't an issue.

So why might Boxing Day be relevant? Because also unless some of you are in much different circumstances than I would guess, there are people like Wenceslas's poor man who are in need, and who have less than you do. Especially this year, where the economy is doing a swandive into the nether regions.

Charity has gotten negative connotations, evoking pitiful Dickensian orphans with pleading eyes waiting for the bountiful person to bestow whatever scraps they can spare. Instead, how about we evoke the spirit of Boxing Day and give a gift to someone who works hard all year, no matter if they're working on keeping their family together, or making ends meet, or whatever? This year, my husband and I were able to give money to my son's school so that a child could get a gift on Christmas--it was a modest $25, and was going to go towards a gift, not food, or heat, or whatever, but it just about broke our hearts to think that a kid would wake up on Christmas with no gifts under the tree (and doubtless no tree, either, but that is beside the point).

Some of you more Wenceslasian have probably already taken care of this aspect of the Season; if so, share it so we can applaud you! Others of you might be planning on something in the New Year--volunteering, donating, whatever. Please share that, too! Still others of you might not have thought too much about it, so if you decide you want to Box this year, please let us know.

Thanks, and Happy Holidays!

Megan

Peace on earth, goodwill to all

Whatever you celebrate at this time of year, we Riskies wish you a peaceful and joyous holiday season.

I'm not religious yet I find the images of the birth in the stable powerful and moving, as is so much of the music associated with Christmas (The Messiah rather than Bing Crosby et al). I can feel the anticipation, the buildup to the big day. Here's a poem I'm particularly fond of, written by Thomas Hardy in 1915; it's based on English folklore that animals in the stable fall to their knees on Christmas Eve, as they did long ago in Bethlehem.

The Oxen

Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
“Now they are all on their knees,”
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen.
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few believe
In these years! Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve
“Come; see the oxen kneel

“In the lonely barton by yonder comb
Our childhood used to know,”
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.

Happy Christmas Eve!

And apologies that this image is the only Regency-related item in this post. Right now, I’m snatching time to compose this post between school winter parties and packing for a trip to my parents and I have nothing relevant to say, except that maybe some of you can relate to my state last Saturday afternoon…

After coming home after running errands in blistering cold, I stared at my To Do List and felt so overwhelmed that I decided to make a fresh pot of coffee. So I rinsed the pot, ditched the old filter and discovered that the garbage can in the kitchen was full. I went out to the garage to throw it out.

As I returned to the kitchen, I saw the tray of cookies we were going to use as part of our Christmas tree decoration and remembered that I needed to put yarn through them for hanging. So I went upstairs to look for the white yarn, which I thought was in the sewing basket in the linen closet. Well, the yarn wasn’t in the sewing basket, but I ran across some crochet hooks, which reminded me that I planned to make a scarf for a friend and was going to shop for materials the next day. So I went through the crochet hooks and made a list of the sizes I own, to avoid buying more duplicates.

Then I remembered that I was there for yarn and concluded it must be in the larger craft box in the garage. As I headed to the garage, I passed the downstairs closet, saw my purse and remembered I was out of tissues. I made a mental note to get a small packet from the upstairs closet (where I’d just been, of course). Then I wandered into the kitchen and saw that I hadn’t put a new liner into the garbage can. I did that and then noticed the coffee pot still in the sink.

So I made some coffee, which made me want a cookie, which reminded me that I still needed that white yarn. So I headed back out to the garage and got the yarn. I drank some coffee, prepared the cookies for hanging, and felt a glowing sense of closure as I got ready to tackle the rest of my list.

But I didn’t get a packet of tissues into my purse until Monday.

Anyone else have days like these?

By the time this is posted, I will be on my way to my parents’ house, looking forward to a traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve dinner, complete with smoked eel (ugh) and honey spice cookies (yum)! I hope you are all planning something fun and warmest wishes for a happy holiday!

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

Cara's Mostly Fictional 2008

Last year, I posted a copy of my annual faux-holiday letter (or, more correctly, my holiday faux-letter) here...and it got very few comments. Which may mean that no one's interested.

But when has that ever stopped me? (After all, I'm supremely lazy, and I also believe that recycling is good for the environment.)

So here, unrequested, is a copy of my 2008 holiday-card-letter-insert-thingy:

CARA'S POLITICALLY GROUNDBREAKING, OVEN-BAKED, ADJUSTABLE-RATE, TRANS-FAT-FREE, RECESSION-PROOF, MORE-BELOVED-THAN-ROBERT PATTINSON, SO-GOOD-YOU'D-THINK-TINA-FEY-WROTE IT 2008 HOLIDAY LETTER

Greetings from the House of Books! My, a lot happened in 2008...

First: you may have heard of the Large Hadron Collider, a joint project by 100 countries and 10,000 scientists to discover sub-sub-atomic particles, further our knowledge of the universe, and win grant money, all while not creating a giant black hole that would eat the planet. The Large Hadron Collider succeeded in its last aim, but ran into a temporary snag on everything else.

What you may not have heard of was the Large Feline Collider, a joint project by two humans to discover super-super-evil kittens, further our knowledge of caring for lacerations and broken vases, and waste vast amounts of time saying intelligent things like "oh, what a cute tummy!" and "no, you can't sleep in the fruit bowl," all while creating two giant cats that would eat us out of house and home if only they could open their jaws wide enough. The Large Feline Collider succeeds in colliding with great destructive force several times a minute, with such energy that it turns any nearby object into several smaller objects.

I found sudden fame online this year, after my scholarly essay JANE AUSTEN'S "BATMAN" gained unexpected popularity with the surprisingly large intersection of the following three sets: (1) people who read Jane Austen, (2) people who saw THE DARK KNIGHT, and (3) people who think I'm funny. (I had until recently thought that the only member of all three sets was Todd, but apparently he has been joined by John Scalzi, several Australians, one of my long-lost friends from junior high, and a penguin.)

In other news, my novel MY LADY GAMESTER was translated and published in Germany. The part I don't understand: in the book, the heroine's little brother is a very bad student, struggling even with basic Latin. So how can he suddenly speak fluent German? Surely no lazy schoolboy could guess that the German word for "Elephant" is "Elefant"!

This summer, Todd and I and our stuffed cat attended the World Science Fiction Convention in Denver, where Todd chaired a seminar that explained how to build a time machine in your basement. So, you ask, why don't I have more time to write, now that I have a time machine? Well, I answer, I don't have a time machine, because our condo doesn't have a basement. (So why, you ask, doesn't my future basement-owning self send a time machine back in time to me? Hmm... I'm asking myself the same question. And when I meet my future self, I'll ask me in person.)

In still other news, it seems my cat has been running a Ponzi scheme, and has singlepawedly ruined the world economy. When asked to explain himself, he gave a muddled answer which included the words "mew" and "it wasn't me, it was the evil aliens from Pluto." (Sources close to the feline tell us that he once drove to Pluto in a Hyundai and unintentionally taunted the inhabitants about their deplanetation, giving the Plutonians a cold grudge against the hapless Earth cat. However, sources even closer to the feline say "he's dirty as a three-dollar bill, and could really use a bath.")

In national news, 2008 was a momentous year. Senator Barack Obama built himself an iron man suit and defeated the terrorists, the pessimists, the paparazzi, and the Volturi, to win the American presidency and become box-office champ. (Sources close to Obama once overheard him mutter "Yeah, I can fly.") Mr. Obama's next goals are rumored to be saving the TV show "Pushing Daisies" and improving his high score at "Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock."

And remember -- join us on the first Tuesday in January when we discuss the first Ioan Gruffudd Horatio Hornblower movie! And then come back the first Tuesday of February to discuss the Leslie Howard version of The Scarlet Pimpernel...

So, does anyone else out there have a Large Feline Collider? An Iron Man Suit? A time machine?

Cara
Cara King, who occasionally defeats her cat at Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock...

What I Want For A Regency Christmas

I like to imagine myself in a Regency Christmas, gathering evergreens and mistletoe with my beau (who looks a lot like Colin Firth); ice skating on the nearby pond.

Riding to church in a horse-drawn sleigh.







My Christmas gifts would be a copy of Pride and Prejudice by A Lady and a lovely silk and ivory fan.







We'd have a delicious Christmas dinner.



And afterward dance and play whist.



And I would have a wonderful Regency Christmas!

My friendships are the treasured gifts I'm thankful for this 2008. Thank you all for your friendship and for making Risky Regencies almost as nice a place to be as the real Regency!

What would you like for a Regency Christmas? Or for this 2008 Holiday?

Stop by the Wet Noodle Posse blog today and read all about when Snoopy knocked down the Christmas tree. There's a photo of me and one of Snoopy, too.

The bookcover is the 2007 anthology that included my novella, A Twelfth Night Tale.

Winner of Jane Austen Birthday Week

Congratulations!
The winner of our Jane Austen Birthday Week is
Maggie Robinson

Maggie email us at riskies@yahoo.com and send us your address.

Thanks!
The Riskies

My First (Austen) Time

Victoria and Abigail McCabe wish Jane Austen Happy Birthday!

My first Austen was Emma! I read it when I was about 9 or 10, and like all my reads at that time was supplied by my grandmother. She went to lots of garage sales and thrift stores as well as regular bookstores, and lots of people gave her books, too. So there were always boxes of wondrous paperbacks stacked in her hall closet, oodles of Heyers, old Fawcett Regencies by authors like Joan Smith and Marian Chesney, Cartlands, and classics. When we visited her in the summer, I would hide in that closet to get away from my wild cousins and read, read, read!

An old copy of Emma was in one of those boxes, and as I was currently on a 19th century England obsession, I was delighted. I had just finished Jane Eyre and loved it. Emma was a very different book, with a very different heroine, but I loved it, too.

At the time, I knew little about Austen and her stories and didn't realize that: 1) there was a 'mystery' in the story (I took it for granted all along that there was something going on between Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill, and Emma was silly for not seeing it. On the other hand I was shocked--SHOCKED--by the appearance of Bertha-in-the-attic in Jane Eyre, so was not a very perceptive child), and 2) that I was not supposed to like Emma.

Austen herself wrote, "I am going to take a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like." But how could I help but like her?? She was "handsome, clever and rich"; everyone in the story seemed to like her; and she seemed well-meaning and good-hearted, even if her schemes didn't often work out very well. She had perhaps "a disposition to think too well of herself," but at age 9 I liked her self-confidence, her popularity and sense of belonging, and the cozy little world of Highbury. I guess I still like those.

Later on, I was surprised to find that Emma was unique among the Austen heroines in that she had no financial concerns (unlike poor Jane Fairfax!). Her worries were more subtle. She was an intelligent woman who wanted to do good, even though she was not sure how to achieve that to the best ends. She had little to engage that intelligence, so perhaps it was mostly boredom (plus a lot of that self-confidence!) that led to her misguided machinations? She really had no power to change her location or routine, which, as a shy and dreamy 9-year-old who wanted to be Jane Eyre, I identified with strongly!

After Emma, I ran to the library and grabbed the other books, quickly consuming Pride and Prejudice (plus a video of the Rintoul/Garvie series), Sense and Sensibility (I liked the sisters in that one!), Northanger Abbey (Catherine was my favorite heroine at that age), Persuasion, and Mansfield Park. I didn't much like Persuasion and MP then--I was just too young for them, I think, much like Wuthering Heights, Middlemarch, and Madame Bovary (no, my parents didn't pay much attention to my reading habits!). Persuasion is now possibly my favorite book of all time, but I do have a soft spot for Emma. Thank you, Miss Woodhouse, for starting me on this journey!

I like both the '96 film versions of Emma (Paltrow and Beckinsale) though they are very different from each other, and neither is quite the story in my head. I'm not sure such a thing is even possible! I'm just grateful for all the Austen books and films out there to fill my rainy days. They always brighten things up.

Happy Birthday, Jane! From all your fans here at Risky Regencies.


(And check out High Seas Stowaway on Eharlequin for special savings this week. What could be better in a cold December than warm, sandy beaches and hunky sea captains??)

Elizabeth+Fitzwilliam 4EVA!

Like Janet, I don't remember precisely when I started reading Jane Austen. I do know it was early on, because I'm pretty sure I read Pride & Prejudice when my family was living in New Hampshire, and we moved away after sixth grade.

I was lucky enough to be raised in a household filled with books, and with a person--my dad--who loved language and wordplay. And consequently I had a huge vocabulary for my age, as well as an appreciation for Austen's wry, witty commentary on society and life in general. I specifically loved her portrayal of Mrs. Bennet, whose machinations I saw through because of Austen's inciteful skewering.

Plus it had a love story! And even though I read the book multiple (MULTIPLE!) times, I was never quite sure it would end up happily ever after. I saw the movie with Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier, and loved that, too.

At the same time, I was reading and re-reading Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, and in hindsight I can see those three books completely defined me as a writer and a reader. I read other Austens, too, but Pride & Prejudice had--and continues to hold--a special place in my heart.

When I was 15, I dated the captain of the football team (yes--really!) and made him watch that version of Pride & Prejudice with me (and what does it say that he actually watched it?). My husband puts up with me sighing over men in cravats, and promises to read Austen someday himself (he read Emma in college, but his teacher does not appear to have understood Austen's wit).

Austen's legacy to me, and to romance writers in general, is that it is indeed possible to write a fantastic, heart-wrenching love story that nonetheless disperses a wider commentary on society, offers clever writing, and can surpass its tag of 'romance.'

Thanks, Jane.

What do you think Austen's best legacy is? Is your favorite part the wit, the love story, the characters, the setting or something else?


Megan

All Austen, all the time

I can't remember my first.

What an embarrassing confession. I know that I had my massive teenage Heyer binge after I read Austen, which must have been for high school, because I remember telling my English teacher that Heyer was just like Austen. Hmmm. But I can't remember which book it was, although I remember earlier listening to girls complain about having to read P&P and it was so boring. Ha. The rest of us were blessed with Silas Marner, chosen, I'm convinced, because it was the shortest George Eliot--that it's also complex and difficult apparently wasn't a problem for a bunch of teenage girls who were really only interested in John, George, Paul and/or Ringo.

I remember watching something on a black and white TV with terrible reception and realizing, despite the blizzard onscreen, that it was the BBC Persuasion (the one from long ago) because I recognized the words. But I really fell in love with Austen after college, when I lived in Bath, and found that you could retrace Ann and Wentworth's steps through the city.

And she's been pretty much a constant in my life ever since. Every time I reread one of her books I find something that relates to where I am at that time--falling in love, falling out of love, married, unmarried, being a parent, growing older. Her novels offer consolation, inspiration, and a challenge. I admire Austen's toughness, her unflinching clarity on family relationships.

Here's a great poem by Kathe Pollitt, Rereading Jane Austen's Novels, which I borrowed from a collection of Austen-inspired poems at pemberley.com. It's bleak and biased, and not altogether accurate--Lizzie Bennett thinks nothing of a five mile hike (in the mud)--but I hope you'll like it.

This time round, they didn't seem so comic.
Mama is foolish, dim or dead. Papa's
a sort of genial, pampered lunatic.
No one thinks of anything but class.

Talk about rural idiocy! Imagine
a life of teas with Mrs. and Miss Bates,
of fancywork and Mr. Elton's sermons!
No wonder lively girls get into states --

No school! no friends! A man might dash to town
just to have his hair cut in the fashion,
while she can't walk five miles on her own.
Past twenty, she conceives a modest crush on

some local stuffed shirt in a riding cloak
who's twice her age and maybe half as bright.
At least he's got some land and gets a joke --
but will her jokes survive the wedding night?

The happy end ends all. Beneath the blotter
the author slides her page, and shakes her head,
and goes to supper -- Sunday's joint warmed over,
followed by whist, and family prayers, and bed.

And remember, this week we're holding a contest for Austen's birthday--so comment often and early!

11 Year Olds and Austen

Like many romances, my passion for Jane Austen had a rough beginning. From third grade or so, I’d been reading my mother’s Georgette Heyer novels and selected traditional Regencies, so you might think I was prepared for Jane, but it didn’t actually work out that way. I read PRIDE & PREJUDICE sometime around age 11 or so after having seen “in the tradition of Jane Austen” on many Regency covers. But I found it hard going.

Perhaps as a pre-teen, I was more able to appreciate the glitz of Regencies featuring members of the haut ton and including exciting events such as duels and elopements. Maybe I needed to mature to properly appreciate Austen’s brilliant characterizations and what she could do with "three or four families in a country village."

But I also think the period language itself was a stumbling block, between the occasional long, convoluted sentence structures and some of the vocabulary. Of course, I’d already learned many new words from Georgette Heyer, yet with Jane they mattered more. I realized why this past summer, when I read P&P with my own 11 year old. In Heyer’s books, context could help one understand the longer words (e.g. the “diaphanous gown” or the “ubiquitous footman”). However, in Jane Austen, the difficult words are often central to the meaning.

Consider this bit of Darcy dialogue:

"When you told Mrs. Bennet this morning that if you ever resolved on quitting Netherfield you should be gone in five minutes, you meant it to be a sort of panegyric, of compliment to yourself -- and yet what is there so very laudable in a precipitance which must leave very necessary business undone, and can be of no real advantage to yourself or any one else?"

To make sense of it for my daughter, I had to explain “panegyric”, “laudable” and “precipitance”. I also found it helped when I read to her aloud with loads of expression.

But she hung in there with me, enjoyed it very much and laughed in all the right places. Now we’re planning some Austen activities over the holidays. We’re going to watch the 1995 P&P together and start reading NORTHANGER ABBEY. I am now looking forward to years of shared Austen obsession. I expect she'll soon want a Regency gown of her own. : )

Has anyone else tried introducing Jane Austen to friends, family or offspring? How did it work out? Have you ever tried reading Jane aloud?

Comment for a chance to win assorted Austen-related prizes!

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

First Impressions...of Jane Austen

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!!!!


This week, we're supposed to be talking about our first Austen...but I've done that before here at Risky Regencies, so I thought I'd thrown in a little twist...and tell you what my first (and later) reactions were to my first several Austen novels and movie adaptations...


The first time I read PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, I was thirteen, and I utterly loved it. (That part has never changed, though I do understand certain parts better now.)

I believe the first Jane Austen movie I ever saw was the Greer Garson/Laurence Olivier PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, when I was a teenager. I liked it well enough, and for a while it even messed with my own memories of the book, leaving me with a vague belief that the book involved a lot of archery, and that Lady Catherine wasn't all that bad in the end... :-) (When rewatching this at various times years later, I think I most admired Olivier's interpretation of a shy Darcy.)

The second Austen adaptation I saw was the Rintoul/Garvie PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, also when I was a teenager. I liked it all right, but it didn't excite me, and I definitely thought it inferior to the book. (The second time I saw it, I loved it. The third time, I was less enchanted, but really loved Garvie.)

Then, freshman year in college, I read NORTHANGER ABBEY. I was initially disappointed that it wasn't more like PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, and wished there were more romance, and less satire. I really didn't care for the implication that Tilney liked Catherine better for being ignorant! (I have loved this book more and more on each rereading...perhaps because I now read it for humor, while picturing Bath, and I ignore what I don't like.)

Then I saw the 1986 BBC NORTHANGER ABBEY, and hated it! I thought Peter Firth was creepy, and the overemphasis on the Gothic bits just silly. I've always thought those were the weakest parts of the novel, so the idea to make them even more prominent just seemed wrong to me! (The second and third time I saw it, years later, I think I admired the costumes and Bath scenery more...but Firth and the Gothic bits have always seemed wrong to me.)

Next, I read SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, and was annoyed at how Marianne just ran on and on, and how Brandon didn't have the sense to fall in love with Elinor. (This has remained my least favorite Austen...and I confess I'm always surprised when I run into anyone who puts this in their top two! I just see major weaknesses in it...)


So...those were my first impressions (and later reactions) to my first three Austen novels, and first three Austen adaptations. How about yours? Have your opinions on some of your early Austens (novels or adaptations) changed? Or have re-readings or re-viewings just confirmed you in your tastes?

All answers welcome!

Cara
Cara King, who hopes you all show up the first Tuesday in January to discuss the first Gruffudd Hornblower adaptation!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANE!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANE AUSTEN!!!!

And many happy returns!

(Cara's post will follow shortly...)


Cara

Winners!

The winner of Michelle Styles's Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife is Cheri 2628, and the winner of Michelle Willingham's Her Warrior Slave is Deborah! Congratulations! Please send your addresses to us at riskies@yahoo.com

Jane Austen Birthday Week

Jane Austen was born Dec 16, 1775, in Steventon, Hampshire, England, a day for us all to celebrate; however, we Riskies are celebrating Jane Austen ALL week.

We want you to celebrate with us. There will be prizes. We've managed to scrape up Jane Austen-related prizes to send to one lucky commenter chosen at random next Sunday after Amanda's Saturday blog finishes our week.

What was your first introduction to Jane Austen?

I first read Pride and Prejudice in college, but I cannot say my love of Austen hit me then. At the time, I loved everything about English Literature, enough to focus on English Lit as an English major. The real impact of Jane Austen came later for me and not through her books but through a movie.

Shortly after I'd first started writing, my critique group went to see Persuasion in the movie theatre, the Amanda Root-Ciaran Hinds version. There on the big screen the world of the Regency came alive in front of my very eyes. I'd just started reading traditional Regencies at the time and the beautiful houses, the clothing, the lush countryside, the sea coast, Bath, were all before me to experience as if I were really there. I loved the performances in the movie. I loved how Amanda Root as Anne began the movie looking like a dowdy spinster and ended up beautiful when the love she'd lost came back to her. I loved how Ciaran Hinds as Captain Wentworth was not movie-star handsome, but seemed like a real man from that era. All the characters in the movie seemed perfectly cast and the scenery was unsurpassed. Look here for the movie trailer and you will see what I mean.

I still didn't return to reading Austen at that time. That came later when I decided to try writing a Regency Historical. To help me develop a "Regency Voice" I listened to Jane Austen's novels in audio book form over and over. Persuasion was still my favorite. I loved the "second chance" aspect of it.

You can hear a sample of that audio recording here.

Through the audio versions of Jane Austen's novels, I truly began to appreciate her storytelling mastery. It is no wonder that librarians chose Pride and Prejudice as their number one favorite novel of all time...and Persuasion as number 82.

For more about Persuasion look here

For Cara's Jane Austen Movie Club discussion of the 1995 movie Persuasion look here.

Tell us, did you love Jane Austen at your first exposure or did it happen later? Did you start with a movie or a book?

Don't forget, we're giving away Jane Austen-related prizes in honor of her birthday, so make a comment today and all week.

Come visit my website and enter my contest by Dec 20 for a chance to win Mistletoe Kisses.



Oh, by the way, here's a photo of my son's graduation. He really did it!!
The little arrow is pointing to him. If you can see a bearded face, my son is right behind him.

Talking Unusual Historicals Part Two

Today Michelle Styles and Michelle Willingham will join us to continue the discussion on UH (Unusual Historicals)! Comment for a chance to win a signed copy of one of their books...

Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife
With the war drums echoing in her ears and the sharp northern light glinting off the sharpened swords, Sela stood with trepidation on the shoreline. The dragon ships full of warriors had come, ready for battle and glory.

But it wasn't the threat of conquest that shook Sela to the core. It was the way her heart responded to the proud face and chiseled body of Vikar Hrutson, jaarl, leader of the invading force--and Sela's ex-husband!

"A perfect combination of highly-charged tension and tender intimate moments" --Medieval Book Reviews

Risky Regencies: Welcome to the blog, Michelle (S)! First of all, tell us what historical periods are the settings for your books? What are some other settings that interest you (either as a reader or writer)?

Michelle S: I have done a number of different settings for my books. Ancient Rome, the beginning of the Viking era (790s), the North East of England both in the early Victorian period and during the Regency have all formed the backdrop of my books. It gives me the opportunity to indulge in research.

Currently, because I just finished Lady Worsley's Whim by Hallie Rubenhold which is a non-fiction book about a sex scandal that touched the ton in the 1780s, the late Georgian/early Regency periods hold a fascination. But I have promised my editor several early Victorians first!

As a reader, I simply love a good story. It is more if the blurb interests me or not, rather than reading for a specific time period. The great thing about reading in an Unusual Historical period is that I get to experience different themes and time periods.

RR: What draws you to Unusual Historicals? What are soem advantages and drawbacks?

MS: I love history, and the whole thought about how people lived and the social constraints they faced fascinates me.

The advantages to writing in unusual periods or settings is that the field is more open. You can find themes that maybe not everyone has already explored, and it gives me the opportunity to tell a number of different types of stories. For example, Viking warriors versus Regency rakes versus early Victorian railway men. The opportunities to research should not be underestimated! Also, it means I can allow my imagination to take flight.

The disadvantages are the vast majority of the historical romance public prefer their romance in Georgian/Regency/Victorian garb, so the market is smaller. This can be that people want a familiarity with their stories, or it could be that the period captures the imagination more than others. Also by switching time periods, I know that there are some readers who refuse to read certain periods. For example, some might prefer Rome and hate the Vikings. And there are some who will read the Unusual Historical but won't touch a Regency or Victorian.

However, I really do think the freedom that writing in a wide range of periods brings far outweighs its disadvantages!

RR: Tell us about your research mehtods/favorite sources.

MS: I love doing research--both doing the physical research, which involves going to the places where my book is set or learning various different crafts and skills. In the name of research I have fallen off horses in Iceland, gone down sewers in Rome, and ridden replica trains in Northumberland.

I love finding new research books, as well. One of my great joys is belonging to the Literary and Philosophical Society in Newcastle, which was founded in 1795 and is one of the last remaining private libraries in Britain. Its reading room dates from 1825 and is largely unchanged. The Lit and Phil is where George Stephenson first demonstrated his safety lamp for miners and where Swan gave the first demonstration of the electric light bulb. They allow you to take out books as long as they are post 1850.

One of the advantages to writing Unusual Historicals is that my editor actively encourages a historical note at the back and I'm able to list my favorite sources. For my Viking novels, my favorite source is some of the Icelandic sagas which are basically the primary source for much of what we know of the Vikings. I have also found Women in the Viking Age by Judith Jesch to be really useful.

I have found the book review section of the Spectator to be really useful in highlighting books on social history. This was how I discovered Consuming Passions by Judith Flanders, which is all about the growth of consumer consumption, and now Lady Worsley's Whim.

RR: What are some Unusual Historicals you would recommend to readers?

MS: Harlequin Historicals publishes a number of unusual historicals! I enjoy Michelle Willingham's medieval Irish knights. Nicola Cornick has done an Edwardian, The Last Rake in London, as well as an English Civil War story, Lord Greville's Captive. And I am looking forward to reading Amanda McCabe's latest, as I do love a good pirate story! Kensington is beginning to offer more unusual historicals. I am looking forward to reading Carrie Lofty's take on the Robin Hood legend, What the Scoundrel Wants.

The YA book Mara Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw started off my love of historical romance many years ago, and so I suppose you could say it gave me a taste for the unusual.

RR: What's next for you?

MS: Next out in the UK in April '09 is Impoverished Miss, Convenient Wife, which is the second part of my Regency duo. My latest Viking and my next Victorian are sitting on my editor's desk. The Viking has been through 2 sets of revisions, so my fingers are crossed! And my editor has just agreed that I can write the son of the hero in IMCW, so this will be a fun challenge.

You can visit Michelle Styles's website here, and go to eharlequin for more information on VWUW!

Her Warrior Slave
Kieran O Brannon is no ordinary slave--defiant, daring and dangerous, he is untamable! Iseult MacFergus is drawn to this powerful man with the strength of a warrior and the honor of a king. She trusts him to help her find her lost child...

Kieran sold himself into slavery to save his brother's life, but Iseult, with the face of an angel, gives him hope that he can again be a free man. Determined to find her child, Kieran may finally have his freedom--although now his heart is tied to Iseult's forever...

"...has so much emotion, danger and romance packed in its pages that it will be hard to put down" --CataRomance

Risky Regencies: Welcome, Michelle W.! It's so great to have you back here at the blog. Tell us what historical periods are the settings for your books. What are some settings that interest you?

Michelle Willingham: I write primarily Irish medieval books, but I've also written a Viking short story for the new Harlequin Historical Undone line (The Viking's Forbidden Love Slave). I love any setting with alpha heroes that make your toes curl!

Medieval Ireland wasn't a setting I had seen very often, though I was always a big fan of Scottish medievals. When I began researching the period, I found many similarities between the cultures. The mystical Celtic past and the intensity of Ireland drew me in when I visited the country. After walking through some of the castles, I knew I had found the perfect place for a romance.

RR: What draws you to Unusual Historicals? What are some advantages and disadvantages that you see?

MW: I enjoy the variety of unusual historicals, especially when I'm not familiar with the customs or history of the setting. In my own writing, I enjoy introducing readers to some festivals such as Lughnasa or Bealtaine (Beltane). It's fun to learn about them and see where the research takes me. Irish superstitions fascinate me. I think the only thing you have to watch out for is that the setting can never dominate the story--it always has to be about two people falling in love.

RR: Tell us about your research methods! What are some favorite sources?

MW: I love to consult the experts! When I was researching medieval woodworking, I posted my questions on a listserve of Irish archaeologists, and they put me in touch with a professor at the University College Dublin. Aidan O'Sullivan taught me some fascinating facts about woodworking when I was researching Her Warrior Slave; namely, that medieval woodcarvers had to work the wood while it was still "green" and unseasoned, since their tools weren't sharp enough to carve the wood. Another archaeologist took me to a few ancient ringfort sites when I was researching Her Irish Warrior on a trip to Ireland. It was amazing, crawling through the brush to find thousand year old mounds. The photo shows you what I saw, though it's a little hard to tell there's a 12 foot deep ditch surrounding the ringfort, amid all the ivy and undergrowth.

RR: What are some unusual historicals you would recommend to readers?

MW: On the Night of the Seventh Moon by Victoria Holt was a favorite while growing up (set in the Black Forest and the Austro-Hungarian Empire). I also liked The Princess by Jude Deveraux, which is set in a fictional country during World War II. Helen Kirkman's Anglo-Saxon settings are wonderful. If you haven't read Amanda McCabe's Shipwrecked and Seduced (another Undone short story), that Caribbean setting is really fun, too!

RR: And what's next for you?

MW: I am currently finishing up Warrior's Woman, Ewan MacEgan's book in my MacEagen Brothers mini-series. If all goes to plan, that will be my next US release, while Wedded to the Enemy, a Victorian story, will be part of a duet in 2010. My hope is to wrap up all 5 of the Irish brothers and then explore some new sides to Victorian England!

You can read more of the MacEagen brothers at Michelle's website!

And be sure and join us next week as we celebrate Jane Austen's Birthday, with more fun and prizes!

Talking About Unusual Historicals!

Sometimes here at Risky Regencies we like to talk about some Risky Non-Regencies, as well! Historical romance settings that are maybe a bit out of the mainstream, a bit harder to find, but well-worth the search. Today, Amanda will start off this Unusual Historicals discussion, and tomorrow two Harlequin Historicals authors, Michelle Styles and Michelle Willingham, will join us. Two lucky commenters this weekend will win autographed copies of either Michelle S's Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife or Michelle W's Her Warrior Slave...

Pirates, passion, and danger on the high seas!
Balthazar Grattiano, captain of the infamous ship Calypso and renowned seducer of women, has just walked into the one tavern in all of Hispaniola he should have avoided. For Bianca Simonetti, his sworn enemy, is the owner--and she has vengeance on her mind...

But before she can take her revenge, she is captured by this rogue's kiss. Her only chance for retribution is to stow away on his ship for a passionate adventure that will either kill them--or bring them together once and for all!

"Smell the salt spray, feel the deck beneath your feet, and hoist the Jolly Roger as McCabe takes you on an entertaining, romantic ride!" --RT

So, Amanda! :) Tell us what historical periods are the settings for your books? And what are some settings that interest you?

So far, I've written books with Regency settings, as well as the Renaissance (1520s Venice, the Court of Henry VIII, and the Spanish Caribbean in the 1530s, as well as a WIP set in Elizabethan England). And I will have a trilogy come out in (tentatively) 2010 from Grand Central Publishing, set in Ireland around the 1798 Rebellion.

As for settings that interest me--hmmm, where to start! I love 18th century France (both pre and during the Revolution), the English Civil War, 19th century Russia...

What draws you to "unusual" historicals? What are some advantages/disadvantages?

General history geek-dom is what draws me in, I think! I find the way people lived in the past, how they are different from us and yet also fundamentally the same, fascinating. I've always wondered--what would it be like to defend a castle from Cromwell's army (as Lady Derby did in 1644), or dance at Almack's, or sail the Atlantic in a carrack? The research and writing of these stories lets me do that, and helps me prevent "writer burn-out". I'm never bored, or short of "what-if" ideas! Plus so many of these time periods have such great clothes.

One drawback is a smaller market, I think. Settings like the Regency or the American West can feel more iconic and "familiar", maybe, easier to slip into the fantasy. (Though I have to say "unusual historicals" don't necessarily have to also have an unusual setting. Writers like our own Risky Diane Gaston can bring in aspects of Regency life that aren't so widely known or often seen in romance fiction! I'm always learning new things from her books)

Another drawback can sometimes be a shortage of useful research material. For some settings, like Elizabethan England, there is no lack at all! But I had more of a challenge with the early Spanish Caribbean. Hooray for inter-library loan!

Which leads me to...

Tell us about your research material! What are some favorite sources?

Like I said, I luv libraries! The people at my local public library are wonderful--they're always asking me what I'm researching now and giving me great suggestions. I've also found a fun resource in online groups of reenactors and scholars (which can also work great for promo! I actually did a booksigning at a Renaissance faire last year, and had a fabulous time).

Travel is a great help, too. To see where the stories are set adds such a richness in my mind! After seeing Versailles, I'm determined to write a story set there! That's not always feasible, though--sometimes I can only afford a book, LOL. And sometimes the places are simply no longer the same (like the Caribbean--huge difference between 2008 and 1535. Though it was tempting to claim I needed to research beaches and Mai Tais...)

What are some unusual historicals you would recommend to readers?

Michelle Willingham and Michelle Styles both do wonderful books with richly-drawn settings! I also enjoyed Hope Tarr's book Enslaved. And Claire Thornton's Restoration-set trilogy, and Mary Reed McCall's Templar's Seduction are all great romance choices! (I'm sure I will think of 50 others as soon as I finish this blog)

In historical fiction, I recently read Elizabeth Robards' With Violets (about Berthe Morisot) and Christie Dickason's Firemaster's Mistress (about the Gunpowder Plot).

And I grew up on Victoria Holt books, as well as Barbara Cartlands that had a variety of settings--this was what got me started on reading non-fiction, wanting to know the story-behind-the-story of these novels.

What's next for you?

I'm finishing up the Elizabethan story (set during the Christmas season of 1564, when the Thames froze through and there was a Frost Fair), the Ireland books, and possibly some stories set around the Elizabethan theater and the Court of Marie Antoinette. In May, there will also be my anthology with Diane and Deb Marlowe, The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor, about the Fitzmanning family--a very "unusual" family indeed! And in 2010, look for the US release of my Regency "Muses of Mayfair" trilogy with Harlequin Historicals.

Now it's your turn! What are some interesting books you've read lately? Any settings you'd love to see out there? Any you'd like not to see???

Bettie Page's Legacy

Pin-up model Bettie Page died today; in the course of her career, Page was photographed approximately 20,000 times, mostly in lingerie, often in bondage, sometimes with other women.

What I like best about those photographs is the ineffable sense of fun she seems to be having, even while getting spanked or whatever; she's got this joyous gleam in her eye that is just captivating.

People can, will and have argued about whether photographs like the ones Page was featured in exploit women (and I'm not certain how I feel), but there's no denying that she was a star. And that her figure--spectacular and special as it is--is that of a normal woman.



The two primary things I take away from viewing Page's image is what I like to imbue into my heroines (and wish I had more of myself), no matter what the time period: Be comfortable and adult about sensual feelings and impulses, and be comfortable with your body, even if it's not perfect.



















I can't explain why I--and millions of others--have been captivated by Page's image, but it's there, and maybe the freedom felt in her pin-up shots hold a clue to the allure.

So--in that free spirit--what do you love most about yourself, either looks-wise, personality-wise or something else? As usual, I feel the need to overshare and answer first:

I love my eyes.
I am fond of my small waist.
And I like to think I can usually find the snarky spin of any situation. Which makes me and others laugh.

What about you?

Thursday again

Thursday is my writing day. It's my day off from the day job and I stay home, writing flawless prose in my beauteous new office.

Except I don't. Today, for instance, I have been in real life to the Salvation Army (getting rid of stuff), Ikea (buying more stuff), and Barnes & Noble, where I bought nothing. I don't know what it is about visiting a bookstore with a gift card in hand; it freezes me up and I debate every likely book and decide it's either too much or I won't like it. Once I'm home I suffer nonbuyer's remorse.

Then I came home and visited eBay and Amazon. Just doing my bit for the economy...

By far the most exciting event of my week so far was Monday morning in MacPherson Square in downtown Washington, DC. This is a very cleaned-up photo of what is a much-used square; it's inhabited by ducks (although there is no source of water there), pigeons, and humans who, sadly, have nowhere else to live. (This is three blocks or so from the White House, to our nation's shame.) On Monday, there was another visitor to the square, a red-tailed hawk who was breakfasting on a pigeon, about six feet away from an admiring crowd, who were gathered the other side of one of the fences erected to keep either the ducks or the homeless out (who respectively fly over or push them down).

Red tailed hawks quite happily live in the city--they enjoy architectural features such as high ledges and the abundant food supplies (pigeons, squirrels, rats etc.). You can visit a website, palemale.com, devoted to Central Park's famous red tailed hawks.

Also in the neighborhood is one of Benjamin Henry Latrobe's masterpieces, the Decatur House Museum, which I visited recently. It's a fabulous example of cutting-edge federal style, all clean lines and simplicity with very little ornamentation. I was particularly struck by the hallway and staircase--this is an artist's impression of the hallway although I believe in Decatur's time it would have been carpeted, not tiled. The original paint colors, an elegant pale blue-gray and yellow, have been restored, and one of the things I really loved is that the doorway itself is curved. It's supposed to be one of the most haunted places in the US--one of the ghosts, of course, being Stephen Decatur himself who was killed in a duel.

So tell me about your week--have you been busy with holiday preparations, busy avoiding them, done anything useful or enjoyable? If you're looking for further entertainment, here, thanks to the Smart Bitches, are two fabulous opportunities to Dress a Regency Heroine and Dress a Regency Hero. Enjoy!

The books are better, but...

Lest you think this is just an excuse for posting another gratuitous Sean Bean pic, let me tell you I have been thinking about what Susan Wilbanks said last week, about the Sharpe books being better than the films. I’m about half-way through the series now and for the most part, I agree. But I’m also finding there’s a synergy between the books and films, at least in my mind, that helps them both.

For this series, I broke my usual rule of reading the book first, so Sean Bean easily became my image of Sharpe. In the books he is dark-haired and there’s the confusion about where in England he hailed from, but I’ve managed to get over those issues. Now when I read the books, I hear Bean’s voice and see his face. Yeah, it doesn’t hurt the reading experience at all. : )

In cases where I have read a book before seeing the film, sometimes the actors still manage to take the place of my first mental images of the characters. When I’ve read subsequent installments of Harry Potter, I now see and hear the voices of the cast from previous films. Also not a bad thing.



Lots of authors (many of us here, I think) use this sort of effect in a similar way, using actors as inspiration for their characters’ appearance and sometimes for aspects of their personality as well.

Right now I’m “using” John Corbett and Laura Linney, picking up a few traits from their roles in Northern Exposure and Love, Actually. For my hero, I found this image. He’s got that bold, embracing-life sort of feel I want for my balloonist. Laura Linney’s character, on the other hand, is sensitive, caring and bound by a sense of responsibility. Clever contrast, huh?



Anyway… as a reader or a writer, do you find this sort of synergy happening between books and films?

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

COMMUNAL REGENCY STORY: The Cat in the Cravat

First: the schedule for the next five months of Jane Austen Movie Club -- watch the film ahead of time (or go from memory), and come prepared to discuss! (Remember, our discussions are always the first Tuesday of the month!)

January 6: The first Ioan Gruffudd Horatio Hornblower (entitled HORNBLOWER: THE EVEN CHANCE in the UK, and HORATIO HORNBLOWER: THE DUEL in the US...)

February 3: THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (1934 -- Leslie Howard)

March 3: THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (1982 -- Anthony Andrews)

April 7: THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE

May 5: SHARPE'S RIFLES


Now, today's topic: a communal story!

I'll write the beginning of the story, and anyone who wishes can continue the story in a comment...a sentence, a paragraph, whatever you like! Then the second comment can continue from the first...and eventually, we'll have a (certainly bizarre) little story! (And if you like, you can keep coming back and adding to it -- you're not limited to one comment!)


THE CAT IN THE CRAVAT

On the first of May, in 1813, Almack's was a frightful bore...until six minutes past ten, when a giant white cat in an exquisite coat by Weston strolled through the doors.

All the ladies swooned -- the mothers, in fear of a wild beast; the grandmothers, in fear of white cat-hairs on their blue or maroon silk gowns; and the daughters, in fear that this ferociously handsome stranger might fall in love with anyone but them.


Let the madness begin!


Cara
Cara King, who far prefers cats to ratafia

Deb Marlowe Winner

The winner of an autographed copy of An Improper Aristocrat is LadyDoc! Email us at riskies@yahoo.com with your address...

Gifts to Myself

I love to collect early Nineteenth Century prints, especially architectural prints, and I had a wonderful friend, Tony Wallace, who loved to feed my habit. I knew Tony through his wife, Susan with whom I traveled to Rome and Venice to visit her brother who worked for the US State Dept. there. That 1998 trip is a story for a different time. This is about Tony.


Tony had been a distinguished Foreign Service officer and later a professor in George Mason U's School of Public Policy, but I knew him best as a collector, a collector of stamps, of books, and also of antique prints. Much of his collection of prints had come from his father, also a fine collector. The first time I went to their house, I noticed three prints of the Battle of Waterloo. Originals!! I was in AWE.

Several years ago Tony was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and last Sept he lost his well-fought battle with the disease. When he'd been well enough, Tony had spent his time selling off the parts of his collections that held no sentimental value to his family. I missed the chance to buy those Waterloo Prints, but Tony did sell me several other prints and books. Last month when I visited Susan, she offered me some more prints, which, of course, I felt privileged to purchase.

I thought I'd share a few with you.

This one is Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, 1828!











Here's Drury Lane Theatre.

I was nearly insensible with excitement when I saw these theatre prints. I'd written about both of these theatres.





These next prints are of Edinburgh Scotland, a place I visited in 2005 and would love to go back. Having been there, I could almost imagine walking these streets.


This print is "Waterloo Place, The National and Nelson's Monuments, Calton Hill, Edinburgh."
The year is 1829








This one is "George Street, St. Andrew's Church, Lord Melville's Monument" Also 1829.










This is "Edinburgh, from Calton Hill"










I have several more, a gift to myself, an early Christmas present to me.
All these prints are hand tinted. Susan also has a folder of about 200 similar prints that are not tinted, more of Tony's collection. When she gets those appraised I might buy those as well, if I can.

I love these prints because of how close they were to the Regency. Even more, though, I love them because they remind me of Tony, my very favorite collector. I'll miss him.

What items do you own that "capture" a memory of a special person?

What present have you purchased for yourself?

Come visit my website and see my snowflakes! And enter my new contest. Also visit the Wet Noodle Posse. We're blogging about the holidays and I'm giving away one copy of Mistletoe Kisses, my 2006 Regency Christmas anthology.

Welcome Risky Guest Blogger Deb Marlowe!

"Where do you get your ideas?" It's a question that writers often encounter. I've heard some interesting answers: "The idea fairy." "The people in my head." "The dog." My DH on the other hand, often gets the reverse question: "Your wife writes romance? Do you give her lots of ideas? Do you help her with the love scenes? Heh heh." Or his favorite: "Is that you on her cover?" Luckily he's a great sport and quick with a come-back.



But when someone asks me that question, I always want to ask it right back. Where do you get your ideas? Writers are just like everyone else. They pull little pieces of their world apart and fit them back together to come up with something entirely new. It can happen with an idea for a book, for the latest and greatest techno-gadget, for a fundraiser, for a fabulous scrapbook page. We all get inspiration sometime.



The idea for my latest book, An Improper Aristocrat, came from several puzzle pieces in my head. I'd just seen the movie National Treasure. The family enjoyed it. I loved the history and the race from clue to clue, but I did wish the romance had been a little more central! And I thought "Why not?" Why couldn't a romance be based around a face-paced adventure? I knew I wanted to stick with the period around the Regency. I knew that there was a fascination for the Egyptian culture in the period, and how it had begun. I loved the Indiana Jones and Mummy movies, too. I thought it would be fascinating to have a Regency version of an antiquity hunter. Et voila! The first germ of the Earl of Treyford was born! I started researching Egypt in the period and discovered that the English and the French were involved in a race to obtain Egyptian antiquities. What could be better? I discovered Giovanni Battista Belzoni--and I think that the Riskies are familiar with my fascination with him! I thought I wanted to have some fun making up an ancient legend or two, and gradually the characters became real and the story unfolded in the way these things happen. I had the grandest time with Trey and his half-Egyptian novelist heroine, Chione, and I hope that readers will, too. Here's a quick blurb:

"Navigating the Nile to uncover the antiquities of Upper Egypt might sound perilous, but Niall Stafford, the Earl of Treyford finds it infinitely safer than sailing the fickle waters of the Beau Monde. He is back in England and on dangerous ground when a deathbed pledge has him delivering an ancient artifact to a colleague's sister.

Desert bandits are more easily managed than Miss Chione Latimer, but her fascinating mix of knowledge and innocence arouse far more than his protective instincts. Can such an improper aristocrat learn to be the true gentleman that Miss Latimer deserves?"

So, that's where the idea came from! Now won't you share some of yours? Have you come up with a better mousetrap, a great recipe, an idea for the perfect TV show? We want to hear! And I'll send a copy of The Improper Aristocrat to one commenter...

Megan and Amanda Chit Chat, Part Two

Amanda and Megan continue with their holiday conversation today, in a bid to avoid actually, y'know, working on writing or wrapping those presents or baking those cookies.

Amanda: Okay, so here is the story of one of the best Christmas gifts I ever received (a bit like the BB gun in The Christmas Story)--I got something called "Fashion Plates" when I was about 6 or 7. These were bumpy little plastic plates, pics of various dresses, tops, skirts, etc. You could slide them into a frame, cover them with a piece of paper, and draw over them (like brass rubbings of tombstones). I could create my very own fashionable outfits, in all sorts of colors! (As long as the color was included in the Special Pencils that came with it, that is). Sadly, the clothes were actually quite ugly, and I often put together ensembles worthy of Go Fug Yourself, but I loved it. I think it started me on the road to fashion obsession...

And right now I am obsessed with a Barielle nail polish (I think it's only available at CVS) called, wonderfully, "Misbehaving Mistress." It's a great graphite gray, perfect for holiday dress-up but not as predictable as red.

And I am telling everyone to run to the movies and see Rachel Getting Married. I know sometimes I like some sorta crappy movies for the wrong reasons (great costumes, hunky actors, whatever), but this was excellent. A great movie about the nature of families, loss, guilt, love--and with a fabulous wedding. When I get married, I must have samba dancers at the reception. And I was surprised by how terrific Anne Hathaway was.

What are you obsessed with lately?

Megan: I am obsessed with wringing every last bit of BBC drama from my Netflix subscription (a birthday gift, btw!). I've been watching Damian Lewis in The Forsyte Saga, and have many more family tragedies in the queue.

Amanda: Oh, yes, more family tragedy please! (as long as it's just in the movies, natch). I also loved The Forsyte Saga (part one more than part two--Fleur got on my nerves). Don't you just love Irene's hats? And that red velvet gown?

Megan: I thought she was just lovely. Great speaking voice, too!

Amanda: I, too, am utterly addicted to Netflix. Currently there are something like 79 movies in the queue, but I'm always looking for more! I just finished Our Mutual Friend, and could not figure out where I had seen that psychotic schoolteacher before...

(Note from Megan: Psychotic Schoolteacher sounds like a good name for an indie-rock band! Amanda: I concur.)

Anyway, then the new Sense and Sensibility came on last night on PBS, and it turns out he was Colonel Brandon! He was sorta psychotic there, too, but in a better way. (Dominic Cooper still looked like an untrustworthy toad, though. Maybe there should have been more shirtless moments, like in Mamma Mia. One of those craptastic movies I loved, btw. Can't wait for the DVD)

So, what's next on your Netflix list?

Megan: I've got Derek Jarman's Caravaggio, starring a very young, frequently naked Sean Bean, heading my way. Note from Amanda: I put this one on my own queue immediately. Next up is perhaps Dragonwyck, which I talked about last week, starring Vincent Price, based on an Anya Seton novel. Maybe Mayor of Casterbridge with Ciaran Hinds? Not sure, because that pesky Spouse isn't as avidly interested in this fine BBC output as I am. So, Gone Baby Gone is there, as is Drunken Master II and the Director's Cut of Bladerunner. All things I want to see, too, but--there are British Men waiting to talk to me. (Hm, sounds like a business venture. Getting British men to do faux phone sex where they tell us how repressed and tortured they are, and how the love of a good woman could set them free. I'd pay for that)

Amanda: Me, too! Most definitely. Phone Sex for Historical Romance Addicts. Might be a new direction for us in this economy...

Speaking of which--tell us more about this nekkid Sean Bean. Wasn't he the inspiration for one of your heroes?

Megan: Yeah, 'cause it's really only one of three men who inspire me and my writing. Clive Owen, Sean Bean, and Richard Armitage. The book I'm in the midst of now is basically if Richard Sharpe got done a bad turn and met a woman who could actually keep him for longer than one book. I like writing someone who's as bad-tempered as this hero, it's fun saying the things I always long to say in real life.

And the contemporary I have in mind also features Mr. Bean (Sean, not the comedian one), only even sharper (ha!) than the Sharpe hero in the historical. In that book he's a law student who makes money as a road manager for a band. My heroine is a bass player in a wedding band. Mayhem ensues. (I've just revealed my synopsis skills! Impressive, huh?)

Amanda: Hey, way better than mine! When I try to outline a story it comes out something like "It's a Regency, or maybe Georgian. There's this hero, he's an actor--but not really, maybe he's a spy or something. There's a heroine, she does stuff, too. Maybe she's a writer, or an opera singer. No, she raises Shetland ponies! They meet, and they hate each other, but not really. They have sex. Then interesting stuff happens before they get married. There's a villain, too. But I'm not sure yet what he does. Maybe a rival breeder of Shetland ponies?"

I guess if the career as operators of a British Men Phone Sex ring falls through, we can't get a job writing synopses. Sigh.

Megan: Probably not. But, Amanda, besides Orlando, who have you imagined as your hero?

Amanda: Well, my stable of heroes (ha! I love that image) is much wider than yours. The hero inspiration changes with each book, though Orlando is often there. (For High Seas Stowaway, I used lots of pics of him from Pirates of the Caribbean 3). For the WIP (my Elizabethan Christmas/Dancing With the Stars story--weird, I know, but stay tuned) it's Apolo Anton Ohno, and for the Irish-set book I am starting after the new year, it's Rupert Friend in Pride and Prejudice (because he is blond, and an officer in the British Army, and that's what I could find). I need to find stories for Hugh Jackman and Javier Bardem, too.

For a story idea I have in the starting stages, I need a young-ish hero (he's younger than the heroine), but am having a harder time with that. Maybe Dominic Cooper (in The Duchess, not S&S!), or Ed Westwick from Gossip Girl? Suggestions welcome, please.

Thus concludes Megan and Amanda's Gossip Hour! For now, anyway. Now it's your turn! What was your favorite holiday gift ever? What are your obsessions right now (movies, books, anything!)? And who are your favorite hero inspirations? (and suggestions for Amanda...)

And be sure and join us tomorrow as Deb Marlowe talks about her new book, An Improper Aristocrat!

Megan and Amanda Talk Amongst Themselves

Today and tomorrow, Amanda and I discuss whatever crosses our minds. Please comment with whatever crosses your mind.

Megan: Last Thursday morning, I went to a local gourmet shop to pick up some cranberry-walnut bread for that day’s festive holiday meal (see: Thanksgiving, Turkey Day, Can’t Get Off The Couch, Football Fiesta, et al). We arrived about half an hour after the store had opened, and the proprietor told me the bread had just arrived:

“The truck got caught in Thanksgiving Day Parade traffic (it was coming from Manhattan, home to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade). Not like it doesn’t happen every year and you can’t anticipate it!”

I laughed, ‘cause duh, annual events are entirely predictable (Except for Chinese New Year, that one always takes me by surprise).

Amanda: I don’t think I even notice Chinese New Year’s, though I wouldn’t mind going to a party like that if someone would invite me..

BTW, the truck people should have said the giant Hello Kitty balloon (my favorite, natch) fell on them and squashed the bread. That would make a better story.

M: Except—oh, damn, I forgot to even THINK about Christmas. Not like I didn’t know it was coming. I do love the season, but man, is it stressful. A constant ticking clock reminding you that it’s 23-22-21-20 days until Christmas, and are you ready? Have you taken advantage of the free shipping yet? How is your budget? What about your distant friends and the line at the post office?

A: Hey, I bought a lot of stuff on the big online sale Monday! I got 20% off Bobbi Brown lip balms (which I wear all the time), some sweaters from J. Crew. I haven’t used my $15 off coupon from Sephora yet. Oh, and I bought a great book called “Read My Heart: A Love Story in England’s Age of Revolution.” Come to think of it, though, none of these things are presents, except to me. And my budget is already in the hole. I better find some more bargains immediately!

M: This year, my husband and I are buying a BIG TICKET item for our nine year-old son (sometimes he eyedrops on the blog, so I’m not saying what it is). He and I generally get an assortment of clothing and books. Sometimes Scott likes to challenge himself by NOT getting me books, which is also sometimes my not-as-favorite gift exchange times. Hm.

Anyway, I’ve already gotten Scott an argyle sweater vest, a money clip with a typewriter key “F” on it, and a book on the science of food and cooking (he does not blog eyedrop). Not sure what else to get, since we’re also getting new windows for ourselves. Nothing says holiday like new windows. Sigh.

A: I know the feeling. I need new brakes on the car. Merry Christmas to me! I’d rather spend the money on nail polish and new books.

M: Ah, nail polish! For some reason, that seems like the ultimate luxury to me; probably because not only do you spend money on the polish itself, but you also have to find time where you don’t need your hands while the polish dries.

A: That is when it’s a good time to watch “Pride and Prejudice” for the 651st time and call it research. By the time the Netherfield ball rolls around, the nails are dry!

M: Oh, bliss. I use ironing the husband’s shirts as an excuse to watch MI-5 (Matthew MacFadyen with his blinky blue eyes, mm). Dunno if I could justify all the hours of P&P for my fingernails. Must see if I can.

A: Do a pedicure, too! Lots of time for that.

M: Amanda, who do you buy for?

A: I’ve managed to pare down my gift list to parents, brother, a few friends—oh, and the dogs. Yes, I buy the dogs gifts, but usually only sweaters and chew bones. My Poodle Abigail, aka the Scourge of Squirrels, is getting a great new toy called Hide a Squirrel. She will probably disembowel it in the first five minutes and want another toy.

M: Hide The Squirrel sounds really naughty, honestly. Maybe for that erotic zoologist story you’ve been planning?

A: LOL! I once had an idea for an erotic botanist, but erotic zoologist might make more sense…
Everyone else is getting books, and Starbucks cards. Maybe a DVD or two.

If anyone is looking to get me something, there was an eBay auction for a commemorative fan from the wedding of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. The opening bid was only $2600, a bargain!

But in reality I asked for books, and sent everyone my wishlist from Tartx. (I’m really liking the Madame de Pompadour pendant, if anyone just MUST get me a present, LOL)

M: What is your favorite holiday food? Your least favorite?

A: I don’t like pumpkin pie, and yet I do like pumpkin cheesecake. And anything made of chocolate is always welcome at my house. (that cranberry bread you bought on Thanksgiving sounds yummy, too)

M: My favorite holiday food are the homemade donuts my mother-in-law makes on Christmas Eve. I know I’ve waxed on them before, but really—think about it—homemade donuts?!? How can it get any better? I also like the Prosecco and pomegranate juice Scott gives me on Christmas Eve (probably so I won’t complain too much about spending another holiday with his family. All I can say is, he’s lucky I have an untraditional family).

M: What weird McCabe traditions does your family have (beyond the usual)?

A: Well, my father always makes his “famous” margaritas on Christmas Eve. They really are stupendous, but very strong! Somebody usually ends up doing something crazy (not to name names, but it’s usually my brother…)

A: What about the Framptons? And are there any trads we should start here at RR?

M: Heh. For a few years, we would drive around the neighborhood looking at crazy Christmas lights. I love excess when it comes to holiday decorating. Scott and I had a conflict of family when we first started dating, because I would wrap gifts in newspapers and get clever with the gift tags, whereas he is totally traditional wrapping paper/fancy bow/To and From. Once we sorted that out, we meshed okay. Which is to say, I eschewed my grubby ways and embraced traditionalism. I still pine for the rhinestone-encrusted puffer fish my mom put on our Christmas tree, though.

A: Okay, I would pay good money to find a rhinestone puffer fish. I love, love, love tacky holiday decorations! I’ve been wanting one of those snowglobe inflatables to go in my tiny front yard. One that looks like a fabulous holiday aquarium would be the BEST.

M: Gotta clarify: My mom went to the Boston Aquarium, and bought actual puffer fish, then spray-painted them gold and silver and stuck old rhinestones in their eyes.

And I am DYING for a vintage blow-mold Santa Claus to put on top of the little roof on top of the foyer.

M&A ask you: What is your favorite holiday food? Your least favorite? What are your idiosyncratic traditions?

Heyer revisited

Well, I did it.

I reread Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer, my first Heyer and first Regency romance ever that I read when I was seventeen. And that was a long, long time ago. I was given a copy as a present by my two aunts who lived in Bath. They lived on Lansdowne Place West, just off Lansdowne Crescent, and probably a couple of houses beyond the left side of this old photo. The field in front of the Crescent is still used for grazing.

My aunts told me they considered it was her best and the only one of them they'd consider reading more than once. Little did they know that I would then devour Heyers to the detriment of my academic pursuits. And I didn't know then that I'd reap the benefits many years later. But I was afraid to reread Heyer because I suspected I wouldn't enjoy her so much now and I didn't want to be disillusioned; or I'd wax sentimental over the passage of time etc. Happily I emerged fairly well entertained and in good (nonphilosophical) spirits.

Anyway, the book: rich heiress and dumb blonde brother (Judith and Perry Taverner) come to town and discover their guardian is a hottie (Lord Worth). Here's the original 1935 cover (left) and here's a more modern one that may seem familiar (scroll down). The one I'm reading is a Signet with a truly horrific cover featuring a fair-haired hero with lots of teeth that I haven't been able to share with you, but I found a couple of others that are very pretty.

So, what did I think? It's difficult to say. Sometimes it was quite eerie, reading again passages that I'd long forgotten about, rather like seeing a literary ghost. I recognized a scene that seemed to have, uh, influenced Dedication, where a fight is picked at a cockfight, resulting in a duel. I found it at times slow going and despite Heyer's red herrings and attempts to make the plot a plot, it's pretty obvious who is the hero and who the baddie (I remember figuring that out the first time I read it). The baddie attempts, in an incompetent sort of way, to kill her brother, intending to force Judith into marriage so he may enjoy her huge tracts o' land. But never mind that plot business, as I always say.

What I loved were Heyer's details--clothes, places, objects--they're quite brilliant, particularly her descriptions of journeys. Here's the heroine's first view of London:

As the chaise topped the rise and began the descent upon the southern side, the view spread itself before Miss Taverner's wondering eyes. There were the spires, the ribbon of the Thames, and the great huddle of buildings of which she had heard so much, lying below her in a haze of sunlight. She could not take her eyes from the sight, nor believe that she was really come at last to the city she had dreamed of for so long.

One thing that didn't work for me--or worked in a different way--was the characters of hero/heroine. Lord Worth may have got my virginal knickers in a twist decades ago but now, did I find him forbidding, mysterious, demanding? No, I found myself thinking, oh what a sweetie this man is. Even when he's threatening to do something dastardly like beat the heroine I found myself wanting to coo adoringly at him, poor baby, he's so out of his depth here.

As for Judith, well.

At first glance one might her down a mere Dresden China miss, but a second glance would inevitably discover the intelligence in her eyes, and the decided air of resolution in the curve of her mouth.

Since she spends most of the book grabbing the wrong end of every stick I really wonder about the intelligence. Why do she and her brother come to London? It's not stated explicitly--I think it's a given in Heyer that everyone who is anyone has to be in London for reasons so obvious they don't need to be stated. Once she's there she sets herself up as an original, befriending Brummel, driving her own phaeton, and taking snuff. Heyer tells us this is daring etc., but ultimately it seems to send appropriate suitors scurrying for cover, or at least I assumed so since no serious candidates emerge to ask for her hand. Oh, did I tell you that Worth has a hobby? He makes snuff. Isn't that adorable? Of course it may be the Regency equivalent of watching the History Channel in your underwear while spilling popcorn over the sofa, but it impressed me.

Tell me about books you loved that you've reread. How did you react? Were you disappointed? Which Heyer do you think I should try next?

Cynical Characters

Bah humbug!

I love cynical characters. Here are some reasons why.

They’re a reminder that we live in an imperfect world where politicians can’t all be trusted, families aren’t always like a greeting card commercial and dreams don’t come true just because we wish them.

They work wonderfully in stories. As the adage says, scratch a cynic and you find a disappointed romantic (or idealist, depending on the version). There’s so much room there for character growth (or renewal, perhaps).

Pairing cynical characters with idealistic ones creates instant tension (think Luke Skywalker and Han Solo). In romances we often see the cynical hero with the idealistic heroine though I love it when that gets reversed, as in Laura Kinsale’s FOR MY LADY’S HEART or Judith Ivory’s SLEEPING BEAUTY.

When don’t I care for cynical characters?

When they remind me of real life cynics I don’t admire. An older relative of mine, who if you tell him you enjoyed a book or a movie or a bottle of wine, will always tell you why it was really crap. People who don’t vote because it’s a waste of time (hopefully there are fewer of those now). People who complain but never take action. Kids who are too cool to sing in the school chorus and make fun of those who do (yeah, this one’s personal).

In romance, it could be the hero or heroine who has checked out of life due to past wounds. Unless those wounds are inflicted on a Kinsalean order, the character comes across as weak and self-pitying. It’s a fine line.

Or how about the hero who says all women are gold-diggers? Until he falls in love with the heroine, of course, at which point he decides she is the one woman in England (or the world) not after his fortune. I can sort of buy this if he’s rather young and still reeling from his first love’s betrayal, but generally I prefer characters with a less simplistic view of life.

I like cynical characters who aren’t totally blind in their cynicism, but recognize that there are many shades of gray in the world and are willing to deal with them. They may act as the voice of caution to their more idealistic friends, but they don't needlessly rain on their parades.

Just a few of the cynical romance heroes I love: Alverstoke from Heyer’s FREDERICA, Christian from Kinsale’s FLOWERS FROM THE STORM.

Do you enjoy cynical characters? Do you have any favorites? Any who go too far to be sympathetic?

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

WINNERS OF HARLEQUIN HISTORICAL EDITORS DAY

CONGRATULATIONS!

The winners of our Harlequin Historical Editors Day are:

Renee, who wins the book of her choice from Diane's BACKLIST. Renee, let us know which one you choose.

Margie, who wins Amanda's brand new January release HIGH SEAS STOWAWAY.

Ladies, Email us at riskies@yahoo.com and give us your addresses.

JANE AUSTEN MOVIE CLUB: what next?

As regular Risky Regencies readers know, on the first Tuesday of every month, we discuss a film or TV adaptation of Jane Austen, or some other Regency-interest film.

We have now run through all the commonly-watched Austen adaptations (and a few less-common ones), plus a smattering of non-Austen flicks. So...what next?

I couldn't fail to notice that as we moved from the more recent Austen adaptations to the older ones (and the non-Austen ones), the discussions lagged. (The fewest comments came in our discussion of Cranford, and the most from the 1995 Pride & Prejudice.) This makes me leery of doing, say, the 1971 Persuasion or the 1972 Emma...

So after trying to figure out what would stimulate discussion -- Scarlet Pimpernel movies? Specific Sharpe or Hornblower movies? -- I decided to ask you, our faithful readers.

So let's have it: which of the following would you have seen & have something to say about, assuming you knew a month ahead of time what would be discussed? (Or are there any you'd like to suggest which aren't on the list?)

1971 BBC Persuasion
1981 BBC Sense & Sensibility
1983 BBC Mansfield Park
1972 BBC Emma
Installments of the recent Horatio Hornblower series (with Ioan Gruffudd)
Installments of the Sharpe series
Scarlet Pimpernel (please specify which one: Leslie Howard, David Niven, Anthony Andrews, or Richard E. Grant)
Beau Brummel (1954)
Princess Caraboo (1994)
A Royal Scandal (1996 -- about the Regent's marriage)


For purposes of clarity, this is the list of what we've already discussed:

JANE AUSTEN ADAPTATIONS:

Pride and Prejudice (1940, 1980, 1995, 2005)
Sense & Sensibility (1995, 2008)
Northanger Abbey (1986, 2007)
Emma (1996, 1997)
Mansfield Park (1999, 2007)
Persuasion (1995, 2007)

MASTER AND COMMANDER
MISS AUSTEN REGRETS
THE DUCHESS
CLUELESS
CRANFORD
BRIDE AND PREJUDICE


Looking forward to hearing your opinions!


Cara
Cara King, whose geek interests range from Regency to SF to movies...

The Riskies Welcome Editor Linda Fildew!

The Riskies are very happy to welcome Linda Fildew, Senior Editor at Harlequin Historicals! We invited her here to dish about what they're looking for in new manuscripts, plus some great upcoming titles to watch for in the bookstores. Linda will also be popping in to answer your questions! One commenter will win signed copies of books from Diane and Amanda (Diane will give one book of the winner's choice from her backlist, seen on her website; Amanda will give one hot-off-the-press copy of her January '09 book High Seas Stowaway!)

Riskies: Welcome to Risky Regencies! Tell us about the Harlequin Historical program. How many books do you publish each month? What time periods does the line encompass?

Linda Fildew: Thank you for inviting me and the Historical Team onto your blog site! We're looking forward to answering as many questions as we can.

I am the Senior Editor for Harlequin's Historical Romance line with responsibilities for acquiring and scheduling the books which appear in both North America's Harlequin Historical and UK's Mills and Boon Historical lines. Harlequin is a global company, so keeping in mind what has worldwide appeal is an important part of the acquisition process.

We publish 72 original historical books a year and encourage time periods from Ancient Civilizations--such as Greece, Rome, and Egypt--up to and including the Second World War. We like to offer readers variety in settings, although the Regency period is a key seller and remains ever-popular. Westerns, of course, are particularly popular with North American readers.

We have a 6-book program in both NA and UK--4 at retail and 2 at Reader Service (Direct to Consumer) in North America, 5 at retail and 1 at Reader Service in the UK. All books are available on eHarlequin.com or millsandboon.co.uk. Every current title is also available as an ebook download and we are continually adding to our ebook backlist.

RR: What are some upcoming books we should look for?

LF: We have some wonderful books I'd suggest you look for this month! To get you in the Christmas mood, we have a real cracker from Christine Merrill--The Mistletoe Wager. This Regency is packed full of warm wit and sensuality as an estranged couple get snowed in at a festive house party.

Cheryl St. John is guaranteed to stir hearts with her rugged Western hero in Her Montana Man. Protecting people runs through Jonas Black's blood, and Eliza Jane Sutherland is one woman who needs his strong arms around her.

Another sexy hero can be found in Deb Marlowe's Regency An Improper Aristocrat. The scandalous son of a disgraced mother, can the Earl of Treyford learn to be the true gentleman that Miss Latimer deserves?

And something a bit different is Michelle Style's Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife. We do find that readers love these strong alpha male heroes--honorable and true, he is attractive because you know he will do everything in his power to protect and care for the heroine. It wasn't the threat of conquest that shook Sela to the core. It was the way her heart responded to the proud face and chiseled body of Vikar Hrutson, jaarl, leader of the invading force--and Sela's ex-husband! A month full of variety, I hope you agree, packed with that all-vital emotional intensity.

And looking ahead we have more splendid books coming in 2009! Here's a taster of just a few:

Bronwyn Scott's The Viscount Claims His Bride is in January. This is linked to her Undone ebook (more on this exciting new program later) where Viscount St. Just has returned home from war and needs now to woo back the woman he left behind.

Outlaws, even innocent ones, just can't risk doctor's visits. But Quinn Rowlan desperately needs a nurse for his injured brother. Kidnapping is the only answer. Except Quinn snatches the wrong woman! Kate Bridges's Wanted in Alaska will steal your heart this February.

In March, we've something a little different for Harlequin Historical, with Nicola Cornick's Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress which is written in the first person. The emotion is heightened in this sensual tale where the heroine finds herself embarking on an adventure, and is ruined by the wicked Mr. Sinclair!

In April, we are proud to launch debut author Ann Lethbridge with her sensual Regency The Rake's Inherited Courtesan. We are always looking to take on new talented authors (6 so far in 2008) and do encourage submissions (more on this later!)

Coming in May is a special treat. Three Regency authors who are good friends--well known to the Risky Regencies!--have combined in a wonderful project. The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor is an anthology of three linked short stories featuring three scandalous sisters. Set in a sumptuous villa on the Thames, the family house parties are notorious. Love and mayhem are the order of the day! Sit back and enjoy. The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor is part of Harlequin's year-long 2009 celebration for its 60th anniversary. (Riskies note: this is the anthology of Diane, Amanda, and Deb Marlowe!!)

There are many more treats in store, so do, please, keep updated on the books we are publishing in Harlequin Historical.

RR: That all sounds wonderful! And you have a new program, too. Tell us more about the "Undone" stories.

LF: Undone is an exciting new venture for Harlequin Historical! Launched November 1, 2008, these short, sexy, scandalous stories appear in ebook format. Available from eharlequin and other ebook distributors. The length is between 10 and 15,000 words, and we encourage submissions for any time period. We've widened our horizons and are also encouraging paranormal and time travel stories. We are looking for a high level of sensuality that flows naturally out of the plotline. There should be a strong emotional basis to the heightened attraction--it's vital the reader can believe in the intense emotion driving the characters as their relationship develops. These stories should be hot, sexy, and subtly explicit without the lovemaking being vulgar or gratuitous. Full guidelines are on eHarlequin's website. We launched with 4 Undones and will continue with 1 a month. For any aspiring writers who have been daunted by the idea of writing an historical of over 70,000 words, the shorter Undones might now give you the opportunity you've been looking for.

Building on the increasing popularity of sensual books in the marketplace, we are also introducing Undone into full-length Harlequin Historical at Retail--one book a quarter--where we are highlighting particularly sensual, provocative storylines. Our first one is Amanda McCabe's High Seas Stowaway in January '09, which neatly follows on from her ebook Undone (Shipwrecked and Seduced) in November.

RR: What are some stories you would love to see that haven't come your way yet? What do you love to see in stories?

LF: I'll answer this back to front, if I may! What I love to see is a storyline where you can tell the author is in love with her characters. There's a depth to their personalities which shows that the writer has got to know them intimately and understands what motivates and drives them. It's how the hero and heroine interact that is key to a good historical romance. The authentic background is important, but it's the developing relationship between your main protagonists that is key. Take the reader into their world and hold them there with good pacing, natural dialogue, intense emotion, and a strong storyline.

Stories I would love to see? Well, we are encouraging some time travel and paranormal in our Undone ebook stories. If these work well then we could look to bring these different elements into Harlequin Historical itself. We've published some Gothic Regencies and a Halloween anthology so we are venturing forth in this area. I've yet to see ancient Greek or Egyptian settings. The story would have to be very strong for us to consider it, but we are always open to submissions.

RR: What are the biggest mistakes you see aspiring authors make? What about your own authors?

LF: The biggest mistake--both unpublished and published authors can fall into this trap--is to get carried away by the historical events so that the romance gets moved to the sidelines. I completely understand it must be tempting to use all that research detail, and it is essential research is done to make the book as authentic as possible, but the trick comes in knowing what to put in the story and what to leave out! The main focus of the story should be the relationship.

RR: What brought you to work at Harlequin? What is a typical day at the office like?

LF: I came to publishing because of a love of books, and I've been at Harlequin Mills and Boon all my working life. Quite amazing, I know! I joined just before Mills and Boon launched its historical program, then called Masquerade, and was part of the team which got this off the ground. I still have a photo of myself dressed in Regency costume at the launch party! I've worked in a number of editorial acquisition roles on the contemporary side of the business, and am most happy to be back now with my first love, Historicals.

There is no "typical" day at the office, which is good because each day presents its own delights and challenges. Most days emails are checked first thing to see what manuscripts have been submitted and what author, overseas, marketing queries have been raised. We have weekly historical team meetings to discuss work in progress and weekly general editorial meetings where we consider the books being put forth for acquisition. There are UK and NA art meetings to look at packaging in both markets, and much careful consideration does go in the whole package from the cover art to title to blurb copy--all must work together to create a buy-me book. For me, the most pleasure I get from the job comes from the author relationships I've developed over the years. I'm fortunate in having a truly delightful group of authors with whom to work--assessing the first draft, discussing the revisions, developing winning cover copy and ultimately seeing the books on the shelves. I greatly respect each and every author's creative ability and take pleasure from the fact that the editor/author collaborative effort produces a book that will be read and enjoyed around the world.

RR: What are your submission procedures?

LF: For full-length manuscripts, we'd ask to see the first three chapters and a 1-2 page synopsis of your complete story. These should come to our UK address which is on our website. We now also accept queries or submissions by email and these should be sent, as a Word document attachment, to submissions@hmb.co.uk

Submissions for ebook Undone should be complete manuscripts only and should be submitted electronically--no partials or queries, please. Submissions should be sent as Word-compatible attachment. Submissions should also follow standard formatting guidelines and should be double-spaced and typed in a clear, legible font on numbered pages. Author name and title should appear as a header or footer on each page. The Historical Undone email address is undone@harlequin.ca

Thank you so much, Linda, for taking time out of your (very busy) day to visit us here!