Power to the Dresses and Shoes!

It will be no surprise to anyone who reads this blog that I subscribe to way more fashion magazines than are good for me. This year, I have resolved to save money and cut back to just 2 or 3. But which ones? I really ought to cut Vogue. They often have, er, questionable cover model choices (Blake Lively? Really? Don't they know those Gossip Girl clothes are chosen by a wardrobe team???), condescending articles about The Wonders of Shopping at Target (who knew?), and too many socialites no one has ever heard of, yet who Vogue seems to think we should really, really care about. And yet, Vogue, I just can't quit you. Because once in a while you come with a fabulous issue like the new March '09.

I squealed when I opened my mailbox and saw this gorgeous Michelle Obama cover. It makes up for Blake Lively last month. Plus articles about Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Queen Rania of Jordan, and one about English country estates incorporating contemporary art into their gardens (like Sudeley, Lismore, and Houghton Hall. I'm not sure what I think about this, really, after seeing that ridiculous Koons exhibit at Versailles last fall, but the houses look gorgeous...)

The Obama article actually deals very little with fashion, aside from a couple paragraphs and some speculation as to what influence she will have on American style. Obama says, "I love clothes. First and foremost, I wear what I love. That's what women have to focus on: what makes them feel comfortable and beautiful. If I can have any impact, I want women to feel good about themselves and have fun with fashion."

Fashion 'leaders' are nothing new, of course. There was Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, etc. And Marie Antoinette became Queen of France at a very young age, after a long line of dowdy, dusty queens (it was seen as a mistress's job to be fashionable, not a queen's). Caroline Weber, in her great book Marie Antoinette: Queen of Fashion says, "From her earliest days at Versailles, Marie Antoinette staged a revolt against entrenched court etiquette by turning her clothes into defiant expressions of autonomy and prestige." And others followed her lead, even as she shocked with her rebellious innovations. Felix de Montjoie, in his 1797 biography of the queen, said, "By one of those contradictions that are more common in France than anywhere else, even as the people were criticizing the Queen for her outfits, they continued frenetically to imitate her."

She introduced the "pouf" hairstyle, the idea of a 'trendy' color (such as the vividly named 'caca dauphin' when her first son was born), and the frilly muslin 'gaulle' dress and straw hat ("the unofficial uniform of the Petit Trianon," says Weber). She also liked polonaise-style gown, the masculine-tailored redingote and tricorn hat for riding, and shorter trains and smaller panniers even for court life.





In England, queens were also not traditionally looked to for fashion trends. (Not since Elizabeth I, maybe, with her ruffs and white makeup. No one asked Queen Charlotte for style advice, I'm sure!). That was up to ton ladies, especially dashing, charismatic ones like Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Her every outfit, every accessory, was observed and avidly copied (towering plumes, picture hats, colors like "Devonshire brown"). The gaulle caught on in England when Marie Antoinette made a present of one to Georgiana (which she then wore to a ball given by the Prince of Wales, setting off a furor). The Lady's Magazine wrote, "all the Fair Sex now, from 15 to 50 and upwards...appear in their white muslin frocks with broad sashes."

In 1785, a purveyor of perfumes and toiletries advertised he had 'just imported a quantity of curious, beautiful, and sweet Powder a la Duchesse, or Devonshire Powder.' In 1786, a scandal ensued when one of her dressmakers sold drawings to several ladies, supposedly of Georgiana's latest gowns. Imagine the horror when they all showed up at a ball in the same gown--and Georgiana in something else entirely!

She was, like Marie Antoinette, not shy about using fashion in the service of politics. She often wore the Foxite "blue and buff", especially when on the campaign trail. During the first Regency crisis, she and her friends donned a 'Regency cap' designed after the Prince of Wales crest with three feathers.

There could, of course, be a post days long on the crazy fashions of Marie Antoinette and Georgiana! I'm only grateful now that Michelle Obama tends toward sleeveless dresses as a trend and not poufs. But what do you think? Who are some of your favorite Fashion Icons? (I like Audrey Hepburn and Coco Chanel).

And be sure and check out my Oscar picks here, and don't forget to become a 'fan' of Risky Regencies on Facebook! Happy weekend, everyone...

Motivational Speaker

It's a perpetual problem for me, and I suspect for most of us, staying motivated. Especially since I have no deadline except for a self-imposed one. Which is a roundabout way of saying I know I've blogged about this before, but it is something that surfaces often:

How can I maintain a writing schedule and discipline, especially when things--MI-5, the recession, my son's homework, ironing the Dandy Spouse's shirts, going to the gym, etc.--all serve to distract me from writing?

Right now, I am sitting in my friend Liz Maverick's apartment, having made a Writing Date with her. That is one way for me to write, if I schedule it in; another way is to remind myself that while I am not published now, the only way for me to have that possibility is to generate new writing (my agent, btw, is still out with my Regency-set historical, but things are moving slowly, so it's not completely a dead ms. Whew for me).

Another way to motivate myself is through rewards: If I write this chapter, I can justify spending money and time on novels. If I don't keep writing, I'll just be wasting my time and money on a passion I can ill afford.

Plus Spring always makes me cheery, and today is a particularly beautiful day in New York City.

So now? I am going back to writing. Let me know how you stay motivated for whatever you do.

Megan

Escape of the Corsican Monster

On this day in 1815, Napoleon escaped from the island of Elba, where he'd been exiled for just under a year, set sail for France, and in one of those unexpected twists of history, returned to power. No one's quite sure how he managed to escape, but Napoleon was a man of great energy and industry, and although contemporary cartoons depict him as a disconsolate exile on a rocky island, that was artistic license. His exile gave rise to this palidrome--able was I ere I saw Elba.

Now one of the many differences between the rest of us and the Corsican Monster is that if we were living in a castle in this sort of scenery, we'd grit our teeth and stay put. But not Napoleon. Apart from plotting his escape, he was quite busy as Emperor of Elba, carrying out social and economic reforms. He had a personal escort of 1,000 men, a household staff, and 110,000 subjects.

It was a time of great misery for Napoleon, the man who'd once had almost all of Europe at his feet. The Treaty of Fontainbleu, which appointed him Emperor of Elba, also sent his wife and son to Vienna. Napoloen was so distraught he attempted to commit suicide with a vial of poison he carried, but the poison was old and only made him sick. Shortly after his arrival, he learned of the death of the former Empress Josephine.

It's possible his English guardians on the island aided, or at least turned a blind eye to, Napoleon's escape plans. The restored French monarchy was proving unsatisfactory, which meant that once again the balance of power in Europe was threatened. This is discussed in this fascinating article, A Sympathetic Ear: Napoleon, Elba, and the British, which also explores the phenomenon of Napoleon as tourist trap.

British seamen proved to be keen visitors. Indeed, Napoleon had embarked for Elba on April 28th, aboard the frigate HMS Undaunted, whose captain, Thomas Ussher, wrote home on May 1st: 'It has fallen to my extraordinary lot to be the gaolor of the instrument of the misery Europe has so long endured'. By the end of the month, the man whom Ussher could not even bring himself to name had become his 'bon ami', and had given him 2,000 bottles of wine, and a diamond encrusted snuffbox. In return Ussher presented Napoleon with a barge, which he flatteringly reserved for his own exclusive use.

Napoleon landed in Cannes on March 1 and declared:

I am the sovereign of the Island of Elba, and have come with six hundred men to attack the King of France and his six hundred thousand soldiers. I shall conquer this kingdom.

As he progressed through France, soldiers sent to attack him instead joined him, so that he made a triumphant return into Paris on March 20. There's a great first-hand account of his arrival here.

I'm over at the History Hoydens today talking about the French invasion of Fishguard in Wales, a fascinating but fairly obscure event, and it brings to mind similar thoughts. We have the popular image of Napoleon brooding alone on his rocky island, when in fact he was as busy as ever, planning his escape and probably with British collusion.

So why do you think some historical legends persist and others are forgotten?

Would you have gone to visit Napoleon on Elba?

Heroine of the Battle of Salamanca by Delle Jacobs

Good morning, everyone! It's always such a delight to be a Risky for a Day.

You might know I've started my own blog called "In Search of Heroes," and I'm having alot of fun with it- the way I look at it, everything related to reading and writing romance is the search for the hero. Today reinforces my theory because today, my hero is a woman, Susanna Dalton Dalbiac, the Heroine of the Battle of Salamanca..

Susanna was born in 1787 and married James Charles Dalbiac, who had joined the 4th Light Dragoons as a cornet in 1797 and made them his lifelong career. Charles joined the Portugal campaign in April 1809, and when he fell ill of a fever, Susanna rushed to his side to nurse him,
and thereafter stayed with him.

According to William Napier, "This gentle lady has followed her husband through two whole campaigns in the Spanish Peninsula. She has been by his side in every danger- in every vicissitude she has borne her loving share. In all the thrilling movements of the past few days she has ridden close to her husband's regiment. Again and again has he urged her to seek security but as often she has refused to leave him."

On the night before the Battle of Salamanca, Susanna and her husband slept beneath the stars, she wrapped in his greatcoat, when a thunderstorm struck, stampeding the terrified cavalry horses. Charles snatched up his wife to safety atop some artillery pieces, and he climbed up after her, but there were many of the dragoons who were trampled, Thirty horses were still missing the next morning.

Despite such an inauspicious start to the day, Wellington found the advantage he needed in the audacious mistake of his counterpart, Marmont, who thought he was seizing an opportunity to outflank the British-Portuguese Army. But he didn't know Wellington had judiciously hidden Pakenham's 3rd Division behind the hill, at an angle to the main force, the very place where Marmont's troops hurried to attack and turn the British flank. As the French over-extended themselves to trap their foe, Pakenham lunged, cutting off a good part of the French forces. Then
Le Marchant's Heavy Cavalry came at the enemy in a wild and brutal assault that left the French in ruins and their commander, Thomieres, dead..

The 4th Light Dragoons were a part of Le Marchant's assault, and Susanna rode after them. As described by Major Elliott, "The cannon shot of the enemy flew past her, the French shells burst all around. Leaden bullets pierced her riding habit in many places.. . The cavalry trumpets rang
out an order, the horses broke into a rapid trot, she drew aside her horse, for she knew that a desperate charge was at that moment to be delivered."

As the cavalry rode into their own cloud of dust, Susanna spotted a color guard with an arm wound gushing blood, and she bandaged it and gave him wine from her flask. From then on, she raced about from one wounded man to another offering aid, and when her wine was gone, she
bent to a stream to refill her flask, bullets flying all around her and splashing water in her face.

It was many hours later, hunting through the thousands of dead, dying and wounded, not knowing if he lived or had died, before she finally caught up with her husband again, and they embraced on the battlefield. "As the regiment was dismissed from its ranks, all its remaining men gathered around the brave lady with demonstrations of deepest admiration and respect."

Susanna stayed with her husband until they returned to England, and never returned to the campaign again. In 1814, she gave birth to her daughter, Susanna Stephania Dalbiac, who later married the Scottish Duke of Roxburgh. Many years later, Charles spoke of his wife, "Of this
incomparable wife I will only add that a mind of the most refined cast, and with the frame of body alas too delicate she was, when in the field, a stranger to personal fear."

In looking for pictures of Susanna, I could find nothing at all. Then I came upon a family genealogy site which showed a picture of her husband James Charles Dalbiac, in his later years, still in uniform, and one of her daughter. But there's something wrong with that photo. Most of you can probably spot it quickly. The young woman in the photo- probably a photo of a painting- is wearing a dress of the very late 18th or very early 19th Century, when the elder Susanna would have been a young woman. The younger Susanna was not born when this style was in
fashion. So I think the similarity of names fooled someone, and likely the younger Susanna's husband was better known.

There's another reason I believe this photo is of Susanna Dalton Dalbiac. When I look at her as a young woman, and at Charles as an older man, there's just something in their faces. These two were married to each other, don't you agree?
--
Delle Jacobs
SINS OF THE HEART
ADVENTURE as rich as gold * LOVE as delicious as chocolate
www.dellejacobs.com

Jane Austen's Oscar Nominees

In all the rampant Oscar coverage, I'm shocked that no journalist unearthed the fact that the early versions of all five of this year's Best Picture nominees were actually written by Jane Austen!

There. You didn't know it either, did you?

What -- you don't believe me?

Here, as proof, are excerpts from all five:


Jane Austen's SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

No one who had ever seen this slumdog in his infancy would have supposed him born to be a millionaire. His situation in life, the poverty of his father and mother, his predatory elder brother, were all equally against him. He was fond of all boy's plays, and greatly preferred cricket not merely to reading, but even to life itself--for how else might one explain his unaccountable attachment to bowling at the wicket even in the face of rapidly descending airships? His school was three months in teaching him the names of two of the musketeers, but he never was able to remember the third, for he was often inattentive, and occasionally lured by an award-winning soundtrack into running through the streets of Mumbai during school hours.


Jane Austen's BENJAMIN BUTTON

Daisy, who could not think a man only a few years older than herself so exceedingly ancient as he appeared to the fancy of certain in the room, ventured to clear Grandma Fuller from the probability of wishing to throw ridicule on his age.

"But at least, Grandmamma, you cannot deny the absurdity of the accusation, though you may not think it intentionally ill-natured. Benjamin Button is certainly older than I am, but he is young enough to be my brother. It is too ridiculous! When is a man to be safe from such wit, if youth and vigor will not protect him?"

"Vigor!" said her grandmother, "do you call Benjamin Button vigorous? I can easily suppose that his age may appear much less to you than to one my age; but you can hardly deceive yourself as to his having the use of his limbs! Did not you hear him complain of the rheumatism? and is not that the commonest infirmity of declining life?"

"Grandmamma, you are not doing me justice. You know very well that Benjamin Button is not old enough to make his friends yet apprehensive of losing him in the course of nature. He may live twenty years longer."


Jane Austen's MILK

Harvey Milk ascended the podium and began speaking. "There is one thing," said he, "which a man can always do, if he chuses, and that is, his duty; not by manoeuvring and finessing, but by vigour and resolution. It is the duty of any American to enter a vote in favour of equal rights. He knows it to be so; and if he wished to do it, it might be done. A man who felt rightly would act at once, simply and resolutely, within the ballot box, as well as without."


Jane Austen's FROST/NIXON

Mr. Frost gazed steadily at his companion. "I say again, Mr. Nixon--Did you see what happened to the missing eighteen minutes? And do you feel in your heart any degree of shame or regret for committing actions which were not in complete accordance with legal statute?"

"And now that I understand your question," cried Mr. Nixon, "I must pronounce it to be a very unfair one. It is always the president's right to decide on the degree of erasure of any secret record. John Dean must already have given his account.-- I shall not commit myself by claiming more than he may chuse to allow."

"Upon my word! you answer as discreetly as G. Gordon Liddy could do himself. But his account of every thing leaves so much to be guessed, he is so very reserved, so very unwilling to give the least information about any body, that I really think you must say more than you have so far."

"Must I, indeed?" exclaimed Mr. Nixon. "Then I will speak the truth, and nothing suits me so well. The truth, my dear Mr. Frost, is that if the president does it, it cannot with literal truth be said to be in actual violation of the law."

Mr Frost's handsome face betrayed surprise. After a moment, he said quietly, "Excuse me?"

"Do I shock you?"

"No," said Mr. Frost in some embarrassment. "I simply have no idea what you just said."


Jane Austen's THE READER

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of a good figure, must be in want of a young, skinny, inexperienced lover.

However little known the feelings or views of such a woman may be on her first meeting any teen boys, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the boys (if, indeed, such creatures can be said to have minds at all), that she is considered the rightful property of some one or other of them.

"My dear beautiful blonde mystery woman," said one such skinny teenager, "have you heard that I am available to have an intimate liaison?"

The blonde woman replied that she had not.

"But I am," returned he; "and I can offer you all the benefits of a regular love affaire except for skill, experience, clever conversation, or any knowledge of the world."


There you have it! The scoop of the year!

And you saw it here first -- on Risky Regencies. (And if you want to read Jane Austen's versions of STAR TREK, DARK KNIGHT, and more, just click on the "Austen Trek" link at the bottom of this post!)


Cara
Cara King, who was also written by Jane Austen

Winner of Sophia Nash's Love With A Perfect Scoundrel

The Winner of Love With A Perfect Scoundrel is......
Margie!

Email us at riskies@yahoo.com and give us your address.

The Riskies

Gaming Counters

(I'll leave the Academy Award Blog to Amanda, but just gotta say--Is there anything Hugh Jackman can't do????)


Last week my friends Mary Blayney, Julie Halperson, Lavinia Kent, and I finally got together for our Christmas dinner--(we were all very busy)

This was my gift to each of them. It is The Jane Austen Centre's eco-friendly shopping bag. You can order one of your own, or any number of lovely things here.

This is what Lavinia gave me:

Gaming Counters from the 19th Century! What our Regency heroes and heroines gambled with, like we would gamble with poker chips.

It was the fashion in the mid-1700s -1800s to use these small (that's a US quarter to give you an idea of size) mother-of-pearl chips for gambling, or even friendly games of cards. The chips came from China, through the East India Company. Each is carved and each have a Chinese scene on them. Here is a nice little history of the Chinese gaming counters.

And here is a good image of two counters and the kind of detail that are on them.












The gaming counters came in a variety of shapes, some like fish.

These are what Lydia Bennett meant in Pride & Prejudice, when she talked "incessantly of lottery tickets, of the fish she had lost and the fish she had won..."

You can win this set of counters on ebay.

Some of you know Lavinia. She was a 2008 Golden Heart Finalist and has been a GH finalist a bunch of times. Her GH entry, A Talent for Sin, sold to Avon and will be released in May!! She'll be our Risky Regency guest author when the book is released.

Do you like to play cards? What is your favorite card or board or computer game?
Do you like eco-friendly bags? Do you use them at the grocery store?
Have you found something Hugh Jackman can't do?

Visit Diane's website to learn about her April Undone, The Unlacing of Miss Leigh, and her April Novella, Justine and the Noble Viscount, in The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor.
Diane is also blogging today at Wet Noodle Posse about "Writing Love Scenes from Real Life"

Sophia Nash is here!

Nash's vibrant, fresh storytelling sparkles as she tells the tale of a woman's secret desires and the man who can make them all come true. Here's a fantastic story you'll want to go on forever! --Romantic Time BOOKreviews 4 1/2 stars for Love With A Proper Scoundrel

Let's give a warm Riskies' welcome to my friend, Sophia Nash. I knew Sophia even before she became an award-winning Regency Romance author, and I'm delighted she's visiting us today. Sophia writes for AVON and she's here to talk about Book 3 in her Widows Club series. Sophia is also giving away a signed copy of Love With A Proper Scoundrel to one lucky commenter.---Diane


1. Tell us about Love With A Perfect Scoundrel.
This is the third book in the series I've had a wickedly fun time creating for Avon.
Here is the back cover blurb:
Twice jilted in the last two years, the achingly beautiful yet stoic Grace, Countess of Sheffield has given up on love. Now she's no longer capable of maintaining the elegant, serene facade with the members of the Duchess of Helston's secret circle of friends. And so she flees… only to encounter wretched disaster during the carriage ride north.
But little does Grace know that once she faces all fate has tossed her way, she will find a new life…with a tall, rugged stranger who not only saves her life but forces her to dig deep into her hidden reserves of desire and fortitude to blossom into the woman she was destined to become—a lady willing to sacrifice all for a mysterious, yet powerful man who insists he is nothing more than a perfect scoundrel.

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

It started with a character--Grace Sheffey. Many readers wrote in and demanded that this poor woman have her own happily ever after after the first two books. She was a challenge to write because after horrid endings for her in the first two books, she was very unsure of herself. So right away I put her in a situation where she had no choice but to prove how strong she was under her elegant facade. And the hero? Well, Michael Ranier is my very favorite hero I've ever created--enough said.

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

Absolutely-- the plot! While the characters were firmly fixed in my head early on, the overall plot was more elusive. Luckily I had planned a research trip to England months before. After driving 1,200 miles through a gazillion hair-raising roundabouts, I arrived in Derbyshire--right into the teeth of a freak snowstorm. And I wondered....what if Grace Sheffey got caught in a blizzard in Derbyshire? A hundred scenes popped into my head and a story was born.

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

I remember one of my favorite authors suggesting a long time ago that it was very difficult to have only two characters in a story. And she was right. But I wanted to delve deep into the psyches of two strangers cocooned in the middle of nowhere together. I have to say that I really loved writing this part of the book. The extraordinary chemistry between the hero/heroine made it easier than I had imagined. The tricky part was weaving in bits and pieces of the mysteries and secrets of Grace and Michael along the way.
Can you tell I loved writing this book? It's not always that way. I will admit that The Kiss gave me ALOT of sleepless nights!

5. Your books have won an incredible number of awards in the relatively few years (in publishing years) that you’ve been writing, including the biggest of all, the RITA. What has this been like for you?

Well, while the initial glow of winning an award is lovely, I've also learned not to take any of it seriously. Author Anne Lamott wrote something like, "whenever the world throws rose petals at you, beware the cosmic banana peel right behind." I've found this to be dead on. Right after the RITA and having a book named "Top Ten Romance of the Year" by Booklist the Signet Regency line closed, I struggled with a proposal that flopped, changed agents, wrote a new proposal, etc. ad nauseum before FINALLY, my stories found a new home.
And of course the opposit is true re my Banana Peel View on winning awards: All the writers watching the winners crying on stage are the ones with the last laugh since they're the ones being offered the "significant" deals, right?

5. You’ve also had a variety of exciting careers, from news producer to Capitol Hill speech writer to Executive Director of the Washington International Horse Show. Why in the world did you become a Romance Writer? And how does writing Regency Romance compare?

The reason I turned to writing is a very sad story. My father, a WWII war hero and the most avid reader I’ve ever known, had always talked about the idea of one of us writing a novel. During the last stage of an illness, he made me promise to write a book because he said life was too short and he knew I secretly wanted to write. So I I forced myself to write a terrifyingly bad first draft of A Secret Passion. My father edited the first few chapters and I gave him my word before he died that I would see it through. Needless to say it is dedicated to him. Which of my jobs did I like best? Writing will always be my first love, although the nightly adreneline rush of the Miami newsroom was great. It was kind of like boot camp with alot of hairspray and duct tape.

6. What’s next for you?

An anthology: Four Dukes and a Devil arrives on book shelves this coming July. And then the final book in the Widows Club quartet, which I'm currently writing. Although...there might be another widow or other liar lurking about in mourning if the powers that be have a say...

Here's your chance to ask Sophia a question. Or simply make a comment. You'll be in the running for her prize, Love With A Proper Scoundrel
Thanks for blogging with us today, Sophia!

Independent Characters and Other Nuisances

Happy Saturday, everyone! I am off to our annual Friends of the Library book sale this morning (500,000 books all piled up, just waiting for me! And super-cheap, too). But first, a couple items. I've been doing research this week on 18th century fashions, and posted some of the gorgeous images on my own blog. And I've finally set up my own Facebook page, so "friend" me, if I haven't already tracked you down! And I just added a Risky Regencies page yesterday, so while you're at it come and sign on as a Fan...

And, of course, tomorrow is the Oscars. My predictions--Actress, Winslet (she is way past due!); Actor, Penn (maybe Rourke); Supporting Actress, Cruz, the only really good thing in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, except Barcelona itself (or maybe Davis--she only had one scene in Doubt, but it was an amazing one); Supporting Actor, Ledger; Picture, Slumdog Millionaire (a good movie, IMO, but not a great one, not a Best Picture for the Ages, but still the best of this lackluster line-up). And Costumes, I'm going to guess The Duchess.

Plus Hugh Jackman is the host. I would watch for that if nothing else.


Now on to today's RR topic! A few weeks ago, Julia Justiss guest-blogged about smugglers. I've never written a book featuring smugglers, though I've thought about it. But I do love me some anti-authority characters, both as a reader and a writer (and in real-life historical figures, too!). I'm always attracted to characters who follow their own natures and hearts, even when it has the potential to get them into trouble. Who refuse to conform, to compromise their own essential characters.

At the moment, I'm wrestling with this in my WIP. It's the first book in my "Irish trilogy" (out from Grand Central Publishing in February 2010!), set amidst the 1798 United Irishmen uprising. In this story, it's my heroine, Eliza, who is anti-authority--despite being a countess (and thus not really "outsider," as Megan talked about yesterday), she believes fervently in Irish independence, and has been writing "seditious" pamphlets and aiding fugitives. Back into her life comes her girlhood sweetheart, William, the gorgeous man she never forgot. But he is a major in the British Army. He sees the injustices of life in Ireland, but believes they can only be solved from the "inside," reforming politics--not overthrowing it, as Eliza and her friends think. Neither will budge--which will prevail? (And when will they stop being stubborn and do what I tell them???)

Any which way, the dilemmas of these two strong people have me tied up in writing knots...

Who are some of your favorite anti-authority characters? (Or types--smugglers, pirates, rebels, bluestockings?). Any Oscar predictions or favorites? And now I am off to book-shop, yay! I will let you know if I make any great finds today.

Race Relations

Is everybody in the world sick with the flu? Or does it only seem like that?

Anyhoo, when our house hasn't been running through tissues like a bunch of softies watching Terms of Endearment, I've been revising my super-racy, not-quite-erotic novella. It takes place in Paris in 1831, and its hero is a Free Person of Color.

The first inspiration for him was Barbara Hambly's Benjamin January, a free man of color in New Orleans around the same era. January spent many years in Paris, enjoying freedoms unknown to persons of color in America. But in figuring out how my guy ended up in France, I had to research how persons of color became freed in the slave era. Like January, Fortune--my hero--had been freed by his owner. Unlike January, however, he was freed only at his owner's death, a former placee [a woman of color who entered into a legal contract with a white man to be his official mistress] who had a sizeable fortune and owned property in New Orleans.

[I originally wanted my hero's former owner to be Haitian, but it was a more direct route from New Orleans to Paris; but do check out the history of the first successful slave revolt in Haiti here. Really cool.]

There are a few examples of such a woman, including Eulalie de Mandeville, whose white lover married her at his deathbed and left her his entire fortune, which was upheld even though his white relatives contested the will. Another such example is Rosette Rochon, who took what her various white lovers bestowed upon her and speculated in real estate, entered in money-lending and bought and sold mortgages, among other things. She died at age 96, still illiterate, with a fortune valued at about a million dollars in current valuation.

It's been interesting, as a white twentieth century woman, to navigate the delicate balance of race relations in France in the nineteenth century. I have to admit, moreover, that my first draft didn't take that into account, so I am revising with an eye to that.

Hambly describes January's constant concern that he be taken and sold as a slave, despite being freed. He carries one set of papers at all times showing his status, but keeps another set in a secure spot in case the first set doesn't suffice. My hero is equally uncertain as to how he will be treated, and he carries that awareness of race with him, no matter how much money is in his pocket.

One of my favorite themes, both in reading and in writing, is the outsider, and Fortune is the epitome of that: An educated, dark person of color living in a white world with resources but without ever quite belonging.

Do you like reading outsider stories? Do you have favorite outsider heroes or heroines? And would you think this kind of story too risky for a romance?

Blue Thursday

So what is Prussian blue?

You can read a fairly technical description at Wikipedia or a slightly less daunting description at painting.about.com, but briefly it was a synthetic pigment first discovered by accident in Berlin in 1704 by the chemist and paintmaker Heinrich Diesbach and alchemist Johann Konrad Dippel; it was Dippel who was responsible for providing Diesbach with contaminated potash while he was trying to create a red pigment. Dippel, I guess, was probably trying to turn some unlikely substance into gold.

Previously, the only way to get a vivid blue was to use ground lapis lazuli, expensive and rare, which is one of the reasons the color blue has powerful religious symbolism, the color of the sky and of the Virgin Mary's robes. Prussian blue quickly became the first, easily available commercial blue color, used in paint and fabric, the "greatest hit" color of the eighteenth century, and one of its first commercial uses was for the uniforms of the Prussian army.

It quickly caught on as a popular color for house interiors. The bright blue showed off elaborate plaster ceilings to great effect. This is the drawing room at Kenmore in Fredericksburg, VA, where George Washington's sister Betty lived (and which reopens after restoration on March 1). This is Prussian blue mixed with yellow ochre, to give the "in your face" shade so popular at that time.

Here's painting underway at Montpelier, VA, the home of James Madison, which reopened after major restoration last year. The original Prussian Blue, applied in 1775, lasted until 1844, when the last of the Madison line sold the house--the durability and resistance to staining or fading of the color was another reason for its popularity. I blogged about visiting Montpelier while it was under restoration in 2007 and I'm hoping to go back and see the finished product soon (and blog about it!).

These gorgeous, restored blue doors are from the Temple of Concord and Victory at Stowe House, UK. The building of the temple was started by Lord Cobham in the mid eighteenth century, with James Gibbs, architect of St-Martin-in-the-Fields and other famous buildings. In the great tradition of aristocrat dabblers, Cobham's descendants messed with the design. Below, left, is Stowe, and the restored temple to the right.














For more about the color blue, read this wonderful book by Michel Pastoureau.

If you're interested in historic interior design or restoration, visit adelphipaperhangings.com where you can look at before and after restoration pictures of early wallpapers. Wallpapers deserve their very own post, which I'll probably do at some time.

Have you visited any historic sites recently, or any sites where restoration is underway? Or what places would you like to visit?

Elizabeth K. Mahon Guests On Lady Emma Hamilton!

This Wednesday, we welcome guest blogger Elizabeth K. Mahon, who writes the Scandalous Women blog, covering women of repute throughout the ages. In addition to that, Elizabeth is the past President of RWA-NYC, a former actress, the consummate New Yorker, and a woman who wears the most incredible shoes.

Welcome, Elizabeth!


I’m thrilled and excited to be here at the Risky Regencies today. I write about Scandalous Women, and one of my favorites is Emma Hamilton and her love affair with Horatio Nelson. The film That Hamilton Woman, starring real life lovers Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh at the height of their beauty and fame, was my first introduction to their story (How crushed was I when I realized that the real Lord Nelson looked nothing like Olivier). Nelson and Emma’s rise to fame neatly coincided with the rise of the tabloid press in Britain. Their affair was not just the talk of Britain, but France and Italy as well. England’s Hero and England’s Mistress coming together seemed designed to sell newspapers and magazines. Not since Antony and Cleopatra had the world seen anything like it. Their romance was a publicist’s dream come true.

Maid, wardrobe mistress, celestial goddess, courtesan, artist's model, fashion icon, and ambassadress, Emma Hamilton had lived more lives by the time she met Nelson than most women do in a lifetime. Born to a dirt poor family, she started life as plain Amy Lyon on April 26, 1765 in Ness, a small village twelve miles from Liverpool. By the time she was twelve, young Amy was on her way to London to find work as a maid.

By the age of seventeen, Emma had found her first protector--Sir Harry Fetherstonhaugh, a spoiled young squire. The relationship lasted until Emma found herself pregnant with his child whom she named Emma. Sir Harry refused to acknowledge the child as his, kicking Emma to the curb. But she had already met her next protector, Charles Greville. Now calling herself Emma Hart, she began to pose for the great artists of the day including George Romney and Sir Joshua Reynolds. Soon prints of her portraits were available everywhere, making her an 18th century sex symbol. Emma had the type of beauty that transcends time and fashion. Looking at her portraits, one sees a young woman who radiates on the surface an innocent sensuality but with a slightly knowing look in her eye. When Greville began to tire of her, he passed her on to his uncle Sir William Hamilton who had long been the ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples.

At first upset to learn that she was being treated like a hand-me down sweater, Emma soon realized the opportunity she had been given. Always anxious to please, she made herself indispensable to Sir William, fussing over him when he was sick, learning to speak French and Italian, and taking singing and dancing lessons. Entertaining English visitors and foreign guests with her ‘Attitudes,’ Emma soon found herself the toast of Naples. She became a confidante of the Queen, Maria Carolina, and cultivated the friendship of celebrities like the Duchess of Devonshire. After several years as his mistress, Sir William and Emma were secretly married, probably around 1791.

In late 1798 Emma and Nelson met again. They had met briefly in 1793 when he was plain Captain Nelson. Now he was the hero of the Battle of the Nile and Emma was determined that Nelson would fall in love with her. Not only would it be her crowning achievement but it would catapult her onto the world stage. Before he’d even arrived, she’d primed him by writing a passionate fan letter to him. ‘How shall I begin? It is impossible to write….I am delirious with joy and assure I have a fervour caused by agitation and pleasure.’ When he arrived at the docks to a hero's welcome, Emma threw herself into his one arm, weeping. She flattered him; threw huge parties in his honor, and went out of her way to make friends with his step-son Josiah. Not exactly a dreamboat, Nelson was less than five foot six, scrawny, weather-beaten, with one good eye and arm. It was a dream come true that this beautiful woman found him exciting.

In Emma, it seemed he’d found his ideal woman. Like her, Nelson was a self-made man, ambitious, headstrong, longing for fame and riches. Born to a country rector, he joined the navy at the age of 12 as a midshipman. Married to a widow with a young son, the marriage floundered when it became apparent that there would be no children and that she wasn’t the great heiress he’d assumed she was. Before Emma and Nelson were lovers in truth, everyone was gossiping about the two. Nelson was so in love that he was soon neglecting his duties, reluctant to leave his mistress. Sir William turned a blind eye to the relationship between Nelson and his wife. He was fond of him, and was probably happy to have someone else entertain his energetic young wife. All of London was buzzing about the scandalous affair; caricatures soon appeared in the print shops depicting the relationship.

Emma determined to give Nelson the one thing that his wife couldn’t give him, a child, preferably a son. During her pregnancy, she started a fashion craze for what was essentially a maternity dress. In January 1801, she was granted her wish, when she gave birth to Nelson’s daughter whom she named Horatia. The idyll ended with Nelson’s death in 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar. Emma had already lost Sir William in 1803, but Nelson’s death sent her into despair.

She was also deeply in debt. Emma had always lived beyond her means, and now with limited funds from Sir William’s estate, she was hard pressed. Despite Nelson’s dying wish that the nation should take care of his mistress, no money was ever forthcoming. For the next several years Emma tried to keep up appearances, giving lavish parties for her friends. She was also supporting several of Nelson’s relatives as well as her own poor relations. Three years after his death, she owed thousands of pounds to a host of creditors. Soon she was forced to sell Merton, the home she had shared with Nelson and many other mementoes of their life together.

A wiser woman would have quickly tried to find another husband or at least a protector. But when one has been the beloved of one of the greatest heroes England had ever known, how could any mortal man compete? Emma finally fled to Calais in 1814 to escape her creditors. By now her health was ruined from too much rich wine and food, and she also might have caught a parasite. Racked with pain, and tended by her teenage daughter Horatia, Emma died on January 15, 1815. She is buried in Calais, far from her lover Nelson. Their daughter Horatia married a clergyman and had eight children. Although she was happy to claim Lord Nelson as her father, until her death, Horatia refused to believe that Emma was her mother.

Emma’s story continues to fascinate because it is a story about ambition and heartbreak, love and pain. She rose from the depths of poverty to the heights of fame and fortune, only to end up back where she started. Her childhood had left her ambitious, and hungry for the limelight, but it was a hunger that could never be appeased. Emma always wanted more. Like Icarus in the Greek myth, perhaps she flew too high.

Thanks, Elizabeth! Please visit Elizabeth's blog Scandalous Women to read more about other fascinating ladies.

What's your favorite historical true-life romances? What movie or book got you first intrigued about the period, like That Hamilton Woman did for Elizabeth?

Brain Reboot needed

Sorry for the late post!

My brain has been offline since sometime yesterday evening.

I need a massive reboot.

Any suggestions? So far I've tried sleep and tea...

(Hence the picture here of tea! I'm massively creative today. Obviously.)



And don't forget...

on the first Tuesday of March...

we'll be discussing the Anthony Andrews SCARLET PIMPERNEL!

So please join us...


Cara
Cara King, who can't think up anything clever for her sig line either

Regency Military Organization

Last night as I was plugging along on my revisions, I discovered AN ERROR, one I could not ignore, even though maybe only about two readers would recognize the error.

From the beginning of this book, my villain was a general in the British army and his son, the mini-villain, was his cowardly aide de camp. I thought I was so lucky because I put him in charge of a regiment, the Royal Scots (1st Regiment of Foot), while my hero was in the East Essex (44th Regiment) and they both fought at the battles I needed them to, including Waterloo.

A couple of days ago I also discovered that these two regiments fought at Quatre Bras as well as Waterloo AND they were in the same brigade. This fit perfectly with some changes I'd decided to make.

Then last night I noticed something. The real commanders of the regiments were all colonels. After about two hours of searching the internet and my dozens of Napoleonic War books, I verified that, indeed, colonels commanded regiments, not generals, and colonels do not have aids de camp. (I also phoned my friend Eugene Ossa who knew all this stuff off the top of his head)

So I had to revamp a few things and go through the whole manuscript to make sure I fixed everything.

Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep last night....

This is what I learned.
Armies were made up of Divisions (and Artillery, but that's a whole different ballgame)
Divisions were made up of Brigades
Brigades were made up of Regiments
Regiments were made up of Companies.

Armies were led by important people, like Wellington, called Field Marshall Wellington in this battle.
Divisions were commanded by Lieutenant Generals
Brigades were commanded by Major Generals (inferior in rank to Lt. Generals)
Regiments were commanded by Colonels, assisted by Majors.
Companies were commanded by Captains, assisted by Lieutenants.

Of course, each regiment had surgeons, bandsmen, clergy, a paymaster, but I didn't need to know that to solve my problem.

I sent my manuscript on time, then got permission to go through it one more time, just to polish the prose (and hope that I don't discover another ERROR)

But first I'm going to sleep.....


So...has this ever happened to you?
Do you understand the British Army in 1815???

Stay Tuned

Diane is still in the throes of revisions with only two hours to go before her deadline passes one way or another.

Here is something to console you in the meantime.