The Fan Museum--and some news

I'm still talking about my trip--I blogged last week about visiting the Regency Town House in Brighton, but while I was in England I made two trips to London. On one, I took a guided tour of Mayfair, and blog about it today at the History Hoydens.

I also took a trip to Greenwich, traveling there on the river and it was freezing, but well worth it. For one, you really get an idea of how huge London is, and how impressive the Thames is, with its wonderful meandering curves. You travel past a lot of reclaimed and tarted up wharves (now owned by people who are probably deeply regretting the investment), and past the London Eye, the Globe and the replica of the Golden Hind.

And Greenwich itself is amazing. I visited the National Maritime Museum where you can see the coat Nelson wore when he died and the barge King George I rode in when Handel's Water Music was performed.

But it was outside the Park that I discovered what has to be one of my favorite museums, the Fan Museum. Check out their site because it has some really wonderful images and information. The museum is in a gorgeous, impeccably restored Georgian house on a pretty, quiet street--quiet for London, that is! This isn't actually a photo of the museum but of the street itself, and everything was green and lovely because it was raining. The houses are quite small and would probably have been occupied by merchants or retired Naval officers (I like to house mistresses in Greenwich but I'm not sure why).

It also has an award-winning bathroom and a lovely garden. Yes, the English give out awards for Best Loos, and it was really splendid. As were the contents of the museum and the wonderful, knowledgeable staff. One of the things I found fascinating about the fan industry was that women were featured very strongly in fan manufacturing. Another is that the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers, the guild established in 1709 and which sounds straight out of Terry Pratchett, is still going strong and has made a flawless transition into modern times with the adoption of air-conditioning, aviation, and aerospace industries. No kidding.

You can also see some great pictures of fans at Candice Hern's fabulous collection.

If you fancy owning a fan yourself, here's a gorgeous Regency one, with its original box, for sale at The Cupid and the Swan.

And, oh yes, the so-called secret language of the fan ... well, if everyone can decipher it, it's not much of a secret, is it? The staff of the museum assured me it was purely a Victorian marketing ploy.

And now for my big news: I have sold a two-book deal, Immortal Jane, to HarperCollins. The first one, coming out next summer, is about Jane Austen joining forces with sexy vampires to save the city of Bath from the dastardly French. My working title, which I hope I can keep, is Blood Bath (groan). Oh yes, I'm gonna have fun with this. I'm excited! I am, in fact, fanning myself even as I write... it's almost as good as a cream tea (my brother had the coffee. For some reason, cream coffee just doesn't sound as good).

Have you had any writing successes or read or eaten anything good recently?

Regency crochet?

Hello, everyone. I actually have a regular post, which I’d planned to do before my husband suffered a stroke in January. But first, since I know many of you are kind enough to be interested, I’ll give a brief update.

About a week ago, we celebrated Rich’s return from the rehab center with a banner and an ice cream cake. He is strong enough now that I can care for him safely at home, and he is rising to all the challenges of moving about in a real world environment. He’s managed the 14 steps up to our 2nd floor and though it tires him, it’s good therapy. Until he is able to travel more easily, Rich will get physical and occupational therapy from a home care agency. I’m in the process of arranging for a good speech therapist to come to our home (I can’t seem to light a fire under the one from the agency) but hope to have that problem resolved soon.

I am really enjoying taking an increased role in Rich’s recovery, though it does leave little time for anything else. Writing feels like a terribly distant dream at this point. However there are small miracles to celebrate. I never thought I'd be so excited by a man just wiggling his big toe! LOL

Now to my post. Last December, I started crocheting a scarf for a friend, similar to one she'd admired in a store. After Rich had the stroke, I continued to crochet in hospital waiting rooms, by his bedside while he was sleeping, etc... Keeping my hands busy helped me stay calm during a chaotic and scary time.

Earlier, I’d wondered if Regency ladies crocheted, so I did some research into it. I found some interesting information in the “History of Crochet” by Ruthie Marks.

Although sources differ, some believe crochet originated with tambour work, a form of embroidery that uses a hook to create patterns on a background fabric. Originated in the East but reached Europe around 1860. Sometime around 1800 tambour work evolved into what the French called “crochet in the air”.

So crochet would have been a relatively new craft for a Regency lady. I’ve found little to suggest it was widely popular until Queen Victoria began to crochet. She made eight scarves for selected British soldiers during the South African war.

During the Victorian and Edwardian periods, crochet grew in popularity, reaching heights of virtuosity demonstrated in this example of crochet lace from Clones, Ireland.

Since then, crochet has evolved in various directions from the ugly

to the weird

to the downright eyeball-searing.

These images come from What Not to Crochet, a blog I check out when I'm in desperate need of a good laugh.

No wonder crochet has gotten something of a bad name. Yet there are some artisans out there creating beautiful designs, such as Sophie Digard, several of whose designs are pictured below. Though I no longer have time to crochet, someday it would be fun to attempt something as intricate and lovely. But by then I should be back to WRITING.

Anyone else enjoy crochet? Is there something special you reach for when you need to center yourself? Sites you visit for a good laugh?

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

P.S. A friend just tipped me off about a post at Dear Author announcing a new release from Laura Kinsale! Hurray!

Bringing Sexy Back

This weekend, I was doing laundry after my vacation and cleaning out piles of old magazines, flipping through them before I put them in the recycle bin. (I like to tear out pics of pretty dresses, lipsticks to try, useful location/character images, etc). Anyway, I came across last summer's In Style "what's sexy now?" issue. As usual, some of the photos were gorgeous; some did nothing for me. Just like some actors or books others love and go crazy for leave me cold, and vice versa. And yet "sexy" is a vital concern, for romance novels as well as fashion mags. And in real life, too. (I had a long talk with some girlfriends at dinner Sunday night as I was thinking about this post, and after a couple glasses of wine there was much contention. One of my friends loves Simon Baker, who I think is boring as can be, while she mocks my fascination with Rob Pattinson's angular beauty. Yet we are still friends--I think).

So--what is Sexy now? As romance authors, I guess we have to think about this quite a bit (tough job, I know, but it's for our Art, of course....) How do we make our characters irresistible to each other, and thus to readers, when sexy is such a subjective thing? (For instance, it's not enough to simply make them beautiful. Good looks are no guarantee of sexiness, nor is the lack thereof a deterrent. Was Mr. Rochester any less sexy after the fire?)

But what then makes romance novel characters, movie characters, real-life couples,
drawn to each other, combustible? How do we convey that attraction to readers and make them invested in it, too? It's tough, to say the least. In real-life, and in characters, I do know that I love two qualities that may seem incompatible with each other--intensity and humor. A man who is focused and passionate about what he does, and is funny? Solid gold, people. I like to see that in the heroes I read and write about, too. (And there is such a fine line between "sexy bad-ass intense hero" and "complete jerk you would avoid at all costs"!)

So, now it's your turn. What do you think is sexy? Who are some of your favorite characters, the ones you think of when you think "sexy"? What makes them so for you? Any movies/books that you love and others don't, or vice versa?

Diane's To Do List

To Do List - Week of April 27

1. Write Risky Regencies Blog

2. Begin promotion of The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor with Amanda and Deb
Prepare blog for eHarlequin, Romance Readers at Heart, Romance Vagabonds, Word Wenches (and maybe more!)

3. Write Update information for website (write Behind The Book, Newsletter, new Contest, News, etc.)

4. Read for Critique Group Wednesday (est. 150 pages)

5. Complete second set of revisions for Soldiers Trilogy Book One

6. Begin judging Royal Ascot contest

7. Check eHarlequin eBooks to see if The Unlacing of Miss Leigh is still Number One.

8. Order a carton of The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor

9. Send out promotional material as promised.

10. Write 50 pages of Soldiers Trilogy Book Two.

What do you think? Will I get it all done?

What's on your To Do List this week????

Keep The Unlacing of Miss Leigh on eHarlequin's eBook bestseller list!! Order your copy through my website. Run to your bookstore on May 1 (or 2 or 3) and see if The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor is on the shelves. Tell us if it has a shelf talker! One has already been spotted at a Walmart!

Much Ado About Nothing

Life, such as it is, has been as non-stop busy as usual, except the weather is getting nicer (and I *know* I am getting older, since the weather figures more and more in my conversation).

BUT I have been reading a lot, which is cool, but not found time to write, which is not cool. I have this little problem called 'getting distracted,' usually by 'the shiny,' which could be a new book, a friend, or the time-suckage of the internet.

That said, however, I have dug deep to find a renewed fervor to finish revising this ridiculous story I've been working on forever. That STILL isn't done. But I just registered to attend this year's RWA National Conference in July, so I need to finish it by then, or I will personally cut off my own head.

One friend pointed out recently that perhaps I can only do things under pressure of deadlines, and I know I always notice time deadlines in books and movies--because, after all, what's the point of staying up another hour to read if the hero and heroine have all the time in the world to sort out their problems and fall in love? I want them to feel as much urgency as I do when reading.

For example, I'm reading a book a Twitter friend recommended, The Guards by Ken Bruen. Very dark, very intriguing writing, with a super-dark protagonist (he is NOT a hero). She called it "Irish noir," and that's a good descrip. His time deadline is if he doesn't figure out how to stop the person he knows is doing bad things, bad things will continue to happen to innocent people. But in order to stop the person, he has to do something bad himself, or convince corrupt purportedly good people to stop it. All while dealing with his personal demons, which make Satan seem like Mr. Rogers.

None of this is Regency-related, but it is life-related, which is a universal truth we all deal with. And time is something we all never have enough of.

This week it seems I am babbling more than usual, which is pretty darn remarkable.

So--have you been reading any new-to-you authors? Do you read noir? Who are your favorites (I could go on and on about mine, but will spare you)? Do you like ambiguously dark characters, or do you want them redeemed by the end of the book (I do not think that is going to happen in this book)? Anything else you want to talk about this fine warm Friday?

The Regency Town House

I'm ba-a-a-ck! And, wonder of wonders, I did take a camera, I did figure out how to use it, and I have downloaded some extremely bad pictures of London and Brighton. I have a very few pictures of Greenwich up at Twitter.

I went to Brighton on Tuesday to visit the Regency Town House in the company of Eileen Hathaway (isn't that a great name?), who is an English writer, with her family entourage, a group of design students from the University of Brighton, and some historians--a nice mixed bag. The house, 13 Brunswick Square, is being meticulously restored to the time it was built, the mid 1820s, as part of a brilliant and supermodern development by architect Charles Augustin Busby (who interestingly enough spent some time in New York). His plans not only included housing for "support" industry workers involved in the upkeep of the luxurious lifestyle of the Square's occupants, but also featured piped in water and gas.

Here's a detail of the restoration work on the dining room, on the first (ground if you're English) floor of the house. Isn't it a great color scheme (and if you blow it up you can see the gorgeous plaster work)? I was pleasantly surprised at how nice and girly it was, very unlike the usual bright blues and greens and yellows favored by Regency interior designers. We have Goethe to thank, who developed a color theory that specified purple as being good for the digestion and therefore a popular dining room color.

The second floor of the house consists of a pair of linked drawing rooms that were used, of course, for entertaining--the "open house" style of entertainment meant that several hundred guests would be visiting the house in one evening. Analysis reveals that the wall decoration consisted of painted panels in a neoclassical style and it's possible to see where pictures hung on the wall (research is being done to see what sort of pictures the inhabitants hung). So the task at the moment for the museum is to decide whether to restore the painted panels or choose wallpaper (I vote for the painted panels). The wood frame on the walls, by the way, is for an art exhibit at the house.

Here's the view out of the window, looking out over Brunswick Square. The blinds are exterior storm blinds, because 1820s glass was fragile enough to be broken by hail. It's the only house in Brighton to possess a complete set of storm blinds.

I was also very excited to see the servants' quarters--actually an belonging to the house at No. 10, and in my excitement thought I was taking photos when in fact I wasn't... or lacked impatience for the flash to recharge.

Here's the restored kitchen skylight, which not only brought much needed light into the kitchen but also provided ventilation. The gent in the center is the museum's highly erudite and learned curator, Nick Tyson, who claims that the kitchen was as brilliantly designed and equipped as its big brother kitchen up the road at the Royal Pavilion (which I also visited that day).

And one interesting factoid: the houses of Brighton were not designed to be a glaring pale yellow (this was a good idea adopted by the local government). The stone is actually the same used on the sidewalk, in soft shades of grays and beige, and the ironwork was painted a dark green, to give the idea of the beauties of nature brought into the sophistication of the town.

Altogether a wonderful and satisfying day, and what better way to end it than with a sea view, a toasted teacake and a nice cup of tea in the sun? And yes, the weather was glorious as you can see.

What have you been up to this week?

Guest Post from Author Jenna Petersen/Jess Michaels

Today we welcome author Jenna Petersen, whose book Her Notorious Viscount is out this month from Avon. She also writes as Jess Michaels, and her book, Taboo, came out yesterday!

Take it away, Jenna!


Apocalypse . . . Sometime

Hi everyone and thanks for having me here today. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I’m reading and it’s making me nervous. See, I have two books out currently (HER NOTORIOUS VISCOUNT and TABOO, both of which came out in the last month) and I’m just about to start writing a new book. What have I been reading and watching to pass the nervous hours?

Apocalyptic fiction and television.

Let me explain. It all started with ALAS, BABYLON. I read this book in high school and for some reason it popped into my head (okay, because we watched the horrific train wreck that was “Babylon A.D.” with Vin Diesel and the titles were similar and so I started thinking about the book). I wondered if I’d like it as much as I recalled liking it in high school so next thing you know I had a copy. If you’ve never read the story, here’s the run down…

ALAS, BABYLON was published in 1959 and written by Pat Frank. It’s a story about a man, Randy Bragg, who gets advanced knowledge of an imminent nuclear holocaust. How he prepares, how it comes down and how he and his small town of Fort Repose survive the aftermath is basically the book. Pat Frank apparently only wrote stories of nuclear war (although given his time, it’s sort of understandable why he was a bit obsessed) and this one is considered a classic.

Then I also was watching a show on Discovery Channel about what would happen if all the humans on earth just… disappeared (it’s not good, but then all the humans have disappeared, so I guess we wouldn’t have to deal with it). And finally, I’ve also been reading Stephen King’s SKELETON CREW, which features “The Mist”, a great story about what happens when the world falls apart. And he’s the author of one of the greatest pieces of “world catastrophe” fiction, THE STAND.

Death, destruction, utter devastation… these seem like the perfect things for a nervous author to read, yes? So soothing as I hit refresh at Amazon and obsessively wait for Bookscan.

The fact is, each of these books/shows has a different impact. THE STAND is great, just as awesome every time I read it. ALAS, BABYLON didn’t have the same impact on me that it did as a 15-year old, but it did freak me out in other ways. As an adult, I started wondering if I could survive in a world where all modern conveniences are gone, where you have to fend for yourself in every way. And I was also touched by the idea that with television and radio (the two main mediums of the time) gone, all the people crowd the town library.

In ALAS, BABYLON, as in THE STAND, people turn to books. For research, certainly. They all have to learn to filter water or make a lantern or turn a car battery into some other system. But also for pleasure. In a situation where no other entertainment existed, books and stories would return to prominence.

And maybe that gave me the comfort I need in times of “oh my God, I have a book out!!”.

So do you have any favorite post-apocalyptic fiction, either as a movie, television show or book? And if you lived in a Post-Apocalyptic world, which book would you label as a “must read”?

Thanks for joining us, Jenna!

What Do You Get An Empress For Her Birthday?

A quick note--I'm out of town this week, at a yoga retreat in the middle-of-the-mountains, New Mexico. I'm hoping to recharge my creativity, work on revisions for Irish Book One (and tone my abs while I'm at it!), but Internet access there is iffy. I'll try and stop by this evening! And don't forget--yesterday was Hottie Monday on my own blog (here), where I share my latest obsessions (I'm afraid I'm not faithful, as Diane is to Gerard!). This feature has cheered my Mondays to no end, so I'd like to keep going with it! But I need some hottie suggestions--who would you like to see there next? (I think I could also do historical hottie Mondays--Wellington, Byron, etc...)

And now to the main feature of the day! Catherine the Great, who was born on this day in 1729. I've always been fascinated by her. How did a young princess from a tiny German principality, bullied by her crazy husband and overbearing aunt-in-law, ever find the chutzpah to take over a whole country, and rule it for decades? And do it entirely on her own terms? (I also love the story of how noble families wanting to get ahead would spend fortunes dressing up their handsome young sons in hopes they'd catch Catherine's eye! You hear that all the time with kings--Henry VIII, Louis XV--not so much with queens).

Catherine was born Sophia Augusta Frederica to the Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst and his ambitious wife, Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp (no wonder there aren't many German-set romances--all those hyphenated names to remember!). Empress Elizabeth of Russia, wanting to strengthen Russia-Prussia ties against Austria (and who had once almost married Johanna's brother, before he died of smallpox) arranged the marriage with her nephew and heir Peter. Sophie wed him at the age of 16, and the young couple went to live at the palace of Oranienbaum.

The marriage was not a success. Peter was, er, a bit odd, preferring to play with toy soldiers and set up fake battles (and cavort with unattractive mistresses) than spend time with his young wife. Not that Catherine minded--she made her own friends, read extensively, kept up-to-date on current events and politics, and bided her time.

That time came after Elizabeth's death in January 1762. Peter was a predictably bad tsar, and lost the support of the nobility after an ill-advised alliance with Frederick II of Prussia, right after the end of the Seven Years War (where Prussia was the enemy). In July 1762, Peter retired back to Oranienbaum with his favorite German-born courtiers, leaving his wife in St. Petersburg. On July 13-14, the elite Leib Guard revolted, deposing Peter and proclaiming Catherine the ruler of Russia. (didn't hurt that her current lover, Grigori Orlov, and his brothers belonged to the Guard). 3 days later, Peter died, reportedly at the hands of one of the Orlov brothers.

Catherine, although not descended from any Russian tsar, succeeded her husband as Empress. At first, some thought she should serve only as Regent for her infant son, Paul (and there was a fledgling coup to that end in 1770, quickly squashed). But Catherine reigned until her death.

This post could be pages long, of course! We could talk about foreign relations (Catherine expanded Russia's borders considerably during her reign, and set up a powerful Northern League of Russia, Prussia, Poland, and Sweden to balance the Bourbon-Habsburg League, among many other things). Wars, relations with Western Europe (she served as a sort of international mediator in foreign wars), the partition of Poland (when she put one of her former lovers on the Polish throne), and her reputation for being a champion of art and culture. The Hermitage Museum began as her personal collection. She wrote a manual for the education of young children (along with comedies, fiction, and memoirs), founded the Smolny Institute for young ladies, and corresponded with Voltaire, Diderot, and Alembert (among many others).

And there was her personal life. She was well-known for taking many lovers, often elevating them to high position as long as they held her interest, and then pensioning them off with gifts and estates. Some were men of great intelligence and political savvy who helped her in her work; some merely boy toys. She was never one to deny that, when it comes to romance, it's good to be the queen.

She died after suffering a stroke on November 16, 1796 (not, as oft-repeated, after a failed attempt at intercourse with a horse!)

A great source is Virginia Rounding's Catherine the Great: Love, Sex, and Power, and Henri Troyat's Catherine the Great and Terrible Tsarinas.

Happy Birthday, Catherine! Who are some of your favorite historical heroines? Any Hottie Monday suggestions???

Back from Retreat

I'm back from Washington Romance Writers Spring Retreat in Leesburg, VA, where I had, as always, a wonderful time. This was a new location for us, the second new location since we lost our lovely-but-shabby Hilltop House in Harper's Ferry, WV, to a major renovation that will probably price it completely out of our range. This location was lovely, though, with some historic feel that is so nice when you are in an historic state like Virginia.

The Retreat always starts with a mega-signing in Boonsboro, MD, at Turn the Page Bookstore Cafe, but this year I didn't sign. Heard it was a great success, though, as always. Weather cooperated for us, probably the most gorgeous weekend yet this Spring - Sunny and warm enough to sit out on the veranda.

After the booksigning, we have a cocktail reception, then dinner (Our guest speaker was Carla Neggers!) and then a panel discussion with our guest agents and editors. This year the agents attending the Retreat were Helen Breitwieser (whose flight came in too late for the panel), Meg Ruley, Elaine English (who is also WRWs attorney, because she is local to us) and Irene Goodman. Our editors included Jennifer Enderlin of St. Martins, and Tracy Farrell of Harlequin, who both almost always attend the Retreat. Kate Duffy of Kensington, another of our mainstay editors, had to cancel at the last minute, much to her regret and ours (we love Kate). Our other attending editors were Deb Werksman from Sourcebooks and Angela James from Samhain. This time the panel discussion did not really reveal any insights into the market or what editors are buying so I can't give any useful information.

We ask our visiting agents and editors to contribute a little time for interviews with attendees and it was my job to manage the interviews on Saturday, which were held in the old mansion. Elaine English and Jennifer Enderlin took their group appointments outside on the lovely front porch you can see in the photograph.

Even though I miss most of the workshops because of the appointments, I do enjoy helping those waiting for the interviews to be calm, and to see members come out happy and excited because their pitch went well. Every year I have to talk someone out of canceling their appt because they chicken out. They are always happy afterward. (Don't fear the appointments! They can't really hurt you and are always useful, even if just for the experience)

This year I also missed the Saturday night dinner, with speaker PC Cast and the WRW special awards. I missed seeing my critique partner Lisa win the "Over and Above" award for her contribution to WRW. And my friend Catherine Kent won one of the Service awards. Mary Kay McComas won the Lifetime Achievement award.

But I was doing a FUN THING. Helen Breitwieser took her authors out to dinner and we had a lovely lovely time. The restaurant was Vintage 50, on the outskirts of Historic Leesburg, with a gourmet menu and fine wines and a waiter who looked like a young Harrison Ford and whose ambition in life was to play Hans Solo in a Star Wars remake.

On Sunday I also missed our big WRW Raffle giveaway. Every year members try to outdo each other and previous years making baskets for auction. We raise LOTS of money considering that the Retreat only has about 120 attendees. These were the baskets my critique group contributed. The "Diamonds of Welbourne Manor" basket was lots of fun; the other is "M'Lady's Reticule" - all things for your purse and a handmade reticule (by my friend Helen who made my Regency dress) that is not shown.

I missed the raffle because I took Helen Breitwieser to the airport and we had lunch on the way to discuss me and my writing and my career (yay!)

So this morning I really slept late, making up for all this. Next week I'll do better!

We had great goody bags this year. Here are some of the books that were in it:
Beyond the Heaving Bosom by the Smart Bitches
The Knight's Return by Joanne Rock (a Harlequin Historical)
She Thinks her Ex is Sexy by Joanne Rock (A Blaze!)
Frederica by Georgette Heyer (a gift from Sourcebooks)
Mr and Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy by Sharon Lathan (Sourcebooks)
Love with a Perfect Scoundrel by Sophia Nash
To Sin with a Stranger by Kathryn Caskie
A Seduction At Christmas by Cathy Maxwell
The Angel by Carla Neggers (a hardback)
The Write Ingredients, compiled by Lori Foster (recipes from favorite authors- a Cookbook!)

Yes, we have no zombies today

Our apologies. If you are on our newsletter list, you'll know that today we had scheduled Seth Grahame-Smith, author of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies (the other author, a Miss Jane Austen, is not doing media currently).  We believe Mr. Grahame-Smith to be unavoidably detained beheading an infestation of Unmentionables that broke out near our blog, but he will be gracing our presence next month.

We'll keep you posted...

It's Not A Luxury, It's A Necessity

And now, some GOOD news:

According to the New York Times, sales of romance novels are outselling other categories and are, in fact, keeping the publishing market somewhat stable even in these difficult economic times. The romance category was up 7 percent after holding fairly steady for the previous four years.

The New York Times observes, "Romance readers are considered among the most loyal fans, sticking to a series or an author once they have grown attached to one. 'It’s a very dedicated audience who doesn’t see it as a luxury as much as a necessity,' said Liate Stehlik, publisher of William Morrow and Avon, imprints of HarperCollins Publishers."

Instead of the lipstick index, then, should we be keeping track of the romance novel index?

For my part, I came into a few extra bucks (no thanks to the IRS!), and immediately bought Amanda and Diane (and Deb's) anthology, Lilith Saintcrow's The Demon Librarian, Alisa Sheckley's The Better To Hold You and Elizabeth Hoyt's To Beguile A Beast. Plus I'm already waiting for Carolyn Jewel's My Forbidden Desire, Anne Stuart's Silver Falls and J.R. Ward's Lover Avenged.

How about you? What books are you treating yourself to while you're scrimping on everything else?

Megan

Greetings from England

Greetings from England, where I arrived abnormally early yesterday morning for a visit to the Old Man Who Is Not a Tree, and spent the rest of the day reminding him who I was and drinking tea.

So absolutely no nuggets of interesting English stuff--yet. I'm off to London today and plan to take the trip up the river to Greenwich from Westminster. I remembered to pack the camera and IF I remember to take it with me, remember that I have it, and take some photos... well, there may be pix. No promises and probably not as good as this.

Other activities--trying to get together with various people, at least one more trip to London to meet my lovely editor and my lovely new editor who's inheriting me, meeting up with friends and who knows what... oh, and the British Museum and the V&A and possibly a couple of guided walking tours (I claim tourism status--I'm qualified).

And I really recommend a book I started reading on the plane and possibly left there--Author Author by David Lodge--a novel about Henry James.

What are you up to?

Elizabeth Rolls Blogs!

First, let me start with a grovelling apology to all the Riskies. This blog was meant to be posted on April 1st. You know; All Fools Day. Also my wedding anniversary, but let’s not go there! Anyway, when I flagged it to give me a reminder on the computer I must have been low on coffee or something because I flagged it for the wrong date. And of course when Diane emailed to remind me about it I was having a very virtuous off-line day keeping away from the evil distractions of the internet. Mea culpa. My bad.

Harlequin is celebrating its 60th Anniversary this year. As part of the celebrations they giving away 16 books for free download. (www.harlequincelebrates.com ) His Lady Mistress is one of them.

I hadn’t thought about His Lady Mistress in quite a while and when Diane asked me if I’d like to blog I wondered what on earth I was going to say about it after all this time.

A day or so later someone asked me where I get my ideas from . . . If a dollar was donated every time an author is asked that question world hunger would be history! I’m always tempted to reply; “The ideas department of K-Mart – they’re on special this week!” Of course, the reason writers are tempted to sarcasm with this question is that we really have no clue where our ideas come from and feel stupid admitting as much. Anyway, being asked made me remember, if not where the spark for His Lady Mistress had come from, at least what that spark, or sparks, had been.

The thing is we don’t know where the ideas come from, but if we think about it hard, we may actually come up with something that seems as though it has been there forever, just waiting to be used. It’s as though somewhere inside us there is a supply, a well if you like, of seemingly useless tidbits of information, that left to brew for long enough with the right ingredients will eventually bubble up with an idea.

Sometimes tossing in one extra vital ingredient at the right time is all that’s needed to bring forth . . . the premise. At least that’s how it worked with His Lady Mistress. I was reading a research book, Kristine Hughes’s Everyday Life in Regency and Victorian England. Near the end Ms Hughes very kindly reminded me of the details of something I’d forgotten; that until 1823 in England, a suicide was buried at the crossroads at night with a stake through the heart to prevent the ghost from walking. Until 1832 it was required that the burial could only take place between the hours of 9pm and midnight. Until 1870 all personal possessions were forfeited to the Crown.

Ouch. Barbaric.

At least that’s how any nice-minded person would react before turning the page quickly with a lady-like shudder. Not me. I’m a writer. My first thought was: ‘Oh, GROSS . . . but how would it be . . . ? What if . . . ?’ Several practice what-ifs slid through my mind and back into the brew before I had the real thing . . . what if my heroine, aged fifteen, was orphaned by her father’s suicide? Hmm. Potential there. But why did the guy commit suicide? Why does his death haunt Verity? Why does she feel responsible?

Still, I had my opening. Dark, wild night. Orphaned 15 year old creeping out to follow the cart to her father’s grave and being rescued by the hero. It’s the only time my original opening has EVER made it right through to the final draft. But I still didn’t know why the guy had committed suicide.

And this is the point where something I’d been interested in academically for years floated up from the depths: opium. At which point I realised that Verity’s father was addicted to opium. Okay, there were a few more, make that a lot more, questions that I had to answer before I had the whole thing worked out. (After that I still had to write it!) But those were the two snippets that bonded in my mind to provide the spark for His Lady Mistress.

Opium and suicide.

These days we are well aware of the dangers of opium and its derivatives. In the early 19th century the dangers were not so well understood. Opium acts on the brain, changing chemical balances to cause addiction. It could be bought over the counter with no questions asked and was widely used as a painkiller. Generally it was dissolved in alcohol and was known as laudanum. Mothers and nurses gave it to teething babies and plenty of people took it in small doses without ever becoming addicted. Yet for those who became dependent on it hell waited. But I still didn’t know why Verity’s father, William Scott, committed suicide over it, let alone why Verity blamed herself.

Opium and the Romantic Imagination by Alethea Hayter was an interesting source. Hayter gives a fascinating account of the English Romantic poets and their opium taking. Perhaps the most striking use of opium in literature, though, is the novel, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. Not only does the whole plot turn on the effects of the drug, but Collins, himself an addict, gives us the minor character of Ezra Jennings as both warning and plea for understanding. But I still needed a reason for William Scott’s suicide . . .

Finally I read a description of going “cold turkey”. The physical consequences for an addict in missing a dose sounded about as grim as a suicide’s burial. Excruciating abdominal pain as the bowels cramp causing extreme vomiting and diarrhoea, muscular cramps, constant discharge from nose and eyes, sweating and shivering all at once. The victim can neither eat nor sleep and this can go on for up to a week. After that the symptoms will abate of themselves, but very few people have the strength to go through all that. I’ve drawn these details from Martin Booth’s Opium: A History where he quotes Dr Robert S, de Ropp’s 1958 study Drugs and the Mind.

Suffice it to say that by the time I’d finished reading Booth and Hayter I had nothing but pity for William Scott and I knew why he committed suicide. If he ran out of laudanum the effects of being denied his dose would have been so physically and mentally agonising that suicide was perfectly believable. But why would Verity have blamed herself for what happened? If you’ve already read His Lady Mistress then you’ll know the answer. And if you haven’t, well, what are you waiting for? Harlequin has your free download waiting.

Best,

Elizabeth