The Riskies Welcome Judith James!

(Note from Amanda: One of the not-so-fun aspects of deadlines is not having enough time to read! I have a TBR mountain growing in my living room. But after RWA I felt the need to read a romance, so I ran to the bookstore and treated myself to a pile of even more new books. One of them was Judith James's Libertine's Kiss, which I had read such good things about and which has a Restoration setting--I love the Restoration! I brought it home and devoured it in one weekend. It's one of those absolutely gorgeous books I want to run around yelling about to all my reader friends. Then I ran to the computer and emailed Judith begging her to visit the blog, and she kindly agreed to do an interview today, despite currently residing in Deadline Hell. Comment for a chance to win a signed copy, and for more information you can check out Judith's website here...)

“Heartrendingly beautiful…there is really nothing out there quite like this.” --All About Romance, DIK Review

Amanda: Welcome to the blog, Judith! I am so excited you were able to be here today. Tell us about Libertine's Kiss...


Judith: Thanks so much for inviting me here today, Amanda! Libertine's Kiss tells the story of two childhood sweethearts, William de Veres and Elizabeth Walters. William, the handsome son of a hard-drinking cavalier and a stern Puritan mother, was abandoned at an early age to a brutal school system and a predatory tutor. He soon discovers the escapes of poetry, literature, sex and alcohol, and the defenses of a sharp sword and a lacerating wit. By the time he graduates he is thoroughly debauched. As a titanic struggle erupts between Parliament and King, William takes up arms in the Royalist cause and pursued by Cromwell's men, finds himself seeking shelter from a sober young Puritan woman in a cottage deep in the woods.

The Civil War has cost the once high-spirited Elizabeth Walters her best friend and her father, leaving her unprotected and alone. She flees and unwanted marriage, seeking safe haven, but what she finds there is something she never imagined. Despite William's gratitude and promise to aid her, Elizabeth never expects to see him again, but the Restoration of Charless II to his throne will bring her to the attention of both William and the King. Can a debauched Court poet and notorious libertine convince the wary Elizabeth he is capable of love, and can a promise long forgotten and a friendship forged in the past help two lonely people find themselves and each other? These are the questions asked by Libertine's Kiss.


Amanda: What was the inspiration for this story?


Judith: While researching my previous book, Highland Rebel, which takes place 2 years after the death of Charles Stuart, I came across the poetry of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, as well as a first edition (1680) of bishop and historian Gilbert Burnett's account of Rochester's conversations with him while on his deathbed, which Burnett attended. I started researching the Restoration for a possible story based on that character and I fell madly in love with the time period, which I've always been interested in since I read Antonia Stuart's biography of Charles II several years ago. The neglect of the Restoration puzzles me as there was so much going on with politics, religion, philosophy, and thought. The Restoration Court was filled with a host of colorful characters and was one of the most bawdy, hedonistic and lively courts in history. In terms of literature and science it rivaled the Elizabethan period. Women had more freedom during this period than they would for many years to come and there is so much room to develop characters and so much interesting material. John Wilmot exemplifies the times. Tall, dark, and handsome, a renowned rake, Court poet and wit, he wrote fearless and ferocious satirical verse that was profane, sometimes pornographic, and often very funny. Unfortunately, his lifelong promiscuity and early death make him unsuitable for any kind of happy ending, but his character and the things that shone about him made me ask--what if? That question led to Libertine's Kiss and the Earl of Rochester was the inspiration for William and speaks through him with his poetry.

Amanda: The setting is so vivid and beautifully drawn, I was totally drawn into the Restoration world! Did you come across any good research sources for this book?

Judith: Thank you! I have a bookshelf full of Restoration sources. The diaries of John Evelyn and Samuel Pepys, and the memoirs of the Compte de Grammont are colorful, entertaining, and full of interesting eye witness accounts. Grammont is very witty, Sam is often unintentionally funny, and Evelyn is fairly serious, but his account of being attacked by highwaymen, Sam's breathless description of the fire of London and how they escaped, and Grammont's delightful anecdotes about the courtiers (he knew everyone) give a fascinating firsthand look at the life and times. For a more general view, I found Restoration London by Liza Picard very helpful, as well as Social Life in England from the Restoration to the Revolution by William Sidney and Daily Life in Stuart England by Jeffrey Forgeng. Of course I also read most of Wilmot's poetry and some biographies of him, Charles II, and Oliver Cromwell.


Amanda: We always have to ask here--what is "risky" about this book??


Judith: Ah! Of course you do. :) I think I did take a few risks with this book, although I wasn't thinking of that at the time! So far they seem to have been fairly well-received. An obvious one was making the hero a poet and actually using Rochester's and other 17th century poetry as part of the story. At times it even serves as dialogue or commentary. The story is also bookended by Spenser's 16th century Faerie Queen. I really felt I was off the beaten track a few times with that and it made me anxious when I thought about it. My poor editor! To say Rochester's poetry is satirical is putting it mildly. It is profane, angry, bitingly funny, and achingly jaded, and at times pornographic, every bit as complicated as the man himself.

Another was making the character as true as possible to a 17th century libertine, while still writing a love story. I would like to make a note here! I do peek on the boards now and then when I should be writing, and I see some reviewers making comments about certain behaviors on William's part that might be off-putting to some romance readers. They are being careful not to reveal plot points, but some who read them have inferred that means William was abusive to Elizabeth. I even saw mention of forced seduction, etc. These are things no hero of mine has ever done or ever will do. William is never deliberately cruel to Elizabeth, they are childhood friends who love and respect each other, but he is true to his nature and honest with her about that.

The last risk was mixing in a fairytale element that carried over from their childhood games. Mixing poetry, fairytale themes, a dedicated libertine who drinks and "swives" along with royal personages and other real historical figures as secondary characters was a little risky I think. Did it work? I guess that's for readers to decide...


Amanda: And what's next for you?


Judith: Well, you might guess from my library collection and enthusiasm for the period I'll be spending much of my time in the 17th century over the next little while! I'm currently working on The King's Courtesan for late April of 2011. It tells the story of Captain Robert Nichols, a soldier who came to Elizabeth's aid, and Hope Mathews, a minor courtesan to the king. I have one more book for HQN after that, but I've yet to decide what it will be about. If you have any suggestions, I'd be glad to hear them! I'll be popping in and out throughout the day and look forward to any questions or comments you might have. Thanks again for having me here today!

(Another note from Amanda: If you're intrigued by the life of John Wilmot after reading this, I'd suggest a look at the Johnny Depp movie Libertine! And don't forget to comment for the chance to win a copy of Libertine's Kiss...)

Winner of Susanna Fraser's The Sergeant's Lady

Congratulations, Daphne!

You are the winner of a voucher for Susanna Fraser's The Sergeant's Lady.

Email us your mailing address at riskies@yahoo.com

The Riskies

Regency Ghost Stories

I've mentioned before that I have rather unusual taste in TV Shows. My current favorites include Say Yes To The Dress (about prospective brides picking out their wedding dresses), I Can't Believe I Am Pregnant (self-explanatory), Too Fat For Fifteen (about a boarding school for teenagers battling obesity), and Celebrity Ghost Stories. Celebrity Ghost Stories features a celebrity (several from old TV shows) who tell of there experiences with ghosts. It isn't as good as Ghost Stories, a Canadian show where ordinary people told their ghost stories, but it is not as scary as My Ghost Story, which is similar, but a lot scarier.

So I got to thinking....Did they tell ghost stories in the Regency?

I went to my favorite source for quick information that is specific to the period. Google Books, where you can search on key words from works printed in specific years. I came upon lots of fictional accounts of ghosts, but I was looking for the real thing. I finally discovered a couple of Regency Ghost Stories, but they all were similar to this one:

A Ghost (From The Cheap Magazine, 1814)

Some years ago, early on new year's day rooming,, (when there had been a great fall of snow) three young persons in a country village set out to be first-fit to some of their friends a few miles distant. They walked cheerfully along the road, which is lined on each side with fences, till they came up to the parish church yard, which they had to pass, when suddenly their mirth was converted into terror at the appearance of a GHOST ! wrapt up in a winding-sheet, shaded with black, standing on a grave,
shaking its head and bowing to them as they approached!...Though they turned their backs upon the Ghost their agitation continued...they met a halfdrunk, hearty old soldier, whom they knew, and who was also bearing a hot-pint to some of his friends. They told him the dreary tale, and requested him to turn : He laughed at their timidity—determined to go on. When he came within view of the awful spot, he likewise saw the Ghost, as they had described it; taking a hearty draught of the hot-pint to keep up his courage, he proceeded, and the nearer he approached, and looking over the dyke at it, he was positive it had assumed the appearance of an old woman smoking a pipe ! — Determined to examine it, he sprung over the wall ; however, in
defiance of his resolution, fear made an invasion upon him : but still despising the idea of being a coward, pressed on, and with a few unsteady steps reached it; but instead of a terrific Ghost, it was only — a thorn bush waving with the wind, and clogged with the drifting snow !

Another story was about a man who claimed a dead man's ghost came to him to tell him who the man's murderer was. Turned out the murderer was the guy telling the ghost story.

I know the Victorians became very interested in spirits and seances and the occult, but these Regency folks are a skeptical bunch!

My question of the day....If you could see a ghost of anyone from the Regency, who would it be? And, if you dare, you can tell us if you have a Ghost Story of your own.

I'm still running a contest on my blog and on the website. Today I'm also visiting The Rockville 8, talking about never giving up on achieving your dreams.

Debut Author Susanna Fraser and The Sergeant's Lady

This is such an exciting day! Our guest today is none other than debut author, Susanna Fraser! Susanna's been a great supporter of Risky Regencies and we can truly say we knew her when she was simply Susan Wilbanks. Many a time Susan and I have waxed poetic over the Napoleonic War and gushed over Wellington. So it is a very special thrill to announce Susanna's new Carina Press release, The Sergeant's Lady, a regency romance set in (what else?) The Napoleonic War!

Susanna is giving away a voucher for a copy of The Sergeant's Lady to one lucky commenter.

“...entertaining and a delight for readers.” Top Pick! Night
Owl Reviews

“Absolutely delicious and a wonderful reading
experience” The
Reading Reviewer

“If you want to read a great romance and learn
something about the Napoleonic wars, pick up this book!” The
Bookkeeper

That's not all the buzz for The Sergeant's Lady, either. Barbara Vey of Beyond the Book is a great fan of Susanna's new website. Take a look !


Welcome, Susanna! Tell us about The Sergeant's Lady.

The lady of the title is Anna Arrington, an aristocratic heiress who, two years before the story opens, marries a handsome cavalry officer after a whirlwind courtship, hoping that life as an officer’s lady will bring her the adventure and significance she’s always longed for. Unfortunately, their relationship quickly sours as he reveals himself to be an abusive, misogynistic jerk. He’s been forcing her to follow the drum in Portugal and Spain because, for reasons it would be spoilery to reveal, he doesn’t trust her very far out of his sight.

When he dies, Anna just wants to go home and put her dreadful marriage behind her, so she joins a convoy of wounded bound for Lisbon. She strikes up an unlikely friendship with Sergeant Will Atkins, one of the soldiers escorting the convoy. They know anything more than friendship between them is impossible...but when the convoy is attacked, they find themselves alone together as fugitives trying to escape across the Spanish countryside to their own army. Under such circumstances, temptation becomes much harder to resist...

We love debut authors. Tell us something about your journey to publication and especially about "The Call."

I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the Riskies! Really!

I’d been writing seriously since 2001, and I finished my first manuscript in 2003. I had a full measure of newbie arrogance and was confident that publication and success were right around the corner. I was 30 in 2001, and I remember setting a goal of being published by 40, thinking that was just ridiculously easy and maybe I ought to say 35.

As of this writing, I’m 39 years and 8 months. Go figure.

I wrote the manuscript that became The Sergeant’s Lady back in 2005. With it I got an agent in 2006, and she shopped it extensively to print publishers. It came close at a few places but never quite sold. I got positive feedback on my writing, but a strong message that the story itself just didn’t fit any of the niches they were looking to fill.

So I decided that maybe there wasn’t a place for me in romance, parted company with my agent, and tried other things. I spent the better part of 2007-09 on the same alternative history manuscript, which never quite became what I wanted it to be. I think that’s the biggest mistake I made on my road to publication--too much time on that one story. If I had it to do over again, after my second draft I would’ve said, “You know, it’s still not close to right, and maybe that means that the idea wasn’t as wonderful as I thought or I just wasn’t ready to write it yet. I’ll set it aside and do something else, and if I ever want to come back to it, it’ll still be here.” If I’d done that, I’d have 2-3 more manuscripts under my belt by now.

Anyway, back to The Sergeant’s Lady. I happened to re-read it in January, and I thought, “You know, I still love this book. And the historical market seems to have shifted and broadened these past few years. Maybe I’ll submit it to a few more places.”

Here’s where the Riskies come in--around that time, the Riskies posted a Call for Submissions from Carina, with descriptions of what the editors were looking for and a Q&A with Angela James. I liked what I saw, so I decided to submit.

Fast-forward to April 1. (Yes, really, April Fool’s Day!) I didn’t get The Call, I got The Email, because Angela James was home with a coughing, sick child and was doing all her business by email that day. And it was just as well, because I had laryngitis and was letting all my calls go to voicemail anyway!

Hey, we'll be glad to take credit for your success!
What has your experience been like with Carina Press?

So far it’s been nothing but wonderful! I feel like I’m part of a team with the staff, I enjoyed working with my editor, Melissa Johnson, and I felt like my input on the cover was truly listened to--which, from what my print-published friends tell me, is by no means the industry norm.

I’m also impressed by Carina’s marketing push, particularly how they partner with their authors to get the word out about our books on Facebook, Twitter, and the blogosphere.

Also, I was amazed by how quick the turnaround from sale to release date was for me. The Sergeant’s Lady released less than five months after Carina acquired it, which meant, among other things, that editing was a whirlwind and I had to scramble to build a web presence under my pen name. I don’t think it’s going to be quite as quick going forward, though, because their submission volume has increased. They’ve just acquired my second manuscript, with an exact release date TBD but probably Spring 2011, which feels positively leisurely by comparison!

We're all about risky here. What is risky about The Sergeant's Lady?

The setting and the hero. About 3/4 of the action takes place with Wellington’s army in Spain during the Peninsular War, a long way from the normal Regency world of London ballrooms and the pastoral English countryside. And Will is a sergeant who’s exactly what he appears to be--he doesn’t turn out to be the long-lost son of a duke or anything of that sort, so he and Anna have to find a way to face and move beyond their difference in station.

I'm loving Will and the Penisular War setting! Did you come across any interesting research when writing The Sergeant's Lady?

Too many details of army life to possibly count, though I’d recommend anyone wanting to write Peninsular War find a copy of Antony Brett-James’s Life in Wellington’s Army.

One thing that surprised me was that the army didn’t issue tents for the soldiers till 1813 or so. The Sergeant’s Lady is set in 1811-12, so Will and his fellow soldiers sleep in the open, make do with whatever kind of shelter they can rig for themselves, or occasionally get billeted under whatever roof the army could commandeer from the local population.

What is next for you?

As mentioned above, Carina will publish my other Regency historical, currently titled A Marriage of Inconvenience, sometime in 2011. It’s a prequel to The Sergeant’s Lady with Anna’s brother as the hero.

I hope you are excited as I am about Susanna's The Sergeant's Lady. I already have it on my Kindle and I'm well into it. Do you like Napoleonic War stories? Do you have any questions about the Napoleonic War, because Susanna can probably answer them. Did you read Barbara Vey's blog about Susanna's website? Comment for a chance to win a voucher for The Sergeant's Lady.

To Beach His Own

Don't tell my son, but--I'm looking forward to school beginning again September 8th.

See, right now, my son is at Camp Mom, which means he's with me All Day. THE ENTIRE DAY. I love the guy, but there's only so much Naruto, Yu-Gi Oh, One Piece and Deathnote plots I can comprehend (my son likes manga. A lot.)

And although there are pockets of the day where I can write, theoretically, it's awfully hard to get into the groove when you might be asked to unearth snacks or locate a clean pair of shorts, or something.

So--despite my doing great while in Minnesota, I haven't touched writing since I returned to Brooklyn.

Before then, however, we are heading to the Jersey Shore (where I definitely won't be writing!), where I can sit on the beach slathered in SPF 50+ and read. Bliss!

And I am hoping to fit in some last-minute summer treats, such as frozen custard on the boardwalk, chilled chardonnay on the deck, a frothy novel that I'll forget five minutes after reading The End, tank tops, flip-flops and this summer's best pop song (Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" has not left my head since I first heard it).

What are your favorite summer treats? What are you doing before the onset of fall?

Megan

PS: The guy is the actor from the "Teenage Dream" video. Rowr.

Dreams

Last night I dreamed I was in a car crash, nothing serious, just an annoying fender bender, but it felt very real.

Then, today, when I drove to the post office ... nothing happened. Did the dream make me more careful? Or, did the dream mean nothing at all, but it was one of those rare ones that I remembered? It certainly made a change from the ones where I'm looking for a bathroom and when I find one it has glass walls and is situated on Paddingston Station in London during rush hour.

I often wish I could dream plots, because I have so much trouble with them. The closest I've got is having things click into place as I'm falling asleep and my brain is doing whatever it does at that point--beginning some sort of unwinding process that may be part of the dream process.

But years, decades ago, before I even thought of writing I had an extraordinarily vivid dream which was entirely third person, in that it wasn't about me but I was the observer.Now, on the occasions when I revisit the dream, I'm the incompetent manipulator. I suspect it was the plot of a book I read or started reading and never finished, so if anyone can identify it, that would be fascinating. On the other hand, the plot devices might be from any number of books.

The heroine is a courtesan in late-ish nineteenth century ... somewhere. Not England, not the Regency, somewhere eastern European. Her current official lover is an officer who is not always around because he's engaged in some sort of futile military silliness but he comes into town occasionally and usually finds her with a drawing room full of lefties and poets and intellectuals. I borrowed bits of this for Dedication, my first book; I think it may also have its origins in minor characters in Tolstoy.

So he falls in love with a sweet young thing who the family want him to marry as his duty etc. (Kitty and Levin in Anna Karenina? Who knows). He tells the heroine, who isn't too pleased, and asks if she'll return a necklace he gave her. Because, and he really shouldn't have done this, he gave her the family jewels (pause for other English people to recover from their merriment). She doesn't say yes but she doesn't say no either, and at this point I get stuck.

In some versions of the dream, she stages a grand revenge when she flings the necklace at his feet at the opera in front of the fiancee. And I think that probably is from an opera, but I don't think I'd ever write a heroine who behaves badly in such an unsubtle way. Or, in other versions, it becomes A Scandal in Bohemia, which features the fascinating adventuress Irene Adler:

To Holmes, she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex...

In other words, she's smarter than the male protagonists and surrenders the necklace only when a reciprocal sacrifice has been made. At this point I surrender to my usual plotting technique (if it can be described as such) and start considering other characters: the newspaper editor who is the heroine's rebound affair; the fiancee--does she have any idea what lover boy has been up to? If there's a revolution, which sometimes there is, who is on which side?

And I must digress here and ponder the photograph in which Irene Adler and the King of Bohemia appeared, and how it was enough to throw the whole delicate balance of Europe into disarray. Was it, gasp, a naughty photograph? Is that why Holmes wanted to keep it, to while away the long hours when Watson was tending to his mostly neglected patients?

Anyway, let's talk about dreams. Have you dreamed things that have happened? Do you dream about characters when you're reading or writing a book? Do you recognize "my" plot?

In this special All Contests All The Time edition, there's still a few days to enter the contest on my site, and a new one where I ask for help in vampire terminology at Supernatural Underground. Also you can enter to win a copy of Jane and the Damned at Goodreads.

Winner of Elizabeth Hoyt's WIcked Intentions

The winner is. . .

gamistress66

Send me am email with your mailing address to carolyn AT carolynjewel.com and I'll get that to Elizabeth. Congrats!

Remedies

I have a cold. In 2010, I have the benefit of knowing that my cold is a virus that will go away in about 10 days with or without intervention. I also know I can take certain medications that will at least alleviate my symptoms -- any of three or four painkillers to make the headache go away, for example. Decongestants to take away the stuffiness. I can take my temperature and know how loudly I can whine about feeling unwell.


What if it were 1810?

Well, there's this from my 1815 New Family Receipt Book:

569. Easy and almost instantaneous Cure for the Ague.

When the fit is on, take a new-laid egg, in a glass of brandy and go to bed immediately.
This very simple recipe has cured a great many after more celebrated preparations have proved unsuccessful.

Our new chickens should be laying in the next month or so. I can see this remedy working pretty well. In fact, I suspect that if you omit the egg and double the dose of brandy, you'd be just fine.

For when I'm whining too much about how awful I feel:

546. German Method of preventing Hysterics.
Caraway seeds, finely pounded, with a small proportion of ginger and salt, spread upon bread and butter, and eaten every day, especially early in the morning, and at night, before going to bed, are successfully used in Germany, as a domestic remedy against hysterics.

Too bad I can't remember if I like caraway.

For that cough:

598. A Receipt for a Cough
Take a glass of spring water and put it into a spoonful of syrup of horehound, and mix with it nine or ten drops of the spirit of sulphur.

I was with that all the way up until the spirit of sulphur.

There you go. Curing the common cold from two centuries ago. All in all, I think I'm glad it's 2010. And now I'm going to lie down on the fainting couch and pray I feel better soon.  Where IS the brandy?

Willingham and Gaston Winners!

And the winners are.....

Calisa! You are the winner of Michelle's Surrender To An Irish Warrior.

Jeannene! You are the winner of Diane's Chivalrous Captain, Rebel Mistress.

Congratulations, ladies! Email us at riskies@yahoo.com with your mailing addresses.

Favorite Books Etc

So today the weather finally dipped below 100 degrees here! In fact--it is actually in the 80s, and raining! I can go outside again! Hooray! It also appears my reading and post-RWA writing slumps are done (for now, anyway). I've passed the halfway mark on the WIP and am also fiddling around with the 1920s project, and have read not one but TWO wonderful books: the historical mystery The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (a terrific early 1950s British setting and a smart-mouthed "detective" combined with seriously witty writing) and the Restoration romance Libertine's Kiss by Judith James. (When I finished it, I immediately ran to the email and lured Judith James to the blog--she'll be here next Tuesday, the 31st, to tell you all more about this fabulous, fabulous book).




And until I got a box of author copies yesterday I forgot I have a September release! Improper Ladies is another re-issue of two of my Signet Regencies, The Golden Feather (a Bookseller's Best Award winner) and The Rules of Love (a RITA nominee!). Isn't the cover girl's hair gorgeous?? (I'm giving away a copy over at my own blog--tell me about your favorite Regency story for a chance to win...)

I also read that on this day in 1847, Charlotte Bronte finished writing Jane Eyre. Like many history junkies, this is one of my all-time favorite books ever, and one I never tire of re-reading. I vividly remember my first encounter with Jane. I was about 9 or 10, and had been long hooked on stuff like The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, and the Betsy-Tacy books, so was always looking for stories with similar settings. (I had also just read my very first Austen, Emma, and was ripe for more 19th century literature). I found a battered paperback copy of Jane Eyre in a box at a garage sale, thought "Yes, I've heard of this!" and dragged it home to start reading. I stayed up all night (yes, with a flashlight, hiding under the bed) reading, and was shocked (shocked!!) by Bertha in the attic. I was totally addicted.

My mother then aided and abetted this obsession by finding a VHS tape of the Timothy Dalton Jane Eyre series, which I watched over and over, and I used my allowance to buy as many Victorian novels as I could find at the bookstore. (I tried Wuthering Heights next, but was still too young for it--I didn't come to appreciate it until much later. But I did like Bleak House and Mill on the Floss, strangely).

There are many, many (many, many, many) versions of Jane Eyre to be found out there. In movies, there's a silent version from 1915 called The Castle of Thornfield and a 1926 German film called Orphan of Lowood (I haven't seen it, but have these wonderful visions of JE as Cabinet of Dr. Caligari), a 1963 Mexican feature called El Secreto and a 1972 Indian movie Shanti Nilyam. Here are a few a little closer to home:



1983--Timothy Dalton as Rochester and Zelah Clarke as Jane (still my favorite version, since I saw it first! I love how so much of the dialogue from the book is in place and how true it is to the spirit of the story...)


1997--Ciaran Hinds (Captain Wentworth!) and Samantha Morton (I like this one, but not as much as I thought I would when I first starting watching it)


1996--A Franco Zeffirelli-directed version starring William Hurt and French icon Charlotte Gainsbourg (it's been so long since I've seen this I remember very little about it)


1944--Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine (and a very young Elizabeth Taylor)


2006--Toby Stephens as "Mr. Rochester as hottie" and Ruth Wilson


And one coming soon in 2011, starring Mia Wasikowska (from Alice in Wonderland) as Jane

Plus there are sequels, continuations, inspired-by books, Jane as paranormal hero, muscials, operas, etc etc....









When did you first read Jane Eyre? What's your favorite of the adaptations? And what good books have you read lately???

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

When Nora Roberts gives a speech or a workshop and entertains questions at the end, one of her friends always pipes up, "Where do you get your ideas?" She groans and nods her head in that way she does, and gives some witty response.

Because this is the unanswerable question, isn't it? We writers have no idea where our story ideas come from.

Last Monday I turned in Book 3 of the Soldiers Series and so this is idea time for me. I may have said this before, but I don't have lots of story ideas like some writers. Mine come one book at a time and never easily. I need to come up with a story idea for the next book, though, the book connected to The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor, Leo's story. Leo is the youngest son of the Fitzmanning miscellany and all I knew of him from the anthology was that he loved horses. I'd always kinda figured I'd make him own a horse farm.

But Deb's Diamonds hero also is involved with horses, so my editor thought one book with horses was enough. Now what do I do?

If he has to lose his horse farm, I'll make him lose it in some horrible, dramatic way at the beginning of the story (glimmer of an idea.....)

Some time ago, I watched the old, Depression era movie My Man Godfrey which is about a down-and-out vagrant who becomes a wealthy family's butler, but he really was once a wealthy society man himself. Great movie. Maybe a Regency version of the movie could become Leo's story!

No. Not with his loving siblings, but maybe I could make Leo down-and-out, a dissipated rake, tortured after the loss of his farm. (Leo's starting to come to life, but I don't have a heroine...)


Then the other night I after watching my current favorite TV show, Say Yes To The Dress, a new show came on. Left At The Altar. This show tells the real life stories of men and women who were literally left at the altar, their spouse to be runs out at the last moment.



How devastating!
How perfect!

I'll make Leo leave his bride at the altar. (But I still don't know who she is....)

Of course, I need a "hook." I talked about hooks in last week's Diane's Blog, those classic romance plots we see over and over again. Leo's story certainly is shaping up to be Reunion Story, but I'm toying with making it a Woman In Jeopardy story, too. Leo has to save the bride he once jilted....

Problem is...I still don't know who the heroine is or why she was jilted.

But I'm getting there! The idea is taking shape. And the answer to the question, "Where do you get your ideas?" is here, there, and everywhere! (and way too many from TV)

Sooooo, do you have any ideas for who my heroine should be???

Chivalrous Captain, Rebel Mistress may appear on your bookstore shelves this week. I wonder who will have the first sighting?


Join me on Thursday at Diane's Blog when I'll take you to a Tank Museum! And stop by Pink Heart Society today for Male on Monday with Michelle Willingham and me.

Michelle Willingham and Diane Gaston - New Books!

Diane here.
Michelle Willingham and I both have Harlequin Historicals arriving in bookstores by Sept 1, if not a few days before (check your favorite store!). We're each giving away one copy of the September books, so be sure to leave a comment!

Michelle's September release is Surrender to an Irish Warrior.

Praise for Michelle's RITA nominated, Taming Her Irish Warrior:
"Kudos to Michelle Willingham....Always true to her characters, Michelle Willingham writes an ending that will steal the heart with its imagery, emotion and romance"--Medieval Book Reviews

My September release is Chivalrous Captain, Rebel Mistress.

Praise for Chivalrous Captain, Rebel Mistress:
"Engaging characters,
action/adventure and sweet love add to the depth of these stories, which
demonstrate how war changes people — and the world."--RT
Bookreviews

Michelle, it is so good to have you back with the Riskies! Tell us about Surrender to an Irish Warrior.

Michelle: Surrender to an Irish Warrior is the last book in my MacEgan Brothers series. It’s about an Irish warrior, Trahern MacEgan, who wants to avenge the death of his betrothed wife. Along the way, he rescues Morren O’Reilly, a woman who was attacked by the same Viking raiders. In Morren, he finds healing and redemption.

Diane: Oh, I love a rescue story. In Chivalrous Captain, Rebel Mistress, Book 2 of my Three Soldiers Series, Allan Landon and Marian Pallant meet when he rescues her on the battlefield of Waterloo and takes her to Hougoumont for safety, only to have to rescue her again when the French set fire to the Hougoumont chateau. But, after that Allan and Marian take turns rescuing each other.




We always ask this. Was there anything risky about your book?

Michelle: Definitely! This was one of the most frightening books I’ve ever written, because I tried to keep it true to the time period. Vikings were known to attack women, and Morren was one of their victims. It’s the first time I wrote about a rape survivor, and although the opening is dark, it left me the chance to give them both of them an incredibly happy ending. It also gave me the chance to do a “family reunion” of all the MacEgan Brothers at the end.

Diane: Each of my Soldiers Series starts out with an almost-rape at the pillaging of Badajoz; I suppose it was risky that the perpetrator goes unpunished (Allan hates that) in this book. Instead he just causes more trouble for everyone. What I felt risky about, though, was making up a fictitious protest demonstration that Marian organized and Allan must prevent. Did I make it credible? I guess the readers will tell me.

What interesting research did you come across while writing this book (maybe we can contrast the different time periods here)?

Michelle: The Viking system of justice was fascinating. I learned that men convicted of a serious offense, like murder, were made into outlaws and could be killed by any member of their tribe with no consequences.

Diane: I learned a lot about the British system of justice during that post-Napoleonic war period. In its way it was also brutal. Habeas Corpus was suspended and anyone could arrested with no reason given. Any protest against the government was seen as a treasonous act. In a way, government could do what it wanted with protesters and have no consequences for it.

What’s next for you?

Michelle: I am starting a Scottish medieval series, set around the Braveheart era (Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, etc.). The first book, Claimed by the Highlander will be released in the spring of 2011.

Diane: Oh, I so admire you for taking on the challenge of yet another historical era. I’m sticking with the Regency, though. What’s next for me is the last book in the Three Soldiers Series, Gabriel’s story, as yet untitled and unscheduled, but probably due out in the spring of 2011. Maybe both our books will be released the same month then, too!

Now, a question from both of us. If you could be rescued by any sort of hero, what kind of man would it be? Medieval warrior? Handsome English soldier? Ruthless billionaire? (Or ask us whatever you want!) Post a comment for a chance to win a signed copy of Surrender to an Irish Warrior or Chivalrous Captain, Rebel Mistress.

Michelle and I are together again for Male On Monday at the Pink Heart Society, tomorrow, Aug 23, when, I, of course will be back here at Risky Regencies. Thursday, I'm at Diane's Blog!

Scholarly Female

As we do every summer, my son and I are in Minnesota for two weeks visiting relatives and he's doing sailing school (I almost wrote 'saline' school, which would be quite a different thing entirely, wouldn't it?).

We return home tomorrow, but this morning, my blond (natch!) aunt took me to the local Y for yoga. And introduced me to one of her yoga buddies, who is also an author. She asked me what I wrote, and I told her "historical romance."

And she then followed up with what people usually ask (when they don't pop the dreaded bodice ripper question), which is, "Oh, so I guess you've done a lot of research."

"Nope," I answered.

She proceeded to ask me about the period I wrote in, and I sketched out the details--the dates, why it was a fascinating period, that Queen V. arrived about 17 years later, and so on.

And I realized, as I was talking, that I had gotten so much of my history from romance books that I didn't *need* to do too much research. I do, of course, as all of us do, because I love history and delving into books that described how people lived.

(Yes, a caveat: I have been wildly historically inaccurate in certain things I've written, things that could have been cleared up with research. But this is not, for once, about my failings, but about my triumphs).

It felt kinda cool to be an 'expert' on something, even in the few minutes before heading into the class for downward dog and stuff. I don't usually think I know a lot about anything, except for books and music, so it was neat to talk authoritatively about a different subject.

And, meanwhile, I am writing a book set in Scotland during the Regency period, so I am doing some research on that, since neither Heyer nor Cartland covered the area in their writings.

Megan

Mea Culpa, confessional thoughts on romance

I haven't talked a whole lot about Nationals and I don't intend to now, having had a radically different experience from nearly everyone else who's discussed it online.

But one thing that became very clear to me was that I needed to reevaluate what I was doing and why I was doing it, and that's what I'll talk about today. At Orlando I found my head was entirely stuffed with ... I don't know what, but I could barely think or write. Maybe it was the a/c, maybe it was something the hotel piped in to make us spend spend spend, maybe it was the swamp trying to reclaim its own and revert us all to far off primitive sluglike ancestors.

And it got me thinking about why I write romance. Why?

Because it changes people's lives. Nope. Abolutely not. I have never had a letter from someone telling me that I burst upon them in their darkest hour and saved them from the great black hole (and please don't tell me if, in fact, one of my books did. I don't want to know). What a terrible burden to have to carry in all subsequent writing. What if you don't make the grade the next time?

Because it's all about hot men. No way. Really. You all know what I think of most cover art (although I'm impressed that Harlequin M&B shows males that look fairly human on their historicals). I alarmed a tableful of women in the bar at the last NJ Romance Writers Conference when I told them I was really more interested in writing about women, which I was--I'd just finished Improper Relations, which is primarily about the relationship between friends. But I am not averse to the male form. Check out this site (NSFW).

Because love conquers all. I think this one is really interesting because generally in my books love gets people into trouble. It's the catalyst for change, not the answer.

And here's the why:

Because ... what I write fits in, in a strange niche of the genre, and since I starting write to sell, that makes me very happy and I'm happy that people enjoy my books.

And because it entertains me first. And that's what came as the big realization at Orlando, that I need to think in terms of my pleasure to be able to produce. Who else but writers get to make stuff up for a living!

Why do YOU write? As a reader, can you tell if a writer is having fun?

And in the red print, CONTESTS! Enter to win a copy of JANE AND THE DAMNED at Goodreads (and thanks to HarperCollins for giving away the books!)
The contest on my website runs until the end of the month, as does this contest at Supernatural Underground where I ask for your help in writing the next book. Go check it out!

Interview with Elizabeth Hoyt

Author Elizabeth Hoyt

Today author Elizabeth Hoyt visits the Riskies to share her wisdom and insights with this sedate and proper set of ladies and readers.

We sat down to a virtual tea at which I served delicious petit-fours and my best gunpowder black. Then I asked her a few polite questions and she was gracious enough to answer them.

One lucky commenter will win a copy of her latest release, Wicked Intentions. To get your name in the running, leave a comment in which you answer the question at the end of this post. Yours truly (that would be Risky Carolyn) will choose a winner next Wednesday. You have have until Midnight Pacific Tuesday August 24 to leave a comment!) Void where prohibited.

Before we get to the interview, here's a bit about Elizabeth Hoyt, let it never be said you weren't properly introduced! This is a respectable blog.

Miss Hoyt is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in central Illinois with three untrained dogs, two angelic but bickering children, and one long-suffering husband.

And now, A polite Risky Welcome to Elizabeth!

The Interview

Q. Tell me about your book.

A: Back copy:

A MAN CONTROLLED BY HIS DESIRES

Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London's most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows the area like the back of her hand—she cares for its children at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk. . .

A WOMAN HAUNTED BY HER PAST

Caire makes a simple offer--in return for Temperance's help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as a cold bargain soon falls prey to a passion neither can control—and may well destroy them both.

Find out more about Wicked Intentions

(Temperance. I may steal that name for a heroine of mine. Thanks, Elizabeth!)

Q. Your name is Elizabeth. Do you ever wake up thinking you're QE1 or QE2? Why or why not? Would you want to be? Why or why not?

Dear God, at first I thought you were calling me a CRUISE SHIP. Yes, I think I ought to be QE2 because she’s always color-coordinated and wears such interesting hats. Also, she has a pack of Corgis and I would totally be into a pack of Corgis had I footmen to walk them.

(Oh yes. Without the footmen, what would be the point of anything? But now I'm wondering, do you ever wake up thinking you're a cruise ship? Because that would be weird.)


Q. What's a few of your favorite things about writing historicals? Is it the clothes? Exciting history? Gender roles? The cool shoes? Or something else?

Clothes. Definitely the clothes. Big wonking skirts, some of them worn by women. Also, wigs. Why aren't wigs worn by men anymore? We've entered into a very boring time for men's fashion in general.

And I happen to write during the Age of Enlightenment (which merits Capital Letters) when people were making all sorts of discoveries, both mechanical and mental. Very interesting times!

(Good point there about the wigs. And men's fashion. I miss the periwig.)

Q. Do you have a favorite scene or line from your current book and would you be willing to share that that is?

A:

Caire took her arm and escorted her roughly out the door. Temperance blinked as he began hauling her back down the passage. As they neared the ballroom, the sound of the crowd inside grew.

She attempted to withdraw her arm from his grasp. "Caire."

"What the hell were you doing going to a dark room with that ass? Have you no sense?"

She glanced at him. There was a reddened spot on his jaw, and he looked livid. "Your hair has come undone."

He stopped suddenly, pushing her up against the wall of the passage. "Never go anywhere with a man not of your family."

She arched her brows up at him. "What about you?"

"Me? I am far, far worse than Sir Henry." He leaned close, his breath brushing against her cheek. "You ought never to be near me again. You should run right now."

His bright blue eyes blazed and a muscle in his hard jaw ticked. He was truly a frightening sight.

She stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips against that tic. He jerked and then stood still. She felt the muscle jump once more beneath her mouth and then subside. She slid her lips toward his mouth.

"Temperance," he growled.

It was strange. Another man had just kissed her on the mouth, but this pressing of lips with Caire was entirely different. His mouth was firm and warm, his lips stubbornly closed against hers. She placed her hands on his wide shoulders for leverage and leaned a little closer. She could smell some kind of exotic spice on his skin—perhaps he'd rubbed it on after shaving—and his mouth tasted of heady wine. She licked the seam of his lips, once, gently.

He groaned.

"Open," she breathed across his lips, and he did.

She probed delicately, licking the inside of his lips, across his teeth, until she found his tongue. She stroked across it and retreated. He followed her tongue into her mouth, and she suckled him softly, raising her palms to frame his lean cheeks.

Something in her shifted, crumbling apart and re-forming into a new and wonderful shape. She didn't know what that shape was, but she wanted to keep it. To stay here in this dim hallway and kiss Caire forever.

The murmur of voices came from the far end of the passage, drawing nearer.

Caire lifted his head, looking toward the ballroom.

A door opened and closed and the voices stopped.

He took her hand. "Come."

"A moment."

He turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised, but she darted around him. His black velvet tie was nearly out of his hair. Carefully, she unknotted it and combed through the silver strands with her fingers before retying the ribbon.

When she came back around him, he still had that eyebrow cocked. "Satisfied?"

"For now." She took his arm and he led her back to the ballroom.

(Well, now I have to get my hands on this book. Oh, wait. I bought it last Saturday! Score!)

Carolyn has Wicked Intentions

Q. You have pets at your house. Do they like to help you with the writing? Are there any cute pet pictures or stories you'd like to share?

I have three dogs, in descending size: Max (a black lab mix), Fritz (an orange terrier) and Rue (a rat terrier.) All came from the shelter, so their parentage is in doubt. No, they do not like to help. They like to sit by my side and whine at me to go out, even when they've just been out five minutes ago--perhaps the yard has changed in that time.

(Rue is VERY cute!)

For more pics of Elizabeth's cute doggies, go here.

Q: Best writing moment of your life?

The first time someone recognized me (or rather my name tag) in an elevator and was so excited that she missed her floor.

Q: What's your favorite type of historical hero? Can be personality, physical attributes or anything.

A guy who thinks he knows everything, but is brought low by the heroine who DOES know everything. Also, guys who aren't too pretty.

Q: I've noticed you tend to be very mean to the heroes of your novels. They often have tortured backgrounds. Why are you so mean?

I'm just a mean person. No! Um. . . well, I think it's more interesting when the hero has an complicated (read: tortured) background. So many fun things to discover! And also a reason to brood in a dark, manly way.

(Brooding. ::sigh:: Dark and manly. . . . Where were we?)

Q: Anything else you want to share or tell us?

Yes! My next book, NOTORIOUS PLEASURES (out in February 2011--PREORDER!) has a hero who is NOT tortured. My first ever! I initially told my agent he was a bit of a wanker, but she said that perhaps that was not the most heroic description for him. Oh, well.

(Not tortured? A wanker? This I have to read!)

The Comment Question

For a chance to win a copy of Wicked Intentions, answer the following question in the comments:

What men's fashion do you think should come back into fashion?

Oh. Good question! Go!

Hope Tarr and Katherine Ashe WINNERS

Winner of Hope Tarr's Vanquished is....... snahausa87
Hope asks you to email her at hope@hopetarr.com with your name and mailing address.

Winner of Katharine Ashe's Swept Away By A Kiss is .......Karen H in NC
Karen, you have listed an email address on Blogger. We'll email your email address to Katharine, so look for a message from her soon.

The Riskies

Reality--Historical Style

First of all--new covers!!! Regency Christmas Proposals--isn't it pretty? Doesn't it look wonderfully Christmas-y? (even though Christmas seems years away...). I'm very excited about my story Snowbound and Seduced (a Diamonds of Welbourne Manor spin-off! We met Mary Derrington and her girlhood sweetheart Dominic, Viscount Amesby, in Charlotte and the Wicked Lord. Now they have to reunite to chase after her sister and his cousin as they attempt to elope in the midst of bad weather and right at Christmas), and the thought that someday it will be cool outside again (after weeks of 100+ weather here). It's out in November, along with my new "Undone" story, To Court, Capture, and Conquer (I also just found out I'll be doing an "Undone" story with a 1920s story--stay tuned!). November will be fun!

Until then, my yard is withering from lack of rain, my cats won't come out from the cool shade under the bed, and I watch way too much summer TV. True Blood, Mad Men, Vampire Diaries re-runs, History Detectives, Pawn Stars, Project Runway, On the Road With Austin and Santino...you see what a useless summer I'm having. But I also take breaks from being a TV lump on the couch to work on my WIP (working title--Elizabethan Theater Story) and doing some research. One great book on the period is Charles Nicholl's The Reckoning: The Murder of Christopher Marlowe, and I was struck by one little piece of info I found there:

"Peter Shakerley was one of those self-publicizing Elizabethan oddballs who found their way into the popular imagination. There were others: an absurdly dressy Italian called Monarcho, the loquacious barber Tom Tooley, old Mother Livers of Stoke Newington, and so on. They were a bit crazy, and people laughed at them and talked about them, and their names remain like curious fossils in the pamphlets and ballads of the day"

Maybe it's my summer TV time, but it occurred to me--these were Elizabethan reality stars! Crazy, laughable, well-known for doing--well, nothing really, except being odd and good at publicizing their oddness. They're like the Kardashians of the 16th century. Today they would appear on Go Fug Yourself (especially that Monarcho guy--I'd love to see his outfits) and on the cover of US Weekly with Bachelors and Bristol Palin. If only there was a Big Brother where groups of them would be locked up in Hampton Court, or maybe a Victorian Project Runway where Charles Frederick Worth could be the Tim Gunn figure (only meaner). A Regency Work of Art, only with whiny, back-stabbing poets! A Georgian Top Chef where they have to prepare a 30-course dinner at the Brighton Pavilion--in only two hours!

That would be TV gold, and I've spent too much time this morning dreaming up new schemes. Who Wants to Marry Henry VIII? Lady Caro Lamb is the New Bachelorette--Be Careful, She'll Stab You With That Rose If You Reject Her?

So you tell me! What historical reality shows would you like to see???

Anniversary of Peterloo

Today is the anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre. On August 16, 1819, a crowd gathered in St. Peter's Field near Manchester to demand parliamentary reform. The period after Waterloo was rife with unrest. Unemployment was high, the Corn Laws created hardship and famine, and the people were demanding parliamentary reform.

A demonstration was planned for August 16 and the great radical orator, Henry Hunt, had agreed to speak. Before the event, a letter to Hunt was intercepted and was misinterpreted by the magistrates that an insurrection was planned.

On the day a crowd of 30,000 to 60,000 had gathered. The members of the crowd represented many radical positions, but they were a peaceful, organized crowd. Even so, when the crowd cheered Hunt's arrival, the alarmed magistrates ordered sixty cavalrymen of the Manchester and Salford Yeomanry (some reports said they were drunk) to arrest the leaders.

The yeomanry charged into the crowd and panicked. They started using their sabres against the demonstators. The 15th Hussars also charged into the crowd and the 88th Regiment of Foot stood with bayonets fixed, blocking the crowd's main exit route.

Within ten minutes the crowd had dispersed, but eleven people were dead and anywhere from 300 to 600 injured.

The leaders were arrested and jailed; the yeomanry were acquitted, and the event led to the passing of The Six Acts, imposing even more repressive measures on the citizens to stamp out any further threats of unrest. But Peterloo, along with other protests, including the Cato Street Conspiracy (which intended to blow up the Cabinet), galvanized public outrage and a dozen years later led to the desired reforms.

My September book, Chivalrous Captain, Rebel Mistress, deals with the issue of social unrest after Waterloo. Marian, the heroine, is the secret force behind a demonstration of unemployed former soldiers, and the politically ambitious Allan Landon, is employed by Sidmouth, the Home Secretary, to arrest the protest leader for what potentially could be a hanging offense. My demonstration was fictitious, but the unrest of that period led to the Peterloo Massacre.

My hero and heroine are direct opposites: protest leader vs the protest "police". Can you think of other hero/heroine combinations that are perfect opposites? The classic example is arsonist vs arson investigator.

Don't forget to visit Diane's Blog on Thursday. I think I'll start a new contest there....

And next Sunday Michelle Willingham and I are going to be talking about our new September releases! (and giving away signed copies)

Interview with Katharine Ashe!

Hello everyone, and hope you are having a terrific Sunday! I first 'met' Katharine when she commented on a post. I saw she was a debut author writing historicals, and knew she had to come pay us all a visit. Katharine's Swept Away By A Kiss is in bookstores now, and Katharine will be giving away a copy to a random commenter. Here's some more about Katharine:

Katharine Ashe lives in the wonderfully warm Southeast with her husband, son, two dogs, and a garden she likes to call romantic rather than unkempt. A professor of European history, she has made her home in California, Italy, France, and the northern US. RT Book Reviews awarded her debut historical romance, SWEPT AWAY BY A KISS, a “TOP PICK!” review, calling it “a page-turner and a keeper.” Please visit her at www.katharineashe.com.

So, yay! Let the interview begin!

Thanks for inviting me to visit the Riskies, Megan. I’m so happy to be here!

1. Tell us about your debut romance, Swept Away By A Kiss.

After two years of exile in Boston, scandalous Lady Valerie Monroe vows to mend her wicked ways once perfected to win the affection of her cold father, and rejoin London society. But when she meets her fellow passenger aboard ship it’s clear fate is punishing her. Breathtakingly handsome and intoxicatingly mysterious, the amber-eyed god turns her knees to jelly and her resolution to honey. But he appears to be engaged in some nefarious business on board. What’s more, he is a Frenchman, an enemy of England in the midst of war. Most damning of all—he is a priest.

If the road to the nether world is paved in good intentions, Valerie suspects she’s just hailed the fastest carriage there. Nothing could be worse than the delectable torture of her predicament. Except, perhaps…

Pirates.

Lord Steven Ashford, a black-sheep nobleman with a perilous mission, has never regretted his priestly disguise. Until now. Trapped in a cabin aboard a pirate ship with the beguiling Valerie, and bent upon defeating his enemy by any means, Steven cannot let down his guard. But Valerie is temptation incarnate, and both of their resistances are crumbling. A secret identity can be so inconvenient at times, and forbidden love so very alluring.

From swashbuckling ships to sparkling ballrooms, from summer upon the blue ocean to a wintery country house party, SWEPT AWAY BY A KISS is the story of two hearts daring everything for the perfect love.

2. We love debut authors. Tell us about your journey to publication and, especially about “The Call.”

As so many novelists, I’ve written stories my whole life. I couldn’t help myself. The stories came and the characters insisted I pay them homage. Nevertheless, fresh out of college I answered another muse—Clio, the Muse of history. Off I went to graduate school to become (cue History Channel music) a Professional Historian.

Soon enough I found that Clio’s companionship, while invigorating, did not wholly satisfy me. So I grasped the hands of Erato—the Muse of lyric poetry, the poetry of love—and Calliope—the Muse of epic poetry, the poetry of adventure—and invited them to join us.

Together the four of us romped about aimlessly for some time, as new friends will often do.

Eventually I discovered Romance Writers of America and learned about query letters and synopses, market trends and point-of-view. I sent out many letters and chapters. I received many rejections. I continued to write with all my heart, but with less hope of publication. Then, when I was just about ready to tell my Muse friends that we would be going it alone once more—still romping with great joy but no longer with serious aim—I got The Call.

It came in the form of an email message I read while standing up at the kitchen counter, briefcase still slung over my shoulder after walking through the door: “I am IN LOVE with this book. I can’t stop thinking about it!” It was, in truth, a dream. A month later my wonderful agent sold my trilogy at auction to Avon. It still feels like a dream, especially since Avon just bought a second series from me. I wish this dream to come true for every writer.

3. There is so much that is risky about Swept Away By A Kiss! Share some of what makes your book so unusual.

My hero pretends to be a priest! This makes for some— ah— challenging moments of swiftly slipping self-control for both Steven and Valerie. With her fiery will and tender vulnerability, the beauty beguiles Steven to his limits. But if he reveals his true identity, his mission—their very lives—will be forfeit. For her part, Valerie is determined to remain aloof, but her fellow prisoner shows absolutely no signs of a natural inclination toward celibacy. Later in England when Steven takes on the role of a brainless fop to throw off suspicion and keep Valerie safe, she’s no less confused yet still completely in love. Theirs is a tempestuous relationship, to be sure!

I adore secret identity stories, and Steven’s is particularly risky. He does it all to ruin an illegal slave trader. A hero who keeps secret the fact that he rescues people on a daily basis—even makes himself look like a fool to throw off suspicion—is positively, deliciously breathtaking to me. And always the longing, the wishing and yearning to reveal all to the woman he loves, and the steely honor that holds him back… Sigh!

4. Did you come across any interesting research when you were writing the book?

Haiti’s struggle for freedom—a slave society that had had enough and did something about it. It is a powerful, moving, and inspiring story. Imagine a dash of revolution, another of civil war, a greedy emperor with a huge army, a sun-soaked island, and a dream of liberty coming true. Amazing! Haiti plays a small but important part in Steven becoming a hero worthy of his own destiny and his lady’s heart. (I am donating a portion of proceeds from the sale of SWEPT AWAY BY A KISS to reconstruction efforts in Haiti.)

5. What’s next for you?

CAPTURED BY A ROGUE LORD, the second book in my debut trilogy! I love the good guys—the really good guys—even if they don’t quite realize they’re good! London society knows Lord Alex Savege as a devastatingly rakish earl. In his secret identity as the pirate captain Redstone, Alex seizes the yachts of spoiled nobles and donates the swag to charity. But years ago Alex began his double life with less than noble intentions. Now a lovely minx, Miss Serena Carlyle, is determined to halt a band of smugglers. When she begs Redstone for help, will Alex finally become the real hero she desires?

CAPTURED BY A ROGUE LORD will be in bookstores April 2011. Before then, I pray you dear readers, name my trilogy! In October I’ll post a contest to my website in search of a stunningly great series title, and I’ll keep it open until I find a winner. Readers who would like first crack at submitting entries can sign up for my newsletter now (via my website), and I’ll send them details a few weeks before the contest goes live online. I cannot wait to see what everyone comes up with!

Gearing up for that, to celebrate International Talk Like A Pirate Day on September 19, I’ll be unveiling on my website the gorgeously hunky cover of CAPTURED BY A ROGUE LORD (be still my beating heart!). Stop by to catch a peek

I’ll also be posting a free Regency ghost novel to my website beginning September 27. So much fun stuff!

Thanks for visiting, Katharine!