Recovering

Thanks so, so much to everyone for your good wishes after my emergency surgery last week! It was scary, but I'm now on the road to recovery and looking forward to stories our of RWA Nationals this week. Knowing I have some great friends has made things so much easier. Stay tuned next week when I can (hopefully!) stay on the computer longer than 5 minutes and will have a proper post...

On My Way to RWA and The Big Apple

Today I'm on my way to the Romance Writers of America conference in New York City. As if that were not exciting enough, I'm getting there by car!

Lest you think a road trip from Virginia to NYC via the New Jersey Turnpike is nothing to get excited about, I'm riding with Lavinia Kent, and Julie Halperson, my long-time writing friend. Julie and I hardly ever get to see Lavinia so 4 or more hours to talk will be a super treat.

I've spoken to Amanda, who is rapidly recuperating, but must miss the conference, a real bummer, because this year, as Laurel McKee, she is a RITA finalist, for Countess of Scandal. I'm betting you'll hear from her in her normal Risky time tomorrow.

Because Amanda will have to miss RWA, I thought I'd celebrate several years of us attending the conference, at least the Regency part. The Regency writers chapter of RWA, The Beau Monde, tacks on its own festivities the day before the conference. Each year the Beau Monde holds a Soiree, where many of us dress up in Regency garb. Amanda has stretched this a bit to include other eras, but she is always the best dressed.

Here's a pic from 2002. Amanda's dress is inspired by Kate Winslet's in Titanic

My dress was made by my "modiste" and friend, Helen. It is from an authentic period pattern

Here we are again in 2003. Amanda is dressed as a milk maid, a la Marie Antoinette.

My modiste Helen made this dress for me, too.

This costume of Amanda's was her best ever! This is the 2008 Beau Monde Soiree.

I didn't even recognize Amanda at first in this costume. And I was with her when she purchased the hat in Williamsburg.

This is also the only photo I have of all the Riskies (at the time). From L to R, Elena, Cara (who bowed out of the Riskies and Carolyn took her place), me, Amanda, Janet, and Megan.

Someday we must get our current Riskies all in one place for a new photo. Unfortunately, both Elena and Amanda will not be at the conference this year.

And here is Amanda's dress from last year. It is also the dress on the cover of her RITA finalist, Countess of Scandal.

(L to R in photo: Louisa Cornell, Amanda, Megan, Keira Soleore, Cara Elliott, also a RITA finalist)

I'll try to get photos from this year's Soiree, but it won't be the same. I suspect we'll have to wait a whole year to see what wonderful confection Amanda has for us next.

On Friday night, between 8 and 10, be thinking about Amanda/Laurel and sending good wishes. That's the time of the RITA and Golden Heart Awards ceremony. Maybe our good wishes can make Countess of Scandal a winner!

And while you are sending good wishes, consider participating in the auction for LA Banks. Her friends in the Romance community are raising money to help with her medical expenses.

Contest - Rename the Baby!

A few weeks ago, we talked about new covers for electronically reissued Regencies. In a private chat with my local writer buddies, one of them suggested I also consider changing titles.

I've always thought of LADY DEARING'S MASQUERADE more as a Regency historical than a traditional Regency, both because of its length (90,000 words versus the 75,000 my traditional Regencies usually ran) and because it takes the heat up a notch from my earlier books.

So I'm brainstorming ideas for a new title that sounds a bit less like a traditional Regency. I'd love to hear your suggestions. I can't guarantee that I'll use any of them, but I will send a copy of the paperback version of this book to a commenter chosen at random.

Comment all week long, and I'll pick a winner next Saturday.

To stimulate your creativity, here's the back cover blurb:

Hearts in Hiding

She became the ton’s most notorious widow after kissing a costumed stranger at a masquerade. Her reputation was destroyed overnight in a swirl of spiteful rumor. Shunned by polite society and unable to forget years of a desperately unhappy marriage, Olivia, Lady Dearing now hides her heart where no man will ever find it. Though she fills her life with children she has taken in from London’s Foundling Hospital, a stranger’s seductive voice haunts her dreams.

He has given up hope of ever finding her, but two years later, the empty place in his heart still aches for the beauty he kissed at the masquerade. Sir Jeremy Fairhill, a widower with painful secrets of his own, devotes himself to the cause of the Foundling Hospital. When he learns that an infamous widow has taken some of the children into her own home, duty alone compels him to investigate. But passion will soon engulf them both, leading to a disastrous scandal—or love.

Comment away! Funny as well as serious ideas welcome.

Elena

No Mash-Ups, I'm A Purist

Now, while I like mash-ups in general, reveling in the ridiculous conflagration of, say, The Watchmen and My Little Pony:



But one thing I've never been on-board with is messing with my faves, unless it's sufficiently separate from the source (in other words, I liked Clueless).

So I've got trepidation about the upcoming Pride and Prejudice and Zombies movie, currently being cast. Emma Stone (who was in Easy A and Zombieland) is in talks to play Elizabeth Bennet, and James MacAvoy's been mentioned as Darcy. Now I own the book, but haven't read it; I've heard it's delightful, but like I said, I'm nervous.

Not that authors, books and concepts should be sacrosanct, but I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this concept. Maybe because I find zombies so unpleasant in the first place?

Some of you have read it, while some of you feel as I do. What do you think?

Cover and Excerpt, Jane Austen: Blood Persuasion

My next book, the second about Jane Austen as a (part-time/temporary) vampire, Jane Austen: Blood Persuasion, is released in October, 2011 and I thought you'd like to see the beauteous cover. I love it! Note the bat-shaped pen and Jane's fang.

It's set in 1810, when Jane, with her mother, sister and best friend are living in Chawton and Jane is about to get down to some serious writing. But then, as so often happens in Austen's own novels, new tenants lease Chawton Great House, owned by one of Jane's brothers.

Here's the beginning of the book:

Chawton, Hants, 1810

“She’s an extraordinarily troublesome girl,” the Reverend James Austen said.

Jane watched in fascination as the girl in question, her niece Anna, pulled a hideous face at her father, an expression that lasted only a second before her pretty face resumed its normal sweetness.

“Come, brother, you’d rather have her commit folly at twenty-seven than seventeen?”

“I was sixteen when it started, Aunt Jane,” Anna said.

“Indeed, a whole year of foolishness.” James stood as his mother entered the drawing room. “How goes the garden, ma’am? I have brought you some cuttings; your garden boy has them.”

“You did? Heavens, he’ll probably kill them by looking at them. What possessed your brother to send me that boy I cannot imagine. He’s all thumbs and none of them green. Come now, James, give your old mother a kiss. And you, too, Miss Anna, you must help me in the garden.”

James frowned at the display of affection between Mrs. Austen and her granddaughter. “She is here to reflect upon her foolishness and inconstancy, ma’am, not to enjoy herself.”

“Oh, of course,” Jane murmured. “But you hate gardening, do you not, Anna? And going for walks, and playing upon the pianoforte, and talking nonsense, and reading novels, for that is all we do here, I fear.”

“Hmm.” As James spoke Jane saw a quick glance of affection between father and daughter, quickly masked. “I had in mind some improving literature and early nights.”

“Naturally. Bread and water we can supply too, James. Never fear. We shall be the consummate jailers.”

“Oh, stop talking nonsense and make tea for us, Jane.” Mrs. Austen removed the wide-brimmed, unfashionable straw hat she wore for gardening. “We shall keep Anna busy, you may be assured, and fortunately there are no eligible bachelors in Chawton.”

“Indeed, yes,” Jane said, measuring tea into the teapot. “For Mr. Papillon is destined for me, you know. If you set your cap at him I shall be most displeased, Anna, and send you packing off home to Steventon again.”

“Really? You have a beau, Aunt Jane?”

“Your aunt is funning you.” James, softening a little, winked at his sister. “How goes the scribbling, Jenny?”

“Fair enough. Gallons of ink, acres of paper, and every morning my sister and mother and Martha have to wade through my torn out hair a foot deep on the dining room floor. I thank you for asking, brother.”

“I’m not so sure it wasn’t novels that caused all this trouble in the first place,” James said. “They contain much romantic silliness.”

“Oh, heaven forbid we should act as rational creatures,” Jane said. “Do you think we do not know the difference between fact and fiction, James? That all we read in novels is but a fantasy of the life we lead, and we such poor creatures we cannot tell the difference? And,” she added, “mine don’t contain romantic silliness. Silliness, possibly. Romance, possibly. But the two together? Impossible.”

Enjoy and hope to see many of you in NYC next week!

Tying up Loose Ends - Read Along, Plus Winner

Doh! I forgot to post the winner of the Kyoto Fashion Book.


Jo's Daughter


Email me yourfull mailing address and I will get the book into the mail for you. Though, realistically, not until after RWA.

Read Along

Through the magic of Carolyn being in Charge, I give you three Layton books to choose from. All of them have Kindle versions. Vote for your choice in the comments

To Wed A Stranger
Is it possible? The breathtaking Lady Annabelle has actually agreed to marry, sight unseen, a gentleman of her father's choosing -- the self-proclaimed "exceptionally average" Miles Croft. The ton is aghast! After scandalously toying with so many hearts, why is the exquisite Annabelle chaining herself to the new Viscount Pelham, a complete -- albeit most attractive -- stranger? Could it be that her own heart has been irreparably shattered, and she wants nothing more to do with romance?

Yet there is certainly nothing "average" about their wedding night! There is magic in Mile's touch, and the smoldering ecstasy it ignites threatens to consume them both. Dare Annabelle dream this is the one passionate and enduring love she ached for in secret, but never dreamed she'd be worthy of? Might this tender, mysterious lover truly be the scarlet lady's redemption -- and could she be Mile's as well?

The Devil's Bargain
Katherine Corbet abhors injustice -- and is happy to assist the disturbingly attractive Sir Alasdair St. Erth quash the brazen schemes of a marriage-minded opportunist. But appearing on the arm of the dark, dashing rogue at London balls as his interest will never be more than a sham -- no matter how Katherine's aching heart yearns for more.

This naive country miss is ideal! With Katherine's unsuspecting assistance, Alasdair can at long last take his revenge on an old, hated enemy -- though it pains him to use such an innocent in this unscrupulous manner. Worse still is the longing she inspires within him, a passionate need to taste the sweetness of her lips. Alasdair knows his vengeful plan could destroy a fragile, blossoming love. And when he finally releases Katherine from his devil's bargain, will he truly be able to let her go?

The Choice
There was no back blurb, so here's a review descritpion:
One of romance's most gifted authors, Layton (The Cad) here tells the story of the ethereally beautiful Gilly Giles, desired by many but deemed unmarriageable because she has neither fortune nor family (although she is, mysteriously, a nobleman's ward). When the malevolent rake Dearborne, seeking vengeance because Gilly has spurned him, announces to a crowded ball that he has seen her in a strange man's arms, Damon Ryder, newly returned from making his fortune in America, preserves Gilly's fragile reputation. Thinking quickly, Damon claims that he and Gilly are engaged; they must maintain the farce at least through the social season. During this time, Damon falls in love, and Gilly blossoms into full womanhood. Alas, two other men complicate affairs. One is the nobleman whom Gilly thinks she loves, the other a libertine eager to take advantage of her confused emotions. This is a top-notch Regency, told with flair and fraught with sexual tension.

25 Things About Amanda

Hi there, it's Risky Carolyn, not the more fashionable Risky Amanda.

Amanda is under the weather, so I am taking the liberty of posting an oldie but a goodie from the Amanda Archives.

She's on the mend, but can't blog just yet. In the meantime, the comments is a great place to show Amanda your Risky Love and your get-well-soon wishes.

Originally posted by Amanda McCabe/Laurel McKee on Saturday, June 03, 2006.

Today's post really has nothing to do with writing, I guess. Though I suppose it could be a useful tool when first starting a project and "getting to know" your characters. But someone sent me this questionnaire of "25 things about YOU," and it was kind of fun to fill out. Here are my answers, and I can't wait to hear what other people have to say about them, too. :) Or maybe it's just a way for me to indulge my natural nosiness...

1) If you could build a second house anywhere, where would it be? Maui, of course! Or maybe a cottage in an English village. Can I have both?
2) What is your favorite article of clothing? Well, I have two, actually. One is an ancient yellow fisherman's sweater. Yellow is a horrible color on me--makes me look like I'm dying of a terrible tropical fever. Plus there is a hole in the elbow. But I love that sweater and will never part with it. My other fave is a black jersey wrap dress that always gives me the comforting idea that I'm thinner than I am. It's a magical dress.
3) What is the last CD you purchased? Cecilia Bartoli's Opera Probita
4) What time do you wake up in the morning? 7 if I have to go to work (boo!), as late as the dogs will let me sleep on weekends
5) What is your favorite kitchen appliance? Er--does the phone count, since it's in the kitchen? I use it to order takeout all the time. Or maybe the microwave.
6) If you could play any instrument, what would it be? This is hard, because I always wished I had musical talent and, well, I just don't. Ask my parents about those ill-fated piano lessons. But I would love to play the cello
7) What is your favorite color? Pink!
8) Do you believe in the afterlife? Yes. No. Maybe. Depends on what day it is. :)
9) What is your favorite children's book? Another toughie--there are so many. Eloise, I think. I adored that book when I was a kid, and drove my parents crazy demanding they let me move into a hotel
10) What is your favorite season? Autumn. I love the cool, crisp air, the colors, and Halloween
11) Do you have a tattoo? No--I'm afraid of pain!
12) Can you juggle? No, despite the best efforts of this guy selling juggling sets at a Ren. fair last spring
13) Who is the person you would most like to travel back in time and talk to? Why only one??? Shakespeare, maybe? Or Austen! Or the Buddha. Can I have all 3?
14) What is your favorite day of the week? Saturday, of course!
15) What's in the trunk of your car? Besides the body of the last reviewer to diss my books?
16) If you could have one superpower what would it be? Invisibility! I really envied Harry Potter that cloak of his
17) Sushi or beef? Um--chicken. But if I have to choose one, sushi
18) What is your favorite meal? Fried shrimp
19) When is your birthday? January 15 (gifts accepted all year long, though)
20) Do you watch Oprah? If I happen to be home and it's on. So, not much
21) Do you watch Survivor? No--not much of a "reality TV" person
22) What is your favorite TV show? Of all time, I LOVE LUCY. Or maybe NORTHERN EXPOSURE. Right now--LOST
23) Do you celebrate Christmas? In a "trapped in family hell" way, yes :)
24) What is your favorite movie? Another hard one. You all know how I love movies. Today I'm really liking ROMAN HOLIDAY
25) Vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate, always

Now your turn! Feel free to answer any or all of these yourself, either here or on your own blog. (But if it's on your own blog, you have to send the Riskies a link!) Happy Saturday...

Loss of Communication!!!

At last! I have internet again. I've not had access to internet since Sunday morning. I think I would have simply perished had I not been able to check email and such on my iphone. This has been hard.

I've also had a very busy few days so I hadn't had the foresight to write a blog ahead of time.

But this trauma of not having access to the internet got me to thinking of communication during the Regency.

This past Saturday was the 196th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. I wondered how long it took for the folks back in London to learn of the battle and its outcome.

Wellington sent an official dispatch on June 19 and it arrive in London on June 21. The news was published as a London Gazette Extraordinary on June 22. Three days. And I can communicate with a blog in an instant (if the internet is working).

The news of Wellington's victory at Waterloo did travel across the English Channel a bit faster than the official dispatch. The Rothschild family had several agents working on both sides of the line at Waterloo. By the afternoon of June 18, the Rothschild couriers boarded a chartered boat and brought the news of the victory to Nathan Rothschild two days before the official dispatch. The difference, you might say, between email and a text message. Or maybe between a blog and twitter.

By the way, the story that Rothschild used this prior knowledge to make a killing on the bond market, is not exactly truthful. Actually, Rothschild felt that the war would last a long time. The battle ending the war so quickly almost ruined the Rothschilds.

Has the internet (or any other kind of communication) failed you at an important time?

Thursday on Diane's Blog, I'll tell you what made my weekend so busy.

Heiress in Love Winner

Lindsey Hutchison, you're our winner!
Please send your snailmail to riskies AT yahoo.com so you may receive your signed copy of Heiress in Love

Guest Christina Brooks

M.O.M knows best ... sometimes. We're thrilled to welcome to the Riskies debut author Christina Brooks with her new release HEIRESS IN LOVE, and she's offering a signed copy to one lucky commenter!

Christina, welcome and tell us about your book.

Hi Riskies! Hi Janet! Thanks so much for having me with you today. The blurb says it so well:

When the Ministry of Marriage arranges a match, all that matters is power, wealth and prestige. In the business of marriage, there is no room for love. But even the most prudent plans can go awry…

A Convenient Marriage

Jane, Lady Roxdale, has endured one marriage of convenience decreed by the Ministry of Marriage. While she deeply regrets her late husband’s death, she is relieved to be free at last. But when a dissolute rake threatens everything Jane holds dear, she must contemplate marrying a second time…

An Inconvenient Passion

Disgraced libertine Constantine Black inherits his cousin Roxdale’s land and title–while Roxdale’s prim widow is left all the wealth. Constantine is not a marrying man, but wedding Jane is the only way to save the estate from ruin. Jane resists the smoldering heat between them, desperate not to fall in love with an unrepentant rake. But for the first time ever, Constantine wants more than seduction. He wants all of her–body, heart, and soul…

How many books are in the series and who's up next?

At the moment, I'm contracted to write three books in the Ministry of Marriage series for the Westruther cousins. HEIRESS IN LOVE (Jane's story, 28 June 2011), MAD ABOUT THE EARL (Rosamund's story, 3 January 2012) and A DUCHESS TO REMEMBER (Cecily's story, July 2012). I hope the series goes on for another three books so I can write the Westruther men's stories, too.

As you know we're research geeks here, so please share any interesting research that came your way when you were writing the book.

I researched quite a bit about the Cotswold woollen mills, which were surprisingly handsome buildings, and a lot about the region's sheep which didn't make it into the book. I'm sure readers will be relieved to hear that! It's amazing how serendipity plays a part in the writing of novels. It rained non-stop where I live while I was writing this book and the rain found its way into the book itself. I wanted a local disaster to occur and in the course of my research I discovered an interesting tidbit. Often, a number of mills were built along the one stream and some unscrupulous mill owners would dam the stream on their property to stop the water flowing to other mills downstream, thereby putting those other mills out of business. This dovetailed nicely with the incessant rain that was already a theme in the book and the resulting flood is a huge turning point for my hero. I suppose that's a spoiler but not a fatal one, I hope!

What do you love about the Regency period?

I love the clash between romantic idealism and the importance of making a good match--that's what Pride and Prejudice is all about, after all. By contrast to modern times, where we all seem to air our every thought and whim on a daily basis through Twitter and Facebook, there is a lot of constraint placed on lovers in the Regency era. I love the intensity of romantic conflict that seems to go hand in hand with that constraint. I also enjoy finding a way for my heroine to be an independent thinker with a sure sense of self-worth without the crutch of a career to fall back on. It forces me to think hard about what it is that makes my heroine--or any woman--fulfilled.

I also admire what you might call 'Regency style' -- the fashion, the interiors, the classical elegance of the era. And I love the dry wit and banter that seems to fit so well into Regency historicals.

What don't you love about the Regency period?

Finding an appropriately foul swear word for dire occasions that is also true to the era is terribly difficult! "Damn" sounds quite tame to the modern reader. I also have an ambivalent relationship with the rigid class structure of the period. Of course, the fantasy of having wealth and servants at one's command is part of the lure of the Regency historical but sometimes I find the enormity of that disparity uncomfortable. I think perhaps as a result of that, my books focus on the romantic relationship against the backdrop of family, not against the backdrop of wider social concerns. I feel that any 'solution' I presented to those social problems would seem trite. And you do need resolution in romance novels, I think, or at least, in the kind of romance novel I write.

What writers have influenced you?

When I was ten or so, I saw the play version of Pride and Prejudice and fell instantly in love with both Austen's writing and the era. My mother introduced me to the Brontes and Georgette Heyer. Thackeray's Vanity Fair is a favorite, and Fielding's Tom Jones, too. I think Susan Elizabeth Phillips writes magnificent heroes and wonderfully satisfying romance. I learn more from her every time I read her books.

What book are you currently reading?

I always have more than one book on the go. At the moment, I'm reading Tess Gerritsen's STOLEN, Julie Ann Long's I KISSED AN EARL, Elizabeth Peters' RIVER IN THE SKY (on audio book) and Donald Maass's WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL (which I've read several times).

What's your ideal research trip?

Oh, where to start!? My current WIP is set in London, so I think I'd probably begin there. There is an excellent book called something like Georgette Heyer's Regency London. I'd love to visit every place in that book! I'd probably go up to Scotland, too, as I've never been there and my grandmother was half Scot by blood but wholly Scottish in her heart *G*.

Whose portraits did you use for the Westruthers section on your Ministry of Marriage page?

I had to quickly chase these details down again so I hope I have them right! The Duke of Montford is actually William Wilberforce, by Thomas Lawrence. Lady Jane Westruther is the Duchess of Berry (Lawrence), Lady Rosamund Westruther is Jane Digby. I'm not as happy with the men's portraits. It's not easy to get men as devastatingly handsome as I imagined my Westruther men! But the Earl of Beckenham and Viscount Lydgate are unknown miniatures I found on the internet (I think) and the Marquis of Steyne is David Lyon by Lawrence. I can't seem to track down Lady Cecily's name, just that it is a portrait of a 'young girl' again, by Lawrence. That one is my favourite -- the young girl's personality leaps off the page.

Thank you for having me on Risky Regencies today! I would love to ask your readers a question:

If you were a heroine in one of my novels and your marriage was being arranged, what's the one quality in your husband that is not negotiable? One lucky reader will win a signed copy of HEIRESS IN LOVE!

Scattered Saturday

I usually write my posts earlier in the week, but it's been a busy week so here I am trying to blog off the cuff. I don't do it as well as other Riskies, but I'll try!

I've been continuing to work hard on my balloonist story. Since I started again on it this spring, I've heavily edited the first half that I'd written earlier. Recently, I got to the chapter I was on when my husband suffered his stroke. Chapter 13 that is. And I struggled with it just as I struggled with Chapter 13 in my last full length romance. I'm not superstitious. Actually, I think my longer stories tend to hit a major turning point around that spot and so it takes more rewrites to make it work. I'm happy with it now and forging on, getting close to the really fun balloon stuff.

Since it's hard to read the dialogue in this Regency cartoon online, I will tell you that the lady is saying "How it rises!" and the gentleman agrees "It ascends exquisitely!" Yup, about right. :)

At the same time, I've been busy continuing to look into art for reissuing my backlist and musing more on the issue of how and why covers should convey the level of sensuality of the story. I'm an eclectic reader and have enjoyed anything from the sweet traditional Regency to erotic romance. I'm fine as long as the characterization is good. But many readers seem to be like me when I go to our local pub that has the best Buffalo Wings in the area. I order only the medium wings, because anything less is kind of boring and anything more has me in tears. Maybe that's what it is for some readers? Anyway, I'm continuing to look for different treatments for my reissues, because they range from my first book, which was on the sweet side, to my last, which was a Super Regency and had sex scenes that horrified the traditional Regency purist.

I'm looking forward to summer. Although I'm not going to RWA this year, I'm eager to start a new writing schedule. Since I won't be so busy in the morning getting my kids ready for school, solving fashion emergencies and locating lost footwear, I can take that hour (while it's quiet and cool) to write. Since I'm a morning person, I'm really happy about that.

So how about you? What have you been busy with? Anyone superstitious about the Number 13? Do you like your chicken wings or your romances at just one level of heat? And are you looking forward to summer?

Elena

RWA Workshop!

In two weeks, Liz Maverick and I will be presenting a workshop on social media during RWA's National Conference. It's titled:

Tweet it, Blog it, Face it: Self-Promoting with Social Media

and it's all about, yeah, how writers might use social media to promote themselves and their work.

So--as an author, what would you most like to know how to do? What to do? When to do it?

Thanks for the help!

Bad and Worse Papas

Given the choice between the Battle of Waterloo and father's day, dads win hands down. I've blogged before about the horrible casualty rate of that day and, although we've made a big celebration of Waterloo in the past, I think we should remind both his grace and his excellency not to stage a major battle two weeks before RWA Nationals!

So, fathers. They don't do too well in fiction. In the words of Katha Pollitt, in her poem ReReading Jane Austen's Novels, Papa's/a sort of genial, pampered lunatic, and I think that's a tradition that's stuck with us. Some do it better than others--Miranda Neville's brilliant Mr. Montrose and his weighing fixation, for instance, in The Dangerous Viscount. He is, unlike most of Austen's fathers, mostly harmless.

Quoting Katha Pollitt again, This time round, they didn't seem so comic. So let's take a look at Austen's fathers, surprisingly creative for a woman whose own father was intelligent, affectionate, and well-respected.

Dead and/or fiscally irresponsible. Mr. Dashwood, you really should have sorted out the business of your wife's and daughter's inheritance rather than leaving it up to your son and his wife. Mr. Bennet, get out of the library and see to your investments. Mr. Price, put that bottle down now and give Mrs. Price a rest (if you know what I mean and I think you do). And would it kill you to lend a hand around the house?

Generally unpleasant. Sir Thomas Bertram, I've always thought you're a bit creepy in your interest in Fanny Price. Back off! General Tilney, you're a jerk. You may have thought Catherine an airhead but she wasn't that far off the mark, despite her head being filled with gothic nonsense. Sir Walter Elliot, you're just plain dumb, and you should listen to Anne for a change.

Weird. Verging on the monstrous, yes, I'm talking about you, Mr. Woodhouse. You'd only be happy if you could imprison your daughter for life in your fantasy world of fear, besieged by illness and bloodthirsty foxes. After all, the chickens may only have been the beginning... Two got away (one daughter and one governess) and you don't want to let Emma go. In your way you're almost as bad as General Tilney.

Mostly harmless. Only one comes to mind, The Rev. Moreland. (Can you think of any more?)

Do you have any fictitious fathers you love to hate or, gasp, even any favorite fathers in Austen or romance?

Risky Read Along

I'm going to make an executive decision, half of the commenters suggested Edith Layton. Her name came up the first time, too, so let's find a Layton
Edith Layton Book List

At least some of her books are also available for Kindle so I presume they are likely to be available in other digital formats as well.

Edith Layton at Amazon

Edith Layton at B and N

So, what looks good? Any suggestions, favorites or what have you?

Opine in the comments.

Making Music

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Like Diane, I am "between engagements" (I know what's coming up next--after RWA, which is two weeks away, eek!). So, what am I doing with all this time? I am deciding what to pack for RWA, trying to lose a couple more pounds before RWA (in the quest for which I've been doing crazy things like kickboxing and spin classes), and just generally getting excited about seeing everyone at RWA. I've been supervising my little ballet class in last weekend's recital (everyone performed beautifully!), and I've been getting caught up on some reading. (Just finished a terrific book by Jehanne Wake called Sisters of Fortune: America's Caton Sisters At Home and Abroad about a set of beautiful, wealthy sisters from Maryland who took Regency London by storm).

I've also been doing some prelim work for the next couple of books (that stuff which I call Important Research and others--like my mother--might call procrastination). I love to make soundtracks for stories, music that seems to suit the mood of a certain character or scene. It can be music of the period (like lute music for an Elizabethan story) but not always. Sometimes it's something totally off-the-wall (sort of in the style of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette). Today I am thinking of music for love scenes. These can be the trickiest scenes to set to music sometimes, because it all depends on the mood. It can be anything from Bolero, instrumental jazz like Miles Davis's So What, or Rihanna's S and M. I asked some of my writing friends around here what they would suggest--some people had funny stuff (Katy Perry's Peacock), some had ideas I might steal (like Crash Into Me by the Dave Matthews Band).

My number one stand-by song for any love scene is this, Next Girl by The Black Keys:



And this is Billboard's Top 50 Sexy Songs....

What are your favorite love scene songs? Do you put soundtracks to your books?

(And if you're in a serious-minded historical mood today, it's the anniversary of the Battle of Friedland, which you can read about here...)

(Also, it's International Steampunk Day!)

Favorites

Yay! I am done with the book and with the revisions on my new Undone short estory and am momentarily free of all deadlines.

Which means I am in the throes of worrying what to write next. The field is a way open. I can write anything I want to--as long as it is set in Regency England.

So I've been thinking of what books I've enjoyed, and one keeps popping up in my mind: The Last Frost Fair by Joy Freemen, a Signet Regency from 1985.

I loved the set-up for this book. The heroine is the beauty of an impoverished family. Her sisters and mother toil endlessly while she must sit and watch, to save her hands. The survival of her family depends upon her making a good marriage. Then she meets and falls in love with the hero, a soldier, but they both know that they cannot marry. They reunite later in the story and attend the last frost fair. A happy ending seems almost impossible.

I love the drama of needing to marry for money but falling in love with someone else. And the excitement and danger of the last frost fair. I wrote a blog about the last frost fair, and it figures prominently in a book I started a long time ago, one that has paranormal elements so isn't a fit for Harlequin Historicals.

Do you have a book that just continues to stick in your mind?

Do you have a favorite plot that you never tire of? Reunion stories. Cinderella stories. Marriage of convenience. (I'd love to know....I have to write a new book, you know...)

Dress for Success

I want to talk about covers. Specifically, covers for reissued traditional Regencies. I’m looking into the idea of republishing my backlist and interested to see what others have done.


Some authors have gotten new cover art much in the style of the Zebra and Signet Regency covers. Shannon Donnelly has some very nice ones; here’s an example. The concern I have with these is the possible perception among readers that these books contain no more sexual activity than kissing. I've had some irate reader mail about my Regencies that had sex scenes and some Amazon comments to the effect that sex does not belong in traditional Regencies (or even that sex did not occur during the Regency!) Janet and I once had a chat about how readers might not expect a bondage scene in a book with this type of cover. :)

There are some lovely covers using period fashion plates. Here’s one through Belgrave House and another by Candice Hern. I think they're great but they do seem best suited to the sweet traditional Regency.








Here are some other styles of covers I have found on Smashwords when searching for “Regency romance”. As far as I know, these are not reissues but they show a range of possibilities.

I like the use of period artwork, especially portraits. I pick books more by whether the characters seem intriguing than by the level of sexuality, so an attractive and interesting portrait will catch my eye.

I loved the first cover for Pam Rosenthal’s RITA-winning THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION, which featured a portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence. IMHO this cover is sexy; it also promises quality writing and a period feel. Yet the book was reissued with this much less subtle cover. The Smart Bitches and their guests discussed the merits of each; opinions were mixed but I think pretty evenly divided between the classier vs the cheesier cover. I only hope the two covers helped the book reach a wider readership!

So what do you think? Which sorts of covers do you like and why?

How important is it that a book cover reflects the level of sensuality of the book, versus other elements?

What sort of covers do you think work best for books that fall somewhere between the sweet traditional and the sexy historical?

Elena

Another Risky Read Along?

I'm filling in for Megan today. I can't hope to match the elan of Risky Megan, so you'll have to man-up (or whatever)  and soldier on.

We need another Risky Read Along.

To that end, what book should we read?  I'm looking for specific authors and titles.

Hit me up in the comments for your suggestions and we'll have a poll later in the week.

Thanks!

Annoyances and domestic disturbance

It's been a funny sort of week.

First, chez Mullany most of the contents of the kitchen are strewn around the living/dining room. I have a really small house so you sort of notice when you find the toaster on the sofa or you start looking for a clean plate on a chair and find very ancient containers of spices under the table. This is because we have had a new kitchen ceiling installed and for the first time in years we can now open all the cabinet doors all the way and I've cleaned some of the cabinet shelves for the first time in ... a very long time. The cat was extremely traumatized by having Men in the house.

I should also announce with pride that I have finally finished unpacking from RWA Nationals last year and had a marathon washing of silk session.

But that's not what annoys me. No, the number one annoyance of the moment is Austen spelled Austin. Really REALLY REALLY annoying.

Number two, heroes in historicals who fall into one or more of these categories:

1. Marry the heroine without intending to have sex with her (see below).
2. Marry the heroine without intending to have children with her (see below).
3. Don't want to marry anyone, heroine included, because they have so many cousins, brothers, male relatives of all sizes and shapes they don't need to provide an heir although they will never be at a loss for sequels (see below).
4. Stride everywhere.

Number four doesn't actually have anything to do with 1 thru 3 but I must say that all that striding is very tiring for the reader. In some contemporaries I've attempted to read both the hero and the heroine, to prove her kickassedness, stride all the time, everywhere. She strode to the bathroom to clean her teeth. She strode to the Mr. Coffee. And so on.

Let's take a look at the Church of England marriage service. I'm not sure exactly which version of the Book of Common Prayer would have been in use during the Regency, but it would have been something closer to this (1662) than any modern version:

[Marriage] is not by any to be enterprised, nor taken in hand, unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly, to satisfy men's carnal lusts and appetites, like brute beasts that have no understanding; but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God; duly considering the causes for which Matrimony was ordained.

First, It was ordained for the procreation of children, to be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord, and to the praise of his holy Name.

But wait, there's more.

For a brilliant exposition on the reasons why men married and wanted to marry--not just to avoid fornication, as reason number two in the service says--read Amanda Vickery's Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England.

For a decade or so popular historical imagination has been dominated by two sorts of Georgians. The first are the libertines, the frisky Casanovas who wink knowingly at their unborn Victorian grandchildren before setting off on yet another erotic frolic. The second lot are the tasteful Georgians, the ones who spend all their time polishing their tea caddies and getting giddy on the fancy new fabrics pouring in from the east. Both types might be described as residing behind closed doors. But it is the second group, the curtain-hanging, figurine-fingering kind, whom Amanda Vickery dissects in this brilliant book. Review in The Guardian, 10/24/09.

Marriage, for the Georgian man, represented a state of maturity and social achievement; if you could afford to marry and set up house with the sort of woman who'd strike bargains with warehouse proprietors and wallpaper hangers, the sort of woman defined by Vickery as a "sexy battleaxe" you had arrived. You no longer had to send your laundry home to mama (yes, men really did that), worry about having enough plates for your dinner party, or suffer guilt and remorse about squalid erotic adventures.

So I wonder why romance clings so strongly to the completely historically incorrect picture of the carefree bachelor--or is he really the irresponsible ingrate who won't even take responsibility for directly siring his heir (he doesn't have to enjoy it, for god's sake)? Do you think this is a bit of anti-history that works well for romance? Could you find a hero yearning for a sexy battleaxe to order his domestic life romantic?

I know that I could use a battleaxe, sexy optional, to organize my domestic life at the moment!

Hey! Look Over There! Also Giving Away a Book

I had this HUGE HUGE HUGE project at the day job that took weeks of testing and preparation across multiple departments-- this was at the same time I was finishing a book. (Can you say STRESS?) As the database administrator, my job included making sure everything worked as it did before. This meant that there were application developers who simply had to test in the new environment. They swore up and down that they did, but when the day comes? Their application logins fail. Well, that can only mean they did not test. Fine. But why lie about it?

Anyway, I lived a life of remarkable stress on all fronts for a long time. But the project is over, the book is turned in and . . . . I got sick.

I knew that would happen, of course. I spent most of last week fighting something off and well, I have been having my own illness pity party for the last 3 days and am now hyped up on medications such a decongestants etc.

What this means is that as I type this, I am not at the top of my game in any sense of the word.

So, it also turns out that I have managed to acquire two copies of The Kyoto Costume Institute's Fashion which has amazing pictures and content in it. It covers the 18th to the 20th century. I have two copies because, as it turns out, there are different versions of the book, a one volume version and a 2 volume version. The covers are COMPLETELY different but the content is identical.

Leave a comment (See below) if you would like a chance to win the one volume book from me. It's a high quality soft-cover (really stiff cover).

You have until Midnight Pacific, June 15th to comment. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Winner chosen at random.

Your comment should be about something. Just something, OK? Your favorite superhero. The merits of Skarsgard vs. Patel

Oh, here are some pictures for reference:

Or you could comment about how ardently you pray for my complete recovery from this cold.

Or something.

Letting It Go

Happy Tuesday, everyone! What have I been doing this week, since I am free of deadlines (free, I tell you!), at least for the moment? Well, I have been sitting around watching season 3 DVDs of True Blood, trying out some kickboxing classes (and trying to figure out how to write an awesome kickboxing Regency duchess heroine--I'm pretty sure that won't work out though), starting to get ready for RWA (less than three weeks away now, ack! At least I did remember to take my gown to the tailor), going to the movies, and getting caught up on reading. More on that later.

I was also thinking about Janet's post last week about reviews, and about various things I've been seeing around on-line concerning yet more thinly-veiled misogyny masquerading as high-brow readership (Ew! Romance! Only old ladies and stupid people read those!). (for example, see this great post on AAR, Top Ten Cliches About Romance Novels I Never Want To Hear Again). I've been reading and writing romance for a long time, and bad reviews and snarky comments mostly roll off me by now (no time for them--deadlines and all that), but they still can piss me off when I take time to think about it (so I try not to).

One of the books I was reading this weekend was Tina Fey's Bossypants, and she had this to say, which struck me as great advice for women no matter what artistic or business endeavor we're pursuing. (Sorry for the long excerpt, but she says it way better than I could!):

"...whenever someone says to me "Jerry Lewis says women aren't funny," or "Christopher Hitchens says women aren't funny," or "Rick Fenderman says women aren't funny...Do you have anything to say to that?"

Yes. We don't f****** care if you like it.

I don't say it out loud, of course, because Jerry Lewis is a great philanthropist, Hitchens is very sick, and the third guy I made up.

Unless one of those men is my boss, which none of them is, it's irrelevant. My hat goes off to them. It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don't like something, it is empirically not good. I don't like Chinese food, but I don't write articles to prove it doesn't exist.

So my unsolicited advice to women in the workplace is this. When faced with sexism or ageism or lookism or even really aggressive Buddhism, ask yourself the following question: "Is this person between me and what I want to do?" If the answer is no, ignore it and move on. Your energy is better used doing your work and outpacing people that way. Then, when you're in charge, don't hire the people who were jerky to you.

If the answer is yes, you have a more difficult road ahead of you. I suggest you model your strategy after the old Sesame Street piece "Over! Under! Through!" (If you're under forty you might not remember this film. It taught the concepts of "over" "under" and "through" by filming toddlers crawling around an abandoned construction site. They don't show it anymore because someone has since realized that's nuts)...

Again, don't waste your energy trying to educate or change opinions. Go "Over! Under! Through!" and opinions will change organically when you're the boss. Or they won't. Who cares? Do your thing and don't care if they like it."

So yeah, this book is hilarious and you should totally read it (though how can someone not like Chinese food??). Also she's right, and that is now my new motto. Over Under Through. (Plus a cynical laugh and knowing look when someone tries to disparage romance fiction seems to work wonders)

What have you been doing with your time this week?? What is your strategy for dealing with annoying people?

A Naked Winner!

Winner of Sally MacKenzie's The Naked King is.....

Jessica (commenter number one)

Congratulations!

Jessica, you had an email address on your Blogger account so look for an email from Sally MacKenzie, who will need your snail mail address.

Thanks, everyone, for making Sally feel so welcome.

The Riskies

Happy Endings

Happy Endings! I finished Leo's Story in time and sent it to the editor (who gave me 5 extra days which I sorely needed). So I am breathing a sigh of relief.

It is always hard to know how exactly to bring a story to the end. There are things I want my endings to have and I'm not always sure they do until the readers read them.

Off the top of my head, here is a list of "must-haves" for endings.

1. They must be logical. The reader should think they make sense.

2. Even though they make sense, they should also have some element of surprise

3. Little clues should occur earlier in the book so that, at the end, the reader sees why it couldn't end any other way.

4. Loose ends should be tied up. The reader should know what happens to all the characters.

5. In romance, the ending should be happy. Or "satisfying" as RWA now defines it. Mine are always happy for the hero and heroine. Not for me to have the hero and heroine find love, then the hero goes out sailing and drowns.

My husband and I just watched a movie on Netflix that had one sort of ending that I hate. I don't know the title of the movie, but it was all about the hero trying to rescue the heroine from a coven of witches who want to have her as a human sacrifice on winter solstice. Everything he tries doesn't work but he does get to her in time right when the sacrifice is going to happen. Instead of the hero saving her, though, it turns out that the whole thing was a set-up and the hero becomes the human sacrifice. Then you see the heroine set up the next fellow in the exact same way.

Horror movies often have this sort of ending. Just when you think all is well, you find out it is just going to start all over again.

I'm not saying these sorts of endings are wrong. Only that I don't like them. I much prefer the happy ending of a romance novel.

What elements to you think are important in story endings? What kind of endings do you like? What kinds don't you like?

Thanks to all in our "Risky Community" who have been with me these last few weeks while I've lamented and obsessed about needing to make my deadline. I have felt very supported!

Sally MacKenzie Gets Naked For The Last Time

Welcome back Sally MacKenzie, who is getting Naked for the last time, alas! Sally is taking over the whole blog today because I'm still swamped. The nice thing is, she's giving away one signed copy of The Naked King to one lucky commenter chosen at random. Here's Sally!

--Diane

Hello, Riskies! It’s wonderful to be visiting again. Diane, who I believe is in a bit of deadline hell, invited me to talk about The Naked King, my next and (for now, at least) last Naked novel, as well as the Naked experience in general.

Maybe the first thing to know about the Naked Nobility series--seven books and two novellas--is that it didn’t arise from some grand plan. I sold the first book, The Naked Duke, somewhat by accident in a two book contract. I was over-the-moon excited, but now I had to write a second book. Ulp. It had probably taken me four years or so to write the Duke; my editor was expecting “Historical Romance #2” a bit more promptly than that. What the heck was I going to do?

I turned to the Duke in desperation--fortunately, the hero has two friends. One friend became The Naked Marquis and the other...well, fortunately again the Duke sold well. I got another two-book contract, and the second friend got his story, The Naked Earl. But...there was that fourth book to write, and now I’d run out of heroes. Never fear, the Marquis’s heroine had a sister. And the earl in The Naked Earl had a friend--who had five brothers and sisters! (I wasn’t going to get caught short again.)

Which brings us to The Naked King...are you still with me?

The Naked King is Stephen Parker-Roth. (Not Prinny--that would be horror rather than romance.) Stephen’s first mentioned in the fourth book, The Naked Gentleman. He’s one of that hero’s brothers. By the time I was writing the sixth book, The Naked Viscount--Stephen’s sister’s story--I knew Stephen would get the seventh--and last contracted--book. But what could I call it? “The Naked Gentleman #2” would never do, and I couldn’t just drop a title on Stephen’s head--Regency readers wouldn’t stand for that. Plus we (marketing included) wanted to end the series on a high (in all respects) note. So somehow Stephen had to be a king...

Aha--a nickname! I made the ton call Stephen the “King of Hearts.” He says it’s for his prowess with cards, but the ladies believe it’s for other skills ;).

When The Naked King opens, Stephen is slightly inebriated and in a mud puddle in Hyde Park, having been bowled over by the heroine’s dog. Why is he tipsy? He’s been trying to drown his sorrows. With his brother and sister both married and reproducing, he knows his mama will make him her next project. And, truth be told, he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life as merely “Uncle Stephen.”

Lady Anne Marston has been dragged to the park by Harry, her family’s large dog. She’s a spinster with a Secret who’s been dumped in London by her father and his wife to organize her half sister’s come out. She’s read about Stephen in her papa’s The Gentleman’s Magazine (Stephen is a plant hunter) and, yes, in the newspaper gossip columns, too. She’s half fallen in love with him, even though she knows she has no business harboring such dreams. But in a brief moment of insanity, she lets him kiss her...in broad daylight...on the front step of London’s premier gossip, Lady Dunlee (who will be familiar to Naked readers). Of course, a sham engagement ensues--with her sister making her come out, Anne can’t afford any scandals--but Anne knows she must find a way to end the betrothal when the Season ends. The serious mistake she made many years ago involving the Marquis of Brentwood is a mistake from which there is no recovery.

I enjoyed bringing Stephen and Anne together and watching them fall in love, and I had great fun with my secondary characters--Anne’s half sister and twin half brothers, her eccentric aunt, Stephen’s parents and younger brother. I even got the opportunity to look in on many of my other Naked people. It’s a fine line to walk, making a book stand alone for new readers while offering dedicated Naked fans a glimpse of past characters, but it’s a balancing act I find I like.

Now I’m starting a new series for Kensington, the “Duchess of Love” stories--a novella and three novels about a matchmaking mother and her sons. I’m going to miss the Nakeds. I’ve had fun with them, and readers seemed to enjoy suggesting new folks to get Naked. And as I start from scratch with a new set of characters, I’m realizing how much the next Naked novel was percolating in the back of my mind as I worked on the one before it. But I think it’s time for a new challenge.

And there are still a few other Parker-Roths...I might “get Naked” again some day.

Now here’s my question for the Risky readers: I discovered as I wrote the Naked books that some readers won’t start a series until they can get all the books at once. Are you one of those or do you just jump right in? What series have you really enjoyed? (And if you’re already a Naked reader, which Naked book--or Naked character--is your favorite?)

Comment for a chance to win a signed copy of The Naked King.

How not to have a happy ending...

My recent posts about Beau Brummell and Harriette Wilson (Part I and Part II) have made me think about the similarities between the two. Both were leaders within their particular social circles. (Yes, I know courtesans were not accepted in the haut ton but they lived the high life and had their own milieu, which included some of the wealthiest and most influential men of their times.)

From what I’ve read, I don’t get the impression that either was intentionally cruel by nature, yet they could be snarky, as in Brummell’s famous “Who’s your fat friend?” in reference to Prinny. Harriette says she didn’t think about hurting Lord Ponsonby’s young wife when she took up with him, and she enjoyed taking pokes at Wellington:

“My old beau, Wellington, is going on famously, thanks to the fineness of his nerves, and his want of feeling, and his excellent luck. I do not mean to say he has not a good notion of commanding an army; for, though I do not understand things, I am willing to take it for granted that this is the case.”

For a time, any gentleman aspiring to appear fashionable had to gain Brummell’s approval and enjoy Harriette’s favors. Both were the “cool kids” of their period. In the end, their fame didn’t save them from the consequences of their lifestyle. I think I’m not guilty of schadenfreude (a cool word I discovered recently that basically means enjoying the suffering of others) because ultimately, reading these books made me feel sad for them. But it did make me think about how being an “It” person was no guarantee of a happy ending.

Romance novels frequently acknowledge that. Heroes and heroines are often loners or wallflowers. Sometimes they have a more established spot in their local social circles, but even then, they’re generally not the mean sort who establish who’s in and who’s out. That is usually left to a minor class of villains.

One story I read stands in contrast: AIN’T SHE SWEET? by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. The heroine, Sugar Beth, was a bona fide mean girl before life roughed her up and changed her. Phillips did an amazing job getting under Sugar Beth’s skin. So much that I caught myself rooting for her, even though I'm exactly the sort of person she would have picked on in school.

What do you think about cliques and snarky characters in stories? Any that you’ve read that were done particularly well?

Elena

Winner!

The winner of the Amanda and Carolyn double the fun post is::::



LibraryPat!


Can you please email your mailing address to carolyn AT carolynjewel.com so Amanda and I can get your prize winging its way to you?

Food, Glorious Food!

RWA National, here in New York City, is coming up. For people who might not know, RWA is the Romance Writers of America, and our national conference is 2000+ people strong, plus this year it's in my hometown!

(Which just means, sadly, I am not rooming with Risky Carolyn, instead staying at home, since justifying a hotel room wasn't within my powers of persuasion.)

But on a happier note, it does mean I can see my writing friends. Even though they might think of me as their 'non-writing friend,' since I haven't done more than poke at my mss. in the past few months, since taking on the new job. The agent is still out with several projects, so hope springs eternal that something will happen, writing-wise.

Okay, fine, yay me. But if you're coming to NYC also, we should be announcing plans for Risky get-together, plus you'll get to be in NYC! Where the food is amazing and despite rumors to the contrary, cheap. You just need to know where to go, and where not to go.

I heartily recommend Carolyn and her mad baking skillz find time to visit Momofuku Milk Bar, which offers the Crack Pie. In addition to other insanely good cookies, etc.

Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that includes a baguette, pork, pate, jalapenos, cilantro, pickled carrots and is pure nom. There are many, many places to obtain this sammie, and it is well worth it (not likely worth the French colonial domination of Vietnam, but the collision of cultures is obvious, and delicious).

Apparently, Koreans kick butt on making fried chicken, although I haven't tried it yet myself. It's on the list. There's a Koreatown right near Macy's.

And when in doubt, go ethnic; it's cheap, it's usually delicious, and can be found all over the city.

And now I am hungry. Darn.

Reviews, social media and so on

I've been thinking about reviews.

Specifically, should writers post reviews of books in the genre in which they write? Now this may come as a shock to you but I don't read much romance and if I do there's this weird expectation that I must either button my lip or say nice things. Just like our foremother taught us. So if I'm on goodreads.com and compelled to put in some sort of feedback I put in a number of stars. That's it. It gets very tricky dealing with the village that is the romance community and the overall respectability and decorum one must maintain for else one's reputation is gone and gone forever. Oops, no that's Cranford, I think.

Which brings me to the issue of the Online Presence. I'm thinking back to a conversation I had with a couple of fans recently--actually not my fans, but Colleen Gleason's--who said they never visited writers' websites but did keep an eye out on Facebook which is how they knew she'd be in that particular B&N at that particular time. So, Facebook. Now that's a Cranford. I don't have a continual stream of nice and interesting things to say unless it's about something happening with the release of a book or a cover or ... come on, do you really want to hear about my yard (vines growing back, big patch of poison ivy, I have mega pump container of Roundup for it) or the tendonitis in my knee (getting better, thanks, developed in fight against vines). Or what I'm having for dinner? (I hope it involves bacon.)

But I do like Twitter. It's a nice, fast way to share content with a link. Very impersonal, which means I don't have to work at being nice and inoffensive as FB seems to demand. In fact it seems to encourage snarkiness, which is fine by me.

But back to reviews. If you're a writer, do you post reviews of books by people you know or might meet?As a reader, do reviews influence your decision to buy? Colleen's two fans, by the way, said it was the back cover blurb that sold them. What do you think?

Check out the new bit of my website, spice.janetmullany.com. I'm still updating so there's more content to add but it's done!

Napoleon, he was FRENCH!

I have two new fashion books, both of which are awesome for different reasons. The first one is Napoleon and the Empire of Fashion, 1795-1815 by Cristina Barretto and Martin Lancaster (Skira) 2010. It was published for an Italian exhibition of period clothing. The translation into English is rocky at times, but this book has some of the most amazing pictures I've ever seen. There are close ups of the fabrics that are just luscious. There are frustrations, too, in that some pictures are just too small.

I tried reading the text but found it hard going and then downright strange. As mentioned, the translation is not very good, but some of the history struck me as not trustworthy and I'm still struggling to understand why there's a picture of a bare-busted porn star. Yes, she has big tits, but she's in a book on Empire and Directoire fashions, why?

I just rolled my eyes at the concluding remarks which more or less blamed the CIA for Modern Art. I blame Matisse, but that's just me.

Anyway, the gowns in this book are beautiful and the book is worth it for the pictures. Incoherent political ramblings are just a side benefit. (Napoleon was amazing! The Best Dictator General Ever!!! He was Sicilian French!!! Vive La France) OK, so he had that little thing at Waterloo that didn't work out so well, but LOOK! Here's an amazing purple velvet royal cloak and . . . That cloak is amazing. It's worth the price of the book.

You can flip through this book-- I don't recommend reading much, it will only give you a headache and make you hate American Cultural Imperialism (that's an anagram for the C.I.A., did you notice that?] French, you know, was the language of diplomacy until some how English got free of the Norman Cultural Imperialism (which any student of irregular English verbs can tell you still haunts us today) and now everyone speaks English even though French is way better --and really get a sense of how idiosyncratic gowns could be.

One point made early in the book before I was sobbing in hot tears about how Jackson Pollock ruined art all because of the Marshall Plan (which idea the US stole from Napoleon) was that gowns were custom-made and therefore fit the wearer precisely. Then they said the female form was actually different and that somehow between Napoleon and the rise of the CIA, women's boobs moved lower on the torso. And I kept waiting for them to clarify that they meant foundation garments gave the female shape a different form, but no. Then I flipped back to the porn star picture and her boobs didn't look like they were lower on her chest, but there was silicon involved I think, plus she had her arms crossed underneath all that bounty so maybe she was pushing them up the way they did in the Regency.

Regency woman had porn star boobs I guess.

Anyway, I couldn't stop thinking about all those Modern Artists like, Marcel Duchamps (Oops French! but Joyce Kilmer totally hated him for Nude Descending a Stair) and that Pablo Picasso guy (lived in PARIS!), that Ce n'est Pas Une Pipe dude, Magritte (FRENCH!) that I started getting distracted about art.

The other book is The Art of Dress, Clothes and Society 1500-1914, by Jane Ashelford. (Abrams 1996). It covers a much broader period, but there are good photographs of actual clothing along with description and explanation. I wish there were more pictures. Or at least a world view unaffected by anything like facts.




Napoleon vs. Chuck Norris. Call it folks. Who wins?


















(The answer is Jet Li.)