Letters: the Ultimate Souvenir

Heather Snowe is a new Regency author whose debut romance, Sweet Enemy, will appear in February 2012. That's one to look forward to: check out her website to learn more. When Heather interviewed me  for her Get Lost in a Story blog, she asked about my former career in rare books and manuscripts and inspired me to ask a question. If you could own a letter written by a famous person, past or present, who would you choose? Jane Austen? Mozart? Johnny Depp? Come on over and tell me. One commenter will win a copy of The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton.

The Ballroom Blog: Party On

This week saw the launch of The Ballroom, a new group blog devoted to ...  hmm. What are we devoted to? In a single word, I’d have to say partying. Regency style partying complete with dashing rakes, gorgeous ladies, and lots of gossip. The authors are Katharine Ashe, Sabrina Darby, Tessa Dare, Gaelen Foley, Sarah MacLean, and me.


I cannot tell you how privileged I feel to be in company with such a talented group of historical romance writers. Plus we are all having TOO MUCH FUN. But the true belle of the ball is our hostess, Lady Heliotrope Beaufeatheringstone (pronounced Batman), commonly known as Lady B. She’s outrageous, she’s opinionated, and she has a parrot named Albert who adds his own unique comments to the passing scene.

We will be holding a ball every Monday, Thursday and Saturday but these events go into the wee hours and beyond so stop by anytime. You’ll have fun.

This week, to celebrate our launch, I’m giving away a copy of NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE by the totally fabulous Sarah McLean. This debut historical was one of the best and most talked-about books last year. If you haven’t read it, you need to! And if you have, you need a signed copy. So comment here (with email address), giving me one (or nine) reasons why you'd like to win,  or enter via my contest entry form. I’ll select the winner at random on July 22nd.

Contest ends July 22, 2011. Open to residents of USA and Canada only. Void where prohibited. No purchase required, though certainly appreciated on July 26th when my new book comes out. (With apologies for the shameless self-promotion)

“Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful”

Earlier this week I was a guest at Sarah MacLean’s blog, celebrating the release of her latest book, the wonderful Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart. One of Sarah’s questions was which do I prefer, Wallflower or Belle of the Ball? Just to be different I picked Belle of the Ball. Don’t get me wrong: I love wallflower books (Lisa Kleypas, swoon…) and it’s easy to understand their appeal. We all like to root for the underdog. Got me thinking about whether it’s hard to love a heroine who has it all.

The first book that came to mind was Susan Elizabeth Phillips’Ain't She Sweet?  I’m always talking about this book because it’s one of my all time favorite romances. Sugar Beth Carey grew up as the modern equivalent of the Belle: the high school queen bee. She was beautiful, charismatic, a natural leader ... and a total bitch. Now, years later, she returns to her home town to face all the people she persecuted as a girl. Sugar Beth has some serious groveling to do (and we learn about the things that made her so mean), but I love her anyway.

Belles don’t need to be mean, of course, but if they are nice, as well as beautiful and popular, doesn’t that make for a dull book? There has to be something more. In Georgette Heyer’s Arabella a poor vicar’s daughter comes to London and, through an ill-considered boast, makes everyone think she’s a heiress. She becomes the toast of the season. She is beautiful and kind - she rescues climbing boys and ugly mutts. But there’s that unfortunate lie to get over before she can find her HEA with London’s most eligible bachelor.

Another (genuinely) wealthy beauty hitting Regency London is the heroine of Julia Quinn’s first book, Splendid. So what’s Emma’s problem? Absolutely nothing, except she’s, OMG, American. Never mind, she manages to overcome this appalling obstacle and land her duke.

I searched my pile of giveaway books to find one about a belle and hit pay dirt with Gaelen Foley’s My Wicked Marquess, featuring Daphne Starling, a well born beauty of the ton with a slightly soiled reputation. This book seems particularly apposite if you’ve ever seen a picture of Gaelen: she could be a super model if the writing thing doesn’t work out. No danger of that -  she’s as talented as she is beautiful AND (I’m lucky enough to have met her) a total sweetheart.

What about you? Can you love a heroine who has everything? Or do you prefer the triumph of the underdog? Can you think of a favorite book with a gorgeous Belle of the Ball heroine? What is the obstacle she has to overcome? One commenter will win My Wicked Marquess. If you don’t want to comment you can enter the contest here.

Sorry, only US entrants are eligible to win, though all are welcome to join the discussion. Contest void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. Winner will be chosen at random on May 27th.

Ten Lies to Tell an Author

What do you think is the most important thing for an author at a book signing? Apart from a pen that works. (Though I sat through one bookstore event where my pen was never needed, not once). But other than that? Chocolate? Bookmarks? Bottled water? All good things to have. But the best thing is a fun neighbor. Because for most of the two hours that these signings typically last, you will have nothing to do, so you might as well have an enjoyable conversation.

A good seat mate has the added benefit of helping one not to look too desperate as readers pass by one’s table, avoiding eye contact. If you aren’t in the big leagues the readers aren’t exactly lining up for your signature. I don’t even care (much) if no one buys a book, but it’s nice if people stop to chat.

Then I think of it from the point of view of the book buyer. You can’t buy everyone’s book. You don’t want to buy everyone’s book. And you don’t want to get guilt-tripped into spending more than you intended and ending up with an even more out-of-control TBR pile. You’re actually kind of interested in that particular book and you like the cover. If you were alone in a book store you’d pick it up, read the blurb and maybe read a page or two. But the author is sitting in front of you looking pathetic. If you look at the book isn’t it rude not to buy it?

No, it isn’t. As an author I’d rather you looked at my book and put it down again, than scurried by in case you hurt my feelings. Heck, I’d be perfectly happy if you’d stop and talk about the weather. So please, next time you are at a book signing as a buyer, either at a conference or in a bookstore, stop, look, and chat. You don’t need to buy a book. If you cannot bring yourself to leave without saying something, I recommend one of the following lies.

10 THINGS TO SAY TO AN AUTHOR
WHEN YOU DON’T BUY HER BOOK

(in descending order of author popularity)

1. I have all your books already and I loved every one of them.
2. I only read electronically. I’ll buy it on my Kindle when I get home
3. I’ve already bought too many books but I’ll get yours next time I’m in Barnes & Noble.
4. I always wait till the last book of the series comes out and then I buy them all.
5. Tell me about your next book. That sounds really interesting. I’ll wait for that.
6. It’s been nice meeting you. I shall follow your career with interest.
7. I’m taking a break from [name your genre] and only reading [name another genre]
8. I never read books with blond heroines.
9. My husband made me swear I wouldn’t bring home any more six-pack covers.
10. Where’s the bathroom?

If you live in the Boston area and wish to practice your lying, later this month I shall be the New England Romance Writers Conference at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA. A book fair, with over forty romance writers, will run from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm on Saturday, April 30th. I’d love to have you stop by and tell me a lie. Failing that, tell me one in the comments section.

A Mini Excerpt from The Amorous Education

Publication day of The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton is still four months away. I can't even reveal the cover yet, though it's coming soon. But just for fun I decided to post a mini-excerpt.

*****

The door to the humble structure was blocked by a body. The body of a man lying unconscious, wearing nothing but breeches and a pair of riding boots. It had been some years since Celia had seen the bare torso of a grown man, and never a white man. He was pale, as befit a man who was always dressed up to his neck, but the smattering of dark hair, covering the chest and descending in a vee over his flat stomach, didn’t disguise the fact that the skin covered well-formed muscles. This interesting masculine form distracted her only a few seconds from the astonishing fact that she knew him.

And although he was one of several men who had bedeviled her life, she did not actually wish him dead.

Kneeling on the ground she set her fingers to his temple and found a pulse. “Mr. Compton,” she said. “Mr. Compton, wake up. Are you well?”

Nothing. She rested her head on his chest. Judging by the strength of his heartbeat, Mr. Tarquin Compton would live to cause further distress to awkward arrivals on the London marriage mart. She supposed she’d better try to revive him. And much as she detested the creature, she was curious to discover why the ton’s most fashionable gentleman lay half-naked next to a deserted Yorkshire cottage.

The King's Speech

Oscar night is coming up and I’m rooting for The King’s Speech. And not just because I’ve had a major crush on Colin Firth for years. What a terrific movie: great writing and great acting.

The story describes how the George VI overcame his stammer. It's also about the change to the monarchy brought about by modern communications, in this case radio. Suddenly it mattered how the king spoke. For a century or two the British royal family had basically been German and married members of German royal families. Even Edward VII is said to have spoken with a strong German accent. The family changed its name to Windsor from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha during World War I and from then on spoke like members of the British upper classes. But with radio bringing the king and his voice into millions of homes, sounding English wasn’t enough: he had to be articulate too.

Imagine having a disability and needing to overcome it for your job. And not a job you’ve chosen, but one that’s been thrust upon you by birth and circumstances. The hereditary ruling system, which almost everyone now agrees is absurd, could be tough for the rulers too. It didn’t matter what you wanted: if you were next in line you toed the line and did what had to be done. The hero of the book I’m writing now is the heir to a dukedom and has a secret disability that makes him unsuited to his eventual position. He starts out more like David, the elder brother in The King’s Speech who shirks his responsibilities and renounces the throne. But in the end he turns into more of a Bertie and does what has to be done, even though apparently deeply unsuited to the job. Luckily, like George VI whose relationship with his queen is so touchingly depicted, he has a heroine to help him.

Tarquin's Book has a Title

Tarquin Compton, the tall dark dandy with a taste for rare poetry and pornography, is the hero of my third Burgundy Club book. I can now reveal that the title of the book. THE AMOROUS EDUCATION OF CELIA SEATON will be published in August 2011. (Pre-order now from Amazon)

You may find the book listed around the web as How to Marry a Governess, but that was a placeholder while discussions went on with my publisher. I'm over the moon about The Amorous Education - it's really descriptive and not at all generic. By the way Celia is a governess so the placeholder wasn't inaccurate either. (I don't think it's a spoiler to let on that Tarquin and Celia get married in the end).

Settling on a title is quite a business, with all sorts of factors being considered, mostly relating to sales potential. My editor and I typically come up with dozens of ideas, most of them pretty terrible and many very silly. My all time favorite stupid title was a chick lit idea for NEVER RESIST TEMPTATION: Baking and Boinking - the sexy tale of a pastry chef and her bad boy British lord.

Hm. I kind of like it. Maybe we could do a reissue?

What's Next?

Quite a few people have asked me what's coming after THE DANGEROUS VISCOUNT. While the information is buried somewhere on the website, I thought I'd better make it accessible.

My next book will feature Tarquin Compton, who is about to lose most of his clothes and be brought down a peg or several. I don't usually have anyone specific in mind when I create a hero, but Tarquin is very dark and I'm always happy to look at a picture of Richard Armitage (aren't you?) so here you are. The book is still untitled but it will be published in August 2011. I think the story is great fun and includes the reappearance of Sebastian, Diana, and Minerva from The DV.

I am working on a book about Minerva, Diana's little sister. I'm not saying anything more now except, in Minerva's case, "be careful what you wish for...." No release date for this one yet. Gotta finish it first.

Ladies Make Passes at Viscounts in Glasses

Sebastian Iverley, the hero of THE DANGEROUS VISCOUNT, is not your average romance hero.

1. He wears spectacles.
2. His clothing fits badly and it’s years out of fashion.
3. His hobby is rare book collecting.
4. His favorite means of communication is the grunt (which might be OK in a caveman romance but this is a Regency)
5. He despises women. That’s not so unusual but…
6. He has never had anything to do with women. Nothing. Nada. In fact he’s a [whisper] … virgin.

So what happens to this unpromising male specimen? He falls in love. He takes one look at Diana Fanshawe’s accidently exposed leg and he’s a goner. But sadly for Sebastian, Diana wants to be a duchess and she bets Sebastian’s detestable cousin Blake (a ducal heir) that she can get Sebastian to kiss her.

Poor Sebastian! When he finds out he’s devastated, he’s miserable, and hell hath no fury like a bookworm scorned. With the help of his buddies in the Burgundy Club he gets an extreme makeover and the fun begins.

Sebastian cleans up really well, and Diana can’t help noticing that he’s really quite the hunk. On the other hand she kind of misses the clever, inarticulate guy he used to be…

So romance readers. Are you ready for a nerd hero? Would you love him even if he didn’t get cleaned up?

[this blog has also been posted at avonromance.com]

Getting ready for Tamara Lejeune Day

October 2010 is a big month in the world of historical romance. There are new books on the way from Liz Carlyle and Elizabeth Boyle, eagerly awaited debuts from Jenny Brown and Tiffany Clare, and not one but two books by Janet Mullany. There’s even a new book from yours truly. But all these events, thrilling as they may be, pale into insignificance beside the Really Big News. A new book by Tamara Lejeune. I for one will be beating on the doors of my local Borders, itching to get my hot little hands on CHRISTMAS WITH THE DUCHESS. And by God, Borders, you’d better have it in stock or There Will Be Trouble.


I discovered Ms. Lejeune by accident. SIMPLY SCANDALOUS is, I believe, the only book I’ve ever bought because Amazon told me I’d like it. Also, it was only $3.99 and I thought that was a special deal, just for me. (When I learned Zebra was selling books to every Thomasina, Richenda and Henrietta for $3.99 I stopped being excited about it.) Also, the color was such a repellent shade of pink I couldn’t resist. Best $3.99 (plus shipping) I ever spent. I had no idea.

Look at the cover. Think the cover model is good looking? It doesn’t matter. Lord Swale, the hero of Simply Scandalous is one hundred times as hideous; he’s ugly, ill-mannered, crude, and borderline illiterate. Take this dinner table discussion of Shakespeare.

“So that’s Hamlet, is it? The man’s mother marries his father’s brother—have I got it right?” asked Swale. “Fairly beastly, what? I must say, I can’t approve. English people ought to behave better, set an example for the world even in our plays.”

The Family Cary did not know what to say.

“Ancient Rome, yes, obviously. And the Greek chap who married his own Mamma–Octopus or Edifice or what is it?”

“Oedipus,” Horatio said contemptuously.

“Well, foreigners, after all. But one expects better from the English race, by God.”

“They’re not English, you ridiculous man,” said Juliet severely. “They’re Danes.”

“They’re what?”

“Danes. The play is set in Denmark.” Juliet shook her head, almost unable to credit the extent of his ignorance. “for heaven’s sake, it’s called Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.”

“Which explains his rather poor grasp of the English language,” said Swale.

How can one possibly resist such a man? Actually, as Swale himself claims, he had hidden depths with knobs on. And Juliet has her issues, like being a towering bitch. She calls him Ginger and sets fire to his food; he swears to break her heart and stomp it into the ground. They are perfect together. I laughed out loud all the way to the last page of this inspired farce and counted the days till the sequel.

SURRENDER TO SIN did not disappoint. The hero, Juliet’s brother Cary, wears nothing but purple, right down to his tinted glasses. The heroine, unlike your standard feisty lass, is so shy and amiable she can’t bring herself to disagree with anyone. I’m not going to discuss the third book because I hated it (hey, even the Beatles recorded the occasional dog) but Tamara came roaring back with THE HEIRESS IN HIS BED.

Julian is not only penniless but a stockbroker (a word that usually makes my eyes glaze over) and Lady Viola Gambol (great name) the most charmingly willful, spoiled, over-the-top sweetheart of a heroine I’ve ever read. They made an adorable couple and I hope they will reappear in CHRISTMAS WITH THE DUCHESS. (Knowing Viola, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d managed to have her penniless stockbroker made a duke.)

The author is a mystery. She has no website and seems to exist under the romance social network radar. The only person who reviews her is Mrs. Giggles, who loves her as much as I do. (BTW I love Mrs. Giggles even though she said my couple reminded her of puppies. No one can insult a book with such panache). Since Ms. Lejeune refuses to publicize her own books, I have decided to undertake the job for her.

So people: get out next month and buy CHRISTMAS WITH THE DUCHESS. Pick up the back list too.

News From RWA, Orlando

Back last night from Orlando in a fairly exhausted state. The RWA conference is always enormous fun and very draining. I posted my photos on Facebook - mostly a lot of romance writers partying and trying on a pirate hat. When I get the energy I shall do a proper post here, but it may not be for a while. As people kept reminding us at the conference, our most important job is writing our books and I have one to finish. But I had to just show you this lovely snap from the Avon party of my editor Esi Sogah (right) and the super fabulous Meg Cabot.

Nice Reviews are Always Welcome

With only two months to go until launch day, I can expect to see a few early reviews of THE DANGEROUS VISCOUNT popping up via Google Alerts. It's nerve-wracking, waiting to see if everyone is going to hate the book. (That hasn't happened yet but there's always a first time and writers are neurotic lunatics). Months later the thrill of a good notice hasn't diminished. After all, we hope our books will continue to find new readers for years to come.

Since it's been almost a year and a half since the book came out, I was pleasantly surprised to get a nice review for NEVER RESIST TEMPTATION from Susan May on the Petits Fours & Hot Tamales blog. She calls it "a hot historical where food is a turn on. A hunky hero and spunky heroine, and a fun time. Well worth a read." Thank you, Susan!

Then today a review site I'd never encountered before reviewed THE WILD MARQUIS.

The setting and the use of the rare book auctions during that era, and tales of the folks who went to great lengths to own them was original and extremely interesting. I always enjoy a story where I not only am entertained but learn something of historical significance as well. Ms. Neville did an admirable job of creating lively and interesting protagonists, including a fine cast of secondary characters, a surprising villain and original plot. Those looking for new authors who can spin a good sensual story without a lot of graphic intimate detail should find THE WILD MARQUIS to be a perfect story and one I can seriously recommend.

Thank you, Marilyn, of CK's Kwips & Kritiques. You appear to be a lady of unusual intelligence and perspicacity.