Tell us about Seduced by a Spy!

It’s the second book of my trilogy starring the swashbuckling students of Mrs. Merlin’s Academy for Select Young Ladies, which is sort of a Hogwarts for hellions! Trained as an elite cadre of female spies, they are England’s ultimate secret weapon–dispatched to handle the most difficult, dangerous missions. Shannon, the heroine of SBAS, appeared briefly in The Spy Wore Silk, where she crossed swords with a mysterious Russian as she and her roommate Siena sought to trap a traitor who was passing government secrets to the French.

In SBAS, she meets with Mr. Orlov again, but this time they’re allies on a joint mission for British and Russian Intelligence. Though neither is happy about this assignment, they’re sent to a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands to protect the family of a military ballistics expert from a French assassin.

Sparks fly as they rub together–igniting what I hope readers find is a fun, sexy, action-packed read!

What gave you the idea for this story, and the whole “Hellions” series?

I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy. As a kid, I wanted to be a knight who got to fight the dragons instead of the typical princess who needed to be rescued. I guess this never quite rubbed off (I’m still more comfortable in jeans and a sweatshirt than a slinky black dress!), and I’ve always liked strong, unconventional heroines who challenge the status quo and aren’t afraid of breaking rules.

So in thinking of the Regency era, and how I might do something a little unexpected, I got to thinking–what would be the least likely endeavor for a female to be involved in? A ‘secret agent’ came to mind, and as a big fan of the old James Bond movies, I thought it would be a fun idea to pursue. And so the hellions of Mrs. Merlin’s Academy were born!

I’ve had so much fun creating stories for the trio of roommates, and I’ve tried to put each one in a different situation. Seduced by a Spy is very action-oriented, set mostly in Scotland. The final book, Sofia’s story, will hit the shelves in October 2008. It takes place in London, in the glitter and glamor of high Society.

What attracts you to the Regency as a setting?

For me, the Regency is so fascinating because in many ways it’s a mirror of our own times. There were such tremendous upheavals in all aspects of life, from literature, music, and philosophy to politics, science, and social conventions. So many new and exciting things were happening, and I love researching and discovering how people reacted to the challenge of change.

And of course I adore the romance of the era–the gowns, the tailored finery of the gentlemen, the glamorous balls and soirees! It has a fairy-tale aspect that makes it a wonderful setting for richly complex stories. I think all of us who write Regency-set books love the fact that we can have fun with those details while exploring complex themes that are so relevant to modern readers.

Did you come across anything new or interesting in researching this story?

I was lucky enough to travel to Ireland and Scotland during the time I was writing Seduced by a Spy! I discovered a wealth of fascinating facts there. Strangely enough, many of them revolve around–spirits (the alcoholic kind!)

1) There are close to 200 single malt scotches made in small distilleries throughout Scotland (If you have ever experienced the weather in the Highlands, where my fictional McAllister Castle is located, you will understand why!)

2) In both Scotch and Irish Gaelic, the words uisge beatha and usquebaugh mean “water of life.” This eventually translated into “whisky” in English (no doubt after someone consumed more than a few drams of the stuff). Another interesting aside is that it’s spelled “whisky” in Scotland and “whiskey” in Ireland.

3) The local brew of Dornoch (the seaside town where Shannon and Orlov first land to begin their trip to the hills) is Glenmorangie, which means “glen of tranquility” in Gaelic. It was founded in 1848, but illicit distilling in the area dates back to the 1700s.

4) Kenmare, the charming town of the Ring of Kerry where Shannon helps the wounded Orlov to the safety of a British naval cutter, has been renowned for its healing waters since the 1600s. Today, it’s also known as the home of Sheen Falls Lodge, a wonderful country manor hotel that has the largest wine cellar in Ireland. (Trust me on this!)

5) Saltpeter, one of the 3 essential ingredients in gunpowder, is found in nitrates, so during the Napoleonic Wars, the British government considered requiring tavernkeepers to save the urine of their patrons in vats. (Brandy was said to create an especially desirable end product)

LOL! What is “risky” about this story?

Well, I think I may have pushed my heroines to the edge with their swordplay and seduction! I wanted them to dare to shake things up–like many of the real-life Regency women, who weren’t afraid of breaking out of their traditional roles.

One online reviewer got all huffy about the first book in the series, saying “This isn’t how a Regency romance should be written!” I’m actually sort of proud of that. Obviously she believes that the era entirely revolved around drawing room calls and formal house parties. But we can’t forget there was so much more to the times, much of which was “down and dirty.” It was a time of war and intrigue, with actual characters like the cross-dressing Comte d’Eon, a double agent who changed his allegiances as often as he changed his sexual persona. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction!

What’s next for you?

I’m very excited about a new trilogy that I’m doing for Grand Central Publishing, about a trip of unconventional female scholars who formed a bond of friendship through the weekly meetings of their Scientific Society. Each has an expertise in a certain field of science–and each has a slightly shady past that comes back to haunt them. The books are scheduled for a 1-2-3 release starting in January 2010.

As for other projects, I’m trying to convince my new editor to let me do a book starring lord Lynsley, the head of the Merlins. And I’m fooling with a Regency-set YA book that has some paranormal elements to it. So I should be keeping busy for the next little while!

Not too busy to visit the Riskies, we hope!!

Be sure and comment on the post to win a signed ARC of Seduced by a Spy. And don’t miss any of our upcoming visitors and special events–sign up for our newsletter at riskies@yahoo.com!

Warning: Completely frivolous, totally useless, and pictures-heavy post ahead! As you know, last week was the annual Oscars telecast. As usual, the program was long and snoozy, the winners (mostly) predictable (except for Marion Cotillard, Best Documentary, and Best Costumes), and more montages than one person should sit through. But there were gowns. Good ones, bad ones, in-between ones. Lots of black, red, and strapless. And, as usual, I have opinions on them all!

Some of my Likes:

Anne Hathaway (I didn’t like that big black bow she did last year at all, but she made up for it this year! This Marchesa gown was stunning, probably my favorite look of the evening)

Marion Cotillard (I was on the fence about this one for a while, but decided I do like it! It’s grown on me. Maybe I expected too much from her in the beginning, since she’s French…)

Other likes include Penelope Cruz’s black strapless gown (of all the black strapless gowns there, hers was the best!); Amy Adams’s dark green Proenza Schouler; and Helen Mirren (second best red gown of the night–the sleeves really sparkled under the stage lights)

Some of my Dislikes:

Jennifer Hudson (I’ve seen pics of her at other events where she looks great, yet she can’t seem to dress for the Oscars! It’s better than last year’s, I guess)

Julie Christie (the sheer sleeves and frumpy length–ugh!)
Also disliked Diablo Cody’s “Tarzan and Jane dress up” thing; Ellen Page (not so much dislike as think “meh”–she is so young and pretty, yet the dress was shapeless and dull. Miley Cyrus actually looked much like I hoped EP would); and Daniel Day-Lewis’s wife (he wasn’t all that great, either).

Now let’s talk about Tilda Swinton (because you knew I would!) I like it. Now let’s be clear–I do not like the dress. It’s undeniable that it resembles nothing so much as a big Hefty bag, and I’ve never been fond of the one-big-sleeve thing. But I love Tilda Swinton. She is gorgeous, she’s a great actress (I can’t think of anyone else who could have pulled off Orlando!), and she’s just the essence of Eccentric British Aristocrat for the 21st century. She just lives on a different planet than the rest of us, The Planet of Extreme Coolness, and I would have been disappointed if she showed up styled to the gills by Rachel Zoe.

I was also very happy that Elizabeth: The Golden Age won for Best Costume Design (though I did not predict it! I thought The Green Dress would prevail). Much deserved.

And, for your consideration, a few looks for the Oscars of 200+ years ago:

What would you wear to the Oscars? And what were some of your own likes/dislikes this year??

Happy Saturday!

“The perilous action and the elegance of the writing…allowed me to thoroughly enjoy an unusual and fascinating story of an intriguing era” —Romance Reviews Today

Amanda (standing in as RR): Why, hello, Amanda! Such a surprise to see you here, at your own computer and all. Tell us about A Sinful Alliance! How does this fit into the “Renaissance Trilogy”?

Amanda (as herself): I’m so glad you asked! I am soooo excited about this book. The hero Nicolai (who was a KISS–Knight in Shining Silver–in the April RT, so yay him! I think he’s the first of my characters to win their very own award) was the hero’s friend in A Notorious Woman. As so often happens with these pesky secondary characters, I hadn’t actually intended to write a whole book for him (though he was a hottie). But I really fell for him, and I found a very beautiful, but troubled and lonely, heroine, who really needed his kind of magic–Marguerite Dumas, a French spy.

Trouble was, she once tried to kill him. Bit of a rocky start there. They meet up a few months after this little incident at the court of Henry VIII at Greenwich, still on opposite sides of ever-shifting political alliances. This event was a real historical happening, a meeting in early 1527 between King Henry and a French delegation seeking a marriage between young Princess Mary and King Francois’s younger son. This weeks-long meeting was filled with lavish banquets, balls, jousts, and masques, with specially built theaters and banquet halls. England’s old alliance with Spain is faltering, thanks to Henry’s new infatuation with Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon’s loss of influence, so it made the perfect setting for an illicit, dangerous affair. And also some really great clothes! (Stay tuned next week for more research info on this stuff)

And it’s the second of the trilogy. The third (which I’m just finishing!) is about Balthazar Grattiano, who is now a ship’s captain in the Caribbean!

A as RR: Did you run across anything new or interesting while researching this story?

A as A: Tons! Besides the actual events of this English/French meeting (the Spanish were there, too–never count out the Spanish!), I researched Tudor clothes, tennis, jousts, hunting, Greenwich Palace (plus Fontainebleau Palace, for one scene), sword fighting, theater, fashion. It was way too much fun!

A as RR: Have you always been interested in this time period?

A as A: When I was a kid, I loved watching old movies with my grandmother. One afternoon we watched a Tudor marathon–Anne of the Thousand Days and A Man For All Seasons. I loved them, and immediately started reading all I could about the Tudors! Anne Boleyn particularly intrigued me. The juxtaposition of such splendor and luxury with such terrible danger and intrigue really interests me, and hopefully I brought all that into A Sinful Alliance.

(And hopefully, judging from the popularity of The Other Boleyn Girl and Showtime’s weird The Tudors, other people are intrigued, too!)

A as RR: What was the biggest challenge of this story?

A as A: The challenge was also the part I enjoyed the most–the history! There was so much going on in this short space of time, and I didn’t want to let it overwhelm the characters and their romance. Luckily for me, Nicolai and Marguerite were strong characters, and they basically ran with their own story. I had a clear picture of them in my head (they looked a lot like Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish, though not so modern as in this pic, of course!), and they had such complex pasts and personalities that made them perfect for each other. I just created the historical backdrop, and let them go! 🙂

A as RR: Okay, we always have to ask–what’s ‘risky” about A Sinful Alliance???

A as A: Well, the setting is pretty risky! You don’t find 1527 England on the shelf everyday, but I hope there is interest in it. It’s a fantastic time period. And the fact that the hero is Russian, and the heroine is a French spy. But so far Harlequin hasn’t told me “you can’t do that” on anything, so yay!

A as RR: What’s next for you?

A as A: I’m just finishing up Balthazar’s story now! Then it’s on to the third (and last) of my Regency-set The Muses of Mayfair trilogy (watch for them next year!). Then an Elizabethan story inspired by Dancing With the Stars (which just proves inspiration can strike anywhere!). And in 2010, the first of my “Daughters of Ireland” series with Grand Central Publishing! Now, I have to go get to work…

BTW, if you don’t win the autographed copy of A Sinful Alliance here, I will be visiting a few other blogs! On April 2, I’ll be at the Romance Vagabonds; April 4 at the Romance Bandits; and on April 6 at Unusual Historicals. Please drop by and leave comments, so I won’t feel too lonely! And visit my website to read an excerpt…

Let’s talk about–pacing. Not the sort I do on a treadmill (or should be doing–that 10 pounds won’t lose itself before RWA!). The kind that moves stories along. It all sounds dull, doesn’t it, especially compared with hunky heroes and sparkly dialogue, but it’s vital. Without the right pacing, Mr. Hunk is mired in the quicksand. When it’s ‘on’, hopefully the reader doesn’t notice it at all. They’re too busy skipping happily through the engrossing story. When it’s off–well, readers can feel caught in the quicksand, too.

Here is what made me think about it–movies. Two of them. I was watching the DVD of The Holiday. Amanda and Iris (aka Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet) switch houses for Christmas, to get away from disastrous relationships, etc. Kate goes to Cameron’s fab mansion in L.A., Cameron to Kate’s ramshackle (but probably vastly expensive) cottage in Surrey.

There’s quite a bit I like in this movie. The two women are appealing characters, their stories interesting enough–I wanted them to find love and be happy! And, let’s face it, the Jude Law character is like my Ideal Man. He’s English, a book editor, has a terrific London house and 2 adorable daughters, and is funny and emotionally aware on top of it. Kate’s story involves a bit more wheel-spinning and a purported sort-of romance with Jack Black, of all people, but I like her. So far–good.

But, let’s talk editing. This movie tries to tell two stories, and yet the set-up alone takes nearly half an hour. We see what jerks the respective ex-boyfriends are (repeatedly), how neurotic Amanda is and how insecure Iris is (again, repeatedly). There are long scenes about the on-line house swap, driving to the houses, etc. I ended up fast-forwarding a bit here, and still had no trouble following the story at all. The set-up could have taken, oh, about ten minutes, and we would have gotten to Jude Law, I mean the rest of the story, sooner.

Contrast this with a gem I saw in the theater last weekend, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. The roles, every one of them, were perfectly cast. From the leads (Amy Adams and Frances McDormand), to the so-called villain (the wonderful Shirley Henderson), to the men (2 Jane Austen film vets, Ciaran Hinds and Mark Strong, and the Pie Maker, er, Lee Pace. I knew from Pushing Daisies he was cute–now I see he’s sexy, too!). Every scene is vital to moving the story forward. Not a line of dialogue is wasted. The world of late ’30s London is beautifully built through sets and costumes. The actors can just be let loose into the story, and it all falls into sparkly (and ultimately very emotionally moving) place.

This pacing thing is something I really worry about as a writer. Where should the story even start? There’s always backstory a reader needs to know, but we don’t want to bore the snot out of them in Chapter One, and thus prompt fast-forwarding (like I did with The Holiday). Without a strict word count and some deadline structure, I do tend to meander a bit. I’m working on my Balthazar/1530s Caribbean book right now. I did lots of research for this one, on ships, life in the islands, nautical charts, pirates, etc. In addition, the characters have rather, um, complicated pasts (and personalities!) that are important to their relationship now.

How much of all this do I put in? When? What’s really important, and what’s just my half-hour set-up? I struggle a bit with this these days. But I do get a great deal of inspiration from looking at images like this one of Orlando!

So, I need your help. What do you like to see in stories? What can you do without? What makes you fast-forward through movies or books? And have you seen The Holiday or Miss Pettigrew (I recommend both, BTW!)??

Happy Easter, everyone! Save me some Cadbury Caramel eggs. And a Godiva chocolate bunny. (Oh, and Keira informed me that A Sinful Alliance is now being shipped from Amazon! Yay! Next Saturday join us for a chance to win an autographed copy–but if you can’t wait…)