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Monthly Archives: March 2010

Death In The Family

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It’s very slow going–like, REALLY, REALLY slow–but I am writing a women’s fiction book (or is it woman’s fiction? In which case, which woman is it? And will she like my book?), and in it, a crucial character will die.

It has to happen, painful though it is. It has to happen, actually, because it is painful. Like in real life, I want to make things happy and okay for everyone, but in fiction, that is boring. Bo. Ring.

The cool part is, that when I told two friends who’d read my pages that I was going to off XXX, they were both really bummed because they’d identified with XXX and liked him/her. That makes me feel as though I’ve done a good job.

Sometimes people have to die in order for the character to grow and progress (see: Every Disney movie ever–parents have a very low survival rate). Other times it’s to make the fiction seem more like real life, because bad things happen to good people.

It’s rarer to read about decent characters dying in historical romances, unless it’s the ancient, doddering aunt who then leaves a fortune–our own Carolyn might have done it at some point, although I don’t want to spoil anything. I like pushing the envelope like this (being RISKY!), even though in real life, I am a wuss. I’ve cried over books, and I’d like someone, someday, to cry over mine.

How about you? Have you cried over a book? Which one? Are you okay with killing off characters in romantic fiction? Do you like women’s fiction? Or even know what it is (I confess, I’m baffled, sometimes, because it just seems then like all fiction is ‘women’s’)?

Thanks!

Megan

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Monsters of the Smithsonian

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I attended a panel discussion sponsored by the Smithsonian Resident Associates Program this week, Jane Austen: The Author, Her Legacy and… Sea Monsters? and I thought I’d share a few snippets of what I heard.

The participants were Seth Grahame-Smith, co-author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and total author of Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter; Ben Winters, co-author of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, Tara Wallace, author of Jane Austen and Narrative Authority, and Regina Jeffers, author of Vampire Darcy’s Desire. The panel was moderated by Bethanne Patrick, managing editor of The Book Studio.

Now you all know about monster mash-ups and you’ve heard of all these books (I think the covers are brilliant). But some interesting points came up at the seminar.

One was that most of the fans are women. So even the lure of zombies still makes guys shy of Austen, although they may enjoy the 2011 movie version of P&P&Z starring Natalie Portman and yes, Colin Firth; Seth is writing the screenplay as well as writing MTV’s first scripted comedy series. Ben is writing another book for Quirk, Android Karenina, coming out later this year (with another brilliant cover).

Both Seth and Ben agreed that it was Austen’s economy of language that enabled the blood and guts and scales to integrate so well into the original books, and that although Austen is so sparing of physical descriptions, you don’t miss them. Tolstoy, being so much wordier, according to Ben, is a lot harder. On the other hand, according to Seth, “It’s not good policy to edit Jane Austen.”

All three writers agreed that a successful mash-up must understand and respect the original book and work with the internal logic of the story. Interestingly, all of the books were inspired by editors’ suggestions, and as Regina Jeffers said, “If I don’t do it, someone else may do it with less class.”

And someone–I wish I remembered who it was–made the comment that marriage in Austen’s time is the end of the story. Now so often–in real life and possibly in fiction–it’s the beginning of our stories.

And on the topic of doing terrible things to beloved authors, here’s the gorgeous cover of Reader, I Married Him, my enovella based on Jane Eyre, releasing this month from Loose-Id. I’ll be telling you more about it soon.

Do you like monster mash-ups?
Which have you read?
What classic do you think would benefit from the, uh, injection of new material?
And what do you think of the comment that marriage is a beginning rather than an end?

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Winners and Losers – The Oscars

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Ah, the weekend of the Oscars, always a not-to-be-missed event. Oh the suspense, the celebrities, the FASHION!

I’ll leave the fashion to our Risky fashionista, Amanda.

Young Victoria’s costume designer won, speaking of fashion.

Much as I like Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, I yearned for Hugh Jackman…but then, don’t I always? At least I got a brief Gerard Butler fix. He was subdued and very handsome.

Cute moment when Gerard meets Gabourey Sidibe on the Red Carpet.

I could have done without the dance performance, not Gerard, the one during the Oscars….

I haven’t seen hardly any of the movies nominated, but that never prevents me from having my opinions and my favorites.

For example, I was disappointed Christopher Plummer did not win, and very happy Mo’Nique won. Her performance reminded me of people I once knew in my social worker days. And I suppose I’ve loved Christopher Plummer every since The Sound of Music, not to mention his performance as Wellington in Waterloo.

And, of course, I would have liked Colin Firth to win. I mean, he was DARCY…but the Best Actor category was filled with great actors. They all should have won.

Carey Mulligan! Kitty Bennett in the “other” Pride & Prejudice. I knew she wouldn’t win, but how great to see her there. It was nice for Sandra Bullock to win. She gave such a good speech.

Kathryn Bigelow! First time for a woman to win Best Director. What a remarkable film for a woman to direct. Nice to see Barbara Striesand, too. She looks good!

And BEST PICTURE!! The Hurt Locker. To win over Avatar was remarkable.

I think the distribution of wins over so many wonderful films was pretty well balanced. It really was a great year for movies, I think. I’m inspired to go to the cinema postehaste and to hone my Netflix membership.

I just finished judging my RITA books (The Romance Writers of America’s “Oscars”). Like the Oscars, I suspect there will be many wonderful finalists, all deserving to win. I also think there will be several books that don’t make the finals that are also wonderful, but not to everyone’s taste. (Friends of mine HATED Avatar, for example). You just can’t avoid subjective scoring. That is why I always say that not reaching the finals doesn’t mean you haven’t written a great book.

Now that I’ve finished my RITA books, I get to start on Venetia! Don’t forget. This Wednesday Carolyn kicks off our very first Risky Regency Read Along. We’re supposed to read Chapters 1 to 7 of Venetia by Wednesday, March 17 so we can DISCUSS. I am so very sure this will be lots of fun. Who doesn’t love talking about a book with other friends who’ve read the same book?

We’re even going to guest visit at Sue Grimshaw’s Borders True Romance Blog Saturday March 13 to talk about the Read Along. Sue Grimshaw, Borders Books Romance buyer, is such a constant and enthusiastic supporter of Romance. Visit her blog and see what she’s offering this week.

Sue has a day Janet will enjoy. Thurday is Male Romance Cover Review day!
This month my Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady is available on MillsandBoon.co.uk or you can pre-order at a discount at Bookdepository.com. And A Reputable Rake is released in the UK in an anthology, Regency High Society Affairs, v 13, also at Book Depository. A Reputable Rake is my RITA winner!

What did you think of the Academy Awards? Were there any disappointments for you? Didn’t you think Gerard Butler looked handsome?

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Getting To Know You

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I’m back from the dead (or at least not feeling all pooky and sick anymore), and am so psyched I’ve been able to write this week.

This week, I was also lucky enough (and not sick!) to go to Lady Jane’s Salon, a monthly romance event held in New York City. Romance readers get together to socialize and listen to authors read from their works. This Monday was even more specialer, ’cause Cara Elliott (who’s guesting here on Sunday) read from her book, To Sin With A Scoundrel.

What I really like about what Cara read (and I have the book in house, haven’t read it yet–the TBR pile is taller than my 10 year-old) is the fix she so clearly had on her characters. If I met either one of those folks on the street, I would TOTALLY know them. Even if they weren’t wearing Regency clothing. And the two characters, while seemingly familiar, had stuff about them that wasn’t quite–something that made them each distinctive in their own ways. Very, very cool.

That was in juxtaposition to something else I’ve read recently, where I wouldn’t know the characters at all, except they are so two-dimensional they’d likely be flat in real life (it’s a Euclidean reference, people!). The eeeevil villainess was so eeevil she had yellow teeth, just in case you missed her pointed dialogue; the villain guy was a rotund lech; and the heroine was a Mary Sue in the worst way. Yuk. My life is too short to continue past the first chapter, so I didn’t.

Everyone has dealbreakers in books; I can ignore almost any number of egregious faults and errors if I like the characters. Even if the characters do things that make my eyes widen (see: Lilith Saintcrow, Harry Pearce in MI-5, Season 7. Harry!). I wouldn’t like to hang out with that many of my favorite characters, but I love reading their stories. My dealbreakers happen when the characters are lifeless, cliched or do things, without explanation, that they would never do (it IS fun to have a character do something she would never do, but you have to set it up right).

Do I know where I am going with this? As usual, nope.

I am just glad to be back writing, not feeling lousy, and glad that there are so many awesome books in the TBR pile. Come back on Sunday for a lucid interview with Cara E.

Megan

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