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Monthly Archives: September 2011

Healthy Escapes

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My children started school on Sept 7th. That morning, they waited for the bus in the pouring rain. The bus was late. I brought out an umbrella. When the bus finally came, the umbrella wouldn’t close, so I took it, sure that it wouldn’t still be raining when the kids returned. I was wrong. It continued to rain throughout the day and into the night. I woke up at some point, realizing the power had gone off. And it was still raining. I couldn’t fall back asleep. I remembered the flood of 2006, supposedly a “hundred year flood”. But this time, I felt the uneasy sense that something more terrible was happening.

Sadly, my gut was right. It was another “hundred year flood” but this time it was much worse. My family and I are among the lucky ones. Our hillside neighborhood became an island as the main road below us flooded. We lost power for five days (which is why I wasn’t around last Saturday) and are still having to boil our water, but our house is fine. Meanwhile, entire neighborhoods have been ravaged. We know many people whose homes have been seriously damaged and some who lost them entirely.

I strongly believe in facing reality. For many in our area, this means doing the work it takes to recover. For lucky ones like me, it means helping. Yesterday I joined a church group to help a member clean up. It felt good to be with my friends and it felt good to be useful.

But sometimes the reality just gets too overwhelming. There are times when one has to escape, at least for short time.

During the first days of the crisis, my family and I were safe and dry, but isolated, with only the radio to keep us informed of the unfolding tragedy. I tried to keep things as normal and cheerful as possible. We spent a lot of time reading, writing and crocheting. I figured out how to grill things I’d never grilled before (scalloped potatoes au gratin, even). We played Scrabble by candlelight.

Now that we’re past the crisis and into the long recovery, my friends and I are still feeling very anxious. One of us recently posted a reminder on Facebook that we all need to take breaks to have a cup of tea, do a puzzle, listen to music or escape into a good book. It’s one of the reasons I write. Creativity is healing. We all need art, songs and stories to sustain us.

When life becomes too sad and scary, what are your healthy escapes?

Elena

Posted in Jane Austen | Tagged | 6 Replies

Fall Kindle-ing

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First solipsistic things first*:

I hope soon to be able to post some good news about writing and all, but I can’t just yet. So a discreet yay! from me will have to suffice.

In other news, fall has hit the East Coast hard, necessitating long sleeves and closed-toe shoes (can I just say how much I hate wearing socks? No clue why, I just do).

Meanwhile, I’ve finished the behemoth that is the fifth book in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire saga (if you watch HBO, you know it as Game of Thrones). This book is the sole reason I finally agreed to go digital, and got a Kindle for my birthday last month. And I do not regret it! Instead of making my shoulder ache by schlepping around a 1000+ page book, I got to carry a slim electronic device. Which, when I finished the book, also had other books I could immediately access.

I’ve lent it to the spouse for his subway reading, and have returned to print books, but I miss that sucker already (The Kindle, not the spouse. Him I don’t miss so much, seeing him every day and all).

It’s really exciting to see how many Regency-era novels are available in Kindle that were previously only a) crazy pricey or b) tattered and falling apart on the keeper shelf. Including our own Elena Greene’s Lady Dearing’s Masquerade!

So while I prepare to launch back into writing, I’m having some fun perusing what I can get for my new friend. I am guessing most of you have already made the digital leap; what do you like best about e-reading?

Megan

*This pic is of Idris Elba, who is up for an Emmy this Sunday for his performance in Luther, the second season of which starts airing on BBC America Sept. 28th. A good actor, and easy on the eyes.

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What is a Regency?

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First of all, I noticed that there are several Georgette Heyer ebooks under $2.00 at Amazon Kindle: Venetia, The Black Moth, Fredericka, These Old Shades, The Quiet Gentleman…and more!

This past week on the Beau Monde loop we’ve been having a discussion about what makes a book a Regency. Likely this is a topic that only matters to writers, but I thought I would toss it out to the Risky Regencies community anyway.

I said that a book is a Regency if it is set in the “Regency World.” To me, the Regency world encompasses the British places, people, and events from roughly 1790 to 1830. The books are written from a British/Regency perspective even if the setting is not in Regency London or Brighton or Bath or a country house. The story could be set in British India, Europe (Napoleonic War settings – my Three Soldiers Series), or even America (War of 1812, for example), but it involves the British perspective, about British characters and involved in British social, political or economic concerns. Mostly the stories take place in Great Britain and are about the social world of the privileged, although some of my Regencies have been about characters who are not of the aristocracy, but whose lives are more peripherally involved.

There’s not just one kind of Regency book.

There used to be traditional Regency romances, such as the Signet and Zebra lines. These books were heavy on the social Regency, the manners of the time period. The Regency setting was paramount in the traditional Regencies. There are still traditional Regencies being published. Harlequin Historical publishes some, but, alas, those Regency lines are gone.

Then there are Regency Historicals or Regency-set Historicals, those other romances set in the Regency. These can be light and quirky or deeply emotional. They can have paranormal elements. They can be adventures or mysteries or relationship books.

Should we call other types of books Regencies? Historicals (non-romances) set in the Regency, usually trade paperback or hardback sized? Books like Patrick O’Brian‘s? Just how far should our definition of Regency fiction go?

What do you think? Does it matter to you?

To read my thoughts about 9-11 see Diane’s Blog. We’ll never forget.

Posted in Jane Austen, Regency | Tagged , | 4 Replies

Regency Boardwalk?

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First, a mea culpa: I am so, so sorry for not posting last Friday. I was away, and internet access was nonexistent.

But where were you, Megan, that you couldn’t share your wisdom with us?

I was at the Jersey shore. Now, before you go making cracks, let me tell you that the town I was in is a dry town, founded by Methodists, and a far cry from Snooki et al‘s stomping grounds.

It had, in fact, a lot in common with Regency romance novels:

–In Jersey, social gatherings take place at the boardwalk; in the Regency era, it’s Almack’s.
–Drunkenness is frowned upon.
–Teens parade in front of each other for potential romantic coupling.
–There are very few places people can go to engage in PDAs. You have to get creative.
–Old ladies are constantly judging.
–You take the waters at the beach in Jersey, in Bath in Regency novels.

And now the summer is over! I hope everyone had a lovely one. I am happy to be back to my routine, although I do miss the lobster patties pizza.

Megan

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Winners and Finnish 101

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I am pleased to announce the winners of the Smelling Like Badgers Contest. As you may remember, I held a contest last week for suggestions for Regency pastimes that might suit the modern sensibility. The results were interesting and bizarre. Thanks for playing, everyone.

The winners are:

Lorraine, who suggested playing the bagpipes which is an image I can’t get out of my mind. Every time I return to my WIP I start thinking of a possible opportunity for someone to whip out a bagpipe.

Jane, who suggested a visit to the museum to ogle the nude male statues.

Lorraine and Jane, please visit Bingley’s Teas — I love their Jane Austen-inspired line, shown above, which are actually packaged to look like books and you’ll find all sorts of teas including herbal– and then email riskiesATyahooDOTcom with the blend you’d like and your snailmail. And I shall order forthwith!

Talking of Jane Austen, there’s a wonderful article, actually a review of two new books, in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Just Like A Woman. The books are Why Jane Austen? by Rachel M. Brownstein and William Deresiewicz’s A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me about Love, Friendship, and the Things that Really Matter. Have you read either of them? I really want to read Deresiewicz’s which is an account of how a guy learned to love Austen.

And finally in this post full of trivia–that, kittens and the obvious is what the internet is for–we’re now going to have some serious academic study. Translate:

Han muutti minut sammokoksi

It is of course Finnish for “She turned me into a frog” (or, as Google Translate quaintly puts it, “He moved me to a frog”) the opening line of my novella Little To Hex Her from the Finnish version of Bespelling Jane Austen. I received a handful of copies in the mail the other day which was quite exciting as I’ve never received any of my books in translation before.

Have you read either of the two new books above about Jane Austen? Are you planning to attend the JASNA Conference (AGM) in Fort Worth next month (aargh! next month! Must email my mantuamaker immediately!)? Amanda and I will be there and we’ll give a full report.

Posted in Jane Austen | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Replies