You have the cutest new reticule ever!!! What color is it, what’s inside it and how will the contents cause the brooding Earl of Stud-Lee to fall hopelessly in love with you?
(My reticule is pink. I have sixpence inside. Lord Stud-Lee will fall in love with me when I wager the entire sixpence on a game of whist in which he is the prize. And I win.
And what a prize he is.)
Go.
This is the day (third Monday in February) that we in the US celebrate our two greatest Presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, with a Federal holiday. The holiday used to take place on February 22, which was Washington’s birthday, but in 1971, it was combined with Lincoln’s birthday, Feb 12. Lincoln’s birthday used to be noted, especially in school lessons, but we didn’t get off work.
By combining the celebration of the two birthdays into one Monday holiday, we got a three day weekend and a perfect time for stores to offer great sales. We also improved the opportunities to hold formal celebrations of the Presidents themselves.
One wonders what people in the Regency thought of George Washington, who by then was a memory, having died in 1799. The British people had two close examples of populous rebellion, the American and French Revolutions, and both were still coloring their lives with the Napoleonic war and the War of 1812.
Napoleon and George Washington had two different takes on leadership.
Napoleon seized power whenever and wherever he could, declaring himself Emperor and invading other European countries. There was no doubt in the people’s minds that Napoleon wanted to conquer Great Britain, too.
Washington, on the other hand, provided a model of refusing power. Even though he had promised to resign his commission as Commander of the Continental Army at the war’s end, there were several of his generals who had pleaded with him to seize civilian power and declare himself king. He discouraged the Newburgh Conspirators from attempting a coup de tat. He refused a third term as President.
Mason Locke Weems, the first biographer of Washington, wrote of why Washington was greater than George III or Napoleon or other leaders. His The Life of George Washington was the best-selling book in the USA for 100 years, second only to the bible. Of course, several of the incidents related in Weems’s book are known to be fabrications even though some achieved the status of legend, like the story of the cherry tree in which the boy George tells his father, “I cannot tell a lie. I cut down the cherry tree.”
When hearing that Washington intended to resign his commission after the war instead of seizing control of the new nation, George III said to artist Benjamin West, “If he (Washington) does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.”
Napoleon seemed to agree, although in a characteristically competitive way. He said, “Posterity will talk of Washington as the founder of a great empire, when my name shall be lost in the vortex of revolution.”
Lord Byron contrasts Napoleon and Washington in his Ode To Napoleon, written after Napoleon’s defeat.
Of Napoleon he begins:
‘Tis done—but yesterday a King!And armed with Kings to strive—And now thou art a nameless thing
Near the end of the poem, he mentions Washington:
Where may the wearied eye reposeWhen gazing on the Great;Where neither guilty glory glows,Nor despicable state?Yes—One—the first—the last—the best—The Cincinnatus of the West,Whom Envy dared not hate,Bequeathed the name of Washington,To make man blush there was but one!
Happy Presidents Day!
Do you have a favorite quote or story about Washington? What are you doing this Presidents Day?
I love a man with a sexy voice. There are some actors I probably like as much for their voices as for appearance and acting talent. Although it’s not easy to convey in writing, I’m always thinking about how my heroes sound to my heroines.
Colin Firth’s voice has always been part of his appeal for me. I even thought he was the one male lead in Mamma Mia! who wasn’t painful to listen to.
In singing voices, I especially love a good baritone, whether it’s Jim Morrison of the Doors or a classical baritone like the Welsh Bryn Terfel. Here’s a clip of him singing “Vagabond” by Ralph Vaughn Williams.
I can’t end without mentioning my favorite bald hottie, Patrick Stewart.
My apologies for not having any more recent hotties in this list. When my husband had his stroke three years ago, I literally went into a cave for a while and I’m still slowly crawling out. So please help me out. So who do you think has a sexy voice? If I get enough suggestions, maybe I’ll put together a post for next week.
And congratulations to the following winners of a Kindle or Nook copy of THE WEDDING WAGER. Please send your email address, and if you wish, the email address of a friend who might enjoy a copy, to elena @ elenagreene.com (no spaces). Also, please be sure to let me know if you want Nook or Kindle.
marybelle
pixzlee
Barbara E
Na
G Bell
I’m delighted to introduce our guest today, debut author Manda Collins whose How To Dance With A Duke is getting some nice buzz!
When I first met Manda, she was a reader and a reviewer who was wonderful enough to say nice things about my books. Now I’m thrilled that she is here as our guest author and is receiving some of the same.
“Collins’ debut delivers a fast-paced, adventurous love story that will enthrall readers. Her dynamic characters, a murder and passion combine with the perfect amount of lively repartee.” RT Book Reviews
“With sparkling Regency wit, a dash of mystery, and just the right amount of steam, How to Dance with a Duke is an enchanting debut, sure to sweep readers off their feet!” —Tessa Dare
Manda is giving away a signed copy of How To Dance With A Duke to one lucky commenter chosen at random.
Welcome, Manda! Tell us about How To Dance With A Duke.
This is my debut novel, and it’s the first in a trilogy about three wallflower cousins who must do battle with a Regency mean girl, solve mysteries, and find true love–all in the space of a season. In this story, Miss Cecily Hurston, an Egyptologist, must join forces with the newly minted Duke of Winterson to find her father’s travel diaries and Winterson’s missing brother. Think Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen. Or old school Amanda Quick.
We love a debut author! Tell us a little about your journey to publication and what it was like to get “The Call.”
I’ve been writing since my teen years, but didn’t do so with a serious eye toward publication until 2007 or so. I wrote one novel, a Victorian set in country house, that landed me an agent, but alas, did not sell. So I regrouped, licked my wounds, and decided to return to my first love–Regency romance. Since I’ve been reading Regency in one form or other since I was a pre-teen, it was like going home. I wrote How to Dance with a Duke, my agent loved it, and it sold five months later.
I got the call one morning while I was brushing my teeth. But because I am suspicious and didn’t want to tempt fate, I hadn’t programmed my agent’s number into my phone, so I thought it was a wrong number and let it go to voicemail. On the way to work though something kept niggling me about that call. So as soon as I go to the office I checked my email, and sure enough there was a message from my agent, Holly Root, telling me to call her. And when I looked through the rest of my email, I saw that Holly Blanck, the editor at St. Martin’s who was reading my MS, had followed me on Twtitter. I knew then that the news was good. I called Agent Holly back, she told me that Holly Blanck had offered me a three book contract and I’ve been grinning like a crazy person ever since.
You’ve been active in the Romance Writing community for a long time. What was it like to move from reader and reviewer to author?
It’s been kind of strange at times. I have never had a shortage of opinions on various issues in the community, so there have been some moments since I made the transition from reader to author when I’ve had to forcibly remind myself to just keep quiet. It’s not that I don’t think authors should have a place at the table–I actually get twitchy when it feels like the blogosphere would rather we just shut up and write–but there are times when as an author it’s just common sense not to get involved. If someone doesn’t like my book and writes a review about it, there’s just no good way–with a few rare exceptions–for an author to join that conversation and have it end well. On the other hand, I feel like getting published has given me insider knowledge that I can use to help other writers who are just starting on the road to publication, so it’s not all a matter of biting my tongue. And I still review every now and then. I’ve always been one of those “only if I have something good to say about it” reviewers anyway so that hasn’t really changed. Though I don’t really have as much time for it as I used to.
Why did you decide to write a Regency Historical?
As I said earlier, I’ve been reading Regency, both trad and historicals, since I was in middle school, so I was Regency before it was the hottest thing going. Which I sometimes feel like I have to defend since there seems to be a backlash in some quarters against the period. But I adore it. The social customs, the witty banter, the sense that society is kicking up a dust before the coming strictures of the Victorian period. Plus, as some of you may know, I am a sucker for a dandy and sadly there were very few of them in the latter part of the century.
What is risky about the book?
Believe it or not, the mystery element. Again and again while I was on submission I got rejections from editors who loved the story but were unsure of how to sell it because it felt like neither fish nor fowl. Fortunately Editor Holly has a fondness for mystery mixed with romance so when it landed on her desk she snapped it up. Or that’s how I imagine it. She might very well have carefully lifted it.
What is next for you?
Next up is the next book in the trilogy, How to Romance a Rake, which comes out this summer in late July. And just last week I accepted another three book contract from St. Martin’s Press for a trilogy with the tagline I Know What You Did Last Season. So I have plenty to keep me occupied writing-wise for the next few years or so.
And now I have a question for you. Do you like a bit of mystery mixed with your romance? What are some of your favorite examples?
Comment for a chance to win a signed copy of How To Dance With A Duke.
