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Author Archives: Amanda McCabe/Laurel McKee

About Amanda McCabe/Laurel McKee

Writer (as Amanda McCabe, Laurel McKee, Amanda Carmack), history geek, yoga enthusiast, pet owner!

Interview with Amanda McCabe, Author of LADY MIDNIGHT!

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Amanda McCabe has written 11 books and 2 novellas for Signet Regency, with more on the way! She’s been a finalist for the RITA, RT’s Reviewer’s Choice Award, and the Daphne DuMaurier Award, the winner of the Holt Medallion, National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Bookseller’s Best.
When not reading or writing romance, she loves doing needlework, taking dance lessons in ballet and flamenco, and digging through antique stores in search of new treasures. She lives in Oklahoma with two cats and a Pug dog. Learn more at ammandamccabe.tripod.com


Praise for LADY MIDNIGHT!

“LADY MIDNIGHT will enchant and enrapture readers with its great depth of character—enhanced by Kate’s conversations with her mother—a tantalizing plot with wonderful gothic overtones and a daring hero.” — Kathe Robin, for Romantic Times Bookclub
4 1/2 Stars, TOP PICK! Read the review

“LADY MIDNIGHT is a satisfying read for those who prefer their historicals modeled on the gothic overtones, luscious prose and extensive introspection of Charlottë Bronte’s Victorian-era novels rather than on the witty repartee of Jane Austen’s regencies.” — Mary Benn, for The Romance Reader Read the review

“…a lovely, uncomplicated, and completely believable story of two people falling in love over passion and mutual interests.” — Jeanne W, for All About Romance Read the review

The Interview

Q. How did you think of writing this particular book? Did it start with a character, a setting, or some other element?

It actually started with the opening scene! I had a vision of a woman in a ballgown washed up on a beach. How did she get there? Who was she? I had to find out the answers. That’s often the way stories evolve for me–a flash of a scene, a character, maybe sometimes a setting that screams out to be peopled!

Q. How long did it take? Was this an easy or difficult book to write?

It took longer than my trad Regencies, that’s for sure! By the time I got to page 220 and still had half the book to write, where a trad would be finished by then, I wondered what I was thinking. But it wasn’t a particularly difficult book to write. It was one of those stories where the characters just take off in the direction they want to go and I follow them. Unfortunately, it meant that a couple of the secondary characters started taking over toward the end of the book, when they weren’t meant to do that at all. Very naughty of those characters!

Q. Tell me more about your characters. What or who inspired them?

Well, the heroine, Kate, arose from that first scene. It soon became clear that she was Italian, the daughter of a courtesan, who wanted something different for her own life than what her mother had. She seizes the chance to make a new start the only way she can–by becoming a different woman, a respectable governess. But she can’t quite leave the past behind, no matter how much she tries. The hero is the same, in that he did things in his past, made mistakes that he still pays for. But together they learn that amends can be made, and the future made brighter by love. This seems to be a theme that pops up often in my stories–love as redemption.

Q. Did you run across anything new and unusual while researching this book?

I had huge fun researching the lives of courtesans in the Regency period! I actually compiled quite a list of great books, if anyone is interested. I also set the story in Yorkshire, a place I never wrote about before (and only visited once, very briefly, a long time ago), but it’s a spot that can get a strong hold on imagination. It inspired a very Gothic-ish, slightly spooky atmosphere. The legend of the Semerwater lake, which plays a huge part in the book, is a true story. I first found it in “James Herriott’s Yorkshire” and then found more information on the story online.

Q. What do you think is the greatest creative risk you’ve taken in this book? How do you feel about it?

Well, writing a longer book was a risk! I was very intimidated at first. 🙂 And my heroine is not your run-of-the-mill debutante. She’s older, Italian, was raised in the demi-monde. It also appears that making the villain slightly sympathetic was risky, though I didn’t realize it at the time.

Q. Is there anything you wanted to include in the book that you (or your CPs or editor) felt was too controversial and left out?

Well, Janet asked if I considered making my heroine a real ‘ho, which was funny because in the first draft of the proposal Kate WAS a real courtesan. Her character was really more like what her mother’s became in the end. The publisher thought that might be a hard sell for my first historical, so I changed it to an almost-‘ho. But her character remained essentially unchanged. She was still wary, slightly cynical, cautious, always looking over her shoulder at the past.

Q. Your stories often feature unusual or exotic settings and/or characters who come from places other than England. What draws you to incorporate these exotic elements in your stories? Your own travel, reading or something else?

I DO like foreigners, don’t I! A heroine (actually 2) from Jamaica, a hero from India, a heroine from Russia, one from Italy. Wow, I never thought about it much until now. I think I like the concept of the “outsider” coming into Regency Society. How do they see it? How do they deal with their differences? How does it affect the story that they have a slightly different viewpoint form everyone else? And how does it change the views of the character who is more the “insider”? I’m also very interested in a variety of cultures, especially Russia and India, and read so much about them I felt like I needed to use that knowledge for something.

Q. What are you working on now?

To quote the Pythons, “and now for something completely different.” I’m finishing up the first in a trilogy set in Renaissance Venice. At least the first book is set in Venice (it’s a very dark, suspenseful story with a pirate hero and a perfumer/alchemist heroine, lots of fun!), the other two are set in England, at the court of Henry VIII as he attempts to divorce Katherine of Aragon, and in the misty Balkans. I’m enjoying them very much, but I also miss the Regency. I’m hoping to go back to it when these books are done. The villain of LADY MIDNIGHT, Julian Kirkwood, has been bothering me to tell his story. 🙂

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Your first time

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Like almost every other writer/reader, I have a TBR pile. No, pile is a vast misnomer–it’s s structure, a mountain. For a long time, I had these books stacked in my hallway, blocking the coat closet and waiting to brain unwary passers-by. Until one day, when the volumes went almost to the ceiling, my cat tried to climb up the pyramid and started an avalanche. Books were scattered far and wide, and I knew I had to make a change. Get organized. So, I bought a slew of clear plastic tubs at Target and started packing the volumes away to store them in the garage (after I moved the car out, of course). To a non-reader this sounds like a quick and easy job, but we here at Risky Regencies surely know better. This job took days, weeks, because I ended up sitting on the floor re-reading old favorites, starting new books I’ve been meaning to get to, just basically wasting time and having fun.

I sorted these books into several stacks–books I will read soon, books I will read some day (when I’m 80?), and books to give away (I think there were about 3 of these). Then I found it. A battered, taped-up copy of the Very First Regency I ever read–Marian Chesney’s AT THE SIGN OF THE GOLDEN PINEAPPLE. And nostalgia set in.

A little backstory. Unlike lucky Megan, my parents were never great readers. But my grandmother was, and she was always taking me to the library and giving me books as presents. Some of them I loved, like the Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables series (for their romantic elements, and their plucky, wanna-be writer heroines). Some I loathed (like the egregious, treackle-beset POLLYANNA and ELSIE DINSMORE). But I devoured them all.

My grandparents lived on a sort-of farm, and every summer we visited them for several weeks. This particular summer, when I was 8 or 9, someone gave my grandmother a couple of big boxes full of romance novels, and I ended up sitting in the closet (where the boxes were stored) and reading the whole time. At first it was just a fun way to avoid my cousins, who only ever wanted to play Star Wars and brooked no deviation from the script. Boring. Soon, though, I was totally hooked, living in a world of country estates, Almack’s, handsome dukes, and high-perch phaetons. I could not even be lured away by my grandmother’s German chocolate cake.

These boxes were filled with mostly Cartlands, with a couple of Heyers, and some old Fawcett and Harlequin Regencies. I was somewhat familiar with the period, having seen the Garvie-Rintoul P&P, and I loved the clothes, the manners, the witty atmosphere. I was so excited when I pulled a book out of the box–AT THE SIGN OF THE GOLDEN PINEAPPLE–and saw the words “Regency Romance” at the top. I devoured it on the spot, and then dug out every single volume that also declared itself a “Regency.” The monster was unleashed.

I don’t remember a huge amount about that particular book. It was maybe set in Bath, and the heroine ran a Gunter’s-style shop. But it sucked me into a fabulous, fascinating new world I couldn’t get enough of. I still can’t.

So, I’m curious. What are the books that first drew YOU into the Regency? What did you like about them, what kept drawing you back? What was your first time like?

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Interview with Elena Greene, Author of Lady Dearing’s Masquerade!

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Elena grew up reading her mother’s favorite Regencies, and after being sent on an international assignment to England she could no longer resist the urge to write her own. Her stories have won the National Readers’ Choice Award, the Golden Quill and the Award of Excellence. Learn more at http://www.elenagreene.com/


Praise for LADY DEARING’s MASQUERADE!

“LADY DEARING’S MASQUERADE could have been a dark, depressing story considering its many tragedies: orphaned foundlings, throwaway babies, malicious gossip, years of abuse. But it’s a tribute to Elena Greene that the story is poignant, and the admirable way in which Jeremy and Livvy deal with their trials endears them to readers and will have you rooting for them to unite.” — Romantic Times Bookclub
4 1/2 Stars, TOP PICK!

“The characters of this remarkable tale sparkle with sensitivity, wit, humor, and a genuine quality that will make them stand out in readers’ minds long after the last page is turned… For a story that is sure to stoke the romantic fires burning in every Regency fan, be sure not to miss LADY DEARING’S MASQUERADE.” — Edith Morrison, for Romance Reviews Today Read the review

“This was a very well written novel, with great characters and a terrific (and plausible) plot… I’ll definitely be looking for more books by Elena Greene.” — Lynn Lamy, for Rakehell Reviews Read the review

The Interview

Q. How did you think of writing this particular book? Did it start with a character, a setting, or some other element?

It started with Livvy (Lady Dearing), who appeared in “The Wedding Wager”, a novella I wrote a few years ago. She helped the couple in that story get together, but said she did not want a romance for herself. An irresistible challenge! At the time I knew that her first marriage had been bad, but it wasn’t until I got well into writing the story that I figured out just how bad. So somehow a minor character from a story that was short, fun and fluffy now stars in the longest and most angsty book I’ve written to date.

Q. How long did it take? Was this an easy or difficult book to write?

This book took about 10 months and 6 drafts (as opposed to my usual 4), and as Jennifer Crusie says of her own work, “there’s blood on every page.” It’s not only a longer story (about 90,000 words as opposed to the more typical 65-75,000 for a standard-length Regency), but I was also dealing with more serious issues than I’ve ever written into a book before and frankly I was plagued with self-doubts.

Several other things complicated the progress of the story. When I first suggested it to my editor, we both thought it was going to be a standard-length Regency. But once I’d gotten about 100 pages into the first draft, I knew it was a bigger story. Since it was not yet contracted, she agreed to make it a Super Regency, but a while later, after I’d completed the first draft, I was told they wanted to discontinue Supers and asked if I could cut it back. By that point I’d gone so deep into the story it would have required major surgery to do it, so I was relieved when my editor went to bat for me and it was kept a Super Regency. And then there was some confusion about pub dates, which meant I half-killed myself to complete the story earlier than it needed to be. I felt I hadn’t done my best work, cried all the way back from the post office before diving into some Ben & Jerry’s. So it was a relief to learn there was time for revisions, which were pretty extensive.

It just proves that even with a conscientious author and a very nice, very supportive editor, things can go wrong. But it’s over now, and I’m very proud of my “problem child”.

Q. Tell me more about your characters. What or who inspired them?

I already talked about Livvy, my starting point for the story. When I brought Jeremy into being, I wanted him to be both the best and worst thing that could happen to her. So I made him ultra-respectable (as a foil to her notoriety) but also extremely kind. I think of him as the sort of character Colin Firth often plays: gentlemanly, honorable but with a simmering restrained passion. I wish the guy on the cover looked more like Firth, since that’s who I had pictured in my mind (and what I put in my suggestions to the art department).

Q. Did you run across anything new and unusual while researching this book?

London’s Foundling Hospital figures heavily in the book. When I researched the Hospital (making use of an excellent book titled CORAM’S CHILDREN, by Ruth McClure), I learned that Regency society’s attitude toward foundling children was much less sympathetic, on average, than our own. Foundlings were usually the result of illicit unions and many believed that children born in sin were prone to evil and unworthy of aid. This prejudice tied in thematically with society’ misjudgment of my heroine, Livvy, though perhaps I shouldn’t mention that. I’m not sure I want readers to know there are themes here, it sounds so literary!

The other main area of my research was in women’s reproductive health. Regency medicine had some frightening ways of dealing with any difficulties with conception and pregnancy, including a “lowering regimen” (a diet which would have limited a woman’s intake of calcium and iron) and bloodletting. Overall, the course of treatment seemed design to weaken women, at a time in history when the Victorian ideal of submissive, proper womanhood was beginning to form. So another theme in the book was Livvy’s struggle to maintain her integrity against the men who tried to control her. Here again, I hope that it came through naturally in the story!

Q. What do you think is the greatest creative risk you’ve taken in this book? How do you feel about it?

Even though writers like Mary Balogh were doing sex in Regencies way before I even started writing, some readers still object to it. But I knew I was going to take that risk when I started, because I knew this story would have to go that way and the ellipsis (…) just wasn’t going to have the same emotional power. And much less fun to write! 🙂

I also dealt with several of the harsh realities of Regency England–the fact that husbands had nearly complete power over their wives, and the grim situation of unwanted children. I felt that softening these things would have weakened the story, but I’m bracing myself for the reactions of readers who like their Regencies “cozy”. (Not that I have anything against “cozy” Regencies! I’ve written a few of them myself. This just isn’t one.)

The scenes that felt the most risky to me were the flashbacks into Livvy’s first marriage.

Q. Is there anything you wanted to include in the book that you (or your CPs or editor) felt was too controversial and left out?

Actually, no. I took lots of wrong turns in the process of bashing this manuscript into shape, but I don’t miss any of the deletions. I’m also very grateful to my editor for not making me take anything out.

Q. Lady Dearing is a widow with a scandal attached to her name; you’ve also written about young, virtuous debutantes. Which is your favorite kind of heroine to write about?

I don’t have a favorite in terms of age, marital status, etc… But one thing my heroines all have in common is that they are seeking something. Some readers have called my heroines selfish, but I think they’re just real women trying to come into their strength. They make all sorts of mistakes, but they won’t be passive Cinderellas waiting for someone to rescue them.

Q. As a mother yourself, you know romance and kids don’t always go together. How was it writing a romance involving children? Is there any author you feel does it particularly well?

Wow, good question! You may have hit on the riskiest element in this story–a plot that revolves around children and sex. There are a couple of reasons why that mix can be dodgy. I think some people are uncomfortable with the innocence of children and adult passion in the same book. As if sex and parenthood were not somehow connected! The other reason is that, well, obviously, the pressures of parenthood can play havoc with one’s sex life. Anyone who’s had an attempt at lovemaking interrupted multiple times by a crying child knows what I’m talking about.

But I like to show my heroines experiencing (or at least looking forward to) a life that includes passion and children. And by the end of any romance, I want to feel the h/h are so deeply devoted that they will keep things hot whatever life throws their way. Otherwise he could just go running back to his mistress, right? Of course, if Livvy and Jeremy feel the need for a brief getaway to London, they’ve got a governess and the rest of their household staff to keep the kiddos in order!

As for romances involving children, I have to say I’ve read too many that didn’t work for me at all. Sometimes the kids are just cute props: cherubic Victorian-greeting-card children rather than flesh-and-blood kids who may be cute, but also fight, make messes and pick their noses at inappropriate moments! And some authors don’t seem to “get” motherhood. If a heroine is searching for her kidnapped child, is she really going to be checking out every hunk she meets along the way?

But some authors do combine children and romance in a way that works. Between my own kids and writing, I don’t get as much time to read as I’d like, so I’m sure I’m missing many! But the books I’ve read by Susan Elizabeth Phillips had very realistic children. But then all her characterizations are strong. I’ll also add a word about my blog buddy, Janet Mullany. Her debut book, DEDICATION, deals with issues of parenthood and even grandparenthood, in a realistic and touching manner. And the sex is pretty hot, too!

Q. What are you working on now?

I’m working on a Regency historical romance, and the hero is neither a duke nor a spy. Sorry, but I’m not ready to say much more yet. My first drafts resemble my final books about as closely as a newly fertilized egg cell resembles a bouncing, cuddly baby. At this point the idea might just sound stupid. That would be bad. 🙂

Thanks for interviewing me!

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Talk Like a Pirate Monday

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I was reading over the posts from the last few days, all the great discussion on Jane Eyre, historic castles, and The Green Fairy Book, and I couldn’t decide what today’s post should be about. Something erudite and cultured? Literary, historical? Nah–it’s officially Talk Like a Pirate Day! Arggh, maties!

OK, so I’m getting silly, I know. Maybe my brain is baked from trying to finish my WIP on time and thus have my editor still like me. But the first “real historical romance” I ever read (and by that I mean not a Cartland, a Heyer, or a trad Regency) was Virginia Henley’s The Hawk and the Dove. This was more years ago than I care to remember, I was in the eighth or ninth grade at the time, but I still remember how great I thought this book was. The heroine (the fabulously-named Sabre Wilde) has come to the court of Elizabeth I to get revenge on her long-lost husband, the also wonderfully-named Captain Shane Hawkhurst, also known as The Sea God. He is (you guessed it!) a pirate (or maybe a privateer–whatever, it’s all good), and she has long, red hair and is very “feisty,” which means she pitches fits all over the place and causes big scenes. She also wears terrific clothes. It was an immensely fun book, and it set me on a pirate-story jag that lasted for many months. I still enjoy the occasional high-seas adventure (especially when it gives me the chance to indulge my Orlando Bloom obsession a bit!), even though good pirate books are a little harder to find these days. Here’s a list of titles I liked, and I’d love to hear suggestions from everyone else. 🙂

Marsha Canham’s The Iron Rose (an absolutely splendid book, where the heroine is the pirate–I loved this one. The prequel, about the heroine’s parents, was also great–Across a Moonlit Sea)
Jennifer Ashley’s The Pirate Next Door (a great, humorous look at Regency-era piracy)
Meagan McKinney’s Til Dawn Tames the Night (another early historical read of mine–pretty steamy! The hero also has a fab tattoo)
Sabrina Jeffries’ The Pirate Lord
Amanda Quick’s Deception
Lisa Cach’s The Wildest Shore
Gaelen Foley’s The Pirate Prince
Heyer’s Beauvallet (maybe stretching it a bit? But I had to include it!)

For more info on this great holiday, check out http://www.talklikeapirate.com/buzz.html. Check it out, or walk the plank!

Posted in Frivolity | Tagged | 7 Replies

Interview with Janet Mullany, author of DEDICATION!

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Janet was brought up in England where she read Georgette Heyer when she should have been studying for some exams, didn’t read Jane Austen when she should have (for some more exams) but rediscovered her later in life, and didn’t want to be a novelist when she grew up. She has been an archaeologist, draftsperson, radio announcer, arts administrator, proofreader, and bookseller.
Learn more at www.janetmullany.com

Praise for Dedication!

“I’d encourage every Regency fan (except perhaps for sensuality sticklers) to run out and get this book. It’s entertaining, thoughtful, and more than worth your time.” — Blythe Barnhill, for All About Romance Read the review

“This isn’t a fluffy book, but a deeply psychological love story. For me, this depth of character and plot was refreshing, and made the book a constant surprise.” — Cybil Solyn, for Rakehell Read the review

“One of the best Regencies I have read in years. Very highly recommended.” — DeborahAnne MacGillivray, for The Best Reviews Read the review

Interview

Q. How did you think of writing this particular book? Did it start with a character, a setting, or some other element?

The first scene–that of a man knocking at the door of a London house early in the morning– came into my head strongly enough that I was able to build the plot and characters from there. I don’t know why it works this way for me, but it does.

Q. How long did it take? Was this an easy or difficult book to write?

It was a much revised book, but it was always easy to write. It began first as a single-title regency set historical, and had a rather convoluted plot. Adam was a codebreaker for English intelligence, and Fabienne his major suspect as a spy. I had a near miss with an editor who suggested I drop the spy plot and make it more a comedy of manners, so I revised it and she rejected it via form letter (one of those character building moments). It was never was a comedy of manners, and it continued to bomb until it won the 2004 Royal Ascot Contest (sponsored by the Beau Monde) and Signet made me an offer for it later that year. I had to chop off 20k words, so the subplot almost disappeared, but at least almost all the sex stayed intact!

Q. Tell me more about your characters. What or who inspired them?

I’ve no idea where Fabienne and Adam came from. I think they were based on what I didn’t want to write about or read about. I was interested in characters who had had experience in life, including good relationships with other partners, friends, and family,and who had not been holding grudges or harboring revenge plans for decades. In other words, fairly complex and healthy people, who were mature enough to solve their own problems but were also human enough to make mistakes. So that’s how I ended up with a heroine in her late 30s and a hero in his early 40s, both widowed.

Q. Did you run across anything new and unusual while researching this book?

I did some research on Elizabeth Vigee-Lebrun, a French portrait painter, and used that to create one of my minor characters, Elaine, although she’s from a much different background. I grew up in England, so I have the advantage of knowing what houses and the countryside look like, and how people speak. My mind is a vast repository of trivia, and it’s amazing that some of the stuff in there is useful. I also did some research on French emigres to England after the revolution. Basically I’m a sloppy researcher, and I can only hope my mistakes aren’t too embarrassing.

Q. What do you think is the greatest creative risk you’ve taken in this book? How do you feel about it?

When I was writing it I had no sense whatsoever that I was taking risks, although I did become accustomed to mutters (and shouts!) from CPs that I was breaking rules, editors wouldn’t like what I was doing, and/or I wasn’t writing a romance. I’m happy to say I didn’t let it faze me. In retrospect, I think my greatest risk is in having a hero who is older than the norm, uses reading glasses, and is an atheist, grandfather, and novelist.

Q. Is there something in the book you originally included but left out because you thought it was too controversial?

Well, originally I had the villain eaten by the hero’s pigs, which is a wonderful way to kill off someone, and I hope I can use that elsewhere! (Spoiler follows!) One of the few times I dropped something was the scene where Fabienne’s brother finds she’s pregnant. In the original, she had decided to abort the pregnancy, and he stops her. The reaction from my CPs was one of unanimous horror (to put it mildly). So as it is now, her maid (who would of course know her mistress’ cycle) picked up the abortifacient for Fabienne, and her brother prevents her from taking it. He’s concerned about her health and the honor of the family, not because he’s thinking of an unborn baby. I still think the original was stronger; women don’t always welcome an unplanned pregnancy with overwhelming joy, and Fabienne is in despair after she ended her relationship with Adam.

Q. Your book is very racy; how did you keep thoughts of your kid(s), parents, friends, and the local grocer from intruding when you were writing those scenes?

Oh, my God, who told you about me and the grocer? I really don’t find it that different from writing any other sort of scene. I don’t think about them then either, although I do find it alarming how much I reveal of myself through my writing generally. That’s why I very rarely let non-writers read my works in progress. You must bear in mind, too, that the characters tended to take over. I had no idea, for instance, on p. 79, what Adam was about to do to Fabienne on p. 80. Honest.

Q. What are you working on now?

I’m revising my regency chicklit (if you want to see what a regency chicklit is like, go to my website and check out my excerpts) and writing a new regency-set erotic romance novella. I’d love to do a sequel to Dedication, based on the relationship between Barbara (Adam’s daughter) and Ippolite (Fabienne’s brother) but given the condition of the market I don’t think there’s anywhere for it to go.

Thanks for interviewing me!

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