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Author Archives: diane

About diane

Diane Gaston is the RITA award-winning author of Historical Romance for Harlequin Historical and Mills and Boon, with books that feature the darker side of the Regency. Formerly a mental health social worker, she is happiest now when deep in the psyches of soldiers, rakes and women who don’t always act like ladies.

An Awful Crush

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I have virtually nothing to say today, so I opened one of my (newly rebound)Annual Registers and found this account from June 27, 1811, about what happened when the Prince Regent opened Carlton House to the public to tour the interior. I’m abridging it greatly!

Yesterday being the last day that the public were permitted to view the interior of Carlton-House, the crowd from an early hour in the morning was immense; and as the day advanced, the scene excited additional interest….The gates were only opened at certain intervals and when this was the case, the torrent was to rapid, that many people were taken off their feet, some with their backs toward the entrance, screaming to get out….Lord Yarmouth and the Duke of Gloucester appeared, and announced to the public, that the gates would not be again opened…this, however, had not the desired effect….Those behind irresitstibly pushed on those before, and of the number of delicate and helpless females who were present, some were thrown down, and shocking to relate, literally trod on by those behind without the possibility of being extricated. When at last the crowd got inside of Carlton-House gates, four females were found in a state of insensibility, lying on their backs on the ground, with their clothes almost completely torn off. One young lady, elegantly attired, or rather who had been so, presented a shocking spectacle; she had been trodden on until her face was quite black from strangulation, and every part of her body bruised to such a degree, as to leave little hopes of her recovery: surgical assistance was immediately had, but her life was not expected to be saved. An elderly lady had her leg broken, and was carried away in a chair; and two others were also seriously hurt, but on being bled, were restored to animation….The situation of almost all the ladies who were involved in this terrible rush was truly deplorable; very few of them could leave Carlton-House until furnished with a fresh supply of clothes; they were to be seen all round the gardens, most of them without shoes or gowns; and many almost completely undressed, and their hair hanging about their shoulders….

Can you imagine it?

Now there’s an exciting scene for one of our books.

Have you ever been in such a crowd where you feared being trampled? I’ve been at exhibits that were so crowded you couldn’t see what you came to see, but this Carlton-House visit was literally a crush!

Hope you all have a splendid week and that no one trods on you.

Posted in Risky Regencies | Tagged | 17 Replies

Rebinding Old Books

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Remember me mentioning my Annual Registers? Annual Registers were compilations of important information of the previous year: world events, politics, news stories, births, deaths, marriages, promotions, even poetry sometimes. I wrote a bit more about them at History Hoydens last week.

When we both were very new Regency authors, my friend Kathryn Caskie called me to say that an antiquarian bookseller had several Annual Registers he was willing to sell, enough for each of us to have a complete set of 1810 to 1820. Was I interested? Was I!!! He sold them for $20 each, which was a bargain for us and a steal for him, because they were in such bad shape he probably would have thrown them away.

Here’s what they looked like, covers falling off, binding torn or missing, tape holding them together:
I priced rebinding, but it was much too expensive and I couldn’t justify spending more money on these books. They were usable and that was enough for me.

Then my husband’s friend came to visit. He’s a printer, which I always knew, but I didn’t know he was also a bookbinder! He had an old binding device and materials which he gave me with instructions on how to rebind my books!

Today I mustered the courage to give it a try. Here’s how I did it.

Step 1. I gathered the materials. (This is my dining room)

Step 2. I removed the old binding (I’m going to use that rolling pin)

Step 3. Next I lined up the cardboard.

Step 4. Then I glued it down and used the rolling pin to press it down and force out all the air bubbles. (This is my second try, using black cardboard)

Step 5. I glued on the inside lining and positioned the binding glue strip.

Step 6. I then placed the pages in the new binding and put it in the machine.

Finished!

I’m a little sad to let the old binding go, especially on the books that have the least damage, but now I’ll be able to handle the books without them falling apart and crumbling in my hands and without the pages coming loose.

Have you ever rebound books? Or have you ever taken a chance on doing any kind of craft that you never did before?

(I can’t wait until tomorrow and Cara’s discussion of Northanger Abbey!)

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Tooting My Own Horn

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Do you all mind if I toot my own horn? I really really really want to share this with our Risky friends.

One of the things (many? most? all?) authors do when their books are released is to wait for the reviews. With The Vanishing Viscountess, I’m no exception, especially because the early review from Romantic Times BOOKreviews was only lukewarm:

In this spin-off of Innocence and Impropriety, Gaston pens a
nicelywritten, albeit standard, hero-rescues-heroine scenario. With its
sensualityand some nice touches of emotional intensity, this is a pleasant
andentertaining story.–Joan Hammond,

RT

Not a bad review, but I had been hoping for better. Needless to say, I worried about what the other reviews would be. (Picture me biting my nails…)

Next came Cataromance:

Looking for a book with passion, love, action, danger and surprises? Look no further; The Vanishing Viscountess is perfect for you. Diane Gaston will grab your emotion with this one.–Debby G for Cataromance

Yes! But that was only the start.

Romance Reviews Today:

Diane Gaston’s THE VANISHING VISCOUNTESS is a suspense-adventure story wrapped around many of the Regency Romance elements so many of us love. The love that arises between Tanner and Marlena seems both pointless and hopeless when Marlena faces hanging if she is ever captured. Both characters will attract you with their past luggage, current resourcefulness, and their loving care of each other during their trip. There are two sub-plots interwoven with the main characters’ travails that add depth and understanding to the situation. These story threads all come together in a perilously climactic ending.–Robin Lee, Romance Reviews Today

Soon to be on Historical Romance Writers, now on Amazon:

In THE MYSTERIOUS MISS M, Diane Gaston showed great poignancy. In THE IMPROPER WIFE, written under the pseudonym Diane Perkins, the author displayed humor and sensitivity. In her latest release, Ms. Gaston decides to try her hand at a road romance and success is THE VANISHING VISCOUNTESS!

This reader has long enjoyed road romance, simply because the hero and heroine spend a significant amount of time together. En route from one locale to another, the couple is forced to work on a relationship through danger and isolation. If done properly, the hero and heroine appear to be the only ones on the page. In THE VANISHING VISCOUNTESS, Diane Gaston sticks to this formula, yet quietly attaches sub-plots and the entire package ties together beautifully.

From any author, my single request may seem selfish, but I want entertainment! In THE VANISHING VISCOUNTESS, Diane Gaston entertained me! — MaryGrace Meloche on Amazon

(MaryGrace’s opinion particularly relieved me, because she thought the story succeeded where the RT reviewer had been unimpressed)

And finally Rakehell:

Diane Gaston a
marvelous author spinning a tale of drama, intrigue, secrecy and
love in The Vanishing Vicountess. The first chapter of most books sets
the
scene, introduces you to various characters, surroundings and etc. This book
hits you like a pugilist and knocks your directly into round four with a
shipwreck, a heavy conscience, loneliness, lies, mystery, and regret. Let us
not
forget the fateful coup de foudre – love at first sight; and all
by page
18. The Vanishing Vicountess far surpassed my expectations
and surprised
me by touching me when I least expected it – right from the
start….

This is a beautiful story. It has all of the elements you hope for in a romance. From the first page to the last the story wraps itself around you like a warm blanket encouraging you to trust it just enough to warm you even when you have that brief cold moment of doubt. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good historical regency novel or to anyone who loves a bit of a lusty drama and the triumph of the underdog. I know I do! This is the first Diane Gaston novel I’ve read, but it certainly won’t be my last.– Christine Shoup, Rakehell

Whoo hoo!

Maybe even more gratifying were the reader reviews from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

To Romance Lover “RL” and Judy T on Amazon, and MK, JT, and MP/A Reader, Diane Gaston Fan, on Barnes & Noble, my heartfelt thanks for taking the time to write about The Vanishing Viscountess.

These are the sorts of things a writer hopes to hear about her work.

My great thanks to all the reviewers for getting the word out to readers about all our books. It is so very gratifying to receive great reviews, but I must say I appreciate all reviewers and readers who put their opinions “out there” for all to see.

Now the big question. Do you listen to reviews? Do they influence you?

(and I can’t wait until tomorrow, when Cara discusses the PBS/BBC Persuasion!)


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Monday Morning Ramble

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I’m just going to ramble today because you already heard from me yesterday about The Vanishing Viscountess. By the way, I’ll pick a winner of the book at midnight tonight.

I’m telling you, you all put me to the blush with the nice things you said yesterday. It made me feel really really good and in a few days, when I’m stuck on whatever project I turn to next, I’m going to try to rememember to reread all your lovely comments. (Either that or start pulling at my hair and rending my garments)

I do hope you go look at my Google Map on my website. If you click on the placemarkers you can see the Road Trip. And if you enlarge the map you can see the placemarkers along the side. It is easier to read.
It was fun making the map so I’m really excited to share it.

Talking about the problems of writing a Road Story in the January Romantic Time BOOKreviews, here yesterday, and on my website led me to thinking a lot about the research I do and how I do it. I will not claim to be an expert at this, but I do have my own way of doing it. I’ll be talking about research in various places in the next couple of weeks.

Tomorrow and Wednesday on Romantic Inks where I’ll be giving away a copy of Innocence and Impropriety.

January 15 on Romance Vagabonds, those lovely and enthusiastic writers.

I’ll also be doing a chat January 15 9 to 10 PM ET at Mystic Castle. Chats always intimidate me because I’m always afraid I’ll forget how to get into the chatroom (I always manage). So come ahead of time so you can figure out how to get in, too.

An interview on History Hoydens Jan 15 and more on research Jan 17.

And I’m talking about Research on The Wet Noodle Posse on Jan 10. “How Much to Research Before You Start Your Book.”

Speaking of The Wet Noodle Posse (2003 Golden Heart Finalists), we (and this includes our Janet, too, another noodler) are embarking on a year long blogging project, covering all aspects of how to write a romance novel. Here’s our promotional blurb and a contest at the end for including this blurb on your blogs and websites.

The Wet Noodle Posse had such a great time with our month of Golden Heart prep that we’re giving away writing tips…one month at a time. In addition to book and critique giveaways, join Q&A sessions and read guest blogs from bestselling writers like Sherrilyn Kenyon and Gena Showalter.

Check out our line-up of topics!

January-Getting Started (goals, choosing story idea, focus, etc.)
February-Character Development (names, physical descriptions, backstory, etc.)
March-Plotting
April – Conflict
May-Research
June-Business side of Writing (market, marketing, promotion, etiquette)
July-Prepping for Conference (both for national and smaller conferences)
August-Inspiration (for stories and for keeping yourself going)
September-Writer Health (physical and mental)
October-GH Preparation
November-Writing Challenges (NaNo, BIAW, turning off the internal editor, etc.)
December-Editing/Revisions

Get great information in a fun community! Visit http://wetnoodleposse.blogspot.com/

You can enter to win Barnes and Noble.com gift certificates by posting this news release on your blog or forwarding to a chapter/group e-mail loop or newsletter. To be eligible, e-mail the particulars of your forward/post to jillmonroe@cox.net and post no later than January 20, 2008. A random drawing will determine the winner(s) of the gift certificates.

All this should keep you busy, but don’t forget to READ and, if you are one of the writers, to WRITE. I think I’ll tear my hair out and rend my garments because I’m not sure I have that much to say about research!!!! Yikes!

If you have a chance to look at my Google Map, let me know what you think! And I’m game for more The Vanishing Viscountess sightings to be reported!

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