I’m just back from Washington Romance Writers Spring Retreat in beautiful Harpers Ferry*, West VA, one of the writing highlights of my year.

On Thursday, April 26, I had the pleasure of transporting guest speaker Julia Quinn and her sister and workshop speaker, Emily Cotler of Waxcreative Design, from the DC area to Harpers Ferry. On the way we had a very pleasant dinner together and lots of time to talk. Both of these ladies are just so pleasant and friendly. I’m delighted I had the time to spend with them.

On Friday, Apr 27, we went to Boonesboro, MD, to Turn the Page Bookstore Cafe, Bruce Wilder’s (Nora Roberts’ husband) bookstore for a mega-author booksigning. Here’s a photo of Julia and me and Lisa Gardner, another of the guest speakers. Lisa, by the way, is a doll, inside and out, and has the most captivating eyes. Lisa also speaks without notes and with great poise. Madeline Hunter (whom I had the privlege to introduce) was the third guest speaker and was also at the signing. If you can believe it, all three ladies speeches involved lists of various sorts and all were great. Synergy happens!

Back to the signing. I sat next to Michelle Willingham who is a brand new Harlequin Historical author with her first book, an Irish Medevial called Her Irish Warrior. I was signing Innocence and Impropriety.

We were right at the doorway where the visitors entered. They were our captive audience and we had the best time chatting with them! Here is one of the happy customers who bought our books. And another treat! My friend Toni stopped by. In all there were about 100 visitors who came to the signing.

Just to prove Michelle and I really were at Turn the Page, here we are with Nora (that’s her husband Bruce in the background looking harried)

After the signing it was back to Hilltop House, the old hotel that WRW takes over totally for the Retreat. The workshops were fabulous. Emily Cotler did two workshops on website design, including critquing three members’ websites. It was fascinating! The agents and editors do a variety of workshops, but one is our American Author workshop, a take off on American Idol, only kinder. Members volunteer to have the first pages of their manuscripts read out loud and three editors, Kate Duffy, Jennifer Enderlin, and Tracy Farrell, respond with their impressions. They don’t always agree, either. Another workshop I attended was with Sue Grimshaw, the Romance buyer for the Borders Group and she talked about the marketing side of books. Another workshop speaker was Michelle Buonfiglio of Romance Buy The Book, who made an exciting announcement. Her column and blog will soon exclusively be on LifetimeTV.com! Check her site for details.

On Sunday morning Nora Roberts entertained us with a talk about the difficulties in publishing that she faced at the beginning of her career which were not so different than the ones we face today. As always, the serious message of her talk was delivered with wit and humor. Nora also answers questions. One thing I love about Nora is that she always makes it clear that there is no one right way to write a book. Whatever way works for you is fine. She also stresses that the only thing the author truly has control over is writing the book. So all the periphery we worry about should not distract us from writing a good book.

Even though I love the workshops and the speakers, my favorite part of the Retreat is the time I spend with old friends and the opportunity to make new friends. At the end of it all, that is what gives me that happy sigh when I drive back home.

Do you have any questions about our Retreat? Are there any get-togethers you attend that leave you with that happy sigh at the end?

Cheers,
Diane (who has NOT unpacked yet!)

*Photo of Hilltop House courtesy of WRW’s website

This marble bas-relief by Antonio Lombardo in 1508 is called “The Contest Between Minerva and Neptune,” which has very little to do with my topic. I did, however, feel I must crop this image or figure out how to add fig leaves. Antonio, it seemed, liked naked realism and I figured our blog should be at least a PG 13!

It is Romance Writing Contest time again, the time when many hopeful romance writers are biting their nails, hoping their entries make the finals in a contest, hoping they win, get requested by the judging editor, and finally make that sale. I remember how that feels–it wasn’t so long ago that I was The Contest Empress, entering every contest I could find with those same hopes. At the same time that I was entering contests, I was also judging some of them. Judging was another learning tool then. It was amazing how much the “theory” of writing Romance became crystal clear when judging the anonymous works of other hopeful writers.

I always volunteer to judge my Chapter contests, The Royal Ascot for Beau Monde, The Fool for Love for Viginia Romance Writers, and The Marlene for Washington Romance Writers. The last two years, for unusual reasons I hadn’t been sent judging packets. This year I am experiencing this whole judging thing anew. Both Royal Ascot entries and Fool for Love entries have arrived and I’m plowing through them.

This time I’m much more confident that I know what makes a good story and good writing, but I’m also very sensitive to the idea that what I say will have an impact on a hopeful entrant. I want to be encouraging but I also want to be realistic. I don’t want to mislead a writer if I think something they’ve done would get in the way of the manuscript being published, especially if I think they could fix it. I know my heart is in the right place, but I don’t know if my words will feel that way to the contest entrant.

We all have a learning curve in our writing. For some whose natural story-telling ability is innate, the learning curve may be short, but for others it might be long. If these writers have the courage to enter contests at the beginning of their long curve, I don’t want to discourage them even if it seems like they have so much to learn. The problem is, how much to say is helpful and how much hurtful?

If someone is at the beginning of their learning curve, I want them to feel that they’ve learned something after reading my comments. I tell everyone to only believe criticism if it gives you that “Duh. Why didn’t I see that?” moment. But I have no idea if what I say provides such a moment.

I remember when I was entering the contests for unpublished writers, one of my judges suggested “How to Write” books to me. I was by that time a pretty seasoned writer so I felt insulted. I don’t suggest How to Write books, needless to say.

Woe is the poor person whose entry is Regency-set (all of the Royal Ascot entries, of course). I will actually check facts, especially titles, to make sure they are accurate, but I try not to make my bias toward historical accuracy too big a factor, because I know that editors don’t care as much as I do if the daughter of a viscount is called Lady Mary or Miss Mary or Miss Smith (Miss Smith is correct).

I’ve had wonderful contest criticism. One I remember was a judge catching the fact that I used the word “discrete” when I really meant “discreet.” (I can’t tell you how many people read that word and didn’t catch it!) I’ve have horrible criticism, like the judge who judged me down for my historical facts and I was correct! Or the “How to Write” book recommendations.

Those of you who have had the courage to enter contests, do you have any contest horror stories? Or, maybe you can tell me if a judge ever actually HELPED you.
If you haven’t entered contests – either because you don’t want to or you are a reader not a writer–what do you think would hurt and what would help?

This year a critique by me is part of the prize for the Historical category of The Marlene Contest. We’re announcing the winner at Washington Romance Writers Retreat this weekend. That means I’ll have to give someone a detailed critique and it will be considered a prize.

But wasn’t it just yesterday, I was the entrant and some multi-published author gave the critique?
Wow.

Cheers!
Diane

PS I’ll blog about the Retreat next Monday!
PPS Don’t Neptune’s abs remind you of Gerard Butler in 300?

I received this email from Michelle Buonfiglio of Romance by the Blog and I felt the request was perfect for our intelligent and enthusiastic Risky Regencies readers (that means ALL of you!)

Here it is:

Monday, April 16th at www.RomanceByTheBlog.blogspot.com.

My pal Bill Gleason is a Princeton prof, and this Monday his “American Best Sellers” class will be spending the day at Romance: By the Blog to learn about the romance genre from the women and men who read and write it. The students, who in class are examining popular works of American literature in their historical contexts, have created a list of general questions they’d like to start with. From there? Who knows what sorts of mischief we can lead them into?

Won’t you please visit and take part in this fun, groundbreaking experiment to excite bright young minds about our important, vibrant genre?

Some of the questions/topics students wish to discuss:

1. Do you feel romance novels objectify men/women? If so, does this bother you?
2. If seduction is more than a whirlwind of passion, to what extent do aesthetic elements operate in its nature and in the texts themselves? Also, are there other traces of formal elements at play in these novels that might give them greater literary status than the typical mass-produced, formulaic fiction?
3. Do you consider the novels a form of pornography?
4. What’s the appeal of the novels to men?
5. Since they’ve studied “Gone With the Wind,” they’ll also be talking about why it’s “not” a romance.

I look forward to your joining us. Please let me know if you’ve got any questions. And please do invite any friends — especially readers — you feel can add to a lively and positive discussion.

All Best,

Michelle

Michelle Buonfiglio
Romance: B(u)y the Book™
mbuonfiglio@RBtheBook.com

www.RomanceBuyTheBook.com — Only the Good Stuff: Weekly Feature Reviews, AuthorView Interviews, More!

I’m going over there now to say my piece and I hope you will, too.
Here at Risky Regencies we can discuss what we think of whatever is going on there!!

As Michelle would say, Ciao, Bellas
Diane

Oh Oh! Innocence and Impropriety was reviewed in the Chicago Tribune yesterday! (along with several other romances, but it was there! ) Take a peek HERE! (you have to go to the second page to see the actual review. Scroll down. It’s there!)

The Winner of The Naked Earl
is……..

Keira!!

Congratulations, Keira.

Email us with your address at
dgastonmail@aol.com

Cheers!
The Riskies

Today the Riskies welcome Sally MacKenzie, author of Kensington’s popular “Naked” Regency series. Sally’s The Naked Earl is in bookstores this month. Sally’s books have been praised as having a combination of humor, sensuality, and a hint of suspense. Here is what John Charles of Booklist said of The Naked Earl: “The latest in MacKenzie’s delectably sensual “Naked” historical Regencies series has plenty of sexy sizzle and charming wit.”–John Charles, Booklist

Sally is giving away a copy of The Naked Earl to one of our lucky readers who will be chosen at random Tuesday, April 10 at midnight and announced on the blog. Bertie the Beau has exerted himself to compose official Risky Regency contest rules. Please review them carefully or we will have to endure another Bertie snit!

Here’s Sally!

1. Tell us about your latest book, The Naked Earl.
The Naked Earl is the third book in my Naked series, following The Naked Duke (Feb. ’05) and The Naked Marquis (March ’06). The characters continue and develop, but the books are all stand alone. This book opens with the earl fleeing naked across a portico roof to escape a marriage trap. He climbs through a handy window and into Lady Elizabeth’s bedchamber. Lady Elizabeth, as naked as he, screams–and then decides she’s had enough of being proper. She will be bold and daring just this once–of course, her courage is aided by her earlier overindulgence in ratafia. Various house party intrigues ensue as the earl and Lady Elizabeth–and other guests, as well–make their ways to happily ever after.

2. What, if anything, was “risky” about The Naked Earl?
I feel as if I’m always doing something risky with these books–if nothing else, humor is risky–but probably the most notably risky bit in the Earl is the fact that the hero has what we would call performance anxiety, or, as he puts it, “[h]is shy little organ would not perform in the presence of company.”

3. Tell us about the review of The Naked Earl in Publishers Weekly.
Ooo, how did you know I wanted to talk about that??
The review was definitely a surprise. My agent called on Groundhog Day and asked if I was sitting down. Since we were in contract negotiations at the time, I was rather hoping she was going to tell me the publisher had offered me a six figure deal. Well, a girl can dream, right? But the review was wonderful. I love almost every word. (They did get just a teeny tiny bit wrong.) Here’s the first sentence: “MacKenzie continues her spicy Naked series (following last year’s Naked Marquis) with another ribald Regency, this time centering on a country house party full of the punch-drunk loveless.” It goes on from there and concludes: “Providing plenty of heat and hilarity, MacKenzie has great fun shepherding this boisterous party toward its happy ending; readers will be glad they RSVPed.” Excuse me while I go gaze in rapture at it one more time….
Oh, and while I’m bragging, I’ll tell you that RT gave Lord Westbrooke a KISS. Here’s a quote from their four star review: “MacKenzie continues her delightfully humorous, sexy series with a nice and naughty naked hero who matches wits and wiles with an equally irresistible heroine in the author’s typically touching style.”

4. All these naked guys in your titles–what a great marketing hook. Did you plan it that way or just how did that come about?
Well, it began as dumb luck, I suppose. One of my friends, a former editor who was critiquing an early draft of my first book, told me my original title was horrible. I had to come up with something better, so I thought, hmm…a title is a marketing tool, so what sells? Sex and power, right? Power = duke; sex = naked, so–The Naked Duke! It fit, since the duke does appear naked in the first chapter. That’s how he’s, um, “dressed” when he meets the heroine, who also happens to be naked.
The Naked Duke provoked a lot of buzz, so when it was time to come up with a title for my second book, sticking with Naked seemed like a good idea. I had two other men, friends of the Duke, to write about. However, I also had a problem–too many earls! Robert Hamilton, the Earl of Westbrooke, played a role in the Duke and had to keep his title. The Earl of Knightsdale, Captain Charles Draysmith’s brother, was only mentioned in passing, so I “promoted” him to a marquis during copy edits for the Duke. Captain Draysmith inherits the title just in time to be The Naked Marquis.

5. You were one of Kensington’s “Debs.” Tell us about that.
In June 2004, Kensington started publishing one book a month by a new author. The books were offered at only $3.99 to encourage readers to take a…risk…on a new writer. (See, I was risky from the beginning!) The stories run the gamut from strict historicals in varying time periods to paranormal historicals to contemporary romantic comedy. An added benefit from my perspective was that the early “Debs” found each other online and bonded. We, and a few other Kensington writers who got their start at the same time, helped each other take our first steps through the publishing maze. We are still friends. You can find us at www.romanceunleashed.com.

6. Why do you write in the Regency era?
I discovered Georgette Heyer at my local library when I was still in grade school and fell in love with her books. I loved the story conventions and the plots, the Regency wit and language. (I even sometimes talk in “Regency-isms.” When I used “brangle” in a conversation, my husband gave me a blank look–that’s how I realized the word is archaic.) And I’m sure it is very un-American of me to say so, but I think there is something very sexy about the aristocracy and landed nobility. I used to wish that I lived during the Regency. Of course, being mostly Irish, I’d probably have been a scullery maid. And really, who wants to live without antibiotics, anesthesia, and modern flush toilets?!!

7. Did you come across anything new or interesting when you were researching The Naked Earl?
I found some interesting objects when I was trying to furnish my dungeon, learned how cue sticks developed in billiards, and stuck my toe into the landscape gardening debate, somewhat of a hot topic in the Regency.

8. Are there more naked guys to come? What’s next for you?
I’ve already handed in The Naked Gentleman, scheduled for May 2008, and I’ve just accepted a contract to write three more books, so I think I’ll be hanging out with Naked guys for a few more years!

Thank you so much for visiting with us, Sally! The Riskies wish The Naked Earl every success and we can hardly wait for the next Naked guy.

Sally will attempt to stop by, so all comments and questions for her are welcome (and will enter you in the contest).