Category: Former Riskies

Miscellanea Plus A Question for You-All

Updated on October 15, 2022 by carolyn

Today is my father’s birthday. His 81st. He’s a retired physician who worked so many hours during his working life that he never had time for all the things he wanted to do around the house. “Projects” piled up that he was going to get to some day, although I suspect we all do a bit of that “someday” thinking.

I will fix the flibberty-gibbet when I have time…

Only when you do have some time it’s more fun to take a nap or read or do something that is less like work. And now, for various reasons, he cannot do the things he was saving up to do.

Anyway, he loves to read. He doesn’t read on a Kindle, so it’s paper for him all the way. Which gets me into the bookstore pretty often. I try to think of books he might like, but he’s a tough cookie. Very picky. Sometimes I give him a dud, and I feel terrible.

A while back, after I read my first Lee Child book, I knew my dad would love Jack Reacher. And I was right.

Unfortunately, eventually, I had both of us caught up with his backlist. At that point, my dad actually started trolling the internet looking for information about the next Jack Reacher book. He would duly print out whatever he’d found and bring it to me with instructions to please get that book for him. So cute. Then I signed him up for Child’s newsletter. Smash hit. I think I am his favorite daughter whenever a newsletter arrives.

I went to Bouchercon a couple years ago and, as it happens, Lee Child was a speaker and doing a signing. I brought the penultimate hardback with me, and purchased the new book Child was signing, and I stood in a very, very long line and got the books signed for my dad. Child was completely gracious. And my dad was tickled pink to get personally autographed books.

Now my Dad prints off all the newsletters and brings them to me to make sure I get the book for him right away. But I get the newsletter too, and I’m faster on the ‘Net and always have the book on order at the local independent for him.

Dad likes (I’m pretty sure) Navy SEAL books; I got him the bin Laden op book and a couple others and he seems to have liked them. I get him political thrillers because he’s got some rather looney political conspiracy theories himself. (Fiction for us, non-fiction for him?)

My Question to you

Dad loves mysteries and I’ve been thinking that I should possibly get him some of the Heyer mysteries. But I have not read any of them. Have any of you? Which would you recommend? Please let me know in the comments!

Other stuff

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Not Proper Enough

by Carolyn Jewel

Giveaway ends October 23, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Posted in Former Riskies, Giveaways, Reading | Tagged Heyer Mysteries, Not Proper Enough giveaway, Reading and Writing, recommendations | 11 Replies

Meandering

Updated on October 15, 2022 by carolyn

This past weekend a writer friend of mine was on my side of the country and our lovely visit reminded me of things I’d not thought of in some time. My love of antique stores, for example. The kind where you look around and see, amid poor Victorian reproductions and 20th century pretense, pieces that take your breath.

When I walk into the furniture section of an antiques store, I like to pause at the entrance and scan the room. I look at the pieces jammed together, lining the walls, shoved into a corner. This one is heavy and clunky and the proportions are not quite right. That one looks like one good wind will dissolve the glue that holds it together. But that one, that plain one there in the shadow. The proportions catch your eye, and when you move closer, you can see the wood is fine grained, and it’s not flimsy anywhere. If there’s carving, that work wasn’t done by machine.

There are a few dings and but the hardware is right. When you check the drawers to see how the pieces are joined, there’s a certain scent. It’s not a sharp odor, because that would suggest the piece has been recently refinished. It’s wood and dust and oil and time and there’s really no faking it.

In favorite antique store of mine some years ago, a chest of drawers caught my eye. It wasn’t my usual Georgian-era piece, but the shape was good and the hardware, though dirty, was obviously original and etched in with a egret pattern that suggested some care had been taken in the decoration. The wood was dry, dry, dry. The drawers had a veneer inset of a patterned wood and that was also not in great shape. I’ve never been fond of veneers. It had a marble top that looked dull. But the scent was there and the proportions were good.

I turned my back on it, because, after all, with the wood looking that poorly, would I want such a dessicated, battered chest of drawers in my house? My firm rule has always been that I would only buy something that, should I discover it was fake, or not what I’d thought or had been told, I would still like it. I looked around the store and I kept coming back to that chest of drawers that was practically in distress. And it wasn’t even made in my favorite period!

Against my better judgment, I bought the thing. It wasn’t terribly expensive, and I took it home and in the brighter light, the condition of the wood made my heart sink. My small apartment could not hide a chest of drawers that looked like someone had left someplace inhospitable for far too long.

What could I do but buy a bottle of furniture oil, brass cleaner, and marble cleaner and go to work?

And you know what? After the second bottle of oil, the veneer insets started to glow and so did the rest of the piece. Marble polish works, by the way. When I was done, I put the chest of drawers right in what was an extended entryway where you couldn’t miss it. It was too beautiful not to show off.

Until this weekend I’d somehow forgotten how much I love wandering through an antique store. I love being around items that were new in an era when women wore Empire gowns or crinolines and men still starched their neckcloths. Naturally, I manage to slip right over all the things that aren’t quite so romantic.

I always end up imagining a historical hero or heroine might have just such a thing as a collection of salt spoons. Or I am reminded of just how pretty an emerald is. Perhaps that stern man in the painting is my heroine’s uncle….

I need to start making the rounds of antique stores again.

Posted in Former Riskies, Writing | Tagged Furniture, rambling | 5 Replies

Tea Redux

Updated on October 15, 2022 by carolyn

The Day Job Project from Heck has been woefully behind on every aspect of my life. I’m having a hard time catching up.

So, today you get a post from 2010 on tea. Enjoy.

As most of you probably know, the English drink tea. Tea was introduced in England after 1650. I’m sure that most of us have read a historical in which the phrase “a dish” of tea is used rather than the more familiar “cup” of tea. This site tells us that the first tea cups were Chinese in origin and were shallow saucers, and did not have handles. From the same site:

100 years after the introduction of tea in England, handles were not yet seen on tea cups, but English potters had introduced saucers to the bowls. The tea-drinkers thought the saucer was there to pour the tea into to cool it and then they would sip the tea from the saucer. Later the saucer was used to hold spillage and the use of the cup and saucer became the tradition used today with the addition of handles.

Britain Express has a good overview of the history of tea and coffee houses. Tea was taxed by 1676. A hundred years later, we know how that taxation thing worked for the British when they were across the pond. According to this site, the tax rose to 119% and guess what?! Tea smuggling, that’s what. And guess what else! People put stuff that wasn’t tea in the tea. What’s that thing the French say about change and the same old thing?

Check out The United Kingdom Tea Council for their amazing History of Tea, including the The London Tea Auction

And there’s this from 1826:

My favorite tea ever is Lapsang Souchang. I love the smoky flavor. At work, however, I drink Lipton. It gets my day going. What about you guys? Do you drink tea? What kind? If you were a tea smuggler where would you hide your tea?

Posted in Former Riskies, Research | Tagged An oldie but a goodie, tea | 10 Replies

Happy Release Day! Not Proper Enough

Updated on October 15, 2022 by carolyn

Not Proper Enough

It’s release day for me. This time, book two of my Reforming the Scoundrels series. I hope you’ll join me in the fun and perhaps rush out to get your hands on the book!

Because of the way I write, I never know what’s going to happen for sure until I have the words on the page. I was nervous knowing, while I was writing the first book (Not Wicked Enough), that I was going to have to write this second one with some facts already established. Ack!! Things I can’t change when it’s their turn?

In Not Wicked Enough I wanted to keep some things vague as to Eugenia and Fenris so as not to write myself into trouble with them. But I couldn’t be so generic that they weren’t interesting. They also needed to serve the needs of Not Wicked Enough. That had to come first.

As I was writing Not Wicked Enough, I had (for me) a fairly definite idea of who Eugenia was, not a huge surprised since she’s my heroine’s best friend. She had a good amount of page time. But Fenris? In Not Wicked Enough, he wasn’t anyone’s friend. Nobody liked him. I knew he’d done something unforgivable. I just didn’t know what.

That’s right. I started writing Not Proper Enough under a wicked tight deadline and without knowing what my hero had done that was so awful. I knew it would work itself out, because, after 16 assorted books, stories and novellas, it just does. My writer’s brain is always hard at work for me. I just have to give it room and not panic for long.

About Not Proper Enough

The Marquess of Fenris has loved Lady Eugenia from the day he first set eyes on her. Five years ago, pride caused him to earn her enmity. Now she’s widowed, and he’s determined to make amends and win her heart. But with their near explosive attraction, can he resist his desire long enough to court her properly?

After the death of her beloved husband, Lady Eugenia Bryant has come to London to build a new life. Despite the gift of a medallion said to have the power to unite the wearer with her perfect match, Eugenia believes she won’t love again. And yet, amid the social whirl of chaperoning a young friend through her first Season, she finds a second chance at happiness.

Unfortunately, the Marquess of Fenris threatens her newfound peace. Eugenia dislikes the man, but the handsome and wealthy heir to a dukedom is more charming than he has a right to be. Constantly underfoot, the rogue disturbs her heart, alternately delighting and scandalizing her. And when their relationship takes a highly improper turn, Eugenia must decide if the wrong man isn’t the right one after all.

Read Chapter 1 of Not Proper Enough

Berkley Sensation
September, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-425-25097-6

What They’re Saying

I love how blunt this romance is too. It’s dirty and fierce. Eugenia almost revels in the fact that she hates him, yet can’t seem to shake him off. They take pleasure from each other, sometimes rough, sometimes drawing it out as long as they can. The romance in this book is so intense that you can’t help but feel the chemistry between these two. I feel like this is where Carolyn Jewel shines. Not just her amazing sexual relationship she builds for her characters, but their overall interactions. Their banter is so smart and fast. Humor, put downs, sarcasm, it all comes through so well. These are two mature people who have been through a lot in their life and watching them come to terms with each other is really a treat.

I found this book to be a clever, very sensual romance. Well done.
Mandi – Smexy Books Romance Reviews

With her engaging, complex characters, knowledge of the era and a sharp ear for dialogue, Jewel creates a nicely written, highly sensual and emotional love story.
RT Magazine

As always, Carolyn Jewel’s writing is polished and her characterizations delightful. With a story that is by turns very hot and very emotional, I found myself relishing the experience of reading this book.
Lynne Spencer, All About Romance

This was another delicious, detailed, smoldering romance from Carolyn Jewel.
Rogues Under the Covers

I highly recommend all historical romance lovers go out and pick up this book. You will not be disappointed.
Fiction Vixen

OH MY GOODNESS! What an awesome book! I loved every minute of it. Talk about a page turner that I couldn’t put down. First off, the story line was moving and shocking at the same time. Not Proper Enough kept me wanting more. To be honest it would be one of those books to re-read again. That right there says a lot. So, I hope that you all get a chance to check this book out when it comes out. Plus, you all want to know if Fenris is able to change Eugenia’s opinion of him.
The Cutest Blog on the Block

Order from

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Directly from Penguin

Outside the US

I hope to have the file ready to go fairly soon!

Posted in Former Riskies, Risky Book Talk | Tagged books, Not Proper Enough, Promotion | 6 Replies

One Starlit Night: Midnight Scandals

Updated on October 15, 2022 by carolyn

Midnight Scandals officially released yesterday (Tuesday)!

You’d like to know more? Well, all right!

Carolyn Jewel, Courtney Milan, and Sherry Thomas
Midnight Scandals
NLA Digital Liaison Platform/ August 28, 2012 / $3.99 digital

90,000 words of historical romance, and it’s yours for $3.99!

Courtney, Sherry and I talked among ourselves about what price to set and we agreed that we should price it so that someone who is only a fan of one of us will have the warm and fuzzies about reading the other two.

Welcome to Doyle’s Grange, a charming house near the hills of Exmoor, where the garden is beautiful in every season, and the residents are respectable year-round.

Except when the clock strikes midnight…

One Starlit Night – Carolyn Jewel
Ten years away from Doyle’s Grange isn’t quite long enough for Viscount Northword to forget Portia Temple, or their passionate adolescent affair. Portia, however, is about to marry another man. Northword tells himself it is wrong to interfere in her life at this late hour, but interfere he cannot help, with his words, his body, and the truths of his heart.

What Happened at Midnight – Courtney Milan
Fleeing the consequences of her father’s embezzlement, Mary Chartley takes a position as a lady’s companion, only to find herself a virtual prisoner at Doyle’s Grange, her employer’s house. And then the nightmare truly begins: the man she loves, who also happens to be the man from whom her father stole, shows up at her door seeking recompense. And not merely in pound sterling…

A Dance in Moonlight – Sherry Thomas
After losing her childhood sweetheart to another woman, Isabelle Englewood is heartsick. But then something remarkable happens: Upon arriving at Doyle’s Grange, her new home, she meets Ralston Fitzwilliam, who looks almost exactly like the man she cannot have. Come late at night, she tells him, so I can make love to you pretending that you are the one I love.

Review!

These are three wonderfully complete novellas by three excellent authors. Don’t miss Midnight Scandals.
Myretta Robens, Heroes and Heartbreakers

Secret Stuff!

If your eReader does color, then I think you’ll be impressed because, again, we talked among ourselves and decided some use of color would be a good idea. Why not? Color is free on the internet and in your eReader. It’s a very limited use of color, but I swooned when we were proofreading the files on various devices. Gorgeous and elegant use of color with the title pages and chapter and scene break signifiers. It’s really, really pretty in color, but of course it looks nice in eInk, too!