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Category: Jane Austen

Muphry’s Law and writing sex scenes

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It is with great pleasure that I introduce Muphry’s Law (courtesy of my lovely daughter the artist), as defined by John Bangsund of the the Victorian Society of Editors who is allowed the spelling in #1 because he was Australian:

  1. if you write anything criticising editing or proofreading, there will be a fault in what you have written;
  2. if an author thanks you in a book for your editing or proofreading, there will be mistakes in the book;
  3. the stronger the sentiment in (a) and (b), the greater the fault; and
  4. any book devoted to editing or style will be internally inconsistent.

It’s tough to follow that, but I thought I’d talk about writing sex scenes. Or rather, YOU will talk about writing sex scenes, since I want some reader feedback.

What anachronisms do you tolerate in the heroine’s underwear

  1. Drawers that need to be removed
  2. Black and/or red garment a la Fredericks of Hollywood
  3. Victorian (much sexier) corset
  4. None. They’re all cheating
  5. Heck, who cares. They’ll be removed anyway

What location do you favor?

  1. The ducal bed
  2. The ducal bed even if the hero isn’t the duke
  3. The garden
  4. The conservatory
  5. The stables
  6. The drawing room
  7. The library
  8. The second undergardener’s shed while he’s on lunch break
  9. The … insert any other room in the house
  10. A carriage
  11. A carriage in Hyde Park when the fashionable parade
  12. An open carriage
  13. An open carriage in Hyde Park when the fashionable parade
  14. On horseback (one horse)
  15. On horseback (two horses)
  16. On horseback (any number of horses) in Hyde Park when the fashionable parade
  17. Other

How long do you like the orgasm to last (the characters‘)?

  1. A chapter
  2. At least six pages
  3. One page
  4. One paragraph
  5. One sentence
  6. A punctuation mark (yes, Pam Rosenthal, I’m talking about you. Read her books for seriously well written stuff)

At that moment, the hero should cry out the name of

  1. The heroine
  2. His mother
  3. His dog
  4. His nurse
  5. His best friend at Eton

Afterward, the heroine should say

  1. [insert hero’s name] never have I experienced anything so wonderful and beautiful.
  2. Where is my absolutely anachronistic underwear? Oh, you ripped it!
  3. I can’t wait to tell my sisters
  4. I can’t wait to tell everyone at Almacks
  5. Can we eat now?

Who laces the heroine back into her stays?

  1. The hero
  2. Her maid, hovering outside the bedchamber door
  3. No problem, she has a zipper
  4. He shouts down into the taproom of the inn for assistance.

Any other preferences?

Posted in Jane Austen | Tagged , , | 14 Replies

Mia Marlowe talks about A Knack For Trouble

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Today I’m giving up my Monday for a special guest! Mia Marlowe. Mia was a classically trained soprano, who learned storytelling from performing operatic roles. Now she’s an award winning author. Her work was even featured in the Best of 2010 issue of PEOPLE Magazine. Today, Mia is here to talk about A Knack for Trouble, her novella in IMPROPER GENTLEMEN.

“Suspense abounds in Marlowe’s Victorican A Knack for Trouble! The stories all will appeal to fans of antiheroes and historical romance.” — Publishers Weekly
“A sizzling tale, Mia Marlowe’s A Knack for Trouble is a delightfully humorous and suspense-filled read that will keep you guessing.” — Romance Junkies
First of all, thanks for having me here at Risky Regencies, Diane! I love this site.

Tell us about A Knack for Trouble, your novella in IMPROPER GENTLEMEN.

A Knack for Trouble is the story of Aidan Danaher. Against all odds, he’s become Lord Stonemere and the English side of his family is scandalized by an Irish baron in Wiltshire! Of course, the fact that he also spent time in the penal colony on Bermuda doesn’t help. However, Aidan’s real gift for trouble is related to his “Knack”–a Celtic ability of being able to implant an idea in another person’s mind. Think of it as a Jedi Mind Trick, but delivered with buckets of Irish charm!

What was the inspiration for A Knack for Trouble?

My DH and took a cruise to Bermuda last year and had a chance to tour Royal Dock and the Commissioner’s House, which was built by Irish convict labor in 1827. The place had built in conflict and the idea of the commissioner’s daughter having an illicit affair with the leader of the Irish prisoners took shape in my mind.

What is risky about the story?

Forbidden love is always risky. The tale opens with Aidan sneaking out of the airless ship at the dock that held the prisoners and scaling the outside of Commissioners House to join Rosalinde in a secret tryst. If you’d like to read that scene, here’s a SECRET LINK to the excerpt!

Another reason this story is risky is that while Aidan confessed to murder to protect someone else, now he wants to clear his name. To do that, he and Rosalinde have to uncover the real killer, who obviously doesn’t want anyone poking into the past.

Oh! if you’re collecting Romance Trading Cards, I’d love to send you set of my heroes. Visit my website for details on how you can receive Aidan Danaher and friends in your mailbox!

Did you come across any interesting research while writing A Knack for Trouble?

Part of the story takes place on Aidan’s estate in Wiltshire, a lovely part of England famous for its Chalk Horses carved into the hillside turf. And part of the tale takes place on Bermuda, one of the few British outposts that didn’t have an indigenous population to displace when the first shipwrecked settlers straggled ashore. The Brits always recreated their culture wherever they went and as you can see from this photo, Commissioners House is a jewel of late Regency architecture. If you’d like to see more pics of this lovely place, please visit my blog about this special setting.

Did you and your fellow anthology mates collaborate on the stories?

No, we didn’t, but we all had the same mandate–that our heroes needed to be outside the box. I didn’t think I could get much further beyond the Regency pale than a hero who spent time as a convicted felon.

What is next for you?

Thanks for asking! I’m so excited about my next release–SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER! Speaking of collaborations, this is my first novel written with romance legend Connie Mason. Since Connie’s readers are used to globetrotting, the tale is set in 16th century Scotland. If a slightly mad hero and a heroine who has the Sight sounds like your kind of story, I hope you’ll put SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER on your list. I’ll be updating my website soon with an excerpt from this story, so if you’d like to be notified when it’s available, please sign up for my newsletter.

Since my co-author Maggie Robinson was just here and probably offered a copy of IMPROPER GENTLEMEN, I’d love to offer Risky Regency readers a chance to win a copy of TOUCH OF A THIEF.

This is one of my backlist titles that recently earned a rare starred review from Publishers Weekly. It’s the story of Greydon Quinn, who wants to intercept a rare red diamond on its way to the Royal Collection. He needs the help of the Mayfair Jewel Thief, so he sets a trap for the burglar. Quinn never expected the thief to be a woman who’d steal his heart as well.

I love this story. Plus I think the cover deserves an award for sheer beauty of composition, don’t you?

Leave a comment or question for me to be entered in the random drawing and be sure to check back tomorrow to see if you’re a winner! To get the ball rolling, I’ll start with a question for YOU: What’s your favorite name for a hero and why does it appeal to you?

Oh, good question, Mia! And great information. Thank you so much for being our guest on my Monday!

Posted in Jane Austen | Tagged , | 39 Replies

Maggie Robinson chat and contest

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I had the great privilege of meeting an online friend in real life this summer–the funny and talented Maggie Robinson, who is just as funny and smart in person. She pressed upon me an ARC of Mistress by Marriage, which I giggled over on the journey home and found was the next best thing to having a conversation with her. So I pressed her into an appearance at the Riskies to talk about her funny, touching, sexy book.

Maggie, welcome. Tell us how Mistress by Marriage came about.

Mistress by Marriage (Kensington Brava, September 2011) was a title first before I ever had a glimmer of an idea. All the Mistress books are Mistress by Something Starting With An M. I’d done Midnight. I’d done Mistake. What else starts with M? Mistress by Menopause just didn’t have the right cachet. When I came up with Marriage, I had a real “aha” moment. What would get a married couple to rekindle their dead romance? How could two totally opposite individuals reconcile and have their HEA? Caroline and Edward had huge obstacles to overcome, both internally and externally. (And of the three Mistress books, this is definitely my favorite.)

This is your third and final book in the Courtesan Court Trilogy. Was it sad for you to say goodbye to the series and your characters?

I feel like I live on Jane Street with all its naughty ladies, LOL. Both my novellas have been set there, too. Actually, my next book, Master of Sin (April 2012) is technically the last book in what Brava is calling the Courtesan Court series. The very unlikely hero Andrew Rossiter is introduced in Marriage, so I expect references to the neighborhood will pop up in the future.

I found both Caroline and Edward such adorable and annoying people. Do you find yourself basing characters, or at least some of their characteristics, on people you know?

You caught me out. Edward and Caroline share some traits with my husband and myself (although John is not quite as proper and uptight as Edward, he always tries to do the right and honorable thing). Caroline tries to make everyone happy around her and doesn’t feel she deserves her own happiness. As a mom of four, I can relate. However, I’m not a gorgeous redhead addicted to jewels, although diamonds are nice if they’re conflict-free.

Ha! I suspected as much. (Has your hubby read it?) Your heroine Caroline is a writer. Did you ever feel that you wanted to be sidetracked into writing her books?

While Caroline and I share an unfortunate addiction to alliteration, I think she’s way more gothic and lurid than I am. And I hope I’m a better writer. Anyone who writes “He advanced toward her, his green eyes glittering like evil glass” needs to go to writing rehab. I had such fun with her titles and blurbs at the beginning of each chapter, though, and was pleased when Publisher’s Weekly said “the most fun derives from the way Caroline skewers society in her novels, with quotes from the books presented at the top of each chapter like bonbons.”

Caroline also uses her books to very conveniently kill off her Edward-like characters. There may be no evil glass, but there is no end to the creativity of her evil mind as she buries the man in mining mishaps and tosses him off mountain tops.

What’s your favorite scene in the book?

I’m very partial to when Edward kidnaps Caroline and introduces her to his “list.” Poor guy.



Tell us about your research on divorce law.

Let me tell you, it was nigh on to impossible to end a marriage, and only a husband could sue his wife for divorce, no matter how awful he might be. Women had NO recourse to throw the bums out, and they had no rights to any children of the marriage. There were three stages—one had to prove infidelity and sue the wife’s paramour (the criminal conversation portion, or crim con), go through the ecclesiastical court and then get a Bill of Divorcement from Parliament. It was a rare, lengthy and expensive procedure. I can see why people remained married even if they hated each other.

You have a novella out this month too. Tell us about the anthology and your contribution.

To Match a Thief is part of Brava’s Improper Gentlemen with Diane Whiteside and Mia Marlowe. All the gentlemen are…improper. 😉 My characters Lucy and Simon are childhood lovers who have changed considerably from their very humble beginnings. They may have been separated for thirteen years, but the spark’s still there, even if Lucy is London’s most fabled courtesan. Or is she? The fun of the novella is that no one is quite who they seem, right down to the singer in Simon’s favorite opera.

What do you like to read for fun?

The Riskies’ books, of course! I’m devoted to nineteenth century-set historical romances, as well as the historical mysteries of Ashley Gardner, C.S. Harris and Deanna Raybourn.

What’s next for you?

As my edgier self Margaret Rowe, I have a story, Wicked Wedding Night, in the Berkley Heat anthology Agony/Ecstasy (December 2011). Three more Maggie Robinson books are contracted through 2013. The new London List series revolves around a Craigslist-like Regency newspaper operated by a very unusual editor. I can’t wait for readers to meet E. Ramsey.

Thanks so much to the Riskies for having me back today! I’m giving away both Improper Gentlemen AND Mistress by Marriage to one commenter who tells me how to kill off an estranged husband in a romance novel! Be as gory as you like. Caroline would approve.

Posted in Jane Austen | Tagged , , , | 26 Replies

Who Knew?

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I recently visited the MOST (Milton J Rubinstein Museum of Science and Technology) in Syracuse, NY, where there was an exhibit on the history of human flight. It began with some information on early ballooning, interesting though familiar since I’ve read a lot of books on the subject. But there was also a section devoted to Sir George Cayley (1773-1857) who invented what was said to be the first glider in 1804.

Sir George Cayley has been called the Father of Aviation. He was the first to identify the four forces that influence flight: weight, lift, drag and thrust and designed (though never built, of course) the first airplane. The picture here is of his 1804 glider. He continued to work with gliders, designing a biplane with “flappers”, which was flown in 1849 and the first manned glider, which was flown in 1853. There’s a story that the pilot was Cayley’s coachman, and that afterwards he said, “Please, Sir George, I wish to give notice, I was hired to drive and not to fly.”

This all made me think of Laura Kinsale’s MIDSUMMER MOON, in which the heroine invents a manned glider. I can’t locate my copy (I think I loaned it to a friend) and I can’t remember if there was an author’s note. In any case, what I learned at the MOST confirms that the heroine’s invention was not out of line with what real inventors were working on during the general time period.

I love when things like this are used in books, such as the blood transfusion in Mary Jo Putney’s SHATTERED RAINBOWS (which does have a useful historical note). IMHO it’s important that the cool bit of research support the overall story, which in both these cases it does.


Have you learned anything new or unusual recently through reading historical fiction? Through visiting a museum or exhibit? Any interesting bits of research you’d like to see used in fiction?

Elena

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