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Category: Jane Austen

Summer Shorts

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I’m not talking about the kind you wear. Not that I wear shorts myself. My knees have these ugly rough patches, so I only wear shorts for gardening–which is probably why I have those rough patches. But I digress.

Earlier this week Amanda said she liked shorter stories on these hot days of summer. I tend to read longer books in the summer, at least while on vacation, because that’s when I have more time. I prefer a longer, meatier read anyway, but I also enjoy the occasional anthology of novellas or short stories. I think they’re a great way to sample new authors.
They’re also fun to write. I’ve published one novella, “The Wedding Wager”, which came out in the Zebra anthology HIS BLUSHING BRIDE. Regina Scott, Alice Holden and I were asked to write novellas with a June Bride theme. I agreed to the deal, but I was determined not to do something all saccharine and Precious Moments with it. Luckily, I came up with the idea of a wager. The heroine, reluctant to accept the rakish hero’s proposal of a marriage of convenience, bets him that he won’t be able to resist so much as kissing another woman for three months. It’s silly and fun and I had a blast writing it. I think the other authors enjoyed writing their stories, because the anthology became an RT Top Pick.
How about you? Do you enjoy short stories and novellas, or do you prefer longer reads? Does it depend on the season?
In honor of the Riskies Anniversary, I’ll give away a copy of HIS BLUSHING BRIDE to a commenter chosen at random. I’ll announce the winner tomorrow.
Elena

Posted in Jane Austen | Tagged , | 17 Replies

Seeing Metropolis in the Metropolis!

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I’ve been revising a manuscript that is out on submission to editors, and that’s going pretty well, but it’s really dull to talk about–hey, I removed this person’s motivation and bolstered that one’s–so I thought I’d talk about something really cool I experienced last night.

(And just realized this is our Anniversary Week, and totally forgot to stay on topic! But, you know, that’s par for my course, so there you go).

Metropolis was made in 1927 by Fritz Lang, a classic film revered by film buffs and critics and such. I knew of it, but had never seen it. So last night, in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, they showed the restored version of Metropolis while Alloy Orchestra played the soundtrack live. And I got to see it.

It was incredible. It’s hard to imagine this film was made twenty-three years before Akira Kurosawa–another ahead-of-his-time innovator, and one of the best directors ever–achieved accolades for Rashomon. Plus, even though it took place in some version of a mechanized future, it resounded with implications for the Regency world–at one point, there is mention of the Upper Ten Thousand–and the society’s stratification is ghastly and inviolate. Like the Regency’s could be, unless a governess rose above her station to fall in love with a duke, and vice versa.

The clip above is when the “Man-Machine” is given the form of a human, and brought to a high society nightclub to dance.

I would definitely have not enjoyed the movie so much if it weren’t shown in the park on a lovely summer evening with amazing music being played. But the movie does make you think about industry, and religion, and class structure, and mechanization, and all sorts of things. Plus, it looks really, really cool.

Megan
PS: I am glad to offer a copy of my long out-of-print book, A Singular Lady, to a randomly-selected commenter who says what their favorite dance scene is in a film.

Posted in Jane Austen | Tagged | 16 Replies

Happy birthday to us!

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Happy birthday and may we live long and prosper.

Megan and I started this blog in August of 2005 because we both had books coming out that fall, from the now defunct Signet Regency line. Between us we managed to kill it off. Megan, splutter, had a hero with dirty boots and a sex scene that was a sex scene without gallons of virginal blood, a misplaced hymen, or life-threatening trauma for the heroine. Mine was Dedication, my first attempt to crack the romance code, and between us we thought we’d better storm the internet.

So in six years, what has changed in romance?

1. It’s no longer absolutely necessary to bend over backward (so to speak) to preserve your heroine’s virginity even if she has been married several times and/or captaining a pirate ship since adolescence.

2. The hero no longer has to get the cherry.

3. The heroine is allowed to enjoy sex with partners other than the hero.

4. The heroine no longer has to think herself plain or undergo a miraculous makeover.

5. There are at least three 30-something hot single Dukes now available for every female with heroine pretensions in Regency London and 80% of those women are expensive courtesans.

And what hasn’t changed much?

1. Sadly there are still marriages made with one, other, or both insisting that it’s “in name only.” (p.s. it never works).

2. Characters still spend a lot of time leaning on mantelpieces*, drinking tea*, wearing riding hats with jaunty feathers (female), wearing underwear (female), eating historically incorrect scones, drinking historically incorrect whiskey, and using Edwardian slang because it sounds English.
* I own the copyright to these two activities, particularly if they are done concurrently. Please contact me for terms if you wish to use them in your book.

3. Sex for recreational purposes only is still tricky. Here is a quick checklist to make sure your characters are having sex for the right reason:

  • Traumatized by Waterloo (male)
  • Traumatized by Waterloo (female)
  • I am a hot 30-something Duke and I can do whatever I want to, so there
  • Traumatized by previous consummated marriages
  • Traumatized by previous unconsummated marriages
  • To improve morale on the pirate ship

And now, the big news. At least I think it’s the big news because I have a feeling I’ve announced it somewhere already. LooseId will be bringing out a new edition of Dedication sometime in 2012–I don’t have a release date yet. It will have all the sex I really wanted to put in the first time around but which was just inferred–and may even include flashback sex!

So to celebrate I am giving away one of my precious copies of the Signet Regency Dedication and we also have two $20 Amazon gift certificates to spread around. I’ll give one away today and the other to anyone who comments during our birthday week. So please check out our other birthday posts if you haven’t already.

What do you think has changed in romance over the last six years?

Posted in Jane Austen | Tagged , , | 31 Replies

Happy Birthday to Us!

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This week marks the 6th anniversary of Risky Regencies, the original, riskiest, and forever the friskiest Regency Romance Blog. (Actually, our first blog was August 11, 2005, but we reserve the right – like the Queen – to celebrate our birthday whenever we wish)

All this week we’ll be celebrating…..Us! And we’ll be giving away prizes! Today I’m giving away a signed copy of Regency Improprieties, a UK rerelease of Innocence and Impropriety and The Vanishing Viscountess. Comment for a chance to win.
Throughout Risky Regencies, we haven’t always remained the same. Things have changed and evolved over the years. When Risky Regencies began all the Riskies were writing traditional regencies. Now look at us! That love of Regency remains, but our lives have all evolved into many other areas.
I joined the Riskies April 12, 2006, (You can read that first interview here) and lots has changed for me, certainly!
In 2006, I was introduced as Diane Perkins, who also wrote as Diane Gaston for Harlequin Historical. I had just become a Rita finalist (as Diane Gaston) for A Reputable Rake, the book with my favorite cover ever. My first blog posting was April 17, 2006, called My First Time, about why I love the Regency. I’ve revisited this topic many times over the years, in various ways.
At the time I had also written two books for Warner Forever (as Diane Perkins), The Improper Wife and The Marriage Bargain, and was working on a third. Shortly after that, my Warner life ended and Diane Perkins retired.
Diane Gaston is still going strong, though, with 9 books, 2 novellas, and one short story. Valiant Soldier, Beautiful Enemy will be released at the end of the month and is available right now from eHarlequin.
Last week I challenged everyone to come up with five things that makes them happy. Five things that make me happy about Risky Regencies are:
1. My fellow Riskies. I think our Riskies are brilliant, clever, witty, impassioned, and completely individualistic.
2. Our Risky community. I love our frequent commenters who feel like friends to me. And I love it when someone new finds us.
3. Our Risky guests. We have had an incredible array of guests, from a cover model to an author of gay historical fiction. But our emphasis on new authors especially makes me happy.
4. Our diversity. I love that each of us has our own style, our own particular interests, and our own particular bent on the Regency.
5. The information! I learn so many things at Risky Regencies. All about fashion from Amanda, for instance, and the definition of “Steampunk” from Megan (I’d never heard of it before). Not to mention all the information about the Regency that I learn here.
What about Risky Regencies makes YOU happy?
Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win a signed copy of Regency Improprieties!
Posted in Jane Austen | Tagged , | 30 Replies