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Category: Regency

Heroes we love (or don’t)

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Almost every Wednesday evening, I get together with a group of friends for a LOST watch party. And yes, it’s mostly an excuse to drink wine and ogle the actors when they’re all sweaty in the jungle, but after the Chardonnay there are sometimes attempts at deciphering character development/overlapping themes/whatever. One of my friends suggested that which guy on LOST a woman likes can tell a lot about her. (I happen to like Sawyer–not sure I want to know what that says about me!!!)

Anyway, that, along with Cara’s post on Austen movie heroes, got me thinking about heroes in romance novels. They are, of course, one of the most important components of any story. As an author, you want your readers to fall in love with the heroes you write about; as a reader, you want to do the falling in love. But every woman who reads a romance (just as every woman who watches LOST!) is different. I happen to like a “dark” hero, though I have found there is often a fine line between “dark” and “whiny”. Dark–yummy. Whiny–not so good.

Someone asked me once how I keep from falling in love with the heroes I write. I have to say, 1) they’re not real, duh. They live in my head. And I know that. Most of the time. And 2) I don’t really write my “fantasy perfect man”, though they usually do have aspects that I admire in real life (intelligence, humor, ripped abs, whatever). I write the hero that is perfect for that particular heroine. I want to believe, once I finish writing a manuscript or reading a book by a favorite author, that these two people were made for each other and will be able to weather life’s storms together forever.

So, I took a look at my keeper shelf and came up with this list of some favorite romance heroes (mostly Regency-set, but I let a couple others sneak in):

1) Lord Dain from Loretta Chase’s LORD OF SCOUNDRELS
2) Lord Rival from Diane Farr’s FORTUNE HUNTER
3) Lord Lucien from Gaelen Foley’s LORD OF FIRE
4) Sir James Stoker from Judith Ivory’s SLEEPING BEAUTY
5) Ruck from Laura Kinsale’s FOR MY LADY’S HEART (probably the #1 romance hero I wanted to come to life!)
6) Lord Michael Kenyon from Mary Jo Putney’s SHATTERED RAINBOWS
7) Captain William Chartwell from Mary Blayney’s THE CAPTAIN’S MERMAID
8) Alverstoke from Heyer’s FREDERICA
9) Edgar Downes from Mary Balogh’s A CHRISTMAS BRIDE
10) And one of my newest favorites, Adam Ashworth from Janet’s DEDICATION

So, now it’s your turn! Who are some favorite heroes, and why? What aspects of a hero’s character do you like to see in novels (besides great hair and a cute behind!)? And who is your favorite on LOST? 🙂

(BTW, the pic was a gift from a Photoshop-gifted friend who helps me indulge my Orlando Bloom obsession once in a while. Do you think I make a good Lizzie????)

Posted in Reading, Regency, Writing | Tagged | 17 Replies

Cats!

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No, I haven’t lost my mind. I started pondering cats in the Regency when Megan asked if I had ever put a cat in a Regency romance. I haven’t, and I had to ask myself why. I love cats. I love all animals for that matter, but I adore cats. I realized that I am uncertain how cats were seen in the Regency period. I do know cats were kept as functional animals–as mouse and rat-catchers–in kitchens, in warehouses, and on ships. But were they commonly considered pets?

I have not encountered any contemporaneous writing mentioning cats in particular, and welcome hearing from anyone who has. There is some pictorial evidence, but little that I could find was specific to the Regency period. We can start with ancient Egypt, where it is commonly known that cats were admired and worshipped. We know that cats existed in ancient Rome, as evidenced by the fresco from Pompeii shown above.

We know that cats were kept as house pets in earlier periods in England as well. Here are two portraits, one of third Earl of Southampton with his cat Trixie in the Tower of London, c.1601-1603, and a portrait of the Graham Children by William Hogarth that depicts
the family cat in the background.

The third Earl of Southampton kept his cat with him throughout his imprisonment and commissioned John de Critz the Elder to paint the portrait of himself and his cat prior to his release. This certainly is evidence of cat love!

The portrait of the Graham children simply shows the cat’s presence in the household–hungrily eyeing the caged bird with a very predatory expression on his face.

(See the detail showing the cat and his prey).

So now I arrive at the Regency period. I found a portrait of a kitten by George Stubbs which must have been commissioned by a very adoring owner (a Miss Anne White):


Unfortunately, I did not find any other formal portraits containing cats in the Regency period, and I welcome information and links from anyone who knows more than I. But I did find two satirical prints that rather say it all!

The first is dated 1808…

And here we have a print by the same artist in 1815.

Actually, I suppose what I have learned is that there were “Catwomen” in the Regency! I think I have just discovered where I would have fit in if I had lived in that time…except I probably would have been a milkmaid with a furry following rather than a gracious lady as is depicted above. ::Sigh:: That would be my fantasy…having a servant to clean the litter pan!

So, does anyone else have any primary or secondary information on cats in the Regency? Did they even HAVE litter pans? Enquiring minds want to know!

Laurie

Posted in Regency, Research | Tagged | 11 Replies

If they’d been written as regencies…

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Rakish Lord Pooh destroys hearts and reputations with his honeyed words of seduction…

Returning from the Peninsula, Captain Ahab sees the statuesque woman dressed in white across a crowded ballroom. She must be his…at any cost.

She shocks the ton…driven by wild passion, Lady Constance Chatterley allows a male servant to remove her gloves.

Lady O goes beyond the green baize door and gets quite an education!

To the envy of his fellow collectors of antiquities, Viscount Spade adds another priceless figurine to his collection.

Seated in the famous bow window of the Cannery Row Club, the languid dandies of the ton wager on the outcome of a match between a seamstress and the local doctor.

Is his heart touched at last? Romance is in the air when the enigmatic recluse the Duke of Badger holds a houseparty at Wildwoods Manor in this sparkling Christmas regency–but then two mysterious strangers arrive.

Yes, yes, I will, yes…Lord and Lady Bloom ignite Dublin society.

Clad in her one of trademark diaphanous white gowns, Miss Darling must choose between a host of young suitors led by the boyishly handsome Lord Pan or a fascinating pirate with a dark past for whom time is running out…

Posted in Frivolity, Regency | Tagged | 12 Replies

Covers I really like!

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Here are some Regency covers I really like! They’re shown here in approximate order of publication.

This Georgette Heyer cover is done by the famous cover artist Barbosa, for the 1957 SYLVESTER: OR, THE WICKED UNCLE released by Heinemann. I love the coach in the background, and the way Sylvester dominates the picture. He’s standing in shadow, too, to make him seem just a little bit mysterious…or wicked. Our Sylvester has no false modesty; he says “there are not five but a dozen young women of rank and fashion who are perfectly ready to receive an offer from me.” Hmmm…definitely needs to be taught a lesson!

Joan Smith’s SWEET AND TWENTY (Fawcett, 1979) has a charming cover. I love the shops in the background, and the pretty young thing center stage. What I find really intriguing is that this pretty young thing is not the heroine, but her empty-headed cousin! In chapter one, this creature exclaims, “Cousin, have you read a book too?” in wonderment. Ah, silly young ladies. Gotta love them.

In 1981, Warner brought us PRETTY KITTY by Zabrina Faire. (Yes, it was a pen name!) I love the heroine’s big eyes and curly hair, and the action-packed background (a city in flame, with cannon firing at it? You don’t see that on every Regency cover!) The hero a bloody bandage, too–and a lovely sword. Ah, those military heroes… He inadvertantly compromises the heroine, and then becomes engaged to her, without ever knowing her name!

I was never the biggest fan of Signet’s older covers, the ones that tended to shades of brown and olive–they always looked rather dreary to me. But some of them were lovely, such as this 1997 cover for Gail Eastwood’s THE LADY FROM SPAIN. I think the colors go wonderfully together, and the entire composition is just pleasing to the eye. The carriage and horses in the background is a plus! The hero is dapper, and the heroine’s costume hints at interesting things. Indeed, on the first page we learn of her: For now it suited her purposes to be taken for a foreigner… Definitely intriguing!

Here’s a lovely cover for Amanda McCabe’s 2002 THE GOLDEN FEATHER. What makes this cover stand out for me is the lighting — the whole feeling here, the mood, the mystery is created by the way the artist handles the light. The gaming table in the background promises interesting historical detail, and heroine’s mask hints at an intriguing character! And at least part of the picture is accurate; when the hero sees the heroine, he notices: Mrs. Archer was very striking. And she did indeed have a magnificent bosom, its whiteness set off by the low bodice of her green satin gown.

Here’s one for Amanda, who loves headless characters! Well, these are half headless, anyway. A lovely and unusual Signet cover, from April of this year, for Sophia Nash’s LORD WILL & HER GRACE. So…is the heroine kissing him? Turning away as he tries to kiss her? Ah, the questions this covers creates! The pose looks simple at first glance, but another look shows the tense way she holds her fan, and the way her body is turned quite away from him…definitely makes one want to find out more!

Here’s one of Zebra’s gorgeous covers from earlier this year — May, to be precise — for Judith Laik’s THE LADY IS MINE. I love the silhouette (and her later book had a similar silhouette, but with purple in the background). It’s elegant and lovely, and very very Regency. Even better, if you look closely, you can see all sorts of things in the yellow background! Definitely one of my favorite covers. It doesn’t reveal much about the story, but a cover like this doesn’t need to…even for a hero who talks about potential brides thus: “After all, one can’t spend all one’s time in bed. Over the years one will occasionally have to chat with the woman.” Hmm…perhaps another man who needs to be taught a lesson! 🙂

I positively adore this cartoon cover for Myretta Robens’ ONCE UPON A SOFA, which was another May 2005 release from Zebra. It’s funny, it’s catchy, it’s bright and colorful, and it’s very very new. The colors, the composition — everything is perfect!

So — which of these covers do you like best? Why? What sort of covers do you like in general? (Amanda doesn’t have to answer — we know she likes headless people best! BTW, Amanda, are you a fan of Washington Irving, by any chance???) 🙂

Cara
Cara King, www.caraking.com
MY LADY GAMESTER, Signet Regency November 2005

Posted in Reading, Regency | Tagged | 11 Replies

Reader Mail!

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No, this isn’t about the upcoming new movie adaptation of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, even though I’m eagerly looking forward to it.

It’s about reader mail and its effect on the writer.

First I have to say I’ve enjoyed all the reader mail I’ve received so far. Most of the letters I’ve gotten were from people who enjoyed my books, along with a few from people who just wanted to share something they loved about the Regency. Even when readers don’t care for my books, it’s fascinating to find out what they are thinking. This one, from a reader I won’t name, is no exception!

—

Elena Greene:

My Lion roars his disgust, as to (sic) I after wading thru page after page of explicit sex in Saving Lord Verwood which I just finished. Yuk!

You are an excellent writer and the plot was good keeping one’s interest. I know explicit sex (leaving nothing to the imagination) seems to be the in thing. Surely with your writing ability you do not need to pander to or wallow in the antics that go on in the bedroom. Hopefully the trend will turn again toward decency.

With kindest thoughts I remain a Regency reader.

(name excluded)

P.S. Would you really want your young daughters to read such trash?

—

Initially, I felt a bit stunned by this letter. I’d never received anything like it before, and it wasn’t as if I were the first author to put a sex scene into a traditional Regency. But mostly, I wondered whether I’d slept through writing all those pages and pages of “explicit sex”! Had the copy editor gone wild with it? I reopened the book and looked through and yes, the love scenes were there, just as I’d written them, not particularly graphic at all.

The adult part of me (that sometimes thinks it’s in charge) shook off the label of “trash”. I don’t write with the intent of offending anyone, but I know I can’t please everyone either. I am not writing children’s fiction, so the postscript didn’t shame me the way it was clearly intended to. So I exchanged some emails with my critique partners and we all laughed it off.

However, there’s another part of me–the subconscious mind, the muse, the inner artist child–call it what you want, it’s the place ideas come from. That part of me wants desperately to please everyone. Soon after receiving this letter, I reached the wedding night scene in LADY DEARING’S MASQUERADE and found myself battling a fierce writer’s block. Finally until I realized that I was trying to write a scene that would 1) show, in a tender and realistic way, how the hero/heroine had overcome the problems of their earlier unhappy marriages and 2) not offend readers like this one. Rather impossible!

So the adult side of me counseled the kid. I told myself that one person’s spice is another’s poison and I had to be true to my voice and my characters. I also reminded myself that this particular reader had forced herself to read it, “page after page”! Perhaps writing the letter was just a way of easing her conscience over enjoying it?

Anyway, so far readers and reviewers are praising LDM. If at some point there are those who disagree, I can deal with it. Sometimes feedback may lead me to change my future work, but sometimes it just clarifies who I am as a writer.

So, my fellow authors, how do you deal with less-than-positive reader mail?

And readers, do please keep those emails and letters coming!

Elena 🙂
www.elenagreene.com/

Posted in Reading, Regency, Writing | Tagged , | 10 Replies