Posts in which we talk about our own books
Elena’s Lady Dearing’s Masquerade got reviewed at All About Romance. Read it here. The reviewer mentions how well Elena handled the children in the book, a question she addressed in her interview. The reviewer also says “this was a terrific read, and I recommend it.”
Go Elena!
Amanda McCabe just got another great review for her historical LADY MIDNIGHT — this time at “The Romance Reader” website. Congratulations, Amanda!
The review can be found here:
www.theromancereader.com/mccabe-lady.html
The reviewer refers to her “luscious prose,” and argues that LADY MIDNIGHT belongs more to the tradition of Charlotte Bronte than Jane Austen. (Do you agree, Amanda?)
Cara
Elena grew up reading her mother’s favorite Regencies, and after being sent on an international assignment to England she could no longer resist the urge to write her own. Her stories have won the National Readers’ Choice Award, the Golden Quill and the Award of Excellence. Learn more at http://www.elenagreene.com/
Praise for LADY DEARING’s MASQUERADE!
“LADY DEARING’S MASQUERADE could have been a dark, depressing story considering its many tragedies: orphaned foundlings, throwaway babies, malicious gossip, years of abuse. But it’s a tribute to Elena Greene that the story is poignant, and the admirable way in which Jeremy and Livvy deal with their trials endears them to readers and will have you rooting for them to unite.” — Romantic Times Bookclub
4 1/2 Stars, TOP PICK!
“The characters of this remarkable tale sparkle with sensitivity, wit, humor, and a genuine quality that will make them stand out in readers’ minds long after the last page is turned… For a story that is sure to stoke the romantic fires burning in every Regency fan, be sure not to miss LADY DEARING’S MASQUERADE.” — Edith Morrison, for Romance Reviews Today Read the review
“This was a very well written novel, with great characters and a terrific (and plausible) plot… I’ll definitely be looking for more books by Elena Greene.” — Lynn Lamy, for Rakehell Reviews Read the review
The Interview
Q. How did you think of writing this particular book? Did it start with a character, a setting, or some other element?
It started with Livvy (Lady Dearing), who appeared in “The Wedding Wager”, a novella I wrote a few years ago. She helped the couple in that story get together, but said she did not want a romance for herself. An irresistible challenge! At the time I knew that her first marriage had been bad, but it wasn’t until I got well into writing the story that I figured out just how bad. So somehow a minor character from a story that was short, fun and fluffy now stars in the longest and most angsty book I’ve written to date.
Q. How long did it take? Was this an easy or difficult book to write?
This book took about 10 months and 6 drafts (as opposed to my usual 4), and as Jennifer Crusie says of her own work, “there’s blood on every page.” It’s not only a longer story (about 90,000 words as opposed to the more typical 65-75,000 for a standard-length Regency), but I was also dealing with more serious issues than I’ve ever written into a book before and frankly I was plagued with self-doubts.
Several other things complicated the progress of the story. When I first suggested it to my editor, we both thought it was going to be a standard-length Regency. But once I’d gotten about 100 pages into the first draft, I knew it was a bigger story. Since it was not yet contracted, she agreed to make it a Super Regency, but a while later, after I’d completed the first draft, I was told they wanted to discontinue Supers and asked if I could cut it back. By that point I’d gone so deep into the story it would have required major surgery to do it, so I was relieved when my editor went to bat for me and it was kept a Super Regency. And then there was some confusion about pub dates, which meant I half-killed myself to complete the story earlier than it needed to be. I felt I hadn’t done my best work, cried all the way back from the post office before diving into some Ben & Jerry’s. So it was a relief to learn there was time for revisions, which were pretty extensive.
It just proves that even with a conscientious author and a very nice, very supportive editor, things can go wrong. But it’s over now, and I’m very proud of my “problem child”.
Q. Tell me more about your characters. What or who inspired them?
I already talked about Livvy, my starting point for the story. When I brought Jeremy into being, I wanted him to be both the best and worst thing that could happen to her. So I made him ultra-respectable (as a foil to her notoriety) but also extremely kind. I think of him as the sort of character Colin Firth often plays: gentlemanly, honorable but with a simmering restrained passion. I wish the guy on the cover looked more like Firth, since that’s who I had pictured in my mind (and what I put in my suggestions to the art department).
Q. Did you run across anything new and unusual while researching this book?
London’s Foundling Hospital figures heavily in the book. When I researched the Hospital (making use of an excellent book titled CORAM’S CHILDREN, by Ruth McClure), I learned that Regency society’s attitude toward foundling children was much less sympathetic, on average, than our own. Foundlings were usually the result of illicit unions and many believed that children born in sin were prone to evil and unworthy of aid. This prejudice tied in thematically with society’ misjudgment of my heroine, Livvy, though perhaps I shouldn’t mention that. I’m not sure I want readers to know there are themes here, it sounds so literary!
The other main area of my research was in women’s reproductive health. Regency medicine had some frightening ways of dealing with any difficulties with conception and pregnancy, including a “lowering regimen” (a diet which would have limited a woman’s intake of calcium and iron) and bloodletting. Overall, the course of treatment seemed design to weaken women, at a time in history when the Victorian ideal of submissive, proper womanhood was beginning to form. So another theme in the book was Livvy’s struggle to maintain her integrity against the men who tried to control her. Here again, I hope that it came through naturally in the story!
Q. What do you think is the greatest creative risk you’ve taken in this book? How do you feel about it?
Even though writers like Mary Balogh were doing sex in Regencies way before I even started writing, some readers still object to it. But I knew I was going to take that risk when I started, because I knew this story would have to go that way and the ellipsis (…) just wasn’t going to have the same emotional power. And much less fun to write! 🙂
I also dealt with several of the harsh realities of Regency England–the fact that husbands had nearly complete power over their wives, and the grim situation of unwanted children. I felt that softening these things would have weakened the story, but I’m bracing myself for the reactions of readers who like their Regencies “cozy”. (Not that I have anything against “cozy” Regencies! I’ve written a few of them myself. This just isn’t one.)
The scenes that felt the most risky to me were the flashbacks into Livvy’s first marriage.
Q. Is there anything you wanted to include in the book that you (or your CPs or editor) felt was too controversial and left out?
Actually, no. I took lots of wrong turns in the process of bashing this manuscript into shape, but I don’t miss any of the deletions. I’m also very grateful to my editor for not making me take anything out.
Q. Lady Dearing is a widow with a scandal attached to her name; you’ve also written about young, virtuous debutantes. Which is your favorite kind of heroine to write about?
I don’t have a favorite in terms of age, marital status, etc… But one thing my heroines all have in common is that they are seeking something. Some readers have called my heroines selfish, but I think they’re just real women trying to come into their strength. They make all sorts of mistakes, but they won’t be passive Cinderellas waiting for someone to rescue them.
Q. As a mother yourself, you know romance and kids don’t always go together. How was it writing a romance involving children? Is there any author you feel does it particularly well?
Wow, good question! You may have hit on the riskiest element in this story–a plot that revolves around children and sex. There are a couple of reasons why that mix can be dodgy. I think some people are uncomfortable with the innocence of children and adult passion in the same book. As if sex and parenthood were not somehow connected! The other reason is that, well, obviously, the pressures of parenthood can play havoc with one’s sex life. Anyone who’s had an attempt at lovemaking interrupted multiple times by a crying child knows what I’m talking about.
But I like to show my heroines experiencing (or at least looking forward to) a life that includes passion and children. And by the end of any romance, I want to feel the h/h are so deeply devoted that they will keep things hot whatever life throws their way. Otherwise he could just go running back to his mistress, right? Of course, if Livvy and Jeremy feel the need for a brief getaway to London, they’ve got a governess and the rest of their household staff to keep the kiddos in order!
As for romances involving children, I have to say I’ve read too many that didn’t work for me at all. Sometimes the kids are just cute props: cherubic Victorian-greeting-card children rather than flesh-and-blood kids who may be cute, but also fight, make messes and pick their noses at inappropriate moments! And some authors don’t seem to “get” motherhood. If a heroine is searching for her kidnapped child, is she really going to be checking out every hunk she meets along the way?
But some authors do combine children and romance in a way that works. Between my own kids and writing, I don’t get as much time to read as I’d like, so I’m sure I’m missing many! But the books I’ve read by Susan Elizabeth Phillips had very realistic children. But then all her characterizations are strong. I’ll also add a word about my blog buddy, Janet Mullany. Her debut book, DEDICATION, deals with issues of parenthood and even grandparenthood, in a realistic and touching manner. And the sex is pretty hot, too!
Q. What are you working on now?
I’m working on a Regency historical romance, and the hero is neither a duke nor a spy. Sorry, but I’m not ready to say much more yet. My first drafts resemble my final books about as closely as a newly fertilized egg cell resembles a bouncing, cuddly baby. At this point the idea might just sound stupid. That would be bad. 🙂
Thanks for interviewing me!
I hate for this to be all about me, but . . .
let’s talk about me.
My book, A Singular Lady, comes out in stores in less than two weeks. Ten days, to be exact, but who’s counting? My editor sent me one copy of it, which is now crinkled, stained, and worn because I’ve been hauling it around to show off if anyone asks what I do besides stay at home with my son.
I’ve read a few bits of it, too, when I’ve been waiting for someone to ask me what I do besides stay at home with my son (um, did I say that? I meant waiting to save a puppy or make chocolate from scratch. That’s what I meant). It feels as if another person wrote it. I certainly don’t remember tapping out some of those words on the keyboard.
I do remember, however, when I knew I would finish writing it. I was at a music industry conference talking with a Very Important Music Journalist and I mentioned what I was doing in my theoretical spare time. I told her the bare concept–my heroine writes a column detailing her husband quest–and she replied, “Oh, Sex And The City in the Regency.”
A ha! I thought. That made it all so much clearer.
And thus was I introduced to the high concept, a buzzword that’s since been cutting a swath through writers’ conferences. The High Concept is a sentence, sometimes only a sentence fragment, that describes the book (or movie, or TV show) in a succinct, catchy way.
So when I pitched my book at those same writers’ conferences, I’d say “Sex And The City in the Regency,” and editors and agents would nod excitedly and ask me to send a partial and synopsis. Which is, in fact, how my book sold–I pitched it to an editor and an agent at the same conference and it sold to one and I got representation from the other.
So, if you’re a reader, how would you characterize your favorite book in a high concept sentence? If you’re a writer, do you think in high concept? What’s your latest project’s high concept? Do you find it easier to think in high concept, or is it just more work?
And while you’re thinking about that, I’ll be off saving a puppy.
Megan
Janet was brought up in England where she read Georgette Heyer when she should have been studying for some exams, didn’t read Jane Austen when she should have (for some more exams) but rediscovered her later in life, and didn’t want to be a novelist when she grew up. She has been an archaeologist, draftsperson, radio announcer, arts administrator, proofreader, and bookseller.
Learn more at www.janetmullany.com
Praise for Dedication!
“I’d encourage every Regency fan (except perhaps for sensuality sticklers) to run out and get this book. It’s entertaining, thoughtful, and more than worth your time.” — Blythe Barnhill, for All About Romance Read the review
“This isn’t a fluffy book, but a deeply psychological love story. For me, this depth of character and plot was refreshing, and made the book a constant surprise.” — Cybil Solyn, for Rakehell Read the review
“One of the best Regencies I have read in years. Very highly recommended.” — DeborahAnne MacGillivray, for The Best Reviews Read the review
Interview
Q. How did you think of writing this particular book? Did it start with a character, a setting, or some other element?
The first scene–that of a man knocking at the door of a London house early in the morning– came into my head strongly enough that I was able to build the plot and characters from there. I don’t know why it works this way for me, but it does.
Q. How long did it take? Was this an easy or difficult book to write?
It was a much revised book, but it was always easy to write. It began first as a single-title regency set historical, and had a rather convoluted plot. Adam was a codebreaker for English intelligence, and Fabienne his major suspect as a spy. I had a near miss with an editor who suggested I drop the spy plot and make it more a comedy of manners, so I revised it and she rejected it via form letter (one of those character building moments). It was never was a comedy of manners, and it continued to bomb until it won the 2004 Royal Ascot Contest (sponsored by the Beau Monde) and Signet made me an offer for it later that year. I had to chop off 20k words, so the subplot almost disappeared, but at least almost all the sex stayed intact!
Q. Tell me more about your characters. What or who inspired them?
I’ve no idea where Fabienne and Adam came from. I think they were based on what I didn’t want to write about or read about. I was interested in characters who had had experience in life, including good relationships with other partners, friends, and family,and who had not been holding grudges or harboring revenge plans for decades. In other words, fairly complex and healthy people, who were mature enough to solve their own problems but were also human enough to make mistakes. So that’s how I ended up with a heroine in her late 30s and a hero in his early 40s, both widowed.
Q. Did you run across anything new and unusual while researching this book?
I did some research on Elizabeth Vigee-Lebrun, a French portrait painter, and used that to create one of my minor characters, Elaine, although she’s from a much different background. I grew up in England, so I have the advantage of knowing what houses and the countryside look like, and how people speak. My mind is a vast repository of trivia, and it’s amazing that some of the stuff in there is useful. I also did some research on French emigres to England after the revolution. Basically I’m a sloppy researcher, and I can only hope my mistakes aren’t too embarrassing.
Q. What do you think is the greatest creative risk you’ve taken in this book? How do you feel about it?
When I was writing it I had no sense whatsoever that I was taking risks, although I did become accustomed to mutters (and shouts!) from CPs that I was breaking rules, editors wouldn’t like what I was doing, and/or I wasn’t writing a romance. I’m happy to say I didn’t let it faze me. In retrospect, I think my greatest risk is in having a hero who is older than the norm, uses reading glasses, and is an atheist, grandfather, and novelist.
Q. Is there something in the book you originally included but left out because you thought it was too controversial?
Well, originally I had the villain eaten by the hero’s pigs, which is a wonderful way to kill off someone, and I hope I can use that elsewhere! (Spoiler follows!) One of the few times I dropped something was the scene where Fabienne’s brother finds she’s pregnant. In the original, she had decided to abort the pregnancy, and he stops her. The reaction from my CPs was one of unanimous horror (to put it mildly). So as it is now, her maid (who would of course know her mistress’ cycle) picked up the abortifacient for Fabienne, and her brother prevents her from taking it. He’s concerned about her health and the honor of the family, not because he’s thinking of an unborn baby. I still think the original was stronger; women don’t always welcome an unplanned pregnancy with overwhelming joy, and Fabienne is in despair after she ended her relationship with Adam.
Q. Your book is very racy; how did you keep thoughts of your kid(s), parents, friends, and the local grocer from intruding when you were writing those scenes?
Oh, my God, who told you about me and the grocer? I really don’t find it that different from writing any other sort of scene. I don’t think about them then either, although I do find it alarming how much I reveal of myself through my writing generally. That’s why I very rarely let non-writers read my works in progress. You must bear in mind, too, that the characters tended to take over. I had no idea, for instance, on p. 79, what Adam was about to do to Fabienne on p. 80. Honest.
Q. What are you working on now?
I’m revising my regency chicklit (if you want to see what a regency chicklit is like, go to my website and check out my excerpts) and writing a new regency-set erotic romance novella. I’d love to do a sequel to Dedication, based on the relationship between Barbara (Adam’s daughter) and Ippolite (Fabienne’s brother) but given the condition of the market I don’t think there’s anywhere for it to go.
Thanks for interviewing me!