Courtney Milan takes us back to where it all began…

I’m so sad to see the Vagabonds are packing up camp. I remember how they started. The Vagabonds were a part of what we called the Chocolate Mafia, back in 2006. We bonded together during Avon’s FanLit contest, where the Vagabonds adopted me into their group–a group of friends who posted on the Eloisa James Bulletin Board–even though I was an interloper who had only lurked on the sidelines. They shared in my joy when my first entry in the FanLit contest finaled, even though they had never talked to me before. It’s that friendship and camaraderie that I want to celebrate, and so in honor of the Vagabonds, I want to reprint the story that brought me to them.

A few notes: This version is unedited. I haven’t let myself read it, because if I do, I know I will be itching to correct parts, to edit and tweak it. There are a lot of things not to like about this story. One of them is that it is essentially a complete story in 1500 words. But for better or worse, writing this story changed my life.

Here was the writing prompt we were given:

The time: London, 1815, Spring;
The setting: The Duchess of Alderman’s annual ball

When your chapter opens, it is well after midnight and the ball is in full swing. A hush comes over the room as the beautiful and mysterious Countess Fraser enters. With little more than beauty, wit and charm, she has taken society by storm. But what is her background? The ladies are suspicious, and the men are predictably smitten.

All except Damien, the Earl of Coulter. He is convinced the lady is a charlatan. Determined to unmask her deception, he demands a dance.

The chapter concludes at the end of the evening. The twists and turns are up to you.

And this is what I produced:

–
The Goddess of Small Things

The clock had long ago struck twelve, and Captain Damien Rathbourne, Earl of Coulter, had developed a ferocious itch in his left leg. As that leg had been amputated over a year ago, he had no choice but to suffer in discomfort. The itch, of course, was the least of his pains. Tonight, the small things festered: women fastidiously avoided his eyes; conversations politely fixed on the weather rather than his health.

Half-foxed and wholeheartedly tired, he longed to leave. And yet at this late hour, guests still arrived. The latest announcement–Countess Something-or-Other–was a disaster. Her orange hair was twisted into a careless bun from which strands were already escaping. Her gown was outmoded, and her figure leaned towards chubby. As she walked down the stairs into the ballroom, she slipped on a step, and crashed into a gentleman. A ghastly silence swept the ball; a woman tittered.

“Unbelievable,” Damien muttered to himself.

Lord Darby, who stood near him, cast him a shocked look. “Countess Fraser? She’s a goddess.”

Damien’s gaze flicked back to the Countess. She had picked herself off the floor and appeared to be apologizing, her hands gesturing animatedly. She didn’t seem to be a beauty. “If you think so, you shouldn’t have much competition for her.”

“Are you mad? Countess Fraser could have her pick of any man.”

“She’s an Incomparable?” Damien was dubious.

“‘Course not,” Darby remonstrated. “I can compare her to loads of girls. She just comes out on top, is all.”

“She’s an Original, then.”

Darby waved his hand in denial. “No. Originals are all alike–snooty girls who think that wit and insult are synonymous.”

“Well-dowered?”

“Penniless, if rumor holds true.”

“Blue-blooded?”

“Before she married the now-departed Count Fraser, her people were nobodies.”

“Connected to the grand dames of London society?”

“So far as I can see, the women all hate her.”

“She’s a goddess?” Damien frowned dubiously.

“A goddess.” Darby affirmed. “Not Aphrodite, of course. But a goddess of little things gone right. You can’t understand unless you meet her.”

Damien shifted his weight from one crutch to the other. After Vitoria, it was as if his human interactions had been amputated along with his leg. His cohort stopped speaking to him of sport and war, and gradually withdrew from him altogether. Damien was suddenly furious with the purported goddess. He had everything but his leg, and yet could find no one. This mysterious woman had nothing and yet charmed everyone. He suddenly wanted to prove that she was like every other girl at the ball. She would be wretched. Conniving. And above all, she would be unable to meet his eyes.

“Well,” he said, striving to hide his anger. “Why don’t you introduce me then?”

Damien felt every eye in the ballroom carefully choose to look in another direction as he crutched his way across the ballroom. He could move at a reasonable clip; Darby barely had to slow his pace. The little things, however, irritated. Young maidens magically waved to friends across the room as they registered his direction; they dashed away lest he should corner them. Men fixed their gaze on some far away point. Damien gritted his teeth and clumped along.

Darby had not been lying; the Countess held court over a veritable bevy of men, ranging from pups down from Cambridge to sixty-year-old widowers. “Countess!” cried Darby, edging inside her circle. She smiled and gave Darby her hand. He bowed over it, and turned. “Allow me to introduce Captain Rathbourne. Earl of Coulter.”

The Countess extended her hand to Damien as well, and then stopped. Her gaze traveled down, and caught his single leg. Up close, he could see something more of beauty in her features. Her complexion was clear, and while her coiffure was less than perfectly arranged, her vivid hair sparked about her face like orange flames. Damien could see her animated blue eyes realize that he could hardly take her hand without dropping his crutches. She raised her face and met his gaze directly.

“Captain,” she said, dropping her hand. “I think that I should bow to you.” And she did. Her bow was inelegant and choppy, but her voice seemed sincere.

Sincerity. Eye contact. He would weep if he thought she were real. But it would take so little effort to expose her for a fraud. She, too, could see no farther than the surface. He was sure of it. The opening bars of a waltz played.

“Countess,” he said, before he could think. “May I have this dance?” The members of her throng opened mouths to object, but shut them one by one. They had spent a year pointedly ignoring his lack of a leg; they could hardly talk about it now.

But the Countess smiled sweetly. “I’d be delighted,” she said, and walked towards him. Calling his bluff, was she? Oh no; he wouldn’t back down now. He could not take her arm, and so she placed her hand on his elbow, as he limped out onto the ballroom floor. She turned towards him and smiled.

“Now, how do we do this?” she mused.

“I haven’t the faintest.”

“You’ve never danced–?”

“Not since Vitoria.”

“Well,” she said, undaunted. “We’ll have to figure out how to make do. Now let’s see.” She stepped closer to him. “I’ll have to put one hand there.” One hand lightly touched his shoulder. “As for the other one . . . .” She paused and laid it atop his right hand where it gripped the crutch. “Here.”

He had to lead. How, he thought, could he lead when he barely had room to place his crutches? Desperately, he heaved one crutch forward and shifted his bodyweight. Unfortunately, she stepped to the left. Her foot caught his crutch, and she tripped, sending his support flying. She fell; he followed, the wood floor of the ballroom bruising his wrist as he landed. He heard something that sounded like the ripping of cloth.

It was really only a few bars of music before he leveraged himself into a sitting position. She was kneeling next to him, a look of concern on her face. The lace hem of her dress had torn.

“Go.” He whispered. She had called his bluff; he had paid the price. He fumbled behind him, blindly seeking his other crutch. “Go!”

But she shook her head. “If you leave this dance floor now, you will never return.”

“I don’t care.”

“I don’t believe you.” The Countess stood up, grabbing his other crutch. He glared at her balefully. She reached down, took his hand, and hauled him erect. He leaned against her, helpless, until she handed him the other brace.

“I’ve always wanted to sweep a man off his feet,” she said, dimpling into his eyes. “But I had never intended to do so literally.”

It took him a few moments to understand. She had not tripped him on purpose. She was not making fun. She was treating him with care and reason, but not pity. He hadn’t realized what a weight there was in his chest until it lifted.

He gave her a tentative smile. “Foot,” he replied.

“Pardon?”

“You swept me off my foot,” he explained. She laughed. It wasn’t a genteel titter, or a giggle, but a real laugh from the belly.

“Let’s start again,” he said, and she moved against him, once again resting her hand against his chest. “I don’t believe I can waltz the normal way.”

“No,” she murmured, looking up at him. “But think,” she said, “how well-designed you are for the waltz.” He blinked at her. “One-two-three,” she counted.

He shook his head, confused all over again. “One,” she explained, patting his right crutch. “Two.” She motioned to the left crutch. “And three.” Her hand gently patted his thigh. He lived. Oh gods, he lived.

“One, two, three.” He counted, in tune to the music. “One,” he said, shifting a crutch. “Two,” he said twitching the second crutch into place. “Three.” And he pulled his leg into place. “Brilliant. Now you just need to dance along with me.”

Laughing together, they hopped along. It was not an elegant dance, nor a sensual one.

“I feel like a frog,” he complained.

At first she didn’t respond. Then–”Ribbit,” she croaked. And he laughed. She gleamed up at him like sunlight.

When the music ended, he grinned at her. “Thank you, Countess.” Had he really thought her plump? Suddenly, the other women seemed skinny and without substance. She was not graceful, like the pinched swans that glided around the ballroom. But grace also meant salvation.

He would never have her, he thought. Not when he was a cripple, and every man in London wanted her. But perhaps he would share her company again, and bask in the pleasure of small things gone right.

Manda: Even then Courtney’s writing (or CM as we called her) was superb. And now we’re celebrating the publication of another short work, the novella, “The Wicked Gift,” which is included in the anthology, The Heart of Christmas, along with stories by Mary Balogh and Nicola Cornick. One lucky commenter will receive a copy of The Heart of Christmas.

Thanks, Courtney, for agreeing to be our final Visiting Vagabond!

Karen Rose on What Sparks Her Imagination

Thank you for inviting me to talk about I CAN SEE YOU! Through the years, I’ve been asked a lot of questions.

The question I’m asked most frequently – where do you get your ideas?

I get ideas from different places, depending on the book. The ideas that sparked I CAN SEE YOU came from friends, both real and fictitious.

My friend Sonie and I exercise together. We spend some of our exercise time talking about my plots and working through snags. One day Sonie told me about an online game in which one could buy and sell real estate. Real estate, yawn…

Then she told me you could be robbed, and that robberies in the game were being prosecuted in real life! The blurring of lines between fantasy and reality fascinated me, and I began to research. There is anonymity in these games – you can be anyone you want to be and nobody will know who you really are. With anonymity comes a sense of security. Unless, somebody does know who you are. Suddenly, you’re vulnerable. A villain can spot vulnerability a mile away and exploit it for his own evil purposes.

I had a premise! Now… who could the villain terrorize?

If you’ve read my books, you know the characters connect. They are friends, family, or co-workers who pop up in each others’ books. These characters become my friends.

I wanted a character that would know the virtual world, who would crave anonymity. I immediately thought of Evie Wilson. Introduced in my first book, DON’T TELL, Evie was the victim of attempted murder. In fact, she “died” twice on the way to the hospital. The assault leaves her physically and emotionally scarred. She is afraid to show her face in public. By my fourth book, NOTHING TO FEAR, Evie has retreated into the virtual world. She has online friends and takes only online classes for her college degree.

Still, Evie is brave and full of heart, but terrified of the real world. Through the virtual world she interacts with people who don’t see her scarred face. She was the perfect fit with my virtual world plot!

Several other elements of I CAN SEE YOU came from friends – I’ll give more examples as we chat today!

As a writer, where do you find your ideas? Friends, newspapers, snippets of conversation? As a reader, do you wonder how a book is conceived?

One commenter will receive an autographed copy of Karen’s first book, which introduces the character of Evie Wilson, DON’T TELL!

Karen Rose is an internationally bestselling author, her books appearing on the New York Times, London Sunday Times, and Germany’s Der Spiegel bestseller lists. Her novel I’M WATCHING YOU received the Romance Writer’s of America’s RITA ® award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005. Four of Karen’s other titles have been RITA finalists.

And Vagabond Manda might just be stalking her. (In the nicest way possible!)

Tags: Don't Tell, I Can See You, Karen Rose, Nothing to Fear

Elisabeth Naughton Dishes on Handsome Heroes

Big thanks to the Vagabonds for having me here today! I’m thrilled to be here during the release of STOLEN HEAT.

For those of you who don’t know me or my books, I write romantic suspense & adventure for Dorchester Love Spell. STOLEN HEAT is the second book in my Stolen Trilogy, and centers around a missing Egyptian artifact. All of my books have some sort of treasure hunt angle, spine-tingling suspense, and plenty of steamy romance. They’ve been compared to Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone, but at the heart I think they’re just plain fun adventures.

Of course, not everyone is as enthusiastic about romance as I am. Take my mother (my biggest fan, btw.) She’s not really a romance reader. Of course, she reads my books (and loves them!) but her fiction of choice leans more toward mystery than romance. Right now she’s reading an old Jayne Ann Krentz that she found on my shelf because she didn’t have anything else to read. And today, while visiting, she asked me, “Why is it all romance heroes are strong and buff and gorgeous? Don’t women know these men aren’t real?”

My first reaction was to tell her that romance novels are a fantasy. Who wants to read about an ugly guy in their romance? But then I thought deeper (it does occasionally happen), and I realized that the beautiful, buff, gorgeous hero is nothing more than a diversion. He looks perfect, therefore, he must BE perfect, right? Wrong. We romance readers and writers know this. If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that the most gorgeous heroes are the ones who are the most tortured, the most emotionally unbalanced, the most compelling. And only the romance heroine knows him well enough to understand this.

I love flawed characters, and there’s nothing more compelling than a hero who looks perfect on the outside but is far from that on the inside. I love watching (reading) the character arcs of these guys, seeing how they change. I love rooting for them along the way. I also love the physically scarred, ungorgeous-at-first-site hero (Zsadist comes to mind), but it’s the ones who don’t seem scarred that entice me the most.

So yes, I love a gorgeous romance hero. Do I write them? Hmm…I guess you’ll have to read to find out…

How about you? How do you feel about the gorgeous romance hero?

Happy Reading!

***

Bio:
A previous junior-high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton now writes sexy romantic suspense and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her debut release, Stolen Fury, was a 2007 Golden Heart Finalist and has been heralded by Publisher’s Weekly as “A rock-solid debut.” When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ball park or dreaming up new and exciting adventures.

Visit the author’s website at www.elisabethnaughton.com

To enter her “Big” STOLEN HEAT Release Contest for a chance to win $100 VISA gift card and other daily prizes, go to www.elisabethnaughton.com/stolen_heat_contest.html

Tags: Dorchester, Elisabeth Naughton, Stolen Heat

Tessa Dare: You’ve Got to Have Friends

Thank you, Vagabonds, for inviting me to blog with you on the release date of GODDESS OF THE HUNT! There’s no other “place” I’d rather be today, considering that my entire writing career grew is almost exactly as old as this blog. Both grew out of an extended network of friendship from the EJ/JQ bulletin board and the Avon FanLit contest.

So maybe it’s only logical that friendship is an important theme in my books. In fact, when I started writing GODDESS, the tone I had in mind for the book was that of “Friends (the TV show) set in the Regency”. I created a group of eight characters, many of whom had known one another for years and years. I delighted in writing scenes where they could ping dialog back and forth, exchanging witty rejoinders and keen insights.

Friendships between the characters are important to the plot, too. The heroine, Lucy Waltham, is determined to win the object of her eight-year infatuation—the divinely handsome Sir Toby Aldridge. Even if she has to steal him straight from the arms of another woman. Well, the plan is going along just swimmingly (or not so swimmingly, in that river scene) until the unthinkable happens. Lucy becomes friends with that other woman. Suddenly, the thought of stealing Toby loses its charm.

Most importantly, there’s no way I could have written this book without the benefit of good friends. My two critique partners, Courtney Milan and Amy Baldwin, were there from the very first draft of the very first chapter. And over the past few years, I’ve been fortunate to have the advice, critique, and encouragement of many other true friends—including each and every Vagabond.

So today, I’m celebrate the release of my very first novel—but I’m also celebrating almost three years of wonderful, life-enriching friendship with the most talented group of women I’ve ever been blessed to know. Here’s to many, many more. (Books and years! Hee.)

Thank you, dear friends!

Let’s discuss. What do you think about friendship in romance, between women? Between men? Between lovers? Which romances have your favorite examples of close friendship?

In celebration of Tessa’a release, there are several fabulous prizes up for grabs: a copy of GODDESS OF THE HUNT, a rare print copy of THE DANGEROUS BOOK OF EXCERPTS, and a copy of Tessa’s (loosely connected to GOTH) ebook THE LEGEND OF THE WERESTAG. Comment or post congrats to Tessa for a chance to win one!

Tags: Goddess of the Hunt, release day, Tessa Dare

Diana Cosby talks Interesting Tidbits!

At five minutes and six seconds after 4 AM on the 8th of July this year, the time and date will be — 04:05:06 07/08/09. = That happened TODAY!

How amazing is that!

When I received the above tidbit in an e-mail, in honor of this unique moment, I knew I had to blog about interesting facts. I love them! And I believe there are a lot of people out there who share my enthusiasm for the odd bit of information as well.
Where do I use these facts? Often, due to research, my intriguing facts are historical and I weave them into my stories. Otherwise, I share the information with those I feel will savor the info as much as I. At rare times I can toss the tidbit into a conversation. The bottom line, to me, unusual facts are just plain fun!
Below are a few other interesting facts that I’d love to share:
[*Resource: http://www.strangefacts.com/facts3.html]

-The king of hearts is the only king without a moustache on a standard playing card.

-When glass breaks, the cracks move faster than 3,000 miles per hour.

-No piece of square dry paper can be folded more than 7 times in half.

-A sneeze travels out your mouth at over 100 m.p.h.

-Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of any of the United States.

-Like fingerprints, everyone’s tongue print is different.

-Men are 6 times more likely to be struck by lightning than women.

What interesting facts do you have? I’d love if you would share! Thank you for stopping by.

Diana Cosby
www.dianacosby.com
Booksellers Best Award Finalist

Diana’s second novel in the MacGruder series, “His Woman – Duncan’s story,” is out now. Order His Woman at:
Amazon.com
B&N.com
Amazon.com in Canada
His Woman – 4 Stars – HOT
“Former lovers find each other again in book two of Cosby’s Scottish trilogy. She deftly combines historical accuracy, well-rounded characters and continuous action in this sweeping romance, which should keep readers engaged until the last page.”
- Romantic Times
Seathan MacGruder’s book will be released November 2010!
Patrik [Cleary] MacGruder’s tentative release date is November 2011!

Tags: Diana Cosby, His Woman

Christine Wells talks “Sock it to ‘em!”: Or, the Emotional Body Blow

Hi Elodie! Hi Vagabonds. Lovely to be with you. I’m a regular reader of your blog, so I feel right at home here.

I think all of us writing romance have heard of emotional punch, haven’t we? One of the most important tasks of any romance writer is to evoke emotion in the reader. Today, I’m going to talk about the mother of all techniques for evoking emotion–the emotional body blow.

This is a crucial moment in your story where an event floors your hero or heroine emotionally. There are many ways to set up an emotional body blow. WARNING some of the examples below might be SPOILERS:

The character longs desperately for something they can’t have and then has to stand by and watch someone else get it.

Examples:

In WICKED LITTLE GAME, my heroine, Lady Sarah, desperately wants a baby and can’t have one, then finds out her blackguard husband has fathered a child with another woman.

In SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, Elinor is in love with Edward, then not only does Lucy Steele tell her she is engaged to him but she treats Eleanor as a confidante.

The character has a secret fear about themselves confirmed by someone else.

Examples:

In Georgette Heyer’s DEVIL’S CUB, Mary, who believes she is not good enough by birth and breeding for the Marquis of Vidal, hears Vidal’s mother say exactly that.

In Susan Elizabeth Phillips’s LADY BE GOOD, Kenny Traveler lets everyone thing he is lazy and irresponsible, but when Emma jumps to the wrong conclusion about him abandoning his own child, it cuts him to the core.

Something the character fears and anticipates actually comes to pass.

This often precipitates the ‘black moment’, where it seems that all is lost.

Examples:

In PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, while Lizzie defends her family against Mr. Darcy, she is secretly afraid he’s right about their vulgarity. Her fear is realized when Lydia runs away with Wickham.

Someone they love sees them as they truly are

When a love interest zeroes in on the truth of a hero’s character–what Michael Hauge calls their “essence” as opposed to the “identity” they’ve built for themselves, this can come as a severe blow. You would think it would be a good thing, but for a character who has repressed his or her essence for so long out of a need to protect themselves, it can be terrifying.

Example:

Dain in Loretta Chase’s LORD OF SCOUNDRELS. When Jessica tells him she loves him despite every effort he makes to push her away, Dain cracks open inside. It’s a very powerful scene because it leaves this big, hard man totally vulnerable.

In Georgette Heyer’s VENETIA, when Damerel tells Venetia the story of his disgrace, she strikes at his heart when she takes his side.

The hero or heroine reverts to their identity when the going gets tough, dealing their love interest a body blow

Example:

In VENETIA, Damerel has shown Venetia in a thousand ways that he’s a rake and not to be trusted but she has seen beneath that exterior and falls in love with him. When the outside world closes in and tells him it would be a disgrace for her to marry him, he pushes her away, resuming the persona of the heartless rake. The devastation Venetia feels is underscored by a sense of unreality. She knows the real Damerel. Why is he behaving like this?

A great technique to use when delivering the body blow to your character is to do it when it seems the character is making progress toward their internal or external goal. In the PRIDE AND PREJUDICE example, the blow comes at the point where Darcy and Lizzie begin to understand one another during her visit to Pemberley. It’s like that technique actors use when they answer a phone on television. If the news on the phone is bad, they are smiling when they answer it, so the viewer can experience that powerful change in emotion when suddenly, the smile slips from the actor’s face.

As an exercise, try writing a scene where your character is dealt an emotional body blow. Ask yourself what they want most and show someone else receiving it. Ask who they want to be inside and have another character confirm to them that they can never be that way. Give them a disaster that strikes at the heart of who they are. This will often be a turning point in the story, the time when your character decides to be brave and take a step toward their goal, or thinks that it has all become too much to deal with, and retreats.

This isn’t an easy technique to do well, but it is enormously satisfying when you do!

Now, tell me, what’s a powerful example of an emotional body blow that you’ve read? One reader will receive a signed copy of my new release, WICKED LITTLE GAME.

Christine Wells writes Regency historical romance for Berkley. Her debut, SCANDAL’S DAUGHTER won the RWA Golden Heart award and her second novel, THE DANGEROUS DUKE, has been nominated for a RITA. Her next historical romance, WICKED LITTLE GAME, is in stores now.

Tags: Christine Wells, Devil's Cub, Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, Lady Be Good, Lord of Scoundrels, Loretta Chase, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Venetia, Wicked Little Game

Cynthia Eden says It’s All in a Day’s Work

Hi, everyone! I am so excited to be back here with the Romance Vagabonds! It’s always a pleasure to visit this site.

When I asked Manda if she’d like for me to blog about a specific topic, she told me that she was curious about release days. Or, more specifically, just what is a release day like for an author?

While I can’t speak for other authors, I can give you all my take on the big event known as release day. J And in one word…Relief!

There is always a flurry of activity leading up to a release. There are mailings to organize, contests to run, ads to place. Suddenly, all of the months and weeks that you thought you had to prepare for the release are gone, and you’re staring at the calendar and realizing your book will be on store shelves very, very soon.

My latest release, MIDNIGHT’S MASTER (the third book in my paranormal Midnight trilogy for Kensington Brava) just released on Tuesday, so on Monday night, I definitely had one of those Oh-Wow-My-Book-Is-Out-Tomorrow moments. One of those moments when everything seems a bit surreal. A book in stores. Yes, even after my other books, I still get the excited rush the night before a release.

Just like a kid on Christmas Eve.

Some authors have told me that they become incredibly nervous on release day. They worry about sales. About reviews—good and bad. They worry about readers and expectations.

For me, well, I try not to worry once the book hits the shelves. I figure by that point, I’ve done everything I can to promote my story. The hard part is over for me when the book is out. It’s time to sit back and relax.

Ah, yes…relief.

But, wait, everything I’ve just described is release day from an author’s point of view. From a reader’s point of view (a reader who often eagerly anticipates the release day for romance books), I have an entirely different perspective. As a reader, the one word I use to describe release day is…Happiness.

Now, whether you are a reader or a writer, how do you describe book release day? Leave me a comment and you could win an autographed copy of MIDNIGHT’S MASTER.

Have a great day!
Cynthia Eden
www.cynthiaeden.com
MIDNIGHT’S MASTER—Available now from Kensington Brava
Sometimes the demon you want…is the only man you need.

Tags: Cynthia Eden, Kensington Brava, Midnight's Master, paranormal romance, release day

Visiting Vagabond: Mary Jo Putney

The Vagabonds are thrilled to welcome best-selling author Mary Jo Putney back to the caravan. MJP, as she is affectionately referred to on romance boards and blogs, has written more than thirty books, including the RITA-winning The Rake and the Reformer and Dancing on the Wind. Her latest, Loving a Lost Lord, released yesterday, earned a coveted starred review from both Publishers Weekly and Library Journal.

I’ve been reading MJP books since the days when she was writing traditional Regencies, so interviewing her gave me a fangirl moment. It also gave me a chance to ask questions real questions, questions for which I, as a fan, wanted answers.

Janga: Many fans are rejoicing that you are returning to straight historicals with the Lost Lords books. How do you feel about the return?

MJP: I love history, I love romance, I love torturing heroes for their own good—what’s not to like? However, several years ago I had written so many consecutive historicals that I was on the verge of burnout, and the Muse was demanding a change. That’s why I tried my hand at contemporaries and historical fantasy, but now that I’ve had time to recharge my batteries, it’s good to return to my historical romance roots.

Janga: Redemption seems to be a recurring theme in your books. Is this theme something you use consciously, or is it your “core story” that is just organically there in your work?

MJP: It’s my core story. Everyone has trauma in their lives—how we rebuild is far more interesting than writing about people who’ve never had much struggle. I like to study how people rebuild their lives and become ‘stronger in the mended places.” Innocence is usually just lack of temptation.

Janga: An AAR reviewer ranked your Fallen Angels among the top five series in all of romance, an assessment with which I heartily concur. How does it feel to have created a series that is among the most beloved in romance?

MJP: I didn’t know that about the AAR reviewer! But while it’s certainly gratifying that so many people have enjoyed those books, I don’t think about that part much. Mostly I’m obsessing about whatever book I’m working on now—and I’m always working on a book.

Janga: As a reader, even though almost all of your books are on my keeper shelves, I have definite favorites—The Rake, Shattered Rainbows, The China Bride, The Spiral Path, The Marriage Spell. Do you have favorites among your books?

MJP: I have to love all my stories and characters to be able to write the books, so picking favorites would be very painful. It’s like picking a favorite child—each one is special.

Janga: Reissues and revisions of earlier books are frequent now, but they were not when you transformed The Rake and the Reformer into The Rake. What led you to change a Rita-winning book?

MJP: My publisher of the time wanted to release my traditional Regencies as historicals, and I wanted to be sure that the reissues met the expectations of historical romance readers. Besides, I like revisiting old friends in earlier books. In revising The Rake and the Reformer into The Rake, I didn’t lengthen the book—I actually shortened it by about 4000 words, removing some of the more leisurely traditional Regency prose, and linking it a bit into the Fallen Angels series. The result was a little tighter and more focused.

Janga: A common criticism of current historical romances is that in an effort to create strong heroines, historical romance writers ignore historical constraints on women. But you create genuinely strong heroines who remain credible women of their time. What advice can you offer those who aspire to follow your example?

MJP: Read history. There have been amazing women in all time periods, so reading the stories of real women like Hannah More, Lady Mary Montagu, Isabella Bird and Lady Hester Stanhope gives a sense of what was possible within the strictures of society. Of course, there were also huge numbers of strong, competent women who weren’t famous.

Janga: I’ve read the excerpt on your web site that sets up the series, and it left me hungry for Ashton’s story. You have used the amnesia plot before. Why do you find it compelling?

MJP: The classical amnesia plot is “a mysterious stranger with no memory appears, and danger follows.” But I’m much more interested in the identity issues. In all three of my amnesia books, the protagonist become more quintessentially himself or herself when no longer constrained by the expectations of friends and family. When the successful merchant returns from India, he is still seen as a bastard relation, not a powerful, successful man. When the young Norman lady is no longer pretending to be an Anglo-Saxon peasant and starts speaking Norman and reading Latin—their real personalities and abilities emerge, to the alarm and amazement of those around them. Fun!

Janga: What can you tell us about the other Lost Lords books? How many books in the series? Whose story is next?

MJP: The series is intended to be open-ended, rather like the Fallen Angels, the seven-book trilogy. I’ve already got about six dashing men lined up, and more may appear. The second book, about Randall, is finished and scheduled for May 2010, though no title as yet.

Janga: I’ve been reading your books since early in your career, and I have followed you from traditional Regencies to European historicals to contemporaries to historical fantasy. I have loved every stage of the reading journey. Are there other genres/subgenres you are interested in writing? (As long as you promise no vampires or serial killers, I promise to read your books, whatever you write.)

MJP: Funny you should mention that. In May I sold a young adult historical fantasy trilogy that I’m really looking forward to writing. Again—history, fantasy, romance. Yum! And trust me—there are no vampires or serial killer lurking in my imagination!

Thanks for having me here today—

Mary Jo

What questions do you have for Mary Jo? Or if you just want to rave about your favorite MJP book, feel free. Mary Jo will be joining us during the day to respond to your comments. And she has graciously offered a free book to one, randomly selected poster.

Eloisa James talks Alcohol–And Not Anonymous Either!

I doubt that you’ve missed this, but America is an odd place. On the one hand, we’re rather Puritanical when it comes to vices. On the other, a wild weekend – or, for that matter, a family reunion – without alcohol? Not likely!

So this blog is about the delicate subject of alcohol – in short, when it’s OK for your heroine to hit the booze. I’m going to limit my comments to historicals, but it’s all different in contemporaries.

The crucial thing about historicals is that unless you’re a very unusual author, your heroine is well-bred. She’s a lady. She has been raised from an early age to be aware of her behavior at all times. What’s more, society offered her drinks such as negus, a weak concoction; men saved the rum punch for themselves.

That said, there are three points in a novel where I may consider alcohol an essential part of the scene. I’m pointing to them by motivation:

1) For subplot humor. In This Duchess of Mine, my heroine, Jemma, has a fierce rival named Louise, the Marquise de Perthuis. When Louise discovers a love for champagne while at Vauxhall, it creates a delicious scene:

“What on earth is Louise doing?” Jemma inquired.
“She’s winding herself around your husband,” Corbin pointed out.

2) In a non-sex scene, to clarify the heroine’s or hero’s feelings about a conversation. A drink makes a great counterpart. Here, for example, Elijah and Jemma are fighting. He’s offered her a glass of cherry liquor made by monks in France.

Jemma took a taste and choked. The liqueur burned to the bottom of her stomach.

It’s not really the liqueur that’s the problem, but what Elijah’s saying. But by describing the drink, I get at her feelings. On the next page:

“She took another sip of the liqueur. It was like a fiery stream of sugar. She hated it.”

She hates the cherry liqueur, but she also hates the conversation.

3) Finally, during sex. And here I use it for the same reason that an intelligent man bent on seduction will pop the cork on the champagne. A mild inebriation allows my characters to throw away their inhibitions. But just as with #2, alcohol here can also mirror their physical sensations.

Jemma and Elijah have (famously) been engaged in a chess match that has now gone on five books, ever since Desperate Duchesses. The rules of the match are that if it went to a third game, the third would be played blindfolded – and in bed.

So I have my characters blindfolded and playing chess. AND – drinking champagne.

“She drank. It gave her the oddest sensation, as if her sense narrowed
to the icy, sparkling feel of the wine in her throat.”

Sex scenes are all about the body’s sensations – but you need a way to constantly focus there without getting boring. Champagne, with all its connotations of luxury and sensuality, can help!

So what’s a famous scene you remember from a romance – involving alcohol? I’m thinking of one in a Lisa Kleypas book. How about you? One commenter will win a hardback copy of the UK edition of Desperate Duchesses!

Tags: Add new tag, champagne, Desperate Duchesses, Elijah, Eloisa James, Jeli, Jemma, This Duchess of Mine

Elizabeth Boyle: If The Dress Fits…

I have to confess to loving beautiful gowns. Not just dresses. Gowns. As in old beautiful gowns that women wore when dressing in lovely confections was a part of their everyday life, not just the once or twice a year the rest of us haul out the “good dress” for.

Years ago, one of my dad’s cousin’s pulled an old Edwardian gown that one of my more eccentric relatives had bought in Paris during her “Tour.” Actually, she had it made for herself in Paris. In the days when dresses were made for you, rather than off the rack.

As the family story goes, she was in her 20s, had inherited some money, had no desire to marry and so she hired herself a companion and ran off to Europe. And while she brought back trunks of clothes, this dress was one that she kept her entire life and it had been passed down through the family. My dad’s cousin brought it out because she thought it might fit me (I was in my 20s at the time) and it did. I wore that silken creation with its lovely lace and beads for an entire afternoon, floating about Janet’s old antique filled house in Boston like an elegant lady of yonder.

Over the years, I’ve pondered all sorts of questions about that dress: why did my rather willful, unconventional spinster of a relation keep that particular dress, and only that dress? What secrets did it hold? What if that dress could talk? Did she dance with a count all night at a Paris café while wearing it? Or did she catch the eye of a sexy Italian gentleman in Venice while riding a gondola down the canals? Why did she, after returning from her European adventures, never marry?

As I sat down to write my latest books, I had that fantasy running through my thoughts. What if you had a dress that made you feel the loveliest you would ever be, and left you with a raft of memories and secrets? What if your little black dress could talk? I have a dress down in my closet that I will probably never wear again, but part with it? Never. The same with my heroines.

How about you? Do you have a dress or an old family relic that you won’t part with? And why?

One lucky commenter will receive a signed copy of Confessions of a Little Black Gown!

Tags: Confessions of a Little Black Gown, Elizabeth Boyle, Heroines, Little Black Dress, Memoirs of a Scandalous Red Dress