Nowhere Near Respectable

by Mary Jo
 It’s been two weeks since Nowhere Near Respectable  (Lost Lords #3, was released, and to all of you who helped put it on the New York  Times list after the first week of sale—THANK YOU!!!! 

Authors often complain about publishers so I want to say that Kensington is doing a great job on my books.  They even did this fun book trailer with the most GORGEOUS guy. He could be any number of my darkr haired Regency heroes.  <G> 

 
Books start in different ways.  Sometimes I have a plot and characters must be created to fit.  Sometimes I have a character and need a plot that suits.  (Characters are easier.)

Some characters lurk in the Lizard Brain for years before they get their story. Others just amble into a scene where I need a foil for a protagonist, and suddenly I have a man I simply cannot afford to waste.  (And it’s always a man!)  This is how trilogies become septologies. <g>

In Search of a Hero

Such was the case with Damian Mackenzie, hero of Nowhere Near Respectable.  I was writing the second in the series, Never Less Than a Lady, and I needed the heroine to run into someone when she’s just arrived at a house in Edinburgh and needs a foil. 

My first thought was Will Masterson, who’d already appeared in the first book in the series. (And yes, I have plans for him!)  But Will is a serving army officer and it’s campaign season.  He’d be in Spain.

How about if I give him a “less respectable and much less legitimate half-brother”? Mackenzie was created on the spot.  Mac looks enough like Will to momentarily confuse Julia, yet he’s a mischievous contrast to his quiet, easygoing sibling. 

Will bonded with Mac when both were young and had just lost their mothers.  Since Will refused to be separated from Mac, they were both sent to the Westerfield Academy, a school for boys of “good birth and bad behavior.” 

Later, responsible Will joins the army and become a distinguished officer.  Mac joins up and is cashiered.  He now runs a fashionable gambling club and is, indeed, nowhere near respectable.  But a lot of fun.  <G>

In Search of a Heroine

Next step: what sort of heroine should I conjure for my lovable rogue?  There  would be lots of  conflict and contrast if she’s very prim and proper.  A vicar’s daughter, maybe. 

Naahhhh.   Mac thought she sounded pretty boring.  So did I.

How about a heroine who is very high born, but a hellion?  Mac liked that idea a lot a better.  And did I have the girl for him! 

Lady Kiri Lawford is the sister of the hero of the first Lost Lords book.  Like Adam, she is the child of an English gentleman who unexpectedly inherited a dukedom and the Hindu princess he married during his career in India, but Adam and Kiri had very different upbringings. 

Raised mostly in England, Adam is an introvert.  Facing disapproval of his mixed blood, he buried the Hindu side of his nature.  In contrast, Kiri was raised in India with wealth, beauty, a loving family, and the extroverted confidence of a golden retriever. 

What Kiri doesn’t have is any interesting marital prospects among the eligible men she’s met in the ton.  Until she meets Mackenzie under highly dramatic circumstances.  By the time they’ve escaped homicidal smugglers, she knows she’s found a smart, funny, brave man who’s a keeper. Yet what can be done with a fellow who may not be respectable, but is too darned honorable?

I needed a reason to throw Kiri and Mac together, and that’s when the royal kidnap plot appeared.  I’d also wanted to write a heroine who was a perfumer, so I made Kiri descendant of a long line of Hindu female perfumers.  I also gave her the equivalent of perfect pitch for scent so she has to be included in the suspense plot.  That gives her the opportunity to practice her wiles.  And Kiri has a lot of wiles!

The Seven Stages of Writing a Book

I am much better known for tortured heroes than lovable rogues, which made NNR something of a challenge to write.  Most books start like a love affair: Angel choirs!  Joy abounding!  This time it will be different!

Alas, that initial excitement rapidly devolves into Disillusionment. Fear. Loathing.  Frantic scrambling as the deadline approaches. Hysterical surrender and submission to editor. 

Ultimately, one hopes, after the sturm und drang of creation, there is Peace.  A belief that the result was all worth it. 

Not least of the problems I had with NNR is that I knew what happened in the first half of the book, but the second half of my synopsis boiled down to “They all go to Bath and Stuff Happens.” 

This proved entirely inadequate (not to mention boring), and pretty soon I was researching smugglers, gaming clubs, Princess Charlotte, the Parliamentary Wooksack, royal ceremonies and other fun subjects. And in the end, after the hair-pulling, I like the results.  Peace.

And the crowd goes wild!!!!!!!!

Even better, other people like Nowhere Near Respectable, too.  The book has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and is a Romantic Times Top Pick. 

“In Kiri, a strikingly beautiful, lethal warrior queen, Putney has created one of her most memorable heroines to date. She pairs her with an honorable, valiant hero and drops them into a fascinating, fact-based dilemma that thoughtfully and realistically addresses some serious social issues and is guaranteed to keep the pages turning. This third “Lost Lords” title is exquisitely and sensitively written. “
    Kristin Ramsdell, Library Journal, Starred review

“With characters so vibrant and real that they leap off the pages and an authentic backdrop, Putney delivers another marvelous, unforgettable story with a clash of the exotic that perfectly merges romance and mystery.  She is one of the brightest of stars in the genre."
    Kathe Robin, Romantic Times BookClub, 4 ½ stars and Top Pick

Naturally, I’m now mired in the murky depths of Lost Lords #4.  It’s called No Longer a Gentleman and it will be out in 2012, probably in May.  (And probably April will see the release of my all time classic book, The Rake, yessssss!) 

NLAG has passed the choirs of angels stage and is well into frantic scrambling to finish the darned thing and send it in.  ‘Twas ever thus in the writer’s life.

Book Giveaway

Here’s a link to an excerpt if you’d like to sample Nowhere Near Respectable. I’ll be giving away a signed copy of the book to one person who comments between now and midnight Thursday.  So comment away!  And tell me if you have some hobby or work that calls forth similar stages of joy and depression to creating a book. <g>

Mary Jo

 

Comments

[Jessica]

Sounds like a fantastic book, I'll definitely check it out.

All my hobbies are full of emotional ups and downs like you described. I write--you know how that goes--and I design bags and other miscellaneous things. Going from the concept to pattern making to making a prototype to working out the kinks and getting a good final product is full of frustration and joy and more frustration and, if I do it right, by the end I get peace.

[Amanda]

I just started following this blog, and I have to say it's refreshing to see a published author discuss the writing process. I'm drawn to the plot of the book too, but it's nice to know the same frustrations I had with term papers isn't just an affliction procrastinating students have to deal with. I'll have to add this series to my TBR list.

[B]

Sound like a book I would love to read. Love the trailer.

I also make books, but as objects. Bookbinding is a hobby of mine, and it can at times be both frustrating and difficult, but when I finally remove the finished book from the book press and hold it in my hands, it's like holding a newborn baby.

[Cynthia Owens]

Mary Jo, I just finished reading Nowhere Near Respectable last night (kept me up way past my bedtime) and I absolutely loved it! And I can't wait for the next installment in the Lost Lords series.

As a writer, I understand how crazy the process can be. Right now, I'm in the research stages for a new work-in-progress. Since my editor expressed an interest in stories for the characters in my first 2 books, I'm having to come up with a plot for a relatively minor character in my second book, Coming Home. But since it's set in Ireland, they can't "go to Bath and stuff happens." So I had my half-Irish-half-Spanish hero come to Galway, and I had my heroine resurrect a local rebel plot. I'm still not sure how it turns out (except for the mandatory HEA), but I'm certainly having fun deciding!

[Helen]

Mary Jo

I love the sound of this book

As for hobbies the only one I have is reading and that is a wonderful pastime the only problem I have is work interferes LOl I really need to retire to catch up on the TBR pile

Congrats on teh release
Have Fun
helen

[Mary Jo Putney]

I have a strong suspicion that the creative process is pretty much always 'the agony and the ecstasy,' whether it's writing, bookbinding, or design. (As a former designer, I know how right you are about the bag design, Jessica!)

Amanda--good writing is challenging whether it's term papers or poetry or novels. And if you follow this blog long, you'll definitely see posts about process. In particular, look for posts by Pat Rice.

Cynthia, the nice thing about creating stories for minor characters is that you can as much as you need to make them intereting. *g*

Helen, I envy you--as a reader, you get to go through the agony and the ecstasy with the characters, which is much quicker than the process endured by the creators!

[Marin]

Looking forward to reading this book; I have truly enjoyed the other Lost Lord books, as well as all the rest. :) I love the "They all go to Bath and stuff happens" comment. I am a budding - not even close to bloom - writer, and I seem to be stuck in that place more often than not. It is reassuring to hear that you go through that as well!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Marin, writing never gets easier. *g* Though the problems do evolve and stuff that was hard at the beginning becomes second nature and new challenges arise.

FWIW, it's usually a good plan to have in mind an action line for the whole book. I generally do a synopsis that hits the highlights, but if I can do a synopsis, I know I can write the book.

I can't actually remember another book where I did such a poor job of pre-plotting, and it's not credit to my experience that it took me a while to figure out the problem I was having here.

Ah, well, every book is a different set of issues!

[Hellion]

Writing is my creativity. *LOL* Though I do sew costumes too and feel joy and bliss right before I feel anger, rage, despair and panic. Now if I could transfer the sort of follow through with my writing as I have done with costumes....

This book sounds FANTASTIC. I cannot wait to read it!!!

[Dee Feagin]

I am intrigued by a heroine who sounds like she is so out of the ordinary and doesn't care! No angst about "being different" or "fitting in". Refreshing.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Mary Jo, Kiri sounds devastatingly wonderful for a heroine, the kind I wish I'd created myself! Kudos on making the NY Times list and getting starred reviews. You've gotten some wonderful reviews from a wide variety of reviewers with this book--proof of its excellence.

For the past 6 months I've undergone continuous major interior renovations on my house. It's a creative process as well as a miserable mess. The initial choirs-of-angels-singing phase has long ago given way to despair as I climb over mountains of construction equipment and furniture in my hallway, my kitchen and my office while other rooms are being renovated.

At long last, my bedroom is now finished and I've spent the past few weeks decorating it and hanging groupings of artwork on the walls. This is the "peace" part: I keep going to the bedroom and just standing in the doorway to marvel at how beautifully it all came together. From my fertile mind to a finished room. Success. It makes the trip worth it all. (Now, if only the other 3 rooms were finished as well . . .)

[Wynne]

Ooh, I was hoping to see Kiri's book. Thank you!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Hellion, costume making is another wonderful creative art that I can only admire. But I admire very well. *g*

[Mary Jo Putney]

Dee and Sherrie--Kiri was fun because she did have that confidence. And she does need to have her knuckles rapped a time or two as part of her character arc. *g* More often my heroines are resourceful women living on the edge, so it's fun to do a woman with Kiri's well justified confidence.

[LouisaCornell]

Yay! Kiri's books is out! I have so enjoyed the other books in this series! And I have to admit it is SUCH a relief to hear that one of my very favorite authors goes through some of the same head-banging, hair-pulling angst I go through as I write! As your results are so fabulous I am going to keep telling myself if I just stick to it I will have a book published one day even if I go to my first book signing with a lumpy, bald head.

The process was very much the same when I was singing. Learning a role was love at first sight, followed by "what was I thinking," followed by "If I have to sing that passage one more time I am going to kill that conductor with his own baton."

[Lisa]

Mary Jo,
Thank you for another wonderful book. Although I have enjoyed all your tortured heroes (especially Robin), I really enjoyed Mac in NNR. His weakness at the sight of blood was very funny to me as a nurse (I've seen people faint!)
Kiri is a wonderfully strong and unique heroine. I can't wait for the next book in the series, I can imagine many interesting stories. I admire anyone who can write a book, I had trouble writing papers in school!
I feel joy and depression playing tennis often one point after the other (Serena Williams I'm not,lol)

[Mary Jo Putney]

Louisa--the head banging never stops. *g* I'm reminded of a comment by, I think, Evelyn Waugh, who said that "Easy writing makes nard reading, and hard writing makes easy reading."

And he's right. Really good creative work is generally very demanding. Very seldom can we whip of something without thinking and have it be really good. (Though it's great on the rare occasions when that happens!)

[Mary Jo Putney]

Lisa--

I'm so glad you enjoyed NNR. My research for fainting at the sight of blood included author/former ER nurse Eileen Dreyer. who saw this often and says "the bigger they come, the harder they fall." *g* It seemed to fit Mac.

You admire people who can write books. I admire people who save lives, like you. (and I can't play tennis AT ALL!!!)

[Janga]

Congratulations on another bestseller and on all the other accolades for NNR, Mary Jo. And thanks for giving this reader another book not only to read but to reread. I loved Kiri, but I especially delight, as a beta hero lover, in Mac. My definition of a keeper is a book I know I'll reread. It's no surprise that I reread Loving a Lost Lord and Never Less Than a Lady just before reading NNR. Now I'm eagerly awaiting No Longer a Gentleman. Just before its release, I'll probably reread the first three Lost Lords books. :)

My despair when involved in a creative endeavor--be it a critical essay, a blog post, a scrapbook page, or the current manuscript--is that what's in my head is always infinitely superior to the flawed product I finally produce for others to see.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Janga, I'm really glad you enjoyed NNR! I don't think of Mac as a beta, but he's certainly not an alpha. More of a warrior poet.

Alas, you're right about the despair of never being able to manifest that perfect shining vision in our minds. But--we soldier on!

[Mary Jo Putney]

From Hannah Lee, posted by MJP because of Typepad's lack of cooperation:
Wow, Mary Jo,that trailer is hot! So, has Hollywood come knocking for a film adaptation?

My writing is of short essays, so it probably does not compare to the longer time demanded for novels, although I do feel a deep engagement while translating my ideas into the right words and the despair that anyone would read them and feel moved. Motherhood may be a more apt comparison for me, as I wonder if my children will become decent and kind human beings, especially at times when they do not listen or otherwise not meet my expectations.

Children are a very creative, and challenging, undertaking! But so very worthy.

No Hollywood knocking on my door, but the trailer Kensington did is VERY slick!

[Diana]

That cover is so beautifully done, and that trailer is delish, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to read this book soon. :D

When I first read your description of the varying numbers and levels of emotions you feel when writing a book, my thoughts immediately went to my work. I'm a preschool teacher, and I definitely feel the ups and downs, from the sense of calm, the panic, the frustration, the hope, the love, and everything in between. It's fun, no doubt, but at the same time, it's also difficult and challenging (as the work demands for us not only to deal with the children, but other people/factors as well). I've been working with preschool-aged children since I was sixteen, and here I am, almost eleven years after, and still, I strive to be my very best, every day, with each child, because like you, I hold on to a certain belief. A belief that the result was all worth it. Just that for me, it's not really all about the result, but more of the process. These are very precious moments I get to spend with them, and at the end of the day, my goal is to have each child come home feeling happy and loved. (HEA for everybody! lol)

[Mary Jo Putney]

A preschool teacher? Diana, you are a SAINT! My mother taught first and second grade, a bit over, but even so, working with little kids requires special talents and patience. But such valuable work! And with all the creative highs and lows along the way.