Word Wenches

What we're watching!

Mary Jo

We Wenches are creatures of The Book, but we also enjoy stories in other formats.  Here's a selection of what we've been watching and enjoying on TV/streaming/movies lately. 

From Nicola:

I’ve been glomming on Killing Eve, which is a British spy thriller TV series where a female intelligence officer tracks down a female psychopathic assassin. It’s based on the Villanelle books by Luke Jennings which I haven’t read so I’m not sure how close the show mirrors the books, whether the book or the TV series is better, or whether it matters! The series has won multiple awards and been highly praised, not least because all the major characters are women and it’s written by women. It certainly has a different sort of take on the spy genre. It’s quirky and comical at times and the dialogue is funny and sharp. The obsession that both Eve and Villanelle develop for each other is fascinating to watch

I also went to the cinema to see Apollo 11 on the big screen as it’s that sort of film! I thought it was an amazing piece of documentary film making and was completely riveted by it. The way it’s put together with never-before-seen footage and audio is very immediate and the rocket launch quite nerve-wracking! It left me speechless and overwhelmed – stirring stuff.

As a follow up I watched a new documentary series about the solar system, The Planets, with Professor Brian Cox which was also fascinating.  Since they couldn’t go on location to Jupiter and Mars they filmed a lot of it in places like Jordan and Iceland, which I’ve visited, so that was even more fun!

 

A Finalist

Anne here, flying in to do some blatant Sunday promo. I’m delighted to announce that my book Marry In Scandal is a finalist in Romance Writers of Australia’s Romance Book of the Year (RuBY) — the historical romance section.

This is Lily’s story and was a bit of a book of the heart.

You can read more about the story here , as well as read an excerpt.

The other finalists in other categories are here, and I’m delighted to see several of my friends’ books listed.

As well, all three books in my Convenient Marriage series — Marry In Haste,  Marry in Scandal and Marry In Secret (out 30 July) are all in a giveaway  at the moment. One is run by my publisher, only for people in the USA. The other is run by me, for people anywhere else in the world.

If you live in the USA enter the sweepstake here. It closes on 16th July, so be quick. 

If you live outside the USA —anywhere in the world — email me through the contact form on my website and I’ll enter you in my own private draw.

The Romance of Knives

Crystal Magic #7

Pat here:

As anyone who reads my Magic books knows, my characters are far more likely to wield a tarot card or a beaker of chemicals than a knife. But I’m researching a series I want to set in Victorian Edinburgh, and one cannot ignore the history of the sgian dubh, the traditional Scots weapon. If nothing else, my heroes would use it to whittle firewood, although I have a suspicion before I get too far, they’ll find better uses.

Quiz—Marry In Secret

Anne here, and here is a #giveaway and a fun little quiz on a book not yet out — MARRY IN SECRET — which will be published on 30 July. All your answers, therefore, must be guesses. Keep note of your answers, and at the bottom of this post there's a link to the answers. Check your results, then come back here and let us know how you went.
I'll choose one commenter to win a copy of MARRY IN SECRET.
I hope you enjoy it.

1) The story opens with Rose about to make a convenient marriage with a handsome duke. Why a convenient (ie. loveless arranged) marriage?
a)  Because she doesn't want to be the last Rutherford girl to get married.
b)  Because she's about to turn 21 and is worried she'll be on the shelf.
c)  Because she's secretly in love with him. 
d)  Because she believes that love is too painful.

2) When Rose fails to marry the duke, Aunt Agatha is:—
a)  delighted. 
b)  thrilled. 
c)  ecstatic. 
d)  none of the above.

3) When Thomas turns up at the church, who says “Throw the dirty beggar out!”
a)  Aunt Agatha
b)  Rose
c)  Cal, Lord Ashendon
d)  The duke

4) When Rose's secret husband turns up how does Rose react?
a)  She slaps him.
b)  She faints.
c)  She  yells at him.
d)  She bursts into tears.

5)  What word best describes the duke's reaction to Rose's long-lost husband turning up?
a)  Irritated.
b)  Jealous.
c)  Relieved.
d)  Furious.

6) Why did Rose get married In secret?
a)  It was an act of defiance against her strict father. 
b)  Because she was worried she might be pregnant.
c)  Because she was young and wild and in love.
d)  To get away from boarding school.

7) Who did she marry?
a)  A soldier.
b)  A sailor.
c)  A gambler.
d)  A spy.

8) Why did Rose's husband disappear in the first place?
a)  He was on the run from the law.
b)  He was already married.
c)  He was shipwrecked.
d)  He was imprisoned by the French.

9) What was Rose's husband doing in the years he was away?
a)  Writing letters. 
b)  Fighting.
c)  A variety of jobs.
d)  Being a pirate.

10) Why has Rose's husband returned?
a)  To revenge himself on Rose for her infidelity.
b)  To get control of Rose's fortune.
c)   Because he loves her.
d)   Because he never breaks a promise.

Now, pop over to this site and check your answers, then come back and let us know how you did. Did any answers surprise you?  I always enjoy these quizzes — coming up with the various possibilities makes me so aware of the different stories I could have written, but didn't. I hope you had fun, too. Thanks for playing.

The Language of Romance

Nicola here. Today I’m talking about the sort of words that people use to describe romance and romantic fiction. In four days, I step down as Chair of the UK Romantic Novelists Association. It’s been an interesting couple of years, sometimes challenging, always busy, but incredibly rewarding to be a part of an organisation that is so involved with the business of romantic fiction. I love the RNA and I love the fact that organisations like it exist to support, celebrate and promote the romance genre. Together with readers, bloggers, writers and all fans of the genre we make up a very loyal band. We’re lucky; we have discovered the joy that reading romantic fiction can bring.

One of the issues of which I have become hyper-aware over the last couple of years is that of the
language that is used by critics to describe romantic fiction. I’ve always been aware of romantic fiction’s literary reputation – at the very start of my writing career a friend told me how she covered my books in brown paper bags because they were a guilty pleasure. (At least she was eco-friendly about it!)   This is hardly a new phenomenon. My grandmother used to hide her genre fiction at the back of her wardrobe. The RNA itself was formed 60 years ago next year to try to tackle the prejudice that there was in the press towards romantic fiction.

Historical Novel Society North American Conference 2019

Susanna here, still settling back to life in the workaday world after a wonderful time at the HNS North American Conference, held this year at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor in Maryland—a beautiful setting, although I have to admit the whole sensation of being in a community enclosed within a glass dome where everything was aiming to look old yet had a futuristic edge felt so surreal at times it had me thinking "Logan's Run" on more than one occasion :) But with so much natural light, it was all but impossible to get the usual hotel fatigue that comes with conferences. The hotel staff was wonderful, the food was superb, and the booksellers friendly. On top of which, the conference committee did an outstanding job of organizing everything, so those of us attending only had to worry about which of the many interesting sessions to choose.

A New Rainbow of Red, White and Blue

Andrea here, tomorrow is America’s birthday, and like all birthdays, it’s a time for festive celebration—red, white and blue cakes, fireworks, parades and general merriment as the milestone serves as a traditional high point in summer across the country. But as we gear up for a day of fun and backyard grilling, I also have a few more serious thoughts about the occasion.

Despite our flaws and foibles—and as a collection of “we, the people,” the country has many—there is much to celebrate. Our forefathers founded this brash experiment with some very radical ideas about equality and the notion of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” And throughout our history, those ideals have served as a guiding light, even when at times, the beacon has seemed dimmed by dark clouds.

Another Cover Story

by Mary Jo

Petals in the Storm

Last week I did a blog about the new release of my first full length historical romance, Dearly Beloved,and included the various covers the story has had over the years. there was interest in all the variations, I thought I'd do it again for Petals in the Storm,  Fallen Angels #3, for which I've just done a new cover.

Before I get started with that, though, HAPPY CANADA DAY to Canadians everywhere, especially our Canadian Wench, Susanna Kearsley, and our Canadian readers! It's the 152nd anniversary of the Constitution Act, and this year you have Raptor Rapture to add to the celebration. <G>

 

What We're Reading!

Hey there, Pat here, bringing you the Word Wenches comments on what we’ve been reading this month. I’ve been hunkered down trying to fine tune my new release while reading up on the next book set in Victorian Edinburgh--my main reading this month. I really don’t think you want to hear about the archives of the University of Scotland, although they are fascinating!

But I discovered I’d missed a Terry Pratchett book and grabbed a copy of RAISING STEAM when it crossed my radar. This is one of the later volumes written with his wife, so the puns aren’t there except in some of the names. What was really interesting about this read is that I started it in e-book format and was feeling a bit let-down and disappointed by it. We have all my favorite characters (except the witches!) and Disc World has just discovered steam engines, which is throwing everything into a tizzy. But I just wasn’t getting into it. Because we have a library of Pratchett books, we ordered a print copy to fill the missing gap. So I opened the book to where I was in the e-reader and tried reading on the page and lo and behold, the experience was utterly different.

Dearly Beloved

by Mary Jo

The Story Behind the Story:

In this era of e-books, backlist books are widely available, but it's rare for an older book to get a major re-release by a different publisher. I started my writing career with the shorter, lighter Signet Regency romances, but after five books, I was champing at the bit to write longer, more intense stories, which might also pay enough to allow me to become a full time writer. Hence, Dearly Beloved. 

It was an edgy book when it was first published, and it's edgy still.  It features themes that I return to again and again: Decent people who make bad mistakes.  Redemption.  Reconciliation. Becoming stronger in the mended places. 

Since my Kensington editor was interested in publishing more of my backlist, I sent her Dearly Beloved, which is my one standalone Regency historical, not part of a series. I fully expected her not to want the story, but to my shock, she loved it!  <blink>