An Interview with Wench Loretta Chase: Part 2

From Susan/Miranda (and the assistance of one of Loretta's Barbies):

As promised, I'm concluding my interview with Wench Loretta Chase today. (If you missed Part One, here's the link: Interview with Loretta: Part One ) Read on for the truth about the hero in LORD OF SCOUNDRELS, whether Albania really is a romantic setting, and a few tantalizing hints about what Loretta has in store for her next book.  Look for Loretta's absolutely amazing new book, Not Quite a Lady, in stores now, and be sure to post a comment or question below -- she'll be choosing a reader at random to win a signed copy of NOT QUITE A LADY.  Wonder if you missed any of Loretta's fantastic books?  Check out the booklist on her website, complete with excerpts: Loretta's Booklist

5.   While most historical romances today are set in Regency England, you’ve wandered much farther afield, placing your books in non-traditional locations like Egypt, Albania, and Italy.   What about these more exotic settings appeals to you?   What are the challenges and rewards of stepping so far outside the genre’s box?

The main reason for trying something different is to keep my readers--and me--from getting bored.  Even when I set a story in England, it’s important to find an angle that’s new to me, so I can bring that freshness to the writing.  Too, the characters have to be the right ones for the setting.  Charlotte’s story is about family, on several levels, so the intensely domestic country setting--away from the glamour and the masquerade that is London Society--was crucial, I thought.  OTOH, setting a story in Egypt--as is the case with MR. IMPOSSIBLE--called for a man who loved danger, because Egypt at this time was extremely dangerous.  So the exotic settings allow me not only to research new places but also to create different kinds of characters and character dynamics.  And it gives me a chance to learn all kinds of interesting trivia.

6.   You’ve written some of the BEST heroes ever to grace historical romance: the perfect mix of intelligence, wit, action, dashing charm, and very real masculine pig-headedness.   While each one is memorable in a different way, there is definitely a Loretta Chase hero.   Are there any real-life men that have influenced you?   What qualities to you regard as essential for a good hero?   What do you try to avoid?

Oh, thank you!  My husband has been most instructive about men.  His insights are vital because I grew up with sisters, so I had no clue about the male brain for many years.  I actually thought they thought the same way women did!

My big challenge is to try to think like a man without going over completely to the Dark Side and losing my readers.  Because the hero is, after all, a kind of ideal male figure.  Very masculine, and yet able to connect on some essential--and not simply sexual--level, with women.  Some qualities simply need to be there or I can’t love him:  a sense of humor, kindness (even if it’s buried deep down), courage (and that includes psychological courage).  He doesn’t have to be a mental giant but he does need to be quick-witted.  I suppose the main thing is, he has to be totally worthy of the heroine.  Oh, and he needs to be tall.

7.   LORD OF SCOUNDRELS is cited by many readers (including me) as one of the top historical romances of all time.   Writers aren’t supposed to have favorite books any more than mothers have favorite children, but I’ll ask anyway: Do you have a favorite among your books?   Why?

I love LORD OF SCOUNDRELS.  I’m not sure I’ve ever had more fun, start to finish, writing a book, and I’m very proud of its continuing popularity.  But I’m a Gemini, and Change and New are bywords.  My favorite book is either the book I’ve just finished--because it’s finished!  Yay!--or the one I’m working on, because it’s all new, and I’m discovering things every day. 

8.   You’ve often said how much you enjoy the books of Charles Dickens, and in fact the orphaned boy in NOT QUITE A LADY is named Pip, the hero of Dickens’ GREAT EXPECTATIONS.   Do you regard Dickens as an influence on your writing?  How?   What other writers have influenced you?

There are lots of influences, a host of 18th & 19th C British authors, poets, and playwrights.  Some of these books, like MIDDLEMARCH, have provided the spark for certain of my stories.  But Dickens is the strongest influence, absolutely, because of the way he used language.  I know that many people find him too wordy but I love his words, whether it’s dialogue or narrative.  His words make everything in the story come alive, not simply people but the environment, furniture, utensils.  Everything seems to have a personality.  In some ways, it’s like seeing a world through a child’s eyes, and I often feel, reading him, that I’m watching a great animated film.  I do believe there’s a lot of Dickens in Disney, for instance. 

9.   Lord Byron and early 19th century Venice have popped up several times in your recent WordWenches blogs.   Are these tantalizing clues for us about your next book?   Could you tell us more?

Sometimes I see a setting before I see the characters, and in this case, I saw Venice.   I knew Byron had lived there for a time, so I hunted up the relevant volumes of his Letters and Journals, and immediately found all kinds of wonderful stuff--the stuff of which novels can be made by the nerdy.  I think he must have been one of the horniest men who ever lived.  Where he found time to write all those long poems is beyond me.  Apparently, sex inspired him--and in Continental Europe, it turns out, sex was more readily available, because morals there were quite different from English morals and the double standard was less...double.

Beyond the fascinating research, I find it hard to talk about a book in progress. I have ideas of where it will go but things always change in the course of writing.  So for now I’ll just say it’s amazing what can go on in an early 19th C gondola.

Many, many thanks, Loretta -- both for this interview, and for the pleasure your books have brought. *G* 
Readers, now it's your turn to ask Loretta a question or two.  She'll be choosing a winner for a signed book next week from the names of everyone who posts, so don't be shy....

Comments

[Nina P]

Great interview questions, Wench Susan/Miranda!

Wench Loretta, you've described your perfect hero, (I like them tall and pig-headed, too) but, what does it take to be the perfect Chase heroine?

[Lauren]

Loved both part 1 and part2 interviews. What book will you be writing now?

Lord of Scoundrels was a great book. I loved it. Can't wait to read Not Quite a Lady.

[KeiraSoleore]

Since Susan/Miranda asked to shed our shyness, Loretta, what DID go on in a gondola in 19th c. Venice? I mean, other than the gondolier singing, of course. :)

[Maggie Robinson]

In the movies Dangerous Beauty and Casanova, Venice is like a character in the films. I've never been to Italy, but my husband, who has, assures me I'd love Venice. Have you traveled there on your research? And speaking of research, how long do you "prep" for a book before you start tapping away? Do you ever feel you can't get away from the research to actually write? :)

[Julie]

Hi, Loretta,
I just discovered your books a few months back and I've been a fan of your work ever since!

My question is: Which fictional character do you wish you created?

[Kaley Nick]

Hi, Loretta! I love what you said about everything in Dickens having a personality--I've never heard it said like that, but it's true. I always enjoy his names for his characters, and his humor--I like how his chapter headings are often punchlines you get after you read the chapter.

About Byron... I've read his Italian journals and letters--oh, boy, you're right about him. But my question is about Carnival. I've always read that it was dead during the 19th century, after the fall of Venice, but obviously, Byron was participating in some festivities. What was the deal?

[Elaine McCarthy]

Greetings, Loretta:

Wonderful interview (and good work on the questions, Susan/Miranda!); I was tickled to hear that you had a lot of fun writing LORD OF SCOUNDRELS because that's just how it sounds. I still remember the delicious shock of reading that shooting scene for the first time. WOW! I loved Jess; she managed to be a perfectly lovely human being while putting up with no nonsense. Of all the fictional characters I've ever encountered, she is the one I would most like to be.

I don't have any questions, really, apart from "How do you invent somebody like that?", which I know is unanswerable. Just wanted to reach out and say thank you.

[Gretchen F]

Oh, I hope you take us to Italy soon, Loretta! I will mentally set myself inside a Canaletto and grab a glass of wine in prparation... I wonder what you could do with an island setting- anything from Jamaica to the Orknies- islands have always fascinated me... Byron was in Greece, too. Also a dangerous place at the time. Do you think he had a machismo complex on account of his crippled foot? Needed to prove he was a whole man, therefore all the sex and war and dangerous travels?

[MJ]

Venice.... what a fantastic place... only been there once, but I spent two weeks and to some extent 'lived' there....if one avoids the heaviest tourist crowds, it's heavenly. And so much fun buying groceries and wine and doing little al fresco meals in the inner courtyard of our residence, a former convent...
And gelato...(got to try all the flavours, right?) -there's so much walking, it doesn't show up on your waistline.
Yup - there is something about the ambiance that screams sensuality....

I was thinking about your books...which I like best...and trying to figure out why.
You know - the ones with children in them seem to be at the top of the list. You have such a gift for creating secondary characters of tender age that one instantly loves, without being maudlin or precious. Peregrine and Olivia interact like sibs...your kids get dirty and don't always behave...but I'd take any of them home (at least for a visit).

And your heroines have brains and don't make any apologies for using them. I particularly liked Daphne....and as I've already mentioned, I like heroines that aren't so preoccupied with their looks that they run from dust and dirt or stress over wrinkled clothes...

Of course....I love ALL of your heroes. No point in trying to analyze that! (-;

[Janga]

The Venice book sounds wonderful. Can we look forward to seeing it on shelves about this time next year?

Lord of Scoundrels is one of my all-time favorite books, and the whole Carsington series has been a joy, but I loved all the old trad Regencies too. Knave's Wager doesn't get mentioned often, but it is a wonderful book, maybe the best wager romance ever. And Lilith is such a real grown-up heroine. Hmm, I think it's time for a reread.

[Susan/DC]

Enlightening comments about Dickens. I've always loved that his characters are so rich. Even the villains or comic characters are multidimensional. About the only characters who are not are his heroines. When he got to Lizzie Hexham in "Our Mutual Friend", I think he'd learned that heroines can consist of more than sugar and spice and everything nice and still be heroines, but unfortunately what was his last completed book. OTOH, just about every Chase heroine is an interesting mix who has far more than just two dimensions to her.

[MJ]

Wee tangent on the Byron/sex theme and this is NOT a question... (-;

In my thesis research on Creativity, I read a really interesting study/book by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi. He had interviewed ~100 eminently creative people from diverse fields of endeavor....
Sex was mentioned by a number of interviewees as a stimulus to their creativity (stats not given, but Csiks. did comment specifically on this, so must have been significant.)

And then there's JS Bach.... (-;
Prolific both professionally and at home....

[LorettaChase]

Nina, I've done a variety of heroines but I think what they have in common is a lack of victimhood. Awful things might happen to them but they bounce back, use the experience to grow or become stronger. I do tend to make them beautiful or at least striking because the heroes are guys and guys see better than they think.
Lauren, the book I'm working on is the Venice one.
And yes, Janga, it is scheduled for about the same time next year--a month later--June 2008.
Julie, the fictional character I wish I'd created is Harry Flashman of the George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series.
MJ, thank you. I do try to use children judiciously. I noticed that in Eloisa James's new book DESPERATE DUCHESSES (look for the interview 8 June) the heroine has a decidedly unsentimental view of children. It made me laugh, because it perfectly expressed my attitude.

[LorettaChase]

On to the Venice & Byron questions.
Keira, the gondolas of Byron's time had a black passenger cabin called a felze. It had casements that could be opened or closed. They were used for shelter from bad weather as well as clandestine meetings, kidnappings, elopements, sex, and murder.
Maggie, I've never been to Venice but there's a chance I'll visit in the fall. The preliminary research usually takes a month or two, but it is a continuous process. Once I've started the WIP, I leave blanks where I need info. Then I set aside time to do the additional research. It does take discipline to write, because the research is so interesting!
Kaley, when Byron was in Venice, Carnival started at the beginning of January and continued until the beginning of Lent. What was dead was the older tradition, in which Carnival went on for half the year. However, even in Byron's time, some pre-Carnival festivities were going on as early as the day after Christmas. It was the masked balls and the major parties that started later.
Gretchen, you make an excellent point regarding his crippled foot. He did come from a long line of wild individuals. "The Gight Gordons were among the most notorious of the Scottish lairds for their defiance of law and order," according to one biographer, Leslie Marchand. His father eloped with a nobleman's wife (he did marry her after the divorce--this was Wife #1). But Marchand does say that the deformity "caused him throughout his life much bodily suffering and mental agony, and that probably did more to shape his character than it will ever be possible to calculate." It's clear from Byron's letters and journals that he's always testing himself--his endurance, his courage, and his sexual prowess--and so yes, I think he was compelled to prove himself as a man, over and over, in every possible way.

[Cherie J]

Loretta,

Thanks for being here and giving us more insight into your books.

[Nina P]

"...heroes are guys and guys see better than they think." Love it Wench Loretta! Absolutely love it!

Your point about "lack of victimhood" has got me thinking. Thank you and thank you for taking the time to answer my question.

All the best on your current WIP.

Nina

[KeiraSoleore]

Oh my goodness, I wasn't aware of small enclosed spaces. A great place for a ton of political and military intrigue, too, I suspect. This book is going to be so much fun.

By the way, your reply comment to Gretchen reminded me of one more reason why I like your books so much: excellent detailed research that is revealed in small touches here and there. Wonderful!!

[LorettaChase]

Elaine, thank you. I do love Jess, the one woman in all the world who could deal with Dain. In fact, comments here regarding heroines got me thinking about the subject, so I posted a related question over at Eloisa James's BB, where I'm visiting through the end of the month. Everone please feel free to stop by!
http://eloisajames.net/board/
Susan, the heroines are my one problem with Dickens. They are rather...gooey good. But Lizzie, as you said, is a better drawn woman--and OUR MUTUAL FRIEND is my second favorite Dickens. (On some days it's my favorite.) Part of making my heroines NOT patient angels or victims is a reaction to those too-good-to-be-true women in his books. But it's also part of my personality. *g*
Cherie, you're welcome. As I have been saying a lot lately, this blog offers a wonderful opportunity to share with readers the research as well as the reasons for what we do.

[Sue A.]

Maybe there should be a Part 3 to this interview. The blog is practically jumping at me with the good vibes coming from fans and newbies like me wanting to get in on the fun. Thanks Loretta for the great interviews. I hope we can do this again soon!

[Susie]

GREAT interview, loved pt.1 & 2. I have no questions, just looking forward to "Not Quite a Lady"!

[LorettaChase]

Sue A, and Susie, thank you for being part of the good vibes!

[Estelle]

Ah, Loretta, I was wondering about Peregrine and Olivia from Lord Perfect. You mentioned some time ago that there might be a book for them. Could you confirm that?

I'm dying to read their story, they were such wonderful characters. Also, I've noticed that the number of pages for romance novels is getting smaller and smaller each year. Where are the tightly plotted 500 pags books of years past I ask you? So I thought that, maybe, writing a book in which the leads already know each other well when the 'action' starts might be an advantage when you have a limited word count. What do you think of this? true? not true?

Thank you for a great interview. I must confess that, contrary to many people, Lord of Scoundrels is not at the top of my list. For me it's The Devil's Delilah that's at the top (such a funny little book. Jack and Delilah were jsut perfect for each other), followed by Captives of The Night and The Last Hellion.

[shscott21]

It's soooooo easy to "conduct" an interview when the subject is Loretta. *g* I'm glad that everyone else enjoyed her answers as much as I did.

Now I'm looking forward to Loretta's Eloisa James interview next month....

Susan/Miranda

[Kim]

Not only do your books keep me entertained, but your interviews do, too. I loved reading all your answers. The only thing I know about Venice, I learned from the movie Dangerous Beauty. That is still one of my favorites. I'll be looking forward to reading a story set there.

[Maya Missani]

Came to the discussion late, I hope it's still open -
at the risk of sounding like a fargone squeeing fangirl, I have to say, I absolutely adored Rupert and he led me to devour all the rest of the Carsington men stories very happily. Although they were all wonderful heros, Rupert's special spot in my heart is secure. He and Daphne hot straight to equal footing with Radcliffe and Amelia of Elizabeth Peters' "Crocodile on the Sandbank" as all-time favorites. So I'd really like to know: have you read that book ? And did it entice you to set a story in Egypt ?

[LorettaChase]

Estelle, so many people have asked about Peregrine & Olivia that I wrote a Random Note on the subject at my website: http://www.lorettachase.com/random.html
The short answer is, I'm definitely thinking about it. As to those 500 page books of yesteryear: Our publishers simply have been setting shorter word counts for the books. Some of us can do complex plots in the shorter lengths; some of us find it impossible. And sometimes it depends on where the characters lead us. Of my recent books, I think of MR IMPOSSIBLE, for instance, as a "denser" book, a little closer to the style of my earlier historicals. But it just worked out that way, evolving out of the setting, the characters.
Peregrine & Olivia's story would be the first, I think, in which the lead characters already knew each other, so I won't know whether it's easier or not until I tackle it.

[LorettaChase]

Kim, I loved DANGEROUS BEAUTY! When I'm imagining dark, gorgeous heroes, Rufus Sewell often comes to mind. Susan/Miranda had also suggested CASANOVA, as another Venice movie. It's fun--and there's lots of wonderful stuff with the canals.
Maya, I discovered Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody series ages ago, and was captivated. And so intimidated by her knowledge (she is an Egyptologist, you know) that it was years before I dared to attempt an Egypt story of my own. But I've set mine safely at the earlier part of the century, found lots of material that even I could understand, and by dint of focusing on a romance rather than a mystery, dared at last to explore a world that's always fascinated me.

[Account Deleted]

testing, still showing mandelli.

[KimW]

I'll have to watch Casanova. Thanks for the recommendation. I wish they'd make more movies like these and less of the action films. lol

[Estelle]

Loretta, thank you for your answer.

It's funny that you used the word 'dense' for Mr Impossible because that's exactly what I thought when I read it. When I first opened the Amazon.com package I was very disappointed to see how slim the book was but when I started reading I realized this was extremely misleading: I felt like I was reading a much longer book because so much was packed into it, which was extremely okay with me :o) And yay for Egypt! Fabulous setting for a book. I wish there were more of those.

Do you think there's a chance that we'll see some longer books in the future even if we're in a period of shorter books right now? I'm extremely worried about this trend of publishers asking for shorter books. Also, since you're 'inside the busines' so to speak, do you know why they're asking for a shorter word count? I've discussed this with other people and I'm not the only one who's worried about it.

[Melissa]

I don't have a question, but I wanted to say 'thank you' for Lord of Scoundrals. I enjoyed seeing so much of the story from the hero's perspective, and any book where the heroine *will* accept and carry out such a dare is my kind of book. :)

[LorettaChase]

Estelle, I may be wrong, but it's my impression that the books are shorter for economic reasons. Price of paper has gone up, as has cost of fuel (which raises shipping costs)--and I would guess that publishers are making most of the books shorter as an alternative to raising prices. I'm seeing it as the same phenomenon as the shrinkage in size of Kleenex (not simply the count in a box, but the actual size of the tissue), various brand-name bleaches, and jars of mayonnaise (from 32 oz to 30 oz). Over the years, I've watched the size of cans of tuna shrink, while the price remains more or less the same. I'm sorry to view books as a commodity, rather than Art, but the business is not immune to the everyday costs of doing business.
Melissa, thank you! I am very proud of that book, and am looking forward very happily to the new edition.

[Estelle]

Thanks again for answering Loretta :o)

I'm still grumbling about the shorter books however. I understand about the price of paper going up, but why is the type so big in some books then? why the big margins? And why are the prices going up anyway (from $5.99 a few years ago to $7.99 and still going up for a paperback in 2007)? Prices always go up, that's a given; but this time they go up very quickly compared to, say, the price of a movie ticket or even magazines.

With a slightly smaller type, the length of the book can be significantly altered without us having to use a magnifying glass to decipher the words.

I've just opened Mr Impossible and I counted 39 lines per page in a nice, smallish but very readable type. I then picked up Lisa Kleypas's Scandal in Spring (I deliberatly chose a book published by a different publisher) and I counted 31 lines per page. Mr impossible has 312 pages which would roughly mean it has 12168 lines (Of course I just multpiplied the numbers and did not take into account the chapter pages etc...that's why I say 'roughly'). Look at Scandal in Spring now: it has 374 pages and that brings the number of lines to 11594! Less than Mr Impossible and it costs $1 more! That means you could fit a lot more, if needed in a 374 pages book without sacrifying the quality of the 'package'.

Then of course there might be the price of ink to take into consideration.

Ah economics...