Welcome to The New Wench! Nicola Cornick

Anne here. As regular readers of this blog know, there have been shifts and changes in the Word Wench line-up over the last few months, as first Loretta, then Edith, then Susan Holloway Scott decided to concentrate on their books and become Wenches Emeritae, still part of the community, but only blogging occasionally, rather than every fortnight. 

Andrea Pickens has already joined us as a part timer (a demi-wench?) and we've had another Honorary Word Wench poised on the slip-rails for some time, shrouded in mystery and waiting to be launched as a regular Word Wench on June 5th. And I've been poised to crack a large bottle of champagne over her head, make a small speech and shove her into the water. ;)

 Edith's death has devastated us all, but one of our last joint decisions with her was to invite Nicola Cornick to become our newest wench, and we, as a group, feel very sure that Edith would want us to go ahead with Nicola's planned launch date, and do it joyfully and with celebrations. 

So please join us in welcoming Nicola Cornick. Nicola has been interviewed here before and has blogged as a guest. She's a talented, popular and prolific author and, living in England, she ensures that we're now even more global. Welcome Nicola! 

Thank you to Anne for such a moving, gracious (and damp?!) introduction and to all the Word Wenches for a very warm welcome indeed. It is a huge privilege to be invited to join the ranks of the Word Wenches and I am honoured to be here and will do my very best to uphold the traditions that Edith and all the other Wenches have established with such wit and charm.

I write Regency-set historicals and this month sees the launch of my new series, the Brides of Fortune. The heroine of the first book in the series, The Confessions of a Duchess, is Laura Cole, dowager duchess and former highwaywoman. Laura’s adventures began back in my previous book, Unmasked, when she was one of the leaders of the Glory Girls, a band of outlaws who worked to protect the poor and the weak against the injustices of society. Whilst I was writing Unmasked I was prompted to wonder what exactly is the appeal of the outlaw hero – or heroine – not just in fiction but why is it so deeply rooted in myth and legend? Are these characters criminals and as such can their exploits never be justified? Or do they represent some primal desire within us all for justice and equity?

There is a new film of the Robin Hood legend currently in the making, featuring Russell Crowe as Robin and with the new twist that the Sheriff of Nottingham is one of the good guys. At the same time the BBC drama of the same name is in its third series, much of its appeal deriving from a young and good looking cast and a rather knowing, deliberate use of anachronism! But why is this outlaw so popular? Robin and his Merry Men are legendary characters but they are the most sympathetic outlaws in history.

 

The earliest folk tales about Robin Hood date from the 13th century. Famous for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, Robin has been variously depicted as a commoner or as a dispossessed nobleman, Robin of Loxley. The original tales of his activities place him in Yorkshire but by the 16^th century he had moved to Nottinghamshire and taken up residence with his Merry Men (and Maid Marian, a 16^th century love interest addition) in Sherwood Forest.  It is in the ballad-style narratives of the 15th and 16th Centuries that Robin’s story really takes shape. In these tales most of the present-day legend is already in place. We have Robin’s dedication to protecting the poor and needy, his brilliant skill as an archer and his dislike of corrupt authority.

 

There are some very appealing elements to the Robin Hood legend. The camaraderie, the idea of rebellion against a corrupt society, the romance and the timeless theme of good versus evil are all very attractive ideas. And in the current economic climate of recession, the Robin Hood legend also resonates with people. In a BBC interview Thomas Hahn, professor of English at Rochester University commented that the character’s popularity had long represented people’s frustrations with life in a capitalist society. Although the legend is medieval in origin his contention is that “it is a fantasy broad and deep enough to possess the imaginations of people in almost all times and places.”

 

It is interesting that the popularity of the Robin Hood legend blossomed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a time of capitalist enterprise. One outlaw theme that developed later, during the Regency era, was that of the pirate. Lord Byron had a great deal to do with promoting the cult of the pirate as hero. His poem The Corsair was published in the summer of 1814 and was immediately interpreted by an eager public as a smouldering, piratical self-portrait.  When taken in combination with a painting of Byron sporting an exotic headscarf and cutlass, the poem added yet another fantasy element that fed Byron’s celebrity status.

Ten thousand copies of The Corsair were sold on the day of publication. Byron had  based his story on tales of Barbary pirates who sailed the Mediterranean and Aegean kidnapping men and women to sell as slaves. He idealised his hero, Conrad, as “a man of loneliness and mystery.” In effect his poem was a wildly romantic fantasy on the brutal reality of pirating but it caught the public imagination. Like the Robin Hood legend, the cult of the pirate changed and grew through the following decades and centuries. There were five different ballets inspired by Byron’s poem between 1826 and 1856. The corsair cult spread to other arts and like the Robin Hood legend, was transformed again with the birth of the movie industry.

 

Arguably Robin Hood was the first footpad or highwayman. The idea of a nobleman fallen from grace, the protector of the poor and weak who is up against an oppressive regime is a very powerful one. There is a real gap between reality and fantasy here. In reality highway robbery was violent, dangerous and criminal but in the public imagination it is romanticised and glamorous. The highwayman is seen as dashing and likeable, a rogue with the qualities of courage and confidence, someone with not only strength of personality as well as skill with arms but arguably a superb horseman, a possessor of stamina and patience. Claude Duval, a Frenchman who emigrated to England in the 1660s did much to reinforce this view of the highwayman as gentleman, with the polished gallantry with which his carried out his robberies, his Gallic good looks and flirtatious tendencies!

 

Highway robbery flourished at a time when the hold of government and of law and order was incomplete or when the forces of government were unpopular or illegitimate. It also required some degree of economic prosperity in order for the highwayman to have appropriately wealthy victims. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, when the implementation of the law was becoming stronger and more organised, highway robbery started to decline and the highwayman’s exploits turned into legend.

 

So is the appeal of the outlaw hero a celebration of liberty?  Do they act as an example to all of us by being completely free and personify some of the aspirations that lie deep in many of  us, not to go out and commit a criminal act, but to be a devil-may-care individualist? What do you think? Does the outlaw hero or heroine appeal to you in fiction or do you think that outlaws are no more than criminals? Who is your favourite outlaw or your favourite film/book with an outlaw hero or heroine?

 

 I’ll be giving away a signed copy of The Confessions of a Duchess to a winner drawn at random from one of the people who leave a comment here. Thank you!

Comments

[Helen]

Welcome Nicola

What a great post one of my favourite outlaw heros is Robin Hood I love the Errol Flynn movie I have it on DVD and have lost count how many times I have watched it and have really enjoyed all of the others that have been released.

To me the outlaws are heros not criminals they are fighting for justice in a sometimes very hard enviroment. One of Julia Quinn's books is about a lost Duke who is a highwayman can't think of the name of it at the moment but I loved that book.

I have Unmasked here to read and will be reading it soon so as I can jump into the new one when I put my order into Rendezvous.

Have Fun
Helen

[Andrea Pickens]

First of all, a big welcome, Nicola! I assure you that being part of this "merry band" is going to be a wonderful experience. Yes, it has been a very tough week for the Wenches, but I believe Edith is smiling that Layton smile to know the torch she helped make burn so bright is being passed on.

What a great post! I am smiling in that a couple of writer friends were visiting NYC last week and the first thing we all did as see "The Corsair" ballet at the Met. (Which was delightful!)

I love the idea of the "outlaw" hero/heroine. Yes, the reality of it may be that most aren't very savory characters, but the concept appeals, I think, in that it conjures up an image of thumbing your nose at authority, of daring to take a bold risk . . . Most of us lead very orderly lives, and we are pretty much afraid to step outside the "rules". So to fantasize, through a brave and bold hero/heroine, of doing something adventurous (and noble) strikes a chord in all of us.

And hey, those men in tights look pretty hot so sign me up for an outlaw band!

[Liz Brooks]

Welcome Nicola! I'm looking forward to reading your posts.
An outlaw heroine if very intriguing to me-I'll have to check this one out!

[Maggie Robinson]

Welcome, Newest Wench! I'm in the middle of COAD right now, and enjoying it enormously.

I always get a bit nervous when a principal character has broken the law, because it usually means there will be some legal difficulty before the HEA.One's neck is very important.:)

I'm very fond of the very romantic Kevin Costner Robin Hood movie. There was also something with Liv Tyler (Something and Maclean? too busy to Google) a Georgian-set highwayman movie that was lush and interesting.

[Nicola Cornick]

Oooh, Helen, I love that movie too! I think Andrea's right about the men in tights - though you have to be quite a man to carry them off, don't you. Not everyone could get away with it and still look hot!

Andrea, thank you. It's such a privilege to be joining you all here. I still can't quite believe it! What a coincidence that you saw The Corsair in NYC. I would love to hear more about that.

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Liz, and thank you so much for the welcome. If you do check the book out then I hope you enjoy it!

Maggie, thank you! I'm thrilled that you're enjoying COAD. That movie you mentioned is Plunkett and Maclean, I think. It's on my shelf. I like it because there's a lot of the seamy side of life in it as well as some very lush high society stuff. Very romantic and exciting too, IMO! I'll confess now that my favorite "outlaw" movie is The Abduction Club. It's witty, clever and very romantic. Sigh.

[Patricia Rice]

What an utterly marvelous introduction to the wenches, Nicola! Edith would be swooning in delight over your swashbuckling movie heroes.
I think the outlaw hero might find more justification in times when there is a larger than usual gap between the classes, and the ones without power feel frustrated at their inability to control their destinies. That's probably one of the reasons the concept slumped during the rise of the middle class in the Victorian era. And as you say, times of lawlessness will bring it back--like the wild West.

And now you've got me thinking of bloodthirsty justice--must put my Regency gloves back on before I get back to work!

[Mary Jo Putney]

What a great launch! I hope the champagne didn't frizz your hair, Nicola. :)

What an interesting riff on outlaw heroes and heroines. Certainly the Robin Hood legend has the power of outlaw as fighter of injustice, and for romance readers, of course there's the bad boy element.

But overall, I don't find the highwayman/pirate hero particularly appealing. My brain insists on separating fantasy from reality, and in most cases, the reality was pretty darned unsavory. Maybe if I hadn't written about Barbary pirates from the point of view of the enslaved sailors...

Welcome to Wenchdom, Nicola. This is a delightful start!

Mary Jo

[Susan Shay]

Welcome! I love badgirl stories. It doesn't matter what time period. Thanks for adding to the garden of great books. Gotta run. I want to find Unmasked.
Susan Shay
www.susanshay.net
http://3twistedsisters.wordpress.com

[Linda Banche]

Hi Nicole, nice to see you here.

Outlaws? Maybe we like outlaws because they do things the rest of us would like to, but can't. Whether as a dark fantasy--punishing those who have done us or our loved ones ill--or an altruistic one--helping those who can't help themselves--outlaws are beyond the everyday. I do think they're appropriate to times like now, where we have little control over our lives.

I like good outlaws and their cousins, the swashbucklers. I really like women swashbucklers, which are far and in between. Your "Unmasked" was one of them, and Andrea Pickens' "Spy" trilogy is another. I hope there are more to come.

[kay]

Welcome Nicole! And what a wonderful photograph of the young girl holding something in her hand that I can't quite make out.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you very much for welcoming me to Wenchdom, Patricia and Mary Jo! Yes, the wild West is a great example of the popularity of the outlaw hero, and of the lawman hero on the other side of the coin. I had particular fun in Unmasked and in COAD too, because the heroines are both suspected outlaws and the heroes are both men out to uphold the law. Plenty of conflict there. Must admit that I love bad boys but I do adore the protector-type hero as well. Clearly I am very indiscriminate in my affections!

[Andrea Pickens]

Nicola, the ballet was just delightful. The costumes and settings were gorgeous and of course the dancing was superb. (Not to speak of the beautiful Metropolitan Opera House.) All in all, it was FUN, and a performance that would appeal to a very wide audience. We certainly enjoyed ourselves immensely.

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Susan, hi Linda! If you like bad girls I hope you will LOVE the third of my trilogy books, Susan. It features a heroine so wild my editor called the characterisation "brave"!! That made me quite nervous.

I love reading about women swashbucklers too. I wonder though, if female outlaws or "bad girl" heroines are more difficult to write. Or more difficult to make sympathetic?

[Nicola Cornick]

Hello Kay! Thank you for welcoming me. That was Anne's choice of photograph - she comes up with the most amazing pictures! The girl has a bottle of champagne in her hand and looks as though she is about to use it as a lethal weapon!

[anne gracie]

Kay, it doesn't look like a bottle, I know, but they used to wrap the bottle so the shards of glass wouldn't fly everywhere and do damage to the spectators.

Nicola you've made a wonderful start. I've always liked a bad boy character, and as for men in tights, I must confess I imprinted as a child on the Richard Green TV Robin Hood. And I remember falling about laughing when I first saw the old Errol Green movie -- the tights were fine, but that haircut? Who would give a virile-looking man such a silly page boy haircut?

I also loved pirate movies when I was young, and one day I'd like to write a pirate story, even though the harsh and horrible reality of pirates does get in the way somewhat. On the other hand, there is Johnny Depp...
I have your new series on order. can't wait.

[NinaP]

Welcome Wench Nicola! Unmasked sounds positively yummy.

I too have a great fondness (ok extreme fascination) with the criminal hero. My favorite version always portrays the dispossessed nobleman. Takes guts to turn one's back on ease and comfort in favor of us underdogs. The Lone Ranger was my first hero of this sort, quickly followed by Zorro. Then Spock and Sir Lancelot (not quite the same but darn sexy) and now the Templar Knights, perhaps the most misunderstood heroes of time.

Nina, who’s current WIP hero is not a noble badboy, but the next one… hmmm deliciously bad ideas are sparking. Must write them down.

[Jo Beverley]

Welcome, Nicola! It's great to have you here with us.

I watched the first few episodes of the TV Robin Hood recently. Weird, of course, but I think I liked the way the Sheriff is portrayed. And, of course, all the riffs on the balance between power and rebellion, and when illegal acts are noble and when they're not.

But I couldn't really get into the Robin Hood character.

Jo

[Susan/DC]

If you're looking for pirates of the swashbuckling variety, Errol Flynn made a speciality of them. Two of his best are "The Seahawk" and "Captain Blood". In both of them he takes to the high seas to serve Truth, Justice, and the English way. He's marvelous and the films are great fun.

OTOH, I've a soft spot for Cary Grant in Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief". Early on he's asked why he went into a life of crime, and he answers "for the money". Far less honorable than Robin Hood, but probably far more typical of the average outlaw. Of course, it's Cary Grant, so he can make even the most self-interested criminal charming.

Anne, I too have fond memories of Richard Green as Robin Hood. He was my original crush on a good-guy-as-bad-guy. For bad-guy-as-bad-guy, the most recent BBC version of RH has Richard Armitage -- be still my beating heart. And Gayle Feyrer wrote a bad guy version of Guy de Guiseborne that broke my heart in her "The Thief's Mistress".

[Susan/DC]

After writing all that, realized that I neglected to say "welcome" to Ms. Cornick. Your most recent book has a lovely cover and the series sounds intriguing, particularly based on the reaction to the heroine of the third book. I look forward to reading them as I work my way down my TBR pile.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you, Anne. Isn't it interesting how many of us like the bad boy hero in fiction? And Susan mentioned The Seahawk. I love that film! There's a lot of great swashbuckling there!

Nina mentioned Zorro and I have to confess that's another of my faves.

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Jo! I was interested in your take on the new Robin Hood TV series. I, too, love the way they portrayed the sheriff role and I have a very soft spot for Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisborne but Robin and his merry men seem like a boyband to me. Maybe I'm just too old to get the appeal!

[chey]

Hi Nicola!,
Great post.
I think the outlaw heroes appeal because they tend to be righting some wrong. I like Without Remorse and its outlaw hero John Kelly and Braveheart outlaw hero
William Wallace.

[Kristina W.]

Welcome Nicola! I wish I had time to join the fun discussion, but it's a Friday and I've got to finish up a project so I can enjoy the weekend.

I look forward to your blogs!

[Maya M.]

Welcome, damp wench! I'm still sad about Edith, but life must indeed go on.

The cover of the Duchess book is beautiful.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Nicola, I'm like you in my "indiscriminate affections." *g* If the hero is delicious, I'll love him, whether he's a highwayman, a swashbuckler, or a cat burgler, particularly if he has good reasons for his profession.

I think the appeal of characters like Robin Hood is not only that they are thumbing their noses at restrictive, unfair authority and getting away with it, but that their goals are seen as noble. With that in mind, I'm really looking forward to the new Robin Hood movie starring Russell Crowe, because the Sheriff of Notingham will be portrayed as a sympathetic character!

Welcome to the Wench fold, Nicola. I think you've alread demonstrated that you are excellent Wench material! *g*

[Nicola Cornick]

And now Chey has mentioned William Wallace and Braveheart - all my favourite movies are being listed now. I like it here!

Thank you for the welcome, Maya. I understand that a lot of people have been deeply upset about Edith and I feel very honoured to be picking up the baton now and joining the Wenches.

Kristina - have a great weekend!

[Maureen]

Hi Nicola,
That was an interesting post. I only remember liking outlaw heroes who are out to right a wrong. I don't like the thought of innocent people being the victims of a character who is supposed to be the hero of the story I'm reading. I don't have a problem with a character who is harming others being a victim though.

[liz m]

I wonder if there is any cross over between bad boy lovers in fiction and bad boy lovers in life. I'm with Mary Jo in not really caring for pirates, smugglers or highwaymen or the like, but I have been won over by specific stories. One that comes to mind is the Beckett series, which made it pretty clear that smuggling was ugly work.

In life, the easiest way for me to lose interest in a boy was for him to have any bad boy tendencies at all. My oldest daughter, who thinks pirates are divine and Darth Vader misunderstood, shows every sign of being a bad boy lover in her personal life as well. Maybe I've sheltered her a wee too much.... I'm not sure what bad boy antidote replaces experience, however.

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Maureen! I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I think you're right - it's very important to give an outlaw hero or heroine a cause to make them appear sympathetic. Otherwise it's hard to identify with their behaviour.

Liz, Darth Vader misunderstood, hmm? One of the things that intrigues me about bad boys is this idea of crossover between fiction and reality. In real life I would run a mile from getting entangled with a bad boy. In fiction I love them! But maybe you're right - I'm speaking from experience...

LOL Sherrie, I'm so glad you're indiscriminate with your affections as well! I'd hate to think it was just me!

[Kit Donner]

Gosh Nicola, I really enjoyed reading about the appeal of outlaws. In the US, when you think of outlaws, it usually has Western connotations. I really think the attraction is the mask. What man lies behind it? What secrets does he hide? The Mark of Zorro is one outlaw who pops into my head. But then again, many western outlaws were looking out for themselves like Jessie James or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids- I think they were fiction, not sure. Again, great post! Keep those books coming!

[Sherrinda]

Nicola!!! I just got your book, Confessions of a Duchess, in the mail today and I am so excited!!! Thank you for your sweet card! Today was my first day of summer vacation (since I work in a school) and I am thrilled to have your book to kick of my summer reading.

[Karen W.]

Welcome, Nicola!

What a fascinating blog since Robin Hood *IS* my favorite outlaw. :) (Honorable mention to Han Solo.)

[Judith L]

Welcome, Nicola! What an interesting topic for your introductory post. I confess I've always been fascinated with outlaws. I do believe the appeal comes from the outlaw's refusal to let "the rules" stop them from doing what they want to do. My own fascination with them stems from my "outsider" teenage years. A big influence on me that I haven't seen anyone else mention was "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes. But more recently, The End of the Dream by Ann Rule gave me a different perspective (nonfiction tale of a Northwest bank robber), and my feelings are more mixed these days. Still, I'm working on my own highwayman story currently, and trying to make him sympathetic. I look forward to reading your books and more posts on this blog!

[Sue]

What a great addition to the wenches; welcome Nicola from another Brit! I grew up with at least two Nicola's in my classes at school but find it very uncommon on this side of the Atlantic. My friend (another Brit) gets called Nee-cola, Ny-cola and various other variations. I of course call her Nickla with my Lancashire accent. Anyway, I was noticing some assumed you are Nicole but that's a reflection on the rarity of your name!
I am enjoying Confessions of a Duchess, the storyline is very compelling and I am having a hard time putting it down.
Looking forward to reading more from you in the upcoming months.

[Pam P]

Welcome Nicola. I think the appeal is he's another type of bad boy with some good in him. The Robin Hood types doing it for a cause or to right some wrong, those like Cary Grant doing it for the money, or those for the thrill of danger, yet roguishly charming, smart and witty. Just like we go for those bad-boy rakes. The Thomas Crown Affair was another one I liked besides To Catch a Thief.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you, everyone, for such a lovely welcome! Kit, it's great to see you here. Sherrinda, I'm so pleased that you liked the parcel and happy you have time now to enjoy it.

I'm so glad you mentioned Han Solo, Judith. Yes, a very, very attractive outlaw indeed... (pause of appreciation!)

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Sue! I'm very happy that you are enjoying COAD. Thank you! Yes, Nickla isn't as unusual a name over here in the US, is it. I'm used to being called Ni-Cola, which I rather like and Nicole, which I always wanted to be called! Last time my dh and I went to the RWA National people called him Mr Ni-Cola, which tickled him no end. (He's coming with me to Washington and is hoping his British accent is going to be as much of a hit as it was last time. He's half Scottish so can speak with a lovely brogue too!)

[Nicola Cornick]

Hello, Pam! Yes, the smooth, charming bad boy is very dangerous, isn't he. I think Cary Grant played those soooo well. Yesterday I went to a talk by the military historian Richard Holmes about John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough. Richard Holmes is always good value talking about anything, but the way he portrayed Marlborough made him sound incredibly attractive. Bad and dangerous to know, but courageous and confident and very charming.

[Annie West]

Hi Nicola,

Congratulations on joining the Wenches! I've enjoyed your post and yes, I'm another to appreciate the allure of the bad boy. I love the stand-out, stand-alone outlaw figure, preferably if he has integrity and honour of sorts, despite his outlaw status.

Sad to say the BBC production of Robin Hood leaves me cold (apart from Richard A of course!). Robin is such a pathetic creature in that - no verve, no sense of underlying power, no appeal.

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Annie! How lovely to "see" you here! Those bad boys have a lot of admirers. Interesting that you too are left cold by the BBC Robin Hood production. Robin is a bit callow, isn't he. In contrast, RA's Gisborne is a man!

[Cathy Phillips]

Congrats, Nicola! Loved your post!

Outlaws and swashbucklers? I like the concept of historical ones, but in these days, I can't think of any robber that I admire. I love to read a book or see a movie of an outlaw or swashbuckler (man or woman) that has become one due to circumstances that have forced them into it -- revenge, robbing the rich for the poor, honor, etc.

I loved Errol Flynn in his movies -- Robin Hood, Seahawk, and Captain Blood. I also loved Braveheart with Mel Gibson; Jane Russell's and Bob Hope's movies, The Paleface and Son of Paleface; and Paul Newman's and Robert Redford's movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. There are also numerous books that I have read with loveable heroes and heroines, several of which were written by you.

[Robyn L]

I like the outlaw heroes; they live a very interesting life; always on the go and looking back.

Welcome Nicola

[Robyn L]

RobynL
yourstrulee at sasktel dot net

[glee]

Welcome, Nicola, I look forward to more of your posts. My own personal favorite bad-boy movies are the Joseph Papp production of Gilbert and Sullivan's _Pirates of Penzance_ with Kevin Kline as the Pirate King and _The Crimson Pirate_ with Burt Lancaster. Both are authority challengers, I guess that's the appeal for me. I can't imagine Russell Crowe as Robin Hood -- my own image obviously colored by Richard Greene's portrayal in the much earlier tv series. My favorite of the Robin movies, though, is Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn as Robin and Marian, which always brings a smile.

[~~Olivia]

Welcome Nicola,

I have always found badboys intriguing. Who doesn't want to tame the savage beast?

I love your stories!

[Carol Townend]

Hi Nicola,
There is a great book by Maurice Keen 'The Outlaws of Medieval Legend'. It starts with Hereward the wake after the Norman Conquest. The outlaw is an endlessly fascinating figure, particularly when entangled with a sense of injustice, which certainly applies in the Robin Hood legend. And, yes, there is a tendency to want to sanitise the outlaw (& the pirate). Is that something to do with our fascination with the 'other' and the desire to encompass it in order to make use of all that energy which otherwise might be lost?
Looking forward to your book...
Best wishes

[Nicola Cornick]

I've really enjoyed this discussion - so many interesting takes on the idea of the outlaw bad boy or girl and so many of my own favourite outlaws mentioned. Thanks very much for embracing this new wench so warmly!

[Joelle]

So happy to find you here dear Nicola... This one is one of my fav blog !!!! Love from JOELLE : )

[Gillian]

Nicola, so sorry to be late to welcome you, but I'm so glad you are here! I love outlaw heroes and heroines; as a Libra I see not only two but dozens of sides to every argument, so almost every so-called "bad boy" has a good reason for his behavior. And of course it's all fantasy!

Loved Sebastian in Devil in Winter. His behavior was really rotten in the earlier books but his reformation was delicious. And I love the fact that the new Robin Hood movie has the sheriff as a good guy; I adored Alan Rickman in the older movie, as evil as he was, his dark humor hooked me completely.

[Diane Gaston]

Nicola,
How nice to see you at Word Wenches.
I remember visiting Nottingham where there is a statue of Robin Hood in a park with some good luck ritual that I have forgotten!

[Nicola Cornick]

It's lovely to see you here too, Joelle! How nice that WW is one of your favourite blogs.

LOL to the libran approach, Gillian! I too loved Sebastian in Devil in Winter. Adored him. I think it's great fun to push a bad boy character as far as you can and then see if he can reform. I have a character in my trilogy whose behaviour gets worse and worse as the trilogy progresses and one day I would LOVE to redeem him. I think I deliberately left his story open so I could go back to it.

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Diane! Thank you so much for welcoming me. I'd love to know what the good luck ritual is for teh Robin Hood statue. Must try to find out!

[PhyllisC]

Welcome, Nicola! I love your stories and look forward to this new series. I enjoyed reading your post and all the comments. You are a great addition to the other "wenches".

[Keira Soleore]

I'm a little late chiming in... But my cheer and welcome is just as loud and drunker than the others. Huzzahs to the new Wench. Looking forward to your blogs (and hopefully ogle-worthy pics of your NT work).

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you Olivia, thank you Phyllis, for your kind words about my books. I am very pleased that you enjoy them. I've really appreciated everybody's comments - it is incredibly motivating to know people are actually reading them :-)

Keira, I'll do my best with the ogle-worthy pics! I'm planning to feature a visit to a historic house for my next blog so watch this space!

[merry]

I think we've got it wrong if we think the appeal of Robin Hood--(also one of my earliest favorites) is the appeal of the "bad boy". I think the appeal is that he represents a person with such a strong commitment to the poor, and against the rich-- (values of economic justice), that he is willing to fight unjust authority, and will go outside of society and comfort,if he has to, to do it. I think the appeal is that of very deep and fundamental humanistic values, and of anti-authoritarianism. He robs from the rich to give to the poor. - Maybe the radical idea "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need" has more historical and universal appeal than we give it credit for.

Now if one stumbles into "the merry men" for the fun of it, and then picks up the good cause along the way, that might represent more of a likable "bad boy".
Merry

[Nicola Cornick]

Interesting comment, Merry. I think the debate on this topic has proved that Robin and other outlaws have a different appeal to different people. There is a bad boy element for some but also this idea of a cause and fighting for justice,which is very strong.

[Peter]

I loved the post Gillian and friends. I grew up reading this author, and my recent published title; True Love Is Not Common, has similar main characters. I hope you will find this book lovely too. The web is; www.eloquentbooks.com/TrueLoveIsNotCommon.html