Patricia Rice's Wicked Wyckerly

Anne here, interviewing our very own Wench, Patricia Rice about her writing life and newest book, THE WICKED WYCKERLY. 

Most regular readers of this blog know Pat, but did you know that:
  — she's a  New York Times and USA Today bestseller

— she's written forty-seven books

— she's won numerous awards, dozens of RT Critics' Choice Awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award and I don't know how many RITA nominations. 

— and she’s not killed any editors in the process. That she knows of.

Anne :  Pat, you've asked this of others, but I don't think I've ever heard you answer it yourself. How did you start writing?  Were you making up stories in kindergarten, or did you come to the trade later? Were there any particular writers who inspired you?
(Pause for Pat to to recover from the cheek of being fed her own question so early in the piece)

Pat: LOL! Turn about is fair play. Besides, it’s a fun question. I think I was probably editing stories in kindergarten—I remember marking up my picture books with red crayon. (yeah, yeah, everyone’s a critic)  I didn’t start seriously putting my own stories down on paper until about fourth grade, when I could get my hands on spiral notebooks. The next year, my father brought home a used IBM Selectric, and I was off and running—although teen tragedy and Nancy Drew mysteries were my genre then.

 Anne : So, pretty much started in the cradle, then. Your latest project is a new regency series entitled Rebellious Sons. The first book, THE WICKED WYCKERLY, comes out on July 6th.  Pat, I'm so intrigued by the idea of featuring rebellious sons. What was the inspiration for this series?

Pat: Rebellion? I was tired of rich, aristocratic heroes who already have everything money can buy. I wanted guys who had to struggle for their dreams. Admittedly, it’s just a fun way to torture them, but making them work hard for their happiness intrigued me and offered opportunity for lots of heroic conflict.

Anne: I was lucky enough to read THE WICKED WYCKERLY in manuscript form, and I have to say I loved it. I smiled all the way through, chuckling from time to time, and I put it down at the end with a big happy sigh. I was hooked from the beginning, where the hero, Fitz, is in such a pickle. To quote you, "Poor chap, his irresponsible bachelor’s life has just come to a crashing, nearly fatal, end with the inheritance of a bankrupt earldom and the arrival of a six-year-old dispenser of flaming dragon dung."  Fitz is not your average romance hero, is he?
 (Pause for Pat to respond, waxing lyrical about the gorgeousness and brilliance of Fitz ... or to fling the feeble question back in Anne's teeth.)

Pat: I think I like Anne’s response better than my own. <G> Fitz is brilliant, actually, a math genius with no education other than memorizing a book of insects he stole as a rebellious child. And the whole point of this series is to create a non-average hero! But he’s a hero, nonetheless. I mean, even in the very first pages, the poor guy has taken on the overwhelming task of tending a six-year-old with a vocabulary of curses better than his. I ask you, what kind of man would do that? And learn to do it quite well. My kind of hero!

Anne :  And he’s kind, though he tried to hide it, and he’s  a gambler, quite a good one. The heroine, Abigail Merriweather, is a great foil for both Fitz and his wild child.
 (Pause for Pat to respond to what is not even a question...)

 Pat:  I think I’m going to hand this interview back to you just to see where you can go with it…  Okay, I’ll play: Abby is blunt, honest, shy, and just about everything Fitz is not. Which means she also knows how to handle six-year-old termagants and is immune to Fitz’s practiced charm. She provides the grounding they need to stop flailing about and consider their not inconsiderable personal assets. How could Fitz not fall in love with a miracle worker, even if she chases him with a hoe and refuses his offer of marriage?

Anne :  Yes, it’s delicious fun watching them throw sparks off each other. If THE WICKED WYCKERLY was made into a movie, who would you have play Fitz, and who Abigail?
 (Pause for Pat to delete stinking rotten hard-to-answer question)

  Pat: Delete. <G> I believe I told Sue Grimshaw that a short Katherine Hepburn might have the right attitude for Abby, but I can’t even remember what name I gave her for Fitz.  The part of my brain reserved for names is infinitesimal. Check her Borders True Romance blog  on July 7 to see if it’s there. (How was that for a neat promotional turn about?)

Anne : Sneaky, but smart (heh heh.) I really enjoyed the cast of quirky minor characters in the story, from the creaky, shopworn but immensely dignified butler who nothing could shock, to the illiterate blackmailer. Who was your favorite? 
(finally a question!)

 Pat:  The butler, hands down. That old man had put up with a succession of incompetent, illiterate earls, running the household with creative license for decades. Despite the opportunity to rob the place blind, he kept on working—maybe helping himself a little a long the way, but only what he’d earned!

Anne: The very first Patricia Rice book I read was Denim and Lace -- a western romance and a fabulous book. Do you think you'll ever go back to writing westerns? I confess I miss them. 

 Pat: I confess, a lot of us miss them. But the book market tends to follow television trends, in my experience. Right now, we’re still suffering from vampiritis (is that an infection of vampires?). I’m not sure we’ll ever get back to the innocent times of sexy saloon ladies and handsome gamblers, unless they’re in outer space.  Hmmm….(idea balloon floating)  

Anne: Steampunk westerns anyone? Pat, you’re a prolific writer who's written in a range of subgenres and weathered all kinds of changes in publishing.  Any advice for new writers?

Pat: Just the one I always use—perseverance is the only way to publication. You can’t sell what isn’t written. If I’d quit every time my book was turned down…oh wait, I would still be a CPA and would only have seen that first rejection. Instead, I can now paper one wall with rejection letters and an entire room with book covers. And work in my jammies, if I’m so inclined.

Anne:  And many more books to come, I hope. Can you tell us a little about the next book in the Rebellious Sons series?

Pat: THE DEVILISH MONTAGUE will be about Blake, whose superstitious family believes he’s cursed to die before he’s thirty and who seems to be doing his best to prove it.

Anne: Sounds lovely. All the best of luck with the launch of THE WICKED WYCKERLY. Anyone who can't wait to read it, there's a gorgeous teaser here.  

Pat:  Anne, thanks for prodding me into talking about Fitz and Abby! I just received my author copies of THE WICKED WYCKERLY, so I’ll give one away to whichever comment entertains us most. While we’re amusing ourselves, could we talk about what makes a man heroic? Does it have to be his ability to take care of his family with wealth?
Anne again: And I'll add, is there anyone else out there who misses western romances?

Comments

[Andrea Penrose]

Fabulous interview Pat and Anne—an extra ray of sun on this lovely solstice day! Sounds like a series after my own heart. I do, however, have a quibble: I'm deep in deadline cave and now you've an impossibly tantalizing morsel to lure me into the sunshine (I usually only come out for chocolate.)

Can't wait to get my hands on Wyckerly!

[anne gracie]

Cara/Andrea, you'll really enjoy this book -- it's the perfect antidote to deadline-cave fever, and much better for you than chocolate -- you get endorphins from chuckles, and no calories!

[Linda Banche]

Oh, Linda jumping up and down. I gotta get this book. Fitz and Abby seem like my kind of H/H. Maybe I've read too many Regencies, but I'm pretty tired of The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous 200 years ago in England. I like a man who has to make his own way in life, and a woman who gives as good as she gets. I also like intelligent men. Maybe I'm crazy, but I go for geeks.

Is it July 6 yet?

I think a heroic man is basically a decent man who's been kicked around and it's made him a better man. I also like a man who earns what he gets, and who wants an intelligent, out of the ordinary, stands-up-for-what-she-believes-in woman for a mate. No filthy rich men or women who've had the world handed to them, or wishy-washy women.

And it must be nice to work in your jammies. *g*

[Carol]

The teaser is fantastic - i want to read more!
And yes please to the come back of gamblers and saloon ladies -
you gotta know when to hold 'em
know when to fold 'em
carol x

[Patricia Rice]

LOL, love our readers. Give me an intelligent man over a neanderthal any day.

Although behind the scenes, Anne has me falling out of my chair laughing over ballroom pumps flooding the dance floor, so don't get me started on knowing when to fold 'em!

[Anne Gracie]

Linda, you'll love Fitz and Abby -- their interactions are such fun.

Linda, did you ever see that movie where Maggie Smith played a romance writer? I think the title was My House in Umbria or something like that. She had the most gorgeous clothes, silky 1920's-30's influenced jammie-like yet glamorous outfits. That's the kind of clothing we romance writers ought to have, I think.

Carol, thanks for dropping in. (and now I've got that song in my head!) Ah, yes, those western gamblin' men and those heart-of-gold strong women -- love 'em.

[Mary Jo Putney]

We can NEVER have enough witty Regencies, and having heroes who need to struggle is a nice change from duke-itis, a disorder not unlike vampiritis.

I must admit the Cinderella fantasy of wealth beyond the dreams of avarice has its appeal, but I'm really looking forward to the highly unqualified Fitz having to fix his unwanted earldom!

[Anne Gracie]

"don't get me started on knowing when to fold 'em!"

Oi, Pat, there is nothing wrong with a man who does origami! Origami can be very romantic you know. Or are you talking about folding his jammies and placing them neatly under the pillow?
And do they come with pumps?

Mary Jo, Fitz is a joy, truly.

[Deb]

What a great interview! Thanks for the fun excerpt; this sounds like a super read! I like a hero who has to realize he has responsibilities and must face them. Sounds like Fitz is a great hero. You are a new-to-me-author, Patricia, so I look forward to picking up TWW!

[Linda Banche]

Anne, no, I haven't seen that movie. Have to look it up.

[Janga]

I smiled through the terrific interview, Anne and Pat. The Wicked Wyckerly has been on my TBB list since I started my book calendar last December. Pat's name on the cover is enough to sell me, plus I love the title. I have a weakness for alliteration. :)

As for heroes, wealth--the possession or lack of--is far less important to me than integrity, intelligence, and a sense of humor. These are the qualities I most want to see in heroes, fictional and real.

I'm of two minds about the return of Western romances. I have found them much like the little girl of the famous rhyme: when they are good, they are very, very good, but when they are bad, they are stultifyingly horrid. I would love to see some good ones in bookstores near me.

[Andrea Penrose]

No calories, Anne? As if I needed an added a incentive! Am now snuffling around the cave entrance, waiting hungrily for July 6.

[Kat]

I love a good hero alpha,beta whatever name you want to assign him,but if you I can have my dream hero. Hmm? Obvioslously the ever ellusive combination of all things good. Witty,smart,descive,tall dark and handsome. OMG…I just like them all;don’t make me choose. Sigh of relief... Thanks to all you great writers and my ever growing TBR pile, I do not have too.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Sherrie, here. As a person privileged to read the behind-the-scenes banter between Pat and Anne (I am, after all, the Wench den mother), I have to say I've been rolling on the floor.

I always enjoyed Westerns, and some editors (okay, one) say they never went "out," but you don't see very many Western romances in the bookstores. I'll take a Western over a zombie romance any day.

Pat, I love quirky butlers! I think quirky minor characters can add comic relief that enriches the story as a whole. And I love the concept of a series based on rebellious sons who have to roll up their sleeves to get the job done. As for a heroine who has the gumption to chase the hero with a hoe ... I can't wait to get this book, especially after reading the excerpt! (For our readers: a list of Pat's blog tour dates/links is in the sidebar to the right, under "Announcements")

[Virginia C]

"The Wicked Wyckerly" sounds delightful! I love a heroine who realizes that garden tools make dandy weapons! I am from VA, and Southern women wield a mean skillet and rolling pin!

A man who takes care of his family with his wealth is a provider. A hero is a man who takes care of his family in all circumstances, especially when wealth is unavailable or unattainable. A man with a compassionate heart, strong principles, honor and humor will always be heroic to those who love him. Money cannot buy those qualities.

Historical Western Romance is my favorite genre. It's far too beautiful and too potent to ever fade away. I was raised in a family who watched Western TV shows and movies and read Western books. Those were things that we did together as a family, and those were golden days. One of my very favorite movies is "Will Penny" starring Charlton Heston. It was his own favorite of all of his films. It's a "just about perfect" movie. A middle-aged (though quite hunky) cowboy finds himself involved with a somewhat prim and proper Eastern lady and her young son. He cannot read or write, but he teaches them about survival. They teach him about love and what makes a family. I will never tire of watching this film. Everyone in it was pitch perfect, but Charlton Heston is remarkable. So very touching. A man who would easily fit my previous description of a hero.

[Patricia Rice]

An origami-making hero, Anne, I'm coming after you with a hoe! Or thinking of a way to make it work...

No one looking for a seriously flawed hero who has to pull his head out of his rear before book's end? They've all got to be perfect? Hmmm, may need to rethink next plot.

Will have to look for that Heston movie. I agree that westerns can be good, bad, or ugly (sorry 'bout that) but then, zombies are ugly always. Have to figure out how to bring back our Mavericks!

[Barbara Elness]

I loved the post and learning more about THE WICKED WYCKERLY, which sounds like a fabulous story.
I do love a seriously flawed hero who has to pull his head out of his rear before book's end, those are always such fun. What I look for in a hero is a man who might have some rough edges, but a heart of gold hiding in there somewhere, he just needs the right woman to help him realize just what is most important in life. He might not have wealth, but he'll work hard to provide for his loved ones, no matter what it takes.

[Joanna Bourne]

Writing stories in spiral notebooks. The old manual typewriter.
Carbon paper.

Funny to think today's ten-year-olds are doing it all on computers.
Probably writing fanfic and trading stories on-line.

I'm looking forward to the disapproving and unshockable butler. I love minor characters.

[Anne Gracie]

Deb, you'll enjoy the book. And what fun glomming Pat's backlist.

Linda, you must instantly rush out and rent that movie My House in Umbria -- not so much for the story, but for the romance writer clothes and house that we writers need to aspire to.

Janga, I agree with you. I like a hero who steps up and does what has to be done, even -- or maybe especially-- when he doesn't want to do it.

As for the extremes in quality of Westerns, I think you can say that about most subgenres. I specifically want more westerns by Patricia Rice and Patricia Potter and contemporary cowboy stories by Anne McAllister -- fabulous authors like that.

[Anne Gracie]

Kat, thanks for dropping by.

Sherrie, den mothers shouldn't roll on floors -- not if you want to exert any control over unruly wenches. You'll enjoy Pat's book, I'm sure.

Virginia, thanks for that movie recommendation -- I'll head out and rent it, along with the Maggie Smith movie for a refresher.

[Anne Gracie]

Barbara, I do enjoy a man whose a bit rough around the edges and hides his heart of gold.

Joanna, yes, and they can lay out the books and put in illustrations and it all looks so professional. Not as much heart though, as handwritten and hand drawn stories.

[Keena Kincaid]

The book sounds fun and fabulous, Pat. Good luck with it!

[Sherrie Holmes]

Keena Kincaid I love your name! If Pat doesn't glom it for one of her heroines, can I have it for one of mine? *g*

Oh, and an origami-folding hero! I love it. Pat, that's right up your alley. You always have the most unusual heroes, guys who don't fit the cookie cutter description. Which is good. I like heroes who are different. I adore nerdy heroes. And reluctant heroes. And heroes willing to take on a wild six-year-old female. Or a female with a garden hoe. *g*

[Susan/DC]

I do like men learning to deal with 6 y.o. limbs of Satan, like Ms. Gracie's very own Gideon from "The Perfect Rake". And heroines who can hold their own against such heroes, even if initially out of their element and unsure what to do when the oh-so-virile hero comes calling.

As to the good, the bad, and the ugly Westerns, I think it was Theodore Sturgeon who said "90% of Science Fiction was crap, but then, 90% of anything is crap". Fill in any genre for SF (or non-genre literary fiction, for that matter) and the statement is probably still true. None of the Wenches fit this, of course, which is why we read them so avidly -- we know that high quality 10% when we see it.

[misskallie2000]

Oh my, oh my I aleady love "The Wicked Wyckerly". This is my kind of read. You can find weapons everywhere inside or outside so don't let your imagination stop you from grabbing whatever is handy. lol.. I am also from the South and brooms, lamps, flower pots, etc make great weapons. Why not make your own by putting 2-4 bars of soap in a sock, tie in knot and you can knock anyone out with this?
A hero does not have to be 6ft 2, muscle bound,and have movie star looks. What makes a hero is their willingness to fight for the people who can't fight for themselves, to give and not always be a taker, to comfort without expecting sex, to help their mate with household duties and not expect to be waited on, and to bring you a flower or box of candy just because. They understand when you are down and make you laugh, when you are sad they make you smile and hold you when you just need to be held.

[LynneW]

Pat,

I'm still reading Western romances - Alice Duncan and Kate Bridges are two authors still releasing them on a regular basis, and I can count on them for a quality read. I'd be thrilled if you started writing them again!

And I'm really looking forward to reading your rebellious sons series, especially Fitz, Abby and the hellion-in-training.

Like another commenter, I'm sooo tired of perfect-dukeitis! I enjoy reading about those on the fringe of society, doing their best with what they've got, even if they don't want it when it's thrust on them.

Continuing with the pajama-theme, when I read about "knowing when to fold 'em" my first thought was laundry! Specifically, sheets ...

Sorry, nothing to make you laugh here, so I'll have to get my fix when the book comes in. I've already ordered it for the library and will pick up my own copy when it's in stores.

[misskallie2000]

Sorry, I was so wrapped up in hero I forgot the cowboy. I love westerns and the good guys. The same applies to them as my above comment list. They protect the weak, love their family, help their mate and help their neighbors without expecting anything in return. They are their through the good and the bad and always available when you need their aid.
I love westerns and the goodness that was apparent during those days. So much and so many were bad but the good guys ruled.
I want more westerns..

[Janga]

Anne, based solely on my own reading experience, I would argue that most books, across all genres, are mediocre--not excellent, not terrible, but somewhere in between. The Westerns I've read, on the other hand, tend to fall to the two extremes. Again, I'm speaking only from my own, admittedly limited, reading experience.

I will certainly read any Western Pat writes, and I agree that Patricia Potter's books are extraordinary. I loved Jo Goodman's Never Love a Lawman too, and I still reread Maggie Osborne and Lorraine Heath's oldies. IMO all these fall in the very, very good category.

[NinaP]

Anne & Pat, great interview! THE WICKED WYCKERLY sounds fabulous. I love the idea of rebellious heroes.

My other favorite kind of hero is the Disillusioned Hero who has grown up wanting only one thing; a thing that no amount of money, position or prestige can buy. Then, when, by the sweat of his brow, the thing he seeks is all but his, it cuts him off at the knees and leaves him an empty shell. How a hero moves forward from such a place (with the help of the heroine, of course) makes for a mighty romance, IMHO.

As to a hero needing to pull his head from his rear... I've read a few of those and liked them. The trick is in timing the extraction. :-)

Nina, thinking an Origami crazed hero would know alot of interesting postions.

[Anne Gracie]

Keena I agree with Sherrie, you have a lovely name -- but Sherrie, you are not allowed to steal visitors names, not until you've given them a cup of tea at least!

Susan, thanks for the kind words about my limb of Satan from Perfect Rake. I do enjoy seeing men cope with small determined girl-children, and yes, Pat's Fitz is ever-so-slightly out of his depth with his little hellion. She'll make a great heroine when she grows up..

[Anne Gracie]

MissKallie, you paint a great portrait of a hero. I saw a movie today where the male star was a lovely hero -- flawed, but lovely. A French movie called Mademoiselle Chambon (I keep wanting to write Chandon)-- see it if you get a chance.

Lynne W, I've had a hero made to fold sheets with the heroine. It's a test of a man ;)
And thanks for the recommendation of Alice Duncan and Kate Bridges -- I'll look out for them.

[Anne Gracie]

Janga, going by your blog you're pretty well read, so thanks also for those recommendations. A lot of US titles never make it to Australian book stores, so I'm not at all well read. I've never read Jo Goodman's Never Love a Lawman, so I'll see if I can get a copy.

Nina, P, I love the kind of hero you describe. I suppose Damerel in Heyer's Venetia would be in that category, wouldn't he?
And yes, timing is so important in all matters, really ;)

[NinaP]

Hmmm, I've not read Heyer's Venetia. Thanks for the tip, Anne.

[Liz Brooks]

I love a hero who takes care of his family. That makes it for me :)
Doesn't hurt to be tall, dark and handsome too. (oh and a military man to boot)
Can't wait to read this!

[Anne Gracie]

Nina, Venetia is the most romantic of Heyer's novels, I think, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Liz, thanks for dropping by. Don't think Fitz is a military man, but he's a guy you'll end up falling for.

[coach purses]

Needless to say, nothing but perseverance can lead a man to the way of success. In other words, a persevering man never does his work without succeeding in it. This is indeed unchangeable truth.