Hanging Out With Hope Tarr

Cara/Andrea here,

 Today I'm delighted to welcome my good friend and fellow author Hope Tarr, who has kindly consented to stop by and talk about a rather unusual occupation for a historical hero. But before I pass the Wenchly Pen to her, allow me to highlight some of her impressive accomplishments, both as a writer and a tireless advocate for our genre. As a co-founder of Lady Jane's Salon, a monthly romance reading series in New York City, Hope has helped create an amazing venue that attracts authors, editors and readers to gather for an evening of camaraderie and stories--as well as collect books and funds for women's shelters in the area.

As further backstory, Hope earned a Master’s Degree in Developmental Psychology and a Ph.D. in Education only to discover she didn’t want to teach people or analyze them. She wanted to write about them! For the past decade she has been doing just that, writing the books of her heart in both historical and contemporary settings. In addition to MY LORD JACK (July 12, 2010) and A ROGUE’S PLEASURE (August 16, 2010), both reissued with Carina Press, look for her single-title novella, Tomorrow’s Destiny, in A HARLEQUIN CHRISTMAS CAROL with Betina Krahn and Jacquie D’Alessandro this November 10, 2010. (For more details, you can visit her online at www.HopeTarr.com)

And now, without further ado, I turn the page over to Hope!

“Her hero’s a hangman!?!”

So exclaimed author, Patricia Potter when my then editor at Berkley, Cindy Hwang, first approached her to read, and hopefully provide an author quote for, my Scottish-set romance, MY LORD JACK.

Fortunately for me, Pat found the fortitude to finish the book despite its admittedly off-setting premise. In the end she pronounced MY LORD JACK “a book to feast upon.”

Whew! Talk about close calls.

MY LORD JACK went on to receive a nomination for a Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence and a stream of mostly glowing reviews.  Sadly by the time the book hit store shelves, Berkley had decided to close the “Highland Fling” Scottish line “Jack” had helped to launch. MY LORD JACK might have received reviewer praise, but he was dead before the trap door was sprung.

Flash forward eight years, ten novels, and one novella later. MY LORD JACK (Carina Press, July 12, 2010) has been given a facelift in the form of a fresh new cover and an editing overhaul—I like think I’ve learned something about craft in the past almost decade—and a second chance at wooing a whole new generation of romance readers.

As tempting as it is to focus on all the cool changes with the reissued book, I find it even more fun to focus on all the reasons I loved, and fought so very hard, to write it in the first place. Topping the list is…

Danger.

Eighteenth century Britain was a dangerous place indeed, especially if you were a Scot under English rule. The Bloody Code, cant for the English legal system from the late 17th to early 19th century, came by its name honestly. A convicted perpetrator could be executed for stealing anything worth more than five shillings—and that encompassed quite a lot. By 1815, 225 offenses, many piddling by today’s standards, were punishable by death. Crimes carrying the death penalty included destroying turnpike roads, an unwed mother concealing a stillborn child, arson, forgery, stealing from a rabbit warren, murder (not so surprising), and stealing a horse. The latter is the crime that nearly lands my French émigré heroine, Claudia Valemont, in the hangman’s noose. Happily she lands in hero, Jack Campbell’s arms instead.

Enacting harsh penalties was believed to deter crime and keep the peace. Until 1868, executions in Britain were carried out in public. Dickens was one of several men of letters who remarked scathingly on the barbarism of the practice. Legal defense was viewed as a privilege, not a right. Keeping mum when asked to answer the charge was considered an admission of guilt.

By the eighteenth century, the burnings, beheadings, and disemboweling of previous centuries had fallen largely out of favor.  In Britain certainly, hanging by the neck until dead was the preferred method.

Neck-breaking is a science, and the best executioners such as my Jack Campbell viewed themselves as craftsmen, not torturers. As such, they took great pains and pride in bringing about the optimal “drop.” That entailed calibrating not only the victim’s weight and height but also his or her body mass. A heavy body requires a shorter drop than a light one. A former form absorbs shock and drops differently than one that’s more…squishy. To get the formula as close to perfect as possible, sometimes weights were affixed to the prisoner’s legs, especially when the condemned was slight, say a woman or child.

English law forbade the execution of a pregnant woman. Not surprisingly, many female inmates bound for the gallows “pleaded their bellies” and were preyed upon by unscrupulous male gaolers and prison guards.

It wasn’t until the latter half of the Victorian era that childhood began to be seen as a distinct developmental state with a moral imperative of adult protection. Children convicted of a crime, typically theft, were routinely flogged, branded, and imprisoned (often in adult prisons) as well as hanged. Reform, dare I say progress, was slow to come. Under the Children’s Act of 1908, juveniles younger than sixteen could no longer be executed.  In 1933 the minimum age for capital punishment was raised to eighteen.

A prominent part of popular culture, public executions gave rise to a distinct vernacular, some sayings from which survive today. “Toe the line,” was originally a directive to the condemned to line the tops of his toes up to the chalk mark drawn by the hangman over the scaffold trap. Hesitating or flinching at the final moment wasn’t only a mark of cowardice. It likely meant the difference between a quick, relatively painless snapping of the vertebrae and prolonged strangulation otherwise known as “kicking up rough.”

Likewise, “leaving just enough rope to hang yourself” isn’t a meaningless figure of speech. A “drop” that was misjudged as too short could result in a convulsive death lasting anywhere from five to forty-five minutes whereas a “long drop” could result in an almost instantaneous passing or, at minimum, a dislocation of the vertebrae leading to a loss of sensation. Small surprise that hangmen often received money purses—essentially advance gratuities—from the condemned or his/her loved ones to ensure that the greatest care was taken to bring about a clean…break.

Gratuities aside, a competent hangman could make a handsome living. Scotland and the North (Lancashire and Yorkshire) tended to provide local hangmen when called for, and a locally retained man might make the modern day equivalent of 400 pounds per offing. A perk of the trade was selling off the victims’ clothing afterward.

Accompanying the science was the lore. Hanging ropes were thought to be lucky and the gallows wood to have healing properties though the modern mind wonders why. The touch of a hanged man’s hand was considered a cure for warts.

Public life in the mannered Days of Yore was heavily ritualized and hangings were no exception. Dying well was a matter of pride, and the Fleet Street press followed celebrated criminals from the prisoner’s dock to the drop, chronicling every lurid detail. Generally the condemned was led up the platform steps to the scaffold, arms pinioned. Once there, the clergyman would offer up a prayer. If a proper priest wasn’t available as might be the case in more remote area, a chaplain or beadle (minor parish official charged with preserving order at church services and sometimes civil functions) might be there in his stead to ensure all was carried out to the letter of cannon and civil law.  Especially if a gentleman, the condemned was permitted the courtesy of a few final words directed to the crowd. Afterward, the hangman or his assistant would drop a white hood over the victim’s head and place the noose about the throat. Once the victim was optimally positioned—and enjoined to stay that way—the solemn silence would be broken and the lever pulled. The trap door beneath the victim’s feet would fold, sending him hurtling.

The New Drop of 1787, the invention of Lincolnshire shoemaker and executioner William Marwood, saw the advent of an elevated platform and a collapsible trap door covered in at the sides. The latter collapses downward when a bolt is pulled by the hangman. To prevent kicking, which would throw off those aforementioned careful calibrations, the victim’s legs were pinioned as well.

The modern noose fashioned with a metal ring or “eye” was another of Marwood’s innovations.  Positioning the brass ring under the victim’s chin or at the left corner of his jaw beneath the ear throws back the head upon falling, resulting in a fracture or dislocation. A further improvement was the addition of a leather washer to keep the noose from slipping.

For even the most circumspect, the hanging trade took a heavy toll. Nightmares, drinking, and shaking hands signaled the time to take on a new living, and my hero, Jack is no exception.  Not many, perhaps not any, actual hangmen had a lovely and loving former French courtesan such as Claudia to guide them away from the Hanging Tree toward a Happily Ever After. Then again, real life being infinitely stranger than fiction, perhaps some did! (For those of you who are interested in pursuing the subject, my favorite references include Lord High Executioner. An Unashamed Look at Hangsmen; Headsman, and Their Kind by Howard Engel (1996); and The Regency Underworld by Donald A. Low (1982, 1999)

Cara/Andrea back again, and left, er, rather breathless (in a good way!) by such a fascinating glimpse of history. So now that you've read about hangmen, Hope and I were wondering . . . what other unusual or unique occupations for a hero or heroine have you read about? Hope has kindly consented to give away a signed copy of VANQUISHED, the launch her Victorian-set "Men of Roxbury House" trilogy. We'll draw a name at random from those who leave a comment here between today and Friday morning.

Comments

[KathyKremer]

I remember a Nora Roberts book from several years ago called "Dancing upon the Air" which had a little poem as a prelude. I had always thought of dancing on air as a sign of joy and elation. This little poem put "paid" to that. It used the term to describe the jerking dance a body does when it is being hung. Yurk! KathyK

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1544509004]

Hi, Hope.

Fascinating article! I don't need a copy of Vanquished since I already have one from Lady Jane's.

By the way, you were listed in the latest Books on Board e-newsletter!

Robin Greene

[Virginia C]

If you're going to be a "hangman", then you should be the best hangman you can be, achieving "superstar" cult status. You will be both feared and adored. There will be accolades, monetary rewards...groupies. The fear of death innate in human beings will not detract from your allure. Indeed, the human fascination with the macabre will add to your legend.

The most unusual occupation for a hero would be the Angel of Death, or just plain "Death". In "Death Takes a Holiday", Death decides to take a holiday from his usual business to see what it is like to be a mortal, and he falls in love.

[Hope Tarr]

Hello Everyone:

I'm so thrilled and honored to be blogging with you at Word wenches today. Robin, nice to "see" you here. I hope to see you at the next Lady Jane's on September 6th. It should be a good crowd and a good time.

Kathy, I'd forgotten that reference but yes, you're quite right. Mary Jo (Putney) wrote a book in her Fallen Angels series, actually titled DANCING ON THE WIND. The heroine was a twin and seemingly on the wrong side of the law, with good reason of course.

[Hope Tarr]

Virginia, I remember the buzz about that book but sadly I never read it. Do you recall the author?

[maryjoputney]

Hope, how lovely to have you here as a Word Wench guest! And what a fascinating if--errrr--gruesome description of the hangman's trade. (I've researched a bit of this, generally when about to get a hero sprung from the gallows at the last possible moment, but much of your material is new.)

A wonderful aspect of e-books is the way unjustly neglected books like My Lord Jack, which disappeared in a publishing crack, now get a new life.

[Andrea Penrose]

This really is a fascinating post, Hope! I've learned a lot—er, perhaps even more than I wanted to know—about a subject I hadn't giving much thought to. Which is what I love about history. All the arcane elements of life in the past are so interesting, both in and of themselves, and also for the light they shed on society as a whole.

[Hope Tarr]

Thanks, Mary Jo & Andrea. For sure, it's a bit of a funny feeling to be an armchair expert on hanging people. You might even say I know just enough to be...dangerous. ;)

[Maria Ferrrer]

I read somewhere that hangmen wore hoods so they could be anonymous amoung their peers. And that they held their own get togethers with other hangmen to find wives and learn new techniques I guess. Sort of like their own conference. :)
I can't wait to read MY LORD JACK. (PS--I already have Vanquished. Thank you.)

[Diane Gaston]

Hi, Hope!
I'm just loving that Carina Press is giving your backlist new life! And with beautiful covers, too.

I already have Vanquished, as well...

In Innocence and Impropriety, my hero was secretary to a Marquess, on the surface not a very romantic occupation...

[Hope Tarr]

Hi Diane:

That's too funny on the secretary hero. The hero of THE TUTOR (July, 2010) is the private secretary to railway owner. At least by the 1890's, he gets a typewriter but still, not exactly swashbuckling. He started out as a secondary character in another book, and I'd already named him. Ralph Sylvester! Talk about obstacles to overcome. I pronounce it as "Rafe" but still...

[Hope Tarr]

Hi Maria:

I knew about the hood but not about the conferencing. That's so cool. Hangman did make good livings, so despite the creepiness factor, I'm sure there were women game to marry them. And since the nature of the "work," at least in rural areas, could be sporadic, they often had another primary profession. The one famous hangman I mention above was a shoemaker/cobbler, which is how he started tinkering with making not a better mousetrap but a better noose. :)

[Lise Horton]

While Jack's is certainly the most unusual career I believe I've read about, I distinctly recall thinking how unusual one of the hero's professions was in a Regency which, sadly, I cannot remember the name of at the moment. He ran a gambling and prostitution establishment. The character had a number of dark personality issues to be overcome which, of course, the heroine handily accomplished. I love authors who take the unusual or that which might be considered beyond the pale, and bring it front and center with either a hero or a heroine, whether it is a profession, or a past transgression, or even a disability. Complex characters are a boon for readers and make a novel that much richer. And thanks for the reminder, because I've just booted up my Nook and purchased my very OWN copy of Jack (as well as Rogue)!

[Hope Tarr]

Thanks, Lise, both for the nice words and of course, the purchase.

I have a few Robin Schone on my shelf, one in which the hero runs a high-end club, really a brothel for people with particular... appetites. It was either THE LADY'S TUTOR or GABRIEL'S WOMAN, I don't recall which. And he doesn't "reform" at the end, either, but keeps on pimping along. And because she's brilliant, it works!

[Sarah Tormey]

Wow! What an interesting post! I don't need to win a copy but ameager to buy your Carina Press novels:)

[Barbara Vey]

I read My Lord Jack and was completely captivated by him. I probably wouldn't watch him at work though. I've also already read Vanquished, so whoever wins it is a very fortunate person.

[Andrea Penrose]

Oh, Hope, you had me laughing over "Ralph!" But hey, if you can make a fabulous hero out of a hangman, romancing Ralph into a dashing rogue should be awalk in the park!

[Lisbeth Eng]

Fascinating post, Hope. I don't have an e-reader but I'll buy MY LORD JACK anyway because he sounds so intriguing. I'll just print it out on paper. (I can't read anything longer than a couple of pages on a computer screen or my eyes start to cross.)
You might say that the hero of my soon-to-be-released World War II romance, IN THE ARMS OF THE ENEMY has a "profession" seldom found amongst romance novel heroes. He's a German army officer. (Remember, we're talking WWII here.) You don't find those men as heroes in romance novels -- villains, yes -- heroes, not so much! But I love defying stereotypes and highlighting the "uniqueness" of each human being, instead of seeing groups of people (be they hangmen or Wehrmacht officers) as uniform cookie cutouts . I'm looking forward to falling in love with Jack -- I just know I will!

[chey]

I once read a book where the hero was a former prostitute. I don't know what his profession was in the book, but that he was a former prostitute was mentioned enough for me to still remember it.

[Madeleine Drake]

Thank you for this fascinating glimpse into the hangman's profession! I'd no idea that it was such a science.

[Elizabeth Hawksley]

Thank you Cara/Andrea for inviting Hope Tarr - and thank you, Hope, for such an interesting post.

I'd like to recommend 'The Hanging Tree' by V. A. C. Gatrell, published by Oxford University Press. This prize-winning book looks at how people of the time felt about hanging. It examines their very personal reactions through letters, diaries, ballads, broadsides, prints and poignant appeals for mercy; evidence which, until now, has been largely neglected.

It's highly readable and I thoroughly recommend it.

[Andrea Penrose]

Thanks for the recomendation, Elizabeth! Sounds very interesting. And glad you enjoyed Hope's visit.

[Minna]

Well, Chey's comment reminded me of this book I once. In it the hero was a gigolo and there was nothing former about his profession, but he had gotten into some bad trouble and had to lay low for a while. He ended up on a farm and in the end of the book he had a new profession.

[Susan/DC]

One of the best books I've read in the past few years is "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak. Death narrates, not always reliably. It's funny and sweet and sad and altogether wonderful.

The heroes of Robin Schone's historicals "The Lover" and "Gabriel's Woman" were prostitutes when younger but now are partners in a social club/brothel. The heroine of her "The Lady's Tutor" hires the hero to give her lessons in how to win back her husband, but he is not connected to the sex trade. A contemporary with a male prostitute is Laura Leone's "Fallen From Grace".

Ms. Tarr's books sound very interesting but, like Lisbeth, I prefer print. I spend my workday staring at a computer screen so have an aversion to staring at another screen when I get home. Which leads to my question: Will the reprints ever be actually reprinted, or will they remain available only as ebooks?

[Margaret]

I like novels whether either or both the hero and heroine have A Past or doing something random/interesting. I remember really liking a regency romance where the heroine was basically a make up artist, and my favourite Louise Allen heroine runs a Coaching Inn and drives a stagecoach (No Place for a Lady). Great post, really enjoyed it! Thank you.

[anne gracie]

Enjoyed the post, Hope and Andrea. Would love to read Jack's book, but will chase up a hard copy. Like Susan, after a day staring at a screen, I want paper and print for relaxation.

The legal code in the 19th century was indeed incredibly harsh. I read of an old woman of 70, transported to New South Wales for stealing six pounds of cheese, and a child of twelve for stealing a handkerchief. So many imprisoned or transported for amazingly petty crimes, and others hanged for so little. And in Tasmania there was a prison for juvenile boys that was so grim children regularly committed suicide. Dreadful times.

[Hope Tarr]

Hi Lisbeth! Thanks for dropping b. Lisbeth will be reading from IN THE ARMS OF THE ENEMY at the January '11 Lady Jane's Salon here in NYC. Personally, I love WW II as a setting, and I'm so glad publishers are coming around to agree.

[Hope Tarr]

There is some "discussion" about the Carina Books eventually coming out in print, but nothing that's been announced, so we'll have to wait and see. Selected titles are being released as audio books, so that might be a possibility.

Per in print (and I hear you all on the glaring screen), I'm very proud of my Men of Roxbury House trilogy, single-title historicals released in print by Medallion Press. VANQUISHED, my giveaway, is the first. The distribution wasn't huge--indie pub and all that--but the books, print, are available still via online retailers like amazon.

[Hope Tarr]

Thanks for the recommendation, Elizabeth, and for feeding my addiction for "research" books. I may have to add THE HANGING TREE to my collection. :)

[Hope Tarr]

LOL, good point, Andrea. Lemonade from lemons or even better, lemon meringue pie. What I did give Ralph was a Past, so readers know he's capable of being swashbuckling when the needs arises. In UNTAMED, the last Men of Roxbury House book, he figures prominently in the plot by giving his friend and "master," Rourke a copy of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW as a marital advice manual. Any takers on guessing how well that goes?

[Hope Tarr]

Hiya, Barbara Vey!

That's a good point. I wouldn't wish to watch him carrying out his work, either. Ditto for deep-sixing Take Your Daughter to Work Day. Not so much. ;)

There's one brief scene in MY LORD JACK where my heroine, Claudia, sees Jack's assistant making sure the "equipment" is in good order and she feels faint. She's seen most of her friends and loved ones die by the guillotine, so falling in love with an executioner isn't something she ever planned, for sure.

[Hope Tarr]

Those are two perfect examples, Anne. When you get into reading some of the archived cases, it's really fascinating and really sad. The premise of Les Miserables isn't really that far fetched.

[Hope Tarr]

By way of plugging my Salon "stuffs," Barbara Vey is guest emceeing at Lady Jane's. I have to check my schedule to be sure which month but I believe it's October. How fun is that!?!

[Barbara Vey]

I will be at Lady Jane's in October. It's the one place I always love visiting when I'm in town. Mark your calendars, it will be an amazing night! :)