Word Wenches

What We're Reading

 

 

Pat here, rounding up the word wenches list of what we've been reading lately. I've been reading an Advanced Reading Copy of Katharine Kimbriel's Night Calls, a newly edited version of her highly acclaimed Alfreda books that will be out on 9/17 at Book View Cafe. The protagonist in this volume is a precocious but likable 11 year old, just discovering both the natural and supernatural worlds in an alternate America where George Washington is king and werewolves are diseased. I don't generally read YA but like Harry Potter, this book has enough to keep an adult interested. I can't wait for the next volume!

Elmore Leonard on writing

The great mystery writer, Elmore Leonard, died last week, may he rest in peace -- because his books certainly had to keep him awake most of his nights when he was alive.

I observe the passing of a great writer with respect, but I’m sorry, I look at his writing rules with dissatisfaction. In case you missed them, here are the basics. Those rules worked fine for Leonard who wrote action-packed, dialogue-heavy thrillers like Get Shorty. Those same rules do not apply to emotionally-laden romance or women’s fiction or any fiction that uses setting to add tension.

Mary Jo's Sometimes A Rogue

 Anne here, interviewing Mary Jo about her new book, SOMETIMES A ROGUE, the fifth in the wonderful "Lost Lords" series, which I read as an advanced reading copy (ARC).

A little background — the "Lost Lords" series feature a cast of heroes who bonded years ago at school — a very special boarding school for "boys of good birth and bad behavior." Each book can be read as a stand alone romance, but there is pleasure in seeing some characters from previous books appear.

I have to say, I loved  SOMETIMES A ROGUE. It's a rollicking adventure, with mistaken identity, kidnapping, spies, unexpected inheritances and much more, but at its heart it is, of course, a wonderful romance. The reviews are excellent:

Romantic Times gave it a Top Pick and called it the "marvelous, emotional and thrilling fifth book in the Lost Lords series.” 

Library Journal gave it a starred review and said: “Witty humor, deep character development, thrilling sexual edginess, and a remarkable pair of protagonists combine in this exhilarating addition to Putney’s addictive and exquisitely written series."

John Charles of Booklist gave it a starred review and said: “Composed of equal measures of dangerous intrigue and potent passion, Putney’s fifth elegantly written installment in her Lost Lords series delivers captivating characters, an impeccably realized Regency setting, and a thrilling plot rich in action and adventure.”  

Anne: Mary Jo, congratulations on this latest release. You're famous for torturing your heroes — and this book is no disappointment in that regard — but your heroine, Sarah, also goes through quite a bit. She's a heroine to cheer for — strong and brave and resourceful. Publishers Weekly agrees, saying : "Readers will especially love Sarah, a beautiful and resilient damsel in distress." Tell us about Sarah and her hero, Rob.

MJP: I loved writing about Sarah! When I told people she was the heroine of SAR, several readers thought she was insufficiently interesting, but they just didn’t know her well enough. <G> Sarah is a petite, a happy-natured blonde who looks younger than she is, and has a secret yearning for adventure and a dark, dangerous hero.

This is classic “be careful what you wish for” territory. <G> When kidnappers come after her very pregnant twin sister, Sarah helps her sister into old crypt and presents herself to the villains as the duchess. As they carry her off to parts unknown, she prays that her brother-in-law, the Duke of Ashton, will send help FAST!

Enter Rob Carmichael. Rob has been a minor character in all four previous Lost Lords books. He’s another Westerfield Academy student, and as a result of extreme family problems, he’s become a Bow Street Runner. The Runners show up regularly in Regencies, thanks to Georgette Heyer. They were investigators and thief takers could be hired for jobs that would take them all over Britain, and that kind of work has been Rob’s specialty.

As a close friend of Adam, the Duke of Ashton, Rob has been given carte blanche to stay at Ashton’s estate whenever he’s in the area, which is why he arrives on the scene in time to be sent after Sarah. He follows her and the kidnappers to Ireland, extracts her from the bad guys, and they have a wild flight back to England. And the trouble is only beginning!

Anne: It sure is. Sarah and Rob did quite a lot of traveling by various means. Did you have to do much research?

MJP: I’ve researched carriages and turnpikes before, but because they sail a yawl from Kinsale, Ireland to England, I needed more information on small boats of the time. A friend referred me to Eric Hare, an Australian expert on historical sailing, and he helped enormously on questions of the type of boat, probable speed, etc.

Anne: Can you give us a brief taste of SOMETIMES A ROGUE?

MJP: Here’s the scene where Rob sneaks into the house where Sarah is being held by the kidnappers: 

The house appeared to have a standard layout with stairs coming down the center and rooms on each side. A sitting room was on the right, the dining room on the left. Since Bridget had said the kitchen was behind the dining room, he moved between the table and sideboard to the door that should lead to the kitchen.

Fighting stick in his left hand, he slowly opened the door—and froze when he was greeted by a raucous snore from inside.

Not moving, he studied as much of the room as he could see. The snoring man was seated on a bench by a long work table on the right, his head resting on his crossed arms. Next to him was an empty whisky bottle and the lantern that lit the room. The man seemed to be in a drunken sleep, so Rob decided not to retreat. Not when he was so close to the abducted lady.

Silently he crossed the kitchen along the left side. The snoring man didn’t stir when Rob passed less than six feet away.

He reached the pantry door. The key was in the lock, which saved him having to pick it. The key made a slight scraping sound when he turned it.

He held still, not even breathing, but the drunk snored on. Praying the hinges wouldn’t squeal, he inched the door open and entered, closing it softly behind him.

A shaft of moonlight from the pantry’s high window illuminated most of the tiny room. His first reaction was disappointment that the floor held only a clutter of sacks and boxes and broken crockery, not a sleeping captive.

Something moved on a shelf to the left and a delicate face surrounded by a fluffy cloud of blond hair peered up at him. Miss Sarah Clarke-Townsend looked like an adorable little golden chick. Harmless and helpless and prey to the first fox or hawk that came along.

Hoping she wouldn’t squeal or otherwise draw attention to them, he said in a barely inaudible voice, “Ashton sent me. Shall we be on our way?”

Her eyes widened like a startled kitten and she swung her feet to the floor. “Yes!” Wrapping her ragged blanket firmly around her shoulders, she continued, “Lead on, sir!”

Though her voice was low, he held a finger to his lips to emphasize silence. “There is a man sleeping in the kitchen. We must leave very, very quietly.”

She nodded and pulled her ragged blanket close around her. When they got to the horses, he’d find her something warmer.

He opened the door again and moved into the kitchen, beckoning for her to follow since the drunk was still snoring. Silently she wafted behind him.

They were halfway across the kitchen when disaster struck. Something clattered to the floor and Miss Sarah gave a squeak of dismay. As the drunk came awake with a growl, Rob saw that her trailing blanket had snagged a broom leaning against the wall and knocked it to the floor.

The drunk’s eyes widened as he focused on them. “The bitch is trying to escape!” he roared as he hauled himself from the table.

Two more heads appeared on the other side of the table. Rob swore as he realized the men had been sleeping there out of sight. Outnumbered three to one, Rob had only the advantage of being awake and alert. As the two other men scrambled to their feet, Rob lunged for the drunk, who was closest. “Run!” he barked at Miss Sarah.

Before the drunk could react, Rob slammed him in the temple with his fighting stick. The man collapsed backward from the bench, sending his whiskey bottle flying to crash on the flagstone floor.

Not pausing, Rob leaped over the table and attacked the closer of the two men, a wiry fellow who was pulling a knife from the sheath at his waist. Rob slugged him in the belly, then bashed the man’s head as he folded up, gasping.

As the wiry man collapsed, Rob swung to face the last opponent—and stopped cold when he saw the barrel of a pistol pointing at him. As the third man cocked the weapon, he snarled in Irish, “I don’t know who you are, boyo, but say your prayers!”

Rob was preparing to hurl himself back over the table in hopes of evading the shot when the air resonated with a deep, gong-like sound. The armed man crumpled to the floor. Behind him, smiling gleefully and holding a massive cast iron frying pan in both hands, was his helpless chick, looking absurdly pleased with herself.

Backlit by a lantern, Miss Sarah’s hair was a golden cloud shining like a halo around her exquisite face. A crippling emotion he couldn’t name twisted inside him. Yearning, perhaps, because in her beauty, joy, and innocence, she represented everything he’d ever loved and lost.

The feeling passed in an instant because his job was to save her life, not wallow in his personal sorrows. “Well done, princess. Now it’s time we are on our way.”

He would have preferred to bind and gag the three men, but reinforcements would arrive at any moment and he had no desire for a pitched battle. He scooped up the dropped pistol and gestured toward the kitchen’s door to the outside.

“I couldn’t agree more!” she exclaimed as she darted toward their exit.

A dozen steps brought him to the door. He unlatched it and ushered her outside. Once they were in the damp, chilly night air, he clasped her small hand. “Now, princess, we run!”

Anne: And then their adventures truly begin. No wonder Kirkus Reviews called it “a clever, twisting storyline, the end product is smart, fun, sexy and tender… Both elegant and swashbuckling, romantic and rollicking—an entertaining, satisfying romance.” 

Now to change the subject slightly, it's been wonderful seeing so many of your out-of-print backlist returning to readers in e-form. Is it difficult becoming your own e-publisher? What's been the most difficult/interesting/rewarding part of it? 

MJP: I love being able to make my backlist books available to readers again. I’ve e-published all but two of the novels I have rights to, and those last two, UNCOMMON VOWS and LADY OF FORTUNE, should be available by the end of the year. It’s fun but very time consuming because I want the e-books to maintain a professional standard. Once I finish releasing the novels, I’ll put together collections of some of my shorter works. Not that there has been a clamor for them <G>, but for the sake of completeness, I’d like everything available for readers.

Anne: What's next — or should I say, what are you working on now?

MJP: I’m working on Kirkland’s story, which has a working title of NOT QUITE A WIFE and which will be out next year. It’s been slow going because he’s dark and complicated—and married very young. The story brings Kirkland and his long estranged wife together again. It’s not the end of the Lost Lords series, though—there should be at least two or three books more.

Anne: Sounds wonderful. I can't wait to read it. 

Here's a question for readers: do you enjoy road trips and adventurous stories? What do you like (or not like) about them?

Mary Jo is giving away a copy of SOMETIMES A ROGUE to someone who leaves a comment. 

Sometimes a Rogue

Monday, August 26, Anne Gracie interviews fellow Wench, Mary Jo Putney, regarding Sometimes a Rogue (book #5 in the Lost Lords series). This book is garnering wonderful reviews from all the top reviewers. Do you enjoy road trips and adventure? If so, then this book is for you! Join us on Monday as Mary Jo introduces her rogue to us!

An Interview with Sarah Mallory!

Nicola here. Today it's my very great pleasure to welcome Sarah Mallory to the Word Wench blog. Sarah is a multi-published, multi-award-winning UK author of historical romantic adventure and a long time friend and fellow member of the Romantic Novelists' Association. One reviewer commented of Sarah's writing: "Sarah Mallory's Regency world is captivating, beautifully rendered and immensely atmospheric and I for one cannot wait for her next novel, to return to this wonderful world!" Fortunately for all of Sarah's fans, her latest book, Bought for Revenge, is available now!

NC: Sarah, welcome ot the Word Wenches! Please tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to be a writer.

I am a West Country girl, born and bred in Bristol but I moved to Yorkshire in 1989, were I now live on the edge of the Pennines – fantastic views and wonderful walks on the moors, so inspirational! I was always a storyteller and then I began to write them down, so I wouldn't forget them!  My first novel was published in 1980 under the pen name Melinda Hammond – it would now be called a "sweet" Regency Romance. I had about a dozen books published before I was signed up by Harlequin, where I write as Sarah Mallory – they are still historical romantic adventures but the heat content is a bit higher now!

NC: I have several of your Melinda Hammond books on my keeper shelf, including Dance for a Diamond and The Belles Dames Club. I love them. I was intrigued to read that it was a street sign that first inspired your new book, Bought for Revenge. Please tell us more! 

There is a little lane near my home called "Burnt Acres Lane." Every time I see this sign I wonder why it was given that name.  I have not been able to find out any information about it, so I made up my own story, about a burned-out shell of a house, a tragic history and a man who returns to his old home, looking for justice.  I have to admit it is one of my favourite books: I love Lucas, the tortured hero and Annabelle, the long-suffering heroine. Their trials and tribulations make the happy ending all the sweeter, I think!

What is your favourite scene in the book?

When Lucas is at the very darkest point. He is alone in his house, it is the early hours of the morning and he is in despair. He has discovered the very worst news about how his parents died, he knows now that he has punished an innocent man and he has lost the love of his life. Then Annabelle appears… I won't say anymore, but I think Annabelle is truly angelic. She has tremendous strength of character and is a real match for Lucas.

It sounds wonderful and I am looking forward to reading it very much (It's on my reading pile for my holiday)! What’s your favourite part of writing a book, apart from seeing it on the bookshelves?

I love starting a new book – everything is possible and it's like having a huge box of toys where I can pick out anything I want. I love creating the characters, the way they look, how they behave and where they live. For me this is the most creative stage of the whole process.

What do you consider to be the qualities that make a good historical novel?

First of all, the history!  I love a good yarn, but I do like the historical background to be correct.  I try to recreate the time period accurately and make sure that the stories I write could have happened.  The other qualities are the same for any novel – great characters and a riveting plot that grips the reader to the very last page.

What do you keep beside your computer when you’re writing?

I have a pinboard that I set up at the beginning of every new book with little details about my new story - pictures of actors, actresses etc who are lookalikes for my characters and a few costume pictures, too, for period detail. For Bought for Revenge there was also a local map, because I set the whole story in the area where I live – although I changed the place names to protect the innocent! The pinboard also has a basic synopsis, printed in small chunks so that I can make changes as I go along.

 It's like an aide-memoire to keep me on track with my book. Then there is my beautiful dog, Willow. He is a whippet that needed a home and I adopted him about a year ago. He is a perfect writer's dog – we go out for a walk three times a day and the rest of the time he just lies around, sleeping.

Oh, and I always seem to have a cup of tea beside me, too!

Another writer who mainlines tea as she writes! A lot of us seem to do that. And Willow is the most beautiful dog. I'm hoping that one day soon my puppy Angus will lie sleeping next to my desk when I'm trying to work rather than busying around stealing stuff to chew!

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?

 An archaeologist!  I was very tempted to go to university and study archaeology, but in those days it was a pretty unfashionable subject.  There were a small group of us at school who wanted to do the relevant exams – including Ancient Greek, Latin and Ancient History – but in the end I decided against it.  It is a slight (very slight) regret, which I shall probably get over one day by writing a romance about an archaeologist.

What have you had to celebrate in the last year?

It's actually been quite a year for celebrations.  In March it was our Ruby Wedding Anniversary – and I discovered that rubies can be quite, er, pink, which is perfect for a romantic novelist!  Then this summer I celebrated my 60^th birthday and the family bought me a flight in a Tiger Moth, to fly over the route used by the Dambusters when they were training for their famous raid.  I grew up reading Biggles books and always wanted to fly in a World War I plane, and I guess this was the closest they could find.  It was such a great experience, the team running the show were so enthusiastic and welcoming.  I've actually put lots of pictures in my blog, http://onebellesstrategem.blogspot.co.uk/

NC: Congratulations! You are very intrepid! And of course you have been very modest and not mentioned that this year you were also awarded the UK Romantic Novelists' Association prestigious RoNA Rose Award - for the second year in a row - for your historical romance Beneath the Major's Scars. Many congratulations on that too.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever been given and what advice would you give to other aspiring authors?

 "Don't get it write, get it written."  Once the basic story is out of my head I can polish it up.  My advice to aspiring authors?  Write what you are passionate about and write the best book you can.

 NC: Thank you so much for joining us today, Sarah!

Over to you now to ask Sarah any questions you like about her books or her writing. To start the discussion, here's a question from Sarah:  

"I mentioned earlier that I love the part in Bought for Revenge where Lucas is at his lowest ebb emotionally, but I'd really like to know which part of a book readers like the best.  Is it the beginning, the excitement of setting off into a new story, or perhaps the point where the hero and heroine discover that they are in love?" 

Sarah is giving a way a copy of Bought for Revenge to one commenter today!

Inspirational Rooms

Hi, Jo here.

I recently went on a little trip north, mainly to celebrate a wedding anniversary with friends, but it also let me visit a place I had in the back of my mind when I envisioned Perriam Manor in Seduction in Silk --Astley Hall. The outside isn't right, but years ago, I had been impressed by the amount of dark panelling and the heavily ornate plaster ceilings. Ornate plaster ceilings aren't that unusual in grand houses, but these are in rooms of quite modest proportions as you can see at the right. They do feel rather oppressive, and of such substance that they might fall on one's head! 

In the book I describe them as swirls of plaster, but that's my memory failing me. I found they are detailed and this was apparently achieved by carving the designs out of wood and then plastering on top. Cheating, I suppose, but impressive. No one knows who created them.The next picture shows some detail. Sort of ghoulish, isn't it? Like a skeleton. I wish I'd remembered that detail! 

 

 

 

On to the rooms. Here's a typical one.  The ceiling is quite modest, but the panelling is very dark. Imagine the windows overhung by ivy, as in the novel!

Finally, one of the bedrooms, which is almost exactly like the one I saw when writing the opening scene, when Perry arrives at Perriam Manor to find his cousin Giles dying, a curse on his mind.

If you've read Seduction in Silk, do these pictures fit the image in your mind?

We also went to Chirk Castle on the Welsh border, which I was surpised to find had relevance to Crag Wyvern, the faux medieval keep in The Dragon's Bride, which therefore also plays a part in A Shocking Delight, which follows on with the story of the new Earl of Wyvern and his search for a bride.

I'll share more about Chirk another time.

Have you ever visited a house that seemed ideal as a setting for a historical romance? Which one, and why?

This all reminds me of the magical Thorne miniature rooms in the Chicago Institute of Arts. They are recreations of rooms from all periods and by detail and use of light they feel as if you could just walk into the them.

There are examples on line. Here's one. Can't you just imagine some of my Mallorens strolling in there?

Lastly, my publisher recently did a cover reveal for A Shocking Delight, out next April. We're all so pleased with this one we felt it needed a fanfare. Isn't it gorgeous?  Lucy looks as young and pretty as she is. She doesn't always find it works to her advantage, especially when trying to be taken seriously.

Anyone note a slight implausibility in the picture, though? If so, I'll tell you how it relates to Chirk.If not, you'll have to wait.*G*

Cheers,

Jo

 

 

Maggie Robinson and a Lady Unlaced!

by Mary Jo

Maggie Robinson has been a regular Word Wench reader and commenter for years, and the Wenches celebrated when she sold her first book.  She’s now written 8 historical romances as Maggie Robinson, and 2 darker, sexier books as Margaret Rowe, as well as novellas and short stories in three anthologies.
 
Maggie is with us today because I so enjoyed her July book, In the Arms of the Heiress.  The first of her Ladies Unlaced Series, it’s smart, fresh, and funny, and is set in 1903, a delightful and unusual time period that Maggie takes full advantage of.  Maggie, would you care to tell us about Louisa, Charles…and Maximillian Norwich?
 
MR: Charles is a working-class hero who has pulled himself up by his bootstraps as a scholarship boy, and then risen on his own merit in the army. The after-affects of the Second Boer War have just about broken him until Louisa rolls into his life in her little French car. She appears to have every advantage, but as we know, looks can be deceiving. Her family has interfered with her happiness forever, and in a burst of demonic genius (she thinks), she invents a husband to keep them at bay. "Maximillian Norwich" is impossibly perfect and suave. Charles agrees to play him for a visit to her family, though he's far from perfect or suave. What he IS, though, proves to be perfect for Louisa.
  
MJP:  What drew you to 1903?  How is it different from the much more usual 19th century settings?
 
MR: Some years ago I did a "Turn of the Centuries" exhibit for a local historical society museum. We had a ton of artifacts and photographs from the Gilded Age, and the era always resonated with me. When I had the opportunity to leave the Regency behind, the choice was obvious--Gibson Girls Gone Wild! (We settled on Ladies Unlaced for the series name instead, LOL, especially since the Gibson Girl was a uniquely American type.)

It didn't hurt that Downton Abbey was making such a splash, though my series is set about a decade earlier than Season I. The early 1900s were such a turbulent time, and it's been fun putting my characters in cars instead of carriages.

 
MJP: Here’s a delightful excerpt from The Heiress: 

Nice, France, early November 1903

Dear Aunt Grace,

It is with the heaviest of hearts I write to tell you my beloved husband Maximillian is dead.

“You are killing him?”
     Her maid Kathleen had the most annoying habit of sneaking up behind her when she least expected it.
     “It’s not as if he even exists,” Louisa Stratton replied, wiping up the splotch of ink.
      Kathleen opened the terrace doors to the Mediterranean, and a chill damp breeze almost blew Louisa’s letter away. It was supposed to be warmer in the south of France. It was not.
     “How did he die, then?”
     “I don’t know yet. Avalanche? Train wreck?” Maximillian might be a mountaineer when he wasn’t in museums, clad in tight leather, his face burnished by the great outdoors. The tender lines around his cerulean blue eyes from squinting at the sun would fan like out like ecru lace. Louisa would trace them with a fingertip as he hovered over her—
     Kathleen slammed the doors shut. “Both would have been all over the newspapers.”
     “Damn it.” She should have thought of that.
     “Indeed. You’ll have to find something less sensational. A heart murmur, perhaps. A septic finger.”
     Louisa brightened. “Yes! He was picking late roses for me and caught a thorn. Such a tiny thing, yet so dangerous. You know how he spoiled me—fresh flowers every day, no matter the season. The man should have been wearing his gloves. His hands were so lovely. Long and smooth, with hardly any hair on his knuckles. He could do anything with them.” She gave Kathleen a naughty smile.
     Kathleen tsked. “None of that talk. It still won’t work. After all, Maximillian Norwich is supposed to be an important man. You’ve made him so. You know your aunt always reads the obituaries and she’ll wonder why you didn’t put the notice in.”
     “I was simply prostrate with grief. Half out of my mind. She thinks I’m mad anyway.”
     Louisa usually had an answer for everything. If there had really been a Maximillian, she was sure she’d show all the proper feeling for losing the love of her life. She probably wouldn’t rise from her lonely bed for weeks, perhaps months. Years. She’d rival the late queen in her longing for Albert, only be far more attractively dressed.
 

MJP:  What was the inspiration for the Evensong Agency—and wouldn’t we all like to have one of those to call on?!!
 
MR:  Who doesn't want a Fairy Godmother? The Evensong Agency has been "Performing the Impossible Before Breakfast Since 1888," under the auspices of canny, mysterious Mrs. Evensong, who once ran a duke's household. As a writer, the agency provides a platform for me to include more ordinary individuals than just dukes and debs.
 
 MJP: You have a background well designed for creating a writer.  Can you tell us more about yourself and how you got your start as an author?
 
 MR: Well, I used to 'pretend" a lot as an only child. That segued into becoming an English major in college, an English and reading teacher, and library clerk. So, books R us, so to speak. To write them now is a dream come true. I fiddled around for years but never got serious until 2006, when I decided to try to get my act together. Two years later I got my wonderful agent Laura Bradford, and the rest is historical romance!
 
 MJP: Your next books in the Ladies Unlaced series will be out from Berkley in October.  Please tell us something about In the Heart of the Highlander.
 
MR: Mrs. Evensong--that is, the faux Mrs. Evensong--gets to have her very own adventure with a hot Scot. She lays a trap for the man responsible for said hot Scot's wife's death, and almost winds up joining her!
 
MJP: What else is stirring in that creative imagination of yours?  
 
MR: My editor has what I hope will be Ladies Unlaced #3 on her desk, featuring an unconventional artist and the secretary who's pressed into becoming his temporary governess (all arranged by the Evensong Agency, of course). In November, I'm in an anthology with five other writers, Snowbound for Christmas. I challenged myself to write a contemporary novella, but I couldn't help making the hero an English viscount. Some habits are hard to break. :)
 
MJP: I understand perfectly—when I wrote a western novella called “Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know,” I made the hero a gamblin’, amblin’ younger son from England.  <G> 

MR: Thanks so much for having me blog with you all. Another dream come true!
 
MJP: Thanks for joining us, Maggie!  I look forward to more Unlaced Ladies. <G> 

Maggie will be giving away a copy of In the Arms of the Heiress, or any other book from her backlist to one commenter between now and midnight Tuesday.

So--what do you think about historical romances set in the 20th century?  Do you like the idea?  Are there other periods you'd like to see used?  And are automobiles an improvement over carriages? <G>
 

Read a Romance Month

Mary Jo with just a quick note about Read a Romance Month.  This is a large and jolly celebration of romance with short posts and recommendations from 93 different authors--three a day, and lots of book giveaways, too.  I have a post Sunday, August 18th, Anne Gracie will be on August 30th, and on August 1st, Sarah Morgan gave a call out to our Nicola Cornick, who linked a post of her own.  So stop by and join the romance party!

Guests This Coming Week

Good day, Wench readers! The Wench godkitten, Sparky, is taking a break today to make room for the following announcements regarding guests we'll be interviewing this week.

MAGGIE ROBINSON

Author and regular Word Wenches visitor Maggie Robinson will be Mary Jo Putney's guest on Monday, August 19. In the Arms of the Heiress (July 2013) is the first book in Maggie's "Ladies Unlaced" series. It takes place in 1903 and includes a lot of humor and very original characters. It will be followed by the second book in the series, In the Heart of the Highlander (October 2013). Join us Monday for a chance to visit with Maggie and find out why RT Book Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal are raving about her books!

MELINDA HAMMOND/SARAH MALLORY

On Friday, August 23, Nicola Cornick will interview Melinda Hammond, who writes historical romantic adventures, set mainly in the Georgian and Regency period. She also writes for Harlequin Mills & Boon as Sarah Mallory. Bought For Revenge is her latest Sarah Mallory book, a sparkling Regency romantic adventure.

Mark your calendars for these two special guests. You won't be disappointed!  

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Cara/Andrea here, I have recently been doing some background research on art and science in the Regency for a book idea I’m fiddling with. Though my scientific expertise would fit inside a very tiny test tube, I have been fascinated by the fact that there was such a great bond between the luminaries in both disciplines during the Romantic era—something I discovered when I read Richard Holmes’s delightful book The Age of Wonder. 

Wonder is a very apt word—the painters, poets, chemists and physicists of the time—to name just a few of the disciplines—shared a sense of wonder over the intricate workings of the natural world around them, and saw themselves as sharing a common creative spirit and imagination as they sought to understand and celebrate its infinite wonders. Today, it seems, the fields of art and science are worlds apart, but back then, they admired each other’s work, and kept abreast of all the latest developments—the poet John Keats studied medicine, the great chemist Sir Humphry Davy wrote lyrical poetry.

They exchanged letters, they met frequently over liquid libations to discuss ideas—and I can’t help but feel that the interchange between different points of view sparked both artists and scientists to challenge their own points of view. So when I came across an intriguing mention of an “Immortal Dinner” held by the painter Benjamin Haydon, I was of course, fascinated and decided to dig a little deeper . . .

It took place one late winter evening in 1817 at the artist’s studio, the occasion being to celebrate the unveiling of his new allegorical painting, Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem. (Slyly depicted in the crowd were the faces of many notable artists and scientists of the day.)The guest list featured leading artists and scientists of the day, including Wordsworth, Keats, Charles Lamb, surgeon Joseph Ritchie, engraver John Landseer, and Mary Wordsworth's cousin Tom Monkhouse

Here is a quote from Haydon’s diary:

“On December 28th the immortal dinner came off in my painting-room, with Jerusalem towering up behind us as a background. Wordsworth was in fine cue, and we had a glorious set-to--on Homer, Shakespeare, Milton and Virgil. Lamb got exceedingly merry and exquisitely witty; and his fun in the midst of Wordsworth's solemn intonations of oratory was like the sarcasm and wit of the fool in the intervals of Lear's passion. He made a speech and voted me absent, and made them drink my health. "Now," said Lamb, " you old lake poet, you rascally poet, why do you call Voltaire dull? " We all defended Wordsworth, and affirmed there was a state of mind when Voltaire would be dull. . . .”

By all accounts, the conversation covered a wide range of topics (Newton’s color experiments were much maligned as having taken the poetry out of a rainbow) with erudition and no some amount of impish humor. Oh, I dearly would have loved being a fly on the wall.

Which of course got me to thinking . . . after all, it is heading towards the end August, when a last flurry of summer parties traditionally mark the end of the season’s lazy days and nights making merry with friends. So I began musing on who, if I had my choice of any figure in past or present history, I would ask to my own immortal dinner. Should I bring together like-minded people, or like Haydon, invite a little controversy to make things really interesting? Hmmm.

Having an art background, I like the idea of having a painting as the centerpiece of a party. I decided I could invite Pablo Picasso, and have him bring Guernica. Then include Carl von Clausewitz, Henry Kissinger and Winston Churchill (who was an avid painter) among the other guests and debate the morality of war. Okay, okay, maybe too heavy for summer dining. Keeping on the science-art theme, an amazing gathering would be Leonardo da Vinci, Issac Newton, Mary Shelley and Richard Feynman, the brilliant and artistic theoretical physicist who helped create the atom bomb. On a lighter note, I’d probably just invite some of my favorite artists see what color splashed across the canvas—Thomas Lawrence, JMW Turner, David Hockney, Maurice Sendak and William Bailey would be on the list.

So now it’s your turn! Who would be on your “Immortal Dinner” guest list? Let’s have some fun! (I shall send a case of cyber champagne!)

What Are You Reading Today?

Susan here – realizing we're already nearing the end of summer (scarcely believable), and many of us are busy with homes, families, vacations, work, and just trying to eke that last little bit of summer out of the days. So let's take a short blog break today and play a reading game, something we like to do now and then here in Wenchland.

What Are You Reading Today?

I’m sure, like me, you’re in the midst of reading several books at once in a range of genres — fiction and nonfiction . . . . so please mention tell us about more than one book if you like.   

Now, pick up a book (or e-book) that you're currently reading, and go to page 44. (if it’s an e-book, tap through to any screen). Choose a sentence or two – and if you would be so kind, type that into the Comments area, including book title and author, to share with us. 

I love the endless variations in what we’re reading -- and I love a quick peek inside books that I might not have found otherwise. It's like a browse through a bookstore. And since this is a game, there's a prize. I'll send an autographed copy of one of my historical romances to a winner chosen at random from the comments area.

I’m reading more than one book, so here are a few samplings:

Page 44 of The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
(I love this YA story, as told by a sideshow gorilla):

Sometimes Julia draws me. I am an elegant fellow in her pictures, with my silver back gleaming like moon on moss. I never look angry, the way I do on the fading billboards by the highway.

I always look a bit sad, though.

Page 44 of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain (very interesting look at introverts -- I'm decidedly one, so I'm learning a lot...) 

“Good luck finding an introvert around here,” says one.
“This school is predicated on extroversion,” adds the other. “Your grades and social status depend on it. It’s just the norm here. Everyone around you is speaking up and being social and going out.”
“Isn’t there anyone on the quieter side?” I ask.
They look at me curiously. “I couldn’t tell you,” says the first student dismissively.

Page 44 of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (a compelling read that keeps us unsure who's who and for what reason)

 We made small talk, the cops and I, about the July Fourth fireworks and the weather, while my hands were tested for gunshot residue and the slick inside of my cheek was cotton-tipped. Pretending it was normal, a trip to the dentist.

And lastly . . . I plucked an older book off the shelf the other day, after hearing the news of the death of Barbara Mertz -- Barbara Michaels and Elizabeth Peters -- who gave us so many wonderful books. She left an incredible legacy behind. As a longtime fan, I am forever grateful that she devoted so much of her life to writing. 

Page 44 of Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters (a great book by a great lady):

Emerson's jaw dropped. "Good God," he said. "A woman with an enquiring mind. Is it possible?"

 Your turn! What are YOU reading just now, and what's on page 44?

There could be a giveaway book in it for you -- we could all use another book, right? :)

Susan

 

Comment Problems

Dear readers,

Sherrie here, wearing her Admin hat. We are having ongoing problems with spam, forcing us to close comments on older posts. In addition, some legitimate reader comments are ending up in the spam folder by accident. We're working with Typepad on a fix, but in the meantime, please let me know if you have comment problems. Just scroll all the way down to the very bottom of the left sidebar for my e-mail address, or send it to sholmes [at] holmesedit.com. I'm checking the spam folder daily, so if your comment ended up there, I'll liberate it. We're sorry for the inconvenience. Let's hope this problem gets fixed soon!

The Sparky Report #4

Sherrie, here. Sparky continues to grow like a weed on steroids, and new aspects of her personality keep emerging. The latest is her behavior at mealtimes. She's normal when eating dry kibble, but give her canned food and she turns into Frankenkitty, often growling and slapping the floor with her paw, as if to ward off potential food thieves.

Which is ironic, because Sparky herself is the biggest food thief in the house! I dare not leave my food unattended, or when I return, it's to find Sparky buried up to her eyebrows in my supper. There's nothing like returning to the table to find the straw missing from your water glass and kitty footprints on the rim, or find her slurping up the last bite of food on your plate! Here are some recent pictures of her finishing off, respectively, water, cake, and Brussel's sprouts.

   

And after Sparky has stolen my supper, the little thief then steals my chair. She's decided she likes my big overstuffed recliner, and after sitting on her accidentally a few times, I've learned to look before plopping down. She may grumble when I remove her from the recliner so that I can sit, but the grumbles soon turn to purrs when I let her sleep in my lap! One thing's for sure: there's never a dull moment when Sparky is in the room!

Mr. Darcy

Hi, here's Jo, about to be a bit iconoclastic about our Fitzwilliam Darcy. And even about Colin Firth. You have been warned!

I can't remember when I first read Pride and Predjudice,  but it was in my teens. I adored it, but looking back it wasn't about Darcy at all. For me it was a Cinderella story and Darcy was the placeholder for the Prince. The Prince in this context is the prize, the gold medal, the goblet. He's set up as the local prize, and as unattainable.

For many readers (and viewers) Darcy clearly is that other character, the Romantic Hero. He stirs romantic emotions and dreams and makes the heart beat faster. This is fine, but it's not like that for me.

Which is Darcy for you? Or do you disagree with my analysis entirely?

Of the recent screen Darcys, I prefer David Rintoul, though none have hit the spot for me, perhaps because they were all supposed to be Romantic Hero Darcy rather that Prince Darcy. Prince Darcy would put all the emphasis on his wealth, status, and unreachablity. Romantic Darcy requires some dash and earthiness that undermines that. Colin Firth is a great actor and could have done Prince Darcy perfectly, but instead we see him fencing -- fencing! -- and emerging bedraggled from a lake.

I've been thinking about this because I was sent a review copy of an amusing book, Mr. Darcy's Guide to Courtship, by of course Fitzwilliam Darcy, "as dictated to Miss Emily Brand." This is a nicely presented volume on heavy cream paper with greyscale period illustrations and some new drawings that fit in perfectly. It has a period feel without losing readability and would make an excellent gift for an Austen fan.

It's more of a dipping book than one to read straight through, but the dips are tasty. The book draws on period resources, most of them pre-Regency, and there are plenty of Austen references and devices, such as the "ludicrous examples of studied compliments' of Mr. Collins."

 Darcy lays out the appropriate behaviours for gentlemen and ladies, but primarily for the gentlemen, on "Making Oneself Ageeable", "Selecting a Bride" etc, and even has as "Ask Darcy" section at the end. This is Darcy before he meets Elizabeth Bennet, haughty, cynical and wry. Right at the beginning it says, "There are some errata in this book, but the Author says he is too busy and important to give you a note of them." You see -- Prince Darcy.

This book is delightful as a pastime, but there are period details, literary references and wry depths that reward repeat visits.

Mr. Darcy's Guide to Courtship, from Old House Books.

Seduction in Silk is out now, so if you don't have your copy, make haste! Readers in the UK now have a UK e-book edition (with an odd cover, I must say) but for a print edition must go for the moment to The Book Depository, which ships book free.

Cheers,

Jo

 

A Visit to the Regency Theatre with Shana Galen!

Nicola here. Today it is my very great pleasure to welcome back Honorary Word Wench Shana Galen! Shana is the bestselling author of fast-moving and fabulous Regency historical adventures including my personal favourite Lord and Lady Spy. When I heard that Shana had a novella out that was part of the Lord and Lady Spy Series I could not wait to snap her up for a blog piece about the fascinating theatrical background to the story. Over to Shana:

Thank you so much, Word Wenches, for having me back again!

When I was in middle and high school, I desperately wanted to perform on the stage. The problem was my acting skills were pretty limited. But I could sing, and once a year the theater department always put on a big musical. Finally, I had the chance to get out of the prop room and step onto the stage. When I went to college, I decided to combine theater and voice, and I majored in opera for a semester. That’s about how long it took for me to realize I had no future as a professional opera singer.

I didn’t have a future as a spy or a pirate or a courtesan, either, but I could write stories about them! And that’s exactly what I did when I wrote The Spy Wore Blue: A Lord and Lady Spy Novella. Blue is a renowned spy for my fictional Barbican group. Helena is an opera singer performing at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Italy. Blue and Helena have a past, and they’re brought together again when Blue tracks an assassin to Helena’s theater in Naples.

But as much as I know about opera and set design (not much since the director was always reluctant to allow me to use a saw or a nail gun), I knew virtually nothing about theaters during the Regency. I knew I was constantly researching the theaters I made mention of in my novels because it seemed whenever I wanted to set a scene at a theater, it had burned down that year.

My research for this novella revealed one of the reasons theaters so frequently burned down. Without gas or electric lighting, theaters had to be lit using torches, oil lamps, and candles. The auditorium stayed lit during the performance and footlights highlighted the actors on stage. Jars of colored water might be used to create colored effects. Mirrors might reflect colored water to add an effect to a scene. Stage designers were creative, but they couldn’t control the risks so much fire in one location posed.

In the image of Drury Lane, right, note the footlights on the stage and the presence of lit chandeliers throughout the auditorium.

Theater architecture also figured into my novella. Two crucial scenes in the novella relied heavily on theater construction. Unfortunately, theaters in the nineteenth century weren’t built like modern-day theaters. I had to rewrite a catwalk scene when I learned catwalks weren’t present in Regency-era theaters. Instead, stage hands utilized fly systems to hang and move scenery. But I needed a character to fall from above, so I started thinking about what would happen if the fly system needed repairs or how the carpenters changed scenery for a new show. I studied several blueprints and found that, just like present times, Regency-era theaters had fly lofts, where materials were stored and the fly system could be accessed.

During the regency, scenery itself was composed mainly of flats, which were huge painted pieces of scenery, which were placed on stage to give the illusion of a building or another setting. For years these flats were stationary or time-consuming to move, often requiring up to sixteen stage hands to move the flats and change scenes. A set designer named Giacomo Torelli solved this problem in Venice in the early 1640s. He designed a chariot-and-pole system, whereby the flats were mounted on poles and attached through the flooring to wagons, or chariots, under the stage. Many flats could be so outfitted, and stage hands could use a pulley to move one flat off stage as another replaced it, thereby quickly changing scenes. Not only did this result in an increase of sets per opera, it provided me with the perfect setting for the climax of my novella.

Do you have a favorite play, musical, or opera? Mine has always been Mozart’s Le Nozze de Figaro. One person who comments between now and midnight Thursday EST will win a copy of Lord and Lady Spy.

You can find out more about Shana and her books on her blog at http://www.shanagalen.com/

 

The Servant Problem

 Anne here. Recently Joanna blogged about what a Regency-era maid would wear, and last year Nicola blogged about the life of a lady's maid. I, on the other hand am pondering the development of what used to be called "the servant problem" and reflecting on where we are with that today.

Rich people have always had servants. Back in the Regency, even mildly well-off people kept at least one or two servants. A young bachelor living in "digs" rented rooms would still probably have a manservant or valet, and his landlady would undoubtedly have a cook and an army of maids to keep the building clean.

There's a passage in Georgette Heyer's Friday's Child that has always amused me. Young Lord Sheringham, having eloped with a childhood friend, rejects the magnificence of his family town house and instead rents a house in Half Moon Street. (That's a photo of Half Moon St I took some years ago.)

The matter of staff is then discussed with the family man of business: "Finally, it was decided that a cook, a butler, two abigails and a page-boy or footman should, in addition to his lordship's man, her ladyship's personal maid, a coachman, two grooms and the Tiger, be sufficient to ensure the young couple a moderate degree of comfort."

Yes, seven indoor servants and four for the horses should do it.

However over time, as the industrial revolution kicked in, offering more employment opportunities to the working classes, and large houses became more and more expensive to run, servants became more expensive to keep. WW1 in particular, put a big dent in the availability — and willingness— of people to be servants.

Even here, in Melbourne, Australia, the pinch was felt. A school I used to work in was one of a number of schools established in the 1920's (by the government) as a Girls' Domestic Arts School. It was aimed to overcome 'the servant problem' — the shortage of well trained, cheap servants that happened after the war. The idea was that the daughters of the working classes would be trained in housework and work as servants until they were married, when they would then raise a clean and decent family. The girls (who no doubt did most of the housework at home anyway) were to be given a thorough training in the domestic arts, as well as a basic school curriculum. Note the domestic maid style of uniforms worn by the girls in the pic. Quite Victorian looking.

The hidden flaw in this plan to enable the rich matrons of Melbourne to get themselves well-trained servants was the selection of the teaching staff. Only unmarried single women were allowed to teach in those days, and many of the well educated spinsters employed in these schools had no intention of training clever girls for a future of domestic drudgery. Career women themselves, they were ambitious for their students, and as well as a thorough grounding in domestic arts, they gave the girls the kind of academic education that would enable them to have careers. Rather than a training ground for servants for the rich, these schools developed a reputation for academic excellence.

The "servant problem" worsened after WW2, as education became more widespread and more and more jobs were available that didn't involve people being subservient. Servants became more and more something only the very rich could afford. The mildly well-off had to make do with a daily or weekly "help" and most domestic work fell to wives and daughters.

As we all know, the growth of "working wives" meant many women did two jobs. My mother was a teacher, working full-time, and caring in the evening for a husband and four children. When I was born, no replacement for her was sent to the country school where she worked, and so she went back to school — with me in a bassinette. And fifty kids in a classroom. She ran herself ragged, my mother, as did so many women of that era — as do so many women still do today.

These days, we're starting to come full circle, and I'm wondering if the servant problem has finally been solved. While few of us have actual servants, there is a huge growth industry in the kind of jobs that servants used to do; house cleaning, washing, ironing, gardening, mowing, window-washing — the specialist areas are multiplying. Even cookery — so many people nowadays buy take-out or pre-prepared meals delivered to their door or purchased in supermarkets, whether for special diets or simple convenience.

Recently I bumped into one of the girls I used to teach at that former Domestic Arts High School (which, by the way, no longer teaches domestic arts.) She now has her own thriving business — a cleaning business that employs more than thirty people. I thought those old-time teachers would approve. It's a sign of the times.

As for me, I don't have anyone doing my chores for me, apart from my butler, Dwayne. Dwayne? He's a one-trick butler, but he's essential to my peace of mind. He lives in my phone and says "No-one is available to take your call. Please leave a message after the tone." I couldn't do without Dwayne. 

What about you — do you have any kind of domestic help? And if you could have any kind of help you wanted, which would you choose?

The Sparky Report #3

Sparky being silly

Sherrie, here. Yes, as you can see by the title of this installment, the godkitten finally has a name:  Sparky. It seems suitable, as the kitten was found orphanced on the 4th of July. Go here for the full story. When I first found Sparky, she weighed 9 ounces. Today, she weighs a healthy 2.1 pounds.

Besides a new name, Sparky has something else: a new gender. Sparky is a girl! This was confirmed by the same vet who had tentatively pronounced her a boy a month earlier. So Dee, who commented last week that she was sure Sparky would end up being classified as a torbie and a female, was right on both counts! Good job, Dee! Boy or girl, Sparky has wormed her way into my heart.

She also seems to have wormed her way into my young Boxer's heart, as the two have become playmates. Here are some pictures of them playing together.

Sparky's favorite place to hang out is my desk, as it provides an entire arsenal of cool things to play with, such as the following:

 

Sparky killing a rubber band

 

Killing a pencil

 

Falling over backwards while killing a Kleenex tissue

Killing a roll of paper towels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another of Sparky's favorite pastimes is hanging out with my other cat, Christopher, who has become Sparky's surrogate parent. Christopher has a unique way of disciplining Sparky when she needs to mind her manners.

Step #1: Raise paw in warning and look stern

Step #2: Press down hard on back until kitten promises to behave.

 

 

 

 

 

And after the discipline, they're friends again. All is forgiven, until the next time Sparky gets into trouble!

Jo Beverley reveals SEDUCTION IN SILK

by Mary Jo:

I pounced on the opportunity to interview Word Wench Jo Beverley about her new release, Seduction in Silk, just out from Signet Penguin.  The story is set in Jo’s Georgian Malloren World, in 1760s England.  Jo is the Grand Master (Grand Mistress?) of the marriage of convenience romance, and SiS is another distinguished member of that tribe.

Jo, you once said that you were addicted to marriages of convenience.  Could you explain why you enjoy them so much? 

JB: I think it’s the forced intimacy between strangers. So many aspects of courtship are familiar in real life, but not many of us, male or female, are pushed into bed with a stranger. I like to pay attention to the man as well as the woman, because it won’t necessarily be easy for him. In An Unwilling Bride, the hero Lucien wonders if he’ll be able to perform, because he realizes he’s never set out to have sex with a woman without desiring her at the time.

So I think it’s a great dramatic situation, but I also find the fantasy erotic. I wonder how many of the Wench readers feel the same.

MJP:  Tell us about the delicious Peregrine Perriam, and his very reluctant lady, Claris! 

JB: Perry is one of those characters who turn up and surprise. I can’t even remember how he came to be. In An Unlikely Countess the hero needed a friend, and there was Perry. He was such an odd match for Cate (yes, that’s the hero’s name -- Catesby) that I had to come up with a backstory for my own satisfaction. (Cate had a year on the town when young which was so wild that his father tossed him into the army.)

Cate by that time is a career soldier. Perry is a Town Beau. He’s a younger son set to serve his family’s interests in London, at court, in society, in all the offices of power, and in any other sneaky way he can find. He loves it, and has no interest in rural life, which is why inheriting a country manor at the beginning of Seduction in Silk is such a pain in the you-know-where, not to mention the marriage forced on him.

He doesn’t expect to have difficulty in getting an impoverished clergyman’s daughter to the altar. She’ll leap at the chance. He’ll install her in Perriam Manor with the income to do with as she wishes and get back to his real life. When she insists on a marriage in name only, he has no objection at all.

Getting her to that point isn’t easy, however, because Claris has no interest in marriage. In general I find impoverished heroines who are dead set against marriage hard to believe, but Claris has survived her parents’ tortuous marriage and her father’s almost insane domination. Having gained freedom, and having enough money to survive on, she doesn’t want to give it up, especially at the demand of a stranger.

Also, she comes from strong women, on both sides. Perry realizes she has a scandalously eccentric grandmother (who is in the book) and an insanely vengeful virago of a mother. No wonder she tries to shoot him.

She does move into a grander world, however. Here’s a short fun video I made about Georgian dress and Claris.

MJP:  What are you working on now for next year?

JB: I’m going back to my Regency world, that of the Company of Rogues. It’s been a while, and readers have been asking for a story about David Kerslake, the heroine’s brother from The Dragon’s Bride. He begins the book as the local smuggling master as well as the Earl of Wyvern’s estate steward. He ends it as the earl with many problems to deal with. A biggie is that the earldom is bankrupt, so he needs to marry money. A Shocking Delight will be out next April.

MJP:  You’re starting to move into the brave new world of indie publishing.  Could you tell us more about your plans there?

JB: It is exciting, isn’t it, Mary Jo? You’re ahead of me there. It’s such a great world for authors these days because we’re able to get our work out to readers directly if we choose. I’ve e-pubbed some of my previously published novellas. There’s a page for them here.

The one at the top is the first novella I’ve written directly for e-readers. It’s a sort of lead in to SinS. The protagonists are new, but Perry plays a small but crucial part.

Also, some of my early books have not been available for e-readers, and I’ve just corrected that. The first five Company of Rogues books plus the second Malloren, Tempting Fortune, are now e-pubbed, and though I’ve hired help it’s been lovely to be in control of the situation. Though I must say that it’s hard to find stock photos of clean-shaven, fairly slim blond men! Why is that? I even searched Scandinavian sites. With An Unwilling Bride I gave up and have just a woman on the cover. It suits the title that she seem alone.

MJP:  Do you have an excerpt of Seduction in Silk to share?

JB: After having been driven off a pistol-point, Perry has returned to Claris’s cottage to lay out the advantages.

    “I can’t claim great wealth, Miss Mallow, but I can provide a very comfortable life for my wife. What’s more, and you seem to have failed to grasp this, I’m at your mercy. You may demand what you will.”
    “Except, it seems, that you leave and never bother me again.”
    “Except that,” he agreed. “But you may continue to live here if you wish, or I can offer Perriam Manor as an alternative residence. It’s of modest size, but in good repair and well furnished, though in an old style. I’m sure it’s cozy in winter and pleasant in summer. It’s surrounded by parkland and gardens that I would judge adequate but ripe for improvement, if gardening is your true delight.”
    Claris kept a stony face. “Alas, with you present, sir, all would be spoiled.”
    “Then you’ll be delighted to know that I would rarely be there. I’m much engaged in Town matters and can only enjoy rural delights now and then.”
    “Even one day a year would be too much.” His amiable confidence was stirring her temper and for once she welcomed it. “Why am I debating this with you?” She loosened her arms to point at the door. “Begone!”
    “Consider,” he said, completely unmoved. “You would be the mistress of a comfortable domain, and enjoy its income. Did I not mention that?”
    “Will you not leave!”
    “The income of the manor would be yours to do with as you wish,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “You would need for nothing.”
    “Except my independence. I would have a husband, a lord and master.”
    “Alas, true, but I assure you that I am far too busy to abuse my powers.”
    “Busy? What if you have an idle moment, sir? Leave!”
    “I must remain until you change your mind.”
    Breathing hard, Claris saw he meant it. He was disregarding every word she spoke. “You . . . you . . .” She grabbed the pistol and pointed it.
    “Claris . . . ,” Athena said.
    “Leave,” she growled, “or I will shoot you.”
    The smile widened and his eyes lit. 
    He was laughing at her?
    She cocked the pistol, the click, click loud in the room.
    “You won’t fire it,” he said.
    “Oh, won’t I?” Claris closed her eyes and squeezed the trigger.
    A tremendous boom deafened her.

JP: Clearly Perry doesn’t die, or it’d be a very short and unusual book, but that’s certainly a turning point!

MJP:  Thanks so much for introducing us to Perry and Claris, Jo.  Having read the book, I guarantee it’s every bit as good as it sounds! 

Jo will give away a copy of Seduction in Silk to one commenter between now and midnight Saturday.  Share your thoughts on marriages of convenience, and the temptations of shooting a man who just won't listen!