Word Wenches

House of Lords

Pat here:

In my defense, I  could have sworn the first of July was next week, and that I had plenty of time to research a lovely topic. But I’m now frantically flinging clothes into a suitcase for a trip scheduled this weekend and the calendar page turned and here I am at midnight, unprepared.

So today you get a brief history of the House of Lords, which has only been around in some form for about eight hundred years, give or take a century or so. Right, deep breath.  Parliament essentially began in medieval times as a group of advisors to the kings. By the 13^th century, these advisors included representatives from various counties, cities, and rural boroughs. It wasn’t until the 14^th century that the two houses of Parliament emerged. The representatives—currently elected—met in the House of Commons. The nobility and leaders of the church met as the House of Lords.

By the 15^th century, the Lords Temporals, the “peers,” became almost entirely hereditary, no longer appointed by the king. These are the titles most familiar to romance readers: dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons. Since titles descended only to male heirs, the lords was quite unreasonably all male and still is today.

In the 16^th century, good King Henry VIII took out the churches, which removed pretty much all the bishops and Catholic church hierarchy, leaving the Lords Temporal pretty much in charge. I think there’s an entire encyclopedia of novels in this period alone. So, out goes the church and let the merriment begin!

Let’s skip over the nastiness of the Civil War when everyone got thrown out and it was a right wretched mess until 1689 when the Bill of Rights declared Parliament had authority over the king. Yeah, people! We may be down to a few dozen clergymen at this point.

So now we’re up to the time that matters in most of our romance novels, the 18^th century. Scotland and England have been battling for centuries but finally, in 1707, they settle down and Scotland sends peers to the House of Lords. It takes until 1800 before they can get it together with Ireland, though. Lots of fun history here should I be writing this at some other time besides midnight.

It's before all the reforms in the mid-1800s that I'm setting my Unexpected Magic series, so a peer is still entitled to sit in the Lords upon inheriting the title. That's no longer true, but I'm not writing contemporary and don't have to worry about today's complications.

Essentially, the Lords supervises the Commons. The Commons does all the work, deciding what their voters want, writing the bills, and the Lords get to sniff at it and decide whether they like the result. So really, one can understand why they spent a lot of time sleeping on the benches and playing cards. But I like my heroes more dynamic, so Lord Ashford gets to meddle in my next book. He probably likes to meddle at midnight, too, but I don't. So I'll leave y'all to tell me how far I went astray in my ramblings. Do any of you ever wonder what our heroes are actually supposed to be doing when our dukes and earls are out making hay or doing whatever it is romance heroes do that get them into so much trouble?

What We're Reading in June

Hi. Joanna here. It's a great line-up this month.

Andrea/Cara first up:

I’m a sucker for historical mysteries, especially ones that ihave arcane books involved in the plot. So when I happened to read a blurb on this, I couldn’t resist. But before I go on, I have a confession to make: I’ve been madly scrambling to finish a project, so haven’t had quite as much time for reading as usual. So I’m not all that far along in this book, but am liking it enough to recommend it. 

The Burnable Book. Here’s the lead blurb on the cover flap: In Chaucer's London, betrayal, murder, royal intrigue, mystery, and dangerous politics swirl around the existence of a prophetic book that foretells the deaths of England's kings.

Maybe you can see right away why I was hooked. The author, Bruce Holsinger, is a professor of Medieval History, and already the ambiance of London—from the court intrigues to the stews—is really well-done. The style is a little edgy, but I’m liking the main protagonist a lot. A friend of Geoffrey Chaucer, and fellow poet, John Gower has been asked to find a stolen book that may bring down the monarchy. If you’re looking to immerse  yourself in London of Richard II, come join me in turning the pages!

And, with a wonderful, comforting set of books, Mary Jo:

When I'm deep into writing a new book, I often reread comfort books because I know I'll enjoy them and there isn't the stress of hunting down new books and maybe not finding something I like.  So--currently rereading Jayne Ann Krentz romantic suspense novels.  I love her Arcane series, where characters have paranormal, psychic type abilities that are both blessing and curse.  WHITE LIES is a particular favorite, where the heroine can always tell if someone is lying.  This is a decidedly mixed blessing.  <G>

But my current reread is the Dark Legacy duo, COPPER BEACH and DREAM EYES.  JAK seldom does families, but the heroes of these two books are brothers, which is fun.  Sam Coppersmith, hero of Copper Beach, is the lab guy who is a genius at manipulating crystal energy.  When paranormal book finder Abby Radwell needs help, she is sent to him and sparks fly.  Quite literally. <G>

Mary Jo Putney's ONCE A SOLDIER

Anne here, interviewing Mary Jo about her new book, ONCE A SOLDIER, the first in a new series, “Rogues Redeemed” which is a spin-off of her wonderful Lost Lords Series.

First a few accolades for the book: Library Journal gave it a starred review, and said, “Exquisitely developed characters, a stunning setting, and the perfect amount of history and engineering detail make this an excellent start to what promises to be another of Putney’s insightful, riveting series.”

Romantic Times gave it a Top Pick and said, “Filled with action, danger and passion, her latest engages the readers’ emotions with a deeply touching and marvelously crafted love story. A keeper.”

Anne: Mary Jo, congratulations on the release of ONCE A SOLDIER. I loved the beginning, where the hero and several other men are locked in a wine cellar, preparing themselves to face a firing squad at dawn. Each man reflects briefly on his life and ponders the unlikely possibility of redemption — which gives us the theme for the new series, “Rogues Redeemed.”

Karen Harper & THE ROYAL NANNY

by Mary Jo

Hi, there!  Today we are lucky enough to welcome Karen Harper as a return guest. Karen has been writing even longer that I have <G>, and she's known for her versatility and superb research.  She started out with historical romance and has since branched out into main stream historical, romantic thrillers (including contemporary Amish suspense), and historical mysteries. She isa  winner of the Mary Higgins Clark award. (Note the many varied covers included in this blog.)

A New York Times list bestselling author, among other honors, Karen is with us today to tell us about her just released, and utterly fascinating sounding book, The Royal Nanny.  Over to you, Karen!

THE NANNY’S HAND THAT ROCKED THE WORLD

Victorian writer William Ross Wallace once wrote, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”  He may well have meant the loyal nannies who reared generations of the children of the British Empire. 

He most certainly was right on about the heroine of The Royal Nanny, Charlotte Bill, the Cockney woman who raised the children of King George V and Queen Mary, the current queen’s grandparents.

Two of those six children became kings, and in a way, Charlotte, or ‘Lala’ as the children dubbed her, saved both of these boys.  When she arrived in the royal household of the then Duke and Duchess of York, David (later King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor) and Bertie (later King George VI) were being abused by their current nanny, who was later committed to an asylum.  (Remember The King’s Speech flashbacks where Bertie was ignored and starved?  And why did the Duke of Windsor gravitate toward abusive, take-charge women, including his beloved Wallis?)

Jacobites!

Nicola here. Today I’m talking about an eccentric museum in the Scottish Highlands, a ruined castle, a monument and… The “Harry Potter” train! The thing that unites them all is the Jacobites.

A couple of weeks ago, like Bonnie Prince Charlie, I made my way to the Scottish Highlands and enjoyed following in his footsteps around many of the places with connections to the Jacobite cause. (I also enjoyed seeing the wildlife, especially the pine marten in the picture which visited the bird table at the place we were staying!) I’ve always had a soft spot for the Stuart dynasty. Their political judgement might have been wayward but there is something dashing and romantic about their struggles again the Hanoverians. Like so many lost causes they appeal to the heart not the head.

The Jacobites aimed to restore the Roman Catholic King James VII and II, and his heirs, to the thrones of Scotland, England and Ireland. Jacobites rebelled against the British government a number of times between 1688 and 1745. There was support for the Stuart Monarchy all over the country but most particularly in the West Highlands of Scotland where some of the clans had strong Roman Catholic affiliations.   The story of Bonnie Prince Charlie has become inextricably linked with the Highlands and the Scottish clans but also with tins of shortbread, mugs and… trains.

A Quiet Evening In

Anne here. I'm heading towards a looming deadline, and so instead of a learned blog, I'm going to play a little game of let's pretend.

It's a cold, wet Regency-era English evening. You're staying in for the night. There's no assembly to attend, no party, no play or concert or any other entertainment provided. You'll have to entertain yourself. Rain is spattering on the windows, and there's wind whistling through the chimneys, but inside the lanterns are lit and a cosy fire is crackling. Nevertheless, a long evening stretches before you. What are you going to do?

Reading?
What would you read? A witty Jane Austen novel, a dramatic tale by Mrs Radcliffe , Sir Walter Scott, an improving tale by Maria Edgeworth, a scary one by "Monk" Lewis or Wilkie Collins, or is poetry your choice tonight? Shelley? Byron's latest, or some classic Shakespeare?

Writing?
Or will you be quietly penning your own tale, or perhaps a letter?

Handicrafts?
Sewing? Would you be doing fine embroidery, or sewing a garment, perhaps? Or maybe you'd be sewing a patchwork quilt like this one Jane Austen and her sister and mother sewed.

Knitting, tatting or knotting?
Or maybe you're a knitter, making mittens, or caps, or a warm woolen scarf or muffler. Or bootees or slippers or socks, perhaps. Or are you a tatter making pretty lace borders. Or a knotter. You might do hairwork, braiding and curling the hair of a loved one (or your own hair, or even your dog's hair) into jewellery or using it to create some kind of picturesque scene.

Baronetcy for Sale

Last week, I was deep into the final pages of the next Unexpected Magic book (with no sign of a title in sight, I might add!) and still had no clear idea of how I’d resolve all the details of my conflict. You might say I’m a pantser—someone who writes by the seat of her pants. I like to be as surprised as the reader when I reach the end. Yeah, I know, stupid. But man, has that taught me how to edit!

But the point is—I had a brilliant brainstorm that would cap everything off so very nicely, except it involved all sorts of research. All writing came to a screeching halt as I dug into the origins of a baronetcy, who inherits, how, can a king just hand one to anyone he feels like, what are the requirements, can land be attached…  Argh!

Our Favorite Jo Beverleys

Susan here, presenting our "What We’re Reading” feature—and this time, we’ve each chosen our favorite Jo Beverley books.

Just a month ago Jo was still with us, and she’ll always be in our hearts — and “we will always have a part of Jo with us in her wonderful books,” as Wench Andrea/Cara recently said.

Jo wrote well over forty books and novellas, and we’ve each chosen our “favorites”—a word that loosely applies here. Choosing one or two over others wasn’t easy, but in the end the titles we picked all hold special meaning and resonance for each one of us. Some of us chose the same book. “Great minds and all that,” says Wench Joanna, “but see how differently we talk about it. A book is a collaboration between author and reader,” and the way we may respond to story and characters, and how we absorb and interpret a book, can be unique.

Recently, Jo's son Jonathan took this wonderful photo of his mother's many books--and her glittering collection of RITA awards.

Read our favorite picks -- and then tell us your favorite Jo Beverley books too!

Mary Jo Putney
So what is my favorite Jo Beverley book?  This could be a difficult question.  How about the stunning My Lady Notorious, first in the Malloren Series?  Or how about Lady Beware, because of my unnatural fondness for Darien?  Or her most recent, The Viscount Needs a Wife, which is subtle, original, and an overall delight?

And yet the choice turned out to be easy: Emily and the Dark Angel. It's one of her early traditional Regencies.  It might have been the first book of hers that I read.  It might have won the first (of five!) of her RITAs.  Those details I don't remember.

What I do remember is that it is everything a Regency should be: beautifully written, rich with carefully woven historical detail, and superbly characterized, it is one of the best handsome rake/plain heroine books ever.  Set in Melton Mowbray, the fashionable fox hunting capital of Regency society, the book features Emily Grantwich, a sensible twenty-six year old who is firmly on the shelf.  She competently runs the family estate owned by her invalid father, and enjoys the challenges.

Verderan, the Dark Angel, is a notorious rake who inherits the adjoining estate--and proves that a man must be very charming to make a good rake!  The growing relationship between them is both convincing and romantic--and just reading about the book made me pull one of my two copies off the keeper shelf because it's time for a re-read! 

Joanna Bourne
I went along my keeper shelf, looking at the old friends. It was pick one up and say, "Oh, yes. That's my favorite." Then I'd see the next one and open it and think, "No. This one is the best." 

I sat dithering between Secrets of the Night, (so sensual), and An Arranged Marriage. (Oh, Nicholas. How could I NOT choose you?) And finally settled on An Unwilling Bride. The privileged heir of an aristocratic house ​and a prickly, radical schoolmistress are forced into marriage. There's resentment and distrust from the start and a chasm of social inequality that causes misunderstanding after misunderstanding.
Not the ingredients of a happy life together. 

Many of Jo's books are about the needs and desires of strong men and women confronting the rigid, hierarchical society in which they live. This is the boundary she continually explores. An Unwilling Bride is this conflict in almost pure form. It's the meticulous picking apart of the assumptions and attitudes of Beth and Lucien, two complex people who are so Georgian we believe in them utterly and so universally human that our hearts ache for them.

I love the gradual coming together of Beth and Lucien. I see them working at the relationship, deliberately uncovering their vulnerabilities, being honest. Kindliness and goodwill are as important as desire. I like that. I like to see friendship growing up beside love.   

What's special about Jo's work is not that she gets the historical clothing and countryside and forms of address correct. Though she does. Nobody does it better. 
It's the strong, honorable people. She gets the people right. 

Andrea Pickens/Cara Elliott 
What can I say? Trying to pick a favorite Jo Beverley book is like trying to pick a favorite vintage champagne—each has its own uniquely nuanced taste, hue and effervescence but they all possess a brilliant sparkle and leave you feeling blissfully intoxicated! Jo was a master at creating compelling characters whose conflict created stories of depth and complexity. I think readers love her books because they are so real. Flaws, fears, difficult decisions, past mistakes—we all can relate to the struggle to define happiness and the struggle to find love. Her writing resonates with intelligence, a masterful command of language and history, and a true gift for storytelling.

 Okay, do I REALLY have to pick a favorite? (She says with a heavy sigh.) If pressed, I guess I have to say An Unwilling Bride. For me it showcases all of Jo’s magnificent talents. She took what to most authors would have been a very difficult storyline and created unforgettable characters and crackling tension, all in such a thoughtful exploration of human nature—and then of course ended with the celebration of love as the ultimate redeeming power.

 Love—it’s at the heart of romance books. And Jo, we love you.

Regency Write Stuff

“I am afraid you do not like your pen. Let me mend it for you. I mend pens remarkably well.”


—Caroline Bingley, Pride and Prejudice

Andrea/Cara here, These days, the clack, clack of a keyboard has replaced the feathery whisper of a pen dancing over paper for many of us writers. But in my current WIP, the heroine is a satirical cartoonist, and she sees the world through the cutting-edge strokes of her pen. She’s constantly drawing, and all the constant attention to detail—the fine cross-hatchings, the clever commentary—demands a dexterity that is a dying art in our day. I found myself thinking of the rhythm of Regency writing, and as she needs to occasionally sharpen her quill, both literally and metaphorically, I wondered, “How does she do that?”

What We Are Reading

Andrea/Cara here, With the recent unoffical start of summer here in the northern hemisphere, it's time to start filling the carry-alls with great beach reads! (And for those of you heading into winter, it's always good to have a pile of good reads next to the armchair and quilt for those long chilly nights.) We have been reading a wide variety—as usual— over the past few weeks, and have a number of titles to share with you. And we hope you'll share the books that have tickled your fancy! This monthly feature is always such a fun collaboration with our readers. So, off we go!

Nicola:
I love stories set in the English Civil War and wish there were more of them so I was thrilled to hear that HWW Louise Allen had updated and reissued an old Mills & Boon Historical called The Master of Winterbourne. It’s a richly detailed, complex story that is sensual and romantic, and at the same time it has a fair bit of intrigue packed in and some beautifully drawn, deep characters. Louise really brings out their divided loyalties and conflicts. Highly recommended.

Another book I absolutely loved this month is French Kissing by Lynne Shelby. Anna Mitchel has been writing letters to her French penfriend, Alexandre Tourville, for fifteen years, but hasn’t seen him since an exchange trip when they were at school and he was a shy geek. When Alex has the opportunity to work in London, Anna offers him a place to stay but is astounded that he has changed out of all recognition and is now tall, broad-shouldered and gorgeous, and has just broken up with his long-term girlfriend.
 
French Kissing is totally charming. The characters are great, the backgrounds of London and Paris beautifully described, and the style of writing really engaging. It’s a fun and very happy-making read!

What being a Word Wench Means to Us

 

Nicola here. Today, as part of our Word Wench Blog 10^th anniversary celebrations, we’re talking about what makes the Word Wenches such a special group to be a part of. Some of us are founder members of the blog and talk about the reasons it was set up in the first place and the ways in which it has grown and changed. Others, myself included, became Wenches along the way and joined a blog that continues to be dynamic, diverse, and fascinating, and a group of writers who are wonderfully insightful and supportive. Then there are our readers and regular blog commenters. Again, some have been with the blog since the beginning and others have joined in along the way, and together we have created what feels to me to be a special community. That’s my view of the Word Wenches, anyway – here is what my fellow Wenches have to say, plus some photos of Wenches having fun - at conferences, at weddings, with hats and even by the sea!

Pat:

Ten years ago, the Word Wenches came together because our NYC traditional publishers requested that we begin interacting with our readers through social media. For introverted writers accustomed to spending all our days in our writing caves, only coming out to meet readers on special occasions, this was a huge technological and social leap into the unknown. So we banded together and held each other’s hands and took the leap. At that time, in 2006, I was finishing up the Magical Malcolm series, starting on the Rebellious Sons, writing an urban fantasy, and wishing I could publish my satirical mystery. My how time flies!

Kathleen Gilles Seidel Pays a Call!

by Mary Jo

I'll say this up front: Kathleen Gilles Seidel is a marvelous writer.  We are both members of the Washington Romance Writers chapter of RWA, so I've know her for many years.  At the WRW annual retreat, a slot would always be reserved for her to talk fascinatingly about some aspect of writing.  (She has a PhD in English from Johns Hopkins University, so she's really good at this sort of thing.) I've heard many of her thoughtful lectures and stories as well as being addicted to her writing.  So I feel very pleased that she's agreed to visit the Word Wenches today. 

Kathy has twice won RITAs for best contemporary romance of the year.  Her work is known for originality, wonderful keen observations about the human animal, and a delicious dry sense of humor.  She later moved from romance to women's fiction, and they're great, too.  (One of her books is entitled Keep Your Mouth Shut and Wear Beige. Who can resist that?)

What inspired me to invite Kathy at this point in time is that I saw that her novel Again is now available as an e-book, along with several of her other older titles.  Naturally I downloaded Again and read the story for the fifth or sixth time.  I also mentioned the book to the other Wenches, several of them read and adored it, and we all thought it would be a fine idea to invite Kathy to visit us.  

Celebrating with Susanna Kearsley & Pamela Hartshorne

Anne here, with Susanna Kearsley and Pamela Hartshorne dropping by to celebrate our 10th anniversary with us. Both Susanna and Pam are  'dual timeline/time slip' authors and Honorary Word Wenches (HWW). They're also representative of international wenchdom, as Pam is from the UK and Susanna from Canada. Welcome, Susanna and Pam!

Susanna here, happy to be here to share in the Word Wenches’ tenth anniversary!

I am, as it happens, an Honorary Word Wench—a  noble and cherished designation that not only comes with the perk of being able to add the letters “H.W.W.” to my signature (always much appreciated by someone like me, who never finished university), but also stands as a sometimes much-needed reminder that I’m never really writing on my own.

It’s a thing about writing: so much of it needs to be done on your own in a room by yourself, shut away from distractions, that it would be easy to feel disconnected…if we didn’t have this amazing community.

The first time I took my elder son to FanExpo here in in Toronto, he looked across the lines of people standing in their cosplay costumes waiting to get in, and said, “My people!” And I knew exactly how he felt.

I feel it, too, whenever I’m with other writers and readers who treasure historical romance. When I don’t have to explain why I’d rather shut myself away with a pile of 18th-century newspapers and a big pot of coffee than go to the mall. When I can say I’ve just surfaced from being in another time, and people understand. It’s a wonderful feeling, to be understood.

It’s in places like this one, with hosts like the Word Wenches, that we’re all able to find one another. We cheer each other, teach each other, share our craft and learn in equal measure; and, as evidenced by this past week, we give each other comfort.

Back when I was gifted with my Honorary Word Wench title, on September 23 of 2009, this group was a mere three years old, and I only knew Nicola. Since then I’ve met nearly all of the Wenches, and from sharing an event with Joanna to sharing drinks and laughter with Anne, to having her and Mary Jo come and stand at my shoulder when I won my RITA, the Word Wenches really and truly are “My people”. (Susanna's first interview with the wenches is here.)

May they continue another ten years, and beyond that.
And I’ll keep on adding “H.W.W.” after my name, with great pride.

Susanna Kearsley  

Susanna's most recent publication is A Desperate Fortune 
Her website is here.

And now, here's  Pamela Hartshorne:

It is a great honour to be an Honorary Word Wench, especially when I spent so many years writing strictly contemporary romances for Mills & Boon as Jessica Hart. But I have always been fascinated by the relationship between the past and the present, and in fact started writing to fund a PhD in medieval history (although I ended up as an early modernist) so my historical leanings have always been there.

Throughout the (very) many years it took me to complete that PhD, the question I was asked most often - after ‘Have you ever thought about writing a real book?’, of course - was whether I was going to use my research to write a historical romance. My answer was always ‘no’: I fretted about authenticity and how I could possibly get modern readers to identify with characters who thought and spoke and acted so differently in the past.

But after writing 50 romances, it felt like time for a new challenge and I decided to get over myself and have a go at writing not a romance but a ‘time slip’, part historical novel, part ghost stories, part psychological thrillers – and, in my case, part romance too, because romances are about emotions, and emotions are what connect us to the past, whether that past is our own, or a more distant one. I let go of the authenticity issue; the truth is that no amount of academic research will tell us what it was ‘really like’ in the past. The only way we can know that would be to somehow go back and re-experience life as somebody who lived then (ooh, precisely the premise of a time slip!)

For me, the real appeal of historical novels, romances or otherwise, lies in the tension between everything that is different and intriguing about the past, and everything that is the same – and what never change are the human emotions that lie at the heart of every great story - love, hate, fear - and that we can all identify with, wherever and whenever we live.

The temptation for all those of us fascinated by the past is to get bogged down in details, and squeeze in every interesting piece of our research (I can’t tell you how much about dung heaps and cleaning gutters I had to force myself to jettison from my first drafts of Time’s Echo) but this is where historical romance comes into its own: focusing on the emotional relationship between the characters gives it the perfect structure to draw readers into the story while keeping them interested and intrigued with a dazzling backdrop of historical detail. (Pam's first interview with the Wenches is here.)

So let’s hear it for historical romance – and let’s hear it for the fabulous Word Wenches, and a blog that has been invariably interesting, entertaining and inspiring for an incredible ten years. Many congratulations to you all!

Pamela Hartshorne 

Pam’s latest book, House of Shadows (not to be confused with Nicola Cornick’s House of Shadows!) is out now.
Pamela's website is here.

Anne again — thank you so much, Susanna and Pam for coming to celebrating this exciting milestone with us! And dear readers, to quote Pat Rice, "we would love to shower all of you with champagne and cake. But instead, at the end of the week, we'll be handing out gifts to random commenters."
And here's a question for readers: — what historical period or geographical location would you love to see explored in a time slip or historical romance? 

Wench Tenth Anniversary Guests

 
The Word Wenches are presenting comments from readers, authors, and other industry professionals on the last ten years of romance, history, and the world in general. Welcome our guests, please!

Christina Courtenay

I’ve been in love with romance ever since I first read a fairy tale – in fact, I was probably born a romantic!  The princesses in peril, the dashing princes to the rescue, the treasures and magic; I just didn’t want any other stories.  After discovering Georgette Heyer in my teens, I was totally sold on historical romance and I’ve never found anything else as satisfying.  There’s just something about immersing yourself in a fictional past, with strong heroes, lords and ladies, beautiful clothing and endless adventures that will never cease to pull me in, and I think historicals remain a favourite with readers for a reason – it’s just such fun!  The Word Wenches produce some of the very best in this sub-genre and, as well as the lovely books, I’ve enjoyed each and every post on this blog over the years – such diversity and I always learn something new.  Congratulations on this wonderful anniversary and I hope you’ll continue for a long time to come!

Christina

 

Eileen Dreyer

I was a historical romance reader before I was a historical writer. In fact, through the first 20 years of my career, I wrote contemporary category romance as Kathleen Korbel and medical/forensic suspense as Eileen Dreyer. And then one day the wonderful RT reviewer Melinda Helfer and I were talking Regency Romance, and she sealed my fate. “You should write Regencies.”

I laughed at the time. Six regencies later, I'm not laughing. Why do I love writing them? First, I love history, especially in the times when the world was in upheaval. And if there's one thing you can say about the Napoleonic Era, it's that the world was in upheaval. I love to see how it played out in the lives of normal people. The soldier, the debutante, the companion. I especially like to write a strong woman hemmed in by the mores and expectation of the society and time in which she lives. And of course I love to give her a man who's worthy of her. And clothes. Beautiful clothes. And humor. And suspense(which is easy then, since they were at war and we can imagine all the nefarious spies we want, even if it isn't entirely correct). And so was born DRAKE'S RAKES, who are all gentleman spies in service of the crown, who run afoul of a nefarious plot and strong heroines.  Just the kind I like to write. To learn more(you know you want to), stop by my website www.eileendreyer.com www.facebook.com/eileendreyer @eileendreyer 

 

Nina Paules, ePublishing Works:

Ten-ish years ago, while on an extended business trip, I bought my first romance novel, Mary Jo's A Kiss of Fate. I was embarrassingly (because "good girls" didn't read romance) hooked, and unknowingly fated.

As a wanna-be author, I emailed Mary Jo to say how much I enjoyed her book, and for reasons I still can't pinpoint, we became fast friends. That was Fate's first move.

Many fun and educational conversations on the Word Wenches' blog led me to create three Regency gowns (with all the underpinnings), and ultimately a two-part guest post about a modern-girl trying to live in a Regency Corset. The rewarding effort convinced me I could write.

A few years later, Mary Jo asked if I could use my computer "expertise" to make an eBook (when eBooks were a novelty), which opened the door for ePublishing Works. Today, ePW proudly publishes and promotes books for five of the eight current Wenches, plus nearly 100 other authors. Funny what a little romance novel and a blog can do.

Much has changed in how we read romance: paper giving way (mostly) to digital, and perusing physical bookstores exchanged for curated reading recommendations received via email. But the thrill of a good story with a powerful hook, that's peopled with engaging characters who grab the heart and mind, remains unchanged. Even better, a well-written Historical Romance is timeless in its ability to entertain, even as the delivery mechanisms change at lightning speed.

Thank you, Word Wenches, for all you have given me, for your faith in me, and for all you continue to do for the author and reader communities. It excites me to know that digital publishing assures the great stories that captured my heart a decade ago will be equally available to new readers for the next decade and beyond. Congratulations on the first 10 years!

 

Thank you to our dear friends and colleagues for celebrating a remarkable milestone with us! And dear readers, we would love to shower all of you with champagne and cake. But instead, at the end of the week, we'll be handing out gifts to random commenters. Thank you so much for stopping by!