Word Wenches

Seasonal Reads and Viewings

 Our monthly round-up of favorite reads for the summer months, or winter if you're down-under, plus a few movies to help us through the extreme weather.

 

Mary Jo:

As an antidote to the high summer heat and humidity that have settled over Maryland, we recently watched Where Eagles Dare, a 1968 action movie set in World War II.  I first saw it many years ago, and I've seen it once or twice since, but not recently, and I was curious about how well it's held up.  (This because we'd recently watched another WWII movie from the same era and it was pretty bad.)

But Where Eagles Dare still rocks!  Based on a novel and screenplay by Alistair MacLean, a favorite author of mine for many years, it's fast paced and full of twists and turns.  It features a very handsome and enigmatic Richard Burton, a very young and very deadly Clint Eastwood, and Mary Ure, Burton's love interest and fellow agent, a woman who is as skilled with a machine gun as Clint.

The plot has a group of British commandos going to a Nazi mountain fortress to rescue an American general who knows the D-Day plans, and they have to get him out before the information can be tortured out of him.  Eastwood is an American Army Ranger who is along for reasons that become clear at the end (when he says something to the effect of 'next time you Brits have a party like this, don't invite me.' <G>)

But what really makes this movie so suitable for summer viewing is the setting.  The Schloss Adler is on a mountaintop in Southern Bavaria in deep winter with snow, ice, and biting winds galore.  The only access by cable car sailing high above the icy slopes.  Delightful!  Recommended for all heat waves. <G> 

Nicola:

I've been reading a lovely book called The Giants Look Down by Sonja Price. It's a first novel and is one of the most original and interesting books I've picked up in a while. The heroine, Jaya, born in Kashmir, is determined to be a doctor like her father but a devastating natural disaster robs her of her family and her future. The scene then shifts to Scotland as she embarks on a new life. Both the scenes set in Kashmir and Scotland are beautifully and evocatively described, and the Kashmiri background in particular is unusual and fascinating. Jaya is a lovely heroine and I was rooting for her to succeed against all the odds. It's a fabulous debut book.

I was also lucky enough to pick up a pile of books at the Romantic Novelists' Association conference last week and can't wait to dive into them! One of them, The Cornish House by Liz Fenwick, is perfect summer
reading, with a heroine taking on an old cottage and discovering the secrets it has held for generations. I love Cornwall and Liz's books are so evocative that I can imagine I'm sitting in a rocky cove, gazing out over
the sea!

 

Andrea/Cara:

I’ve been reading The Eye of the Beholder: Johannes Vermeer, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, and the Reinvention of Seeing, which is absolutely fascinating. It’s just the sort of non-fiction I love, as it weaves together important specific discoveries and personalities with an overview of the world and society at the time. The author, Laura J. Snyder, has also written another book I enjoyed (The Philosophical Breakfast Club, which is about the men who changed science in England) I think she’s both an elegant writer and a lively storyteller—something that doesn’t always go hand in hand in non-fiction.

This book is a wonderfully provocative exploration of art and science—Leewenhoek invented the microscope and Vermeer pioneered the use of optics in art (it’s thought he used a camera obscura in creating his luminous paintings.) The 1600s was the height of the Scientific Revolution, where empirical observation became the rallying cry for all those interested in understanding the world around them. She talks not only about how lenses helped see the world in a way the naked eye can't perceive, but also why Holland became a hotbed for creativity in art and science. It was a truly “eye-opening” book, and I highly recommend it!

 

 

Pat:

I’ve been reading a lot of women’s fiction and mysteries lately. So I picked up Swimsuit Body, A Cypress Bay Mystery, by Eileen Goudge through Netgalley because I enjoy Goudge’s writing and it seemed to be a lovely combination of both. Although this is labeled a mystery, it’s so much more: a travelogue of the northern California coast, a tongue-in-cheek satire on Hollywood, and a wonderful insight into friends, small towns, and alcoholism. The solution to the mystery is in her well-drawn characters more than forensic evidence, a fact I appreciate. And while the heroine is a little too bold at times, she’s always smart, and she doesn’t pull her punches when it comes time for someone to pay. I loved the fabulously strong writing. 

Susan:

It's turning out to be a busy summer, so the reading hours have been fewer than I like! Currently I'm reading Death in the English Countryside by Sara Rosett - an English cozy set in a cozy English village, with twists. American Kate Sharp is a film location scout and her company is helping to set up a new production of Pride and Prejudice. Kate--a huge fan of anything Austen--goes over to England not to look for settings this time--but to find her boss, who has inexplicably disappeared. She follows a very interesting trail of clues - why he's vanished, what became of him, who's responsible - that takes her around the English countryside and into nooks and crannies of village life far more mysterious than she anticipated. Well written, with likable characters, a setting that beautifully evokes the heart of England, good pacing and a smart mystery that keeps you guessing, this is a good mystery, the start of a series. I'll definitely return for more.  

 

Joanna:

It’s been hot and it’s been hectic this month. I feel very ambition-less.

I’m reading Jim Butcher’s Fool Moon which is Book Two of the Dresden Files. This is the werewolf book. I may possibly have read this one before, or maybe I saw it on the TV show. In any case, the series is always an exciting read and this is turning out to be one of my favorites.

Dresden is sturdily, doggedly idealistic. He’s a take-the-punch-and-roll-with-it-and-get-back-up type. I admire such folks. I want to write characters like that.

I also rewatched all the Dresden file TV series because I was reading the book so I am just filled to the gills with Jim Butcher. Nice.

 

Moving along to a second series book from a favorite author. I seem to be playing it safe this month.

Elizabeth Peters is an old, reliable favorite. I’ve moved right along in her Amelia Peabody books, (reading them very slowly as great treats,) and have now arrived at He Shall Thunder in the Sky. 
Ramses is a young man, now. For philosophical reasons he’s not joining the army to fight in the trenches in World War I -- not a popular choice in Cairo. Is he doing his part another way ...?

(no SPOILERS here ...)

Anne:

I've also been reading cosy mysteries -- the Toni Diamond series are by Nancy Warren. Set in the South, the protagonist is Toni Diamond, an ambitious make-up "home saleswoman" for the "Lady Bianca" cosmetic company. As the blurb for the first book says "Imagine Columbo in a lavender suit, with fake diamonds and big hair. The first story—and the first murder—takes place at a Lady Bianca convention, where consultants from all over the US gather.
I loved these books -- there are four so far and I'm waiting for more. They're clever, warm-hearted, funny (I had a number of laugh-out-loud moments), sharply observed and very entertaining. The murders are ingenious, the characterization is delightful, and there's even a sexy detective and a blossoming romance. Highly recommended. And the first book, Frosted Shadow, is free.

I've also been reading more in the Liaden Universe series by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (science fiction) and am continuing Jennifer Ashley's Shifter series.

 

And now we open the floor to our readers. Tell us what you've been enjoying this summer! We're always eager...hungry...for new books to devour!

 

 

Basil, sweet basil!

by Mary Jo

I grew up in the farm country of Western New York and had a fine vegetable garden, but tomatoes were basically just another vegetable, less prized than sweet corn or squash or potatoes.  There were none in my garden. In retrospect, I think that being so far north meant that tomatoes didn't grow as well as they do farther south.

I formulated this theory after moving to Maryland, where tomatoes are very nearly a religion. <G>  Perfect, juicy, sun-ripened Maryland tomatoes are much sought after.  Locations of farm stands with great tomatoes are greedily exchanged.

Saying Hello...

Susanna here. First off, it needs to be said there will never be anyone to fill Jo Beverley’s shoes. She just isn’t replaceable. Although I only met her in person a couple of times, they were times that I’ll remember (and I’ll always pronounce “duke” properly because of her).

Jo, Kate Johnson, & Me in NYC, 2011

While I’m honored and thrilled to be joining the Wenchery, I’m not attempting to fill the place left by Jo’s passing, but rather to take the seat next to hers, leaving hers here at the table in case she has need of it.

So. How to begin?

There were many of you who DID manage to guess my identity, based on the quiz that Anne posted a few weeks ago, but it occurs to me that there are likely just as many of you who have No Idea Who I Am, so I thought it might be a good thing to go through the answers to the questions on that quiz, and let you learn a little bit about me:

The New Wench is Coming. . .

The new Word Wench will be launching her first post tomorrow (Monday, US time.)

 Please make her welcome.   

 

Strawberry Hill—a Gothic Masterpiece!

Andrea/Cara here, It’s the height of summer here, and as I stare out my window at the small swatch of greensward and flowering shrubbery in my backyard, I can’t help but fantasize about the Regency-era ritual of the country house party. Imagine rolling through the gates of a grand estate, with acre upon acre of gardens, woodlands and waterways to explore by day. And a grand manor house in which to enjoy sumptuous meals and evening entertainments amid impressive furnishings and fabulous art . . .

Which got me to thinking about which of the stately homes in England would have been the most fun to visit. I didn’t really have to ponder the question long—now, I know many people would choose Blenheim or Chatsworth, but for me, an invitation to Strawberry Hill would have had me packing my ballgowns in a heartbeat. I mean, how could any romance author resist the chance to hobnob with Horace Walpole, creator of The Castle of Otranto—considered the book that created the genre of the gothic novel! As for his self-designed residence and gardens—he called his enclave Strawberry Hill—well, read on!

The RITAs

Anne here. I watched the RITA award ceremony last weekend, via a live on-line feed from Romance Writers of America (RWA). The RITA Awards celebrate the best of English-language romance writing, as judged by participating members of RWA.

I love the RITAs — I enjoy award ceremonies in general, as long as they don't get too over-the top. I love to see people's efforts recognized and I always learn a little more about the various individuals from the way they accept an award. Like the Olympics, there are stories within stories at the RITAs.

Each year I enter the RITA, and, along with hundreds of others, I'm also a judge. I get a packet of around 9 or 10 randomly selected books—though not in my category or subgenre—to judge, and so I'm always invested in who finals and who wins. But more than that, this is my "tribe" — the tribe of romance writers — and it's made up of some of the most generous writers around.

The Story of a Fork

If you figger folks in ye olden days had it tougher than we do now, you don’t have to look further than the matter of forks. Oversimplifying like mad, one may say that Europe went from a state of no forks whatsoever, to the slightly more satisfying condition of two-pronged forks, to the multiply pronged jobbies we enjoy today.

Let us go back to the very beginning of fine dining in Europe. Here’s a Medieval feast. White cloth, pretty

click for closeup

dishes, probably wonderful food  and wine or mead or whatever. But the guests were expected to manage the food with their knives and spoons, which they brought with them, and their fingers which they also brought with them and washed from time to time with fingerbowls and clean linen.

See how that table has knives set about here and there. There’s no soup or stew in evidence so folks

I don't know why the knife is pointed at her

haven’t taken their spoons out.

 

Here's another picture. Her dinner is soup and fish and maybe a veggie. She has a spoon, I think, in her bowl and a knife, but she has no fork. It's 1656. 

We are pre-fork.

Of course, there had been forks in the kitchen forever, poking roasts and holding meat down to be carved and fetching beets out of boiling water. Now the fork emerged into the culinary daylight and took a place at the table. It served two purposes there. It secured food so your knife could cut it. And the fork could be used to convey food to the mouth, a job that had heretofore been performed by the sharp point of a knife or the bowl of a spoon. Or, you know, fingers.

I have no doubt folks were nimble at this eating food off a razor-sharp knife tip. However, I’m glad I didn't have to teach a three-year-old the knack. Knives doubtless made food-fights in the nursery an altogether more deadly affair.

Work Cycles

Today's Ask A Wench question collected by Mary Jo:

"What are your work cycles?  Do you prefer writing in the morning, late at night, or high noon?  Are you more productive in winter, when there is less incentive to go outside, or in the summer, when you burrow into the air conditioning and might as well write?  Or--is your writing rhythm all about your deadline???"


Anne here:

Mostly I write in the morning, though sometimes I also write in the evening. Mid-afternoon, around three, I'm pretty brain dead so I use that time to walk the dog or do housework or go shopping. If it's raining and I'm deep in housework-avoidance, and the fridge is full, I might read for a couple of hours or do craft of some kinds — usually jewelry-making. The closer a deadline is, the less these times matter. In the last week or two of a deadline, I'll be at the computer at all hours -- can't stay away from it, really.

Title Trends

Nicola here, with a quick and light-hearted look at title trends. I’m just back from the wonderful RNA Conference where one of the sessions I attended was on fashions in commercial fiction. There was some discussion about the importance of titles and the way that publishers brand a particular style of book. This led us on to the “girl” phenomena. It started with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I think. Then there was Gone, Girl, the Girl on the Train and many, many other girls in various situations, places and circumstances, mostly with a hint of danger about them. Last year over 60% of one UK bookseller’s top titles had a female noun in them whether it was girl, wife, mother, sister or something else.

Keeping Heroes and Heroines Busy

Susan here - like the other Wenches, I’ve written my share of heroes and heroines with special gifts, talents, occupations – some of them remarkable abilities, some of them unusual, some just the right sort of hobby or occupation to expand and ground that character and add dimension to the story.  

What is the appeal of a fictional character—hero, heroine, main character or villain—who possesses a particular talent or remarkable skill, or even abilities above and beyond the norm? I find it a significant aspect of any story, whether I’m writing it or reading it. Characters need to be multi-dimensional to add substance to not just character but plot, detail and story arcs. And characters in a historical romance need a center to their lives that is separate from the love interest, even when the relationship is central to the story.

With every book, I love discovering my character's gifts and abilities, and love researching to learn more about characters’ talents and skills. I want my heroes and heroines to have something unique about them that belongs to them, whether it’s dormant and they need to discover it, or a skill that is a particular focus in their lives. And for me, it’s a great chance to learn something new that I can share with readers, such as harp playing, hawking, forestry, archery, swordsmanship or engineering design, music or art – it’s a long list, and often I’ve had the opportunity to research something new to me.

Among the heroes I’ve written, there have been warriors and knights, soldiers, swordsmen, archers, forest outlaws, Highlanders keeping cattle or stealing it. There’s a fiddle player, a swordsmith, a medieval surgeon, a hands-on healer, a falconer, a Regency doctor. And there are the intellectuals—lawyers, scholars, professors; the lawmen and the outlaws; a deep sea diver, a lighthouse designer, a bridge engineer, a road engineer.

Heroines who have a core interest in their lives beyond the hero and the relationship, something that is essential to them, a personal purpose -- that to me is a naturally rendered heroine – even if it's an extraordinary ability. We all have something that we do, something we feel compelled to do.

Some of my heroines are healers ( a medieval physician, a midwife, a natural hands-on healer). Some have the Sight, some can see the Fey. Some are musicians (singers, harpers), some artists (a stone carver). Some are physical gifted—an archer, a swordswoman, a warrior-princess. Some are academics, writers, poets, historians.

What's intriguing about that gift or skill might be the process of learning it, or how they handle the gift. Other times, the complement or contrast in the special interests of hero and heroine create possibilities and tensions in the story that otherwise wouldn’t be convincing.  

The Victorian heroine of Kissing the Countess is a folksong collector and singer who goes into the hills in search of the old Gaelic tunes—and the hero is the landowner, newly returned and set on clearing those hills. Juliana in The Swan Maiden is an masterful archer who meets a forest outlaw so adept he can catch arrows mid-flight. James Lindsay, a Scottish forest outlaw with an uncanny ability to train hawks, and Lady Isobel, who can foresee the future, must find ways to avoid the king’s men in Laird of the Wind.

Quiz — Who is the new Word Wench?

Anne here. Since the loss of our beloved Jo, we wenches have been discussing who we would like to join us in Word Wench bloggery. Amazingly — because often making Word Wench decisions is a bit like trying to herd cats — we were unanimous in our first choice. And when we asked her, we were thrilled when she said yes! 

Her first blog will be on July 25th, and until then, we're keeping her wrapped in mystery.

But here for your intrigue and entertainment is a quiz about her. Not that we'll tell you who won or what the answer is until the 24th July, but there's a prize for someone who makes a correct answer.  So get a pen and paper and note your answers, then click on the link at the bottom, and see how right you were or weren't. Then come back and make a guess about who you think the new Word Wench might be.

Mystery Wench Quiz: (and no, that's not her below, it's Greta Garbo in The Mysterious Lady)

Anne Gracie and The Summer Bride

Mary Jo here: 

Since Anne Gracie and I both have July releases, we decided to interview each other!  Anne talked to me about Once a Soldier last week, and now it's my turn to enthuse about Anne's The Summer Bride, the last of the Chance Sisters quartet.  I enjoyed reading it so much that I promptly reread the first three books in the series.  

The book has been well received,  Romantic Times says, "Gracie's Chance Sisters have captivated readers and stolen their hearts, perhaps none more than Daisy, whose fast-paced story will delight fans.  All the characters readers adore are part of the tale, and which the charming plot enchants, it's the characters who take center stage."  

Library Journal’s verdict was: “Passionate and sumptuously witty, this final book in Gracie’s sparkling quartet has the entire household rooting (and plotting) for Daisy and Flynn to get things right.”

MJP: Anne, the premise for The Chance Sisters is brilliant, and the first book, The Autumn Bride, was listed as one of the ten best romances of the year by Library Journal, as well as being a Romantic Times Top Pick.  Can you tell us about the premise?  And do you have any idea of where such a great idea came from?  (Probably not. <G>)

AG: Actually I do know where the inspiration for the first book came from — it was a dream I had, in which an old lady was lying in bed, ill and in a desperate state, and a young woman climbed in her window. I scribbled it down in my notebook, and it kept nagging me and throwing up questions — who was the old lady, why was the girl climbing in the window — for no honest reason, surely? And that’s how I knew it was the start of a story.

The basic premise is, four girls band together as “sisters of the heart” in order to survive. When they find Lady Beatrice ill, neglected and abused by her servants, they pretend to be her nieces, and the girls and the old lady form a kind of family.

MJP: The four couples have been very different, so their romance are all quite different.  But in The Summer Bride, Daisy and Flynn are the most unusual of all, particularly Daisy.  Will you tell us about her?

AG:  Daisy is the Cockney maidservant who risked her safety to help Jane and Damaris escape from the brothel where they were imprisoned. She started off in my mind as a minor character, but as soon as she hit the page, she sprang to life.  She’s gutsy and outspoken and has a dream. I loved her from the start, so I was determined to give Daisy her own story.

Here’s a small snippet of Daisy’s thoughts:

    Daisy had no illusions about herself. She was a little Cockney guttersnipe with a gimpy leg and a foul mouth—though she was working on the swearing, and her grammar. But she loved beautiful clothes and—praise be!— she was good at making them.
    She was going to be somebody, and she was going to do it all herself; Daisy Chance, Dressmaker to the Toffs, with a shop and a business all her own. That was her dream, and she was so hungry for it she could almost taste it.

MJP:  The hero, Flynn, is one gorgeous hunk of Irishman.  Tell me more!

AG:  Again, he’s not a typical hero. And in the spirit of “show don’t tell” I’ll use another snippet from the book. Flynn aims to marry “the finest lady in London.’ Here he’s talking to Lady Beatrice, who’s cross with him for not taking her into his confidence:

    She eyed him narrowly. "Finding you've aimed rather too high, have you? I did warn you. A low-born, uneducated sea-captain, Irish—and Roman Catholic to boot!" She shook her head.
    "Lapsed, m'lady, and though all you say is true, I don't believe I'm aimin' too high," Flynn said mildly. He was comfortable in his own skin and knew his own worth. "I'm also rich—a self-made man with a fleet of ships and a tradin' empire that spreads from here to the four corners of the earth."
    Lady Beatrice sniffed. "Money acquired in trade."
    Flynn grinned, undeceived by her disparaging tone. "Aye, m'lady, lots of nasty vulgar money at me disposal which the poor lass who consents to become me wife will have to help me spend.  'Twill be a terrible burden for her, I'm thinkin'."
    Lady Beatrice's finely painted lips twitched. "Undoubtedly. Modesty is not one of your virtues, is it, Mr. Flynn."
    Flynn shrugged. He'd never seen the point of hiding his light under a bushel.

MJP: Though Daisy and Flynn are connected with members of the beau monde by bonds of friendship, they are both openly involved in commercial activities – in “trade!”  How does that tie into the larger society?  

AG: It’s actually one of the things Daisy and Flynn bond over. The upper classes tended to frown on “trade” – they liked money. of course, but it was vulgar to refer to it, and they tended to look down on shopkeepers. But Daisy and Flynn also argue about business—she’s stubborn and her background has made her wary of trusting others—especially men.

     “You’re looking exhausted,” Flynn said bluntly.
    “So what? Hard work never killed nobody. I’m startin’ a business, remember?”
    “I know, and that’s why I decided to come tonight, when nobody else was here to overhear what I have to say.”
    Daisy gave him a flinty look. “What’s it got to do with you?”
    “Nothing. But I know a lot more about how to run a business than you do, and I have to tell you, you’re goin’ about it the wrong way.”
    Daisy stiffened. She set down her teacup with a clatter. “Well, thanks very much, Mr. Flynn, and now you’ve told me, you can get back to your bloody ball.”
    “Settle down, firebrand, I mean no insult.”
    “No? You tell me I’m doin’ everything wrong—me, who’s workin’ my fingers to the bone every hour God sends, making beautiful clothes for Jane and the others—clothes that other ladies want to order—an’ you expect me not to be angry? Bloody oath, I’m angry! What the hell would you know about ladies’ clothin’ anyway?”


MJP: Thanks so much for sharing a little of the book, Anne.  Now I'm ready to reread The Summer Bride!   Leave a comment or answer this question by midnight Thursday to get into the drawing for a copy of the book.

Anne's Question: Editors are always telling me that people only want to read about aristocratic heroines. Is that true for you?

MJP:  Thanks so much for the lovely interview, Anne.  We'll have to do this again if the book release schedule permits!

A Bang of a Birthday!

Andrea/Cara here, festooned in red, white and blue for America’s grand birthday party celebration today. And for all of you in other countries around the globe, come party with us! You’re invited to come to share in the hot dogs, hamburgers, blueberries, strawberries and whipped cream that are among the traditional picnic favorites served across our country.

Another grand tradition of the day is fireworks—no Fourth of July would be complete without the spectacular bursts of bright colors and loud bands lighting up the night sky. (Quite fitting, I suppose, since creating our country demanded that we set off a few sparks!) It’s interesting to note that John Adams, one of our Founding Fathers, wrote a letter on July 4th, 1776—our Declaration of Independence day—in which he predicted that future celebrations would include pyrotechnics. (I don’t think we’ve disappointed him!)
 
“The day will be most memorable in the history of America,” he predicted. “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade…bonfires and illuminations …from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore.”

And since you all know how much we love history here at the Word Wenches, I couldn't resist doing a little research on the history of fireworks—and here are a few highlights. Celebrating grand events with fireworks goes back centuries, to around 600 AD in China, when the fortuitous combination of saltpeter, charcoal and sulfur (likely the result of a kitchen accident) first created the basic formula for gunpowder. Known as “firedrug” some of its early uses included being  packed in bamboo cylinders and thrown into the fire to ward off evil spirits.

Gunpowder went on to have far more bellicose uses, of course, but the use of fireworks in ceremonial celebrations—battle victories, coronations, milestone anniversaries—has become a tradition in all parts of the globe. Here are a few more fun facts from its glorious history!

• In medieval England, explosive specialists were called Fire Masters, and their assistants were called “green men” because they worn hats made of leaves to protect their heads.

• In Renaissance Italy, pyrotechnics was viewed as an art (but of course!) and there were schools to train masters to create elaborate displays.

• Fireworks became very popular among European rulers as a way to entertain their subjects—and emphasis their own grandeur. The first recorded display in England was on Henry VII’s wedding day in 1486. In France, Versailles was the site of many spectacular illuminations, while in Russia, Tsar Peter the Great staged a display that last over five hours to celebrate the birth of his son.



• Legend has it that Captain John Smith set off he first display of pyrotechnics in America at Jamestown in 1608. And in 1731, the colonists of Rhode Island apparently became so rowdy with setting off bangs (hmm, do you think a wee dram of alcohol may have been involved?) that the authorities passed a law banning the “mischievous use of pyrotechnics.”

I love fireworks! (History definitely shows that the colors and the noise clearly appeals to some sort of primitive love of fire in our brains.) How about you? Do you enjoy watching fireworks? Have you a favorite event to attend? The best display I’ve ever seen have been the marvelous NYC 4th of July extravaganza over the east River. It’s absolutely spectacular, especially when seen from the Queens side with the NYC skyline in the background. I’ll be watching it tonight, though unfortunately this year it will just be on TV. Happy Birthday, America!