Word Wenches

Trials and Tribulations of Writing

Pat here: Unlike my psychic heroines, I have nothing insightful to tell you as we dive into the new year. I’m still trying to figure out what day of the week it is after the holidays, and almost missed my blog date because I haven’t updated my calendar yet. I have accounting worksheets piling up all over my desk for my personal taxes and those of an organization I work with. Who can write a book with all this new stuff spinning in the brain? Maybe I need that crystal ball!

Yet I continue to wade into the fray of writing mysteries. I’ve written characters for forty years now, savoring their romances and conflicts, and I still learn something new every day in how to depict their personalities. But mysteries. . . require actual plotting.

Quotes to Preserve Your Muchness

Note the mask and gloves; Pietro Longhi (btw, a family ancestor)

Susan here - and here we are, a full year into making our way through this peculiar time on Planet Earth. And today I'm bringing to the blog a refreshed assortment of quotes and thoughts and pretty pictures to help us as we go along. 

In our family, all the adults have been vaccinated now, which is a very good thing. And we are still being just as careful as before, mostly staying home, not seeing much of family and friends beyond the virtual, and staying masked and distanced when we do venture out. One of our sons is still treating covid patients in a major hospital, and that's a dose of reality that keeps us all aware. My husband I both work at home most of the time, and being dedicated introverts, that's just fine with us -- and a year later, we’re not climbing the walls quite yet.

But now and then, the stress and the strangeness of it creeps in, and I’m turning more and more to things that help me relax, stretch, clear the mind, fill the reserves.

“You used to be much more … muchier. You’ve lost your muchness,” said the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland.

And I don’t want to go there, nor do you. Let’s all keep our muchness as we navigate our way through this Fire Swamp (while blithely mixing metaphors). I hope you are faring well, and finding your own way through the swamp.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes – and some favorite images – that I hope will brighten your day.

Ramon Casas, Jove

 “Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.”
--Jane Austen, Emma

 

Abbot Handerson Thayer, Angel Waiting

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all –

       --Emily Dickinson

"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering." –A. A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

Charles Perugini, Girl Reading, 1878

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” —Hermann Hesse

"Peace is always beautiful."

-- Walt Whitman

 

 

Historicals are dead?

Anne here. Late last year a new writer asked me about the market for historicals. She'd been told that historicals were passé, that nobody smart was writing them any more. (The timing of the question is significant, because things have changed since then. But more of that later.)

It's not a new idea. When I first started writing historical romance, so many people warned me off the idea. "Historicals are dead," they told me confidently. "Nobody's buying them any more, not publishers, not readers."

I found that hard to believe. I've always loved historicals of all kinds — not just romance — but when I started writing with the aim of being published, that was the general consensus.

But I'd grown up reading Georgette Heyer and others, and I found it hard to believe that there would be no market for the kind of stories I loved. Besides the book I was writing (Gallant Waif) was itching to be written, regardless of whether any publisher would want it. So I kept writing.

I wrote to the major US publishers, asking them if they'd be interested in my "Regency" and they all wrote back saying they weren't publishing Regencies any longer. So it seemed as though "people" were right. (But again, more of that later.)

Apotropaic Magic Needed

Ha, caught your attention, did I? Maybe if I could make a good luck charm, I might produce pithier subjects than talking about my current plight.

I love the detailed historical blogs the other wenches produce here so regularly, but right now, I would have to research a detail to research. I’ve completed the School of Magic series for the moment, and for weeks, I've been staring at a blank screen. The isolation of this plague really has eaten my brain, and without travel or other people to stimulate my Muse, my head was vacant. I had no clue where to go next. (OK, I want to go to Italy, but that’s irrelevant at the moment!)

Cover Tales

By Mary Jo

Book covers are an enduring subject of  interest and debate for both authors and readers. Receiving one's first book cover is a moment of high anticipation. 

Is the cover attractive? Does it accurately represent the type of book it is? 

Do the models look anything like the characters within the covers? 

Does the heroine have three arms?  (Yes, that happened, and no one noticed until the book came out. <G>)

 

Why Shoot a Butler?

Christina here.  Why Shoot a Butler? is the title of one of Georgette Heyer’s country house mysteries/crime stories. It kind of makes it sound as though a butler isn’t even worth shooting, which is a bit odd! Or maybe that’s just the slant my mind put on it and it wasn’t what the author meant? It did make me think though …

I have just reread all Heyer’s mystery/crime books, and although most of them are ostensibly set during the 1930s (only the last one is after the war), the settings seemed to me almost identical to those of her Regency novels. They all take place either in stately homes or among people of the upper class. The characters are similar to her Regency ones as well – strong alpha males, sensible girls who triumph over the pretty but vapid ones, matrons with decided views on things, etc. And then there are the servants, particularly the butlers, whom I couldn’t help but notice even if the other characters don’t pay them much attention.

Ask A Wench - The Influence of the Seasons

Nicola here, introducing this month’s Ask A Wench topic, which was sent in by Valerie Moore, who wins a book from me as a thank you. Valerie asks:

“How do the seasons affect your style of writing, if at all?” 

It’s an excellent question and gave us all much to ponder on. Do the seasons affect our actual writing style or is it more that the seasons affect our moods and this affects our writing? Certainly in my case, I find it extremely difficult to write about a season that is very different from the one that I’m in. At the moment I’m writing a book set in July whilst I’m in an English winter. I’m trying my best to remember the heat of the sun and the scent of roses whilst stepping out into the stinging rain and the cold wind. Winter can sometimes bring my mood down as well; that definitely affects my writing if not my style, and makes it more difficult. So here are the Wenches’ thoughts on this ever-fascinating topic, some lovely “hygge” ideas and some wonderful photography of the seasons from around the world.

Villain to Hero?

by Mary Jo

Today's topic was inspired by a question from Word Wench reader Kay Spears, who asks:

One of my allllll time favorite romances is/was Mary Jo Putney's The Rake and the Reformer aka The Rake.  I love Reginald Davenport...he turned out to be quite a hero. My question for all wenches: How do you take a drunk/ licentious/ corrupt/ not-hero-material man and redeem him? And, when you're writing this character, do you recognize him as hero material? Or, does it come as a surprise when readers start wanting him as a hero?

MJP:  I immediately grabbed this topic for a blog, but it's such a great question that other Wenches may pick it up for blogs of their own. For asking this question, Kay Spears will get a book from me. 

Reggie Davenport made his debut in my very first Signet Regency, The Diabolical Baron. Since it was my first book, I was feeling my way and just wanted an antagonist for my hero, Richard, a Waterloo veteran who has learned that he's heir to the Wargrave earldom, a responsibility he isn't sure he wants.  Reggie is his cousin who has long thought that he was the heir. 

 

Winner

Christina here – just a quick Sunday post to announce that the winner of a signed copy of The Runes of Destiny and a raven keyring is Jane Nelson!

Thank you so much to everyone for your lovely comments!

 

Travelling with Vikings

Christina here. Next week sees the publication of the second book in my Viking series – The Runes of Destiny. It is the story of Linnea, a twenty-first century woman who ends up travelling back in time to the Viking age. Here’s a short blurb:-

“When helping out at an archaeological dig, Linnea uncovers an exquisite brooch, but blacks out after reading the runic inscription. She wakes up surrounded by men in Viking costume, who seem to take re-enactment very seriously. Lost and confused, she finds herself in the power of Hrafn, a Viking warrior who claims her as his thrall and takes her on a journey across the seas to sell her for profit. Setting sail, she confronts the unthinkable: she has travelled back to the 9^th century. Linnea is determined to find a way back to her own time, but there’s a connection forming with Hrafn. Can she resist the call of the runes and accept her destiny lies here …”

This story was inspired by the incredible Viking travels I’d read about. Despite their reputation as ferocious marauders, there was much to admire about the Vikings, and the one thing I am in total awe of is their fearless exploration of the world around them. It didn’t happen overnight, of course, and Scandinavian people had been travelling in all directions for decades (perhaps centuries) before the era we call the Viking age. However, the refinement of their sleek, clinker-built ships allowed them to go further and faster than ever before because of the invention of the keel. It gave the ships a stability they’d lacked and allowed them to take to the high seas. The fact that the vessels were shallow with a fairly flat bottom also made it easy for them to land on any beach and to travel far along most rivers without getting stuck.

True Friends

Many people will walk in and out of your life but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. Eleanor Roosevelt

Me and my BFF

We all need friends and there has seldom been a time when we’ve needed them more than we do right now. The pandemic has really shown us the value of true friends – mine have definitely kept me sane throughout the lockdown and without them it would have been easy to sink into lethargy and depression. With the days blurring into one another (my husband has taken to calling every day “Blursday”!), having a weekly FaceTime chat or Zoom meeting to focus on has helped me to stay motivated. After all, when your friends ask you what you’ve been doing, you don’t want to just say ‘vegging out’! And emails from lovely friends lift the spirits no end, not least when you hear that they are safe and well and you can breathe a sigh of relief.

I’m thinking about this today especially because it happens to be the birthday of my very oldest friend – happy birthday G! – not in the sense of her age but the length of time we have known each other. And it’s made me reflect on the huge importance of the kind of friends you can really be yourself with and who probably know you better than you know yourself. Those are truly special.

Ghostly Tales

Christina here and I’m continuing with the paranormal theme, even though Halloween is over. I love this time of year when the nights are getting longer and darker, and we (in the northern hemisphere) begin to light log fires and candles at night to dispel the gloom. It’s easy to imagine that the shadows around us are moving and there’s something, or someone, lurking in the corners, especially if you live in an old house. In other words – it’s the perfect time for ghostly tales!

Do you believe in ghosts? Spirits or lost souls who remain on earth because of unfinished business? I do, but I’ve never been fortunate (or unfortunate?) enough to encounter one myself. To tell the truth, I’m a bit of a scaredy-cat and would probably have had hysterics if I did come across anything paranormal, so perhaps hearing about it second-hand is the better option for me.

Treasured Timeslips

Nicola here. As the UK goes into a second lockdown, I’ve been inspired by Christina’s recent post about the Keeper Shelf to turn back to my bookshelves and find solace in old favourites. It was only as I was sorting out all my timeslip books that I realised what a collection I had gathered over the years and in a spirit of nostalgia I thought I would share my favourites and ask for your recommendations. At this time of year, with the spooky goings-on of Halloween, the darker nights and chilly days, it feels a perfect time to read tales of the supernatural. Perhaps it’s the old idea of the veil between the two worlds of the living and the dead being at its thinnest around All Soul’s Day (which is today). Certainly it feels like a good time to slip between time periods, to travel back – or forwards – to a different or alternative world.

Magic Moments`

by Mary Jo

I'm getting into Deep Writing Mode to try to finish the current book, which is waaaay behind.  So instead of writing a new blog, I decided to exercise Wench privilege by pulling out an old blog and buffing it up.

This blog dates back to the earliest days of the Word Wenches and was inspired by a regular reader who asked me when I knew I was meant to be a writer and suggested that it was a question worth blogging.  I agreed that the question is an intriguing one, but I’ll bet that others have a much more interesting answer than I do.

The bald fact is that I knew I was a writer when I was offered a contract for my first book.  Boringly mundane, no?  Yet it’s the truth.  I was always a daydreamer, spinning stories in my head when sitting bored in classes.  (And I was bored a lot.)  I even thought that being a writer would be Totally Cool, but it never occurred to me that I could ever occupy one of those pedestals in the sky where writers live.  (Feel free to laugh. <g>)

But with my horrid handwriting and rather dysgraphic typing, becoming a writer never seemed even remotely possible.  I just couldn’t get the words down in a clean, clear fashion.  Writing was in the vague dream category, along with being tall, thin, or fashionably dressed.

All that changed when I got my first computer to do copywriting and invoicing for my graphic design business.  (Ah, my darling Leading Edge!  We remember our first computers much as Regency fans remember their first Georgette Heyer.)  Once I learned the basics of word processing, it occurred to me that I’d always wanted to write a book, so let’s give it a try.

I charged into that first book with no expectations at all—I just wanted to see what I could do.  I marked the floppy disk (5 ¼” yet!) with RR for Regency Romance, since I wasn’t ready to admit what I was doing even to myself.

One scene flowed into another, the story seemed to be working, I joined RWA, got the name of an agent from the friend of a friend, the agent marked up my 88 pages and sent them back with suggestions, and a few weeks later, I was offered a three book contract.

Yes, Virginia, that is the moment that I knew I was a writer.  Having no expectations made the process easy in a lot of ways.  I didn’t fear rejection since I didn’t expect acceptance.

Of course, selling my first book changed everything.  I went from no expectations to behaving like a crazed lemming determined to learn everything I could about writing and publishing.  I also developed my first and most determined writing goal: to support myself as a writer. It took a few years, but I made it.  (The book covers illustrating this blog were the first books when I undertook a new subgenre.)

I think the process is much harder for someone who early develops a passionate desire to be a writer.  Though actually, the problem is not so much writing, which can be a great creative high, but getting published, which is hard.  Usually very hard indeed.

So maybe the real answer to the original question is that one knows one is a writer when one begins to write.  I have a little Post-It note on my monitor that says, “Writers write.”  Sometimes, when publishing is making me nuts, I need to remind myself of that.  I became a writer on the Saturday I sat down and started The Diabolical Baron.  I realized that I was a writer on the day someone offered actual money for my daydreams.

You are a writer when you are sitting down and producing words.  (I once heard a writer say that one can be a writer in one’s mind.  Sorry, I don’t agree.  That’s daydreaming.  Real writing is not only imagination, it’s making the serious effort of getting words down in a form that can communicate to others even if you never show your work to anyone.

The publishing paradigm has changed dramatically since I first wrote this blog.  With indie publishing, anyone can be published if they're willing to put in the work, though finding an audience is still challenging. There are some writers who write only for their own creative satisfaction, and perhaps they are the happiest of us all. 

But there are other kinds of magic moments--those times when we have a sudden realization of a talent, a passion, a dream.

Was there a time when you decided, "I want to grow up and be a doctor?  Or a teacher. Or a rodeo barrel racer?"  

Or did you see a picture of a Celtic High Cross and think "I really, really want tol go to Ireland?"  

Or "I like growing things and must create a garden."  

Please share with us some of your magic moments!

Mary Jo, who always, always knew that I wanted to travel.

WRITING CLOWN SUITS

I’m working on the last book of my School of Magic series, currently under the title of Captivating the Countess (I’m hoping by writing this here I’ll finally commit to a title. Those of you who read my newsletter will note that I’ve been struggling with the previous title of The Duke’s Magic because the marquess is the hero). This book is basically an aristocratic house party in a house as large as Chatsworth—with ghosts. Unlike Christina Courtenay, I have no need to research house plans. I love making up my own, and I’ve visited enough old houses over the decades to have a fairly good knowledge of what goes where, if it absolutely must.  

Meet Wench Guest - Helen Hollick!

Nicola here. Today it's my huge pleasure to welcome to the blog historical novelist Helen Hollick. Helen has a rich and varied writing (and life!) experience, summed up in her own words as: “I wrote pony stories as a teenager, moved to science-fiction and fantasy, and then discovered historical fiction. Published for over twenty years with my Arthurian Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy, and the 1066 era book Harold The King (UK title)/I Am the Chosen King (US title), I became a USA Today bestseller with Forever Queen.” Helen also writes the Sea Witch Voyages, pirate-based fantasy adventures, so if you enjoy the Pirates of the Caribbean films, they should be right up your street (or quayside)!

Today, Helen is going to talk about a fascinating subject, the question of what makes writers write. Maybe we all have different answers to this and it will be interesting to see in the comments what everyone thinks. She also speaks up very fervently and persuasively for the hero that was Harold Godwinson and transports us to Saxon England.

Over to Helen, who asks: Why Do We Do It?

Once Dishonored — Interview with Mary Jo Putney

Anne here, and today I'm interviewing Mary Jo Putney about her new book, ONCE DISHONORED which is OUT TOMORROW!

I've read it twice now and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. It's also garnered some lovely reviews. Library Journal gave it a coveted starred review, and gave it this verdict: "In her own signature style, paying impeccable attention to period details, Putney continues to vindicate the honor of scoundrels in this fifth entry of the stunning “Rogues Redeemed” series (after Once a Spy). Fans of historicals will root for our brave, intelligent heroine and the hero who stands beside her."

Publisher's Weekly called it: "a believable, sensuous romance built on true friendship. With this emotional romance, Putney again proves why she’s a star of the genre."

Early readers too, are enthusiastic. One said: "What a treat! Such beautifully drawn, richly nuanced  characters—and happy endings for everyone, huzzah!"

Another said "Wow, I really love this hero! I can see why this book is getting rave reviews. I also like the theme of the wonderful heroine bonding with the other wonderful heroines from previous books in a supportive sisterhood. Mary Jo Putney's books are always wonderful, but this one is particularly moving to me."  

Another said: "I decided to have a quick glance at the first chapter of this book at bedtime and I was still reading three hours later! Literally couldn’t put it down and I was instantly engaged in both the hero and heroine’s lives." 

And here's one more: "I loved the parallel dishonor of the main characters and how they worked together to rehabilitate each other."

Anne again: The 5th book in the 'Rogues Redeemed' series, ONCE DISHONORED is about Lucas Mandeville, now Lord Foxton, whom we met in Once A Spy. Making a reluctant return to society, he sees a young woman in black being horribly insulted at a ball. Lucas being gallant to the fingertips, steps in and asks her to dance. She is Kendra, Lady Denshire, who he knew years before as Kendra Douglas.

Each of them is, in the eyes of society, disgraced, Lucas because in wartime he broke his parole — his word of honor as a gentleman — and escaped a French prison. Kendra's disgrace is one manufactured by her dastardly husband in order to get a divorce — and get his hands on her inheritance. He's also spirited away her young son. Lucas vows to help Kendra, and brings her into his circle of clever and influential friends.

Every Mystery Needs a Villain . . .

Andrea here, starting to get excited that Murder on Queen’s Landing, my latest Wrexford & Sloane Regency mystery, releases on Tuesday! It’s always a thrill when a book is close to getting into the hands (or ears!) of readers, as that’s what makes all the angst and gnashing of teeth within the solitary confinement of the writing room worthwhile.

And it also makes me reflect on what a long process it is to bring a mystery from the initial “hmm, what if . . .” to weaving all the threads together (without tying myself in knots!) to handing in a finished manuscript and finally seeing a printed book!

For me, research is always a huge part of the early stages. I like to base my stories around scientific discoveries or technical advances in the Regency, and then figure out how create a mystery with them interacting with some aspect of the era’s rich history. And then, of course, you need to figure out a villain—which isn’t always as easy as it might seem. However, in this book, in which I wanted to create a scheme that involved skullduggery in finance and commerce, an obvious villain leapt to mind . . .

Prologues

Anne here, and today I'm talking about prologues. (According to one definition a prologue is a piece of writing found at the beginning of a literary work, before the first chapter and separate from the main story.)

There is a school of thought among some writers that prologues are to be avoided at all costs, that most prologues are about backstory (the past that takes place before the story started) and that backstory has no place showing up in the early part of a book. They argue that if the information in the prologue is important, it should be subtly woven into the story, later on. 

Some writers argue that by starting with a prologue you lessen your chances of selling the story, that it labels you as an amateur or old fashioned. These opinions, remember, are from some writers: it's far from a universal opinion. In fact writers often debate the issue.

I've also heard some readers say they usually skip prologues, that they're boring and unnecessary, even annoying, and they just put off getting the story started.

I must confess when I first heard all this, I was dismayed. I am a user of prologues, not all the time, but when I think the story needs one.

My first prologue was in Tallie's Knight (my second book. It was a "convenient marriage" book — my first of many — and the prologue showed the moment when my cold, cynical, marriage-averse hero, known as "The Icicle" in society, is confronted by his friend's imperious and charming toddler and decides he wants a child of his own, which therefore would necessitate marriage.

The actual story begins later, when having informed his cousin that he was looking for a bride, he sets out to find a convenient female. For the first part of the book he comes across as cold and emotionless, but the prologue demonstrated (at least I hoped so) that a man who a toddler could wind around her little finger was redeemable.

A Taste of Chocolate

Christina here and today I’ve got chocolate on my mind. Not just today, actually, but most days because I’m a complete chocoholic! But here’s the thing – I haven’t had a single piece for the last week. Not one tiny crumb! Unfortunately, this is necessary because my chocolate consumption had been going through the roof recently. What with being at home all the time during lockdown and not moving enough, drastic measures were called for.

I did try cutting down at first, but found it was calling to me, and time after time I headed for the fridge without even realising I was doing it. Going cold turkey seemed the only option and I figured it would get easier after a few days. It has. Sort of. But the yearning for chocolate hasn’t totally gone away.

httpscommons.wikimedia.org 136198

The main problem is that chocolate has been my writing aid for many years. I can honestly say that all my books to date have been fuelled by chocolate. It woke me up in the mornings and made me alert enough to type coherent sentences, even though I’m really a night owl. Whenever I flagged and my energy levels felt depleted, a couple of squares of chocolate spurred me on. And as a reward for work well done or a day of writing finished, there was nothing better. In short, I used any excuse to have some, which is probably why I’m feeling its loss so keenly now.

My Writing Process

Anne here, and today I'm answering some more questions I was recently asked — this time about my writing process. I say "my writing process" because every writer's process is different — writing is a uniquely personal process to every writer and there is no "right way" to write a book. I hope it's of interest to you. (And another book goes to Jacque for asking the questions in the first place.)

1) Do you hand write your first draft?

The answer is yes . . . and no.  (That's not me in the photo)

I do a mix of hand-writing and typing direct onto the computer. Sometimes I  will just list the things I want to include in a scene on the back of an envelope, and then I'll write the scene straight onto the computer. After that I'll tweak and edit and rewrite it until it's more or less how I envisaged it. 

But I hand-write a lot of scenes as well, sometimes because I've had a "brilliant" scene come to me, and I've scribbled it down in my notebook, but it's a "scene to come" and I don't want to type it up until I get to that point in the story. (I'll talk more about that in my answer to question 2.)

Often I'll write by hand because I'm a bit stuck as to where to go next in the story. Hand-writing always frees me up. I might start by asking myself how my heroine or hero is feeling at the end of the last scene, and what they're worrying about, what might they do, etc. Somewhere in that process, a spark happens, I write a line of dialogue, then another, and it's off and running.

On Research

Anne here, and today I'm going to answer some questions I was recently asked about the research I do for my books.

1)  When you write your first draft, do you do all of your research first then begin writing? Or do you write your first drafts whilst you research facts?

It's a bit of both. My process is different every time, and the research depends a lot on the story and the setting. Some stories are inspired by browsing through history books—for instance Tallie's Knight which was inspired by an old woodblock print of aristocrats being carried in litters by hearty local peasants over the Swiss Alps. That was a "grand tour" story, so before I started writing I did a lot of research about the "grand tour."

Similarly with books set in non-English settings — for instance To Catch a Bride (which was set partly in Egypt) and Bride By Mistake, (which was set partly in Spain) I've had to do a lot of research beforehand. Strangely the Egyptian research was much easier than the Spanish. There were plenty of English people present in Egypt for the time I set the story in, so I was able to find journals and letters and sketches and all kinds of helpful sources. 

But Bride By Mistake was set in post-Napoleonic Spain — the war was only just over, and though Spain was experiencing internal turmoil, as various factions squabbled over the future of the country, there was not much available in English, and what there was, was all about the politics, whereas I wanted information about the state of the countryside, particularly in the north, and the ordinary people living there.

The Windows of the Soul

  “The eyes, like sentinels, occupy the highest place in the body.”

   “The face is a picture of the mind with the eyes as its interpreter.”

   “The countenance is the portrait of the soul, and the eyes mark its intentions.’  Marcus Tullius Cicero

Christina here – the Roman Cicero seems to have had a lot to say about eyes, but I totally agree with him about their importance – they are “the windows of the soul” as someone said, no matter what colour they are. And we might not always notice other people’s eyes in real life, but when it comes to fictional characters, they are crucial, at least for me, especially when describing a hero. Eyes can be shifty, evasive, not looking straight at you when you’re talking to their owner. That’s not good. A hero has to have an honest, direct gaze, and just looking him in the eyes must make the heroine (and thereby also the reader) feel they can trust him and that he's telling the truth.

   “The tongue may hide the truth but the eyes – never!” Mikhail Bulgakov

Names and Saints' Days

Saint Christina by Carlo Dolci - Art UK, Wikimedia Commons

Christina here – This week I will be celebrating my name day – a Swedish tradition that baffles a lot of my English friends, although I know other countries, like Spain, share this custom (there it’s called día de santo). It’s probably not as common in Sweden nowadays, but in my family we keep it up, mainly because it’s a great excuse for cake (if you need an excuse! - see my previous post here) and also because several of us share the same name so it gives us a special bond.

Friday (24^th July) is St Christina’s day and although Sweden is mainly a Protestant country, for some reason they have retained the various saints’ days in their calendar. To make it more modern and inclusive, as names vary a lot more now than in the past, they have recently added lots of new names (not belonging to any saint as far as I know). That means I officially have two name days, with a new one for my other name Pia, but I’ve always celebrated Christina and one is enough for me.

A Title by Any Other Name

Pat here, writing from Yosemite's Mariposa Grove:

Quantum asked how the wenches choose their titles and are they as important as the covers? (Quantum wins a book of mine and is still in the pot for the rest of the wenches, because it’s a fun question)

Whether we like it or not, book titles are important. Do you ever receive newsletters like Bookbub or EarlyBird advertising book sales? I’m picking through a recent one, and I apologize to any authors I might offend, but I pulled these titles off one sales sheet: Ballad of the Sad Café, The Revelation Room, Arkansas, Shadow of Ashland—what kind of books do you think these titles represent? Would you reach for any of them? I’d jump on Ballad of the Sad Café, and if I were bored or desperate, I might look into the Revelation Room, but the others, big yawn. THAT’s why titles are important—they persuade readers to snatch a book off the shelf and dive in.

Sister Scribes

Nicola here. Today I’m musing on sisters, real, literary and fictional. I’ve always been fascinated by the relationships between siblings. Perhaps it’s because I don’t have any full siblings that I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a sister. Would we be very close, or different and distant? Would there be sibling rivalry between us or the sort of secrets you come across in books? What would it have been like growing up with brothers and sisters?

Today is the anniversary of the birth in 1817 of Branwell Bronte, the only boy amongst literary siblings Charlotte, Emily and Anne. Originally there were six Bronte children, five of whom were girls, so Branwell’s unique status as the only son of the family promised him more freedom and perhaps led to his being more indulged. Whilst the girls were sent away to school, in some cases most unhappily, Branwell was educated by his father at home (pictured above). The two older Bronte sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, died in childhood and their deaths made a big impression on all their siblings. Maria in particular showed all the signs of developing the same literary talents as her younger sisters. One wonders what might have happened had she survived and also whether Elizabeth, who was said to most resemble Anne, would also have grown up to be an author. Branwell, meanwhile, was a writer and an artist - one of his pictures is on the right - but he never achieved the literary success his sisters did, nor was he particularly successful with his paintings.

The Diabolical Baron!

The Return of The Diabolical Baron!

by Mary Jo

I've been slowly reissuing my older books digitally, and now the time has arrived to send my very first Signet Regency, The Diabolical Baron, back into the world.  It's the first in my Putney Classics Series, which will include Carousel of Hearts and Lady of Fortune. 

Back when I was writing my Fallen Angels Series, my publisher asked me to revise several of my early Signet Regencies into historical romances.  I was happy to do that with some of the stories that became Petals in the Storm, Angel Rogue, The Bargain, and The Rake, but I didn't feel that was appropriate for the three books I'm calling Putney Classics.  These stories are just too traditional Regency to become rewritten as longer, sexier historical romances. 

So, say hello to the newest edition of The Diabolical Baron! To this day, it's an object of wonder to me.  I started writing the book three months after buying my first computer for my design business.  I'd always had stories in my head (I thought everyone did!) so I decided to see if I write a story myself. 

The Family Tree of Life

Nicola here. Today I’m wondering what happened to all the plans I had at the start of lockdown in March. Back then time spent quietly at home felt like an opportunity to catch up with a load of things I’d wanted to do for a while, whether it was clear out the wardrobe or start a new hobby. With the benefit of hindsight, I can see this was probably optimistic; we’ve all had a lot of shocking, frightening and unexpected stuff to deal with in our different ways, my concentration is non-existent and I haven’t achieved anything close to what I thought I would. On the other hand, and on a more optimistic note, the kindness and strength of friends, family and strangers through difficult times has been truly amazing.

One of my interests before the pandemic kicked in was genealogy. I only came to family tree research a few years ago. A number of relatives had been busy working on different parts of the family history for years and I felt they had it covered and I had lots of other things to research! But then, I don’t know why or how, I started to become interested in genealogy myself and once I’d started it became totally compulsive. I even had an Ancestry DNA test done - which didn’t reveal anything very exciting at all!

Humor in Books

Anne here, apologetically running in late. Sorry, I forgot what date it was. Today I'm pulling a question from the list of reader questions we've received over the years. And while I'm talking about that, I'll remind you all — if you submit a question for the wenches and one of us chooses it as a blog topic a blog, that person will win a book.

Today's topic is from Constance, who said... "It would also be very interesting to know how important humor is to each of you when creating characters. I’ve always found heroes with a self-deprecating sense of humor almost irresistible, and heroines who can match them in witty retort make it even better. But it can’t be easy to create that — or is it for the extremely talented writers you all are?"

Constance, I also love a hero who can make me laugh. But writing humor is never easy, especially if I set out trying to be funny. Forced humor can be horribly un-funny and usually gets deleted. Even when I think the story I'm writing is going to be a funny one, it doesn't always happen. 

People have very different senses of humor, so what is funny to one person completely passes another. I remember so often when I was a kid, my brother and I would be cracking up laughing at some TV show, and one of my older sisters would say crossly, "I don't know why you're laughing. That isn't funny at all." Which made my brother and me laugh even harder. And of course, if you have to explain why something is funny, it immediately kills the humor stone dead.

So all I can go on is what's funny to me. My funniest scenes usually come spontaneously in the writing. I'm 'in the zone' busily writing, a character says something unexpected and another one responds, and then . . . we're off. And when it happens, it's a joy. 

Most of my books have some funny moments, but some books are funnier than others. It's something to do with character chemistry. Some character combinations bring out humor better than others — a light-hearted, flippant hero and an earnest worrier of a heroine, for instance, sparked some funny scenes in my book, The Perfect Rake.

Archaeology and the Writing Process

Anne here. I've often said that for me, writing a book is a little bit like archaeology, though generally less muddy. When I start, I have a rough idea of what I think a book will be about, who my main characters are and so on, but really, at this point in the writing process, they're my best guesses.

Years ago, when I was in Greece, I was fascinated by some of the ancient murals that had been dug up — some were just fragments really, but people had made "best guesses" as to what the overall murals had looked like.

My characters often begin as a very sketchy collection of notes. Things like: he thinks he's a hard man; he believes to show vulnerability is fatal; He's a survivor; he's clever with machinery and calculations; he tries to control everything in his life; he's racked with guilt over what happened to his sisters; he has no idea how to handle them; deep down he's afraid to trust to love. (Sebastian from The Perfect Waltz)

But it's not until they hit the page and start interacting with other characters that they start to come to life, and often, they're not who I imagined they were going to be. And sometimes because of that, I have to rethink my plot.

Audio News: Dearly Beloved and More

by Mary Jo

Audiobooks, like so many elements of publishing (and the world in general) have changed greatly in recent years.  Once upon a time, only huge bestselling mainstream books had audio editions.  They were really expensive and libraries were the primary market. (In those days a lot of audiobooks were on cassettes!  Remember them? <G>)

But there was interest in audio, so gradually more genre books like romance began to be recorded.  My first audiobook was The Wild Child, which came out in 1999.  I was so excited--I felt that I had arrived! 

I don't know if at that time any authors were producing independent audio version of their books--probably not.  The norm was for the print publisher to subcontract audio rights to a specialist audio producer.  The production company chose the narrator and did the engineering and distribution.  (I never had any input on any of that, but I was happy that the audiobooks were available for those who wanted them.)