Enjoy the Day of Love!

Happy Valentine’s Day! I’ll be spending the evening with my favorite fellow. I have a candlelight dinner planned, ending in angel food cake and strawberries. I hope you have a chance to celebrate with those you love!

We’ve talked about Valentine’s Day in the nineteenth century a number of times, including here, here, here, and here. This year, I thought you might enjoy seeing some Valentines from the era. The one at the top is a lovely Kate Greenaway version. I think it's supposed to be depict medieval times, but aren't the dresses perfect for the Regency?

The one below is by Esther Howland, dating from about 1870. She truly had a knack.

This is from 1884. Such a demure young miss!

And this is certainly something, from 1862.

Oh, and one more Valentine, from me to you. The first book in my Lady Emily Capers, Secrets and Sensibilities, is on sale until the 21^st for 99 cents. The boxed set of Secrets and Sensibilities, Art and Artifice, and a special short story not available elsewhere is two dollars off at $3.99.

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Enjoy!

Fashions in Re-Covering

I don’t know about you, but I love Marissa’s fashion posts. It’s fun to see how things changed over the course of the nineteenth century. But clothing isn’t the only thing that changes with time. What’s popular in book covers also changes over the years. That’s one of the reasons I decided to update the covers on my Lady Emily Capers. So, join me on a walk down memory lane. 😊

Secrets and Sensibilities was originally published by Kensington as a traditional Regency romance. I’ve edited and rewritten parts since. Here was the first cover (and title--A Dangerous Dalliance).

Art and Artifice began life as La Petite Four (actually, it began life as Diary of a Duke’s Daughter, but my publisher Penguin Razor Bill didn’t care for that title). I heavily rewrote it after the rights were reverted. Here was the first cover (before the addition of a necklace on the young lady):

When I finished the series on my own, I had silhouette covers created for all five books. To me, they caught the campy fun of the stories and hinted of both mystery and romance. But it was terribly hard to find full silhouettes of ladies in Regency garb, so the looks vary from Georgian to Victorian and even beyond. And they didn’t really shout “If you’re a teen, you might enjoy these too!”

 So, I give you the new and improved covers for the Lady Emily Capers:

Secrets and Sensibilities was challenging for me, because, as I’ve mentioned, the character of Hannah Alexander was based on a dear friend who has since passed away. This model has Nancy’s sleek chocolate-colored hair, pale complexion, and big brown eyes.

Almost as challenging was finding the right Lady Emily for Art and Artifice. Emily describes her nose as pointy and her hair as occasionally frizzy. Difficult to find frizzy-haired models. 😊 But I liked the nose on this young lady.

Priscilla Tate in Ballrooms and Blackmail was easier—just look for the most gorgeous blonde I could find. I think she’d approve of the girly colors as well. (Much more so than Emily, who had apoplexy about her original pink cover.)

Ariadne Courdebas in Eloquence and Espionage took a bit of work. She is the plumpest of the young ladies, and the most well-read. I liked the intelligence in this young lady’s face as well as the smoky background my cover artist used.

Ah, her sister Daphne! How to portray our Amazon in Love and Larceny? This model had a nice “girl next door” look that worked for the most athletic of the group.

So, what do you think? Did my cover artist, the talented Kim Killion, capture the characters the way you imagined them?

A Writer’s Process, All the Way to Free Book

A writer should not have favorite books any more than a mother should have favorite children. But some books come easier than others, and some stay in your heart for different reasons. In general, my favorite book is the one I’m working on now, at least at the beginning. In fact, there’s a definite process involved, and the timing varies from book to book. For me, however, it generally goes like this:

• Idea and Research Joy, oh joy! I’ve been tapped by greatness. This is the coolest idea and absolutely must be committed to paper. Immediately. But first, I get to delve into lovely, lovely research to make sure the idea is feasible and WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S ALREADY BEEN DONE? Well, there are such things as fresh spins and unique takes. This will be one of those.
• First Draft The words pour onto the page. Scenes I never dreamed of dance before my eyes. I can’t write fast enough. There’s just so much to pull together.
• Second Draft Now I roll up my sleeves. Every fact checked, every phrase confirmed as in use during the period. Emotions amplified. Descriptions enhanced. Action crisp and clean. Flow. Wait, where’s the flow? He said “I love you,” pages before he should have. More work ahead.
• Final Draft Before Critique Partner Ug! I hate it. It is trite and overworked and hopelessly pedantic. My critique partner is going to find soooo much wrong with it. But, hey, that means I’ll get another chance at it. And while she’s reading it, I get to come up with an idea and do research for something else, something better than this.
• Manuscript to Editor Well, my critique partner didn’t think it was all that bad. Sure, she found some problems, but fixing them only made the book stronger, deeper. And I spotted some things that could be improved as well. This just might be a book.
• Revisions [Okay, this is one of Marissa’s favorite points in the process, but we won’t hold that against her.] So my editor didn’t like the hero or thought the heroine wasn’t likable enough out of the gate. Valid points. I knew it must have problems. Sleeves rolled up again, I dive in once more and polish this baby until she shines.
• Final Book Every word is familiar, every character like meeting an old friend. It is what it is. If the book is for a traditional publishing house, I’m done. If I self-published, however, I could go back and tinker.

Hands off!

Want to see a book that’s been through that process not once but twice? Secrets and Sensibilities, the first book in my Lady Emily Capers, is free through September 27. Many of you have that book, but, if you enjoyed it, please alert let your friends and family who might like it.

Because, you never know. I might decide to rewrite it again someday.

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Free This Weekend!

Looking for something to read this weekend? Secrets and Sensibilities, the first book in my Lady Emily Capers, is free through April 9 at all major platforms in the U.S., UK, Canada, India, and Australia. Already have your copy? I’d be honored if you’d suggest it to a friend.

Interested in hearing about more free, discounted, or newly released e-books? Here’s a few e-mail resources that just might be your cup of tea:

E-Reader News Today--25 categories, heavy on fiction, including young adult, women’s fiction, historical fiction, and historical romance.

Author Lauren Royal’s newsletter, with tidbits about her writing as well as free and 99-cent historical romance books, with an emphasis on Regency romances. 

BookBub--39 categories, fiction and non-fiction, including teen and young adult, middle grade, American historical romance, historical fiction, historical mysteries, historical romance, history, time travel romance, and women’s fiction.

Buy a Historical--the latest historical romances, across heat levels and time periods, but not necessarily free.

Happy reading!

Free! Oh, and a Preorder Too

Yes, it’s true. I have joined the ranks of authors offering entire e-book novels for free. For a limited time, in preparation for the fifth book on my Lady Emily Capers, Love and Larceny, coming out in May, I’ve made book one, Secrets and Sensibilities, free.

When art instructor Hannah Alexander agrees to accompany four of her students on a country house visit before Easter, she never dreams of entering into a dalliance with the owner David Tenant, the handsome new Earl of Brentfield. But one moment in his company and she’s in danger of losing her heart. There are secrets aplenty at Brentfield, enough to challenge any lady’s sensibilities, even those of Hannah’s protégé, Lady Emily Southwell. As events unfold at Brentfield, Hannah quickly learns that loving David comes at a price, to her future plans of being a portrait painter, to her position as a teacher, and to her very life.

You can find a free copy at the following retailers through April 29:

Amazon

Smashwords 

Barnes and Noble 

iBooks 

Kobo 

But wait, there’s more! J

I’m pleased to announce that “An Engagement of Convenience,” in the Timeless Regency anthology Summer House Party is available for preorder. The book, which also features stories by acclaimed Regency authors Donna Hatch and Sarah M. Eden, will release on June 7.

Pretty chaperone Kitty Chapworth has foiled five elopements, four proposals of ill intent, and the worst first kiss in history, so she isn't about to believe a gentleman's silken promises. That is, until charming rake Quentin Adair returns to her life. Ten years ago, Kitty was instrumental in causing the poor fellow to be exiled to Jamaica in a tragic case of love gone wrong. When he requests her help to prevent his father's ruin, she cannot refuse, even when helping requires her to pretend she is engaged to the handsome rogue at a summer house party.

Quentin has spent the last ten years becoming the man his father always hoped. Now he will not allow an old enemy to harm his family. Kitty is the perfect conspirator--sharp, witty, fearless. But as danger threatens, Quentin finds that his priorities have changed. Can a reformed rake convince the perfect chaperone to overlook propriety for love?

Preorder now. 

Goodness, after confessing all that, I feel so free!

Revising a Favorite Book for a Favorite Person

Good authors are known for polishing and polishing their writing before ushering it into the world. But times change, and careers advance, and sometimes a book gets left behind. Such was the case with Secrets and Sensibilities, the first book in my Regency romance mystery series, the Lady Emily Capers. So I rewrote it. Why?

Well, you see, S&S has a special place in my heart. It is actually the third Regency romance I ever had published. Originally titled A Dangerous Dalliance, it hit the shelves in the spring of 1999 through Kensington’s Regency line. Back then, I had a tendency to write my friends into stories, and my heroine Hannah Alexander was no exception. Hannah is based on one of my dearest friends. Her name was Nancy Robak. We met in high school, both transplants to the Tacoma area, and bonded instantly over a shared infatuation with the actor Roddy McDowall. Like Hannah, Nancy was an artist, only she preferred the expression of anime-style charcoal drawings before anime was truly “cool.” Her creativity inspired me, and she honored me with her friendship.

Unlike Hannah, Nancy didn’t get a happy ending. She never met her David (who was based on Brent Spiner, the talented actor who played Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, another shared infatuation, as was Hugh Jackman). She saw only minimal return on her talent. She contracted lung cancer, though she had never smoked, and passed away many years ago now. But a day doesn’t go by that I don’t think of her. 

I originally wrote S&S with sections from the point of view of the villain. I thought that upped the stakes by making the reader aware of things the hero and heroine didn’t know.  But that pattern doesn’t match what I did with the other Lady Emily stories, and I felt as if the villain was actually upstaging Hannah and David’s story. So I cut out those pieces, found other ways to incorporate the necessary information, and added depth here and there. The result is a tighter love story, and a slightly more entertaining mystery.

I think Nancy would be pleased. She loved happy endings.

To celebrate the rebirth of Secrets and Sensibilities, I’ve dropped the price to 99 cents through October 24. Enjoy!

Smashwords 

Amazon 

Barnes and Noble 

iBooks 

Kobo  

Free Books!

Yes, you read that right. I’m so excited about the publication of The Bride Ship that I’m giving away a handful of it and other books. If you leave a comment on today’s blog, even a “hi, I’m here!” kind of comment, I will enter you in a drawing for your choice of the following:

A paperback copy of The Bride Ship

A paperback copy of The Husband Campaign

An e-book copy in the format of your choice of Secrets and Sensibilities, the first in my Lady Emily Capers series

An e-book copy in the format of your choice of Ballrooms and Blackmail, the most recent in my Lady Emily Capers.

If you already have all of the above, choose one to give away to a friend or family member for Christmas.

I have five copies of each of the books up for grabs. All you have to do is say hello, tell me why you like the blog, suggest something for the future--anything. That’s the only way I’ll know your name so I can list it when you win. Feel free to let others know about this giveaway, so they can get in on the action too.

And do come back next Friday when I will announce the winners.

Covers Galore!

I have covers!  Three, to be exact.  The first two were designed by the Killion Group, and I couldn't be more pleased.  I have for a long time fussed over the title for A Dangerous Dalliance, the book that introduces my young sleuth Lady Emily Southwell and her penchant for solving dark mysteries in clever ways, and finding a little romance along the path.  Either a title comes to me, or it doesn't.  It finally came.  I give you:  Secrets and Sensibilities.

When art instructor Hannah Alexander agrees to accompany four of her students on a country house visit before Easter, she never dreams of entering into a dalliance with the owner David Tenant, the handsome new Earl of Brentfield. But one moment in his company and she's in danger of losing her heart. There are secrets aplenty at Brentfield, enough to challenge any lady's sensibilities, even those of Hannah's protégé, Lady Emily Southwell. As events unfold at Brentfield, Hannah quickly learns that loving David comes at a price, to her future plans of being a portrait painter, to her position as a teacher, and to her very life.

Lady Emily originally came into her own in my 2008 young adult novel, La Petite Four.  But I was never entirely happy with that book.  (Terrible thing for an author to admit!)  So, I have been working on rewriting it.  I am happy to report that it is currently in copyediting and should be out later this month as Art and Artifice.

Finally, I offer you a sneak peek of the cover for my December release from Love Inspired Historical, The Wife Campaign.  The second book in my Master Matchmaker series is set at a fishing lodge, and the river plays a big part in the story, so I was glad to see the artists capture both the mood and the setting. 

Whitfield Calder, Earl of Danning, would much rather spend a fortnight fishing than entertaining three eligible young ladies.  But when his valet insists that marriage is an earl's duty, Whit agrees to a house party.  He has no intention of actually proposing to anyone . . . until flame-haired Ruby Hollingsford declares she'd never accept him anyway.  Ruby might have been tricked into attending this charade, but she certainly won't compete for the earl's affections.  Yet Whit isn't the selfish aristocrat she envisioned.  And with a little trust, two weeks might be ample time for an unlikely couple to fall headlong in love.

Those of you who have been following the blog for some time know that I usually pick an actress/actor or model to help me visualize my hero and heroine, and I share this information with the talented artists at Love Inspired.  The young lady this time got an easy A for her acting abilities, even when she hung out with a squad of gangsters.  Once upon a time, the gentleman played a charming TV character who is more likely to be found wielding a sword than the fishing rod my hero favors. 

Anyone want to guess who I had in mind for my heroine and hero, Ruby Hollingsford and Whitfield Calder, Earl of Danning?