Unwrapping: Wacky Wednesday - Conversing With My Characters

Daydreams have always been a great way to wile away the time. It's also a great way to have a conversation with my characters when I feel stumped.  My characters like to invade my thoughts at the oddest times to begin with but it's doubly strange when I'm already thinking about them. I love daydreaming and daydreaming about my characters makes it even more fun. 

I was actually getting some work done on my historical romance work -in- progress, when I suddenly thought about changing my hero's attitude toward love and marriage. I sat at the keyboard staring at the text on the screen in front of me and pondered the idea. As I wondered what the men at the turn of the 19th Century really thought about love and marriage, I began to hear my characters talking to me. I've had them lead me in my dreams while I'm sleeping and I've had them lead me while actually writing so it didn't surprise me to suddenly have them talk to me now.  I closed my eyes and allowed my imagination to take me where I needed to be.

"Miss Amy, don't ya worry 'bout Hawke, he doesn't think he wants love and marriage but he do ... every man do even when he say he don't." Michel LaRue was there, sitting on a barrel aboard the gently rocking ship. He held several lines of thick rough-looking rope in his large hands. He was quickly, and expertly, tying them together with efficient knots.

"Good day, Michel," I greeted him with a smile as I glanced around me. Men were busy seeing to their individual duties. I looked to the ship's bridge above us and saw the captain there, arms crossed and looking grumpy about something. "Hawke doesn't look happy, is there a problem?"

Michel leaned forward slightly and glanced up at the tall black-haired man standing on the bridge scowling. He rested back against the rail again and chuckled. "He just find out he supposed to get married."

"But he ...," I halted my speech and glanced around at the landscape. It was like nothing I had ever seen, even in my imagination. There were mountains and the air was delightfully warm but humid. This was hardly the Port of London in which we should be docked but someplace much more exotic. The buildings were made of something more like clay and mortar rather than wood and brick. "Where are we, Michel?" I asked curiously.

Ponta Delgada on the Azore Isle of São Miguel

"Ponta Delgada. Where else?"

"The Azores! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be heading home to Louisiana?" I asked looking around me at the strange but beautiful place.

"Huh? You knows we gotta go to London first." Michel asked with a curious expression. "We only be stoppin' here for supplies.  'Course, right now Hawke be wishing he'd sailed right by 'stead of stoppin' here.  See, there be a letter waitin' for him and it be bad news. His grandpa, he died and now Hawke be the Earl. 'Course, Hawke, he be thinkin' the worst news be that his grandpa arranged for him to have a wife." Michel chuckled gleefully as he returned to his knots. How do they learn all those knots?

"So ... you haven't met Ro ..."  I clamped my mouth shut before any more words could escape. I suddenly realized it was as if I hadn't written their story yet. I was witnessing the events right after Hawke learned of his arranged marriage but before he returned to London. I smiled happily. This was my chance to gain some insight into what these men really felt about love and marriage.  I leaned against the railing and crossed my arms across my chest. "Michel, what do you think about Hawke's predicament?"

"Me? Well, I guess it ain't really none of my business." Michel said without looking up from his knots. Then he lifted his head and peeked upwards to see if Hawke was nearby. I leaned forward a bit and saw that Hawke was busy with the helmsman. Michel turned back to me. "Personally, I think it be good news. That boy, he need to be settlin' down and makin' a family since he lost all his own." I nodded my head for I knew about Hawke's parents and sister being killed in a fire in New Orleans some ten years earlier - after all, I wrote it. "I tell him he should meet the gal and if'n he don't like her then refuse it. But, oh no, he flat out say that he ain't goin' to be tied down to some female who only wants his name and his purse!" Having become rather animated and a little louder than he had intended, Michel lowered his voice substantially and leaned in toward me. "Hawke, he be needin' a good woman in his life. I be thinkin' anyway."

I smiled happily and then asked Michel about his own feelings on the subject. "So, how 'bout you, Michel? Don't you need a good woman in your life, too?"

Michel coughed and choked as if he'd swallowed wrong. I patted the big dark man on his broad backside until he stopped. "Thanks, Missy." He coughed again but only twice. "Don't be shockin' this old man with such foolishness. I be too old for love and marriage now."

"Too old! Michel, you're forty-two years old. Where I come from that's a young man yet!" I exclaimed, my voice rising in volume. I quickly quieted it and continued. "Okay, if a woman came along that captured your heart and stole away your breath, what then?"

Michel stared at me with his big dark eyes, he blinked as he considered what I had asked. Then his full lips parted and he smiled his most endearing smile. He chuckled softly and patted me on the back of my hand resting on my thigh. "Miss Amy, you conjure me up a woman who can do all that and I be fallin' in love and marryin' her in a heartbeat."

"Who are you marrying, old man?" A deep melodic voice rang out. I turned to face the captain of the ship. "How are you today, Mrs. Valentini?" Hawke is always so formal with me, it makes me smile. He gave me a quick bow and I bowed my head in recognition.

"I'm quite fine, Captain Boudreau. I was surprised to find you at port, here, in the Azores." I swept my hand indicating the beautiful surroundings.

"Well, we returned from Asia by way of the Cape of Good Hope and this is the best place to pick up supplies with the trouble along the Barbary Coast." Hawke explained as he stared at Michel who deliberately kept his eyes on his knots. I suspected Hawke surmised what his old friend had been talking about and wasn't too happy about it. "So what brings you here to visit, madam?" Hawke lifted his lash shadowed green eyes from the dark man's dipped head and met my eyes straight on. I swear my heart skipped a beat. Can a man truly be that handsome except in a woman's imagination?

"I ... uh ... well, I had been wondering what you really thought about love and marriage. I may have to change your, uh, a story I'm writing that is - if I have it wrong." I explained fearful of what the imposing man might say in response.

"Love and marriage!" Hawke growled. Michel lifted his head in reaction and when Hawke's narrowed angry eyes lit on him, he quickly lowered it again. "Michel, what have you been telling our dear lady?"

"Nothing I didn't already know, Captain, remember I, ... I mean, ... I coerced it out of him. He only spoke the truth." I resisted reminding the big man that I created the situation and that if I wanted to I could make sure he never enjoyed another woman as long as he lived. "I heard of your impending marriage ..."

"There will be NO marriage, madam!" Hawke interrupted angrily. "I refuse to uphold an agreement I had no party to especially one that means I must marry some silly twit who wants nothing more than a name, money and children. I will return to England and remove myself from there before the twit knows I've even returned."

Cringing slightly, only not wanting the imposing man to know it, I squeaked out my next words. "So I guess your opinion of love and marriage is ..."

"That it's for fools, madam! Love and marriage are best left to fools." When he saw my own green eyes narrow, he gulped and then added. "You are the exception, of course, Mrs. Valentini. I'm sure you are no fool and neither is your devoted husband." I relaxed and nodded my head accepting his apology. He calmed somewhat. I watched him take a deep breath. Upon releasing it, he continued, "Madam, I've had my chance at love, and almost married, but it only resulted in my heart being torn to shreds in the process. I'm a man of the sea now and have no time for a permanent woman in my life, despite what this old man has been telling you." He scowled at Michel who shrugged his shoulders in feigned innocence.   

"But, Hawke, ..." He lifted one black brow suspiciously when I used his familiar name. I proceeded cautiously, "if the right woman came along ... a woman who captured your heart, stole your breath and gave you a reason to live, wouldn't you want her with you?" I asked sweetly. Hawke stared at me for what felt like an eternity before straightening his back, squaring his broad shoulders and clearing his throat.

"Madam, there is no such woman." His deep voice was flat and that told me that the discussion was done. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a ship to ready for sail. If you'd like, you are most welcome to join us on our journey. For you, madam, are the only female I will ever allow to sail on the Belle Femme." He gave me a half-bow, turned and walked away. I knew I had been dismissed and so had my argument. I glanced down at Michel who was watching his best friend walk toward the steps that lead to the bridge. There was a look of sadness on his handsome bearded face. I placed a hand on his large shoulder and squeezed it affectionately.

"Don't worry, Michel, I think he might change his mind some day - especially with your help, dear friend." Michel looked up at me with a million questions in his eyes but then he smiled and placed his large hand on mine as it rested on his shoulder.

"I always be trustin' you, Missy." He said in a quiet voice that made me feel maternal even though I wasn't old enough to be his mother, then he added eagerly. "So you be sailin' with us to London?"

"I wish ... I wish I could, Michel. I'm sure it would be thrilling but I must return to my work now. Till we meet again." I told him with a smile. He smiled back and when he looked toward Hawke who had returned to the bridge, I quickly took my leave. I do hate farewells.

I opened my eyes. I was back at the keyboard with the screensaver sweeping across the monitor. Well, I guess I got my answer, at least how it pertains to the two leading men in my story but does that answer my real question and has that question really changed at all throughout time? 

Nature has created a natural instinct in women to desire a partner in life to share their love, their home and with whom to create a family but what about men?
I know there are some men who desire to marry and have a family even before they meet the woman of their dreams but what about most men? Are men predisposed to sharing their life with one woman or do they only come to that conclusion once they have met the right gal?
What about men who live in polygamous relationships? Do they only see marriage as a means to getting what they want, namely lots of children? Can a man really love that many wives or is there one among them that holds his heart and the others are just chattel?

I started out pondering if I had led my hero in the right direction. I suppose I have but now I'm wondering why it's so difficult to keep him on that path. He made it quite clear that he does not wish to have love and marriage in his life but when I asked him about refusing a woman who might capture his heart, he merely responded by telling me that such a woman does not exist. Hmmm, ... so, ... is it denial? Fear of commitment? Is this what plagues most people, men and women, who scorn the idea of marriage?

So ... which do you prefer - the hero who eagerly awaits the day he meets the woman of his dreams and perhaps rushes into things with the wrong partner? Or do you prefer the hero who scoffs at the thought of falling in love but falls the hardest when that certain woman walks into his life?

Hope I've given you something to ponder and a little escapism to help you over that mid-week hump. I love conversing with my characters and I hope you enjoyed my excursion. I think I'd like to visit modern Ponta Delgada someday.  It looks dreamy ... and very romantic!   : ) 

Happy Reading Everyone!

Unwrapping: Review of MY RUTHLESS PRINCE by Gaelen Foley

First- Thank you to everyone who participated in my little experiment - those who commented admitted that they were not able to accurately choose 'old' from 'new' which proves that maybe Historical Romances haven't changed as much as we thought they had - thank goodness - reading would be very boring if every heroine was a female Dirty Harry and every hero a Gentleman George! The winner of a copy of GENTLE ROGUE by Johanna Lindsey is ... Dalila G.   Congratulations!

Now on to the main event!
This weekend, I inhaled the historical romance novel, MY RUTHLESS PRINCE by Gaelen Foley ... I mean inhaled! I started reading it and didn't want to put it down and almost didn't even when I had to.
                                                      *                       *                     *
In MY RUTHLESS PRINCE, the Earl of Westwood is suspected by his brother warriors of having turned traitor, but Emily Harper knows this is impossible for the man she has loved since childhood—as impossible as a marriage between them could ever be—she, the gamekeeper’s daughter and he, a bold and adventurous nobleman.

Driven by hatred and revenge, Westwood is playing a deadly game of deception, bent on destroying the enemy’s dark conspiracy from the inside, and he’s furious when Emily plunges herself into danger for his sake. Forced into close quarters, their long-suppressed desire explodes into all-consuming passion.

Emily knows her love can save him…but Drake is a man who doesn’t want to be saved.
                                                        *                        *                    *
I am a huge fan of the Inferno Club and definitely recommend that if you haven't read the first three installments in the series then do and in order, but MY RUTHLESS PRINCE does well enough as a stand-alone, if you choose to read it as such.

Drake Parry, the Earl of Westwood, is by far the most 'tortured' hero I've ever read. He's tortured not only in body but in heart and spirit, too. Having endured horrible physical torture at the hands of his enemies, Drake feels beholden to one of them, James Falkirk, for saving him. So much so that he escapes his Inferno Club brothers who, along with his childhood friend, Emily Harper, are trying help him recover from his ordeal and mend his mind, body and soul. But Drake's misplaced need to protect the old man, Falkirk, is as great as for any of his brother warriors so he escapes to Bavaria and into the hands of those who tortured him, left him a broken man and took nearly all his memory, all but that of Emily. 

Unable to let him be lost to his enemies or hunted down and possibly killed by his own who now think him a traitor, Emily goes after him. She is convinced that she, and she alone, can reach him through his heart; that only she can reach the Drake that she knows and loves and bring him home safely. But Drake has changed and even though she knows the man well, she sees in him a darkness, a willingness to do whatever is asked of him by those who would do him, and her, the most harm. Her own belief in Drake is put to the test and it's only her love for him that keeps her from believing the worst. While Emily works from the inside, the rest of the Inferno Club works dangerously on the outside even as the same questions plague them all. Has Drake truly joined the Prometheans and turned to the darkness to fight against everything he has known and honored since being chosen as a young lad to be raised by the Order? Or will he prove to be their worst enemy?

Stepback - My Ruthless Prince
missed out on this
on my ereader  : (

From the minute you open this book, you're caught up in the struggle to bring Drake home and the mysteries of the Prometheans. The story is fast-paced and filled with action that keeps you on your toes. Gaelen wastes no time with a blossoming romance between Drake and Emily because their relationship has been in place since childhood. Emily has always known that she loves Drake even though their respective stations in life have kept them apart. Instead of watching the pair fall in love, it becomes more about them admitting to the love that's always been there between them. Even while suffering essentially 'Stockholm Syndrome', Drake is torn between his misguided loyalty to James and his need to protect Emily at all costs. It's no wonder poor Drake doesn't seem to know if he's coming or going. I suspect he's going to be out of sorts for quite a while so it's a good thing Emily loves him so and is more patient than most women would be. Possibly even a bit too patient, she might have done well with giving him a good quick kick in the pants.

Speaking of kick in the pants! Gaelen gives us plenty of intrigue, subterfuge and some intense action scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat and holding your breath such as when Emily is put in the precarious position of using her expert archery skills to fulfill a promise and destroy her reason for living. I have to say that it took a lot of courage on Gaelen's part to place her heroine in one of the cruelest, most heart-wrenching moments I've ever read but it worked. I'm not going to spoil your reading by telling you what happens but be prepared to hold your breath and wipe away a lot of tears.

MY RUTHLESS PRINCE is everything you expect from a Gaelen Foley historical romance and more.
Until now MY DANGEROUS DUKE has been my favorite of the Inferno Club. Even though Rohan is still the man I'd like to have come home with me, I have to say that I would easily trade places with Emily to help Drake find his way back to the life he knew and the laughter, camaraderie and brotherhood he shared with his brother warriors.  MY RUTHLESS PRINCE has definitely become my favorite of the series.

If you're looking for action, intrigue and subterfuge, edge-of-the-seat suspense and some very romantic love scenes then MY RUTHLESS PRINCE by Gaelen Foley is the one you want to read.  Published by Avon, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers and ON SALE NOW in paperback and ebook format, I Highly Recommend MY RUTHLESS PRINCE. 
In fact, my only question now is ... when are they making it into a movie??!!  

You can learn more about Gaelen Foley, her life, and her books by visiting her website or by reading about her when she visited us here at the blog on 12/28/11 - click here to read my interview with her.

Happy Reading Everyone!

                                                                  

                                                     

Unwrapping: Let's Try this Again - Same Test + Giveaway!

Captive of My Desires
by Johanna Lindsey - 2006

Giveaway is Closed. 

Test Your Ability to Recognize Old Romance

from New with an incentive:

On Wednesday's post, I had a lot of folks view the test, I assume try their luck at it, and then for whatever reason choose not to comment on it. The point I was attempting to make with this exercise was whether ot not it was possible to recognize 'old' Historical Romance from 'new' Historical Romance from part of a 'love scene'. I need more input, everybody!

I do want to give a special shoutout to the husband of ROMANCEAHOLIC who without any experience in the genre proved what I had expected - he got two of the scenes wrong, one of which I hoped folks would mistake for 'old' - thank you for playing along and because of your dear wife's honesty, I'm including her in the Giveaway, whether she comments on this one or not.  In fact, anyone who commented on Wednesday's post is welcome to comment here for an entry in the giveaway ... several were truthful or explained how they knew which were which but some I suspect fudged a little. Won't judge you if you own up to missing one.  It's all in fun, no right or wrong results.   : )

About the Giveaway: 


1990 Edition

Same test, same answers, same rules, nothing's changed, no tricks, only this time to encourage those who were afraid to admit that they could not pick 'old' from 'new' (only reason I can assume you didn't brag) - I'm giving away a copy of GENTLE ROGUE by Johanna Lindsey - 1990 edition to one lucky commenter.  Winner will be chosen from comments on this post only with the exception of the above mentioned who gets an extra entry if she comments here.

To enter this giveaway all you need do is take the test or say you took the test on the previous post, say whether you found it easy to recognize 'old' from 'new' or not so plus a valid email address and you're entered. Btw - a simple correct or missed will do - if you tell me correct, then please add why it was so easy. Be sure to leave a valid email address in the comment or I can't qualify you for the giveaway. This giveaway is open to EVERYONE!!

This is my favorite of the Malory Series.
Quick blurb for GENTLE ROGUE:

Heartsick and desperate to return home to America, Georgina Anderson boards the Maiden Anne disguised as a cabin boy, never dreaming she'll be forced into intimate servitude at the whim of the ship's irrepressible captain, James Mallory.

The black sheep of a proud and tempestuous family, the handsome ex-pirate once swore no woman alive could entice him into matrimony. But on the high seas his resolve will be weakened by an unrestrained passion and by the high-spirited beauty whose love of
freedom and adventure rivals his own.

THE TEST

I will list part of a scene from a Historical Romance without any other information given, I want you to tell me if the Romance was written pre- 2000 or post- 2000. Simple, huh? Answers can be found at a link at the end of this post. These might surprise you - some of you might recognize the lines but have fun anyway.

Game on!

Scene #1 - "A chore, like any other? Very well, she told herself. Just get it done.

She dropped her gaze to the bed, loath to watch him while she explained the horrid facts to him. "I must have a child, and it must be conceived immediately. You were chosen to aid me because your hair and eyes are the same as my husband's, for the child needs have the look of him. So we must copulate this night, and the next, and the next, until your seed bears fruit. I like this no better than you, but I have no choice - and neither do you."

His chains rattled, but she would not look toward those expressive eyes of his. Briskly, she took hold of the thick sheet covering him and flipped it to the end of the bed, where it slithered to the floor."

Scene #2 - "Deliberately, [she] leaned forward until her breasts rested on his chest; and seizing upon all her imagination, she lowered parted lips and moved them slowly, warmly upon his. Her eyes flew wide as his mouth opened and twisted across hers, his tongue thrusting through as his arms went around her, crushing her in his embrace. Her world careened crazily as he slowly turned until she half lay across his lap, her head pressed back against his shoulder. ... She should have found his blistering kiss repulsive, but in truth it was wildly exciting."

Scene #3 - "[She] was so startled by the invasion she went completely still, her mind filling with confusion as the combination of the caresses and the kiss filled her with a sharp excitement that was almost overwhelming. She remained still and uncertain as his mouth explored hers, her hands balling into fists by her waist as he ... excuse the interruption - too racy for this blog ..., and the excitement spiked to a level that raised fear in her had her grabbing at the hand to stop him.

[He] immediately stopped his caress, but he also broke their kiss to lift his head.
'I am your husband.'
He whispered the words against her lips and she stilled again, uncertainty flowing through her. He was her husband and had every right to do whatever he chose, ..."

Scene #4 - "She stood there proud and unashamed to have him see her thus, with no attempt to cover herself in any way, and he looked long and hard, feasting on the reality of what he had only been able to imagine previously. She was so very beautiful to him, so perfectly formed for all her height.
[He] was unaware that he had walked to her, but he stood next to her now, the velvet gown forgotten, dropping from his fingers to the floor. Everything was forgotten as his hands rose to cup her cheeks, and he lowered his head to taste the nectar of her lips. Slowly, he tasted, gently at first to savor, then with the full measure of his need.
In those first moments, he was so consumed with desire that he would not have noticed if [she] resisted. But she was not resisting in any way. ... she was kissing him back with an unrestrained abandon."

Okay, the rest is up to you ... which of these four scenes were written pre-2000 and which were written post-2000?

Click here for the answers!   Please be honest and don't cheat - I'm trying to demonstrate that without knowing the novel, it's difficult to see the difference in the timeline of writing style. Thanks for playing!

Remember to be entered in the Giveaway, you MUST comment and you MUST leave a valid email address!  Giveaway runs till 11:59 PM EST Saturday, January 14, 2012. That's only 2 days to enter!  Winner will be chosen at random and announced on Monday's post.  Thanks and Good Luck!  : )

Happy Reading Everyone!      
                  Giveaway is Closed. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Unwrapping: Wacky Wednesday - Test Your Ability to Recognize Old Romance From New

Anyone know what book this is from?

Test Your Ability to Recognize Old Romance

from New:

In my last post, I ranted a tiny bit about the young romance readers interjecting their own ideals and views about the heroine's first sexual experience with the hero in Historical Romance Novels from the 70's. I'm sure their views apply to all Romance Novels but I zeroed in on Historical because that's where I read most of the negative reviews. 

I'm curious to see how well my readers are able to instinctively know if a Historical Romance was written in the era of the "bodice rippers" of which the young readers have such a great disgust or if a Historical Romance is a product of the 21st Century. Shall we play a game?

I will list part of a scene from a Historical Romance without any other information given, I want you to tell me if the Romance was written pre- 2000 or post- 2000. Simple, huh? Answers can be found at a link at the end of this post. These might surprise you - some of you might recognize the lines but have fun anyway.

Game on!

Scene #1 -  "A chore, like any other? Very well, she told herself. Just get it done.

          She dropped her gaze to the bed, loath to watch him while she explained the horrid facts to him. "I must have a child, and it must be conceived immediately. You were chosen to aid me because your hair and eyes are the same as my husband's, for the child needs have the look of him. So we must copulate this night, and the next, and the next, until your seed bears fruit. I like this no better than you, but I have no choice - and neither do you."

           His chains rattled, but she would not look toward those expressive eyes of his. Briskly, she took hold of the thick sheet covering him and flipped it to the end of the bed, where it slithered to the floor."


Scene #2 - "Deliberately, [she] leaned forward until her breasts rested on his chest; and seizing upon all her imagination, she lowered parted lips and moved them slowly, warmly upon his. Her eyes flew wide as his mouth opened and twisted across hers, his tongue thrusting through as his arms went around her, crushing her in his embrace.  Her world careened crazily as he slowly turned until she half lay across his lap, her head pressed back against his shoulder. ... She should have found his blistering kiss repulsive, but in truth it was wildly exciting."

Scene #3 -  "[She] was so startled by the invasion she went completely still, her mind filling with confusion as the combination of the caresses and the kiss filled her with a sharp excitement that was almost overwhelming. She remained still and uncertain as his mouth explored hers, her hands balling into fists by her waist as he ... excuse the interruption - too racy for this blog ..., and the excitement spiked to a level that raised fear in her had her grabbing at the hand to stop him.
          [He] immediately stopped his caress, but he also broke their kiss to lift his head.
          'I am your husband.'
          He whispered the words against her lips and she stilled again, uncertainty flowing through her. He was her husband and had every right to do whatever he chose, ..."


Scene #4 -  "She stood there proud and unashamed to have him see her thus, with no attempt to cover herself in any way, and he looked long and hard, feasting on the reality of what he had only been able to imagine previously.  She was so very beautiful to him, so perfectly formed for all her height.
         [He] was unaware that he had walked to her, but he stood next to her now, the velvet gown forgotten, dropping from his fingers to the floor. Everything was forgotten as his hands rose to cup her cheeks, and he lowered his head to taste the nectar of her lips. Slowly, he tasted, gently at first to savor, then with the full measure of his need.
         In those first moments, he was so consumed with desire that he would not have noticed if [she] resisted. But she was not resisting in any way. ... she was kissing him back with an unrestrained abandon."

Okay, the rest is up to you ... which of these four scenes were written pre-2000 and which were written post-2000? 
According to some young reviewers, Historical Romance Novels written in the last quarter of the 20th Century were 'bodice rippers' perpetuating the 'rape fantasy' which disgusts them and, despite the writing skill of the authors, they prefer to call these novels 'trash'.

Click here for the answers!  Please come back and tell us how you did and feel free to share this test with those young whippersnappers who think they know all about those Historical Romances from the 70's!   : )

I know a lot of people are taking this test but not commenting - we'd love to know if you got them all correct or not. Don't have to tell specifically just a 'correct' or  'missed' will do.  Think of it as a survey - enquiring minds want to know.   : )
Happy Reading Everyone!

Unwrapping: Oh My, How Historical Romance Novels Have Changed!

Franz Eybl, Girl Reading, 1850 

When I first started reading Historical Romance Novels in the mid- 1970's, they were quite different from the novels in the genre today. Perhaps it was the times, perhaps it was the introduction of the sensual romance, or perhaps it was the feminist movement - whatever it was, things had changed. Sex had been introduced into the storyline in way it had never been written before, and Romance Novels would never be just those sweet romances ending with a chaste kiss ever again. The new Romance Novel was breaking ground and traveling a much different path that the Romances of today's genres.

Romance Novels in the '70's took heavy criticism but even television trended toward the same storylines. If you remember on the soap, GENERAL HOSPITAL, Luke Spencer raped Laura Weber and later they became the love story of the decade. Why were woman suddenly attracted to love stories that were built from an act of violence? Was it possible that along with all the freedoms that came with feminist liberation came a need for an escape into a fantasy that actually made the heroine a victim of a man's lust rather than a participant? With a newfound access to birth control, abortion and free wheeling sex, why then would women turn to a form of entertainment that placed the heroine back under the control of a man? Strangely enough, after the onslaught of AIDS with sex actually becoming something that could kill you, Romance Novels actually became tamer in comparison. Is there a correlation? If so, what does it say about out society now in regards to women and their sexual proclivities? I find the Romance Novels written today to be even more daring and the heroines independant and strong. Our heroines today make it clear they have a choice and in many of the books I read, the heroine is actually more sexually aggressive than the hero.  Nothing wrong with that now, is there? [wink, wink]

What do the young women of the 21st Century think of the first sexy bodice rippers? Well, after reading some of their reviews, I get the impression they don't like them very much. Now, that's a terrible shame.  I've read several reviews that called the Romance Novels of the '70's, disgusting and misogynistic. Not quite understanding the latter since most Romances are written by women - so are the writers really the ones who are misogynistic? One review even referred to one of the most read Romance Novels from this time as not being politically correct ... I believe she said that the author had sugar-coated the way slaves were treated.  HUH? Are we really looking for political correctness in our Romance Novels?

I fell in love with Historical Romances immediately upon reading my first, which was Kathleen E. Woodiwiss' THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER. I suppose, I could have read any of the many that inhabited the selling shelves but this one was my first and it was love at first read. I fell in love with Historical Romance for the settings, the eras, the history and the dangers that usually followed the heroine. These were stories written and published before most of the young women reading and reviewing books today were even born. I understand that the young woman reading romance today were raised in a society that expresses a greater respect for women in general and openly discusses its distaste for violence toward women. I agree that violence, in any form, against women, children, or men is completely uncivilized and should be abhorred for what it is - violence! So it should be, in the real world but not necessarily in our fiction! Fiction isn't real life, remember?!

By modern standards, I suppose the books of the 1970's were very violent toward women. Nearly every story had the heroine being raped by the man who would eventually fall in love with her and protect her with his own life if the need arose. Then again it's very possible that many older women who loved those books perhaps now find Romances featuring Vampires, Werewolves, Shape Shifters and Demons bordering on bestiality and anti-Christian. Not me, of course, I love them.

What has to be remembered is that Romance Novels reflect the social morality barometer in which they are written and Historical Romances are written, if written properly, to reflect the morality of the era in which the story is set. So, what may be socially acceptable in one era is not necessarily what may be socially acceptable to another era including our own.

For example, if the Romance is set in Regency England and the Hero is a member of ton society, he's probably less likely to forcibly seduce some young girl but then again, he might do just that if the opportunity presented itself or if the man was an evil S.O.B.  

Lydia and her Mr. Wickham -
he had no real intention of marrying her.

Even Jane Austen created characters whose intentions were less than honorable. Take Mr. Wickham of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE - he was most certainly not beyond taking advantage of a young girl's innocence to satisfy his lustful desires. Nor was Mr. Willoughby of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, a man with good standing in society and a large income, in other words - a great catch. I suppose we forgave these indiscretions because neither of our favorite heroines, Elizabeth Bennet and Marianne Dashwood, fell completely under the spell of these dastardly dudes - of course, poor Lydia did fall prey to Wickham but I guess he was forgiven because he, himself, was seduced into marrying the silly girl by Darcy's offer to pay off his debts and buy him a commission. Had he refused, poor Lydia's fate would have been far worse than she knew. The point being that in a proper, genteel Regency Romance, you won't generally find our hero forceably seducing our heroine as it was often called during this era of 'bodice-rippers' but what about other historical eras? How genteel was a man from medievel times, the Scottish highlands, or the Russian Steppe many years before the influence of British Society?

As I've mentioned many times, I am a huge fan of Kathleen E. Woodiwiss - the Queen of Romance. Her first novel, THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER, published in 1972, was a turning point for the Romance genre. It was a Historical Romance built around research, a real story, and what really happens between a man and a woman - sex.  Unfortunately, by the standards of some of the young women who read Romance today, many consider it horrible and their reviews reflect their distaste.

When we first meet our heroine, Heather Simmons, she is fleeing one man's attempt to rape her only to find herself in the hands of a handsome sea captain, Brandon Birmingham, who is too deep in his cups (drunk). He mistakes her for one of the prostitutes that frequent the London docks and when she resists, he forces himself on her. I know, this perpetuates the idea that because a gal resists a little she's really not saying no, but yes, yes! In our society, this is a major wrong but in 1799??  The next morning, Brandon discovers the truth of what he's done. In an attempt to make amends, he offers to make her his mistress (at least he tried) but she promptly declines his offer. Later, when she discovers she's pregnant, he's forced to marry her. Consequently, neither are happy about it and so the real story begins. Forced seduction + forced marriage -- something not too uncommon in those days yet strangely enough, not too common today. What does that say about our society's morals?

Speaking of THOSE DAYS - many things were much more common in THOSE DAYS as compared to today especially when we look back into history. Life could be brutal, men could be brutal and it was accepted in THOSE DAYS because that's the way it was.

One of my favorite Historical Romance novels is WHITEFIRE by Fern Michaels, first published in 1978. I was already in love with anything to do with pre-revolutionary Russia after reading DR. ZHIVAGO and seeing the movie so I was immediately drawn to this one.

It is set in 16th Century Russia during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Men from this time in history were brutal and violent. Banyon Amur is a Mongol Prince who was accustomed to having things his way and only his way. He takes what he wants without remorse so when he brutally rapes a young girl who he believes a peasant, he and everyone around him see nothing wrong.

It's the way it was back then, folks! It was NOT uncommon for women to be treated as possessions, objects of lust, used by men for their own satisfactions and then discarded. Had Banyon acted like a society gentleman and asked Katerina "Kat" Vaschenko, a young Cossack who was well aware of how women were looked down upon, out on a date or to a ball, the story would have been totally unbelievable. Life in the Ural Mountains in the 16th C. was hard and if you weren't tough, you died.  And it certainly wasn't politically correct!

I wonder if these storylines were a way of reminding us that a woman's first sexual experience is not always a fairy tale that sometimes it's violent in nature even when consentual. It's not always an experience that without love is something a woman wants to repeat but with a man who cares and is willing to be patient, the experience can be wonderful. Romance Novels do more than entertain us - sometimes they assist us in recognizing what's right and what's wrong. Perhaps a lesson about date rape before it became a recognized crime.

I love both of these books and highly recommend them not only because they are good reads but because if you've never read anything from this then newly emerging era of Romance, they are both fine examples of what was on the shelves back then. True, today's heroines are tough, strong-minded, and not so willing to take any crap off their men but then so are women of the 21st C.  Just as the past is much different from our modern world so goes the Romance genre, in particular, the Historical Romance sub-genre. Times were different in the 1970's, women were just beginning to really understand their freedom to live their lives as strong independant women with opinions, abilities and the freedom to say "no" to a man. I'm glad of these changes but just as we are proud of the generations that came before us and paved the way for our, in comparison, blessed lives so should we be proud of the generations of Romance Novels that led the way to the broad expanse of sub-genres that now grace our shelves, our reading tables and ereaders. So to Fern Michaels and the other wonderful authors who paved the way, and in memory of Ms. Woodiwiss, I say "thank you" and "hear, hear!" to the 70's Bodice Rippers!

I'm curious - when you're reading a Historical Romance Novel, do you want it to reflect the era realistically or just be a nice love story set once upon a time, a long time ago?

Happy Reading Everyone!
                                                              

Unwrapping: To Love My Ereader or Not To Love My Ereader, That is the Question!

Mine's like the one in front but lives in a red case now.

I received a Kobo Touch ereader as a Christmas gift from my dear hubby. He's been using a Kobo ereader for the past year and I assume he loves it since he reads on it constantly. It goes everywhere with him. My dh is a prolific reader, usually 2 or 3 books at a time which I've never been able to do since I just get too involved in the story to switch back and forth. I thought he would miss doing this with the e-reader but then I discovered that he had a couple of books in process on his ereader.
So does this mean that a person's reading habits won't change at all with the use of an e-reader? I suppose for him it hasn't but I've been thinking about my own.

I love books. I love the look of them, the smell of them, the feel of them in my hands. I like seeing them line the shelves with all their colors and variety of titles. I like organizing them by genre, by series, and by alphabetical order - yes, I do that! The more organized my books are the easier it is for me to find a particular one that I might be seeking. And yes, I do seek them out after they go on the shelves because I'm a consummate re-reader of books.

So far, I've only really read some previews on my new ereader. Oh yes, it's one of the things I do love about my new ereader. I can get previews! And we're not talking just a blurb but usually a prologue (if there is one) and the entire first chapter! How great is that?

It took me a while to figure out how to use the blasted thing since it was quite different than the model that my dh uses and is operated almost completely by touching the screen. It's kind of cool, actually, at least when I want to turn a page - I just tap the side of the page on the right to turn to the next, tap the left side to return to the previous page. That brings me to something that I'm NOT really loving about my ereader.

I'm the type of reader who tends to travel through a book - that is, that while I'm reading I may or may not desire to go back to a previous chapter or page to reread something that I've been reminded of while reading the current page. I've found many a discrepancy in a book by doing so. I've always had a very good memory for what I read or at least I used to ... now I find myself going back to check if something actually happened or was said. [sigh] One of the curses of getting older. Anyway, back to my point - when I wish to go back in a print book, I thumb the pages back to where I think I read it, do a little skimming search with my eyes and bingo, find it, read it and happily go back to where I was. Not so easy with the ereader!

If I wish to go back, I have to tap and tap and tap and tap, in ad nauseam, until I find the page I might have seen it on. If that's an annoyance in a preview, what's it going to be like when I'm, say two hundred pages into a book and want to check something in the second chapter? I suppose there's possibly some setting to make it easier to do such a thing but I haven't found it yet and it's just this sort of thing, the complexity of using an ereader that I'm not loving at all. A book is simple. It's easy to use - you pick it up, you open the beautiful, IN COLOR, cover and read the words.

Missing that lovely blue!

Not loving too much that the covers are in black and white either - yes, I know there's a model that is in color but all I want an ereader to do is let me read a book not all the other bells and whistles. Not loving the format of the text either but I suppose I can get used to both.

Reading on an ereader reminds me of when I was younger, when paperbacks were made so tough that you could bend the spine and fold the book back against itself. I hated when people did that to my books but I saw a lot of folks doing it with theirs. I've always been kind to my books because if it's a good one, I'm going to keep it and re-read it many, many times again.

I do get a kick out of the way it bookmarks where I quit reading though ... it dog ears the corner just the way I was guilty of doing when I was younger and didn't use bookmarks. Hey, what's going to happen to all the lovely bookmarks if no one reads real books anymore? Hmm ... I suppose I could run ornament hooks through them and hang them on a tree. That's it, I'll design a reading tree for all my lovely bookmarks. Awww, so sad for I truly will miss my bookmarks.

My Home Page shows
me my book titles, pretty cool!

So what is the answer? To love it or not to love it? I suppose there's good and bad with any new technology. I do have to say that I'm quite excited at the prospect of going on my next vacation and not having to worry about forgetting a book I want to read because I plan to have them already loaded on my fully-charged ereader.  Did I tell you they even give you recommendations based on your reading habits - WooHoo!

So to those of you with ereaders, I'm curious - what's your relationship with the gadget? Do you love it? Do you hate it? Or do you plan to do as I'm going to do for a long while - switch back and forth between it and print books? Just received 3 new books from Amazon today and can't wait to get my hands on them. I'm not ready to completely give up my addiction to print books and all those glorious covers. How about you?


Happy Reading Everyone!

     

Unwrapping: Wacky Wednesday - Quiz Time!

It's Wacky Wednesday here at UNWRAPPING ROMANCE and since we're starting fresh with a New Year, I thought it would be fun to see what kind of Heroine we would each be if we were starring in our own Romance Story.

Do you see yourself as the Damsel in Distress type?





Or maybe a Tough Cookie?

                                                                Or your man's Saviour?  


Or are you the Pampered Princess?








Take today's Wacky Wednesday Quiz to find out what kind of Heroine you would be and then maybe, if you're willing, share it with us.  Feel free to share the quiz with your friends to find out what kind of Heroine they would be, too.  Let's have some fun!

What kind of Heroine would you be? » quiz builder

Unwrapping: It's a New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone ...It's a New Year, 2012!

It's hard to believe sometimes that we are actually in the 21st Century but now it's actually the year 2012. I think back to a time when the turn of the century seemed so far off that I couldn't even imagine living in it and now we're already this far into it. The years go by faster and faster, I suppose partly because I'm getting older and time seems to pass us by faster as we get older. I'm reminded of the adage 'Time Flies When You're Having Fun' - I suppose that's true in some respects but are we really having so much fun that it's the reason why time speeds us by as we get older? I don't think so ... but it's a nice thought.

Well, with the New Year comes the tradition of making (and breaking) New Year resolutions. Have you ever wondered where that tradition came from? Well, I have so I did a little research.

The tradition of New Year Resolutions can be traced as far back as about 150 B.C. when a mythical king of early Rome named Janus was placed at the head of the calendar. It's from Janus that we get the word January, hence January is the first month of our calendar year.

Janus had two faces, one to look upon past events and the other to look forward to the future.  Janus was the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans sought forgiveness from their enemies by making resolutions to change their ways.  Janus was also the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances which is why the symbol of Janus adorns many doorways throughout Europe and elsewhere in the world.

So every year, as we look back upon the year we are leaving behind, we tend to make resolutions in the hope that it will make the coming year better but how many of us actually keep those resolutions? I know that I try every year to stick to my resolutions but sometimes I think I've already sabotaged myself because I expect more than I can deliver. My resolution for the past two years is to finally finish my 2 (yes, 2) works in progress. I will say that I am absolutely, positively, without a doubt, hopeful that I will finish at least one of them.  ; )

How about you?

Then there are all those little things that we traditionally do in hopes of making our resolutions stick and we stick to our resolutions. Some folks eat only lasagna on New Year's Day, others it's black-eyed peas and collard greens. I've often wondered if it really made a difference but I'm sure those who follow such traditions will also swear by them.

Throughout the world, there are many different New Year traditions that are supposed to bring good luck to those who practice them. For example, in Greece, a special New Year's bread called Vassilopita or St. Basil's cake is baked (January 1 is also St. Basil's Day in honor of a 4th Century Orthodox Bishop).  A coin is placed inside the cake and when the cake is sliced - the first slice is for the Christ child, the second for the father of the household and the third slice is for the house - if the third slice holds the coin, spring will come early that year.

In Norway, they make a rice pudding and hide one whole almond inside it. The person fortunate enough to get the serving containing the lucky almond is guaranteed wealth in the coming year. 

A Very Famous Kiss in Times Square

Here in the USA, we share kisses and best wishes. Of course, we tend to share kisses whenever the opportunity arises ... a celebration is always better with a kiss!
The kiss shared at the stroke of midnight is derived from the time of masked balls which were very common throughout history in Great Britain and on the Continent.  As is tradition, the masks symbolize evil spirits from the old year and the kiss is the purification of all things bad from the old year so that those things weren't carried over into the New Year.  Much more romantic than the coin or almond in food. I keep thinking of the number of cracked teeth that came about because the lucky person found the coin while chewing.

Perhaps, we Americans just like to romanticize everything and so that's the real reason for that special kiss with someone we fancy, lust after or love - preferably the last one! New Year's wouldn't be New Year's without someone to kiss at midnight! Right?

But if we don't have that kiss at midnight will it bring us bad luck in the coming year? What about couples who are separated by distance, do they fall prey to bad luck in the year ahead because they can't kiss at midnight?  I don't believe they do - although, you have to wonder about the misfortune that has already befallen them by being separated from each other on New Year's Eve. The kiss is sweet, it's romantic and in many cases the beginning of something special which may or may not continue through the year. I've known many a relationship that began with a New Year's Eve midnight kiss and call me romantic but if you're lucky enough to have something special spring from that then you've got all the luck in the world.

Do you have any special New Year traditions that you feel make your coming year luckier, more fortunate, or help you keep those pesky resolutions? 

Well, I've got a simple resolution that even I can manage to keep - read more of my favorite authors and meet some new ones, too.

Happy Reading Everyone!


 BTW - the Winner of the copy of MY WICKED MARQUESS by Gaelen Foley is Di ... Congratulations, Di - I have no doubt you'll enjoy reading it and be hooked on the Inferno Club just as the rest of us are!