Daily and Monthly Winners at the Moving Party!

My month long Moving Party kicks off today at Mia Marlowe's Blog. Every day, there's a chance to win a signed book and an opportunity to sign up for three other monthly drawings. Hope to see you there!

If you've clicked to follow me here as Emily, thanks so much. I hope you'll also follow my Mia Marlowe blog.

Trashy Historical Romance

Ok, I'll admit it. I have a Google alert set on myself. If someone says something about one of my books online, I want to see it. Most of the time, when the alarm trips, it's a happy thing. I usually find good reviews or positive reader comments. Then the other day, Pleasuring the Pirate popped up with an alert on GoodReads.

When I clicked over, I was confused. My cover was posted, but there didn't seem to be anything about the book. Just a rambling post by some guy. Pleasuring the Pirate wasn't mentioned by name, but the words "trashy historical romance" leaped out at me.

Granted, Pleasuring the Pirate is easy to lampoon. The cover is old-school and the title lends itself to frat house jokes. But the love story between Gabriel and Jacquelyn isn't a bit trashy. It's funny and tender and, I hope, moving.

Trashy historical romance . . . The words grate on my soul. They are usually uttered by people who've never cracked the spine on a historical romance. They just think they know what the book's about--gratuitous, poorly written sex.

I beg to differ.

Historical romance is about relationship. The level of sensuality in the sub-genre covers a broad spectrum. If you read an inspirational, YA or sweet historical, the bedroom door will be firmly closed. If you're looking for explicit sex scenes in a historical, you can definitely find them. But when my characters consummate their relationship, it has to mean something. Most writers I know agree with me. Love scenes aren't about body parts. They are about two people connecting in the deepest way possible--heart, body and soul.

What's trashy about that?

Have you ever talked to anyone with a preconcieved notion about romance novels?

If you haven't read Pleasuring the Pirate, you can try an excerpt on my website. While you're there, check out my Pirate Pick-up lines and hilarious Talk like a Pirate page!

Barbara Monajem's Notorious Eliza

I love it when an author researches not only how people lived, but how they thought in the past. Barbara Monajem, my guest today, did just that when she put together the bones for her new Harlequin Undone ebook, NOTORIOUS ELIZA.

Take it away, Barbara!

______________________________________________________________

Patrick needs a respectable new wife to be a mother for his daughter.
Notorious Eliza paints nudes to support her young son.
They should resist the attraction. (They don’t.)
They dare not fall in love. (They do.)
They must not marry… for one day Eliza’s most scandalous secret will surface and destroy them all.


What makes a perfect wife? What makes a good heroine? And how has the concept of a perfect wife—or romantic heroine—changed in… oh, the last four hundred years? A while ago, I came across this quote from a book written by Gervase Markham in 1615.

“Your English housewife must be of chaste thought, stout courage, patient, untired, watchful, diligent, witty, pleasant, constant in friendship, full of good neighbourhood, wise in discourse, but not frequent therein, sharp and quick of speech, but not bitter or talkative, secret in her affairs, comfortable in her counsels, and generally skillful in all the worthy knowledges which do belong to her vocation.”

I started thinking about the heroine of my Undone, Notorious Eliza, who lived two hundred years later, in 1800, and how she measured up to this ideal… and how a modern heroine fares. Let’s look at all the characteristics mentioned by Markham. Admittedly, he’s probably a bit of a chauvinist—this was four hundred years ago, pretty much contemporary with The Taming of the Shrew. Women’s lib was far in the future, and the romantic heroine of today is generally a woman’s ideal, not a man’s. So we have what seems like two diametrically opposed points of view… And yet, when one looks closely (and takes Markham’s statement in the most positive light), the characteristics he describes are in many ways still valued today.

Courageous, patient, tireless, watchful, diligent: All positive qualities, then as now.

Constant in friendship, full of good neighborhood: A heroine is loyal to her friends. She’s a good, caring, helpful neighbor.

Witty, pleasant, wise in discourse, but not frequent therein. Sure; a heroine should be intelligent, pleasant, and wise (or develop those qualities), but who likes a woman (or man) who can’t shut up about her own opinions, regardless of how right she is?

Sharp and quick of speech, but not bitter or talkative: Hmm. Methinks he’s asking the impossible—a smart, witty woman who holds her tongue. Nowadays, we don’t expect women to keep their thoughts to themselves any more or less than men, but to some extent, Markham is spot on. Bitterness is a drag, and malicious gossip is unworthy of any heroine (or hero).

Secret in her affairs, comfortable in her counsels: Well, generally it’s a good idea to keep one’s private business just that… private. On the other hand, no modern day heroine would submit to abuse or fail to speak up against injustice. I’m not sure what “comfortable in her counsels” means. That she gives comforting advice? That she is confident in her beliefs? What do you think?

Generally skillful, etc.: Whether she’s a housewife or a rocket scientist, a heroine must be knowledgeable and competent.

Now, back to the beginning: Chaste thought.

I think this is where we diverge most from the values of the past… or do we? What got me thinking about this was that my heroine, Eliza, doesn’t measure up at first glance.

It’s well nigh impossible to think chastely when you support yourself and your young son by painting nude courtesans. Two hundred years ago, her occupation was considered shocking; now, not really. Some people might disapprove, but she wouldn’t be shunned by society as a whole.

Why is “of chaste thought” the first item on Markham’s list? I think it’s because it was believed that unchaste thought would lead to unchaste action. It certainly did with men… so Markham, and countless other men, felt the only safe woman was one who didn’t think about sex. It seems naïve, but that attitude still exists to some extent today. Romance novels are doing a lot to educate women that thinking about sex is just fine, but many women are uncomfortable about reading them or at least very reluctant to admit that they do—and that they enjoy them, too.

As for Eliza, despite her profession, she is chaste in action. She was faithful to her husband while he was alive. She waits five years before deciding to take a lover, and then she marries him. Sure, she’s a passionate woman who enjoys sex, and she makes that entirely clear. But between husband and wife, there’s nothing unchaste about enjoying making love, and there isn’t the slightest doubt in my mind that she will be faithful to her new husband.

So… I think Eliza does measure up. So do most of the romantic heroines I read about nowadays. In four hundred years, the ideal of a woman has changed in some ways, mostly for the better… but in other ways, it’s much the same.

What do you think?

Emily popping in here: I think NOTORIOUS ELIZA sounds like a great read! If you'd like to learn more about all of Barbara's work--and find some buy links!--please visit www.barbaramonajem.com

Wild Heart by Lori Brighton

Please welcome Lori Brighton!
Lori has a degree in Anthropology and worked as a museum curator. Deciding the people in her imagination were slightly more exciting than the dead things in a museum basement, she set out to become an author. Her first book, a historical romance, will be published by Kensington in November of 2009. As always when I have a guest, my words will be in bold type. Lori's will be regular.

So, Lori, please tell us about your current release.

Wild Heart is my debut book, just released November 3rd by Kensington publishing. It’s really two books. On one hand, you have your typical romance set in Victorian, England with a hero, Leo, out for vengeance. Leo’s parents were murdered and he will do whatever it takes to find the people responsible. On the other hand, you have a paranormal plot. Ella, the heroine, is hired to tutor a lad. It’s only after she arrives that she finds out Leo is anything but a boy.

On the outside Ella is your typical sweet heroine, but she has a secret…Ella has a special ability she’s kept hidden from the world. As Ella and Leo grow closer, they realize their lives are entwined, and only together can they unlock the mystery of their pasts. In the end, both must learn to trust each other or risk losing everything they hold so dear.

Here’s a brief blurb:

"Leo is next in line for an earldom, but he is uncultured, unrefined-- and completely untamed...until governess Ella arrives, determined to set him on the right path. But Ella has a secret, and if Leo finds out what she is truly capable of, she may lose everything she holds dear."


So other than being an untamed 'earl apparent', what will be adore about your hero?

If your readers like an alpha male, they’ll love Leo. I tried to keep him true to life; what a real person would be like if they’d experienced what he has. On a trip to India, his parents are murdered. Leo is only a lad, but he’s forced to stay in hiding in a country he knows nothing about. Much like The Count of Monte Cristo (one of my favorite books), vengeance has kept him going. He’s very determined and blunt, but he’s also very honest and loyal. He doesn’t let people push him around. He’s a man who takes what he wants, and he definitely wants Ella.

Oh good! I love alpha males!

Here’s an excerpt:

“Where is that lovely governess of yours?”

Henry’s words stopped him cold. Icy fear raced down Leo’s spine. “Do not speak of her, do not even think of her.”

“Or what?” He brushed a piece of imaginary lint from his black jacket. “Leaving her alone at the estate wasn’t one of your most brilliant ideas.” He stepped closer to Leo. “Anything could happen there…without protection.”

Leo’s free hand curled as he resisted the urge to hit his cousin. “She’s protected.”

Henry quirked a brow. “Is she? Was she protected when that arrow came through the garden? When she was attacked in the woods?”

The cup dropped from Leo’s hand, shattering on the floor. He hadn’t told Henry about the attack in the woods. Hadn’t even told his grandfather until right before he’d left. He’d known his cousin was responsible, but he’d never imagined Henry would practically admit he’d been involved. “If she is harmed in any way-”

“And that heathen friend of yours. What ever happened to him?”

Leo stepped closer, anger propelling him forward. “Where is he?”

Henry clasped his hands behind his back and nodded toward a servant who was rushing their way to clean up the mess. “Why, how should I know?”

Leo’s nostrils flared, his anger mounting with each passing moment. “Damn you, where is Akshay?”

“I’d be more worried about that woman you’ve seduced.”

Panic flared through his body, clenching his gut like a fist. “What have you done with her?”

“Ella?” Henry straightened his coat. “Nothing.” He turned and started to walk away. “Yet.”


Oooh! Sounds like you've got a good bad guy for us to hate as well! What was hardest about writing this story?

The hardest thing was researching India. I’ve never been there and books I’d found were limited. Sure, I could find information about where to visit and about the political time line of the country, but sadly books about life are always missing in the history section. Just figuring out what color the dirt is becomes difficult when researching. Fortunately my husband has been there a few times for work, so he could give me a feel for the place. I so badly wanted to be accurate, but I’m sure I got something wrong. Religion does come into play in this book and that was another area that was difficult to research. Books and the internet are great sources of information, but nothing beats experience.

I've been in love with India since I first read MM Kaye's THE FAR PAVILLIONS. Kudos for the unique setting.

What would you like readers to know about YOU?

It took me over six years to get published. It was hard, very hard to repeatedly get rejections, to be basically told you’re not good enough. But I kept going because I loved to write. But it doesn’t get any easier once you’re published. I was only able to get an agent after I had sold. Finally, after six years of trying, I had an editor and an agent. Recently I parted ways with my agent. Now, in a way I’m back to where I started, trying to get an agent, trying to sell another book. It’s not easy but I keep going because I love to write and I so badly want to entertain people, to make them believe in happily ever after. With all these interviews I’ve been doing, I hope that if anyone takes anything away from my responses, its not to give up and certainly not to let people tell you you’re not good enough.

Amen! A writer writes, regardless. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us, Lori.

Thanks Emily! And thanks to all of you for stopping by!You can find more about me and my book on my website and blog:

www.loribrighton.com
www.loribrighton.blogspot.com

Lori is too sweet to ask, so I'll put up a BUY LINK anyway! I noticed she got a great cover quote from my fellow New England Chapter RWA Chaptermate--NY Times Bestseller Hannah Howell! And Kensington is offering Lori's Wild Hearts for just $4.99. Such a deal!

Leave a comment or a question for Lori! Two people will win a copy of Wild Heart!

Day 6 ~ How do you celebrate Christmas?

USA Today Bestseller Jennifer Ashley, Alissa Johnson and I are guest blogging at FreshFiction today.



We're talking about celebrating Christmas in honor of our upcoming release A CHRISTMAS BALL! Ok, I know it's early and you're not in the holiday mood, but if you pop over and leave a comment, I'll share a cup of cyber-wassail with you. And you'll have 3 chances to win a title from our backlists!

Not a bad way to stuff your own stocking!

Jingling all the way,
Emily

What Is She Thinking?

Ever asked that question about the editor you're targeting? Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to peek into her head?

My editor, Leah Hultenschmidt of Dorchester, has made it easy for writers and interested readers to do just that. She posted some of her newest book deals at www.romanticreads.net. (Yeah, my next story is one of them, but checking this list gives you an idea of what she's looking for!)

You'll want to bookmark the site. Leah used to be in marketing, so she's saavy about a broad range of topics in publishing.

Oh! And while you're out surfing the web, please stop by www.emilybryan.com to enter my new contest! You just might win a PLEASURING THE PIRATE to take to the beach!

Meriwether (one of my pirates) says, "Shiver me timbers, it's a ripe good read!"

A Lady's Secret by Jo Beverley

I just finished reading Jo Beverley's A LADY'S SECRET and found it enchanting. If you've read any of her Malloren stories, you'll be glad to be swept back into that world. The premise of a nun and a rake reeks a bit of medieval pornography, but Ms. Beverley would never be so common. Her characters are definitely passionate, but they are also well-rounded human beings with devotion to their faith and family, as well as each other.

As always, her stories are chockful of witty repartee and a true sense of history. Her tales are not just costume pieces--modern romances that include grappling with stays and hoops. No, she has a grasp of what life was like in the Georgian era and she presents it unapologetically. For example, her heroine sleeps in a common bedroom with strangers as she travels incognita. Jo seems to have a direct line into the Georgian subconscious and knows how they think, how they speak, and what's important to them.

Another treat after reading A LADY'S SECRET was the Author's Note. Jo Beverly shares how she crafts her stories. She writes with a sense of discovery, like a child unwrapping a present. Yet the gift is for us, her readers.

Thank you, Jo, for another delight.

As seen on the Official INTERNATIONAL TALK LIKE A PIRATE website!

I'm so excited! PLEASURING THE PIRATE is featured as a link on the Official International Talk Like A Pirate Day Website! You'll need to scroll down the page a bit to find the books section. PLEASURING THE PIRATE is under the Books for teens and adults section.

What? You've never heard of International Talk Like a Pirate Day? Undoubtedly, you are a 'lubber' of the first water. However, there's still time. TLAP isn't until September 19th. You can still bone up on the pirate lingo enough to pass as a swashbuckler. Visit my Pirate Cove for some pirate pick-up lines, pirate booty and a contest to win a boatload of books!

Shiver me timbers, it's all in good fun!

Frustrated at a higher level . . .

I just finished reading my friend, Elizabeth Boyle's most recent blog.

She is a New York Times Best Seller. She's won a RITA! (That's like winning an Oscar for a romance novelist). She's an Avon Super Leader with 13 titles to her credit. She writes inventive, fresh, sensual, witty historical romance. The kind of book other writers read and say to themselves, "Darn! I wish I'd written that!"

And she's fretting over her next release as if she were a debut author.

Heavy sigh. I keep hoping there will come a time when I can just write and not worry about promo or buy in or sell through. When I can get over my sense of inadequacy and enjoy my accomplishments.

What I'm seeing in my friends who are a little further along the publishing path than I am is that they are all still a bundle of self-deprecating nerves. We never think our writing's good enough. We never stop worrying. We always gloss over the stellar reviews and obsess about the luke-warm one. God forbid we get a bad one. That'll put us in a real tailspin.

So it appears I've chosen a career guaranteed to give me frown lines.

Unless I can find a way to enjoy the journey, to take my joys where I find them instead of worrying over the ones I fail to achieve. Once I type THE END, there are very few things I can do to insure the success of my book. And if I did all that people recommend to promote my work, I'd never find the time to write another.

I'd really love to hear from you. If you're a writer, how do you handle the dichotomy between expectation and reality? If you're a reader, did you have any idea writers were such neurotic messes? Any suggestions?

And oh, yes, while I'm stressing, let me remind you about MY current release, PLEASURING THE PIRATE, available at your bookstore now or at Amazon! Shiver me timbers, I'd admire a good sell-through! Aarg!

Prepare to be boarded!

The wait is over! Today is the day. PLEASURING THE PIRATE is officially launched!

If you like a little swashbuckling, a little humor, a little sizzle with your romance, I invite you to give my PIRATE a try. Here's what the reviewers are saying:

"Bryan's touches of humor, naughty, bawdy dialogue and colorful description capture the era, adding dimension to this charming tale of a landlocked pirate, the hellion who tames him and their wild adventure. The heat rises as their escapades sizzle, and readers' hearts will race to the delightful conclusion." ~ RT BookReviews

"Pleasuring the Pirate is a fabulous, fun romp full of adventure, mischief, mayhem, romance and yes PIRATES! I simply couldn't put it down!" ~ Reviewer TOP PICK, NightOwl Romance

"Great dialog, interesting side characters (the nieces who are out of control and the crusty pirate sidekick) and an author who clearly loves her subject matter and I'm there. For me, you could call this book, Pleasuring the Reader." ~ Barbara Vey, Beyond her Book, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BLOG


"This great Georgian romance is filled with bawdy humor, mindful of Fielding’s classic Tom Jones. The banter between the pirate and the courtesan’s daughter is amusing and heated. The story line is fast-paced and never slows down." ~ Harriet Klausner

Join my Blog Tour! Here's where I'll be blogging for the next couple weeks. Please stop by and say hi!

July 29th http://www.bookcoverlovers.blogspot.com
August 2nd http://www.bonnievanak.blogspot.com
August 4th http://www.kelliestes.com/blog
August 14th http://www.writerspace.com/chat/ 9PM EST
Aug 15th http://www.muchcheaperthantherapy.blogspot.com

Enjoy!
Em
www.emilybryan.com to read an excerpt!

Shiver me timbers!

Theres an ominous sail on the horizon. A pirate is coming . . . Watch for PLEASURING THE PIRATE, available now on Amazon, in stores July 29th!



Free Comments & Graphics


Claim a PIRATE of your own!

Scene Stealer

Back when I was singing professional opera, occasionally one of the supernumeraries (spear carriers, we used to call them) would do something to upstage the main characters. (Dare I confess to doing it myself sometimes when I was spear carrier?) It’s not always planned, but it happens.

It happens in fiction too. An unsuspecting writer creates a secondary character to fill a need in the hero or heroine’s life and all of a sudden, the bit part refuses to stand quietly holding the spear. It happened to me when I created my heroine’s mother for PLEASURING THE PIRATE, my July 29th release from Leisure Books.

Meet Isabella Wren, better known as ‘La Belle Wren’ in demimonde circles. That’s right. She’s a courtesan and she’s good at it. She moves in the most exalted circles. As the 18th century counts celebrity, she’s a rock star. She’s bone-deep beautiful, wickedly sensual and calculatingly clever. She’s used to being the center of attention.

Why did I ever think she’d fade into the background until she was needed?

First she began poking her way into the story through my heroine’s memory. Isabella sent Jacquelyn to the finest schools, but couldn’t leave her education totally to the headmistress and her minions. She sent her distant daughter detailed letters schooling her in the art of love. “Ignorance is not always conducive to bliss,” she says.

When I turned in the initial manuscript for PLEASURING THE PIRATE, my editor said, “I love Isabella! She’s outrageous, but she sucks all the air out of the room. You have to tone her down.”She was right. When ‘La Belle Wren’ made her entrance, the rest of the cast faded a bit. Isabella knows how to ‘take stage.’

But instead of toning her down, I opted for ratcheting my heroine up to meet her. I gave Jacquelyn an extra dollop of her mother’s spine, courage and wit. When the two of them join forces, my formidable pirate hero doesn’t stand a chance.

Isabella was too much fun to let go once PLEASURING THE PIRATE was finished, so she makes an encore appearance in my next book, VEXING THE VISCOUNT, due out March 2009. If you’d like to read an excerpt of both stories, please visit http://www.emilybryan.com/.

You can pre-order your PIRATE today!

Wanna meet a Pirate?

When I decided to add a dash of humor to my writing, I found one of the natural places to do that was through my secondary characters. I'd like to introduce you to a fellow in PLEASURING THE PIRATE.

Meet Joseph Meriwether, lately first mate of the pirate vessel, REVENGE. He's a scruffy, squint-eyed mariner with a faded tribal tattoo on one of his sagging cheeks (on his face, I mean!). Meri has a unique outlook on life. Here's a sampling of his take on things.

On progress: "There ain't no more islands left where the girls swim out to the ship wearing nothing but a smile. The whole Spanish Main's gone and got itself civilized."

On children:"Boil the pith out of 'em for an hour or so and they make a right tolerable stew."

On women: "Oh, she's strong-minded and a bit broad of beam. Not that I ever held extra flesh against a woman. But, I've been smelling those pies all morning. She's a goddess in the kitchen, is Mrs. Beadle. A man can overlook quite a bit if there's a cherry pie in the offing."

On watching the heroine, Jacquelyn Wren, attempt to gut his Captain with a smallsword:

"And I was a-feared life as a landsman would be dull!"

Hope you enjoy Joseph Meriwether and all the rest of the crew in PLEASURING THE PIRATE!

Pirate Banter

Gabriel Drake's manners suffered horribly during his stint at piracy. Jacquelyn Wren is doing her best to tutor him in the proper way to woo a lady. She's trying to teach him the gentle language of the fan, but Gabriel has another plan altogether.
* * * * * * * * *
"I fear you are not taking your responsibilities seriously, my lord."

"Since when is knowledge of fans such a serious responsibility?"

"Your goal is to wed," she reminded him. "When your female guests arrive for the ball, your future wife may well be among them. Wouldn't you like to be able to correctly read the subtle signs she sends you?"

"As opposed to your not-so-subtle ones?" When she glared at him, he threw up his hands in mock surrender and settled beside her. "I am clay in your capable hands, Miss Jack. Mold me into the fashion most suitable for feminine approval."

"Very well." She nodded, mollified for the moment. "We'll start with the basics. A wealth of information can be conveyed with a few simple moments. Now if a woman touches the tip of her fan to her right cheek, it means 'yes.'" She brought the fan up to demonstrate.

"And the left cheek means 'no,' I suppose."

"Exactly." Her lips curved in a fleeting smile. He suddenly wished he knew how to coax one to stay.

"My left or your left?" he asked.

"It's always the woman's left."

"Why am I not surprised?" He leaned toward her. Even in the midst of a wildly blooming garden, he caught a whiff of her rosewater scent. It swirled around his brainpan and nudged his groin to aching life. "But why go to so much trouble? How hard is it just to say 'yes' or 'no'?"

"This may be difficult for a pirate to grasp, but sometimes a situation calls for delicacy. In a crowded drawing room, wouldn't a subtle 'no' be preferable to a bald-faced one?" She hitched herself away from him on the settee.

"Actually, a 'yes' would be preferable." He hitched along after her. The bench would only allow her to scoot so far.

Her lips were mere inches away, softly parted. Sweet and moist, he could nearly taste them. The pulse point at the base of her throat fluttered faster than her fan.

"There are some men who will not hear a 'no' even if it is shouted from the battlements," she said. Her pointed little tongue darted out and swept her bottom lip.

"Maybe that's because we're not the dolts women take us for." He closed the distance between them, intent on claiming her mouth. "A man can tell when a woman is saying 'no' with her fan and 'yes' with everything else."

She shoved the fan between them right under his nose. It was nine inches long and had ivory spines webbed with stiff, itchy lace.

"Another improvisation?" he asked.

She arched an eyebrow at him.

"You seem to have a gift for it." He rubbed his upper lip when she finally lowered her weapon.

"I fear you are not attending, my lord." She snapped the fan shut and pressed the tip to her left cheek. Her gray eyes flared at him. "What does this mean again?"

He pulled away from her. Strategic retreat was often the path to victory, the old sea dogs claimed.

He'd wager none of them had ever crossed fans with Jacquelyn Wren.

* * * * * * * * * * *
Gabriel and Jacquelyn's first meeting is posted on my website at www.emilybryan.com. PLEASURING THE PIRATE will sail into bookstores on July 29th, but you can reserve your copy today at Amazon

PLEASURING THE PIRATE EXCERPT

In the midst of moving and meeting my VEXING THE VISCOUNT deadline, I grabbed a minute to visit with Tammie King and the gals at NIGHTOWL ROMANCE. If you haven't ever visited this review site, you're in for a treat. And I hope you'll pop over there right now to read my latest interview at http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/interviews/emilybryan.asp I share a sexy snippet from PLEASURING THE PIRATE that will not be posted anywhere else. Warning: This one is for readers who are 18 or over!Enjoy!

DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS, "Wickedly witty!"~Booklist
PLEASURING THE PIRATE, "Steamy . . . arrg!"~The Boston Globe, available for pre-order now.
VEXING THE VISCOUNT, coming March 2009

The first romance novel I held in my hands . . .

. . . was Kathleen Woodiwiss's The Wolf and The Dove. My mother had read it and raved about the story. Then she passed it on to me. I loved the way Ms. Woodiwiss swept me away to a time gone by with her fat doorstop of a book. Now the days of the epic historical are gone. What have historical romances morphed into?

For one thing, they are tighter. Shorter word counts have cut out the pages of description of dresses and scenery. That's not necessarily a bad thing. The historical romance reader is pretty sophisticated and will spot shoddy period details in a skinny minute, but she doesn't need to have gobs of minutia. A few pithy, memorable images and appeals to the senses will do.

The new historicals are incorporating elements of other sub-genres as well. Jennifer Ashley's historicals have paranormal elements. Kathryne Kennedy's and Joy Nash's stories sparkle with magic. Jade Lee's Tigress novels are deeply sensual and deeply spiritual at the same time. My DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS has been known to make readers giggle. Visit www.emilybryan.com to read an excerpt.

Readers seem to want something more than a straight historical.

When you pick up a historical romance, what are you looking for?

Meet & Greet!

When: April 3, 2008 7:30 pm
What: Adult Reading Group
Where: Barnes & Noble
444A Broadway
Saugus, MA 01906
Who: ME! I'll be talking about
NEUROTICA~The Secret Life of a Romance Author

So join me for a fun evening of dispelling the notions of bon-bons and feather boas. I'll be signing copies of DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS and the good folk at B & N have even stocked a few of my Diana Groe backlist titles.

I'll be doing plenty of speaking and traveling this spring and summer, from Rhode Island to Seattle, WA. Visit http://www.emilybryan.com/ for more info about my itinerary. Hope to see you along the way!

Interview with USA Today Best Seller Jennifer Ashley

Jennifer Ashley, creator of imaginative paranormal/historicals and the wildly successful IMMORTALS series, sat down to visit with me about her work, her writing style and what's next for her.

Emily: I'm still trying to get used to two names, Emily Bryan & Diana Groe, but you write under FOUR different pseudonyms. Can you tell us about all your incarnations and something about the latest title for each?

JA: Ah, yes, my many pseudonyms. I took each for a couple of reasons--1. contractual obligations I didn't want to violate, and 2. my style and feel are different for each one.

Ashley Gardner writes gritty, noir, historical mysteries set in the English Regency period. No light-hearted Jane Austen stuff here! That's at http://www.gardnermysteries.com

Jennifer Ashley writes hot romances, both historical and paranormal. They have more humor, though they're not completely light-hearted. Sort of a combination of gritty action-adventure and romance and humor. http://www.jennifersromances.com

Allyson James goes for it on the erotic romance side. Her paranormal romances at Berkley Sensation are less raw than her erotic romances at Ellora's Cave or Berkley Heat, but still on the very hot side. She writes paranormals and futuristics with a sexual edge. http://www.allysonjames.com

I also wrote one book as Laurien Gardner, which was part of Berkley's wives of Henry VIII series.

Emily: Wow! Talk about versatile. Last year, you won a RITA—the Oscar of the romance writer’s world—for LADY RAISED HIGH. What was that like?

JA: I was completely floored when Alyssa Day called me up to the podium. Not only are the odds of winning the RITA astronomical but the other nominees were fantastic writers, and I was certain one of them would win. I hadn't even prepared a speech. So there I was at the podium with this heavy statue in my hand, having to come up with an acceptance speech off the cuff. I think I did ok--I invoked my husband for some comic relief, which always helps. In short, I was stunned, thrilled, and so grateful to the judges who loved the book. I treasure the RITA and it has a place of honor in my living room.

Emily: I'm always fascinated by other writer's methods. Can you describe your writing process? Are you more a ‘plotter’ or a ‘pantser’?

JA: Definitely a panster. I have tried again and again and again to plot out my books first, because everyone says I'm supposed to, and I just can't do it. I've written about twenty-five books now (I think), all of them by the seat of my pants, even though I tried on some to use note cards or timelines or white-board charts or grids or whatever the plotting tool of the day was. I gave up. My books sell fine, get great reviews, and win awards, so I've stopped worrying about it.

What works for me is to have a kernel of an idea (for both plot and characters), sit down and write as much as I can off the top of my head, and then brainstorm the rest as I go. I find that my stories are much more fresh and fast-moving if I do that than if I think I have to stick to what I've written on my little sticky notes. If plotting tools work to keep other writers organized and not panicked, I say go for it. If you're like me and can't get your mind around plotting first, I say go for it.

Emily: The IMMORTALS hit the USA Today Best Sellers list. What’s next for that series? Can you share a little about collaborating with other writers to produce the related stories?

JA: Because the first four books did so well, the publisher agreed to let us continue the series. The second series starts with Immortals: The Redeeming, which is the story of Tain and Samantha (September 2008), written by me. Then follows: The Crossing, by Joy Nash (Mac's story); The Haunting, by Robin Popp (with a new, very cool hero); and The Reckoning (anthology, with a novella by each of us.)

This was the first time I'd collaborated on a writing project, and I'm happy to say it worked very well. I came up with the core idea of the novels and the idea for the heroes and heroines, and then Robin, Joy, and I brainstormed to do the world building and make the characters individual. Joy and Robin had wonderful ideas about the world and the kinds of creatures in it. I had the premise that *all* paranormal beings we read about in fairy tales and mythology are real, and that it's perfectly normal to go to work side by side with a werewolf or vampire or something from Celtic mythology. We took that idea and ran with it. Robin and Joy are wonderful to work with--we all share ideas without feeling like we're each stifling the other. It's amazing.

Emily: What’s the best writing advice you ever received?

JA: I have to say I receive a lot of daft advice when I first started, most of it completely off track (although I didn't know it at the time). The best line of advice I remember was from a writing book whose author and title I can't remember (which makes me crazy). But what he said stuck with me, which was:

It really isn't who you know, but how well you write a good story that will get you published. A recommendation from a top author to her agent or editor might grease the wheels and get your book read faster, but what will sell the book is the still book itself. There are no shortcuts.

That gave me great hope because at the time I knew absolutely no one--no bestselling best friends, no cousins of NY agents. Many disgruntled would-be authors told me that I had no chance because agents only took things recommended by their top clients. A nobody beginner like me had no chance.

Well, guess what? I did it without doing anything but writing books until they were good enough, and persistently sending them in until they caught an editor's and agent's attention. And now I'm a multi-published, award-winning, bestselling author. In other words--against all odds, it can be done!!!

Emily: Thanks so much, Jennifer. It's such a pleasure to hear from someone who's writing spans so many styles and sub-genres. Be sure to look for HIGHLANDER EVER AFTER.

Not the usual suspects . . .

Hello, my friend,

Today is the official launch day for DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS! (Though if you're an Amazon or Barnes & Noble customer, you know it's been available there a couple days early!) I love these characters and I'm so excited to be able to offer Artemisia and Trev's love story to the world.

When I decided to write a Victorian set tale, I wanted to make sure my characters weren't the usual suspects--you know, the ingenue and the rake. That's story's been told, often and well. So I decided to make my heroine outrageous for her time (she's a widowed duchess who longs to be recognized as a serious artist, so she paints nudes!). And my hero is 'over-the-top' sexy (a nude model with nothing to hide, except the fact that he's Her Majesty's spy!). If I threw these two strong-minded individuals together, I hoped something interesting would come of it.

The reviews have been terrific. The watchword seems to be "fast-paced." One reviewer even told me reading it reminded her of riding the "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" attraction at Disney World. She hastened to assure me that was a good thing. And RT BookReviews has tapped my hero, Trevelyn, for their K.I.S.S. Award (Knight in Shining Silver!)

But I know the only review that really counts is YOURS, dear reader. Please let me know what you think of DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS by publishing your review here once you've read it. Thanks!

Enjoy!

Em

http://www.emilybryan.com

Coming soon!

DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS is almost here! My sexy, light-hearted romance will hit the shelves on February 28th! So far the reviews have been fabulous. RT BookReviews says DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS is "a fast-paced, sexy romp that will appeal to fans of Cheryl Holt, Lisa Kleypas and Celeste Bradley."

I had a ball writing this story. Especially the first line.

"I'm going to have to shorten his willie."

If you just have to find out what follows this astounding pronouncement, please visit my website at www.emilybryan.com

Enjoy!