Top 5 Non-Traditionally Romantic Movies

May17

There’s nothing like a good, romantic movie to curl up with on a lazy evening. I’ve always been a sucker for them. But the other day as I was driving home from the day job, thinking about some of my favorite romantic stories, it dawned on me that some of my favorite romantic movies are as far from the traditional “boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl overcome obstacle and live happily ever after” trope as you can get. In fact, some of my favorite romantic films are downright tragic!

So I decided to put together a short list of my top five non-traditionally romantic movies. Here they are in no particular order…. Continue reading →

Can a Genre Die?

May15

Courtesy of Wikicommons

My little corner of the writer’s world was all in a tizzy last week after an article published at Dear Author that suggested that the Historical Romance genre be allowed to die.

Oh horror!

Of course, when you read the article you see that what the author of Dear Author was getting at is that right now there are just so many Regency novels out there with plots that feel stale and recycled, that it’s time to move on to something else. I believe her argument is that if Historical Romance has nothing more to offer than Regency after Regency, everyone will get bored and go home.

Compounding that problem are the cringe-worthy reports from some of my author friends that the traditional publishing agency is caught between disinterest in signing new authors who write Regency, but being unwilling to take a gamble on non-Regency authors, especially new authors, because Historical Romance in general just isn’t selling right now. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but from what I’ve seen this seems to be more true than not. Continue reading →

Martha Matilda Harper and the Invention of the Franchise

May13

A couple of weeks ago, when I was doing research about 19th century hairstyles, I stumbled across the remarkable story of Martha Matilda Harper. Never heard of her? Neither had I, but she is an amazing woman! I had to share. This is a remarkable 19th century success story about courage, perseverance, and sheer, stubborn determination to raise the status of women and to enable them to stand on their own.

Martha Matilda Harper, courtesy of Wikicommons

Martha Matilda Harper was born to a working class family in Oakville, Ontario in 1857. Not exactly the best circumstances to be born into if you were a woman. At the age of seven, her father sent her away to work as a domestic servant in the household of a relative. Martha Matilda (not sure if that’s what she was called, but I like the sound of it, sooo…) ended up working in service for 25 years.

Now, if this had been the story of any other young woman of humble origin in the mid-19th century, that would be it. Social climbing wasn’t exactly easy in this world. It was a time when a woman’s worth was determined by the men in her life, her father or her husband. Working class women didn’t just set out on their own to create a better life for themselves. And they certainly didn’t start businesses, right? Continue reading →

Talking with Constance Phillips about Resurrecting Harry

May9

Today my special guest is a fellow writer and friend of mine, Constance Phillips. I read and enjoyed her first book, Fairyproof, and when I heard that her second novel was out, a delicious story about none other than Harry Houdini and his wife, Bess, I couldn’t resist asking her to come by to talk about it.

So Constance, tell us a bit about Resurrecting Harry.

Can Harry Houdini Escape the grim reapers hold to save the only woman he’s ever loved?

That is the sum of the story. Erich a reincarnated Harry Houdini charged with keeping Bess from falling prey to those who would use her for their own gain, and to save her from becoming obsessed with mysticism and talking to the dead.

There is a bit of a mystery going, but all-in-all it’s a story about the great love these two celebrities shared. Continue reading →

How NOT To Write A Series

May7

More often than not these days, it seems as though every story is told as a series. Whether it’s books, movies, or TV shows, series are the format of choice. And why not? Once you get hooked on a world, on the characters and storylines that inhabit it, you want to see more and more and more of it. And while some stories I’ve known drag on and on, the really good stories have you – oh, I don’t know – standing in line for hours and purchasing the seventh and final book of a certain series at 1:30am, then rushing home and reading it in one sitting so that no one spoils it for you.

But I have also known cases where a series has been absolutely, completely destroyed by its writers. There are few things in this world that have made me angrier. Case in point: Bramwell.

I wouldn’t be surprised if you haven’t heard of it, but Bramwell was a fantastic, brilliant British TV series from the late 1990s about a woman doctor in London of the late 1890s. Let me tell you, this is one of my favorite series ever. It was complex and meaningful, full of interesting characters and insightful reflections on a world that was as rich and swiftly-changing as our own is today. If you haven’t seen this show you need to zip over to Netflix or Amazon and watch it.

BUT…. Continue reading →

Being Gay during Regency Times-When True Love Might Not Always Mean a Happily Ever After

May6

Reblogged from Rakes Rogues and Romance:

I've never been one for cookie cutter romance novels, although god knows I've read enough of them. Although I am aware that the Hero and the Heroine will eventually meet, have problems, overcome said problems and end up together, it's always about the journey along the way. But writing and reading Regency romance presents a different challenge, due to laws and custom.

"Indian Shawls"

May1

Reblogged from Of Ravens and Writing Desks...:

With Monica's guest post, and subsequent discussions by Lizzie at The Vintage Traveler, I have been inspired to revisit a topic dear to my heart -- Kashmir shawls, and their European imitations.

'I have spared no expense in trousseau,' were the next words Margaret heard. 'She has all the beautiful Indian shawls and scarfs the General gave to me, but which I shall never wear again.'

Merry Farmer

An Historical Romance