Well this morning I received a webmaster newsletter that talked about a bunch of different things but the item that got my attention was adding rss feed to a weblog. As usual, since I knew nothing about it I decided to research it. What should have been a momentary distraction from work became a day long self-tutorial on how to drive myself crazy. *smacking myself in the forehead*

Anyway, I did get some work done and visited some blogs of other authors I visit so the day was not completely wasted with needless frustration!

After realizing yesterday that I was “in progress” with six different stories I woke up (yes, woke up!) with a story fully formed in my head. *sigh* It was barely 7am and I was at my keyboard starting my new story, a medieval (my first, therefore I see hours of research ahead). I didn’t get far with it, just a few pages to get the idea down on paper and then I went back to work on the one I started yesterday. I’m having fun with it and so I’m sticking with it. It’s a novella, I’ll be finished with it in a week at most, then I’ll polish it and set it aside to polish some more later. It’s amazing what a little distance will do in discovering needed edits.

On a lighter note, the latest issue of Writer’s Digest arrived today. They mentioned a website, RejectionCollection.com, where real writer’s submit copies of real rejection letters. If you want a mood lifter, this site is it! I was laughing out loud within a minute of surfing the site.

On the publishing front, the silence is deafening. I have four different works under consideration by different publishers. I’ll let you know when I know. Wish me luck!

Moulin Rouge!

What movie Do you Belong in?(many different outcomes!)
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Today while in the middle of writing Seduce Me to Love I was suddenly hit with another storyline–a shorter, novella length tale. I hurried to start it while the idea was fresh. Now I am “in progress” with six different manuscripts at the same time–ranging from Georgian England to the far distant future, from sensual to erotic romance, from contemporary to paranormal. *sigh* Too many stories, not enough fingers to type them all at once.

The cool thing for me is that this new story is turning out to be rather humorous. While all of my stories have a least one humorous scene, this story is shaping out to be much more amusing. So I guess I’m stretching my wings a bit!

I also ordered a few new books from Barnes & Noble today. I’m in the mood to read a good romance!

I hope everyone had a great holiday. My hubby and I are slowly recovering from my sister-in-law’s annual bash. Still, I’ve gotten some work done today, something I doubted I’d be able to do when I got up this morning.

I’ve added an excerpt of my work in progress to the site. It’s a labor of love. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to sell it. The hero is a pirate and the heroine a courtesan. It’s a mainstream title, not one of my romanticas and I think the tainted pasts of my characters will make it a hard sell to publishers. I bought Lisa Kleypas’ Someone to Watch Over Me because the story of a Bow Street Runner and a demimondaine intrigued me. Amazon.com’s editorial reviewer Lois Faye Dyer said, “Kleypas’s characters are not your run-of-the-mill Regency fare–Grant lacks a noble lineage while Vivien’s “membership” in the demimonde is unusual to say the least–which makes them even more fascinating and thoroughly absorbing.” But in the end you discover that Vivien is not the courtesan she appears to be. In my story there is no surprise innocence to Jayne Spencer. But her and Christopher’s story is begging to be told and so I will continue to write it since I can do nothing else.

Take a peek at Seduce Me to Love.

and you won’t find the answer here. Instead I’ll refer you to two other blogs that have debated this issue quite beautifully and don’t need any assistance from me. My only comment was, “You know accuracy in romance is like religion and politics–a powderkeg of argument and controversy!”

As a writer I make an effort to research historical facts, but not to obsession. I studied English titles and forms of address. When I pick a setting, I search it to see who the famous people were and if there were any wars going on at that time. I study renderings of clothing and the dances that were popular. I research the foods that were widely appreciated. I discover the makers of furnishings and the architectural styles that were widespread.

But will all that studying and Googling and note taking be apparent to my readers? Most likely not. My stories are almost entirely character-driven. (My contest entries all invariably say, “Excellent characterization.”) I use history as wallpaper.

What is a wallpaper historian? Romantic Times columnist Teri Brisbin (June 2004 Issue #244) describes it as follows, “There are many historical details provided throughout the story–in its characters and settings and scenery–but they are nonrestrictive details.”

I’ll mention the Chippendale desk and the Aubusson rug. I’ll talk about the neoclassical architecture and the minuet. I’ll do my best to make certain everything is accurate. (For example in Seducing the Widow, a Georgian period romance, the hero and heroine have a love scene hindered by panniers) But it’s all wallpaper, a pretty background for a beautiful love story.

Here are the links to the other blogs I mentioned (See the entries dated yesterday):

Lydia Joyce
Ireland Alexander

Enjoy!