Posted by Vivi Andrews Jan 23 2012, 12:01 am in author interview, debut, historical romance, Regency, Ruby Release, Sara Ramsey
 Today I’m thrilled and privileged to host our very own Sara Ramsey as we discuss her inaugural release, the fun and fabulous regency romance Heiress Without a Cause.
After winning the Golden Heart in 2009 and being named a finalist again in 2011 (with the first two books she wrote, but lets all pretend we aren’t green with envy over that), Sara is launching her delightful Muses of Mayfair series with those Golden Heart recognized novels, featuring artistic, rebellious highborn ladies and the rakish lords who love them.
Sara grew up in a small town in Iowa, and confesses to an obsession with fashion, shoes (of course), and all things British. She graduated from Stanford University in 2003 with a degree in Symbolic Systems (also known as cognitive science) and a minor in history. After graduation, she worked at Google for seven years in a variety of sales, management, and communications roles. She left Google in 2010 to pursue her writing career full time.
And now she can add “published author” to her impressive CV.
Heiress Without a Cause
One title to change his life…
A disgraced son with a dark reputation, William “Ferguson” Avenel is content to live in exile – until his father dies in the scandal of the Season. With rumors of insanity swirling around them, his sisters desperately need a chaperone. Ferguson thinks he’s found the most proper woman in England – and he won’t ruin her, even if he desperately wants the passionate woman trapped beneath a spinster’s cap.
One chance to break the rules…
Lady Madeleine Vaillant can’t face her blighted future without making one glorious memory for herself. In disguise, on a London stage, she finds all the adoration she never felt from the ton. But when she’s nearly recognized, she will do anything to hide her identity – even setting up her actress persona as Ferguson’s mistress. She’ll take the pleasure he offers, but Madeleine won’t lose her heart in the bargain.
One season to fall in love…
Every stolen kiss could lead to discovery, and Ferguson’s old enemies are determined to ruin them both. But as their dangerous passion ignites their hearts and threatens their futures, how can an heiress who dreams of freedom deny the duke who demands her love?
Posted by Addison Fox Nov 29 2011, 12:01 am in historical romance, Ruby Release
 I am SO excited to celebrate the release of Ruby Sister Elizabeth Essex’s third book, THE DANGER OF DESIRE. Elizabeth has been an incredibly busy Ruby and this is her third release in a year, coming on the heels of THE PURSUIT OF PLEASURE (12/10) and A SENSE OF SIN (4/11).
I’ve really been looking forward to celebrating Elizabeth’s release day. I’ve loved these books and THE DANGER OF DESIRE did NOT disappoint!!! This is Captain Hugh McAlden’s book. Now I’ve had a little thing for Hugh since he appeared on the page in PURSUIT and have been anxiously awaiting his book. And OH WOW, EE did not disappoint.
This book is lush and beautiful, evoking equal parts MY FAIR LADY and a good spy thriller and I was enthralled from page one clear through to the end. Here’s a short excerpt:
Posted by Kate Parker Sep 13 2011, 12:12 am in historical romance, research
I’m a history bug. If it’s old, I’m curious about it. And so the title of this blog is a misnomer, but I didn’t have four lines to work out a correct title. What I really want to ask our readers is: what are the rights and wrongs of historical romance? I don’t mean the sort of wrong that has my Viking hero arriving by helicopter to save the heroine, although that might be fun. I’m talking about the sort of history that can’t be made romantic because of what happened then, and how we look at that era today.
I’ve never seen a romance set in the south between the 1890s and the 1950s. In the 1890s, former slaves who had gained the right to vote and hold elective office had all their rights taken away in the course of a few years. Our local state representative, who was black, was a sitting member of the body that in 1898 took away his right to be a member of the assembly as well as his right to vote. He went on to be a productive member of society for many years afterward. He didn’t blow up the capitol and his former colleagues, as much as he might have wanted to. A heroic figure who could be the basis of many of our romance characters, by finding a way forward when other routes were blocked. Heroic yes, but this part of history hasn’t been touched in romance novels.
The brides of centuries past were much younger than we portray them in our novels, due to life expectancies and political and economic realities. The idea of a historical romance novel featuring a fifteen year old heroine would bring out the worst of the anti-romance novel brigade while a more literary historical novel could portray a married fifteen year old girl and not raise an eyebrow. Authors have changed their heroines’ ages to match contemporary expectations, and in a way lose the innocence and passion of these girls. Instead, historical heroines become uniformly jaded and headstrong as the authors find ways to keep them unmarried long past the date they should have wed or married to brutes for their first husbands.
And then there’s the Nazis. They left a terrible scar on history, but if you’ve seen the movie Schindler’s List, you’ve seen a way to make a man mixed up with this terrible group a romantic, heroic figure. Freedom fighters are romantic figures bucking the social order or invading armies to liberate their homeland from oppression. But what if these freedom fighters are called insurgents or criminals by our social order, such as the Mexican revolutionaries fighting along the US border in the early years of the twentieth century or the Russian revolutionaries who eventually overthrew the Czar and founded the first Communist country? Every revolutionary is a criminal to someone, as 1776 clearly tells us.
And if we look at risky periods in the past, we have to remember the religious wars. There’s a lot of history that could be painted as romantic or bleak, depending on your point of view. The Crusades, the Inquisition, the Huguenots, the Pilgrims, all could be background for wonderful romances or horror stories.
What is your take on this? Can we look past the racial, morals, religious and political divides to find romance in all times and places in history, and can we bring this to contemporary readers, along with the historical background that would have shaped those romances? With today’s e-pubs and indie publication, do we have the latitude to write stories about unpopular characters and times? How daring do we want to be? Or are there parts of history too painful to dig into for romantic fiction? Do we follow the advice to never discuss religion or politics in our stories so we don’t offend anyone? Where do we as authors draw the line?
Posted by Gwynlyn MacKenzie Sep 30 2010, 12:01 am in bestseller, contest judging, craft, guest author, historical romance
I met Madeline at a NJRW conference in 2006, and we got to know each other a bit while discussing the evocative cover of her book, LORD OF SIN.
Other conferences and conversations followed. Then, last year, Madeline shared something profound in its simplicity. We talked about about conflict–or the lack thereof–within a manuscript. The conversation proved both enlightening and helpful beyond measure to my own work. Now, Madeline has agreed to share some of what she’s learned, insights she’s gained, and what she looks for as a contest judge, with you.
Because I have all of Madeline’s books on my “keeper” shelf, I am offering a copy of her newest release Sinful in Satin to one lucky commentor.
Please join me in welcoming Bestselling Author, Madeline Hunter, to the blog!
 First I want to thank you all for having me. Especially since I have been wanting to write an article or blog on this topic for a long time. Years, in fact. (rubbing hands together).
Warning: Blogs are supposed to be short and clever. This one won’t be short, and it will probably be more frank than clever.
Let me start by saying that I did not write my first novels in an analytical way. I went with the flow, followed my nose, flew by the seat of my pants, and hoped to heaven that something inside me made it all come out okay. Sometimes my intuitive method worked splendidly. And sometimes it didn’t, and I slogged through extensive revisions to get it up to snuff..
Because I resisted analyzing my writing, I got nervous around people who talked craft. I spent years sure that my books lacked whatever craft point was being discussed. Half the time craft talk made no sense to me. (I still don’t know what the heck a black moment is.)
Then I began judging contests.
Lo and behold, when I read other writers’ unpublished work, all that craft stuff made more sense. In some cases it made a lot of sense. I began to see patterns. I realized that a lot of writers fell into the same traps, and that a lot of manuscripts suffered from the same flaws. Including some of mine. Hence the “sometimes it didn’t” up above.
So here is my bullet list of problems I watch out for now in my own manuscripts, as learned from judging. You might think about them too, as you plan a story and write it, or as you get it spruced up for the Golden Heart or some other contest. (This is geared to romance novels, but with little adaptation it works for most stories.)
—-Is there enough conflict in the story? I have a multi- hour workshop that I do on this topic now. Yes, she who hates talking craft goes around talking it ad nauseum on this single point. I developed the workshop because, hands down, this is the most frequent problem I see in unpublished manuscripts. It is also what gets mine in trouble sometimes, and I have learned the hard way how important a good conflict is.
A romance novel does not just need conflict, it needs a good, plausible conflict that is strong enough and meaningful enough to keep the hero and heroine apart, even as they are having the hots for each other and as they are falling in love.
It can’t be something that a conversation can solve, and it can’t be a matter of willfulness or wound licking, in my opinion. It has to be bigger, and something important that keeps interfering in the HEA.
Without a meaningful conflict, problems develop. First, the book runs out of story about half way through, and the author ends up having to piece together small, contrived conflicts to limp to the end. Second, after the big consummation love scene, the romance arc will essentially be completed. After that big love scene there had better be something very significant getting in the way of HEA again, or the story is in trouble.
—-Is the hero believable? There are female writers who can’t write guys well. Some tend to make them sort of dumb. Some make them Neanderthals in their views of women. Both of these tendencies may reflect the men these writers have known, but it is important to make the hero better than what we may have known.
Then, some other writers feminize the hero. He gets uber sensitive as the book progresses. He obsesses over his feelings in his lengthy thought life. He analyzes the heroine’s every statement. He—well, you get the picture. Judging has taught me to really keep an eye on my hero, to make sure I don’t do this to him as I fall in love with him.
Women obviously have a disadvantage in writing the male point of view, but it can be done. Try to become a man when you write the hero. Oh, yes you can. Give it a shot. You need to think like a guy to write a believable guy. You need to be in a guy’s head and see the world through a man’s eyes.
—-Is the unfolding of the story fresh? Some contest entries are imitative not only in story lines (there are only so many, right?) but in the way they tell the story. They rely heavily on predictable devices and derivative scenes. I have judged contest entries with this problem that were otherwise very professional in every way. The hard truth is that mastering craft will not get a contract if the resultant story follows an overused sub-genre template. To stand out, to get published, writers need to be creative, distinctive, and not take the easy, well trod path.
—-Is the development of the physical relationship realistic? This goes with the last point below, because I am convinced that I have read contest entries that were ruined due to the writer feeling obligated to get that first kiss into the first chapter, to satisfy contest score sheets that ask for “sparks flying.” If you would not kiss this guy at that point in the relationship that is unfolding in the book, don’t let your heroine kiss him. If you would not jump into bed with this guy the next day in that relationship, no matter how hot he is, and have gymnastic sex on the first go round, think hard about whether it is realistic for your heroine to show such enthusiasm at that point. I feel the market pressures as much as anyone, but I have learned that if the right place for the first sensual turning point is not until page 90, I have to put it at page 90, not page 35. It is important for us to be true to our story and not try to make it fit some common wisdom about sensual developments.
—-Does the synopsis trace the romance’s development, focusing on the turning points in both the emotional and physical relationship? As sex comes earlier in romance novels, and as the “will they or won’t they?” ceases to be the main story as a result, and as plots become more complex in order to have enough conflict to replace that question (see first point above), it is easy to get off track with the synopsis, and write one where the romance is treated as an afterthought to an action plot or intrigue or mystery.
I critiqued many entries with this problem as a judge before realizing I tended to do the same thing! Failing to keep the romance the central thread in the synopsis may not doom your contest entry, because many judges do not pay a lot of attention to the synopsis, or even to the strength of the story itself. It will doom the chances of selling the manuscript to an editor as a romance, in my opinion.
—-Is this your story, the way you want to tell it, or have you “written to the contest”? It is easy to get caught up in contest excitement, and to forget that the goal is to get published, not to collect contest finalist placements or wins. Never compromise your story’s originality, voice, or power in order to score higher in contests. Scoring sheets should never dictate how a writer’s story unfolds, or cause her to add a GMC dump to the first chapter, just so a judge has to give her a “5” on the goals and motivation question. I see a lot of contest entries where I suspect exactly that has happened, and where perfectly fine partials were ruined by all that contest tweaking.
So,there it is—almost everything I have learned from judging contests. I will end with the line I put on most of the critique letters that I send back with the entries I judge. “This is one person’s opinion, and nothing more. Take what is useful to you, and disregard the rest.”
Madeline Hunter is the two time RITA winner of 19 bestselling historical romances. Her latest book, Sinful in Satin, was just released this week. You can find her web site at www.MadelineHunter.com, and she also hangs out at The Goddess Blogs www.thegoddessblogs.com
PS. Madeline will be offering her conflict workshop that the NJRW conference this year. If you are attending, I strongly recommend it. –Gwyn
Posted by 2010 Golden Heart Finalist Jul 22 2010, 12:01 am in guest author, HEA, historical romance, Unsinkables
You Write What?
Romance, baby. With a capital “R.”
Why?
Because in romance, the good guys win – all the time. It’s what separates romance from love stories. Only bad guys die in a romance. Romance stories always have an emotionally satisfying end. After three or four hundred pages of the hero and heroine fighting the odds–and each other–they wind up living “happily ever after.”
And then of course there’s the sex. With a capital “S.” And that can be pretty darn satisfying, too. On several levels. 
Posted by Autumn Jordon May 26 2010, 12:04 am in author interview, guest author, historical romance, new releases
Today we welcome 2008 Golden Heart® Finalist, 2008 Winner Preditor’s & Editor’s Readers Poll winner, 2008 Winner Preditor’s & Editor’s Readers Poll winner and winner of the Publisher’s Weekly BHB Reader’s Choice Best Books of 2009, Beth Trissel.
Beth, You recently had a new release. In fact today, right? Could you tell us a little about it?
Ah yes, my new release is a suspenseful light paranormal, *unique, Scottish time travel entitled Somewhere My Lass. Somewhere My Lass is Book Two in my ‘Somewhere’ series. The concept behind this series, of which Somewhere My Love is the first release, is that the story opens in the present day, although so far in old homes, and then the reader is transported ‘somewhere’ else. A pretty wide open theme.
![SomewhereMyLass_W5132_300[1]](http://www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/SomewhereMyLass_W5132_3001-150x150.jpg)
I was inspired by all the intriguing old homes I grew up living in and or visiting. Victorian, plus some 19th and 18th century. Virginia is a highly historic state. Also, interestingly enough, the British Murder Mystery series called Midsomer Murders, to which I’m addicted, fueled my inspiration. Their plots take place in modern times but in old manor homes, ancient chapels, quaint villages, sometimes with the added flashback to the distant past.
Did you have to do any special research for the novel?
I always research like a mad woman and obsess over every detail, but wasn’t actually able to visit Scotland. Being a British junkie, I watch PBS and rent British shows and films from Netflix and have done for eons as well as read many novels written by British authors, so that helps. And my family roots are English Scot’s-Irish, reaching well back into colonial America and far beyond to the British Isles.
I’m fortunate that our genealogy is well documented. We can trace lines back to Chaucer, a direct ancestor fourteen or so generations back, and some general who served under MacBeth. *Yep, that dude really lived. Our family has tie-ins to the Salem Witch trials and all sorts of fascinating eras. This rich legacy is a source of considerable inspiration to me.
Why do you write in the genre you do?
I write both historical and light paranormal with a strong historical element because I’m passionate about the past.
Visiting your website, I can tell this is so true.
What was the hardest scene to write?
That entire book was hard to write! I thought I’d never make it through, and now it’s my favorite book.
How did you become the 2009 Publisher’s Weekly Reader’s choice winner? (Tell us a little about the contest) And has this achievement opened any doors for you?
Fellow author and friend Mona Risk told me about Barbara Vey’s annual contest held at her niche of Publisher’s Weekly where she accepts nominations/votes for various authors. The titles I noted all fell somewhere in the romance genre. Then I alerted my internet fans/friends at myspace, facebook, etc, and people went to her site and voted for the three titles I had out on 2009. All three finished in the top ten. I noted that some of the folks logging into vote grumbled that I’d found ways to cheat because some of the names my fans registered under were odd, like Sock Puppet Monkey, but that’s because they weren’t required to use their real names if they didn’t want to and at Myspace often times people don’t. Their votes are still only counted once. It was a fair win. I’ve had these complaints before because I’ve never ever lost a contest that requires votes. People just can’t believe how a new author could have that many fans/friends, but I’ve worked very hard making connections at myspace, etc, and built a strong internet fan base. And I really value my fans, many of whom are now friends. They spread the word and help my base grow. An enthusiastic fan is worth their weight in gold. 
Here’s the link: http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/beyondherbook/?p=29
I couldn’t agree with you more, Beth.
You have an amazing backlist. Would you like to tell us a little about it?
I’m rather eclectic. I love history and fantasy, can write straight historical or a blend of both. I started out with a focus on colonial American, including the Shawnee Indians and the colonial frontier, and the American Revolution, then branched out into light paranormal as well as exploring my English Scots-Irish roots. I’m currently working on a story set in England during the French Revolution, and am planning a sequel to Somewhere My Lass.
What is the best writing advice you’ve received?
Write what you love because if you don’t no one else will.
What is the worst advice you’ve heard, to you or an author?
To write for the market, focus on what sells.
Are you a goal setter?
Yes. Self-imposed generally although I do have some editors nudging me now.
Do you have a writer’s cave or are you able to write anywhere anytime?
I have a cave when I’m not buried under people and sometimes a troll in there with me. I feed it dark chocolate until the rumbling subsides.
Conferences: What advice can you offer to author’s attending them?
Make the most of your investment; they’re not cheap. Attend workshops, meet and greet, make some good contacts.
Write the book of your heart. What does that mean to you?
The book of my heart is the first book I ever wrote and rewrote until I finally got it right, coming out this fall, an American historical romance entitled Red Bird’s Song. Writing that book and the research I did for it, all that it encompassed, was the most amazing adventure ever. I literally put my whole heart into it. And when I finished, I realized, it’s all about the journey which is why I can’t imagine not writing what I love. Yes, I look forward to sharing my stories with other kindred spirits, but the true meaning for me was in the doing.
How can readers contact you?
bctrissel@yahoo.com
My website also has my facebook, myspace, twitter and blog info at: www.bethtrissel.com
Thanks so much for having me here. Blessings on you all. As the Shawnee say, Tanakia, until our paths cross again.
Posted by Liz Bemis Nov 25 2009, 12:01 am in historical romance, muse, research
My name is Liz and I’m a history geek.
(anonymous crowd) “Hi Liz!”
I have not always been a history geek, however. But those days are long gone. As it turns out, my beloved is also a history geek… and he’s shown me the way to really experience history.
“A time machine?!” you might be asking.
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