That Old Feeling -- The romance novel you've never forgotten

Everyone who really loves romance novels, or novels in general, has a book/books they love. Most can still remember it/them, even though they only read it once. I also know a number of us have that old book we love so much, yet can't recall for the life of us the title or author of that book. In my lifetime, I've probably read a kajillion romance novels, (yes, I said kajillion,) but I only remember a handful that touched me so much I remember them after all these years.

There are some websites that can help. For example, I was able to find the first romance novel I ever read--Passion's Proud Captive, a yellowing hand-me-down I borrowed from my sister. It was an epic romance filled with bad accents, 90% hero/heroine separation, and lots of rapey rapeyness (I mean, the heroine is raped by at least 5 different men through the course of the book, and the hero rapes a woman who isn't even the heroine. Come on.) I thought I must be remembering it poorly, but when I read it again, I realized I hadn't.

The book was full of tension and adventure, but still, after re-reading, it was a wonder I ever read another romance. lol. But I'm glad I did, because it led to some of the ones I love most. 

Since not all the novels I read when I was younger made me cringe, I have a number titles I wish I knew, so I thought it would be fun to share with you. If you know what book this is, feel free to share. If you have a book you love and can't remember the title, feel free to leave a description. You never know. I, or one of the other readers, might remember it.

When I was young, I loved medieval romance novels, and I find it very sad that they are so rare nowadays. I'll have to do a post on how sad it is that historical romance has narrowed so much. Though it is nice to see things coming back into fashion with the ebook. I missed old westerns, viking novels, and pirates too. But I digress.

My forgotten medieval -
The plot-
The heroine's keep is attacked and taken by the hero. She is tall and known for being kind of horse faced. (love the unattractive heroine in an old novel, didn't happen often back then.) She tries to escape by cutting her hair and hiding as a boy. Cutting her hair brings out her beauty, but she doesn't know it. Of course, the hero discovers her and takes her captive. She surprises him by being strong in the ways only men were back then. She even wields a sword like a man.


Why I remember it-
I love the uniqueness of such a flawed heroine. She's also very against type. That sort of strength is great to see, because women are portrayed as damsels in distress during historical war times, yet Joan of Arc kicked some major butt, and women manned cannons in the civil war. I was nice to see this sort of nod to the strong woman so long before the age of girl power.
*spoiler alert*
The most unique part of this story was the end. This was the first (and only) romance novel that I've read that ended as it did. The hero and heroine are battling against the villain, all of their freinds are dead, and they are turned back to back, to fight to the death against the villain's band of men who have them surrounded and have orders to kill him and rape and kill her. You don't actually see them die, but with the odds, survival is unlikely. Yet it's not entirely an unhappy ending, despite my babylike sobs. They were together, in love, and fighting to the end side-by-side. Well, back-to-back anyhow, to the end.

What a romantic novel. I only wish I could remember the name.

The Kiss, Francesco Hayes The Yorck Project

I also recall a novel set probably in the Regency or Georgian period.
The plot-
The heroine (I think her name is Anne or something like that) has been in love with the hero forever. (I love crush stories!) He's about to marry her cousin (Henrietta?) and she is pouting outside the engagement party. He comes out to see her and starts telling her it will all get better with time. She is sad and trying to take it all in stride, but then he kisses her. They fall to the floor in a disarray and get caught. Naturally they are whisked off to the chapel, but he leaves her at the steps of the church and takes off. The story begins in earnest years later when he returns to find a strong woman. He falls in love and has to win her back.

Why I remember it-
It's a crush story, hello! I remember several stories that were about crushes. There's something about all that unrequited passion suddenly being requited. Yum.
However, this book stands out the most because the level of passion and longing in that first tension filled scene was astounding. And when he kisses her, it's all released in such a flood of desire. Though the author leaves them after they fall to the ground, you can just feel what it would be like for the heroine, to want a man that badly and then finally have him kiss her when she's almost given up hope.

There were some really fun old reads back in those days, if you could avoid the rapey raperson novels, and the novels with the a-hole alpha heroes--you know, the type that would rape the heroine because "she's so beautiful naturally she must be a whore. Oh wait, she's a virgin?" Ugh.

So, feel free to share some of the stories you loved years ago, whether you recall the name or not. I'd love to hear about your favorites and why you remember them after all these years.

Happy Halloween and a Merry NaNoWriMo to you: A few questions answered

Happy Halloween!

 

Put on your costume and have some fun because it's nearly time to buckle down hard for NaNoWriMo.

What is NaNoWriMo you ask? 

It's National Novel Writing Month. During the Month of November, writers across the world try to write 50k in 30 days. There are get togethers, designated writing places, and plenty of support. You can use as much or as little ogf these supports as you need.

 

But I'm already 10k into my 90k word book, can I still join in?

Technically you are supposed to start a new novel, but this is debatable. I say yes. Nano is all about getting over the fear and procrastination and just writing a book Most books are not 50k, and so I believe you can start anywhere. I personally will be completing and editing a book that has been requested by an agent I adore, then I will be moving on to a new story I've been playing with.

 

What happens if I make it or don't make it to 50k?

If you make it, you get a million dollars. If you don't, you will be burned at the stake, or possibly drawn and quartered . . . Well, okay, nothing really. They have a certificate you can print out if you make it, but this is all for your own personal gratification. The most you could gain is 50 or so thousand words of your manuscript, and bragging rights. But isn't it worth a month of sweating and working your muse overtime if you finally write the story you've always wanted to?

 

Matthew Bowden www.digitallyrefreshing.com

Can you really sell a book that was written in 30 days? 

Without edits, I doubt it, but with some polishing, it's a proven fact. Just check your local bookshelves for The Night Circus.

 

Do people really try to write 50k in 30 days?

In 2011 there were 256, 618 participants and 36, 843 winners, according to the Nano site.

 How do I sign up and connect to other Nano participants?

Ask around your local writing groups. You'd be surprised how many writers you know like doing Nano. Go to their website to sign up, access forums, and find friends.

I hope a few of you might join me in the Nano experience this year.

Daily Life 1770-1830 - Games

Games

Thanks for being patient through my move. We're all settled in the new house (except for the piles of boxes still in one corner of the living room.) If you don't know what I'm talking about, please follow me on twitter  for random life stuff.

Chess, whist, checkers, quadrille, backgammon, piquet, quinze, Vingt-Un (AKA blackjack), pharo, rogue et noir, cribbage, matrimony, cassino, reversis, put, connexions, all fours, and speculation are just a small sampling of games played during the late Georgian and early Regency eras.

Many card, dice, and board games played during these years are played in modern day, so I'm going to focus on a few games that are more obscure in modern game play and are sometimes seen in romance novels. These will be quick overviews, so if you would like more info, I recommended google books where you can find period books with long descriptions of rules and etiquette.

Whist - the polite parlor game

Whist is played with four players, but may be played with three and a dummy hand. Each has a thirteen card hand. 

This is a suited card game with trump. If you've played hearts, spades, euchre, or any other suited card game, you know that you play by following suit. (For example, your opponent leads a spade, you must play a spade, if you have one.) If not, you may play any other card, including trump cards. Trump suit--determined by the card the dealer turns face up on the table--beats all the other suits. (For example, if hearts are trump, a 2 of hearts beats an A of clubs. However, an A of hearts beats the two of hearts.)

To win a point, you and your partner must take 7 hands. If you do, you get a point. If you received ten points during the course of play, you win.

Pharo (or Faro or Pharaoh) - the coffee house game

 

This is an odd cross between high/low and roulette. The dealer lays out a winning and a losing card, and the player bets on which card might win by placing a chip on the number or face of the card. You can also place bets on groups of two, three, or four cards by placing your chip between cards. If you have a chip placed on a winning card, and it is the winning card, you win. If you have a chip placed on the losing card and it loses, you lose.

 

Hazard - the dice game

 

 This is somewhat complicated, so I'll just say it's similar to craps and give a general idea of how it's played. 

The betters choose a number between 5 and 9.  The roller rolls two dice. The betters win if the roller rolls the same number twice before rolling a losing number. A 2 or a 3 (and possibly 11 or 12 depending on the number you choose) are losing numbers. Alternately, 11 or 12 might be winning numbers depending on the number chosen.

I hope you enjoyed reading some general descriptions of the games you might read about in romance novels. These certainly aren't the only ones, but they are the more popular ones. 

You can also play each one online, if you would like to experience the games for yourself.

Whist

Faro

Hazard

 

Daily Life 1770-1830 - Cosmetics

 Cosmetics

Madame de Pompadour at Her Toilette, 1758

Women's cosmetics were not worn as wildly as some portray them, however, many of them could, and did, kill the women who wore them. The penchant of the time, as you can see above, was for pale complexions, rosy cheeks and rosebud lips.Anything to affect the look of youth. Earlier in the century, women powdered their hair, but as the century wore on, taxes and changing styles made this rare. Beauty marks in various shapes were worn to accentuate the features, and were said to have meanings at court (the wearer was married, taken, etc...) depending on where they were worn. Also, late in the century, makeup, hair, and dress became more and more natural, partly because of the changing social and fashion climate caused by the French Revolution. Though I feel I must say, contrary to what some believe, the wild hairstyles and outrageous outfits were not worn on a daily basis, and some women would go their entire lives without gluing mouse fur to her eyebrows. :D Below I have some fun recipes as well as some pictures you might find interesting.

The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy: Which Far Exceeds Any Thing of the Kind Yet Published.

 By Hannah Glasse 1784

To make Lip Salve

TAKE half a pound of hog's lard, put it into a pan with one ounce and a half of virgin wax; let it stand on a slow fire till it is melted, then take a small tin pot and fill it with water, and put therein some alkanet root; let it boil till it is of a fine red colour; then strain some of it and mix it with the ingredients according to your fancy, and scent it with essence of lemon, pour it into small boxes, and smooth the top with your finger.

N.B. You may pour a little out first to see if it is of a proper colour to your fancy.

Alkanet root is a colorant for making the salve red.


The Toilet of Flora
By Flora 1779

 A Rouge for the Face

Cosmetics box - National Palace Museum, Taipei

Take Brazil Wood Shavings, and Roch Alum, beat them together into a coarse powder, and boil in a sufficient quantity of Red Wine, till two thirds of the Liquor are consumed. When this decoction has stood till cold, rub a little on the cheeks with a bit of cotton.

 Brazil wood is still used as a dye. Rock Alum is used as a deodorant, depilatory, and skin whitener, among other things.

Orange water

 Take four pounds of unpicked Orange Flowers, bruise them in a marble mortar, and pour on them nine quarts of cleat Water. Distil in a cold still, and draw off five or fix quarts, which will be exquisitely fragrant. If you are desirous of having it still higher flavoured, draw off at first full seven quarts, unlute the still, and throw away the residuum; empty back the water already distilled, and add to it two pounds of fresh Orange Flowers, bruised. Again luting the still repeat the distillation and draw of five or fix quarts. Then stop, being careful not to draw off too much water lest the Flowers should become dry and burn to.

From how I understand it, luting is where you use a flour and water paste to seal the joints of the still.  Orange water was highly popular, so this sort of recipe would be made often.


You might want to try making one or two of the recipes I put up. If you try, please let me know how it goes in the comments. I'm pretty busy with my move right now, so I can't try any of these on youtube, but rest assured, I'm making mental notes and when I start posting them, I'll post them here first.