joannerenaud

[joannerenaud]

Flesh and the Devil by Teresa Denys-- a rant

To paraphrase Roger Ebert, I hated, hated, hated this book.

It's too bad, because I've heard raves about Teresa Denys's work for years. I tried to read The Silver Devil back in 2011, but I was put off by the MMC's cruelty and violence. Last year, I started reading up on 16th century Spain, and Denys's book Flesh and the Devil was one of the few HRs set in Spain at all. So I decided to give it a try. I'd read a lot of old school romances since then, so I figured I could handle it.

So, it turned out I could handle it. However, it took me three months to read it. Three months! The only reason I finished it is so I could write this review. A lot of people do love Denys's work, and as she died tragically in a car crash in 1987, I will hold off on full snark: instead, I will make a compliment sandwich. So here goes.

First of all, the concept of this book is very cool. It's 17th century Spain, and a naive young noblewoman, Juana, who after unsuccessfully attempting to elope with the boy next door, is shipped off to marry an inbred titled monster, a duke, who lives in a terrifying palace. The palace in question drips with menace. It is peak Gothic in all the best ways-- Virginia Coffman or Victoria Holt would be proud. I wanted to luxuriate in this awful place. We do get to see quite a bit of it too, as Juana attempts to navigate it, in the first half of the book.

There's also a lot of fun historical tidbits, and I enjoyed the politics-- especially the key role the Hapsburgs played in the book-- and the depiction of an unusual time period. 17th century Spain is an unusual setting, to say the least, and I was getting excited for something dark and unusual.

But then hero starts playing a major part in this book, and that's when my interest cratered. The MMC is the inbred duke's servant/valet/man-of-all-work, and he is a redhaired English mercenary with green eyes so bright they might as well be radioactive. Literally (and I mean this) in every scene he shows up in, he's described as some synonym of cold. He's cold, he's icy, he's austere, he's clinical, he's scientific, he's sardonic, he's detached, remote, satiric, etc. etc. etc. If I drank a shot every time this happened, I would have alcohol poisoning. This happens over and over and over again, for the book's entire stretch of 170k words, so I was so done by the end. This guy was so boring. If I'm going to read about a monstrous anti-hero in my bodice-ripper, I'd want him to have an emotion or two, you know? However, even though he's cold, icy, etc., the author is eager to assure us that every woman finds him the sexiest man in the world, and he's the greatest duellist in the world too, even though his idea of fighting is lifting men over his head and chucking them at other people, like Conan the Barbarian.

Anyway, he's a monster too, like his boss. He hates Spain and Spanish people, especially noble Spanish women; he has a massive chip on his shoulder, and he is also massively entitled. Since the heroine insults him, he decides that he's going to teach her a lesson by raping her. Then he kills his inbred boss, and after they leave the Gothic castle, he kidnaps her and blackmails her into marrying him, which is somehow OK for Plot Reasons. He keeps telling her she owes him a debt, and she better be grateful. The story then devolves into a very long and very protracted mess with aimless wandering about the wilderness and last minute baddies traipsing onto the stage and then dying by accident. Anything remotely political or historical is tossed aside for the world's most boring road trip. Also, the Inquisition is, of course, brought up a whole bunch of times, but for all the blather about it, it never plays a role. After a great deal of wandering, the hero is revealed to be an aristocrat by a deus-ex-machina lawyer who is practically brought down by wires, and our Catholic main characters travel to an England which is either run by Cromwell or Charles II. Good times!

So yeah. The romantic arc just did. not. work. The hero remains a robot until 80% of the way through, and he barely thaws at the end after the heroine is all "I LOVE YOU!!!!" I didn't understand why. I will quote you the paragraph where she realizes how this guy raping her repeatedly, kidnapping her, and forcing her to marry him was really was the best thing to happen in her life:

He had taught her to fight him when she was a sheltered child who knew nothing but pampering and indulgence, and now she would use the spirit that he had roused to fight on his side against death.

And later:

But she could no longer live out her life to a pattern. She had long ago broken with her father's plans for her destiny, as perfect and regular and destructive as a spider's web. Bartolome's [the duke's] death had snapped the chief thread of it, setting her free without the sticky threads of tradition and expectation to impede her. Thanks to the man who hated her, she was free to make her own pattern, choose her own destiny. She could go anywhere in the world. . . .

In other words: "I was so pampered and sheltered, his abuse taught me how to fight and become a real woman!" This reminds me of Sansa's "arc" in the later seasons of Game of Thrones. Abuse and suffering can make you a better, stronger person! It can make you free! But even Sansa in GoT-- while somehow empowered by her abuse-- didn't fall for her abuser, Ramsay. Somehow this book is worse than GoT in its depiction of abuse. That's really something.

The characterization is not great in this book. Not only is the MMC a dull emotionless entitled robot, the FMC is all the worst tropes of early romance fiction, packaged into one character. She's feisty, but also dumb as a rock. She continually opens her mouth and says the first thing that crosses her mind, without even thinking for one second if it's a good idea. Her maid kills herself, and the FMC barely reacts, only to express how annoyed she is that people didn't tell her sooner. (This suicide is later retconned in the book to the inbred duke killing the maid instead. I told you, this book is a mess.)

The other big issue I had with this book is the way Spain and the Spanish is depicted. Our English hero is the only rational character in the entire book: whereas the Spanish are a "predominantly dark race" where everyone is impetuous, irrational and governed by scheming priests. Also, there is not one attractive locale in this entire book. The palace is place of horrors, whereas the wilderness is one brown, sand-blasted wasteland, with brackish streams and barren plains. Basically, it's all a shithole. This is a pretty typical 1950s English depiction of southern Europe, and it reminds me of midcentury authors like Henry Treece or Mary Stewart. But it's disappointing to see these tropes repeated in a book from the 1980s.

There's a lot of things I frankly hated about Flesh and the Devil. But Denys's prose is truly beautiful. Here's a quote from one of my favorite passages:

She was flying, she thought as she felt the hard thrust of his possession within her: her body moved in an instinctive response that she was not aware of, opening itself to delight, and she thought inconsequently that it was like being mounted on some great winged horse and soaring out over the whole world. Blind rapture surged inside her as passion gripped them both, and she could hear herself moaning with a new poignant, agonizing sweetness that she could neither bear, nor bear it to cease. Above her, as she opened her eyes, she could see the azure sky darkening to a fierce blend of copper and velvet blue, and the water - the water in the pool was liquid gold, the last reflection of the dying sun. No wonder, she was thinking, that Icarus flew too near the sun and melted his waxen wings.

Denys's prose is so gorgeous-- I truly wish she had lived longer to write more. After reading it, I thought of what I wanted to see here-- I would have liked the action to stay at the creepy palace, rather than leaving it. The MMC did not work as a character, but the duke's villainous uncle has an Italian henchman named Martinetti who reminded me of Allegretto from Laura Kinsale's For My Lady's Heart. In his brief scenes, he steals the show with his elegance, wit and ruthlessness. I wanted to see more of him, rather Coldy McClinical.

So there you go. I have heard The Silver Devil is a better plotted and paced book. Maybe I'll try reading that again eventually. But for now, I think I should reread some Laura Kinsale.

[joannerenaud]

The Lady Serena review

I think, quite possibly, this was the first ever historical romance I’d ever read. Little did I know that it was written by Virginia Coffman— yes, THE Virginia Coffman, Gothic novelist extraordinaire, who was to become one of my favorite authors. In the late 1970s, under the pseudonym of Jeanne Duval, she wrote two historical novels set in ancient Rome, specifically against the reign of the Emperor Nero. I was so obsessed with this book, I read it over and over and over again. Years passed, and I lent it to a friend, who was much less enthused about it than I was. Then I read other negative reviews, and I began to think this book wasn’t so hot, and I was viewing it through rose-colored Nostalgia Goggles. Had the suck fairy come for Lady Serena?

Anyway, at last I decided to sit down and reread it. The back copy sells it as a lurid bodice-ripper about a Vestal Virgin, Serena, who has a forbidden romance with Tigellinus, Nero’s dark and sinister prefect of police. It definitely has bodice-ripper elements, but compared to many romances of the time, like The Flame and the Flower or The Wolf and the Dove, it is a masterpiece of subtlety and nuance.

Serena, a proud, practical aristocrat who’s taken vows as one of Vesta’s sacred priestesses, is increasingly tempted by Tigellinus’s masculine charms as she finds herself pulled into palace intrigue— specifically, she is called to tend to a sickly Emperor Claudius, who dies shortly after, from a surfeit of poisoned mushrooms or… possibly something else? Soon, she’s caught up in a shadowy conspiracy and a power struggle between the impulsive, lovable but erratic young emperor Nero, and his competent and frightening mother Agrippina. The depiction of these historical characters is so good, so assured and so accurate, and so free of the usual nonsense from Suetonius, it’s as if Coffman had actually met them. It’s impressive work.

The first half of the book has this languid, beautifully written atmospheric slow burn going on, which is very typical of Coffman— but the ending is exciting and cinematic, complete with battles at sea, riots, chariot chases and a gripping palace showdown. As for Tigellinus, the hero— he’s fine. He felt a bit undercharacterized— I felt that he and Serena needed a few more scenes together, but given how abysmally low the standards of romance heroes from the 1970s were, I didn’t mind him. The sex scenes are pretty short and not especially detailed, but that also seems pretty typical for the time. I did not especially buy the romance at first, but I felt much more convinced by the end, after the couple had been on the run together (which is always one of my favorite tropes).

As for Serena, at first I found her underwhelming, but I grew to like her a lot. She’s pretty naive at first, but over the course of the book she proves herself to be tough, clever, observant and in some respects, ruthless— she fends off two attempted rapists, and towards the end she coolly rescues herself from a particularly sticky situation in a way that had me pumping my fist into the air. I found her arc satisfying. She does have a lot of internal conflict, about betraying her religious vows for a relationship with a man; but she still loves and reveres Vesta. How can she reconcile these two parts of herself? The senior vestal priestess, Lady Maxima, plays a key part too: it’s great to see an older woman play a major part in a historical romance, and I loved seeing how her and Serena’s relationship developed. I thought it ended in a rewarding place— and I don’t want to spoil too much more! But yes, this aspect is definitely something I could not have appreciated as much as when I was a teenager.

The Lady Serena is also interesting in that it walks a fine line between historical-novel-with-romantic-elements and historical romance proper, which I liked. There’s a lot of Gothic elements too— misty temples, flickering torches, ominous villas and cabals of sinister senators abound— which I found to be a treat. This approach is so unusual for this setting. Also, the fact that the author is really affectionate towards Rome as a place and a culture really stands out, and the research is mostly well done.

As for the downsides, the writing is lovely, but there are some repetitive bits that could have been trimmed. Some of the plotting also can feel a bit redundant. For example, there’s two attacks (one on Serena, and another on Tigellinus) by two separate guys who lost all their money betting on some sports event and who became deranged as a result. Once is fine, I guess… but twice? Really? There’s also a few typical Roman tropes that came from old movies that have since been debunked, like galley slaves (not a thing until the early modern era), or people using chariots to travel from one place to another (they were only for races and ceremonial use, not for ordinary use). There’s also all the borked nomenclature, but that’s so typical of 90% of ancient Roman romance out there, that my eyes skim over it at this point.

Anyway, even with all that said, I love this book, and I recommend it! It’s an engrossing Gothic epic set in the ancient world with a cool and competent FMC, a respectable hero, a vibrant supporting cast of characters, and some incredible action. Sadly, there’s no ebook of this available, but paper copies abound, and the curious can find it on archive.org.

[joannerenaud]

Sylvia Baumgarten (aka Sylvia Halliday, Louisa Rawlings and Ena Halliday), 1933-2024

My friend Sylvia Baumgarten died on the morning of February 1rst. Our friendship began in the 1990s, when I wrote her a fan letter about one of her early Harlequin historicals, Wicked Stranger, and she wrote back a long type-written letter about her influences and research and sent me a copy of Stranger in My Arms as well. I interviewed her for my old blog in 2011-- sadly, that interview has been lost. But we also met in 2016 for dinner, and she sent me her collection of books about the French Revolution. She was a great talent, as well as witty, opinionated and immensely generous. I will miss her very much.

She graduated from Brown University in 1955, and from 1982 to 2015 wrote for a variety of publishers, including Pocket Books, Kensington Publishing Corp., Harlequin, and Diversion Books. She was also a President of the Romance Writers of America/ New York City Chapter, and her books were nominated for multiple awards. Forever Wild was a finalist for the RWA/Golden Medallion award, Best Historical Romance (1986). Stolen Spring (which I reviewed for Dear Author) received a Romantic Times nomination as Best French Historical (1988), while Promise of Summer [archive.org link] received the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award as the Best Historical Romance set in France (1989). Wicked Stranger had also been nominated for a Rita Award by the Romance Writers of America.

Baumgarten's papers are available in the Manuscripts Division of Brown University, and include press kits, book reviews, news clippings, public relations material (including photographs), interviews, correspondence about her books, and the manuscripts of Stolen Spring and Dreams So Fleeting.

She also blogged extensively about her observations and experiences selling wedding dresses at Macy's in New York.

[joannerenaud]

I did a sketch! The first time since my cat Peggy died. It's a scene from Gillian Bradshaw's Render Unto Caesar, which is one of my favorite books ever. From a review I just wrote:

Render Unto Caesar is a timeless, fast-paced and deeply felt romantic thriller set in first century Rome by historical fiction master Gillian Bradshaw. It seems to be about a man trying to get an important politician to pay his legal debts, but it's actually about a life-or-death struggle of the Roman West and the Greek East, rendered in exquisite miniature. This is also the closest to a historical romance as Bradshaw has ever written, and I find it completely delightful. I've read this book about five times over the past fifteen years, and I've enjoyed it more and more as the years go by-- there's so much to love about it. The characters are fully realized; the setting is portrayed with all the depth, detail and rigor you'd expect from a classics scholar; and there's a lot of action too. But the heart of it is a compelling romance between people of completely different backgrounds-- Hermogenes, the sober Alexandrian businessman, who is looking for justice from the Roman political elite, and Cantabra, a Celtic Cantabrian gladiatrix whom he hires as a bodyguard. The character arcs are beautiful and deeply satisfying. At the beginning, it's impossible to imagine these two getting together, but the MMC and FMC have some major growth, and their feelings and their relationship comes about in the most natural and moving way. Some tropes, if you're into that sort of thing: Fugitive Arc, Clear My Name, There Is Only One Bed, Break the Stoic, Hurt/Comfort, Hidden Depths, Bodyguard Crush, Action Girlfriend, among others. And it has an HEA! I do think this book probably didn't get the audience it deserved because it has very strong romantic elements, which is not really evident in the publicity it got when it was originally released. Anyway, if this sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend it! It's a great book that deserves to be better known. IMO, Bradshaw deserves to be better known too.

[joannerenaud]

Enchant the Heavens review

I've been revisiting a lot of my favorite old historicals since my beloved kitty Peggy died about a month ago, and one of them is Enchant the Heavens by Kathleen Morgan.

When I was a college student I loved romance novels, particularly historical romance, even though most of my friends at the time thought it was ridiculous and made fun of me for reading them. It made me even more stubborn, and I clung to the genre like a barnacle onto the hull of a ship. However, there was one book at the time that was too cheesy even for me, and that was Enchant the Heavens.

I found the cover embarrassing. Look, my teenage self thought, the hero’s hands look like he’s about to crack the heroine’s skull! And the hero, Marcus, was so earnest. The book was so earnest. The culture at the time was saturated with snark and irony, and sadly, I was not immune. I set the book down.

Years later, in 2011, I revisited Enchant the Heavens, and I found myself… well, enchanted. I was swept away by the epic nature of the story and the endearing characterizations. And I reread it just a week ago. I admit, I was afraid the suck fairy might’ve visited it over the intervening years. But I found myself devouring it happily just as I did all those years ago. And it’s good.

Enchant the Heavens was the first novel Kathleen Morgan ever wrote, and it was a labor of love. It’s a big, passionate, visceral, breathtakingly earnest romance.The story involves a British chieftain’s daughter, Rhianna, and the Roman governor’s nephew, Marcus, during Boudicca’s revolt, and their love is an anguished, star-crossed love that takes a great deal of blood and tears and hard work to resolve. Unlike most romances set during this period, the Celts aren’t romanticized into nature-loving New Agers, and the Romans aren’t evil. And neither the heroine or hero give up their cultures or identities in the end; in fact they work on uniting their communities in the aftermath of war. It’s mature and refreshing.

The language does have a lot of archaicisms that kind of annoying. ‘Twould! ’Twas! Naught! Okay… You just have to run with it. But if you’re willing to dive in, there is a lot to love about it. Rhianna is not afraid of revenge, or using her sword, which is really delightful (to avoid spoilers, I won’t tell you who she kills). Marcus is a reasonable guy too, but there’s just the right amount of deeply felt angst that is perfect for a story about forbidden love. Sometimes I feel that Marcus and Rhianna verge on being idealized archetypes then actual people, but it kind of fits with how epic and operatic the story is. (It really captures the vibe of ancient Irish stories like Deirdre, which was the author’s intention.) The author walks the line of having them be larger-than-life figures, but they still grow and change, from a thoughtless girl and a career-driven aristocrat to a responsible, compassionate leader and a humbled man ready to sacrifice his dreams to help his lover and her people.

The research put into this book isn’t perfect— towards the end of the book, there’s an hummingbird, native to the Americas, in Rome — but it’s thorough and thoughtful, and I liked the depiction of the historical figures. For example, the depiction of Nero, who has a brief and memorable cameo, is almost miraculous in how… sensible it is (and ahead of its time given this was written long before the current reassessment of Nero and the 2020 show at the British Museum). There’s no orgies or lions or gladiators or martyred Christians or any other cliches that I’ve seen over and over again in the few historical romances set in this period. It’s astonishing.

Anyway, this book is long. It’s also epic and sweeping in every possible way, and I have a feeling a good chunk was left on the cutting room floor. I would kill to have the original, unedited draft. Rhianna’s relationships with her friends Eilm and Cordaella are given short shrift. Also I feel the destruction of Camulodunum, and Rhianna’s role in it, was also cut a lot. I would have liked to see more of that, and Rhianna coming to terms with how her actions affected innocent civilians.

But the pacing, given how long it is, is surprisingly tight. I thought the consistent themes of freedom, symbolized by the goshawk, was really beautifully done; not heavy-handed, but subtle; and the story really embraces the pagan religions of the time in a way that’s delightful. There’s so much I can’t get into, or this review would be twice as long. There’s battles, druids, psychic visions, continent-spanning political intrigue, murder, and possibly supernatural white boars sent by the gods.

And the ending is really satisfying. I wish it were 20 to 30k longer, but it’s great as it is. It’s an absolute banger of a story. It’s not perfect but I’d give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Of course, what really sucks about it all is that this was going to be the beginning of a series, and the hero’s best friend Quintus was going to get a sequel.

There was, in fact, one sequel (Enchant the Dream) featuring the heroine’s brother Cerdic. But then the author converted to Christianity sometime in the late 90s, and her entire pre-conversion historical and fantasy backlist are completely unavailable. (Of course, her post conversion backlist is available.)

It pisses me off so much, because Enchant the Heavens is so good! And I wanted to see Quintus’s story! But that’s never going to happen. And there’s never going to be a legal digital copy of this book either, because the author has seemingly disavowed it.

But we’ll always have Enchant the Heavens, and even if Morgan wants to forget her pagan past, I am grateful she wrote this book. I highly recommend it.

[joannerenaud]

I'm so happy you enjoyed the book! I felt the same way as you.

MALMAISON MEDIA SALON SOIRÉE 15: NEEDING NAPOLEON (2020)

1. The Introduction

Hello, Neighbors! Welcome back to Malmaison Media Salon! At last we’re here and today is a bit of a special review. Why special?

Let me explain:

1. Firstly, it’s one of those cases where I stumble upon a media piece via recommendation from another community member. This time it was @suburbanbeatnik , who interviewed the author of the book and there was a contest where the first 3 users to comment would get a free ebook copy via email.

I was the first to comment because I was given the link and because I was really excited about what sounded like a promising story, considering my soft spot for the adventure genre, time travel and alternative history. So yeah, I became one of the lucky three users.

Unfortunately, the book is only available in English and has to be purchased through websites like Amazon, so those who don’t speak English too well might be out of luck for now.

2. Secondly, it’s one of the few anglophone (British, to boot!) media pieces that DO NOT paint Napoleon as a villain! How cool is that?! For newcomers, stumbling upon a gem like that is about as likely as seeing a UFO, so you can bet your asses that I HAD to check out the book!

3. Thirdly, I already mentioned that I’m a sucker for adventure, time travel, historical fiction and alternative history so that really boosted my excitement… as well as my worries. I prayed that the book would turn out to be good. Luckily, it did! More on that later though.

Anyway, before we proceed, this review is dedicated to @suburbanbeatnik and @garethwilliamsauthor . Not only is the latter, well, the author, but he also graciously gave me permission to write said review and I’m thankful for this.

Okay, with formalities out of the way, let’s begin!

2. The Summary

The novel tells the story of one Richard Davey, an ordinary schoolteacher who admires Napoleon and lives a very boring, lonely life.

However, during a fateful holiday in Paris, he gets a chance to leave his old life behind, meet his hero and maybe even change the course of history.

To me, the idea sounds very interesting, so let’s move onto the deeper analysis and see if the execution matches the potential.

3. The Story

Although the beginning of the story did confuse me a bit because we jump straight into action, I. Fucking. Love. This. Book. I was extremely hooked when reading and felt like I was back in my childhood, reading my favorite swashbuckling stories. The excitement is REAL.

The pacing is excellent, most loose ends get tied up in the end, the ending is satisfying yet also realistic and we don’t have the protagonist getting everything he wanted, which is awesome!

I did have a problem with the flashbacks though, mainly because they kept popping up and breaking the storyline immersion, but that’s just me.

Also, there’s a good mix of gritty artlessness (in a good way because it doesn’t gloss over war), a swashbuckling adventure, romance and down time (we can’t have action ALL the time).

The romantic subplot is very well-written and realistic, even though my asexual self still didn’t care much because I don’t normally like romance. Spoiler, it’s one of the few times where the protagonist doesn’t get the love interest in the end, for a lot of reasons.

So yeah, only minor complaints here and there.

(Oh, and tiny bonus for the Frev community: Frev isn’t demonized either!!! Yay!!!)

(P. S. Also there were a lot of moments that cracked me up, like the pun with HMS Bellerophon being called Billy Ruffian.)

4. The Characters

Richard Davey is by far one of the most relatable characters ever, since I can relate to his loneliness (me during the worse days of depression) and love for History (I’m a Frev and Napoleonic nerd). He’s flawed, reacts realistically and in his own way to situations and has a great character arc, from a man just going with the motions of life to a hero who can and does make a difference in history, just not in the way he first planned.

Emile Béraud, a soldier Richard befriends in the past, is an absolute sweetheart. Loyal to a fault, friendly and just as lonely as Richard, he takes part in the adventures and is a very compelling character.

Aunt Patricia, Richard’s only living relative, might be a minor character who doesn’t personally appear, but her presence is felt throughout the story and Richard constantly imagines what she would have to say in his position and how she would judge him.

Madame Odillet, the owner of an antique shop who helps Richard get back in time, is a mysterious woman with a troubled past, who definitely knows more than she first lets on. I like the book parallels between her and witches, even though she’s just a regular human.

Napoleon starts out as an insufferable punchable prick, but later on his portrayal becomes nuanced. He loves and misses his son, has a soft spot for kids, has a temper and at times alternates between acceptance of his fate and resolve to fight back. He’s not in a good place mentally nor physically, but he’s portrayed as someone flawed yet far from being a bad person.

Jerome is an arrogant hedonistic ass. Full stop. But he’s a minor character so I can understand why he’s not as nuanced, even if I wish there was a bit more complexity.

Gourgaud is an impulsive and arrogant bastard who is loyal to his emperor yet entitled due to having saved said emperor twice.

Bertrand and Fanny are extremely sweet.

Las Cases… I found him unpleasant and arrogant.

Murat and Caroline are mentioned and, LUCKILY, not depicted as traitors.

Ney in his cameo is his usual post-Russia reckless self (he possibly had PTSD, I believe).

Overall, the cast is memorable and I did enjoy the portrayals for the most part.

5. The Setting

The descriptions really sell the setting here, in my opinion. I particularly enjoyed the scenes at Malmaison where Napoleon essentially is Richard’s tour guide.

Always nice to see that the author really did their research and has a way with language to make immersion that much easier to achieve.

6. The Writing

Once again, the descriptions. Short, sweet, to the point.

The language is mostly easily understandable, but there are French words sprinkled in that (fortunately) can be more or less understood in context. I wish there were footnotes with translations though. Oh, and some words were unfamiliar to me as a foreigner so please keep that in mind too.

7. The Conclusion

If you can, please give the book a go. Remarkable adventures, nuanced characters and believable settings that are reminiscent of swashbuckling novels are definitely worth your money, in my humble opinion.

Of course, no work is perfect but I throughly enjoyed this one despite some flaws and I look forward to reading the sequel. It’s not every day we get an anglophone pro-Naps media piece, after all.

On that note, let us conclude today’s soirée. Please stay tuned for updates on future reviews, my dearest Neighbors.

Love,

Citizen Green Pixel

[joannerenaud]

March 2022 Author of the Month-- an interview with Gareth Williams

Happy spring equinox! March 20 was also the day that Napoleon, freshly escaped from Elba, marched into Paris, greeted by cheering crowds. And today, speaking of Napoleon, I’m pleased to introduce Gareth Williams (here on Tumblr at @garethwilliamsauthor​). He’s the talented author of Needing Napoleon, a new time travel/alternate history thriller where the twenty-first century, down-on-his-luck protagonist, Richard Davey, goes back in time to help Napoleon win the battle of Waterloo. Does Richard succeed in changing history? What adventures befall him on the way? And what is his relationship like with his hero, Napoleon? Find out in Needing Napoleon— the first three commenters will win a free PDF copy!

# # #

Hello, Gareth. Thanks for coming here today. How did you become interested in Napoleon?

It is hard to remember a time when I wasn’t captivated. I suppose it started at school but before I knew it, I was teaching about Napoleon to my own students!

I think it is the scale of his achievements, both military and civil, achieved, let’s face it, against the odds. An obscure Corsican becomes Emperor of the French, fighting a series of European coalitions, codifying French law, building infrastructure and defying the dominance of the British Empire. Of course, without the French Revolution opening up the military to men of talent rather than title, he would have remained an obscure Corsican. So, the short answer, is that I was drawn to his against the odds story. Plus the glamour of the Hundred Days, when, like a boxer who can’t stay retired, he steps into the ring for one last fight, and what a fight - Waterloo!

When did you first become interested in writing a novel about him? Specifically, a time travel novel?

It had been a vague idea for a long time. I had written other stories, pretty unsuccessfully, partly because I was reluctant to tackle a subject so close to my heart.

But retiring a couple of years ago presented the opportunity to think and plan a book with Napoleon at its heart. Then the first UK lockdown was introduced in late March 2020 and I was out of excuses! In fact, I wrote the whole thing, once plot notes were complete, in just three months. As to the time travel component, there are two reasons I was drawn to this element of the plot. Firstly, I love time travel stories in general. Secondly, I am like my central character, Richard Davey, in that I too was a history teacher and I too believe Napoleon underperformed at The battle of Waterloo. If only I (or Richard) could whisper in his ear. Surely, then, we would see the Bonaparte of Austerlitz, not the pale shadow whose lacklustre command lost the battle.

Do you have any favorite books or movies about Napoleon?

As a man past his mid-fifties, I was dazzled by the sheer scale of Sergei Bondarchuk’s film Waterloo starring Rod Steiger and produced by Dino de Laurentiis. I recommend Max Gallo’s series of books recounting Bonaparte’s life in the first person. Even translated from French into English, all four books in the series seem to put you right inside Napoleon’s head!

Do you have any favorite books or movies about time travel?

Time and Time Again by Ben Elton is brilliant about the experience of being stranded in the past.

Making History by Stephen Fry tackles the unforeseen consequences of tinkering with the past. When this came out, I was gutted. It was like he had stolen ideas right out of my head and made them better! To add insult to injury he went to Queens’ College, Cambridge University just like me.

I really enjoyed the original Back to the Future movie starring Michael J. Fox from 1985. I was at university, I had just got engaged, my future was bright!

Terminator and Terminator 2 are classics too, you just can’t separate them. They sum up the basic time travel plot in non-stop action movies. And you can’t forget Bill Murray’s arrogant weatherman learning to be a better person in Groundhog Day.

Can you tell me more about your research process? How accurately did you try to depict Napoleon—- and what aspects of his character might you have altered and why?

I read quite a lot of autobiographical material dictated by Napoleon. I was influenced, as I said earlier, by Max Gallo. In truth, I don’t think there is one true Napoleon waiting to be revealed through research. The artillery officer at Toulon morphed into a commander in Italy who became one of three Consuls governing France before having the Pope watch him crown himself Emperor of the French!

Life changed him. He started out as an opportunistic republican and look where he ended up!

If I have altered anything, it is to allow Napoleon to retain a little more of his earlier self, buried, but waiting to be re-ignited. Richard Davey, the time travelling schoolteacher will try to light that fire! As a consequence, Bonaparte emerges a little more open to advice and becomes, perhaps, a little less arrogant than the average emperor.

I’ve seen a number of recent fictional depictions of Napoleon where he’s depicted as a Hitler-like villain trying to conquer the free world. In your book, the hero not only admires Napoleon, but he’s willing to buck his very British upbringing by trying to help his hero win Waterloo. What led you to this characterization?

To be honest, I never buy into cartoonish caricatures. Very few leaders are without redeeming features, especially if judged by the standards of the time. Hitler was a monster. Napoleon was not. How else can we explain the men who rallied to his cause in 1815 when he escaped Elba and returned to France?

The other issue here, is the notion that Napoleon wanted to be a new Alexander the Great, conquering the known world.  Firstly, he was constantly faced with military coalitions determined to oust him as a threat to the notion of hereditary monarchy. What choice did he have but to fight?

Secondly, how was his behaviour different from the British? They claimed to be reluctant to subsume territories into their empire and yet it girdled the globe! All major European powers were prone to acquiring territories to their own benefit. France under Napoleon was no different.

As to Richard Davey’s motivation, his life is empty, he admires the scale of Bonaparte’s achievements and believes his downfall was not inevitable. Dreams of Napoleon fill Richard’s emptiness. After all, I’m British but admire the Founding Fathers of the United States!

Your depiction of Waterloo was particularly memorable. It feels like you were there. Did you travel to Belgium to see the battlefield?

Thank you. That is very rewarding to hear but I have never visited the site of Waterloo.  Most battlefield visits are a disappointment. Usually, you end up looking at farmers’ fields trying to imagine what happened there centuries ago. I have visited many other battle sites without finding them especially informative.  So, I decided to rely on the wealth of published material on the battle from narrative accounts to meteorological reports, from detailed illustrations of uniforms to explanations of early nineteenth century tactics.

What inspired your depiction of your hero’s best friend Emile?

In truth, Emile developed as I wrote. I needed someone on the French side who would listen to Richard. Without that, he would have been shot as a spy in short order.

I know this is not really a good way to develop character, but I got to know him as he interacted with Richard. He had to be open-minded and fairly close to Bonaparte hence his regiment and posting.

I also wanted him to be a contrast to Richard Davey. In a way, he is everything Richard might wish to be. He is confident, charming, sociable, brave and relatively successful. He also gives Richard an anchor in the past that has become his present and in so doing, allows him to start thinking about his nineteenth century future.

Thanks Gareth! Your novel was fast-paced and a lot of fun. As this is the first in a trilogy, I am very excited to read the sequels!

# # #

As an additional treat, I have uploaded Gareth’s interview with Carole Horton of Radio Skye here. And I also have uploaded a playlist, also curated by Gareth, to my Youtube channel. You can listen to it here— there’s also a description of how the tracks inspired him.

Don’t forget, the first three commenters on this post (not reblogs, just comments) will win a free PDF copy of Gareth’s book. Thanks everyone!

More about Gareth: 

If you enjoyed this interview, here’s another interview he did with the Historical Novel Society.

Gareth’s website can be found here— and this is his Goodreads page. If you enjoyed this content, please hit like and subscribe!

Purchase info:

Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Waterstones Browns Books Book Depository

[joannerenaud]

I got a couple of reviews on A QUESTION OF TIME and DOORS and I’m so happy! Thank you, MA, whoever you are. ;) 

Purchase links:

A QUESTION OF TIME is available at 

Champagne Books

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

Kobo

DOORS is now available through

Amazon

iBooks

Champagne Books

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

You can read an excerpt here.

[joannerenaud]

First line game

Rules are: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. I was tagged in this by @thiswaycomessomethingwicked. 

I did less than 20, because most everything I wrote before 2009 has never been finished, so here we go! Some of these are  more “open paragraphs” than opening lines, but... hey... why not? 

First Line Game

1. Fair Vanity (original, time travel, in progress)

When I finally dared to open the door that afternoon, the sun was a dull red ember, cloaked in haze and smoke, and the sky was the burnt, flat yellow of a dying world.

2. Vanity of Vanities (original, time travel, finished)

The grass was dying. Temperatures in the Valley had skyrocketed to over a hundred degrees. Even at sunset, it still felt like a furnace. But, when I discovered a package wrapped in brown paper courtesy of my great-aunt Justine, all the heat and the loneliness and the stress of working from home and the unending deluge of shitty news melted away from me like it was all a dream.

3. The Age of Sagas (GOT/ASOIAF fic, time travel, WIP)

“Well, here we are.” Brenn Fossoway’s voice was disgustingly cheerful as the old compact ground to a halt in the empty parking lot. “Home sweet home!”

“Maybe it’s your sweet home,” she said as she gazed up at the science building, looming above her in the purpling dusk. “But it’s not mine.”

4. The Captive Heiress (original, historical fiction, in edits)

Revolution hung in the air, heavy and potent as a storm, but nothing ever changed in the valley where Xandrine had lived all her life. The sheep bleated, the paper mills churned disgustingly, and the river Dore flowed the same, placid and winding, through the ash trees and willows that lay to the west of the chateau.

5. A Great Wide Blue Stillness (original, historical romance, originally publshed in the COCKY COCKERS anthology)

The dinner shift had just started, and the girls, all in black bombazine and starched aprons, flew from kitchen to dining room, bearing trays of relishes and jello salads, as well as entrées of fried steak, stuffed pork chops, grilled calf’s liver in onion and bacon, and chicken cooked a hundred ways.

6. Fly By Night (original, time travel, unpublished)

“So how about that party, huh? Wasn’t it crazy?”

“Yeah.” Even though Rachel’s face was flushed—she had downed that last shot of whisky fast—she didn’t feel very communicative.

7. The Titanium Tower (original, SF, unpublished)

Patra zoomed over the Sunless Sea, the waters below her hovercycle glittering in the directionless pale light, and almost felt alive again.  Though Mother had asked her to run another errand-- this time to fix a droid bay door in Sector Six-- she didn’t mind.  

8. Doors (original, time travel romance, Champagne)

When I found myself standing by a window that curved out onto an alien world, I stared in fascination. The landscape lay before me, twisted and strange, with red organic rock formations bent like gnarled fingers, and a dusty gold sky streaked with clouds the color of dried blood.

9. A Question of Time (original, time travel romance, Champagne)

Several of CiCi’s teachers had laughed at her for wanting to write stories about terra-forming Mars, or androids, or future colonies on the moons of Saturn. Girls weren’t supposed to like stuff like that. They were supposed to read sappy series novels like Couples, Sweet Dreams, or Sweet Valley High. Stuff like that was all right, she supposed, like watching soap operas, but it didn’t interest her. Yet Mr. Forrest understood.

10. Wendy (original, slipstream, originally published by Astonishing Adventures magazine)

The rain is pounding on the roof, and I’m staring at the bottle of Ambien on my coffee table. My doctor would tell me that it’s too late at night to take even one pill, but more than anything, I just want to sleep. It wasn’t just that I was tired—I’ve had insomnia most of my life, I’m used to that—but it was that I wanted to forget.

11. Ash-Slave (original, historical fantasy, originally published by Dark Valentine magazine)

Friends, there are some men who are convinced that the King of Kings is the most powerful man under heaven. Truly, those who have such faith in the Great King are blessed—yet, great Ahura Mazda forgive me, I have reason to think otherwise. What is a king, even the mightiest king in the world, when he is in love? Come and listen to my tale of the ash-slave who commanded the King himself.

As far as patterns, I sure do love eerie, ominous scene setting! Also time travel, but that goes without saying. 

I’m gonna tag @pepper-seeds, @titleleaf, @somepallings, @joachimnapoleon and any other authors who wish to participate.  

[joannerenaud]

Cocky Cockers Anthology out now!

I have a new story out-- a historical romance novelette called A Great Wide Blue Stillness-- one of the many great featured romance stories in the COCKY COCKERS anthology, a new charity anthology out now! 

There comes a time in our lives where we look for something new, something that bends the rules, something that is sure to ruffle some people’s rooster tails. Introducing The Cocky Cockers in all its cocky glory!

What do you get when you cross cocky heroes and heroines with Cocker Spaniels? Why, Cocky Cockers, of course.

All the stories in this anthology feature a Cocker Spaniel and a happily-ever-after (or happy-for-now) ending. How they get there? Well, that’s all the fun!

Warning: The stories in this anthology run the gamut from G to NC-17 ratings and include examples of nearly every subgenre–including contemporary, historical, paranormal, and steampunk–as well as m/f, m/m, and f/f pairings.

Proceeds from this anthology will first be used to defray any legal costs associated with its publication, and secondarily donated to the Romance Writers of America’s Benevolence Fund.

It is now available from:

Amazon

iBooks

Kobo

Contributors:

Shiloh Walker https://www.shilohwalker.com/website/

Jackie Barbosa, Editor http://www.jackiebarbosa.com

Sela Carsen http://selacarsen.com/

Tom Eden http://www.tomeden.com/

Anne Gaston https://annegaston.com/

Missy Jane https://authormissyjane.wordpress.com/

Sadie Jay https://sadiejaywrites.wixsite.com/relationships

Kinsey Holly, Editor http://kinseyholley.com/

John Jacobson, Editor

Taryn Kincaid https://tarynkincaid.com/

Lucy Kinsley and Tara Song

Rachael Kerr

Tara Kennedy http://www.talkapedia.com

Mia Koutras http://www.facebook.com/mia.koutras

L.J. LaBarthe https://www.ljlabarthe.com/

Elise Logan https://twitter.com/Elise_Logan

Carrie Lomax https://carrielomax.com/

Mara Malins https://twitter.com/MaraMalins

Heather Massey http://heathermassey.com

Siobhan Muir https://www.siobhanmuir.com/

Marie Piper http://www.mariepiper.com/

Joanne Renaud http://joannerenaud.tumblr.com/

Dominique Rothford http://dominiquerothford.com/

Selene Grace Silver http://selenegracesilver.com/

Naomi Tajedler http://www.naomi-tajedler.com

Emily Veinglory https://veinglory.blogspot.com/

Jules Voigt https://philosophersden.wordpress.com/

Jody Wallace http://jodywallace.com/

Mary Winter https://marywinter.com/

Julia Wolf http://juliawolfwrites.com/

[joannerenaud]

Thanks so much for the awesome review!!  Doors is now available through Amazon, Champagne Books, All Romance Ebooks, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. You can read an excerpt here. You can also check it out on Goodreads. 

A review of 'Doors' by Joanne Renaud

From the moment I opened to the first page and began the prologue, I knew that ‘Doors’ by Joanne Renaud was going to be an excellent novel. As a reader, you’re immediately transported into a dreamscape and reminded of characters you loved from ‘A Question of Time’, (Joanne’s prequel and though you don’t need to read that book to understand whats going on, it does help to have the background information.) You move on from the foreign dreamscape world and into the real world of Jacqueline Karam and her eccentric, yet lovable friend, Orne St. John. The 174 page story, without giving away to much, is centered around a tragic point in Jaqualine’s childhood that haunts and tugs at her. She dreams of her long passed teacher and his cryptic message, but with no clear explanation as to why. She can’t seem to get it out of her head and as the story continues, it just might be the key to something bigger. With Orne St. John pushing her to pursue it, in his unique, possibly selfish, yet charming way, how can she not begin the expedition…and once started, will everything be the same? It’s a journey that will shake her very core and yet, she grows stronger for the experience. (which is right up my alley!) 'Doors’ removes us from the mundane everyday life into an adventurous world of puzzlement, mystery, parallel dimensions and wonderful 90’s references. (Which to me is an excellent treat!) The relationship, and banter, between Jacqualine and Orne St. John, as they journey to find their individual happiness, is a wonderful development that feels completely natural to their personalities. Not something that is forced at all. The character growth between the two is astounding and is something I really appreciate. (Flat characters are boring!) Personally, I am not a huge romance reader. I went through a phase at one point, but I found most romances come down to a very basic,and disappointing, plot; Strong independent woman doesn’t need anyone to tell her what to do, or how to live, and then suddenly she meets a man she hates, who then turns into a love interest she can’t live without, as well as, can’t function without. Thus strong heroine is no longer strong and independent, becoming a dependent shell of her former self. For me, that grew old fast and I became a very picky romance reader. (though recently I’ve been told things have gotten better in the romance section. I’ll have to look around and see.) But, as I previously stated, our heroine in 'Doors’ becomes a stronger person for her adventures and this just makes me all sorts of happy. With Joanne’s style and her timey whimey plots, She weaves wonderful tales of science fiction into unforgettable romance, creating an exciting adventure that you won’t soon forget! So, I urge you, if you’re picky like me, (and even if you’re not!) to pick it up and read it! It will definitely be worth your time!

[joannerenaud]

So the March Mayhem giveaway is officially over now-- but we will announce the winner soon, as soon as I’m back from New York. Thanks to everyone for entering!

And speaking of New York, I am here in Fun City to give a reading on April 4th at Lady Jane’s Salon, New York’s first-- and only-- romance reading series, at the fabulous Madame X’s bar in Soho. I’ll be there with my fellow romance authors L.G. O’Connor, Talia Surova and Mari Mancusi. The event runs from 7 to 9, with a $5 cover charge (and $5 drinks).  New York peeps, I’d love it if you could make it. See you there!  

[joannerenaud]

Spring is here, and it’s time for March Mayhem! Fifteen days... five authors... and the chance to win a fabulous swag basket with prizes from Donna Thorland, Lynne Connolly, Kat Parrish, Kat Laurange, and me! 

In addition to a shiny new paperback copy of A Question of Time and my brand new science fiction romance Doors, I’m also giving away the artwork above, which features (from left to right) Yalira from Kat Parrish’s Bride of the Midnight King, Marcus Aurelius, Lord Malton from Lynne Connolly’s Dilemma in Yellow Silk, Anna Winters (and her kitten Scrappy) from Donna Thorland’s The Dutch Girl, Charlie from Kat Laurange’s Somebody Brave, and Orne St. John from Doors. 

More info about these characters here!  You can find out more about March Mayhem prizes here, and you can enter to win from my blog home page from now until 3/30/2016, 12 AM, EST.  

[joannerenaud]

Guys, I have a new book out! I am proud to announce the arrival of DOORS, a timey-wimey “side-quel” to my first book, A QUESTION OF TIME, out now from Champagne Books. Here’s a blurb:

Jackie Karam always knew her friend Orne was a weirdo, even before he enlists her help in opening a door to an alternate dimension. His theory is that if one could find a book one lost, a book one loved but can no longer remember anything about, it might open a door to another world. Jackie just happens to have such a book in her past. A science fiction novel her high school teacher had recommended to her before he died in a car crash.

Jackie loves hanging out with her handsome, charming, eccentric friend, so she agrees on a trip back to her hometown to look for Mr. Forrest’s book. She finds it in the White Springs library, and just as Orne hoped, opens a door to another dimension, one altered from the world she knows. Not just altered, but better. Her career is a success, her old teacher is alive and well, and her relationship with Orne is so much more intimate. Her own world is so drab and hopeless by contrast, she’s tempted to stay. 

But does she truly belong in this other world? What happens to this world’s Jackie if she stays? And what will happen to her, if she refuses to go back through that door?

You can read an excerpt here. 

DOORS is now available through Amazon, Champagne Books, All Romance Ebooks, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. 

And I’m so pleased with the cover. Trisha FitzGerald did an amazing job! 

[joannerenaud]

A Tribute to Pino Daeni

Here's the second romance novel cover post I managed to dig up from the old blog. Enjoy!

* * *

This post is a tribute to one of my favorite cover illustrators, Pino Daeni (aka Pino D’Angelico), who was a significant influence on me when I was growing up. He’s most famous for illustrating book covers in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, though by the ’90s he tired of commercial work and started exhibiting in galleries. But I was fascinated by his covers– I loved his unabashed romanticism, his fluid brushstrokes, his vivid color schemes, and– last but not least– his effortlessly sexy men and women. He died in May 2010, but sadly enough I only just discovered this the other day. So here is a belated tribute post to that greatest of romance cover illustrators– the one and only Pino.

From 1986, this cover for Roberta Gellis’s medieval historical romance “The Rope Dancer” is the oldest painting in my current batch of pics, and it manages to be both epic and ’80s at the same time. The girl is a very typical Pino girl– a curvy and kittenish redhead. The guy feels like something of an afterthought, but but I love the whole neon pink RenFaire vibe of the cover. It makes me want to listen to The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats.

Deborah Grabien’s “Fire Queen” was a diverting 1989 historical fantasy/romance set in ancient Ireland, and while it’s not GRR Martin, I have many pleasant memories of it. I have to admit one of my favorite parts about the book was the cover, and the stepback art you see here. It had a great Red Sonja vibe to it, with lots of action. The colors are insanely saturated, but hey– it was the ’80s!

From 1991, Claudia McCormick’s “Raven at Sunrise” was another ancient Irish-set historical romance. This was more of a traditional genre romance, hence the use of a clinch. I can just see Pino in his studio, going nuts with the foliage. The orange/yellow/fuchsia palette seem an odd choice for a story set in Ireland, but I think possibly he was just trying to be different. I really like the musculature on the guy.

Some of my absolute favorite work by Pino were the illustrations he did for the Harlequin Historical line– the usual layout was a closeup of the girl, a clinch below, and various scenes from the book on the back cover (you can see another example of this in my ‘Retro romance covers’ post here). You can see that the colors, while still playful and saturated, are becoming slightly more subdued. I especially love this one– the book, a French baroque-era historical romp by Louisa Rawlings (aka Sylvia Halliday) is not only sexy and fun, but the cover works perfectly for it. If you want adventure, romance, duels, and the home-and-garden tour of various magnificent chateaux, this book is for you. (The guy is hot too, which doesn’t hurt.)

Kathleen Morgan’s “Enchant the Dream”– the sequel to the wonderful “Enchant the Heavens” came out in 1996, which means that this came at the end of Pino’s illustration career. I really wish I could see more of the illustration on this: I think, looking at the design, it might possibly have been planned originally to be a stepback, but the designers probably changed their minds in the end to save money. I prefer Pino’s earlier more painterly work, but this is a fine illustration too. I like the super-loose background on the back cover.

I’ve gotten a lot of pleasure looking at Pino’s work over the years, even though, alas, many people back in my teenage and college years gave me trouble for liking these covers. I got more than a few sneers when I would pull out a Pino-illustrated book and say how well done it was. I make no apology for liking his art; I like artwork that is so ostentatiously emotional and feminine. In any case, since the ’00s, I’ve heard much less scoffing and sneering whenever I bring up Pino’s artwork– or even romance novel cover art in general– which I think is an interesting cultural shift.

[joannerenaud]

Retro Romance Covers

I have some good news for you guys! About three years ago, I wrote a series of posts about romance cover art, with lots of pics. However, I lost it all when my web provider nuked my blog from orbit (that is why I moved to Tumblr). However, I was able to recover a bunch of posts recently. Here is the first long-lost Retro Romance Covers post, with more to follow!

* * *

Today, I am going to post retro romance covers. With today’s dependence on stock photo, illustrated romance covers are becoming a lost art, which is too bad. Though they were considered laughable twenty to thirty years ago, romance covers, which were illustrated by consummate professional artists like the late Pino Daeni, Allan Kass, Elaine Duillo, and Elaine Gignilliat, were often quite beautiful. Here are a few covers I especially like.

This is the oldest book here– originally published in 1965. As far as I know, this is the cover for the original edition. I have no idea who the artist is, but it’s a fun pic– he probably did a lot of advertising work (like for Coca-Cola, judging by the girl). I love how the guy looks like he has dyspepsia. The spaniel is adorable.

This fantastic cover for Laura Parker’s 1790s era historical “Silks and Sabers” by well-known illustrator Elaine Gignilliat is one of my favorites. The amount of detail in this is really astonishing, and it actually references the print Le Bal Paré by Gabriel Saint-Aubin. It’s too bad the girl in the red dress looks like Raquel Welch from “The Three Musketeers,” but eh, you can’t have everything.

Pino Daeni is one of my favorite illustrators, and partially because of him I was determined to become a book cover artist myself. This is one of his earlier efforts, a first edition of Catherine Coulter’s “Chandra.” The book is not Ms. Coulter’s best, but I’ve always loved this illustration– the moonlight and the cool palette seem to make it especially sexy and evocative.

This was a cute little illo by artist Barney Plotkin done for the profoundly ’80s category romance “Here There Be Dragons” by Marianne Clark. While not up to the likes of Daeni or Gignilliat, I like the mid-1980s soap opera vibe this pic has, as well as the perspective. Drawing a birds-eye perspective on a snuggling couple is not something I could do easily.

Amazingly enough, I actually found the original artwork sold here back in 2009– and it looks like it was even more beautiful in real life. Alas, the final printed cover cut out a lot of the nice details on the painting.

Back in the days when stepback covers actually featured more art, not reviews or a longer blurb, this was the stepback cover for the original paperback edition of Karen Robards’ “This Side of Heaven.” The artwork is by illustration heavyweight Elaine Duillo, first major female cover artist and Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame inductee. There’s so much stuff to look at in this illustration, from the fabrics to the flowers to the landscape; I’m especially fond of the cat.

In 1992, Pino Daeni was getting sick working on covers, with their tight deadlines and lack of artistic freedom, but it’s hard to tell this from his work. Even the jobs he did for Harlequin were beautiful– he had an epic sweep and a feel for history that came through in every cover. I really like this cover done for Mary Daheim’s “Gypsy Baron,” with all the gorgeous and authentic 17th century costume details (though I’m not sure St Paul’s Cathedral should be there in the background for a story set in King James I’s time– but oh well). I especially love the heroine’s awesome Marie de Medici collar on the front. That is not something you see on your average romance cover, and at the time I remember it was very eye-catching.

More covers to follow!

[joannerenaud]

I review Jacobin’s Daughter on Dear Author!