http://www.tiffanyclare.com — Author of Historical Romance — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Okay, perhaps it's not. But I love shopping for a few new pieces for my wardrobe come RWA time! My first RWA I did it ALL last minute... and shopping actually stresses me out if I feel rushed. I can never find anything that fits me properly, so I need to spend time in the stores, hemming and hawing and then finally sinking and buying something I love.

This year it's in Orlando, which means it's hot, but cold inside. Sigh, it's hard to win in two opposing climates. But I've got lightweight dresses so I don't sweat to death in the heat, and some cardigans to keep me warm should I feel a bit of a chill indoors.

This year I went shopping MONTHS before I needed to. I've actually had my RITA dress for about six weeks now!

I bought a colour I've never bought before! Champagne... And I'm so excited about it. No, I won't share a picture, but this year, I promise to at least take A picture!

So, if you're going to the RWA National Conference, have you bought some new clothes? I can't be the only one obsessed about this. Though obsesses seems a bit harsh a word. Spill, does anyone else have a shopping bug? I have a love of dresses... I have more dresses than a girl really needs to own! What about you?

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So. I got ARCs!!!

Only a little excited. OKAY! REALLY EXCITED! I can hold a version of the book in my own hands! It's ALMOST real. When I see it on the shelves, I'll try not to be too annoying :) because then it WILL be real.

I'm not sure what to do with them yet. I want to give them all away, but will settle for giving away ONE copy to those who sign up for my newsletter in the next couple weeks (I'll enter you twice into the random draw if you follow me on Twitter, too). Contest will run until JULY 15, 2010! I know, it's a million days away, but it'll come quick and I want to give everyone on facebook and twitter a chance to enter for the one I'm giving away.

My family is asking for copies. I want to share even if they are the uncorrected versions of the book. But I have such a limited number. What would you do with ARC's if you got them? Are you a reader that adores getting advance books of authors you love most? Are there ARC's you wish you could get your hands on?

In case you want to know what the book is about, here's the teaser on the first page (And you saw it here first!):

How had she ended up in a place like this?
When he'd moved back to England after his uncle's death, the first thing he'd done was look for her. That had to be some five years ago. His sources had said she was still married to that lowly baron with an estate up north. Perhaps Griffin had given up his search too easily.
Griffin turned away from the scene and looked for the man who escorted them up to this section of the palace. Griffin had made his selection. He'd had to pull himself through a long path of self-destruction to make it to this point. Was this some sick ironic award for moral behavior? It didn't matter. It was what it was. After all these years, she was finally going to be his.

Back Blurb can be found here.

This giveaway is open internationally. So if you live in France (why is that always the first country that comes to mind, oh probably because I would love to live in Paris, even though I've never been there), I'll totally ship the book to you.

Already signed up for my newsletter? No problem, you'll automatically be entered into the draw!

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/VauxhallVixens/~3/sZFfJI_oaz8/cool-stuff-about-counting-down-to.html One of the standard conventions of historical romances revolves around a widow in mourning who falls in love with a new man, often the hero. Their potential for a happy ending is postponed by strictures against a hasty remarriage. This postponement can lead to delightfully naughty scenarios such as clandestine meetings, pre-marital sexual encounters, and even secret marriages.

I was confronted with just such a predicament when writing SONG OF SEDUCTION , available now from Carina Press. Mathilda Heidel, my widowed heroine, falls in love with Arie de Voss, the renowned composer and pianist she's idolized for years. When presented with the opportunity to study music with her idol, Mathilda jumps at the chance. Their relationship soon escalates to one of mutual longing.

But then what?

Because SONG OF SEDUCTION is set in 1804 Austria, I needed to find out what mourning restrictions would've been placed on a young widow in Mathilda's position. A week? A month? A year? What was the expected mourning period, and what restrictions to her daily life would she have experienced?

Research led me to understand that Salzburg's highly Catholic society determined most customs. Unlike in England where, come Victorian times, mourning periods were codified almost to the point of being writ in law books, Salzburg's customs were not to strict or uniform. The local priests set the standard for his flock, and any more complex rulings--generally to do with the nobility--were left to the bishop.

Here's an exchange between Mathilda and her best friend, Ingrid, as they discussion possibilities for her future:

"Until you are remarried," Ingrid said firmly, "you do not need to leave."

Mathilda glanced down at the mourning gown that enshrouded her body. The glaring contrast of pale trim against black bombazine shouted without words: my husband died unjustly. She shrank from the attention fostered by those garish adornments, the curious looks and pity intent on stealing her peace.

"Do not tease, Ingrid. You know I cannot remarry, most likely not for months."

"But you've helped us beyond measure. I can at least find you a dance partner."

"No dancing either," Mathilda said.

"Still? Father Holtz is being unreasonable. A year of mourning is all he requires of the war widows, and even those restrictions are ignored if they have enough money."

Her fingers wrapped in black kid leather, Mathilda toyed with her pendant. She recognized the anxious habit and tucked the protective amber amulet into her bodice. "He's only ensuring that I respect Jürgen's memory."

"You do already," Ingrid said.

Notice the part about the pale trim on her mourning gown? This isn't a nod to the English custom of half-mourning, where widows were permitted to mix white, gray and even lavender with their black garb. No, Austrian widows whose husband had been murdered wore white lace trim on their cuffs and bodices. This may have been a hold-over from the medieval "white mourning," which was worn when enduring the deepest form of grief.

This symbol of the injustice Mathilda's late husband suffered came in very handy. The scandal of her birth means she shrinks from public notice, and those glaring white cuffs--thank you, history!--became yet another symbol of why she was different. The last thing she wants it to stand out, which is why she hides her miraculous talent for playing the violin.

If only a stubborn, ambitious musician would come into her life, intent on showing her how wonderful it can be to indulge in one's true passions...

If you're curious about more of Austria's peculiar customs, please let me know! I'd love to give away a copy of SONG OF SEDUCTION to a random commenter!

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/VauxhallVixens/~3/MmSjHw8cWpk/mourning-and-marriage-in-austria-by.html A few weeks ago I read a great blog over at Dear Author, titled: Who’s at the Center of a Romance, the Hero or Heroine.

It’s a very interesting question and it really got me thinking. There are all kinds of books that focus on one or the other. All kinds of great books in romance that focus equally on the male and female protagonists through the course of a story.

I’ve never thought about this one way or another before now. I do know I prefer to read and gravitate toward books written by women over men, though I read both. I do love a fantasy novel that focuses on a woman’s journey as opposed to a man’s. I prefer a romance novel that might have more point of view (POV) scenes done from the woman's standpoint than the male protagonist. And, above all, I want to relate to the character in some shape or form while I'm reading. I don't have to step in her shoes and be her, but I want to go along for the ride in her character ARC more than I do for a man.

I'm guessing that last point has a lot to do with the reason I prefer a Heroine centered novel. I'm a woman, I relate to women characters more easily than I would a male lead. I become more emotionally invested in a story for one told through a woman's eyes. Don't get me wrong, I love me some yummy heroes. I love the intense ones as well (Lord Ian MacKenzie!) And romances are about the journey of two people coming together, falling in love and triumphing all.

But, I'm still drawn to stories that focus a little more on the women, their relationships, their loves, and their journeys in life.

If I can't connect to the heroine, I most likely won't finish the book. If she does things that I find silly or completely degrading to her part in the story it's an instant wallbanger. If the heroine has a smaller arc than the man, I might forgive the story it's flaws if it's really well told.

I think my preference for the heroine-centric novel (and there are many ways to interpret what heroine-centric can mean to you) has inadvertently influenced my writing. I love my female leads. Love them to pieces. I think my greatest strength in my story telling is in my heroines. I put more time and consideration in building their dynamics than I usually do my heroes because my heroines are more likely to represent community for me and be more family centric than my bachelor heroes. That's not to say I dislike my heroes. I love them, too, and I have to work extra hard to make them shine because they have to match my strong heroine leads.

If you haven't guessed, most of my books favor the heroines. The Surrender of a Lady is told mostly in Jinan's POV, the story is a romance, but focuses more on her journey of acceptance (watch, readers will think something completely different than this, which is fine by me). The Seduction of his wife is more about the growth of Emma's character, and the POV is slightly favored on the heroine's side. The Secret Desires of a Governess also favors my heroine a tiny bit more, though my hero, Elliott is totally droolworthy in my eyes.

Readers: Take at look at your book shelves . . . what kinds of books do you mostly see?

Writers: Who do you better relate to when writing your stories? Is it gender based? Now that I've asked the question are you going to think about this in depth?

Do you love the heroines or the heroes more in your stories? Do you like them evenly? Are there specific things/roles you like each gender to play?

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/VauxhallVixens/~3/bCy89dmdxA0/heroine-centric-novels.html I want to talk about a writer’s health. When we sit in front of the computer for at least half our waking hours, it’s easy to forget about our health. About what your body really needs, about taking the time to make proper, healthy meals instead of quick fixes that probably aren’t the healthiest of choices. It’s easier to sit on the couch with my laptop most days than to get up and get moving.

Like so many other people/writer’s I have a high stress job on top of my writing. And writing isn’t exactly low stress either. I have youngish kids, too. Balancing two jobs and a family is tough. I’ve managed this for some years now, but it’s sadly been at the expense of my health. I’ve not watched my diet. I’ve not tried to keep the stress under control. Instead, I just let it get out of hand, and I’m suffering for it health wise.

The biggest change that has happened to me in the last while is my diet. I’ve had to change the way I eat. I have to read every ingredient on everything I buy to make sure I’m consuming absolutely no sugar, no yeast, no wine (my Tom Wait’s writing sessions with a bottle wine and me on the weekends, are a thing of the past). I’ve also had to start exercising. I walk. Walking isn’t really like exercising—at least not in my head—so I pick up my kids at the afterschool, and they only way for this non-driver to get there is to walk!

And if you are wondering what kind of crazy diet I’m on, it’s the Candida Diet link here for more information. It’s been a tough start, but once I got going on it (and I’m a very disciplined person when I need to be) I started to feel better. Now… if I could just reduce the stress in my life, I’d be in a much better place

Do yourself a favor today. Take a deep breath, and get up and get moving. Go for a walk for twenty minutes. Say no to that chocolate (I can’t tell you how hard it’s been to say no to chocolate). And do something just for you, that is all about you!

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/VauxhallVixens/~3/MUhK7wcHWzU/all-about-you.html I’ve got them in my head right now. Before you completely think I’ve lost my marbles, let me explain. Maggie’s talked about the squirrels, busy digging up stories, and squirreling away all those ideas that bombard you as a writer.

It’s unfortunate my squirrels have morphed into gremlins, because they do the opposite of those cute fuzzy squirrels. Feels like my gremlins are eating away at my brain. So maybe that makes them zombie gremlins?

You’re probably asking if there is a purpose to this post. There is. Promise. It’s about coping with stress when everything in life feels like it’s gone downhill. By downhill, I’m totally referring to those green gremlins I’m hacking up every few minutes right now. J TMI, I know.

I was doing okay with the crazy load that daily life likes to deliver me: kids, writing, revisions, work, life in general… now a cold gets thrown into the loop, and this one has nearly knocked me on my ass for a week now and still counting the days to feeling better.

So writing for the past week has taken the backburner as I adjust to what is apparently some sort of latent asthma (is this like a late birthday present, Universe?) mixed with allergies from hell, and brought on my this lovely cold virus.

I always feel guilty about putting writing on the backburner. And I can’t stop thinking about it. (Thank god those revisions are done--or I’d be totally screwed! LOL) But sometimes life is telling us to back off and rest, it just does it in the most mysterious of ways, if you ask me.

So, tell me readers, what makes you slow down? Do you realize you take on too much (because you are obviously smarter than me) or do you come crashing down when something literally throws you on your ass?

Please, if it’s in your heart to banish those gremlins from my head, send some heal vibes my way, blog readers.

Also, it’s pay it forward day. Which is all about random acts of kindness and passing it on. So do something nice for someone who needs it!

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How would you react if you woke up in the arms of your sister's newest protector?

What would you do if you were a mistress by mistake? In Bay's arms. No really, he's delicious.

Remember, if you are on twitter, Monday's is retweet Maggie's Mistress Monday contest day! Just don't forget to add the hastag for a chance to win a copy of her book--before it releases! You don't want to miss this book.

[edited to add: No, Bay never sleeps with the heroine's sister. That's would be just ewwww]

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/VauxhallVixens/~3/YrJyla51lVM/mistress-by-mistake-countdown.html I promised I'd share my cover art soon. And I've posted it all over the place on my loops, twitter, facebook.

So here she is.

I can't tell you how much I've been in love with it since I first saw it. Even got all teary eyed.

So what does everyone think?

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For those who didn't hear me screaming it at every corner of the internet world, you can now preorder Surrender of a Lady from Amazon, B&N, and Indigo.

I bought five. Just because :)

I can't wait for my cover to go up (I promise to share it soon).

Amazon Link

B&N Link

And for the fellow Canadians, Indigo/Chapters Link

Anyone else got some exciting news?

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/VauxhallVixens/~3/tgGvmeyakBs/cool-preorder-links.html With deadlines looming, edits threatening sanity, a day job sucking the life out of me every second of the day, I cannot bring myself to write a craft blog.

Don't worry... I bring you hot men instead.

Outside of writing I have very few hobbies. I rarely watch TV, I don't do excise (I have a severe allergy to that), I have two young kids that eat up copious amounts of time and I can say that most nights, after around the dinner hour, I'm not much good for anything except for watching paint dry.

But, every writer needs a bit of an outlet outside of writing. I read to my kids (they are totally going to hate that fact when I get to the REALLY sad part in Where the Red Fern Grows), I try to keep my house clean because I'm a total type A personality living with three type B's, and I occasionally watch movies and TV. And I mean minimal TV watching because I have the attention span of a gnat (not sure if they even have an attention span, point taken) so I grow impatient and annoyed with TV shows very, VERY fast, so much so I grow agitated and feel the need to pace after a short while.

Here is where the hot men come in...

I'm addicted to Spartacus: Blood and Sand. I love the characters, the hotness, the m/m action ('cause I'm a total perv) and the story (there are a few threads of love stories) And best of all, it's something to take my mind of writing, it's full of eye candy, and it's full of awesome. So, I'm sharing some pics I found online of the men that are currently making my world go round and round and round (I still totally love Purefoy, though, he'll probably always be my number one).

What kind of non real life distractions make your world go round? Men like this keep me plenty distracted, maybe it's all that testosterone, which is totally off the charts hot...

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