DeAnna Cameron's Blog, page 14

Interview with Christy English, author of HOW TO TAME A WILLFUL WIFE

I had the pleasure of discovering the work of author Christy English soon after the release of her wonderful debut novel, THE QUEEN'S PAWN, in 2010. I was swept away by her sensitive portrait of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, which continued with her second novel, TO BE A QUEEN.
 
Earlier this week, she published her latest novel, HOW TO TAME A WILLFUL WIFE, a delightful retelling of Shakespeare's TAMING OF THE SHREW. Publishers Weekly has hailed it as "refreshingly honest and passionate," and I couldn't agree more.

I was thrilled she agreed to take a few moments to discuss her new novel and, knowing my love of recipes, she even brought along one of her favorite novel-inspired dishes.


Christy, thank you so much for joining me today. What made you think of writing a new version of The Taming of the Shrew?

DeAnna, it’s an honor to be here. Thank you for hosting me. I know what you mean. As often as Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is produced, it’s not the most romantic play in the world. Petrucchio basically drags Katherine to the altar, starves her into submission, and at the end, she is “tamed.” She falls in line with the medieval status quo, which means that she will docilely obey her lord and master for the rest of her life. And this is supposed to be a comedy!

Of course, I am over-simplifying here, and most modern productions I’ve seen manage to make light of the darker aspects of this play while also winking at the audience as if to say, “Well, Kate isn’t really tamed.” I suppose I took it a step further with this novel, and created a character in Caroline Montague who could never be subjugated. Caroline has never been docile a day in her life. So when she meets Anthony Carrington, the man her father has chosen for her, she hits a brick wall when he expects her to toe the line. But it doesn’t take us long to discover that Anthony has hit a wall right along with her. In the first scene, they are literally at daggers drawn. So the question is raised: Can these two people learn to live together as equals? It takes the rest of the book to answer that question.

Regency Romance seems a huge departure from your previous novels, TO BE QUEEN and THE QUEEN’S PAWN. What drew you away from the medieval period and into the world of Regency England?

Well, nothing will ever take me away from Eleanor of Aquitaine. I absolutely adore that woman. But I have always written romances for myself during my time off from Eleanor. And I finally thought, “Why not try to sell one?”

As much as I love historical fiction, I love a good romance novel, too. And the Regency period is my favorite.

Why is that?

It is such a romantic time. In my new novel, the Napoleonic wars have just ended and the officers are coming home and settling back into civilian life. Anthony takes Caroline to a ball at Carlton House, the Prince Regent’s opulent palace in London where they waltz in the ballroom. I love the lush beauty of this period. The nobility of England at the time really knew how to live. Regency gowns are beautiful, and when I write about the elite as I do in this novel, I get to dress my heroine in a lot of silk. Shades of Eleanor here… (LOL)

What is this new novel about? Of course, we know these two characters meet and eventually fall in love, but how do we get from point A to point Z?

Well, with a lot of conflict. And a lot of love scenes. (LOL) It is safe to say that, at least in the beginning, Caroline and Anthony settle most of their differences in bed.

Christy, thanks again for joining me on my blog. And thanks for including the recipe for braised beef. It sounds delicious!

LOL…I wish I could take credit. The geniuses at Simply Recipes came up with this one.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/beef_roast_braised_in_zinfandel/

After years of acting in Shakespeare’s plays, Christy English is excited to bring the Bard to Regency England in HOW TO TAME A WILLFUL WIFE, a re-telling of The Taming of the Shrew. For those of you addicted to medieval history, please take a look at her historical fiction about Eleanor of Aquitaine, TO BE QUEEN and THE QUEEN’S PAWN. You can join her on her website http://www.ChristyEnglish.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ShakespeareInLoveSeries

Funny thing about NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month kicks off today and I couldn't be happier. It's only 2 p.m. and I've already logged more than 2,300 words, which puts me a good chunk over the minimum daily requirement of 1,600-odd words to reach the goal of 50,000 for the month.

Yes, it can be a grind to churn out that many words every day for a whole month, but for me, it's pretty exciting, too. I spend a couple of weeks or more leading up to NaNoWriMo doing pre-writing work (outlining, character sketches, that kind of thing) exclusively, which I've found has two benefits. The first is obvious. As I'm furiously typing away, I have a terrific road map that keeps me from going off course.

The other benefit kind of surprised me. Because I don't do any story writing for so long, I develop an insane pent-up desire to finally write the story when Nov. 1 rolls around. And it feels wonderful. Like finally exhaling after holding your breath. These are some of my favorite writing days, and I can't wait to get back to it tomorrow.

This year I'm signed up over at www.nanowrimo.org, and I've also joined the Entangled Publishing Smackdown organized by www.SavvyAuthors.com. If you look for me over there, I'm on #TeamFEA in the #GetShorty subgroup. I'm thrilled to be part of such a super-motivated group, and I have no doubt that we're all going to reach that magical 50K number well before Nov. 30.
 

Recipe: Victorian Scottish Oatcakes

     One of my favorite things about Bessie MacClair -- the heroine's Scottish immigrant mother in DANCING AT THE CHANCE -- is her resourceful Victorian cooking.     "The stove had belonged to the DeGraafs, and it had been Bessie’s pride and joy. She had never had more than a hearth for cooking and baking in Scotland, and not even that when they had lived on the street. Before the sickness sapped her strength, Bessie was always in the kitchen if she was not up in the wardrobe room or with Em.
      When Pepper inhaled, she could still smell the savory stews and Scotch broths, the fresh bannocks and oatcakes, even the occasional meat pies."

      In their most basic form, oatcakes are simply oatmeal biscuits, but that simplicity -- coupled with the ease in which they can be altered to suit varied tastes -- has made these treats a favorite in Scottish households for centuries.

     Since oats were the most prevalent grain in Scotland until the last century, oatcakes were not only easy to make, but inexpensive as well. That made them a favorite with the lower and middle classes, but they also had a place in the upper classes -- including Queen Victoria's household.
     In “The Queen at Balmoral,” a memoir published 1893, Mrs. Frank Pope Humphrey recalls an afternoon in her childhood when she was preparing oatcakes and Queen Victoria’s daughters, the Princesses Helena and Louise, came around to play. Mrs. Pope Humphrey’s mother required her daughter to finish her task before she could join her royal playmates. But instead of taking their leave, Mrs. Pope Humphrey remembers the girls lending a hand.
    “O, we’ll help,” said the Princesses … And Helena proceeded to tend and turn the cakes that were already baking on the griddle over the fire—the only true and genuine way to bake oatcakes—and became very hot and rosy in the process, while Louise, with that spirit of exploration which distinguishes her, rummaged for an additional cake cutter.”
      Though some would argue that an oven is the better way to cook an oatcake, there is no denying that these hearty little biscuits hold a special place in Scotland’s culinary history, and I wanted to give them a try.
      I found a simple recipe in “Traditional Scottish Cookery,” by Sheila MacRae, and spent a recent Saturday morning experimenting. The recipe made two oatcake rounds, which yielded 16 wedges when cut. I served them with softened butter and marmalade, and they were, well, fine. Not great, but not bad, either. To be fair, my family prefers bolder flavors, so others might find them perfect as they are.
      I do plan to make oatcakes again, but next time I want to add a bit of flour to lighten up the cake, as well as some savory seasoning – rosemary, perhaps?—so they might accompany a brie or other soft cheese.        If you have a suggestion, or a favorite recipe for oatcakes, I'd love to hear it.       SCOTTISH OATCAKES
Adapted from “Traditional Scottish Cookery,” by Sheila MacRae.
2 cups fine oatmeal*
Pinch of salt
Pinch of baking soda
3 T. shortening, melted
3 T. warm water
3 T. milk
Flour (for rolling)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Then add the shortening, water and milk. Knead the dough gently on a floured surface. Divide the dough in half, and roll out one half of it to about an 8-inch circle. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Place both on a lightly greased baking sheet, score each round into eight segments, and bake until golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Yields 16 wedges.
* I pulsed old-fashioned oats in a food
processor until they were fine.

What readers said about discovering new authors and the June contest winner

Happy July 1!

I've just finished reading all the June contest entries and the wonderful ways that these book lovers discover new authors. I wasn't surprised to see that so many said it was a recommendation from friends and/or family that prompted them to give a new author a try, but I admit I was surprised -- and thrilled -- that many said they also discover new books and authors at libraries. Browsing at a library even beat out browsing at a bookstore for finding new discoveries. I didn't expect that. I suppose it's just another sign of the changing times... BTW, the other top avenues for discovery mentioned included book review blogs, Goodreads.com, RT Book Review magazine, as well as recommendations from trusted authors.

It was fascinating to learn what resonates with readers and I really appreciate that everyone was so generous in their responses. Unfortunately, there can be only one winner for the prize package of Victorian/Edwardian reads that includes a copy of my vaudeville-inspired historical novel DANCING AT THE CHANCE, Janet Fox's YA fave FAITHFUL, and Maureen Lang's inspiration romance BEES IN THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN. I've put all the entries in a list and checked Random.org's random number generator. And the winner is...

Julie Peterson

Congratulations, Julie! I'll email you in just a moment to get a mailing address.

I'd also like to say a big thank-you my giveaway partners -- the awesome authors Janet Fox and Maureen Lang -- for helping to make this an extra special contest prize. It has been my pleasure to introduce your novels to readers.

So what's next? Good question! Instead of a July contest, I'm hoping to have a special freebie available on www.DeAnnaCameron.com. I'm still working out details, though, so check back soon :)

An Old-Fashioned Sunday Dinner, Courtesy of the Victorian Mother of the Modern Cookbook

As someone addicted to cookbooks, it's almost impossible for me to imagine a world without them. I suppose that's why I feel I owe Eliza Acton such a debt of gratitude. Her release of Modern Cookery for Private Families in Britain in 1845 created the model for the cookbook as we know it today, with lists of ingredients and suggested cooking times. It's surprising no one thought to do such a thing before. Thankfully for cookbook-aholics like me, she did. This 46-year-old woman whose poetry had already earned her acclaim refocused her considerable talent to the writing and careful observation of the domestic art of cooking.
This weekend I dusted off a few of Ms. Acton's recipes for a summertime Sunday dinner:

Roast Fowl -- A French Receipt Carrots in Their Own JuicesPotato Ribbons
(My deviations: For the bird, I prepared bread stuffing instead of meat stuffing, and cooked it separately. If I've learned anything from Alton Brown, it is this: Never trust stuffing cooked inside of a bird. For the carrots, I added the juice of one orange to the cream sauce.)

And the result?

An old-fashioned dinner that more than pleased my family's modern appetite.

May Contest Winner & New Contest Coming

Thank you to everyone who entered this month's contest at DeAnnaCameron.com. I've assigned each entry a number, plugged the total in to Random.org's random number generator, and the winner is...


Charity Beck
Congratulations, Charity! You've won the free copy of THE BELLY DANCER.
I'll send you an email in just a moment to get a mailing address.

For everyone else, a new contest will be up on Monday. I hope you'll check it out!

In the meantime, have a great weekend :)

Shop For Great Stuff, And Help A Great Cause

There are just eight days left to author Brenda Novak's staggeringly awesome online Annual Auction for the Cure of Diabetes, and if you haven't taken a look at the amazing things up for grabs, you are really missing out. This year's offerings include hundreds of prizes, from a night's stay in Nora Roberts' inn in Boonsboro, Maryland, to handcrafted jewelry, to signed books from many bestselling authors.

I've contributed a couple of gift packages, which pair one of my novel with some of my favorite beauty products. To check them out, follow the links below.

Link to the DANCING AT THE CHANCE gift package page:
http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2515933

Link to THE BELLY DANCER gift package page:
http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2515932

Looking for something a little different? No problem! Here's a list of all the auction items:
http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/AuctionHelp.taf?_function=category

Novak's efforts have raised $1.3 million for diabetes research so far, and she hopes to top $2 million very soon. I have some bids in to help get her there. Won't you join me? :)

Recipe: Grandma Cameron's Lemon Curd

Grandma Cameron's Lemon CurdAccording to my husband, there are two things his late,
Scottish grandmother did perfectly: bake shortbread and cook lemon curd. A couple months ago, at one of the annual Scottish festivals we attend, a lovely woman selling homemade treats promised him that their lemon curd would be “every bit as good” as his grandmother’s. Being a good sport, he took the bait and we came home with a jar.

The woman had plenty of reason to be proud of her product. Her lemon curd was delicious. “Zesty, sweet and creamy,” just as she promised.

But was it as good as Grandma Cameron’s recipe?

This weekend, we pulled out the old handwritten index card and set out to see for ourselves.

The ingredientsThe recipe appears deceptively simple: 1 cup sugar, 1 stick butter, 3 eggs, and the juice and rind of 3 lemons. Everything is cooked together in a double boiler for about a half-hour and then cooled.

Could it really be so easy?

I gathered everything, juiced the lemons and fished out the seeds. I wasn’t sure how to incorporate the rind, so I sliced off sections, avoiding the bitter pith, and tossed them into the double boiler with the eggs, butter and sugar.

 On the stoveThe mixture began to thicken after about 20 minutes, and I kept cooking on low for 15 more minutes. I transferred the hot mixture, which was now the consistency of pudding, into a ceramic bowl and put it into the refrigerator to cool. It tasted spot-on to my palate, but I left the final verdict to my husband. He said the homemade curd tasted exactly like his grandmother’s, but stopped short of declaring it better than the one we had bought.

So, it would seem the gracious lady at the Scottish festival was right after all. It really was “every bit as good” as his grandmother’s.

But when the recipe is as simple as this, why wouldn’t you want to make it yourself?
It will definitely be making an appearance in our home again.

The recipeGRANDMA CAMERON’S LEMON CURD
(as it appears exactly on her original recipe notecard)

1 cup sugar
1/4 lb. butter
3 eggs, well-beaten
3 lemons

Use rind and juice of lemons, put all in top of double boiler, and keep water at simmer. Cook 20 minutes to half an hour, until thick like mayonnaise. Yields 3 small tumblers full.

MY NOTE: Yield will vary according to the juiciness of your lemons. My yield was about 2 cups. In future batches, I would recommend bundling the rind segments in cheesecloth for easier removal.

Contest: Grand Prize Winner

After 8 weeks and lots of weekly prizes -- and many trips to the post office! -- we have come to the big moment: the drawing for the grand prize e-reader.... So, who will win the new Kindle or Nook? Well, let's find out, shall we?

I've logged the final remaining entries submitted before midnight, and now let's head over to the Random Number Generator at Random.org....


And No. 831 on the Official Contest Spreadsheet belongs to...

Meg Wessell

Congratulations, Meg! I'll send you an email in just a few moments to get your e-reader preference, and a mailing address.

I'd also like to thank everyone who entered and helped me spread the word about my novels. And while the big contest may be over, I'll continue to hold monthly contests on DeAnnaCameron.com. It'll take me a day or two to get the new one up, but I hope you'll stop by and drop your name in the hat.

Cheers!

Contest: Week 8 winner

And here it is: our last weekly drawing... This time we're giving away a cute little vintage prize package that includes a historic chorus girl portrait, a bronze key pendant with embedded timepiece on an 18-inch chain, and a Victorian tapestry purse. So who's this week's winner?

Let's head over to Random.org and plug in the numbers...



And the winner is No. 431. Heading back to the official contest spreadsheet, lucky No. 431 is...

Nickie Burke

Congratulations, Nickie! I'll send you an email in just a moment to get a mailing address.

If you didn't win today, don't worry. Every non-winning entry since the beginning of the contest in March will be added to tomorrow's final, grand prize drawing for an e-reader.

Good luck!