Maya Rodale's Blog: Maya Rodale's Blog, page 36

Romance authors discuss romance novels

Sometimes a gal needs to put down the book and watch a little TV about….books. This chat with authors Katherine Ashe, Miranda Neville, Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley and Sarah Maclean was super fun to participate in. One hopes it's as fun to watch! Pour a cup of tea and settle in. We covered great heroes, modern heroines in Regency novels and I'm the topic of sex and scandal came up as well. For your viewing pleasure:

Watch live streaming video from romance at livestream.com

Celebrity gossip Q's answered!

At last, the answers to yesterday's quiz Q's. Congratulations to our winner, Laura T! Drop me a line at mail@mayarodale.com to claim your prize of a signed copy of Elizabeth Boyle's Memoirs Of A Scandalous Red Dress. Yippee! PS: Kim the winner from last month, your email bounced! Send me another and we'll get this sorted!

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Kate Hudson just had her baby! Congrats!

1. Was it a Boy or girl? Boy

2. Who is the baby daddy? Matthew Bellamy

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3. Before allegedly attempting to flee her impending wedding to Monaco's Prince Albert, what did Charlene Wittstock do? Olympic Swimmer

4. How many illegitimate children does Albert have (that the world is aware of)? 2

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5. This week the world learned of the shocking thing that 90's super model Linda Evangalista and Selma Hayek have in common. What is it? Same baby daddy! Francois-Henri Pinault

6. Speaking of 90's supermodels, which one just got married?  Congrats to Kate Moss!

Celebrity Gossip Pop Quiz!

Yes, it's time again to test your knowledge of celebrity gossip! Studying has never been so fun, right? To play, simply post your answers in a comment below. This months winner will score be lucky recipient of a signed copy of Elizabeth Boyle's Memoirs Of A Scandalous Red Dress. We can thank the RWA conference for a whole stash of signed romance. But I digress…

The person with the most correct answers (or at random from folks with perfect scores) is the winner. Deadline: midnight tonight. I'll post the answers on the winners tomorrow. Have fun!

PS: Kim the winner from last month, your email bounced! Send me another and we'll get this sorted!

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Kate Hudson just had her baby! Congrats!

1. Was it a Boy or girl?

2. Who is the baby daddy?

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3. Before allegedly attempting to flee her impending wedding to Monaco's Prince Albert, what did Charlene Wittstock do?

4. How many illegitimate children does Albert have (that the world is aware of)?

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5. This week the world learned of the shocking thing that 90's super model Linda Evangalista and Selma Hayek have in common. What is it?

6. Speaking of 90's supermodels, which one just got married?

(Hint: correct answer/s may or may not be in the attached photo.)

The fine print: Winner will be chosen randomly from all correctly submitted entries. No purchase is necessary to enter this contest. One entry per person please.

How to attract a man's attention

It was only a matter of time before I started writing Annabelle's book. I have been craving the writing of this one ever since I daydreamed and schemed up her story ages ago and I'm delighted to get started. But before I dive in, I need help….

Confession: Her hero is Mr. Derek Knightly. To readers of the series, this will come as no surprise. Annabelle has been sighing over him ever since A Groom Of One's Own. And in two (possibly 3) books, he takes no notice of her. Men can be so daft at times.

So, how can Annabelle attract his attention? I know we'll start by lowering the bodice on her dresses just a bit more. But then what? I have some ideas, but this is important–true love is on the line–so I'm opening this one up for suggestions.

Any crazy, kooky advice you've heard to snag a man's attention? What should Annabelle do?!

If you want to attack romance…

Oh, dear, here we go again—yet another article blaming romance novels for sexual health problems like "unprotected sex, unwanted pregnancies, unrealistic sexual expectations and relationship breakdowns." This one comes from The Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Healthcare. You can read the full article here or the Guardian's summary here or keep reading. It's the same old tale: women's lives are ruined by the romance novels they read.

If we're going to take a good hard look at the link between romance novels and the lives of its readers then researchers, academics and pyschologists, I implore you to take the following into account:

Can you please read recent releases?

Kathleen Woodiwiss first published The Flame And The Flower—one of those "bodice rippers"—in 1972. RWA says 9,000 titles were published in 2009. With some super rough math, that's 351,000 romance novels that have been published since The Flame And The Flower. Researchers, can you please look at any of those titles?

Here's what you'll find: That the fiction has shifted to reflect the values of the time. That means those rapes where she likes it aren't written anymore, the heroine saves the hero as much as he saves her and a whole host of other subtle shifts have occurred so that romantic fiction tells a timeless story with ever-shifting contemporary values.

Otherwise, it's like making a medical diagnoses using information from 1972. As a doctor and patient, you probably want treatment based on the most up-to-date information, wouldn't you?

Let's talk about sex education

Warning! This book is DANGEROUS!!!!

There's a lot of whining about people's source of sex education. Oh no, they're learning it from porn! Oh no, they're learning it from MTV! Oh no, they're learning it from romance novels! Oh no, women are learning about orgasms and oral sex and foreplay!!!

The issue isn't that people are learning the "wrong" things or "impossible things." If we get to the heart of this issue, we'll realize that some basics aren't being taught and in that vacuum, MTV, pornography and romance novels flourish because people want to know about sex and sexuality.

Look, if you don't like the source, provide an alternative. If you want some particular taught—teach it! As sex ed classes in school become scarce and people crave knowledge they will seek out what is provided. I think romance novels are great instructionals—especially for women to learn that it's not all about the guy's pleasure. And for that matter, so many romance novels (especially contemporary and even historical) do in fact detail condom usage.  In fact, this NPR blog takes that argument to task quite nicely.

And while we're at it–according to RWA's statistics, "The heart of the U.S. romance novel readership is women aged 31–49 who are currently in a romantic relationship." If that woman doesn't know the basics of sex by that age, then we have other problems.

Or, if you want to recognize the didactic power of our novels, then initiate a conversation. I'm sure many of us romance readers and writers would at least appreciate the recognition rather than another attack on our beloved genre.

Listen to your subjects!

I'm tired of reading articles from psychologists who "see people in our waiting rooms with these problems" who may or may not read these novels but then go onto mention studies that show "a correlation between high levels of romance usage and happy monogamous relationships." Somehow, these two things "prove" their point that romance novels are evil.

If you want to study the sex lives of romance readers, then do a proper study and listen to your results.

If you want to find a source of failed marriages, lack of condom usage, general unsatisfaction in relationships do a survey and ask if romance novels contributed.

In short, do not try to pass off your observations and agendas as science.

Kind of like how we romance novelists don't try to pass off our fiction as non-fiction.

Please acknowledge that in some way, all art and entertainment by its definition is escapist.

And included in that would be ALL books, as well as movies, TV shows, the theater, music, the ballet, video games, the opera, etc, etc.

It's all escapist, and it's all educational. I would even dare to say that it's a primal human urge to tell stories—and listen to stories—to learn from them and to be inspired by them. And it's not going away. You can pick on a genre of fiction, or a type of TV show but people will keep watching, and they will keep reading no matter how "dangerous" it may be.

Life after deadline

One of the sweetest times in a writer's life is surely after a first draft has been handed in, and before the editor's revisions come back.  Probably second only to handing the book in, finally, after it's been through revisions and copy edits.

There is the triumph of having another manuscript complete (or at least in a position where one must not work on it, lest we accidentally rework our editors favorite scene.) It feels like losing ten pounds. It feels like school letting out for summer.

I handed in a book, yay!

It also feels like I can wrench myself out of London, 1820 and live fully in the present. This often includes the following:

Email. These naturally have piled up because while one is in the frame of mind to write romances in London, 1820 one cannot possibly answer emails. All my responses will begin, "My apologies, I've been on deadline…."
Returning to healthy eating. When on deadline, I treat myself to a bag of organic cheesy puffs and other such treats. It helps the round the clock work seem bearable. But now it's back to healthy foods and exercise—which I now have time to do! This weekend, I was able to do two long bike rides (I'm strongly in favor of exercises that involve sitting).
Cleaning up and out. The house had been let go. Clutter, everywhere. This weekend I rearranged my kitchen cabinets and cleaned out the refrigerator. I take an odd amount of joy from these tasks.
Reading! For Pleasure! My magazines have piled up and there is nothing I love more than reading mags on the couch. Except for reading super delicious romance novels.  In a clean house. After working out. With emails answered.

In short, about once a year I have this wonderful feeling of being caught up with everything and it lasts for one, glorious day.

When your work is done, what do you do for fun?

My scandalous appearance in The New York Times

The good news: I was quoted in The New York Times!!!!!!!!!!!!

The bad news: it sounds like I said my husband is neither dashing nor roguish. And that I would like him to wear tights. You can imagine the fits, tears and scenes and generally mayhem in our household. Will we survive this to enjoy our first anniversary?!?!?!?!?!

Here's what I said:

Maya Rodale ("A Tale of Two Lovers") said true romance consisted of dashing dukes and rogue lords, though her husband, she admitted, is neither. Their passion need not die, however; there is always the chance she "can get him in breeches and stockings some time," Ms. Rodale said. "A girl can dream."

Let's be clear. Let's analyze this like the lit major that I am. Technically he is not a duke or a lord (I married for true love not a title). Though once in our early days of dating he tried to tell me he inherited a Viscountcy from his father, the Baron. Apparently English chicks had been falling for this line for years. But I know my peerage rankings and was not fooled!

The dear, dashing, roguish husband has actually submitted the following to The New York Times:

Dear Mr —,
In your renowned newsletter, an article appeared in which my wife is quoted as saying that I am neither dashing or roguish (final paragraph, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/02/nyregion/alec-baldwin-the-sequel.html). She assures me that she would never have said such a thing and thus I am placed in the position of demanding a correction from you sir. I am a reasonable man and this correction need not take up the entire front page.

For the record, he once, sort of wore breeches and stockings.  I have an extremely scandalous picture of him that I am forbidden from posting on the internet. But then there is this. Please witness:

What a dashing, roguish, lordish man on the cover of this fantastic, New York Times mentioned romance novel!!!

I should also note that my dear, dashing, roguish and lordish husband brought me flowers this morning and walked the dog and is generally wonderful. I am also absolutely delighted to be quoted in The New York Times, and thrilled that my romance novel was mentioned. I'm feeling rawther faint from all this excitement. Someone please fetch the smelling salts!

PS: Read the rest of the article covering the Avon party with quotes from the fabulous Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Meg Cabot and Sarah Maclean.

The Avon Author Party

I often joke that the Avon Author party is the hardest party to get into. For me, it took years to snag that invitation–and a few book proposals, a few rejections, writing a few books, and one "revise and resubmit." But then, to be in a room with all your favorite authors and all those writers who inspired you? Wow. Plus, Pam and the Avon publishing team know how to throw a fine party.

This year it was at the Central Park Boathouse, which some will remember is the scene of a lunch with Big and Carrie and they fall in that scummy lake. No one fell in the lake last night.

However, there was a balcony. You know you're a romance writer when you see a balcony and think "I should go out there. That's where all the trouble is."

I met some many lovely new authors and chatted with many old friends.

And then this happened:

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OMG! That's me with my all time fav's Loretta Chase and Susan Elizabeth Phillips!!!

RWA Madness Continues!

Last night's literacy signing was a massive success. It was definitely massive. I heard there were lines to get into the hotel…and the ballroom! It also went late! I enjoyed connecting with my Lit Signing seating buddy, HQ author Joanne Rock. I also signed my first ebook. Or at least the cover for it. Wow! Hello, future!

Tonight is the super fabulous, most exclusive party in town: the Avon Author party. Pics tomorrow!

Lady Jane's Salon: RWA Spectacular!

Darlings, last night was a crush at Lady Jane's Salon. A crush. Standing room only. Every seat taken. A record SIX authors reading! We had historicals. We had paranormals. I think we well represented the genre.

Sarah Maclean had us all in laughing and hooting as she read an impassioned speech of Julianna Fiori, heroine of 11 Scandals To Start To Win A Dukes Heart. The incomparable Eloisa James gave us a superb behind the scenes peek at When Beauty Tamed The Beast. The thought, detail and genius that goes into her books is inspiring. Seriously–I'm inspired to do revisions on my new writing girl book, even though I just turned it in. This has never happened.

My co-founders were there: Ron Hogan, Hope Tarr and Leanna Renee Hieber who was also a reader. Lots of regulars in the house, old friends, and so many new faces. I daresay this was the best Lady Jane's Salon ever.

Did you attend the salon? What authors would you just LOVE to hear read?