Maya Rodale's Blog: Maya Rodale's Blog, page 38

Tips for visiting New York City

This year, Romance Writers of America's national convention will be happening in New York City during the last week in June.This means that thousands of romance authors and readers will be descending upon the Greatest City In The World, which  won't actually make a noticable difference in the population, but it may mean the chatter in midtown hits a higher than usual frequency. Since NYC just happens to be my hometown, I thought I'd offer a few tips for these visitors and others:

Dining

Make your dinner reservations now. Yes, I know you don't know what you'll be in the mood for next month, but I can promise that around 8:00 you'll find yourself hungry and everything will be booked. Especially if you need a table for you + eight of your closest friends. Book now, and cancel if you must. Or content yourself with a 6:00 or 10:00 reservation. Know this: the reservationist doesn't care that you're in town for only a week, it's your birthday, you're going out with your agent. Yawn. Call in advance and be nice.


Ok, so you didn't make your reservation and now it's 7:30 and you are experiencing pangs of hunger. Everything is booked. The wait times are enormous (an hour wait is standard). Your options are: walk around and see what can seat you immediately, which will be nothing, so you walk until your feet can't handle it anymore. A better option is to park it at the bar and make the best of it. My insider tip as a former hostess: hover  around the hostess station. That way, she can't lose you at the bar, and your presence will annoy her, which will get you seated faster.


Don't eat in Times Square. Really? You came all this way to eat at The Olive Garden? No you didn't. Walk over to 8th or 9th Avenue to an area known as Hell's Kitchen which is not nearly as scary as it sounds. You'll find a greater selection of authentic, affordable restaurants.

Sidewalk Etiquette
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Fun Fact: It's really hard to get a taxi to the Stature of Liberty. And Brooklyn.

Walk fast. Yes, you want to take in the sights. But you should do this at an extremely brisk pace. New Yorkers walk fast and nothing makes our tempers flare like people walking slowly even front of us. Even my dog gets annoyed by it. Even worse? Stopping suddenly. Imagine the sidewalk is a four lane highway and people are cars. Conduct yourself accordingly. Other sidewalk laws:


If you must stroll, stay to the sides. I once heard the sidewalk grates described as "the express lanes of the city" since people are freaked out about walking on them. I've done it lots; it's safe. And if it isn't? My friend once said "I hope I fall through this so I can sue the MTA." Oh, but if you're in heels, skip it.


Please do not walk more than 2 people side-by-side. It makes it annoyingly difficult for the rest of us to get around you. Sensing a theme? Yes: we've got places to be and people to see. Fast.

Celeb Spotting

Go where the celebrities hang out. Get a copy of  Us Weekly and see where folks have been spotted. Go there–but be warned when it comes to restaurants and clubs the places will be packed and expensive.  Or just stroll around the west village or the meatpacking district. Put your map away and dress to impress.


Do not acknowledge the celebrities. I used to see a certain comedian with a comedy/news TV show on the street all the time. Occasionally, we'd make eye contact and he just had this looks of " I know you know who I am, but I haven't had my coffee yet. Please don't talk me." Do not approach, do not say hi, don't ask them to sign stuff. Well, you can. But it's really just not done. Why? Because you are a New Yorker and just too cool. Or at least pretending to be

Directions and getting around

It's ok if you look at a map. Just don't do it on a street corner or in any place where you will impede the flow of traffic. There are maps in the subway. These are helpful. Don't be afraid of the subway–it's dirty but it will get you there quickly (relatively).


If you need to ask for directions, find someone with a dog. Their puppy will appreciate the time to stop and sniff a small patch of sidewalk and you can be pretty sure you're talking with a local who knows their way around. Most of the city is built on the grid system so it's really hard to get lost. The exception is the West Village, where I've been taking long walks with the dog for years and can still get confused. Giving directions here is impossible, so give up and enjoy wandering.


Odd numbered avenues go downtown (like 5th) and even numbered avenues go uptown (like 6th). There are all sorts of exceptions, but this is a good way to get yourself orientated when you get of the subway–because you're not afraid of the subway, right?


In a taxi, turn off that damned TV screen. First, this will be a great kindness to your cab driver who has to listen to the gan thing over and over and over. Second, this will signal to your cabbie that you might not be a tourist, which may or may not result in a more direct route. Third, you're driving through the greatest city in the world–look out the window! Enjoy the view!

Any other tips for visiting New York City?

The end of Happily Ever After? What the new marriage minority will mean for the romance genre

* There's a book to be won at the end of this blog!

The big news lately is that married folks are now the minority, according to the new The U.S. Census Bureau report. An older population means more are widowed or divorced, and younger generations don't feel the pressure to marry (marriage minded-mama's, where have you gone?!). If marriage is losing popularity, what does that mean for romance novels?

The Happily-Ever-After (HEA) is what defines the genre, and according to the old saying, it's what happens after the wedding ("They got married and lived happily-ever-after. Sigh."). From increased divorce rates to this slow-fade of marriage, I can't help but wonder how marriage becoming obsolete will effect the romance genre.

My wager: probably nothing. People have been worrying about this for ages.

To put it in perspective, we can go back to the Regency-era. Everyone was exceedingly concerned with getting females married well but "well" was defined very differently depending upon who you asked. By "well", the older generation often meant a marriage to a wealthy, high status individual with great connections. The young miss probably would have said "for love." Look at a novel like Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady (just look, don't pick it up lest you strain a muscle). It's 600+  pages of a girl locked in a room because she refuses to marry the rich, odious old man her parents picked out for her.

At that time,  we saw major snark toward romances. There was a fear that women would get Ideas about what a great relationship looked like, and that it looked like true love. And respect. And companionship. And satisfaction. It was also a fear of the rising middle class and the social mobility that a love match afforded (Hello, Cinderella!). Society as they knew it would change if this took over. The more marriage became about love, the less it became about other stuff, like income and who you're family was friends with.

But what came first–the chicken or the egg? The love match in real life, or the love match in literature?

A recent article labeling romance reading as a vile addiction is destroyer of marriages is just carrying on a glorious tradition of fearing the satisfying, loving relationships portrayed in romance novels. These things are powerful, it's true. But is it really sad to have great role models? Geez, no, it's great!  It should also be noted that the author is selling something–life coaching sessions. Gawd.

While the role and purpose of marriage continues to change and people still cower in fear at a romance novel, we're still reading novels about two people falling in love, getting married and living happily-ever-after, as we  have done for centuries. The formula hasn't really changed from Jane Austen to Julia Quinn. Can romances still stay relevant when the big pay off is no longer seen as such an ideal? Sure, as long as falling in love is still such a lovely, magical event. I wager that won't change.

To quote one of my favorite country songs, If Love Was A Plane (Nobody'd get on) by Mr. Brad Paisley:

Imagine now the pilot's voice on the intercom right before we leave the ground
sayin' folks thanks for flying with us
but there's a six in ten chance we're going down
but that's the strangest thing about this emotion
even knowing our chances are small
we line up at the gate with our tickets
thinking somehow we're different….
I mean after all, we're in love

What do you think: is marriage necessary for happily-ever-after?

I've got a signed copy of A Groom Of One's Own for one lucky, random commenter.

(Get it now, before its renamed A  Longterm Domestic Partner Of One's Own.)

It's a holiday! I'm writing anyway.

It's a holiday.  But I'm still working–sheesh! The new Writing Girl book is not, alas, writing itself which means I have to do it. Today we are working on the Big Reveal. Yup, the end is in sight. Just need to put the heroine in an extremely dangerous situation have the hero realize that he loves her after all. Hopefully just in the nick of time. There's some details about this new book 'o mine over on the coming soon page. Scroll down a ways. It's still secret-ish. But you should really go have a peek….

Oh, and this is Penelope. Among her tasks of sleeping, eating, walking, sniffing and begging for snacks, she also keeps an eye on me to make sure I'm working.

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Observations on Book Expo

Book Expo of America is a madhouse. In a good way, but a madhouse nonetheless. A few years ago I was actually on the floor of BEA when I got "the call" that I had sold my first book, so I have fond memories. But things have changed…

The digital section. Perhaps I hadn't noticed this before, but this year I was intrigued by this section devoted to techie stuff. Not epublishers (which I was glad to see were mingling with the paperbook pubs), but platforms for self-publishing and formatting ebooks. I also saw the answer to the vexing question of how to sign ebooks because sometimes a sharpie won't cut it. I would have loved to share the link to this with y'all but I realized all these digital companies have some work to do: like putting pictures of their products on their site (where applicable) or, I dunno, putting the url on the business card. Just a thought.


Fewer  Freebies? When I got "the call" I had actually been in the shipping section trying to mail home boxes of free books that folks were just handing out like candy. Maybe it was too crowded, but I didn't see as many ARCS and books there for the taking at every booth. Or maybe my "cult of less" mentality has blinded me to "stuff." The author signing area was still thriving (read: a mob scene) and there were long lines for in-booth signings as well. The interest in free, signed books is alive and well! Will that ever change?

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Me signing A Tale of Two Lovers at the RWA Booth at Book Expo.

I'm signing now! I had a fantastic time signing with Sarah Maclean in the Romance Writers of America booth, and I also enjoyed chatting with all the awesome ladies from RWA. I am so much more excited for the Big Annual Conference now! For any aspiring authors out there, joining RWA is a must.

What hasn't changed? Mobs and hordes of people, some even sitting on the floor. Even with the publishing industry in a state of disruption there's still a lot of publishers and a lot of people clamoring for books. Especially if they're free

FAQ: How does one get started writing romance novels?

This is a question most often asked by non-romance readers. Probably because in so many author bio's you hear a slight variation on the same thing over and over: It starts with a love of reading romance novels. And then the thought: "I can do that."

The next tricky bit is actually writing the darn thing. What got my first book written was a looming deadline with an awesome incentive. My agent, from my non-fiction book It's My Pleasure, said over lunch one day that I needed to be writing romance (due to my love of the genre; see above) and that I ought to do it right now. I casually inquired if she would represent a romance novel, should I write it. When she said yes I boldly told her I'd have a manuscript for her three months. I started writing The Heir And The Spare that afternoon. For the next few weeks I did nothing but drink coffee, walk the dog, do yoga and write, write, write.  And three months later…I had a complete manuscript and an agent.

Booksigning at Book Expo

Along with hundreds of other authors, I'll be signing books at this years Book Expo of America. Swing by the Romance Writers of America booth on Wednesday from 10:00 to 10:30 for your signed copy of A Tale of Two Lovers. Add it to your bag/box/wheelbarrow of freebie books to ship home. Afterwards I'll be strolling along looking for good books to give away and taking notes on exciting things spotted at BEA.

Book Signing at Book Expo! Wednesday, May 25th. 10:00-10:30. Javits Center, NYC.

Can't make it? Perhaps you'd like to download A Tale of Two Lovers and start virtually turnin' those pages instead

Penelope spies on the neighbors

Look,  this city dog  has to keep herself entertained while Milady writes all those tawdry novels and sometimes there is no better way that look out the window and see what's going on in the world. There's all those pigeons to keep an eye on as they eat, and fight and play and do other naughty stuff. And then all the people on the street or in their apartments who don't think they need to be concerned about some dog. Just call me Penelope the spy.

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The apartment building across the street always has some activity–construction, dinner parties– and frankly some of it I'd rather not see. You know that fat naked guy from Friends? I've seen him.

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I see lots of interesting stuff. My lips are sealed.

Unless you have a snack.

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Cute perch right? The view is actually more entertaining than it looks because I can peer into a dance studio.

People–wow. Ballet, Broadway style dance routines, yoga, feng shui or tai chi or whatever that is.

It's all oddly entertaining. Better than watching Milady typing, for Lord's sake.

But do you know what drives me crazy? Drumming circle. I have to bark.

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Here I am peeking out the upstairs window of a farmhouse in the country.

Top secret spy mission, which you can tell by that mysterious, eerie green glowing light.

Just another day in the life of a spy-dog.

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Wow. Busy day. Not one but THREE windows for me to monitor!

Those squirrels get into some serious skirmishes that make me wish I could open the window and jump right out and show them who is the Lady Miss Boss. That would be me, Penelope.

Who's Who at The London Weekly

The Writing Girls and their dear Mr. Knightly aren't the only one's churning out London's most popular newspaper. There's a lively bunch of characters you may meet. Can you believe I made this stuff up but had to refer back to the book for some of these characters? Here's the cheat sheet:

Derek Knightly: owner, editor, proprietor. Here's what you need to know about him: he loves The Weekly more than anything. He will be getting his own book (but will he get Annabelle?!). And yes, I named him after Knightly in Jane Austen's Emma.

Oliver Grenville: He's a grumpy old man who covers parliamentary reports and other Serious Issues. The Writing Girls are their chatter of high society drama vexes him, but it entertains the others!

Damien Owens: A sort of junior editor that covers my favorite sections, like Accidents & Offenses, Domestic Intelligence (like National news), and other bits.

Andrew Mulligan and Mitch Radnor: These men write about sports and can be seen dramatically reenacting a boxing match in a weekly meeting. I'll be honest–I'm not deeply interested in sports so it's not extensively covered in my books, but it was a big part of newspaper coverage, so it would be remiss of me to leave them out.

Randolph Winters: Cartoons!

Alistair Grey: Theater reviewer, dandy, and good friend to the Writing Girls. He's also their partner in crime: Alistair is with Julianna when she stumbles upon Lord Roxbury in an extremely compromising position backstage after a play.

Mehitable Loud: He's the gruesome looking, but friendly, giant that guards the door and protects Knightly and his crew from irate readers intent upon revenge. It happens–just look at Lord Roxbury in A Tale of Two Lovers.

Sneak over to my extras page to read an issue of The London Weekly and a "behind the scenes" story with the staff putting an issue together. See what may or may not tie into the books!

Who's Who in the Writing Girl World

There is a lively cast of characters in my Writing Girls series, and I'm posting a little cheat sheet here—for your convenience as much as my own! These characters are all of my own creation. For an awesome list of notable real life Regency people, visit Candice Hern's Regency People page.

Lady Stewart-Wortly: Vocally puritanical and author of a bestselling religious tract:  Lady Stewart-Wortly's Daily Devotional for Pious and Proper Ladies. Just guess how fun she is at parties, especially when trying to reform rakish heroes, like our dashing Lord Roxbury. The good news: she is not successful. The better news: would be a spoiler. Read A Tale Of Two Lovers and then we'll discuss.


Lady Rawlings: They call her Drawling Rawlings because she is a relentless talker. She can trap a person in conversation for ages; it's best to avoid her. Roxbury knows his reputation has sunk to new lows when even she avoids him!


Lord Borwick: Also best to avoid Lord Borwick, too. He's mainly a drunk and occasionally a letch. He also tends to fall asleep at musicals, much to the amusement of Sophie and Brandon in A Groom Of One's Own.


Lord Biddulf: A hapless, younger son often unable to hold his cups, but he never stops trying!


Mitchell Twitchell : Biddulf's unfortunately named comrade. This name came courtesy of my friend Bernadette, who assures me this is the real name of an actual person. Can you believe it!?


Lady Richmond: She is a major namedropper, and the bossy, scheming mother of the bride in A Groom Of One's Own. She's based on a woman I once met at a dinner party. She had some big Hollywood job, so she knew everyone and made sure that you knew that she knew everyone.


Jocelyn Kemble: she's an actress, a lover of Lord Roxbury's and trouble!


Lady Jane: She hosts a salon where the beaumonde and demimonde mix. You can read about it in A Groom Of One's Ownor…visit the real Lady Jane's Salon, New York City's one and only reading series devoted to romantic fiction.

Wtf is scandalbroth?!

Today I'm guest blogging at my momma's blog, Maria's Farm Country Kitchen. Guess where I get my sass from? Like mother like daughter.

Scandalbroth, according to Obsolete Word of the Day, is an old name for tea. But it's also a "reference to tea as the beverage of choice while the woman-folk sat around and gossiped" (that is, before cosmopolitans became popular). As an author of historical romance novels set in the Regency period (England, about 1810-1820), it was only  a matter of time before I encountered this weird word.

I love it. In one word, it's a beverage, an activity, and a stereotype about women ("sat around and gossiped and drank tea!!!").

Women of the Regency era—the characters themselves, or we women who "visit" the era as readers and writers of romance—know gossip often means scandal, and scandal is often delightfully interesting.

Read the rest here: http://www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com/word-of-the-day-scandalbroth/