Eloisa’s Comments (group member since Aug 27, 2012)

Eloisa’s comments from the Ask Eloisa James - September 10, 2012 group.

Nope, I never have! Mostly because I never go on You Tube. But I was really pleased to have my book be chosen!


Gotobedmouse wrote: "One last question: I started reading your books back in July when Desperate Duchesses was a Vaginal Fantasy pick. Have you ever watched Vaginal Fantasy on you tube?"

Dear Gotobedmouse,

I don't have very much control over my cover art. The Taming the Duke cover is a particularly vexed one for me. He was originally stark naked and I nixed that. But generally speaking, I try to think of the cover as portraying more of a mood that the actual students.

And I actually like social media. I'm happy to find out what my fans think. I try to stay away from reviews that are angry or rude, but I have a lot of respect for readers who say why a book didn't work for them. I definitely learn from smart comments! If I stopped learning and changing my writing, I think I should quit.


Gotobedmouse wrote: My question is in regard to the cover art of your books. I am currently reading "Taming of the Duke" and the people on the cover do not look anything like the people described in the book. How much influence do you have with the cover art.

Also, how has the hisoric romance industry changed over the years with the influence of ebooks and internet media. Do you feel closer to your fans now? Do you read your reviews on goodread? Is it more work on an author's part to self promote through facebook, twitter and such.

I'm back on the site! And picked up Anna from soccer practice. And had a talk about the SATs with my other teen. Starting again!

Dear Flora,

What interesting questions! And I truly wish I had better answers for you. I have no idea why this novel feels so different. I guess I'm just too close to it. I knew it wasn't as funny as others, but I was swept up by the intensity of emotion. I've really been surprised by the fact that it's garnered the most starred reviews I've ever had (and is on Booklist's 10 Best Romances of 2012) and yet some people just can't stand it. But after all these books, I've also learned that I can't explain why a book works for one reader and not for another. I'm glad people feel so intensely about my characters that they want to argue about them!

As for question #2, I don't know that I'm exactly trying to teach a lesson. I do think it's true, though, that very young marriages are often not successful. All that means is that they're a great plot device for me!


Flora wrote: "Congratulations, Eloisa, on the success of "The Ugly Duchess!" We are so happy for you! Here are my questions.

1.
I made the comment early on that "The Ugly Duchess" has a different feel (in a v..."

Dear Marie,
I answered your question about other fairy tales above -- thank you for stopping by! (if you can't find it -- Rapunzel is up next, and possibly Sleeping Beauty)

Dear Asousa,
The third one should be out very soon! I already have a copy (and wow, those are the most beautiful covers). So it's coming! And my publisher there just bought another one, so there are more to come.

As for Portugal, I'd love to come someday, but I don't have plans at the moment.

And as for a recommendation from my library, have you read Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels? I consider it a historical romance classic!


Asousa wrote: "Hi! Thank you for invite me for this group! I really like the books of Eloisa! So I have 3 questions that i really like to post:

1) I'm from Portugal, and here we only have 2 novels from Fairy Tal..."

Hi Reading Wench (and library ladies)!

Nope. I have a great editor, and she goes along with whatever I say I want to write. The only genre that gets suggested to me, both by my publisher and agent, is historical novel. But I feel that since I love reading romance, that's what I should be writing.


ReadingWench wrote: "Has your publisher ever wanted you to write a different genre? The library ladies are awaiting your answer."

Hi Jacqui!

I do not feel those constraints, which isn't to say I will always feel this way. But I kind of judge it on what I love to read. I love romance and thankfully, it's still what I mostly want to read (though I do read other genres). If I start wanting to read suspense non-romantic novels someday, I guess that would be a sign. I hope not!


Jacqui wrote: "I am looking forward to her answers. My question is ....

Do you ever feel constrained by writing solely within the romance genre (your recent memoir notwithstanding)? For instance, Patricia Gaff..."

Hi Kit!

Honestly, I don't think that I will write in medieval or Roman times. There's a tremendous amount of research and knowledge behind these books. I'm a Renaissance scholar, which is close enough to the Georgian and Regency times that I have a feeling for it. Medieval--let alone Roman--is before my period, and I really don't understand either very well (say, I don't know all that much about the social/political status of women, for example). If I wrote in another period, I think it would be Victorian. I love the first bicycles and details like that!
Kit★ wrote: "Thanks so much for the invite! :)

My question is -

Do you think you'll ever write a story set in a different time-period, like medieval or Roman times, etc?

Thanks again for your time!"

Hi Tonya!

I like both of them--I can't really say I have a preference. When you create a series, you get to put more people into one world, and that's nice. If you do a stand-alone, you create so many people, and then you never see them again, if you see what I mean.

But on the other hand, I do not always know what's going to happen in the other books in a series. So it can get stressful to remember backwards and forwards, and try to work out all the details.

Basically, there are pluses and minuses with either side!


Tonya wrote: "Thanks for the invite I am a big fan love all your books. My question is do you prefer writing series over stand alone's and when you do come up with an idea for a series do you have all the books..."

Dear Evelyn,

I know it seems really hard to start a book if you haven't done it before. All I can tell you is that I never took a creative writing class of any sort. I just thought up some characters and then sat down to write. I did work out the plot that I wanted beforehand with that first book (mine was Potent Pleasures). I figured out what the big turning point was.

My best advice for new authors is to just sit down and write! Nora Roberts says that you can edit a page with text on it, but you can't edit a blank page. And writing well is all about editing!

Good Luck!!

Evelyn wrote: "Wow, thanks for the invite I have read several of her books, I wish I could joint the discussion but I will be working. However I would like to ask about where does one start writing a book? what p..."

Hi Angie!

Well, I got the idea to rewrite fairy tales from my father. He's a poet, but when I was growing up, he was also rewriting a fairy story in narrative form (the book was called Iron John).

At the moment I'm working on my own version of Rapunzel. Then I think I might take a break and work on a pair of really fun stories that will be different -- and then I am possibly considering Sleeping Beauty. I suppose it will be Regency narcolepsy!


Angie wrote: "Thanks for the invite. First I love your Fairy Tales series and have made a note to check more books from you.
My questions are:
Where did you get the idea to write about fairy tales? and What boo..."Where did you get the idea to write about fairy tales? and What books you have planned for the future, particularly in the Fairy Tales series?

Dear Amanda,

So what do I have in the future? Well -- LOTS! Here's my pub schedule:

October 30 Griffin's story is out in eNovella form, SEDUCED BY A PIRATE. This is great fun! It links to The Ugly Duchess, as Griffin is James's cousin and pirate-comrade.

December 26: LADY MOST WILLING. The next book from me, Julia Quinn and Connie Brockway! It's adorable and set in Scotland.

April 16 (or thereabouts): the trade paperback of PARIS IN LOVE is out. And also, hopefully, a print collection of all my eNovellas, including "Seduced by a Pirate."

July 26: Finally, my next novel! ONCE UPON A TOWER.... it's great and I hope you love all love it!

Dear AnnaBanana (I love your name, as it was our baby nickname for my daughter),

My favorite genre of romance, right now (it changes all the time) is urban fantasy. I'm a huge fan of Ilona Andrewes -- I've read everything she has written (I believe they are actually a husband-and-wife team). If you haven't read her books, try them!

Dear Jess,

I'm trying to think what would surprise my readers and I can't think of a thing (life as a mother of teenagers is pretty out in the open!). So is there a trope that I stay away from?

Yes. Prostitution. I know some writers (Anna Campbell for one) have created brilliant novels with a sex worker as heroine. That just would never work for me: it feels too tragic. I'd have to do one of those "She's in the brothel but--wow!--she's a virgin." I rather like those -- Teresa Medeiros had a virgin in a harem last year that I really enjoyed. But I haven't done it myself.

Dear Minna,
This is a hard one! Originality is always hard. I think I heard somewhere that there are only 4 plots in the world... my way around it is to concentrate on creating characters who are new and different to me. I find that once I have a complex character, she'll start to do interesting and complex things. I try to ask myself over and over: what would she do, really do, in this situation? In other words, what would this particular kind of person do? That keeps me from making my character do what I would do, which is often an entirely different situation.

The only time i failed to get a book down was years ago, when I had an idea for a baseball novel (ala Susan E Phillips). I simply could not write contemporary male voices. So that was a failure.. Other than that, no. I have confidence and writing and rewriting will get what I want down on paper.

great questions!
Minna wrote: "My question is, with so many romances (even so many historical romances) out there, how are you able to come up with fresh plots and dialogue?

And, do you ever have a situation where you have a ..."

Hi Gina!
I write by the seat of my pants--meaning that I just plunge into a novel and see where it will take me. I often have one big scene in mind when I start but I never know how I will get there. So that means I delete a great deal, and I always end up starting a novel in a different place than where I originally thought it would start. I think it would be easier if I mapped out the whole novel, but I would be afraid that I would lose creativity. Much of the really interesting things that happen in my novels just appear out of nowhere while I'm typing. If I forced myself to stick to an outline, I might miss those.

Gina wrote: "Q Hi
Having read most of your books and enjoyed them immensely , I was wondering if you can explain the method, or process, of how you start writing your books, for us would be writers; Do you..."

Hi Jude!
I think there are two answers. The first is that they live in my mind for a long time. So the way friends do, they become more complex as I know more about them, and of course that makes them fresh, as they grow in originality. But second, I read a lot--romance, literature, fantasy, mystery. I think reading other authors' novels keeps me challenged so that I don't just repeat myself.

Jude wrote: "Thanks for inviting me to this group. I enjoy historical romances very much and read at least one a week.

My question to Eloisa would be "how does she continue to keep her characters fresh and in..."