December Guest-Victoria Janssen

Lord Craven and the LIT ladies, want to welcome to the Lust in Time manor, our very special guest, author, Victoria Janssen.

I'm hoping we can talk her into some steamy (though admittedly the PG-13 stuff) excerpts this week! Feel free to ask Victoria questions about her work and her new book! Later in the week, I think Victoria has some special fun in store!



Here is the gorgeous cover of her new book THE DUCHESS, HER MAID, THE GROOM, & THEIR LOVER"

Amanda: Victoria, have you always written erotic fiction?

Victoria: I didn't start out with the goal of writing for Spice, or even for Harlequin. When I first start writing, around twenty years ago, I thought of myself as a science fiction/fantasy author. I'd always assumed I would be a novelist, but wasn't quite sure how to go about it, and spent a great deal of time writing and rewriting the first half of various novels. It wasn't until I discovered I had a talent for sexy scenes that I considered writing erotica at all.

I started out in erotica with short stories, using a hastily-chosen pseudonym, Elspeth Potter. I sent my first story, "Water Music," off to an anthology edited by Mary Anne Mohanraj called Aqua Erotica. Alas, the story did not sell. Later, when I saw the anthology, I realized why; my story was considerably smuttier and less literary than what was chosen.

So, first rejection in hand, I went to erotica writer and editor Cecilia Tan (whom I knew already) and asked her where I should send the story. Cecilia suggested Best Lesbian Erotica, edited by Tristan Taormino. I can't remember when I mailed the submission, but it was probably the winter of 1999. In the summer of 2000, I received an acceptance for "Water Music," which was incredibly exciting and validating. Also it paid money!

"Ducal Service" was another of the earliest stories I'd written, and one of my favorites; it had eventually sold to an e-anthology, but nowhere else, and a long time had passed since that sale.


Amanda: So you're basically writing "fantasy" at this point but with an erotic twist, what did you do next?


Victoria: Cecilia Tan was co-editing an anthology about older women with younger men, which fit the story's plot. I realized I'd never submitted a story to her before, so I sent it off, in the hopes that the fantasy setting would be unique enough for a sale. She bought it, and soon after I had an enquiry from her co-editor, Lori Perkins: would I be interested in shopping a novel proposal, based on the short story? I said, sure. We exchanged a few emails, Lori agreed with me that Emma Holly's erotic novels would be good models, and I went off to write another couple of chapters and an outline.

A side note here. Lori was Cecilia's agent, and I had once been briefly introduced to her, but it had been so many years before that I'd completely forgotten even her name. Even though I had now been reminded she was an agent, it took several hours for me to put the pieces together. I was riding the bus home that evening before I began to wonder if having an agent shop a proposal for me meant that I had an agent. It doesn't often work that way, but in my case, it did. I had completed a novel at this point; it didn't sell, but it did establish that I could write an entire novel; otherwise, selling on proposal would have been much more difficult.

After I sent Lori the proposal, then came the hurry up and wait stage that is common to publishing. I continued to work on short stories, and occasionally would add material to the Ducal Service manuscript, to have a head start if the proposal should sell. Publisher one turned the proposal down--too much sex. Publisher two passed, I think for the same reason.


Amanda: This sounds like a familiar story, but you persevered, obviously!

Victoria: In May 2007, thirteen months after Lori first started shopping the proposal, I heard from an assistant at Mira Books, who was interested in seeing the full manuscript. I let Lori know, and she called Susan Pezzack Swinwood, editor of the Spice imprint. By this point, I had seven additional chapters, roughly half of the manuscript, and feverishly began writing more. I forwarded those to Susan, and based on those chapters, she went to Acquisitions. By early September, the book was sold, along with an untitled second book. The completed manuscript was due the end of October, for publication the following December.

Much gleeful bouncing and squealing ensued. I'd achieved a lifelong dream. Then I had to buckle down to work!


Amanda: Wow! Congratulations! So you ended up changing the name of the book to what it is now? How did you come up with that very intriguing title (though it may seem obvious) Do you enjoy writing erotic historical? What do you have coming next?

Stir-up Sunday!

What makes a North American Christmas such a rich tapestry are the customs that come from different parts of the world. Canada, like the United States, is a melting pot, and we, as North Americans, seem to like to absorb things from different cultures, especially food. So, it stands to reason that food is one of the 'traditional' things of making Christmas feel traditional.

So, what's stir-up Sunday, you ask? Well, it's that tradition from the British Isles that is centuries old, and in my family, still a yearly tradition. It involves The Christmas Pudding, and Christmas cake.

My family and I always laugh whenever we hear disparaging remarks about the infamous Christmas cake. We love it, and our holiday wouldn't be complete without Christmas pudding and it's equaly famous and historic Syllabub sauce.

So, every year the tradition is, on the Sunday before Advent, which usually falls near the end of November, puddings and cakes must be started or 'stirred up', if they're going to mellow and be ready in time for Christmas. Besides mellowing, the pudding and cakes need time to moisten, and when they're mellow and soft, you can't beat them, especially if there's a generous layering of marzipan on the cake! But I digress...
The making of the pudding is rich with history and tradition. Everyone in the family, even the smallest, was given the pudding and a chance to stir, at the time of stirring they made a wish to bring good luck. Just in case the wish went astray, they tucked silver charms into the mixture; coins for worldly fortune, a ring for marriage and a thimble for life's blesings, (they do this with wedding cakes, too, which in the UK is alot like Christmas cake, and my wedding cake was no exception!)

Stir-up Sunday as been part of the British tradition as far back as medieval times, when the cost of producing such an elegeant, exotic, and thus expensive 'pudding' would have been very lavish. Naturally it held a high place in the celebrations. The tradition carries on even to this day, although, the image of a Dickens type pictorial, with the Christmas goose in the background and the famed pudding on the best plate does come to mind. But who doesn't think Dickens at Christmas!

So, there you have it. Like it or hate it, puddings have been with us and our ancestors for centuries. And yes, I did go to my mum's on Nov 30 and help with the pudding. It's our family tradition as well. We usually listen to the Christmas CD that I bought when I was at Westminster Abbey in London. The Coventry Carol is just so haunting and beautiful, and sets the mood for making the 'hallowed' pudding!

And what is Syllabub sauce, you ask? Oooh, it's good stuff! Syllabub's have as lengthy and nobel role as the pudding1 It's used as a sauce to pour over the cake. It's quite easy to make and involves sugar, orange peel, brandy and some whipping cream!!!!

Now bring out that figgy pudding!!!!
Charlotte

Wicked Wednesday!

So, we're wrapping up our writing projects and getting ready for the Holidays here on the LIT blog. Starting next week join us for some special author days, give aways, some historical tidbits and some great recipes. Oh, and Lord Craven Moore has decided to go public with his New Years resolutions. So make sure you drop in for the merry making and the prizes all month long. We'd love to have you regardless of what festivities you celebrate.

And to get us feeling all festive and merry, here's a little pic of Lord Craven Moore's first tree trimming adventure....

Peace and joy,
Charlotte

Movie Review Monday -- AUSTRALIA

I was lucky enough to see Baz Luhrmann's newest movie, AUSTRALIA, at an advance screening a little over a week ago. Lucky, because Luhrmann himself, along with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman were there doing a Q&A afterwards. For me, nothing caps off a movie-going experience better than listening to the filmmaker and actors talk about making the film I've just watched, and this was no exception. Hugh Jackman, particularly, was absolutely charming and funny--and, dare I say it? Dazzling!

Bottom line: I really enjoyed AUSTRALIA. It was a grand, sweeping epic with an old-fashioned feel, and beyond that, it was simply beautiful to watch (the scenery, the sweeping vistas, the actors!). During the Q&A, Luhrmann talked about developing the idea, and he talked a lot about GONE WITH THE WIND, which, of course, is my all-time favorite movie. I definitely got the feeling that he was kind of trying to make a movie in the GWTW tradition--his own Australian version.

For me, it worked. Sure, it was fairly melodramatic at times. And yes, it was *long*, clocking in at 2 hrs. 45 minutes (but hey, for us LORD OF THE RINGS fans, that's nothing!). There was a point in the movie where it felt like it could have been 'the end'--a nice, happy, tidy ending....but then it keeps going, and I found the next segment as compelling as the first. And yes, there's a few gratuitous "let's show Hugh Jackman's buff, bare chest one more time!" scenes (trust me, I'm am NOT complaining!). But all in all, I was entertained. I laughed, I cried--what more could you ask for? I thought the romance in AUSTRALIA was particularly compelling, and while Jackman's Drover is no Rhett Butler, he definitely has his own rugged charm, and Kidman's Sarah is a totally likable heroine--they made a good match, and the chemistry between the two simply sizzled.

I like epics. GONE WITH THE WIND, DR. ZHIVAGO, GIANT, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, maybe I can even dump THE THORN BIRDS miniseries into that pot. Yes, they are all a bit melodramatic, but as long as the romance is good, the vistas sweeping, and the drama compelling, I'm there.

How about you? Any grand, sweeping epics that you count among your favorites? And if you've seen AUSTRALIA, I'd love to hear your take on it!

Wicked Wednesday!

Anyone follow the BBC's Robin Hood series? If you do, you'll know that Guy of Gisbourne is one bad dude, and wicked sexy!!! He's played by the ultra yummy Richard Armitage! I'm a huge fan of RA...those eyes...that deep voice...oh, yeah, LOVE him!

What is it about Guy? He truly is bad, and not just one of those fake 'rake' type characters. I mean, he's mean, he's done bad things, we've seen this, not just been told, 'he's bad'. And yet, I'm still totally mooning over him. Maybe it's the subtle vulnerability of him? Maybe it's the way he looks longingly at Marian when she isn't looking? Maybe it's his complex nature? I don't know what it is, but Guy of Gisbourne totally does it for me. Who the heck would want Robin Hood when you've got Guy panting after you?

I'll admit, I got a thing for men like this. Would I want one in real life...probably not. I see a lot of horn locking, and grumbling. But in the fantasy realm? I'm totally on board with a guy like that. Wallingford, the hero in my Spice release Sinful, is one of those bad boys. He's got a waspish tongue that he uses to flay people--mostly women-- with. He's very callous and jaded, and his actions most definitely reinforce that. (No fake rakes for Wallingford!) Yet, on the inside, once you peel all those layers, you can see that he's got a sensitive side, and that all those mean things he's said is a protective casing he uses.I think Guy is a lot like that, too. And it does really weird things to my insides....just sayin'!

So, let's be wicked. What truly bad boy does it for you? And Lord Craven-Moore DOES NOT count!...ouch....he just swatted my bottom!!!! He is such a rake! lol!
Charlotte

Confessions of a Twilight Mom

My name is Kristina, and I am a Twilight Mom. Yes, it’s true. I admit it. I hang out on the Twilight Moms message board, went to a Breaking Dawn midnight party, and stayed up all night reading it, the last book in the series (and yes, I was horribly disappointed—I would say it was easily the biggest literary disappointment of my life). I pre-ordered movie tickets for the Twilight movie weeks ago, and saw the first showing this morning (in a totally full theater, I might add!), release day.

But before I review the movie, let me go back to the very beginning of my Twilight obsession. I discovered the book the month it was released, as I was walking through a bookstore headed toward the romance section. I passed a shelf that, in retrospect, must’ve been in the YA section, and the cover immediately caught my eye. So I picked it up, turned it over, and read the back blurb—only three or four sentences, but enough to hook me. So I bought it. I started reading it that night, and ended up staying up half the night finishing it.

I feel personally responsible for starting some of the word-of-mouth buzz, because I told everyone I knew that they had to read it, even if they didn’t read YA books, even if they didn’t normally like vampire books. I got my friends hooked, my family hooked, and this was all before it became the international sensation that it is now.

So…the movie. Suffice it to say that I’ve been eagerly awaiting it for a long, long time. There’s just nothing better than seeing a favorite book turned into an excellent film, the familiar characters brought to life in full Technicolor glory. But then again, there’s nothing worse than seeing a favorite book turned into a horrible film, one that makes you wince to watch it.

For me, the Twilight movie fell somewhere in between. First, the pros: the locations were gorgeous. Stephenie Meyer did well in choosing to set the book in the Pacific Northwest, because the scenery was simply stunning, and, for the most part, looked exactly as I envisioned it. I thought the casting was mostly great, too. Kristen Stewart simply was Bella, exactly as I imagined her in my mind. I thought she captured the character perfectly. I also thought Rob Pattinson did an amazing job. His Edward was the perfect mix of confidence and self-loathing, and frankly he’s just so stunning that I found it hard not to gape when he was onscreen. Billy Burke, playing Bella’s dad Charlie, was also perfectly cast.

For the most part, I enjoyed the Forks High teenagers, all well-cast and well-acted, and the same with the Cullen clan, but particularly Rosalie, Emmett, and Esme (Jasper was the weak link, in my opinion—he actually got some laughs from the audience when they probably weren’t supposed to be laughing). As to the bad vampires, I thought Victoria was perfect, Laurent was satisfactory, but James was too over-the-top and cheesy.

I also thought they did a really good job of staying mostly true to the book, although they took some liberties condensing some scenes and changing when and where some conversations took place. But mostly it did feel as if the book had come to life. And the kiss scene?! Yeah....very sexy.

Now the cons: the make up was horrible. I mean, c’mon, we know they’re vampires—just a little bit of pale face powder would have sufficed, rather than the shovelful of white pancake makeup it looked like the Cullens were wearing. Rob Pattinson is gorgeous enough on his own—the eyeliner and lipstick just looked overdone and silly. The makeup looked particularly bad on Peter Facinelli, playing Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Also, there were a couple of close-ups of the vampires’ eyes, particularly Edward’s, where I could clearly see the contact lens on his eye. Seems like a little editing work could have removed the tell-tale ring. And the wig on the actor playing Jacob Black looked ridiculous—I wish they’d spent a little more money on it.

Also bad were the special effects. I realize this was an independent film, fairly low-budget, and you can only do so much, effects-wise, without a big budget. After all, we as an audience are spoiled, effects-wise, in a post-WETA, post-“Lord of the Rings” world. But the effects were definitely hokey and cheesy. And the meadow scene….well, I won’t spoil it for you, but just let me say that I was disappointed. Really disappointed. I now wish that vampires didn’t sparkle.

Lastly, there was a little more angst than there was in the book. I remember some funny, light moments between Bella and Edward in the book, some playfulness. But in the movie, it was all angst, all the time. For someone who hasn’t read the books, you might come away wondering how the pair goes from first meet to “You are my life now,” because you don’t quite get to see the development of their relationship in the movie (of course, some critics of the book will say that there isn’t much of that in the book, either, but I respectfully disagree).

All in all, I enjoyed it. I’d probably give it a B, maybe a B+, though the plus mainly comes from my enjoyment of the original source material rather than the movie itself, and because it was pretty pleasant just to stare at Rob Pattinson on the big screen for two hours, bad makeup and all. I saw it with a friend, though—also a fan of the books (minus the train wreck that was Breaking Dawn, of course)—and she didn’t like it as much as I did. Her biggest criticism was wooden acting, and, and like me, she was really put off by the bad makeup and special effects.

So…anyone else see the movie already? If so, how would you grade it? And for the rest of you, do you plan on seeing it?

Contemplation....

This is me today (sans the red hair!)I find myself unable to focus, staring off into space, imaginging wonderfully visually rich scenes that I cannot seem to get down onto the computer screen. I'm sure they would be just as wonderful written down as they are in my head. Except...I lack motivation, or energy, or something...

We're having a blizzard here where I live. Everything is white, the wind is howling, the sky such a dark, dark grey and so omnious looking. I have the candles lit in my study and Lorenna McKennit's haunting voice playing on my computer. Everything is conducive to writing that moody wintery tale which was due to my editor weeks ago. So, why then, am I content to sit at my desk and drift off into space, mentally writing my novella, but unable to actually 'write it'?

Amanda mentioned something about the full moon in her last post. I believe it. I have no idea where the moon is its phase, but I do know that it had better soon come to the phase that gives energy and exuberance, or I'm going to be in serious trouble!

This is a rather boring post from the poster known for her 'wicked' pictures of yummy men. I beg of your indulgence for this one day!

So, tell me, what part of the world are you from, and what is your day like?