Tessa Dare

Enter today to win DVDs, coverflats, and yummy treats!

Oh my goodness.  In all the excitement of the last few weeks, I completely forgot that I’ve not yet written up love letters to my last two favorite movies, Cold Comfort Farm and Enchanted.

Actually, they’re easy to combine into one post, because I chose them both for the same reason.  Humor.

Enchanted is a send-up of fairy tales and Disney princess movies (though it is, itself, a Disney movie), and I’m sure most of you are familiar with the plot.  Cold Comfort Farm (based on the comic novel by Stella Gibbons published in 1932) parodies gloomy, gothic Bronte-esque novels.  The film version, starring Kate Beckinsale, Ian McKellan, Rufus Sewell and other greats,  had the opportunity to parody not only the novels, but the costume dramas made from them!

I expect many of you are familiar with Enchanted, (and if not I blogged about it once long ago) but the plot of Cold Comfort Farm goes something like this:  Fresh-faced city girl Flora Poste goes to live with her relatives, the Starkadders, at the aptly named Cold Comfort Farm.  From the batty old woman who keeps to her room because she long ago “saw something nasty in the woodshed”, to the oversexed farm brothers Seth and Ruben, to their fire-and-brimstone preaching patriarch, Cold Comfort Farm is not only a jumble of crazy characters, but a tumbledown wreck. Flora brings to the place a modern sensibility, and through a series of common-sense solutions, she contrives happy endings for them all.  And then earns her own! The film is filled with quotable lines and hilarious touches.  (My favorite part?  The cows named Feckless, Aimless, Graceless, and Pointless.)

But what I love about both of these films is that, even as they mock conventional tropes, in the end they also affirm the underlying point.  Yes, these movies say, fairy tales and gothic novels have elements of the ridiculous…but that doesn’t mean there are no real happy endings.

In all my books, there is (I hope) a slightly self-conscious nod to the fact that romance, both as a fiction genre and as an emotional experience, has a touch of the absurd.  I mean, anything so intricately connected to human emotion does.  I find it impossible to relate to a story that has ZERO sense of humor, because I find humor in just about anything.  Love most of all.  When I think back on the times I’ve fallen in love, or simply found myself the throes of a crush, I’ve always felt just silly with emotion…but delightfully, wonderfully so.  So even when my stories get a bit dark, I always try to give my characters some sense of humor about themselves and their predicament. Nothing wins me over faster than a character (or real-life person!) who can laugh at him- or herself.

Speaking of humor and romance, there are some amazing releases I’m dying to get my hands on today, by two of the authors who combine those elements more skillfully than anyone:  What Happens in London by Julia Quinn, and Don’t Tempt Me by Loretta Chase.  I’m also desperate for a copy of Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran, though maybe it’s a little darker in tone….? I know some of you have read it already; you tell me.

What are you reading? What are you laughing at?  Is it yourself?  (I hope so, because that’s usually the answer for me.)

Enter the giveaway by clicking here!

Goddess of the Hunt releases four weeks from today!  I can’t believe it.

I’m hard at work on my second book in this new Stud Club trilogy. At the moment, I think we’ve decided to call it TWICE TEMPTED BY A ROGUE. It’s been a mix of rough rough-drafting and research so far. I was joking on Twitter the other day that after four books, I’ve finally broken down and created a research binder, with color-coded tabs and everything. (Note: This is extremely unlike me.) I hadn’t expected to become so enthralled with the research for this book, and I’m a little worried that it’s partly procrastination…but I’ve been collecting and printing out all sorts of images and informational PDFs about the history, geology, climate, wildlife, and legends of Dartmoor.

Beautiful, isn’t it?  The area has such fascinating history (going all the way back to pre-history!) and folklore.  In addition to the tors–the craggy granite formations that pepper the area–Dartmoor boasts ancient stone circles and cairns (tombs), the ruins of medieval tinning operations, rivers and waterfalls, bogs and mires, and more.

“Worldbuilding” is a term most commonly associated with paranormals or sci-fi/fantasy.  It refers to the author’s creation of a fictional universe with its own unique rules, creatures, places and people.  In historicals, our “worldbuilding” is usually less about creating our own universe, and more about evoking a real-life historical setting.  However, every book in any genre involves a certain amount of worldbuilding–where do the characters come from, for one?   How do objects, people, fixtures, buildings relate to one another, spatially or otherwise?  Writing is a series of these tiny worldbuilding questions.

For this book, I’ve decided to draw on all my research and create a composite–a completely fictional village and surrounding area, with geologic and archeologic features arranged to suit my story.  And I’m having a great time doing it!  I even went so far today as to sketch out a little map of how these things relate to one another spatially.  Village here, tors there, bog here, stream there…. etc.

No, I will never post that map.  Let’s just say, a cartographer I am not.  But next summer, my fictional corner of Dartmoor will be open for visitors!

What sort of worldbuilding are you working on?  Creating a magical realm?  Mapping the floorplan of your dream house?

While I was off gallivanting in cornfields, a controversy exploded in the online romance community last week. In case you’ve missed it, the online portion of it started with agent/author Deidre Knight’s open letter to RWA (Romance Writers of America), and RWA President Diane Pershing’s response. Today, Dear Author has a helpful guide to further reactions around the Internet.

At issue are RWA’s positions and policies on digital publishing. Currently, the organization does not recognize any e-publisher as a legitimate publisher (for the purposes of presenting at conference, taking pitches, etc.), because they pay on a no- or low-advance/greater-royalty model, instead of giving advances of $1000 or more for each book. This has resulted in a complete absence of digital publishing education at our upcoming conference. RWA’s current policies have also created ambiguity in membership status–members who publish with an e-press or small press are considered “published” in some respects, but not in others, leading to inequities in contest participation, etc.

I love RWA–both National and my local chapter. But I do think the national organization in particular could be doing far more to educate the membership about digital publishing and e-publishers. Today, digital publishing affects every published and aspiring writer of romance–we all need to understand e-rights contract clauses, the Google books settlement, DRM, and more. And I take issue with the president’s repeated assertion that e-publishing is not the venue of the “career-focused” author of romance. I’ve published with an e-press, and it was very much a career-focused decision–one I’d definitely make again.

I’ve pretty much summed up my thoughts on the issue before, so I won’t write them all out again. A few months back, I blogged about why I think digital publishing is good for romance, and then I blogged about why I think it was a good (career-focused!) move for me.

So I’m not going anywhere in RWA. I love being a member. Heck, the national conference is the highlight of my social year! I understand and appreciate the tremendous amount of work RWA officers put in, and I can imagine that wading through these thorny issues is a difficult task, to say the least. But I do intend to use my voice and vote toward the causes of improved education on digital publishing, recognition of proven reputable e-publishers, and acknowledgment that e-publishing is increasingly a valid and viable career option for many (though not necessarily all) authors. In my opinion, those things are necessary to keep RWA relevant in the digital age.

Thank you so much to everyone who posted (or tweeted) congrats on the Library Journal review!!

Well, the Dare family is back from vacation. We dug for dinosaur bones, saw the (great!) movie UP, visited a living history farm, and ate and ate and ate deliciously artery-clogging and therefore ironically named Heartland fare. Most importantly, we spent a lot of quality time with our family–it’s not every day you get four generations in one place! We had a great time. Now we’re home, and the laundry is (mostly) done, and the refrigerator is cleaned out, and the groceries are restocked, and the darelings are (bless them) back in school. Time for me to update the blog and website!

And what an exciting day to do it, because I woke up to two more great reviews!

The first was another starred review from Publisher’s Weekly! You can read the whole and see the actual star here, if you scroll down a ways.

Here’s what it says:

Dare’s sparkling Regency romance debut introduces a cunning and instantly likable tomboy heroine. Lucy Waltham has been besotted with her brother’s friend Toby since she was 11. Now 19 and determined to get Toby away from ladylike, well-dowried Sophia, Lucy decides to practice seduction techniques on another family friend, Jeremy Trescott, earl of Kendall and 10 years her senior. Their innocent trysts become a sizzling affair that leads abruptly to the altar, after which Lucy must use all her considerable wit and intelligence to transform herself into a countess without ever losing the wild spirit that Jeremy finds both daunting and delightful. Dare seems to have fit all the best of romance into one novel, from sensuous interludes and crafty humor to endearing multidimensional characters. Readers will eagerly anticipate the two sequels due in the fall.

And then I found my Romantic Times review, which gives GOTH 4-1/2 stars and a Top Pick for the month!!

With a daring debut, the first in a back-to-back trilogy, Dare is on the path to stardom. From the hilarious opening to the poignant climax, Dare uses wit and wisdom, humor and sensuality to relate a tale of tangled love that reveals her ability to touch hearts with her appealing characters, from a dotty aunt to a prideful urchin and everyone in between.

I’m so thrilled and honored and, quite frankly, rather dazed by it all. I’m especially delighted that the PW reviewer called Lucy “instantly likable”. When she showed up in my imagination, I liked her instantly, too. But I’m biased.

If you would like to win an advance copy of Goddess of the Hunt, here is your last chance! My dear friend and critique partner, Courtney Milan, is giving away her personal copy. Details of how to enter are on her blog.

The Dare Family is here in the balmy Midwest on vacation, but I just had to share this exciting news.

Goddess of the Hunt has received a starred review from Library Journal! You can read the whole review here. A snippet:

This is an exceptional debut novel, from the first hilarious “practice” session to the gradual melting of Jem’s outward reserve and Lucy’s maturing realization of whom she really loves. VERDICT: A beautifully crafted tale that captivates with sassy wit, a lush, sweetly intense sensuality, and an abundance of beautifully articulated, appealing characters.

I’m so very excited by this, because not only is a starred review a tremendous honor, but because this is Library Journal, and I’m a librarian. Aside from the thrill of a great review, I know an LJ starred review means a lot more libraries will buy my book, and that makes me so happy. More copies of GotH out there in the world, freely circulating amongst the public! Hooray!

Come comment today at Romance B(u)y The Book! I’m blogging about first crushes, and one lucky commenter will received a signed author copy of Goddess of the Hunt (just as soon as I receive them! )

Correction: I think Michelle actually has an ARC! She’s going to send it to me for signing, and then I’ll pass it along to the winner. Woot!

Goddess of the Hunt releases in 49 days. Gulp. If I think about that for more than 49 seconds, I start to get the shakes.

Fortunately, I have lots to keep me busy in the meantime. In addition to my ongoing work on the trilogy for 2010, I have some travel coming up.

At the end of the week, the Dare family will be embarking on our family vacation–a relaxing trip to the Midwest to visit relatives.

Then in July it will be on to DC for the RWA (Romance Writers of America) National Conference. Conference is always one of the highlights of my year, simply because I get to see so many friends and gather inspiration from some of the genre’s brightest stars. But this year will be especially exciting because it will be my very first booksigning! More on that in future posts…

In the weeks and months to come, I’ll also be doing some virtual traveling–doing guest blogs and interviews at various places around the Romance webscape. Tomorrow I’ll be a guest at Romance B(u)y The Book, so please come by!

Are you headed anywhere this summer?

This week, I’m taking a break from drafting Stud Club book two (which was briefly known as The Return of a Rogue, but now will likely be known as something else) to catch up on other things. Namely the page proofs for A LADY OF PERSUASION, which I must mail tomorrow, and reading, which I haven’t had time to do much of lately.

My reading list for the week is a mix of research and inspiration. It includes:
This Duchess of Mine by Eloisa James (Been dying for Jemma and Elijah’s story!)
Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas (On a day I can screw up my courage. Sherry’s books always tie my insides in knots, they’re so emotional.)
One Week as Lovers by Victoria Dahl (I have an ARC!!! Yes, you can faint with envy now.)
Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier
Amid Devonia’s Alps: Wanderings and Adventures on Dartmoor, by William Crossing
Memoirs of a Smuggler, by John Rattenbury

What are you reading this week?