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Diane Gaston

Diane's Blog

You'll find me here at Diane's Blog every Thursday, ready to relax and while away the time. Mondays I'm at Risky Regencies and every third Wednesday at Harlequin Historicals. Come join the conversation. You are always welcome.

Raving and Ranting!

April 12, 2012 – 1:48 AM

Before I rant, let me rave….about my new book cover for A Not So Respectable Gentleman?! It is all over my website, but I can’t resist showing it off one more time.

Isn’t it a great romance cover?

Which makes me even more peeved. I get this great new romance cover and here comes yet another article about the Romance Genre, titled A Million Shades Of Smut.

The title itself is insulting. The photo used to illustrate the article is equally as insulting. The article is about books, people! At least use a book cover to illustrate it.

Especially because the article’s purpose is to try to make sense of the success of a particular erotic romance, Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James. I was totally unaware of this debut book, by the way, which, apparently, has been a phenomenon. I’m not even sure it is technically a romance, because apparently the story spans three books, but the article’s writer thought so.

There were a lot of clever parts of the article–the statistical charts (from RWA) and a flow chart that purports to lead you to the romance sub-genre that would interest you (If you follow the historical trail all the way to “Viking” you find Michelle Style‘s Harlequin Historical, The Viking’s Captive Princess). There were some decent quotes from publishing industry people, and some very lazy research. For instance, the example they give for Historical Romance is Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught, a book originally released 21 years ago. Really. Couldn’t they find a more recent historical?

My main complaint, though, was the journalist’s premise that erotic romance novels (and, strongly implied, all romance novels) are smut. Now, I don’t read erotic romance–it just is not my thing–but I object to it being called “smut.” Smut is about obscenity or pornography.

According to Wikipedia:

Erotic romance novels are stories written about the development of a romantic relationship through sexual interaction. The sex is an inherent part of the story, character growth, and relationship development, and couldn’t be removed without damaging the storyline

Explicit sexual content within the parameters of a romance, is not obscene. Erotic romance certainly is not pornography, which has as its purpose the sexual arousal or erotic satisfaction of its reader.

From what I can tell, Fifty Shades of Grey is about a wounded hero and the (initially) innocent heroine who helps him heal–in addition to or, perhaps, through having lots of BDSM sex. A glimpse at the Amazon reader reviews indicated to me that readers were hooked by the characters and what would happen to them, not the sex.

Calling erotic romance “smut” tips me off that the journalist had preconceived notions about the romance genre in general and the erotic romance subgenre in particular. In this case, it seems to me that the journalist decided that romance novels were all about sex and she didn’t bother to take a serious look at why romance out sells all other genres.

We’re used to this sort of journalism. Rarely does a journalist write an article about romance that doesn’t include the term “bodice ripper.” I wish journalists would take the time and trouble to study and read about romance novels, instead of merely looking for facts that support their biased views.

Do you know of any such articles? If so, include the url for them! What do you think of erotic romance novels?

And how about that new cover of mine. Don’t forget to enter my new contest!

By Diane :: Posted in Writing :: Comments (11)

To Tax and To Please

April 5, 2012 – 1:14 AM

To tax and to please, no more than to love and to be wise, is not given to men–Edmund Burke

Guess what I’m doing today.

Yep. Taxes.

Actually I’m preparing for the accountant. I never do my taxes anymore because they’ve gotten a bit more confusing and I have an anxiety attack if I try to do them myself.

I don’t object to taxes. As Oliver Wendall Holmes, Jr. said, “I like to pay taxes. With them I buy civilization.” I believe that. What I do hate is preparing for taxes.

In Regency England, just like today, there were lots of protest against taxes. Of course, a few years before the Regency, America fought the War of Independence over taxes.

In Regency England there were lots of taxes. Land was taxed directly, but there were also indirect taxes. Lots of them. Over 1000 were subject to excise taxes. Items like tea, salt, candles, leather, beer, soap, and starch. Luxury items were taxed. Wine, silk, gold and silver thread, silver plate, horses, coaches, hats. Unfortunately, the taxes on goods, especially goods that were widely used, led to a booming business in smuggling.

One of the more unusual taxes during this time period was an assessed tax–on windows! Of course, the poor could not afford windows for this reason, so the poorest lived in tenements without light and ventilation. There was also a wallpaper tax and a brick tax. The brick tax was levied to help pay for the wars in the American Colonies, which began because of taxes.

Taxes are as old as civilization. I’ll leave you with this ancient bit of wisdom:

When there is an income tax, the just man will pay more and the unjust less on the same amount of income.–Plato

Have you done your taxes yet?

By Diane :: Posted in Miscellaneous :: Comments (3)

Salad Bar!

March 29, 2012 – 2:25 AM

I am sooo not a cook. You have probably heard me say this often, if you have read my blogs. There is one dish, though, where my culinary creativity does me well.

Salads.

As I’ve been watching my weight, I’ve been eating a lot of salads and I like to have fun with what I put in them.

I always start with bagged lettuce, because I’m lazy and it is so easy to have the lettuce prepared ahead of time.

Some of my other additions are rather traditional–grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, cucumbers–but others you don’t usually find on a restaurant salad bar. Things like sweet pickle chips, canned asparagus, canned Italian green beans, green olives or black olives. I toss in left-over vegetables such as Brussels sprouts or broccoli.

I also like to add fruit for a little sweetness. Grapes or strawberries or apple slices.

Whatever meat we’re eating that night goes into my salad. Chicken or turkey burgers or turkey bacon. I love to add hot meat to my salad, but if I’m going straight veggie, I’ll add beans. Kidney beans or black beans or, my favorite, butter beans.

I also love hot potatoes on my salad, especially those little round white potatoes or red ones. I also love sweet potatoes on the salad.

Topped off with my favorite salad dressing, Newman’s Own Lite Raspberry and Walnut Dressing, it’s a meal I love every night.

What do you put in your salad? What’s your favorite dressing?

 

By Diane :: Posted in Life :: Comments (3)

Favorite TV Shows

March 22, 2012 – 1:31 AM

I’m the first to admit that I watch too much TV and, what’s worse, my TV habits are bizarre. I watch very little network TV, for example, and I never watch sitcoms and very few series.

Except this year I’m hooked on Once Upon A Time and Grimm. Interesting that two shows with fairy tale themes appeared at the same time. I like both of these, because I think they are so creative. You can tell Once Upon A Time was created by the writers of Lost. Both move back and forth from past to present, and both provide bits of the whole story, like pieces of a puzzle. I just hope I like the puzzle’s solution for Once Upon A Time better than the one they came up with for Lost (Everybody was already dead. I mean, really…)

The only other regular network show I watch is The Biggest Loser. I’m always trying to lose weight, so that is part of the appeal, but what I really enjoy about the show is watching the participants grow in self-knowledge and self-confidence. I love how the show turns morbidly obese people into athletes. The drama of the competition doesn’t interest me, but the personal journeys of each participant draws me in.

On cable, I’m addicted to Say Yes To The Dress, House Hunters (and several other HGTV shows) and Project Runway. Whoever thought watching (mostly young) women picking out their wedding dresses would make good TV was truly inspired, because it is endlessly fascinating to watch the process, the interactions between the bride and her entourage, and the satisfaction and joy when the bride finds her perfect dress. It even captures my husband’s interest on the rare times he has to watch it with me. I think House Hunters and other Let’s-Find-or-Remodel-A-House shows appeal for the exact same reasons: the process, the interactions, the joy at finding or creating the perfect house.

Project Runway, on the other hand, interests me because it shows the creative process in all its diversity. I’m also fascinated with the judges’ conclusions as to what constitutes the best fashion. It is not always what I think is best.

Another show using Project Runway‘s format is Work Of Art. I was very briefly an art major in college, so I’ve always loved the creation of art. In Work Of Art, fine artists compete for the big prize–a gallery showing–by creating new pieces of art each week. Like in Project Runway, each week one artist is the winner and one is booted out.  I’ve only caught two seasons of this show but I hope there will be more.

I’m a Johnny-Come-Lately to the HBO series Game of Thrones. In anticipation of Season Two, HBO has been airing marathons of all of Season One and that is how I was introduced to this series. The acting is so terrific in this series and there are so many characters who are finely played. Plus the story sucks you in. I can’t wait until Season Two.

I hope that Game of Thrones doesn’t disappoint. I’ve found that I eventually tire of cable series. I no longer care about True Blood and way before the series’ ends I tired of Deadwood, The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Big Love, to name just a few.

What about you? What do you like to watch on TV? Or are you one of those people who can stay away from the small screen?

News about my latest website contest. I’m going to end it on April 2. On April 3 a new contest will start. Hurry up and sign up for my newsletter so that you can see the Sneak Peek of A Not So Respectable Gentleman? The Sneak Peek will give you the answer to the new contest question.

By Diane :: Posted in Life :: Comments (8)

A Trip To England…

March 15, 2012 – 1:23 AM

In 2005 I took a themed tour to England focusing on The Great North Road, stopping at coaching inns, country houses, and Nottingham, York, and Edinburgh. There were less than 30 people on the tour, which was led by Patty Suchy of Novel Explorations. Patty has since become a friend (see one of our escapades here), although she is not doing tours as grand as The Great North Road tour or the Regency England tour (2003).

One of the benefits of doing the tour was making friends like Patty. My friend Julie and I reunited with two of our tour pals, Carol Stroud and Victoria Hinshaw (of Number One London blog), for lunch on Tuesday. Carol lives nearby and Julie and I get together with several times a year, but Vicky only comes to the Washington, D.C. area once a year.

After lunch, Julie and Carol had to return to their day jobs, but Vicky and I extended the visit for a more thorough catching-up. We started talking about another trip to England. She and Kristine Hughes are planning a trip to England next spring and I begged for them to include me. (We’ll see if I can manage it!!!)

It got me thinking…Where do I want to go???

The short answer is anywhere in the UK.

I’d like to go places I have already visited: The British Museum, Apsley House, Bath, Stratfield Saye, Edinburgh, Richmond (to see my editors!). I’d like to shop at Floris, Hatchard’s and Fortnum and Mason. I’d like to step inside Lock and Co. Hatters and stare at Wellington’s and Nelson’s hats. I’d like to see the Waterloo Diorama at the National Army Museum . I’d like to see Chatsworth and Spencer House.

There are places I haven’t seen that I’d love to see: Stonehenge, The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Wales, Oxford. I’d like to see Chawton Cottage, where Jane Austen once lived. I’d like to attend a play at Covent Garden or watch Shakespeare at the Globe.

I’d like to see the Victoria and Albert museum. Even though I visited it in 2003, it was on the last day of the trip and I can’t remember any of it!

I could go on and on…..

What would you want to see in the UK if you could visit?

By Diane :: Posted in Miscellaneous :: Comments (5)

Inn Boonsboro Number Two

March 8, 2012 – 2:35 AM

I had a lovely time at Inn Boonsboro. The Inn is such a pretty place. Each bedroom is decorated according to a literary theme and dedicated to two literary lovers. Check out the website and take a tour of each room. One of my favorite parts of the Inn’s rooms are the bathrooms. This year I was in the Westley and Buttercup (The Princess Bride) room. This was the bathtub in the bathroom:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a chance to peek into the Eve and Roarke (In Death series) room. Here’s the bathtub in that bathroom:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My other favorite place is the library. I spent Friday afternoon in the library in front of the fireplace with my laptop.

 

 

 

 

 

The weekend was a casual one. There were about 14 of us and everyone spent the time in whatever way they wished. On Saturday morning I took a walk in the nearby cemetery, an old-fashioned kind with tombstones dating back to Civil War times. Later we did brainstorming. And later still, a discussion about Writers Block.

We had a very lovely dinner out at the Old South Mountain Inn, and afterwards we watched the movie Tangled, analyzing the structure of the plot. Then, all too soon it was Sunday and time to go.

I didn’t get a lot of writing done, but I did feel rejuvenated. There’s nothing like spending a weekend with people who speak the same “language” as you do!

What has rejuvenated you lately?

By Diane :: Posted in Miscellaneous :: Comments (4)

Risky Regencies Monday

March 5, 2012 – 6:02 PM

I’m over at Risky Regencies blogging about a PBS documentary I watched last night about Costume Dramas. Can you guess which British costume dramas were considered ground-breaking?

Thursday I’ll tell you about my writers weekend at Inn Boonsboro!

By Diane :: Posted in Miscellaneous :: Comments (1)

Return to Inn Boonsboro

March 1, 2012 – 10:29 AM

Today I am enroute to Boonsboro, Maryland, to Inn Boonsboro, the inn Nora Roberts built. We’re filling the inn with fellow friends from  Washington Romance Writers for a writing weekend.

Last year was my first time attending this writers weekend and I loved the setting and the camaraderie. This year I’m going a day early with my friend, Lisa Dyson, and we’re planning to get lots of work done!

Here are my goals:

1. Get a good start on my revisions for my Marquess and Governess story.  Remember when I finished writing this book at the beginning of the month? Well, my editor has read the manuscript and made her suggestions for revision. This is so much faster than I’ve ever had revisions returned to me before, and it means I don’t have to interrupt a book-in-progress to complete them.

2. Participate in our “group” activities. This year we’re doing a brainstorming session. And a plotting session—by analyzing the movie Tangled.

3. Enjoy the time with friends. There’s nothing like being with a group of people who all speak the same “language.”

4. Not eat too much. I don’t want to come home to more pounds on the scale!

5. Take a walk each day.

I think I’ll have to drop in Turn The Page Bookstore Café, Nora’s husband’s bookstore, too.

What are your weekend plans?

By Diane :: Posted in Miscellaneous :: Comments (3)

Risky Regencies Monday

February 27, 2012 – 10:26 AM

Fresh from watching the Academy Awards and enjoying all the celebrities who attended, won, and otherwise took part, I’m over at Risky Regencies talking about that first celebrity, Lord Byron.

This is a 19th century pen and ink drawing I own.  I believe it is Lord Byron in his Albanian costume. What do you think?

By Diane :: Posted in Announcement, Regency :: Comments (0)

Awaiting the Academy Awards

February 23, 2012 – 11:13 AM

I love to watch the Academy Awards, even if I seem to see fewer of the movies every year. I’m looking forward to this Sunday’s ceremony, although the only nominated movie I’ve seen is War Horse, which I loved.

Now that I’ve turned in my book, I feel free to think about going to movies. I’d like to see The Help, The Artist, and The Descendants, although I’ll probably wait until they come on Cable.

My favorites are, therefore, not based upon seeing the movies, but here they are:

Best Picture: War Horse, because it is the one movie I’ve seen and I did love it. I knew I would from the first time I saw the trailer

Best Actor in a Leading Role: George Clooney. From the trailer of the film, it looks like he does a wonderful job.

Best Actress in a Leading Role: This is a hard one!!!! I’ll go for Viola Davis, because I think the role she played must have been a personally emotional one for her. If not Viola, then Michelle Williams or Rooney Mara.

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer. I always like Christopher Plummer.

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer. I love it when African American actors are recognized.

Best Cinematography: War Horse. The scene in which the horse breaks away and runs through the battle is amazing!

Best Animated: any of the ones with cats in them

Art Direction: War Horse (but I’m biased)

Costume: Jane Eyre. Not that I’ve seen the costumes, but it is an historical piece near to “my” time period.

Directing: The Artist. It must have been a great challenge to make a silent movie in today’s world.

I don’t have any other preferences for the other categories.

Who are you rooting for? If you’ve seen more movies than I have, which ones do you recommend to me?

 

By Diane :: Posted in Life :: Comments (1)