Monthly Archives: November 2011

Revolutionary Comics

Posted on by
Reply

For the final post of Georgian History month, I’d like to introduce the talented writer and comic artist Laura Neubert, the creator of “The Light Eater” webcomic, a lovely and atmospheric Gothic paranormal fantasy set during the time of the French Revolution. She’s here to discuss her favorite 18th century set comics– focusing mainly on ones set during the American and French revolutions. These comics by groundbreaking comic artists like Lora Innes, Ryoko Ikeda, and Dylan Meconis are all revolutionary comics, in both senses of the word.

# # #

Ahh the 1700’s. What a romanticized point in Western history. Certainly, this is due in no small part to the two revolutions that capped off that century. Is it any wonder that so many artists, authors and artistic types have turned their attentions toward the latter end of that 100 year period? The drama of revolution is inescapable, hell, the word itself means to change, or to turn. Place nearly any sort of character in the context of such turmoil and the drama is just about inherent. In some ways, it seems even terribly fitting that creators of comics would take on this period in time, since William Hogarth’s prints, which are considered an early precursor to sequential art appeared during this time, and often commented on many of the conditions and social misconceptions that helped lead to some of the revolutionary fervor in France. With that in mind, let’s take a step back in time and give the works of a few talented authors a closer look.

First off, let’s handle things a bit chronologically. So let’s turn our attention to “The Dreamer”, arguably one of the most well-known web-comics in America. Written by Lora Innes, the story concerns a young modern-day lass named Bea who seems to travel back in time to the American Revolution when she sleeps. Perhaps it’s only a dream, a vivid, intense dream, but, Bea seems to have an established life in the past, she even has a paramour there, the dashing, charming Alan. It is not only Bea, but also the reader who must wonder which time frame is real and which is the dream. Is our heroine merely imagining this complex story of such an important point in American history, or is she actually rushing back and forth through time? Is she only one person, or two? How can one person exist in two places at once? Continue reading “Revolutionary Comics” »

A Killing Frost: more fun adventure in the Blue Satan series

Posted on by
1

I was really excited to read “A Killing Frost,” which is the latest installment in the Blue Satan and Mrs Kean historical mystery series– “The Birth of Blue Satan”, the first book in the series, is possibly one of my favorite historical mystery novels of recent years. Set in the early years of King George I, it was a swashbuckling story of how a young nobleman, Gideon Fitzsimmons, the Viscount St Mars, is falsely accused of his father’s murder and in the process loses his birthright; and how the purehearted Hester Kean, the poor relation of St Mars’s frivolous fiancee, strove to help him regain what was rightfully his, even when he ends up becoming a legendary highwayman.

It’s very much in the vein of Sabatini and Farnol, wonderfully old-fashioned, with highwaymen, courtesans, fops in periwigs, and Jacobites lurking behind every bush. There are tons of books set around the French Revolution, but fewer in the earlier part of the century, which I think is a pity. (Patricia Wynn, in her earlier guest blog post, explains why she decided to use this sadly neglected period.)

“A Killing Frost” is the fourth book in the series. As you could probably tell by the title, is set during the Little Ice Age, when the Thames regularly froze over solid. It’s the winter of 1715-16, and St Mars is still living on the fringes of society, while his undeserving and useless cousin Harrowby has taken over his inheritance as Earl of Hawkhurst, and has even married St Mars’s slutty blonde ex-fiancee Isabella. Hester Kean (mainly called Mrs. Kean– however, at this period, Mrs was just an abbreviation of ‘Mistress’, it didn’t mean a lady was married, it was just a title of respect), Isabella’s poor cousin, is her downtrodden waiting woman, and at this point pretty much utterly in love with St Mars. Their romance has been a very slow burn, and at this point in the series they’re just dying to fall into the sack; they haven’t yet because St Mars is super honorable and Hester’s a good girl. Continue reading “A Killing Frost: more fun adventure in the Blue Satan series” »

Presenting Patricia Wynn: The turbulent reign of King George I

Posted on by
Reply

My last author feature for this month is Patricia Wynn, the very talented author of the Blue Satan mystery series. Her first book in this series is “The Birth of Blue Satan,” one of my favorite historical mysteries ever– in the vein of Dumas and Rafael Sabatini, it’s a wonderfully old-fashioned and swashbuckling adventure story set in the turbulent years of 1715-1716, when the Catholic prince James Stuart vied with newcomer the German Protestant George for the right to the British throne. Most authors, when writing about the 18th century, prefer to focus on the later half, particularly the decades between the American and French revolution. Ms. Wynn is here to tell us a bit about equally revolutionary first few decades of the Georgian era, and why she chose to write about it.

# # #

Thank you, Joanne, for inviting me to blog about the early Georgian period. Writing and researching the Blue Satan Mystery Series, I’ve been immersed in the reign of George I for the past twelve years. Before that I wrote Regency romances and a historical romance set in the 1770’s, but when choosing a period for my mystery series, I wanted to stake a claim to a setting that had not been so thoroughly explored. Continue reading “Presenting Patricia Wynn: The turbulent reign of King George I” »

Artist of the Month: an interview with Niroot Puttapipat

Posted on by
7

"Sense and Sensibility" Bath Bicentenary ed. cover by Niroot Puttapipat

Happy Georgian Month! For this month’s Artist of the Month, I’m interviewing Niroot Puttapipat, a Thai-born London-based illustrator already renowned for his gorgeous, intricate, historically savvy paintings that recall such fin de siècle artists like Edmund Dulac and Arthur Rackham at the height of their powers. He’s illustrated many books for Walker Books, the Folio Society, and Palazzo Editions, most recently the Bath Bicentenary edition of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility.” He’s here with us to today to discuss his artistic process, his love of costume, and his thoughts on the current Austen mania sweeping the publishing world.

# # #

Hi Niroot! Where are you from? Where did you grow up? Your official bio for Walker books says you’re “the grandson of a Lanna princess.” Would you like to tell us more about that?

I was born and grew up in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. I first came to live in London with my family when I was about ten. I spent about two and a half years here before going back to Chiang Mai again for a year. Then I returned to London again and have been here since. Continue reading “Artist of the Month: an interview with Niroot Puttapipat” »

A brief history of 18th century fashion

Posted on by
Reply

Today’s guest post is courtesy of historical fashionista Andrew Schroeder, who brings us a brief (and highly illustrated) history of 18th century fashion. In today’s article, in honor of Isobel Carr’s eloquent guest post about the allure of 1780s style and my most recent review and giveaway of “Ripe for Scandal,” he mainly discusses the many facets of late 18th century ladies’ fashion.

# # #

“The fortunate few of the eighteenth century dreamed and lived and danced in one of history’s most glorious periods.” So said Diana Vreeland in the introduction to “The Eighteenth-Century Lady,” and her declaration is not without merit. The elegance and style of these fortunate few have been preserved for posterity by the likes of Boucher, Fragonard, Le Brun, and Watteau, transporting us into one of most beautiful ages of fashion the Western world has ever known.

Rococo style grew out of a reaction to the heavy oppression of the Baroque aesthetic. Artists and designers looked to natural elements, such as the shell, from which the term “rococo” takes its name, to create ornate, fanciful designs that ambled and meandered in s-shaped curves. These new modes were reflected in women’s dress of the period. This rigid yet hyper-feminine trend gradually gave way, toward the end of the century, to a more natural inspiration, spurred by Rousseau’s writings and an increased emphasis on the individual.

Undergarments of the eighteenth century were complicated but ubiquitous, being worn by all members of society. A woman’s most intimate garment was the chemise, which was made of linen and served to protect the clothing from the body’s oils, as well as protecting the body from the stays. These were the eighteenth century version of the corset. Stays were not worn to constrict the waist, but to give a conical shape to the torso and perfect, erect posture. By the 1780s, a more natural shape was achieved through the use of less boning, creating a “prow” front and a more pronounced bust. Women could then tied a pocket around their waists, which could be accessed by pocket slits in their skirts and petticoats. Continue reading “A brief history of 18th century fashion” »

Ripe for Scandal: a review and giveaway

Posted on by
6

While “Ripe for Scandal” is a very different story than Arabella Stokes’ “Proof of Love” or Sylvia Halliday’s “Summer Darkness, Winter Light,” it manages to capture another aspect of Georgian society in that it’s an earthier, more matter-of-fact romance. It’s not “Perfume” (thank God) but it feels less sentimental and romanticized, with a more practical, erotic, sanguine approach to love, which was refreshing to read.

This is the second book of a trilogy (the first was “Ripe for Pleasure”), so at first I felt a little as if I had plunged halfway into the middle of a miniseries, but I was able to get the cast sorted out in my head soon enough. The heroine of “Scandal” is one Boudicea “Beau” Vaughn, the daughter of an antiquarian duke (hence her odd name) who is a high-spirited, sporting girl who is not only a bit of a libertine, but she won’t take shit from anyone. The hero is her brother’s BFF, a guy she’s always had the hots for– one Gareth Sandison, a rakish silver-haired fellow (who I kept picturing as a 1780s Sesshomaru) who rescues her from the hands of Nowlin, a mysterious Irishman, who seems determined to abduct her off to Gretna Green to forcibly wed and bed her. (Or does he?) Continue reading “Ripe for Scandal: a review and giveaway” »

Presenting Isobel Carr: “Why I prefer the Georgian era”

Posted on by
1

Happy Thanksgiving! The holidays are here, but Georgian month rolls on as acclaimed romance novelist and costume historian Isobel Carr (aka Kalen Hughes)– the author of “Lord Sin,” “Ripe for Pleasure” and “Ripe for Scandal”– is here to tell us why she prefers the Georgian era to the more popular Regency.

# # #

I’ve often been asked “Why Georgian? Why not set your books in the more popular Regency?” And I have a lot of answers, but in a nutshell, it’s the clothes. I know a lot of people have major Austen-fueled dreams of Regency elegance, but as a re-enactor, I vastly prefer the clothing of those characters’ parents’ generation. And it’s that love of late 18th century clothing that originally pushed me into writing books set in the 1780s. Continue reading “Presenting Isobel Carr: “Why I prefer the Georgian era”” »

Marie Antoinette’s Big Hair

Posted on by
1

Marie Antoinette in Coronation Gown

Lauren P., who runs the fantastically readable and fun 18th century site, Marie Antoinette’s Gossip Guide to the 18th Century, has stopped by to tell us about some of the fashion trends Marie Antoinette herself started– most notably that of the pouf, the most famous (or infamous) hairstyle of the entire Georgian era. Satirized and mimicked in books, comics and movies for centuries, the pouf blazed the way for big hair. Before the bouffant, before the beehive, there was Marie Antoinette and her two-foot-high coiffures.

# # #

One of the most tragic figures of the 18th century was the young French queen Marie Antoinette, who only lived to be 37 years old. The beginning of her career as queen was also the beginning of her career as a fashion icon in Europe. Marie Antoinette was making major fashion decisions as early as the coronation of her husband, Louis Auguste in 1775. At just nineteen years old, Marie Antoinette had an important decision to make: what to wear! Continue reading “Marie Antoinette’s Big Hair” »

Author of the Month: an interview (and giveaway) with Sylvia Halliday!

Posted on by
9

For Georgian Month’s Author of the Month, I am delighted to present my favorite romance novelist, Sylvia Halliday (aka Louisa Rawlings, Ena Halliday, and Sylvia Baumgarten). Ms. Halliday– whose work manages to be sweeping, passionate, and historically meticulous– wrote many epic historical romances in the ’80s and ’90s. She’s gained the kudos of many great authors– including Roberta Gellis, who called her work “fascinating”– and she’s won many prestigious awards within the romance community, including the Romantic Times’ award for Best Historical set in France (for “Promise of Summer,” one of my favorite romances ever). Sylvia is with us today, to discuss– among other things– her writing career, swashbucklers, Mad Men, toga parties, the Kennedy assassination, and her past and future projects.

In addition to this exclusive interview with Sylvia, I’m also having a giveaway of her classic story “Summer Darkness, Winter Light”– a 1995 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice finalist for Best Historical– which I reviewed here. One commenter has the chance to win a print copy of “Summer Darkness, Winter Light”– and Sylvia will personalize and autograph for the lucky winner! All you have to do is leave a comment below.

# # #

Hi Sylvia! So where are you from? How did you get into writing? Did you always want to be a writer, or is something you decided to get into later in life?

I was born in Toronto, Canada. Because it was during the Depression (yes, I’m that old!), and my father couldn’t get work in Canada, we moved to the US (Massachusetts) when I was just 4. As a small aside: When I saw “The King’s Speech” I cried because, for a few years until we became naturalized, that was MY king! Continue reading “Author of the Month: an interview (and giveaway) with Sylvia Halliday!” »

Summer Darkness, Winter Light: a ribald and action-packed romance classic

Posted on by
Reply

Sylvia Halliday Ah, 1995… it seems so long ago. Back in the halcyon days of the Clinton administration, when the Oklahoma City bombings were big news, and Alanis Morrisette was taken seriously. That was the year Sylvia Halliday’s “Summer Darkness, Winter Light” was released. At the time, I was already a staunch fan of Ms. Halliday (real name Sylvia Baumgarten, aka Louisa Rawlings and Ena Halliday), but, for whatever reason, I wasn’t as crazy about “Summer Darkness” as much as her previous books. However, now that I’ve reread it, I can safely say the book is excellent and, if you’re a fan of historical romance, definitely worth a read. It’s aged pretty well too.

“Summer Darkness” is set in 1724, and it tells the adventures of Allegra Baniard, a poor young noblewoman fresh from her exile in the Colonies. She’s come back to England to avenge her family’s ruin; she means to kill the new lord of Baniard Hall, who she thinks is John Wickham, who engineered the fall of the Baniards, but it turns out the new lord is Greyston Morgan, the Viscount Ridley, who has his own demons. She tries to assassinate Morgan by mistake, but this backfires, and she finds herself back in indentured servitude to this man who seems to be nothing but a lecherous drunkard. But hark! Her new master is a sexy beast, who alternately tries to seduce her and piss her off. But our heroine has many surprises and lots of adventures awaiting her before the book is done, and that includes murderous fops, evil smugglers, Indian princes, ferocious bears, and gladiatorial hookers with hearts of gold. It manages to be both ridiculous and awesome at the same time. Continue reading “Summer Darkness, Winter Light: a ribald and action-packed romance classic” »