Returning with a different angle

Hi all

I've finally been able to make entries to this blog again — a technological glitch that locked me out of blogger and google for several years. But now I'm back. And I'm thinking that as well as my blog that's linked to my website, I might run another blog that's for writers, rather than readers, with an emphasis on craft-of-writing and other writing-related topics.

What do you think?
Is it a good idea? Would you be interested?

If you prefer a more general blog, you can follow my other blog, here, and sign up to have new entries emailed to you.

#FallBackInTime

I'm joining in the celebration of #FallBackInTime, where historical romance authors post selfies with their own books and readers post pics of themselves with some fave historical romances.

It's a great promotion, designed to promote a subgenre rather than an individual author, so jump in and have a go. And don't forget to include the hashtag -- #FallBackInTime

Here's me as a writer with a couple of my own books.

And here's me as a reader with a couple of my favorite Georgette Heyer novels.

And here are some of my childhood faves—historicals, though not all romances.

I hope you share some of your own faves.

Mistletoe Kisses

Do you like Christmas stories? I love them, and this year I have a story in a Christmas anthology by The Word Wenches — the group of historical romance authors I regularly blog with —  Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, Patricia Rice, Joanna Bourne, Nicola Cornick, Cara Elliott and Susan King. 

My story is called Mistletoe Kisses, and it's about Allie Fenton, a young woman who, for various reasons, has never been able to attend a ball. Now orphaned and on the shelf, she's planning to become a teacher at a girl's seminary in Bath. But first there's her last Christmas at home and then, Lady Holly's famous annual Christmas ball. 

Here's a short excerpt:

"You'll come to my Christmas ball, then," Lady Holly told her. "Don't bother trying to think up any excuses — you're coming and that's that. Your year of mourning will be up, and you have no reason to stay here moldering away when I've gathered an excellent range of eligible gentlemen for your perusal."

Allie laughed. "For my perusal? As if I'm going shopping?"

"That's exactly what you'll be doing."

"Don't the gentlemen have any say in it?"

The old lady sniffed. "Women have been making men believe they have a choice for generations. Now don't be frivolous, Allie — I am determined to give you one last chance to find a husband before you go off and bury yourself in this, this school of yours." She pronounced 'school' as if she really meant 'zoo.'

Allie smiled. For all her caustic tone, Lady Holly had a very kind heart. "I would love to attend your ball, Lady Holly. . . "

The old lady frowned. "I hear a 'but' coming."

"Not really—I would truly love to dance and flirt and be madly frivolous, and your Christmas balls are legendary, and you know I've never been able to attend. But the only ball dresses I have were made for the eighteen-year-old me, and not the seven-and-twenty version. Alas" — Allie indicated her hips and bosom and grimaced — "I'm no longer the slender young thing I was."

Lady Holly snorted. "You were a scrawny young twig back then — no bosom or hips to speak of. Now you've a fine womanly figure. Besides, I've thought of that. Took the liberty of getting a dress made for you — left the box with Meadows. It should fit — got Mrs. Meadows to take your measurements from one of your current dresses."

Allie blinked in surprise. "You had a dress made for me? A ball dress?"

"Now don't get all stiff-necked on me, Allie Fenton," the old lady said in a fierce tone that didn't deceive Allie for an instant. "I was very fond of your dear mother and this is for her, as much as for you. She was so looking forward to your making your come-out and was devastated that her illness prevented it." 

"I'm not being stiff-necked, truly I'm not. I'm just. . . surprised." There was a lump in Allie's throat. She was deeply touched by the old lady's brusque kindness. And thoughtfulness. A ball dress. . . 

Lady Holly reached over and patted her hand. "Now don't look like that, my dear — I promised your mother I'd see you dancing in the arms of a handsome man, and though circumstances have prevented it in the past — and I quite see that it would have been the height of impropriety for you to go dancing when first your mother and then your father lay dying — there is nothing to prevent you now, and you will come to my ball!" 

Allie smiled mistily. "Just like Cinderella. And you've even provided the gown." 

SNIP . . . . 

The parcel, tied with string and wrapped in brown paper, lay on her bed. She untied the string and under the wrapping paper found an elegant box with a stylish gold emblem on the front. She swallowed. This was no dress from the village seamstress — it was from Lady Holly's own London mantua maker.

She eased off the lid, parted the layers of protective tissue paper and gasped. Almost holding her breath, she drew the dress from its nest of tissue. It was beautiful. 

The underdress was a light shimmering lilac shade that she just knew would go perfectly with both her recent mourning, and also her coloring. But the lovely silk underdress was quite cast in the shade by the delicate overdress in some kind of gauzy fabric through which the lilac silk shimmered. Embroidered here and there with tiny rosebuds in silver thread, it was finished with bands of delicately gathered silver lace around the hem and at the elbows of the puffed sleeves, and a line of silver embroidery around the neck.

In the box, hidden beneath the dress, was underwear — not the kind of underwear that Allie had ever in her life worn — delicate, lacy, flimsy, exquisite underwear — a chemise, a petticoat, the daintiest, most feminine drawers, and even a corset. All were trimmed with lace, and everything but the corset was practically transparent. Almost scandalous. 

She remembered Lady Holly's comment that she had the figure of a woman now, not a girl. Allie had never really given it much thought. But now . . . these were certainly underclothes for a woman, not a girl. Smiling to herself, she put the lovely, naughty underclothes back in the box. She'd probably die a spinster, but she would treasure these forever.

She picked up the dress again, held it against her body and turned to gaze at her reflection in the looking glass. It was the most beautiful dress she'd ever owned. And it suited her perfectly. The lilac color complemented her pale complexion and her dark hair, and even seemed to make her very ordinary gray eyes look almost exotic. The silver thread gleamed and shimmered in the light. It was a dress made for dancing. . .

How many years since she'd danced? And never at a ball.

Delight bubbled up in her. After what felt like years wearing mourning black and gray, this dress felt like a breath of spring. And yet even the highest sticklers could not look askance at her — lavender and lilac were approved colors for half mourning.

But would it fit? She stripped off her old black gown and, holding her breath, she carefully slipped the ball gown over her head. And breathed. It was perfect. It was more than perfect.

She gazed at her reflection, gave a sudden laugh and twirled around and around, as if she were a giddy, carefree girl again.

She felt just like Cinderella. And she was going to the ball.

                    cccccccccccccc

The LAST CHANCE CHRISTMAS BALL comes out on 29th September 2015. 
Buy it from your favorite bookshop, or try one of these links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon Canada 

Amazon Australia 

From Booktopia, Australia

For iTunes

For your Nook

From Books a Million

From the Book Depository, which ships for free around the world.

Newsletter Bouncing

I just sent out a newsletter yesterday and there have been an abnormal number of bounces, mainly from g-mail and Big Pond (a popular Australian email server) -- and since this particular newsletter is partly about Australian readers finally getting access to my early Harlequin historicals, it's very frustrating.

So I'm posting a web link to my newsletter here. Sorry for the inconvenience.

https://madmimi.com/p/2390a6?fe=1&pact=32773160136

I'll be blogging soon about the Australian romance conference but in the meantime, here are a couple of photos as an appetizer. That's me, at the costume party, which was themed "Fresh, Flirty or Famous" and I chose "famous" and went as Dame Barbara Cartland, complete with dogs — that's a dog on my foot as well as one on my arm. Also with me is crime/thriller writer Kathryn Fox, and the sinister fellow holding onto his beard with his knife is Harlequin author Marion Lennox -- who came as Johnny Depp, also carrying dogs.

Below are Fiona McArthur who writes medical romance for Penguin Australia and Harlequin, Trish Morey who writes Rural romance for PanMcMillan and Harlequin Presents, and Bronwyn Jameson, who writes for Harlequin Desire. Trish is dressed as the conference logo.

 And here is Stephanie Laurens with Harlequin editor Princess Sue Brockoff.

Until next time

Anne

Fame at Last! — I think I've 'nailed' it!

I received an email yesterday from romance writer Stef Ann Holm, who I've never met, but who clearly is a kind and lovely person, telling me my book was featured on page 10 of the August 3 issue of WOMAN'S WORLD.  She sent me this picture and this email:

I was eating lunch this afternoon, and glancing at the August 3 issue of Woman’s World magazine (The one with Dr. Oz on the cover and how to lose up to 400 lbs. by eating almond butter—going to pick me up almond butter in a moment. LOL)  Anyway . . . on page 10, they show how to make manicures special.  They used a paperback to imprint pages on your nails. I’m a romance writer too, and I always look at book titles.  Saw “SPRING BRIDE” and did a Google search.  There you are!  And this is YOUR book.  Thought you’d enjoy knowing that.  Here’s a picture of the page you’re on.  May all women use your book to paint their nails.  But only after they read it and post 5-star reviews on Amazon. 

And lo! Yes, that's text from my book, THE SPRING BRIDE on that model's nails.  So do you think I've nailed the Fame thing? Or am I trying to gloss over the destruction of a book? Do you use my books to paint your nails? Should I? And wasn't it lovely of Stef Ann Holm to let me know?

Reissues!

Harlequin Australia has reissued my first two books -- Gallant Waif and Tallie's Knight in a two-in-one collection they're calling Courage & Circumstance. It's due on the shelves in August, so let's hope people can find it. Booktopia (Australian on-line bookshop) currently has it on discount.

When these two books were released in the USA All About Romance gave them both Desert Island Keeper reviews, and said "Sometimes it can be hard to pinpoint which books are really getting a lot of buzz on the Internet. But when six AAR reviewers and editors (and publisher) independently buy two books by the same author over one weekend and four more rush out to get them in the next few days, well, that's buzz like I've never seen before. Anne Gracie is an author worth getting excited about, and Tallie's Knight is the best Regency Romance I've read in years. (The other book we all rushed out and bought? Anne Gracie's other U.S. release - Gallant Waif - which received DIK status earlier this week.) "

You can still read these reviews: here's the review for Gallant Waif and here is the one for  Tallie's Knight.

I'm so pleased, because people have been writing to me for ages, asking when/how they can get hold of my old Harlequins. Ironic that they've been easily available as e-books in the US and Uk, but in the country I live in, we can't get them. But I've been informed they'll now be available on kindle etc, too, which will be great.

In September, Harlequin Australia will release my other two historicals — An Honorable Thief and the Christmas novella, A Virtuous Widow.

At Dymocks

Here's a pic of last night's Fantasy & Romance panel at Dymock's bookshop in Melbourne -- from left to right, Keri Arthur, C.S. Pacat, Melanie Scott, me and Sarah Fairhall, the panel moderator. Pic taken by the wonderful Maria Matina.

Don't you love the panels behind us? They're from the adult coloring competition that Dymock's ran — apparently coloring books for grown-ups is the latest thing, and seeing them all displayed here I can see the appeal -- such bright and lovely designs, like a wall of fabulous tiles.

Romance and Fantasy Event

If you're in Melbourne this coming Thursday evening, why not come past Dymocks in Collins St for a great discussion of romance and fantasy with me and my friends Keri Arthur, Mel Scott and CS Pacat. It starts at 6.30 pm. Hope to see you there.

The Spring Bride ~ enter the hero

Here's a short excerpt from my new book, The Spring Bride. In it, you meet my bad-boy hero, Zach, for the first time. (Whitehall is where the government offices were.)

"Sir?" A clerk poked his head into the Honorable Gilbert Radcliffe's discreet Whitehall office. From the outer office, Zachary Black watched, faintly amused by the clerk's excessive caution. Surely he didn't look that dangerous? 

"Yes, Evans, what is it?" Radcliffe sounded preoccupied, busy.

"There's a man here asking to see you." The clerk lowered his voice. "Demanding to see you."

"And?"

"The thing is, sir, he's a gypsy."

"A gypsy?"

"Yes, sir. Dirty and disreputable-looking. I would have shown him the door, only the fellow asked for you by name, sir, insisted you'd want to see him, and wouldn't take no for an answer." He added doubtfully. "I could try to have him removed, if you insist, sir, only he's quite large and I fear it would be. . . difficult."

"An ugly customer, eh? Well then, send the fellow in. I'll deal with him."

The clerk turned to Zach, and stepped back to let him pass. "Watch yourself, gypsy. Mr Radcliffe might be a gentleman but he won't put up with any nonsense."

Zach winked at him, and sauntered into the the office, saying in a roughly accented voice, "Gen'leman give me a message for some toff called Mr Gilbert Radcliffe--that you, is it? Said I was to give it only to 'im. Said Mr Radcliffe would give me a gold guinea for it."

The Hon. Gilbert Radcliffe leaned back in his chair, regarding his visitor through narrowed eyes. His gaze took in the the darkly bristled jaw, the worn, faintly foreign clothing, the muddy boots, the shabby sheepskin coat with the faded but outlandish embroidery— and most damning of all, the small gold earring. "Gold, is it? For a scoundrel such yourself?"

"Gold, 'e promised me." Zach edged closer. "And gold is what I'll 'ave."

Gilbert Radcliffe wrinkled his nose. "Faugh, that smell. . . Have you been sleeping in a barn?"

Zach's mouth twitched, but he whined in an aggrieved voice, "I come a long way wiv this message, I 'ave."

"Shall I call someone and have the wretch removed, sir?" said Evans from the doorway.

"No, no." Radcliffe waved him away. "Bring a pot of tea and two cups." 

The clerk gave him an incredulous look. "Tea sir?"

"And some biscuits?" Zach added hopefully. "Ginger ones?"

The clerk gave him a dirty look and glanced at Radcliffe, who nodded. "Yes, and biscuits—ginger if you have them. And shut the door behind you." When the clerk had gone, Radcliffe looked at Zach and shook his head. "He probably expects you to steal the spoons."

Zach gave him an indignant look. "I'll have you know, Gil, I haven't stolen any spoons for, oh, weeks."

To pre-order The Spring Bride:

BarnesandNoble  

amazon.com 

IndieBound  

The Book Depository   

Booktopia   

Bookworld  

An Evening of Fantasy & Romance

Like to read? Talk books and writing and storytelling? Meet authors? Come join me and three of my writing buddies in Melbourne on June 18th at Dymocks Bookstore in Collins St in the heart of Melbourne. 

It's free, but you need to RSVP for the event at www.trybooking.com/HXNC Bring along a printout of your ticket to win a book pack including 2 signed titles from each of us!

Hope to see you there.

Mt Macedon

Next Saturday I'm going to be speaking at The Gallery in beautiful Mount Macedon -- a lovely gem of a town a little over half an hour's drive from Melbourne. It's historic, and is best known for scenery and gorgeous gardens, and as spring has sprung in my neck of the woods, I'm looking forward to seeing the spring gardens. 

So, art, spring gardens, book talk and a delicious afternoon tea included in the price — what could be better? To book email: info (at) thegallerymtmacedon (dot) com (dot) au  (no spaces)
or phone: 5426 3322   Hope to see you there.

Regency Dresses

Yesterday I was putting together some thoughts for the cover conference for the cover of my next book, The Spring Bride. I'm still writing the story, but in my case, because Im not a speedy writer, the cover is always finished long before the book.

They'd asked for some suggestions, and so, because the title is The Spring Bride, it'll be no surprise to you that there will be a bride on the cover. And it will be spring.

So I went looking for a few regency-era dresses for Jane, my bride.  Daisy, her sister, will be making the dress for her. Jane remembers her mother telling her about a beautiful pink dress she wore the day she met her future husband, and so Jane wants to get married in pink. It doesn't have to be all pink -- a cream dress with a few touches of pink would be fine.

Pinterest -- otherwise known as The Endless Tunnels of Gorgeousness. A place so easy to get lost in. Honestly, I could spend all day looking at stunning regency clothes. But I did manage to resist all the other gorgeous period collections. And I came up with a few possibles: So what do you think?

We'd need to make this one a little less apricot and paler for Jane, but I love it as is and I love the embroidered net overlay.

Such a pretty dress and the touch of pink roses around the hem and train are gorgeous. Not sure about the ninja scarf around the bride's face, though. :)

I loved this one with its lace overlay — this was very popular on FaceBook when I showed it.

Of course we'd need to do this in pink instead of blue, but otherwise, it's lovely, isn't it?

This was popular on Fb, too. I'm not so sure about the leaves. I do like the idea of appliqued and embroidered leaves, but these are a bit big for my taste. But the fabric of the gown is beautiful.

A lace veil or possibly a shawl. It's Spring, after all, and in England, so the weather won't be guaranteed sunny.

Or how's this if the weather is a bit nippy — a gorgeous cream pelisse, fastened with shell buttons.

I'm nowhere near writing that scene yet, so it might not be any of these dresses. In the meantime, oh dear, I might have to wander down The Endless Tunnels of Gorgeousness. I can justify regency clothes  because it's 'research' but there are luscious clothes from all eras, and all kinds of other beautiful things.

Which I must and shall resist. She says firmly. 

Really!

Do you have any favorites from the ones above?

Short Interview with New South Wales Writers Centre

I did a short interview with the NSW Writers Centre in Sydney, in preparation for the Romancing the Page workshop I'm doing there, and thought I'd post it here as well. Please note that the workshop date has changed — it's now on May 4th 2014

How did you get into romance writing?
Initially I thought writing romance would be a quick and easy way to fund a more "literary career" -- I knew nothing about romance then, only the urban myths that abound about the genre. But once I started reading widely within the genre and saw the huge range of stories published, I realised I could write the stories that I wanted to write, that I didn't have to write "to formula" as I'd assumed.  I found that writing romance isn't easy, but it is a lot of fun. I've never looked back.

Sixteen books published! How do you stay inspired and find fresh stories?

It's easy. New story ideas come all the time, and the genre itself is constantly reinventing itself and expanding. But at the heart of every romance novel there are people, and people are endlessly fascinating and surprising. The difficulty isn't about staying inspired, it's finding the time to write all the things I want to write.

Do you consider yourself a hopeless romantic? 

I am in lots of ways. I do believe in the power of love to change people and inspire them  to change their lives. Its one of the most transforming things in our lives. I'm a "Love Actually" kind of romantic, though -- the sort that sees all kinds of love in all kinds of people. I've spent my life working in underprivileged areas and with people whose lives are often in crisis, so I'm not blind to the problems in society. But I still believe in love and I see it all around me.

Who is your favourite literary lover?

That's a hard one-- there are so many to choose from. I'm going to avoid all the literary lovers who ended up dead -- I like a happy ending, thank you. I'll go for Damerel, in Georgette Heyer's Venetia. He's a wicked funny, poetry-spouting, flirtatious bad boy, a nineteenth century rake who, when he falls for the lovely Venetia, tries to stay away from her for her own good. Of course she's a spirited heroine who gives as good as she gets, and she won't stand for such foolishness.

Anne Gracie's next book, The Winter Bride (Berkley USA and Penguin Australia) is on sale from March 26th.

Sparky Tabasco, on The Winter Bride

Freddy & Marriage ~ part 1

Freddy has been quizzing Damaris on her aversion to marriage:

She rounded on him suddenly. "Why don't you want to get married?"

"What? None of your b—"

She smiled. "Exactly. And yet marriage offers you so much; a wife to run your home and do your bidding—"

Freddy snorted. "Do my bidding? You don't know much about wives if that's what you think."

"A companion, children—isn't it your duty to produce an heir to continue the family name? What do they say, 'an heir and a spare'?"

Freddy loathed the expression. 

"Or is it women you have an aversion for? I know some men—"

"I do not have an aversion for women!"

"Well then, why don't you want to marry?"

Nettled, Freddy stared at her in frustrated silence. 

She gave a little grin. "See? Not so much fun when you get a taste of your own medicine, is it?"

The Australian cover

Two advance copies of my Australian edition of THE WINTER BRIDE arrived in the mail today. So pretty.

Mary Jo Putney will be interviewing me about the book on the Word Wenches Blog, and I'll give one of these away to a North American commenter. Stay tuned for the interview date. I'll put it on FB and twitter -- and here too.

THE WINTER BRIDE (RT Top Pick) Our hero Freddy on Pride and Prejudice:

When his best friend Max asks him to attend his aunt's literary society, our hero, Freddy, is appalled:

“Not the literary society. The horror stories those girls read are enough to make a fellow’s hair stand on end.”

Max frowned. “Horror stories? They don’t read horror stories, only entertaining tales of the kind ladies seem to enjoy, about girls and gossip and families—”

“Horror stories, every last one of them,” Freddy said firmly. “You asked me to sit in on their literary society last month, when you went up to Manchester, remember? The story they were reading then . . .” He gave an eloquent shudder. “Horror from the very first line: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. Must he, indeed? What about the poor fellow’s wants, eh? Do they matter? No. Every female in the blasted story was plotting to hook some man for herself or her daughter or niece. If you don’t call that horror, I don’t know what is!”

Max chuckled.

“You can laugh, bound as you are for parson’s noose in the morning,” Freddy said bitterly, “but every single man in that story ended up married by the end of the book! Every last one.” He numbered them off on his fingers. “The main fellow, his best friend, the parson, even the soldier fellow ended up married to the silly light-skirt sister—not one single man in that story escaped unwed.” He shuddered again. “Enough to give a man nightmares. So, no literary society for me, thank you.”

* * * * *

There's another excerpt here.

Preorder THE WINTER BRIDE:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Indie bound

Book Depository UK

Booktopia (Australia)

A small taste of the Autumn Bride

Excerpt from The Autumn Bride:

“I’ll take the very best care of you, as if you were indeed my beloved aunt. We all will.”

“I believe you child. You’ve already done me a power of good.”

Abby was puzzled. “In what way?”

“I was so bored before you came along! Now I have gels in breeches climbing through my window at all hours of the night, bringing me soup and conversation and plotting to sack my butler. And gels bringing me cats and kittens, and who knows what else? For the first time in…oh, forever, I want to see what the next day brings.”

Abby looked at her in astonishment, then found herself grinning. “It’s going to be an adventure for all of us, isn’t it?”

“It is, dear gel, it is,” Lady Beatrice said. “And I can’t wait.”

* * * * *

US Edition
Barnes&Noble
Amazon.com
IndieBound
The Book DepositoryUK
ISBN—13 (USA): 978—0425259252

Australian edition
Booktopia
Fishpond.com.au

ISBN (Australia) 978-1921901409