FASHIONABLE FOOTWEAR, AN INDISPENSABLE ACCESSORY ©

By Polly Guerin, the Fashion Historian

Nowadays on the fashionable streets of major cities the thin, gravity-defying Stiletto Heel seems to have ensnared more fashion victims than any other footwear style. Yes, they are sexy but difficult to walk in and most importantly they throw the body off balance, and can cause other foot problems as well. Yet despite this fact countless women insist on spending big bucks to point their way to fashion footwear. Why? Because the classic pump is a power-wardrobe essential, a go-with-everything choice for women executives and females on the prowl. The Manolo Blahnik’s Tuccio pump, for example, comes in five heel heights and a variety of colors. The toe shape, too, called the vamp, varies depending on regional taste. A pair bought in New York has a slightly longer toe than one from bought in Dallas. Footwear history seems to repeat itself and women have been dying to follow the whims of fashion making footwear an indispensable accessory.

HEIGHT AND PRACTICALITY

Women throughout the ages have been trying to gain royal privilege. You no doubt remember how women of the most modest lifestyles in ancient China insisted on binding their feet to emulate the royal prerogative, but this crippling binding fashion rendered the ladies incapable of walking. It’s alright, I guess if you’re a royal and can be transported about on a divan by servants, but obviously this kind of portage was not available even to a social climbing peasant woman. As for platform footwear Carmen Miranda may have popularized this style but clog versions also go back to ancient China as well as adaptations of platform shoes as early as 1640. Defying the mud and filth in the medieval cities it was essential to wear shoes with stilt-like pattens of wood to elevate the foot and increase the wearer’s height or aid them in walking through the filthy streets. These practical stilt-like platforms were popular footwear and worn right down to Colonial America.

A HISTORICAL LEAP INTO FOOTWEAR

Until man invented footwear, he walked. That’s it barefoot! The invention of footwear was the first step forward in devising protection for the feet. The sandal is perhaps the oldest creation and has its incarnation as far back as the Egyptians and evolved in modern times as the flip flop. Jeweled sandals worn by the privileged few in the early Roman Empire were decorated with priceless gemstones and pearls. However, one could not exist by the sandal alone and eventually different styles were needed as transportation. Footwear back then identified with one’s lifestyle or work and shoes did not come sized for the right or left foot. In those early days it was just one size fits all. If you were a member of the wealthy class or a member of the court, however, you could have your servant wear the shoes for a while so that they could break them in for you. Going to great lengths to outdo one another in the 15th century women of fashion privilege and dandies outdid the pointed vamp statement with such an extremely pointed projectile that a gold cord had to be extended from the point to the top of their boot so that they could walk.

DECORATIVE DESIGNS

The French took the shoe and boot into further decoration with lace trimmed cuffs in the 17th century and the Cuban heel painted red was a style reserved for the king. The wealthy classes in Europe wore shoes in which the uppers were made in the rich brocades of the Orient, and from the looms of Venice and Genoa. During the Empire period in France women opted to imitate the Greek and Roman fashions and wore such diaphanous garments that only a delicate slipper could accommodate such attire. Costly to make and fragile these slippers did not last more than one night on the dance floor. Sadly, too, fashion victims who wore these sheer gowns in frigid weather didn’t survived either.

THE CULT OF HANDCRAFTED SHOES

Footwear was one of the great industrial arts in the Middle Ages and the workers bore a distinction of service with pride and production of a specific nature. Leather tanners, boot, shoemakers and cobblers were organized into guilds and each guild had it own armorial insignia attesting to the quality of their trade. Interesting, is it not, that the same tools used in the production of handmade shoes today are the same type of tools that were used in Europe in the l8th century? Handcrafted leather shoes or custom made shoes are an expensive rarity. Today, however, most shoes combine machine production with handmade features. Herman Delman, of Delman Shoe fame, who specialized in building shoes that were chic, yet comfortable, believed that skilled construction was essential to the creation of a quality shoe. He employed several notable designers over the years, including Roger Vivier, Herbert Levine, and Kenneth jay Lane as a means shaping the tastes of fashionable women across the country. An extrovert and proficient businessman Delman knew the power of educating the viewing public about handcrafted shoes. At one time, Delman store on Madison Avenue featured an oval window showcasing three cobblers at work. “Scandal Sandals and Lady Slippers: A History of Delman Shoes, Exploring the Company’s Vibrant History of Style, Advertising and Fine Craftsmanship" will be on view at The Museum at The Fashion Institute of Technology, March 9th through April 4th. Free Admission.♥




BIO:   Polly Guerin, a former professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology took 20 of her students every summer on a fashion expedition tour to visit the Couture Houses and meet the designers in the fashion centers of Europe. Ferragamo’s shoe museum in Florence Italy was a main attraction as was the Gucci Factory just outside of the town limits. Culture was always part of the tour and included visits to Fontainebleau and Versailles in France and the Albert & Victoria Museum and Blenheim in England.

THE GREAT REWRITE

By Ruth Seitelman

“There is no great writing, only great rewriting” ~ Justice Brandeis

I worked December and January on writing my synopsis and rewriting my query letter. I think I have read every blog and posting from a variety of agents, editors, authors and writers on both subjects. There is so much information available: what the documents should contain, write the synopsis before you write your book (oh no, another faux pax), include your voice in your query, loose the emotion and description, tell, don’t show, and condense 100 thousand words into five pages. All this and oh, make certain it holds the readers attention, gives a good representation of the story (plot and romance), and demonstrates your writing ability. (Breathe!)

The materials were great and provided wonderful clues, hints and samples. Some are even step by step. Then it was time to review what I had written. I found that my query and synopsis were surprisingly similar. The opening sentences were almost exactly the same. That may work for consistency, but not necessarily for creativity. I studied and wrote, then rewrote, trashed it all and rewrote again. In the end, I have to admit the query letter and the synopsis are much improved. Here is the opening paragraph of the new query letter:

Query Revised Opening Paragraph
All Rebeka Tyler did was take a short sight seeing trip to Stonehenge to fill in her day. She has no idea how a small misstep sent her back in time only to be caught in a struggle between two druid masters, and forced to fight for her life. She must live long enough to decode the magic runes and unearth a family secret to find her way back to the 21st century. Add a formidable and passionate Lord, and it’s all but impossible.

It had not been going well. I was batting a big zero with my original query letter (5 passes -- that sounds so much better than rejections). I sent out the new query letter to one agent, and got a request for a partial within 24 hours. I couldn’t believe it. I was so encouraged.

Now I needed to put together the package to fulfill the agent’s request (yea!). I printed out the short synopsis and reread the pages for the umpteenth time to check for typos, grammar, you know the usual stuff. My hard work had paid off (so far). I sat back with a smile and nodded really satisfied with the results.

Synopsis Revised Opening Paragraph

Dr. Rebeka Tyler, PhD., doesn’t think of herself as a warrior, renowned authority on medieval studies, martial arts amateur yes, but warrior, definitely not. In England to claim her inheritance, she has no idea how a tiny misstep at Stonehenge transports her through time and leaves her stranded in 17th century England, amid a renegade druid’s plot for revenge. She does know that while she is trying to survive and find her way back she is either fighting for her life literally or with the dangerously handsome Lord Arik figuratively, and somewhere along the way she has fallen in love with him.

Next I needed the first three chapters of the manuscript. I decided to check that out for typos, etc. It had been a few months since I read the manuscript, and I was looking forward to slipping into the dialogue and getting reacquainted with Lord Arik and Rebeka. Like good friends, I realized I missed them. (That’s a topic for another blog). I read the pages as they came off the printer and went pale. What was I thinking! Did I really write that?

I have been writing a long time, mostly corporate communication and marketing documents for a large company. I know I can reread my documents and always find something to edit. But this was different. Now don’t get me wrong, the writing was good, but over the last two months of studying writing, pulling my paragraphs apart, synthesizing them, distilling them, seeing where I was telling rather than showing, the manuscript needed the same loving attention.

Do I send the agent what is currently under consideration with the editor? No, only my best work goes out. That was a no brainer. With Karen Cino’s encouragement, I changed my weekly goals and began to edit the document, this time with a bit more objectivity. I have been going over each chapter with a fine tooth comb, cutting sections, rewriting others, and in the morning rereading it all.

Sadly some of my favorite parts had to be dropped. Others I just couldn’t let go. Once again I went to blogs and books for help and direction. As I rewrote, I kept a keen eye open for repetitive mistakes. The biggest appeared to be telling rather than showing. I kept in mind that the POV is all in the character’s mind, and while you can certainly tell your reader how someone feels or reacts, showing them through action, dialogue and emotions is much more powerful. Easier said then done. For inspiration I keep this quote posted by my computer.

“Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” ~Anton Chekhov

So, I have been editing each day and I am just about finished.

My dilemma, what do I do about the editor? Do I send them a new copy?

Stay tuned for Ruth’s next reverie.♥



BIO:   My name is Ruth Seitelman and I am a paranormal romance writer with one completed manuscript under consideration with an editor, and currently working on the second half of the epic story. When not writing, I can be found reading, cooking, doing Sudoku and counted cross stitch. To be honest, I am almost never found not writing. Together with my husband Paul, we enjoy ballroom dancing and, with New York City close by, going to the theater. We have three grown children and two grandchildren. On many levels they are my inspiration. They cheer me on, as I once did for them. We all thrive on spending time together. It is certainly a lively dinner table and we wouldn’t change it for the world. I am a Trustee and Vice President of the Board of Shelter Our Sister (SOS), Bergen County’s only shelter for victims of domestic violence. I am a frequent guest speaker at various functions around Bergen County speaking on behalf of the Shelter.

BOOK EXCERPT: PETALS FROM THE SKY

By Mingmei Yip



Woody Allen once said that “Success is ninety-five percent showing up.”

A great, modern Chinese painter expressed something similar: “To be a great painter is to never put down your brush.”

So, to be a successful writer, just keep writing. It’s that easy. And that hard.

Keep writing is only the first step, there is endless reading, thinking, revising. But don’t lose your nerve. Just do it one step at a time, as Anne Lamont tells it in BIRD BY BIRD. Or expressed by the old Chinese sage Laozi 2,500 years ago: “A journey of ten thousand miles begins with the ground under your feet.”

However, just plugging along may not be adequate. No one is born with talent but don’t panic -- everyone can cultivate it. According to the great Chinese poet Du Fu, if you read more than ten thousand books, your writing will be smooth and brilliant as if aided by the gods. So if you want to write, keep reading.

For my first novel PEACH BLOSSOM PAVILION, I read as many books as I could about courtesans and also those by my favorite authors. For novels, I particularly paid attention to imagery, sentence structure, rhythm, symbolism. When I had difficulty in writing smooth transitions and ending a chapter on a “cliff,” I realized, besides getting pleasure from the words, I should also analyze them to see how to make them entertaining, compelling -- even philosophical.

A good sentence has the power to make you swoon, like the moment you met the man of your dreams. Consider this one by Eileen Cheung:

Life is a gorgeous gown crawling with bugs.

Personally I love writing odd but striking images like Cheung’s. To achieve that, I always try to push myself to think one level higher and deeper. Here’s what I think is one of my best sentences:

For nothing can hurt a soul in a mirage. As no one can steal the moon reflected on a river.

If odd sentences like this are not what you want, just write from your natural heart, not your scheming one, and you will have sentences like this by my other favorite author Echo:

Once I was a beautiful woman. My smile, like a spring flower, could move anyone.

This is what I quoted in the opening of my third novel SONG OF THE SILK ROAD about a woman adventurer who attracted danger, as well as men, like bees to honey.

We were all born beautiful, only if we are aware of it.

Keep writing and being beautiful!♥



EXCERPT: PETALS FROM THE SKY

The story of a young woman who escapes her dysfunctional, ne’er-do-well family to become a Buddhist nun – only to realize she had run away from her own heart.



Mother choked and spilled her tea. "Ai-ya, what evil person has planted this crazy idea into your head?"

I was twenty and had just told her my wish to become a Buddhist nun.

She stooped to wipe the stain from the floor, her waist disappearing into the fold of flesh around her middle. "Remember the daughter of your great-great-grandfather who entered the nunnery because she was jilted by her fiancé? She had no face left; she had no name, no friends, no hair.

"She just sat the whole day like a statue; the only difference was she had a cushion to sit on. And she called that meditation." Mother looked me in the eye. "Is that the life you want? No freedom, no love, no meat?"

Before I could respond, she plunged on, "Meng Ning, there are only three reasons a girl wants to become a nun: before she meets the right man, after she has met the wrong one, or worse, after the right one has turned out to be the wrong one."

Mother clicked her tongue and added, "Not until after you've tasted love, real love, then tell me again you want to be a nun."

That had been ten years ago but my wish to be a nun had not faltered.

Not until 1987, on a hot summer in a Buddhist retreat in Hong Kong.




Bio:   Mingmei Yip immigrated to the US from Hong Kong in 1992. A published writer since fifteen, Mingmei now has eight books to her credit and two others -- another novel and children’s book -- under contract. Her books in English include: PETALS FROM THE SKY (2010), PEACH BLOSSOM PAVILION (Kensington Books 2008), and CHINESE CHILDREN'S FAVORITE STORIES (Tuttle Publishing, 2005) which she both wrote and illustrated.  In her novels, Mingmei likes to scribe strong, female protagonists who represent different women’s role, worldview, their courage, struggle, and ultimate triumph in Chinese society. With a Ph.D. in musicology from Sorbonne, the University of Paris, Mingmei is also a professional musician and painter/calligrapher. She performs frequently and taught calligraphy at City University of New York. Her recent concert was sponsored by Carnegie Hall. Visit her at http://www.mingmeiyip.com/.

DREADED AUTHOR QUESTION: Are You Published Yet?

By Isabo Kelly

When you tell people you’re a writer, this is naturally one of the first things they ask. And I suppose it’s a fair enough question. But personally, I’ve always hated it. Especially when it’s asked in that tone… You know, the condescending one that says, “Really? You think you’re a writer? Prove it.”

Even if the question is asked with simple, polite interest, when you’re not published yet this can make you feel like you’re not a real writer. Julie Cameron, in THE RIGHT TO WRITE, calls this a “credibility attack”—the feeling that you have to be published to call yourself a writer, which is a load.… If you write, regularly and with an eye toward honing your skills as an author; if you keep churning out stories month after month and year after year, you are a writer!

Publishing is nice but far less important than getting your butt in the chair everyday and hacking out that next sentence, paragraph, and page. Just finishing your beloved manuscript is more than a lot of people ever do. Remember that and be proud of the accomplishment. “But Isabo,” you say, “I do have something published, but it’s only…” Stop! Even when we can answer this dreaded question with a yes, we want to qualify our achievement:

“I’ve had a few non-fiction pieces published, but I haven’t been published in fiction yet, so I’m not a real author.”

“I’ve been published but only in the small press.”

"I’m not really making any money as a writer.”


These qualifications diminish the accomplishments made to date, and imply that you have to be Nora Roberts before you can call yourself an author. Wrong, wrong, and oh very wrong. Non-fiction publication is published. Small press publication is published. As for making enough money writing to live on—well, I know big name authors who aren’t doing that yet (promoting a book eats up advances quickly).

If you write, you’re a writer. That’s all there is to it. And you should say so with pride. The next time someone asks you this question, if you’re not published anywhere yet, say “I’m working on it” and know with full confidence that you are. No more justification is required for calling yourself a writer. If you are published in anything at all—non-fiction, short stories, small press—announce with no qualifications, “Why, yes I am.” You’ll feel brilliant and professional.♥



Isabo Kelly (aka Katrina Tipton) is the author of multiple science fiction, fantasy and paranormal romances. Her Prism Award Winning novel, SIREN SINGING, has just been released in paperback from Ellora’s Cave (www.ellorascave.com). For more on Isabo’s books, visit her at www.isabokelly.com


EDITOR'S NOTE: In this monthly series, Isabo talks about the often uncomfortable questions every author gets asked, and how to handle those dreaded inquiries. If you have gotten any of these “dreaded” questions, please share them with us; and, if you have an answer, all the better.

LOVE AND THE CITY

by Sarah Wendell
Smart Women, Trashy Books




Editor’s Note: We are pleased to welcome our first Guest Blogger, Sarah Wendell of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books fame. Comment, comment on her post here and please visit her at her site.



When it snows like confetti or it's sunny and the sky is that inimitable blue over Central Park, I love being in New York City. Even more specifically, I love being in New York City reading romances set here. I wasn't born here, so part of me is a perpetual 13-year old girl gawking up at the tops of the buildings (though not standing in the middle of the sidewalk - I know better!). I never cease to be impressed with New York.

So much of romance removes the heroine from the 'artificial' structure and ambitious competition of urban environments like NYC, but I adore romances about the real people who live here. I once read a description of the people in New York comparing them to those clear layered science diagrams of the human body, with the circulatory system layered over the nervous system to create the complete picture, but with no one element touching another. Each person in NYC was like that, according to that author -- each on their own path, not really interacting with anyone else even as a few million went about their own routes each day. That's part of the magic of romances set in NYC: that connection, the moment when the routes change and detours happen and maybe there's a service delay or the bus is held up, but it's worth the alteration.

New York is a character whenever it appears in a romance, I think. Books like Louisa Edwards' New York foodie romances and Maya Banks' THE TYCOON’S REBEL BRIDE use New York as a breathing element to the story, as if it couldn't have happened anywhere else but here.

What are your favorite NYC romances, real or fictional? And what do you think is the City’s most romantic spot?♥





Smart Bitches, Trashy Books is a website that "reviews romance novels from a couple of smart bitches who will always give it to you straight." Visit them at www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com.

BITS AND PIECES: TANYA GOODWIN

I was in a swirl of amazement, as I sat across from Tanya while we were chatting for Bits & Pieces. She had just given an amazing talk and, aside from the fact that she is a doctor and was telling us the most interesting medical facts, she had captivated the group with her confidence. Tanya is a natural with people and exudes a kind of confidence that carries over into everything she does. As you might know, she is headed to Paris, which has been a life dream of hers, and you get the feeling that she makes all of her dreams come true; i.e., her "bucket list" includes getting published before she dies. There is nothing morbid about death for her, maybe because she is a doctor, but she takes it as a natural thing and talks about doing everything that you can to fill your life, to have the life that you want and to make yourself happy. Tanya started a novel while she was in the call room waiting as a doctor! Multi-tasking is something that she does well, and she explained to me that she cannot not be doing something. Inside Tanya, there is a doctor, a dancer, a tennis player, a writer, just a few of the personas that she has taken on. When she told me the name of her college newspaper – Fovea –, which a simple definition of fovea is–area consisting of a small depression in the retina containing cones and where vision is most acute–you get the feeling that hers is more acute than most. Below are some snippets from our chat, and do watch this space for her return from Paris. As you can imagine, she will see it like no one else can...
 

“I've done things for so long and have multi-tasked for so long that I need busyness in my life. The most I get out of a TV show is half-an-hour, and then I’m up and doing something.

“I have a bucket list. If you say one of these days, when is that day going to be? You have to be active. No one is going to come to your door.

“Medical education was brutal. I do not think that I have been through anything so brutal, and I am worried about an editor or an agent?!

“I am a highly creative person. My first manuscript began in a call room. I had a horrible cold I was miserable so I started writing. It has gone through four versions. It really wrote itself.

“I will be published; it is on my bucket list. You have to be willing to be out there.

“I started dancing at three. I now take tap class at Steps in the City. All the people I grew up watching dance are now gone. I loved them all dearly. I saw Gregory Hines three months before he died. He was so thin. He was working on “Law and Order.” I saw across the screen on CNN that he died. The first thing I thought was that he had cancer and nobody knew. It was devastating.

“When I was in elementary school, I was curious about doctors. We did not see doctors often and I was mystified about these people. I asked my mother about a scar on her belly, and I thought that was the way every child was born.

“My grand aunt lived in Paris. My Auntie Zoya was the Marilyn Monroe of the family. She died and is buried a stone’s throw from Rudolph Nureyev's grave. She was a dancer, an actress, and a socialite.

“If you have Russian in your blood, then you dance. My grandmother was in ballet. My mother was in ballet.

“It was my life’s dream to go to Paris where my Aunt lived. I will feel her in spirit.

“We're all ‘dying.’ I want to be able to write all the time. I want to escape medicine sometimes.

“Some of my favorite authors are Tess Gerritsen – she is a medical doctor, and Janet Evanovich, who has a great sense of humor. I like humor. I like to joke around.

“One day I want to have a small lake home. I want to be in my home and experience winter and summer; and write and write and write.

“When I tap, I am remote from ballet, but with any type of dance form you cannot think about problems. Whether tap or ballet, there is no other feeling you can get; there is nothing that can harm you. Your problems literally melt away. There is nothing but the dance. I thought about doing Flamenco. We are stopping over in Spain on the way to Paris.

“I have a hat with orange braids down the side and that is where the nickname Pippi came from, as in Pippi Longstocking. It is also my character's nickname.

“Fovea was the name of my college newspaper. I was the editor. We did articles about medical school, events, and we did some creative things.

“There are other facets of my life, at the end of the day I want to feel accomplished. It is like a drug.”♥

INSIDE INSIGHT

by E. J. Rand

ROMANCE IS DEFINED as a close relationship between two people who are in love with each other--and that can include married folk (well, some). My problem was simple: how to sustain the emotional passion between my married amateur sleuths? Late one night, Ms. Muse did a lovely arabesque in my brain, a ploy to propel me out of bed. "Give them an anniversary bash, a cruise vacation," she said. "Repay them for the difficulties you've caused."

But jumbled in there with my thoughts, she became suspicious, and the next day she departed on her own vacation, leaving only her eureka moment. It was enough. DARK SEA, the fourth Reluctant Sleuth Mystery, will be out late in June. The Valentine's Day theme fits: my sleuths' marriage is itself the subplot.

A small-ship cruise offers a total break from normal routine. The surround, companions, and emotions, peel passengers down to basics. She's seeking to overcome shyness; he has trouble saying no to her. When she becomes adventurous in front of the wrong men--well, let's stick to our "romance" theme. It's late in the evening, a woman friend has just left their cabin, and you’re a fly on the wall. How can we move Becca further into the plot and provide a snapshot of their relationship?



He stepped behind her, admired the curve of her neck, leaned down, and kissed it. "You're very becoming."

Becca shifted away. "She got you excited."

He paced around the couch, knelt in front of her, and put his hands on her knees. "You get me excited. You are every bit as lovely as Denise, except to me. I like you better."

"Well, you're my husband."

"What? So I have to be turned on?"

She grinned. "It's in your job description."

He squeezed knees to get her attention. "Becca, you're an attractive woman. Men look at you. Don't you know that?"

"Please." She made a face. "I'm a chubby, middle-aged mommy, and my boobs droop."

"I'd like to check that out. Offer an expert opinion. You can always use an expert opinion, right?"

She looked at him oddly.

"Off with the pajamas, please."

"Is this the way you're going to be on every vacation?"

"Oh, I hope so. Set the two of us down where it's just you and me, and I remember what got us together in the first place."

"You were a lonely, horny man."

"Not lonely anymore--and you're the one made me horny--still do. I want those pajamas off."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes."

"It's late," she said.
 "We're on vacation."

"You get up early anyway."

"You'll sleep better."

"You're a pest." But she rose and, standing above him, pulled the top over her head. She tossed it aside and when she leaned down to lower the bottoms, he was in the way. He reached up, unhooked, and tugged at the bra, freeing her breasts.

"See--you could have taken my word for it."

"I adore every inch of you," he said, rubbing his face against her. He peeled the straps from her shoulders, tossed the garment away, and reached for her pajama bottoms. "When you discover how irresistible you are to men, then I'll be in trouble."

"Are you saying I need to discover it for myself?"

But he was busy and didn't pay attention, either to the question or to her expression when she'd asked it.

OFF WE GO, moving forward. How do we show character in our couple? They've left the ship and are on the quay, heading for a tour office, and you're listening in.

Out of the blue, Becca asked, "You sure you want to go? It's expensive."

He was holding her hand, and when she stopped, he did, too. "My treat."

"You always treat."

He saw her eyes were on his chest and realized this wasn't about money. He released the hand and gripped her shoulder. "I'm grateful I found you. You're worth more than money."

She blinked, still downcast. "You were happy with Sarah."

The last time they'd been through this, it'd been, "How can I compete with your late wife, thirty years, the memories?" Becca had cried then, and for a time he'd held her, unsure what to do, knowing she did not like to feel dependent. Had her clinging to him earlier brought this on?

He took in her demeanor. Who on God's Earth didn't have insecurities, vulnerabilities, him included? If this was hers, she was fortunate because--emotion overwhelmed him.

"I love you," he said, leaning forward, both hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. He saw her eyes, reached for the hand again, grasped it even though she started to turn away. "I adore you. I'd count the ways, but I don't remember the poem. If you'd like, I'll get on my knees and sing a love song."

He saw her breathe deeply, felt the pressure on his hand, and then she turned back. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

When he touched her cheek, she covered his fingers with hers.

"Any song you want," he said, "that I know the words to. I'll even let you pay if it's important to you."

Her eyes misted, but she smiled. "Miser!"

They'd each come with baggage from previous partners, he knew. A year later, so much still remained to be worked out. He wondered whether the working out thing wasn't a lifetime occupation.



A MARRIAGE has it's rocky times. Hours have passed, during which Becca killed a man to save Gary, but they can't tell anyone. We're back at their cabin. She's distraught. What's he to do?

Gary knocked, called out, heard footfalls inside, locks opening. When he entered, she'd already moved away. He secured the door.

She was lying on her side of the bed, still in the robe, the quilt bunched beside her. He could tell by the look of her hair and the smell of the room that she hadn't showered. Without air conditioning, the space had warmed, but as he approached, she pulled the cover over her as if she were cold.

Or maybe as another insulating layer.

Neither of them spoke. He stood beside the bed, gazing down at her tear-streaked cheeks and unfocused eyes. He wasn't sure she was seeing him, or wanting to.

He didn't know how long he stood that way, watching her, unsure what to do, but knowing that words would have little meaning. "Can I come into bed?"

She bit her lip, nodded once, but didn't look at him.

He stripped down and slipped in to her left, so he could favor the bruise.

"Would you take off the robe?"

She didn't respond.

He waited while voices from a different world passed in the corridor. "At least let me open it?"

"Leave me alone." The voice was weak.

He reached for the belt.

Her sigh sounded annoyed and she moved as if she were irritated while shifting about to remove the garment. The cover slipped when she dropped the robe on the floor. She pulled the quilt back and turned toward him, eyes closed, knees drawn up, arms locked across her chest.

"I can't get close to you that way."

"I don't want you close."

He barely heard her, didn't believe it, wouldn't accept it. With a fingertip, he tucked hair back off her face. In the stillness, he traced a cheek, her chin, felt it quiver. Inches away, almost sharing breath, he stroked the curve of her neck and watched as tears crept from under her eyelids.

When he wiped the tracks, her eyes opened.

Holding her close, the way he felt, the way they fit, was nothing short of a miracle. He wept with her.



HOW DO we try to return thing to, well, normal?

Beneath the cover, she took his hand. "I'd better get up and shower, or we'll keep Leanne and Andy waiting. I don't know why, but I'm--"

"Hungry?" he finished for her. She nodded. That probably meant she'd eat a few bites of vegetable in addition to her fish, and maybe even peck at a salad. But the normalcy of the comment warmed him.

Watching her slip from the bed, he considered the cant about how a woman should look, what it was that made a woman sexy. Unaware of his eyes, she bent to retrieve the robe, walked across the room, hung it in a closet, and he knew, given the power, he would change nothing. Freckles, cheeks too soft for classical beauty, chin a little weak--she was his gift of a lifetime.

She turned and smiled as if she'd read his thoughts. "Better turn on the air conditioning, or I'll steam up the room."



THEIR DIFFICULTIES MUST result in something good, some change. Here's one. Becca's in the bathroom; Gary's watching from the entry:

Standing a few feet away she faced him, slowly parted the towel, and, staring into his eyes, dried her back as she'd done in front of the men on the beach.

Her small smile, the fact that she was doing it for him--and enjoying his reaction--captivated Gary. Before yesterday, she wouldn't have had the confidence, or, despite their love for one another, the interest in doing it for him.

He found it intensely erotic and realized her attitude was more a turn-on than body parts. His voice was hoarse when he reached for her: "Now you're five for five."

But she stepped back and ended it. "That's because I love you. Later, you can ask for much more." Moving naturally, she stretched to hang the towel over the shower enclosure and then reached for the bra on the countertop, aware he was watching, taking it beyond routine.

He understood that something had changed--and it could be very, very good.



WHEN MS. MUSE RETURNED from Greece, she frowned at their troubles but liked the story, and claimed all the credit. Fine. We've completed two more novels since then, and I think she's getting the hang of it.♥

Ed Rand, writing as E. J. Rand, is a four-time award winner for his Reluctant Sleuth series, published by Deadly Ink Press. DARK SEA, the fourth book--a winner in MWA/NY Chapter's 2008-2009 Mentor Program--is due out in June. Info on the series, with sample text, is at www.ejrand.com. Ed's seeking an agent for LABYRINTH, his first non-series novel, a high-concept action thriller/romance. But Ms. Muse, sensitive to rejection, refuses to help. (Photo of Ed by Ray Turkin.)

LOVE TOKENS FROM THE HEART, THE GOLDEN AGE OF VALENTINES ©

By Polly Guerin, The Fashion Historian

Lacy and beribboned, gilded with hearts, intertwined and pierced by Cupid’s dart, “Love Tokens From the Heart” were the frou-frou confections of lavish sentimentality, which identify with the Golden Age of Valentines, the years 1830 to 1860. These lavish confections, spilling forth with fancy paper work and sentimental verse, expressed an era and a time when the delicate art of romance was heightened by sending of charming valentine cards and greetings. So engaging is the custom that modern sentimentalists will be sending over a billion Valentine greetings, February 14th, making Valentine’s the second largest card-sending holiday.

THE POSTMAN COMETH

A popular magazine in 1850 explained the significance of the expected Valentine: “But of all the clamorous visitations in expectation is the sound that ushered in…a Valentine. The knock of the postman on the door this day is light, airy, confident and befitting of one that bringeth good tidings. A blessing on St. Valentine, the patron saint of the day, fraught with so many heart flutterings and heart enjoyments!” As the postman’s footsteps were heard along the street on Valentine’s Day ladies awaited the tell-tale knock at their door, which signaled the momentous arrival of a sweetheart’s sentiments. To be passed by was a devastating personal experience as it was observed by one’s next door neighbor who was peeking out of the window and awaiting the post as well. So much for Victorian foibles! The custom of sending valentines to loved ones was so well established that there was practical help for swains whose feeling went deeper than words. If the muse did not inspire there were little books of love poems, called “valentine writers”, which were available for copying by lovers who could not conjure up an original rhyme. Commercial valentines were soon to lead the way to a prolific business that spread from England to America.

TWO HEARTS ENTWINED

The first valentines were imported from England, where new graphic art techniques enabled publishers to produce valentines of extraordinary beauty, intricacy and delicacy. Of all the well-known makers in England and America two stand out above all others, Jonathan King of London and Ester Howland of Worcester, Massachusetts, the first lady of the American Valentines. The real inspiration behind Jonathan King’s business was his wife Clarissa who added glitter to cards simply by decorating them with powdered colored glass. King’s valentines were highly ornamented to catch the eye and prettily enhanced with fine net, lacy paper, silver and gold glitter, cupids, flowers and love birds. Valentine “bank notes” issued by the Bank of True Love were also in vogue at the time. Typically the sender promised to pay the sincere homage and never-failing devotion of an affectionate heart. The idea was pure fantasy and wit, but the notes were printed on actual bank note paper that looked so real that they very soon outlawed.

A VALENTINE HEROINE

The history of valentine greetings in America has one special heroine—Esther Howland. Esther was the daughter of Southworth A. Howland who ran the largest bookstore and stationery shop in Worcester, Massachusetts. The well-educated young woman, a graduate of Mount Holyoke Seminary was preparing to go into teaching, but when she saw a British valentine that her father had imported to introduce in his emporium, it sparked her artistic talent. Quite enchanted with the cards, Esther hit on the idea that she could make Valentines as pretty as the European kind, if not nicer, and set about doing so. When her brother, Allen, was scheduled to go on a horse-and-buggy sales trip to get orders for the next season Esther convinced him to take along a few samples of her cards. The handmade cards cost from $5 to $l0, a price that only the wealthy could afford, and the response was overwhelming. Esther expected her brother to sell $100 to $200 worth of the expensive cards. Instead he returned with orders for $5,000 worth. With such good sales results she was able to convince her family to let he go into business. The year was 1847. She persuaded her father to import embossed lacy paper and materials from England, and color pictures from a lithographer in New York. With all the material assembled, as well as artificial flowers, feathers, glitter, silk and lace, spun glass, colored papers, portraits and romantic scenes, Esther rounded up her “staff.” She took over a bedroom in the family home as a factory, creating prototyped designs for her helpers to copy. They worked in an assembly-line fashion. One person cut out pictures; another made backgrounds, and so on around the table the valentine confections were assembled as each girl added further embellishment. As time went on, Esther Howland's, assembly-line production of these Valentines did exceedingly well and the business expanded to a $100,000 a year enterprise. It was an astonishing accomplishment and huge sum for 1848.

COPYCATS EMERGE

It was not long before other entrepreneurial individuals recognized a good thing and established similar businesses with valentine cards that bore a striking resemblance to Esther Howland’s. Legend has it that among one of her employees was George Whitney, who later established his own business. The striking resemblance of the Whitney valentines in decorative art collections today proves out the fact that Whitney’s valentines closely resemble those of Esther Howland, even to the small red “W” stamp at the back of each card, similar to the “H” used by Miss Howland. When her widowed father became deathly ill in 1880, his dutiful daughter gave up her business to be at her father’s side.

SHE BROUGHT ROMANCE TO MILLIONS

By all accounts Esther Howland by Victorian standards was an attractive young woman and wore the fashionable attire, perhaps having her gowns made by a seamstress who copied styles form Godey’s Lady’s Book, the quintessential arbiter of style which featured colored fashion plates from England, selected by the venerable editor, Sarah Josepha Hale. With an excellent family background, a good education and a fine bearing, one would have thought that many a beaux would have courted the First Lady of Valentines, but, sadly, she never had a sweetheart of her own and died a spinster in 1904. Lets toast the First lady of Valentines whose greetings lavished with lace; love and sentimentality were the epitome of a romantic bygone era.♥



Polly Guerin honed her skills as an Accessories Editor at the trade fashion bible, Women’s Wear Daily and later taught product knowledge as professor at The Fashion Institute of Technology, where her definitive textbook and video production, Creative Fashion Presentations, is used even today. In 2009 she was a vice-president of RWANYC, and currently serves as a board liaison. Visit her at http://www.pollytalk.com/

TO TAKE THE E-READER PLUNGE OR NOT….

By Mageela Troche


As a writer, reading is the second most important habit I can have.

Libraries have always been a safe haven for me, where the various worlds awaited me to discover them like a modern day Columbus. When I step into a bookstore, effervescent bubbles fizz inside my head and I don’t know where to look—this way or that way, left, right and back again until I’m a little dizzy.

I love everything about books. The weight and texture of the pages help draw me into the author’s world like Alice when she falls down the rabbit hole. The smell of the pages, both fresh and crisp from being newly printed, or musty from age, start a swirl around me. The cover and black print sharpen my eyesight and I can’t look anywhere else. Before reading the first word, the book, no matter the subject, is already luring me in, and pushing this world to the fuzzy far edges of consciousness. Yeah, reading a book is proof that magic exists. And to give that up—Never!

I wonder will an e-reader change the magic spell that happens. Living in Manhattan, I could use the apartment space since my cramp Big Apple closet is bursting with books, including A ROGUE’S PLEASURE, written by our own Hope Tarr. Will the sensations change?

Instead of paper that soaks up the warmth of my hand, my fingers will curl around a plastic piece pretending to be a book. Instead of me breathing in that special book scent, I’ll breathe in the cold fragrance of technology. Instead of the bright colors that play with my sight, I’ll only see black and white and grayscale.

Will all that lessen the magic of a book? Or will it change my life? Will my shoes finally find a place in my closet?

There was a time when I thought shopping on the Internet was not the same as strolling through the stores, stroking the fabric to spark a reaction or even to get a little exercise. Those two activities are not the same, but that doesn’t make one worst or the other better. Christmas shopping on-line certainly has saved my sanity. Will an e-reader, whether Kindle or Sony, save my space? Will the magic still swirl around me? Any one have any advice?♥


Mageela Troche has sold two stories to Dorchester’s True Love Magazine, and is most likely banging her head against her desk as she figures out ways to make things worse for her hero and heroine.

Book Excerpt: A GENTLEMAN NEVER TELLS

by Jerrica Knight-Catania

As we enter the month of love and romance, I am thrilled to take this opportunity to promote my recent release, A GENTLEMAN NEVER TELLS. As a young girl, and even as a grown woman, romance has been the center of my universe. A life without love and romance, for me, would not be worth living. I remember as a teenager, donning my favorite dress up gown (yes, I still played dress up as a teen...and sometimes, you'll find me playing dress up now!), and then I'd curl up in my comfy chair by the window and dream about my prince charming. When I picked up a Julia Quinn novel a few years ago, I realized that her books were the stuff my dreams had been made of. And that's when I started writing Regency Romance. I believe my debut novel lives up to my dreams, and hopefully it will live up to yours as well! Happy reading and Happy Valentine's Day!


Back Cover Blurb


Benjamin Wetherby, Earl of Glastonbury and heir to the Marquessate of Eastleigh, has just received an urgent letter from home. His father is dying and he must return to England at once. Benjamin is a man bound by honor and duty, to both his country and his family. So, despite his reservations, he leaves his life in New York City behind so he may find a wife and assume his role as the Marquess of Eastleigh.   Miss Phoebe Blake is finally out of mourning for her father, and just in time. She and her mother could be days away from being carted off to debtors’ prison, so Phoebe returns to society with the intent and determination to secure a rich husband.   Sparks fly when Benjamin and Phoebe meet, and it appears they have both found just what they are looking for. But will a dark secret keep them from finding their happily ever after?


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Chapter One

Benjamin Wetherby, Earl of Glastonbury and heir to the Marquessate of Eastleigh, stared unblinking at the letter before him. It had been just under eleven months since he arrived in America, and now he was being summoned back to England.

Father is dying, his sister wrote. Dying. Was that even possible? His father had been the picture of health the day he left Ravenscroft Castle, but now less than a year later, he apparently had precious few days left.

As much as Benjamin was loath to return home, to leave the life he’d established in New York, he was duty bound. He could never ignore the position to which he’d been born. Besides, along with the title came great responsibility. Many relied on the marquess for their welfare, including his own family: his mother, his sister, his brothers.

“Lillian, get up,” he called from across the room.

His mistress stirred in the bed. Her blond curls stuck out from under the counterpane. She had been a comfort of sorts to Benjamin over the last few months, and he to her. Brought together by misery, they enjoyed one another’s company. But there was no room for a mistress in Ben’s life anymore. He had a duty to marry now, to find a woman who could serve as his marchioness. A woman reared in society, born and bred to the position as much as he had been.

“Come back to bed, Benny,” Lillian murmured sleepily. “It’s too early.”

“No,” Benjamin said quietly, more to himself than to her. “It might just be too late.”♥




After obtaining a degree in Vocal Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and years of pursuing a career on the stage, Jerrica Knight-Catania left the “glamorous” life of an actress in favor of writing romance. She continues to reside in the New York City area with her husband, cat and newborn baby. In what little spare time she has, she continues to work on the fourth installment of the Wetherby Brothers’ Novels.

JANE AUSTEN

By Shirley Kelly

For some people she’s the only author they’ll ever have to read. Not me though. I’ve been reading romance novels since I was a young girl but only discovered JA fairly recently. My introduction to the Regency period came by reading Georgette Heyer. And if I were ever stuck on a desert island I’d be content if I had my favorite Jo Beverley with me. And I’d be even happier if I had my favorite Joan Wolf or Elsie Lee with me too!

I discovered JA through her movies and now enjoy reading her novels. I have my favorites but basically one is as good as the next. And with all the different movie/TV versions (there’s a new BBC version of Emma appearing on your local PBS station this month) adapted from her books, she’s reaching a wider audience than all modern authors put together.

So, if you’re a fan of Jane Austen, or even if you’re not, and you plan to be in NYC between now and March 14th make it a point to include a visit to the Morgan Library which is on Madison between 36th and 37th. Because—to get to the point of all of this—get to the Morgan if you want to see an exhibition of the largest collection of Jane Austen’s writings in the world!!!

I went one very cold afternoon last week (I know, it was cold everywhere!) and thoroughly enjoyed myself. They have over 100 items in the exhibit, including a large number of her beautiful letters (there’s even one written backwards to her niece!), and the only surviving complete manuscript existing today of one of her novels, LADY SUSAN, which was never published. (No one, including her or her publishers, felt it was important to keep original copies of her manuscripts.)

They also have first editions of her novels, including foreign versions. They accompany this all with contemporary drawings of the period, including known portraits of her by her sister Cassandra (the recipient of most of her letters). Plus, they made a short film of current writers, actors and philosophers extolling her writing. Nice if you want to sit down for a bit.

She had only six novels published; a couple of them were published posthumously by her brother. (Having just finished writing my first book, I’d be more than happy with 6!) Her handwriting is beautiful, and even after almost 200 years, is still legible. I’m sure some people still write in long hand today, but not me, I can’t even read my own handwriting.

Every romance novelist owes Jane Austen a debt of gratitude. There were people writing romances before her, but she truly popularized the genre and made all of our careers (or dreams of one) possible.

If you have time, try and see some of the other exhibits. The Morgan has some of the finest collections of various publications in world. They have three Guttenberg Bibles alone! They also have the original copy of Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Dickens wrote the classic tale in six weeks because he needed the money! Kudos to all NaNoWriMo participants. I don’t think I can write a book in a month. Six weeks might just be doable for me, although I suppose aspiring to the popularity of A CHRISTMAS CAROL would probably be too much to ask.

The Morgan has other events related to the Jane Austen exhibit scheduled, so check out their website (www.themorgan.org) for more information. And, if you’re planning to go on either February 6th or March 6th try to include a visit to the RWA/NYC meeting. We’re at 44 E. 32nd at Park - just a few blocks away.♥



After years of reading romance novels, Shirley Kelly has finally realized her dream of writing one. She has recently completed her first Regency romance, TO CATCH THE WIND. Now she's working on getting it published, along with her children's book, WHEN I GROW UP, FROM A TO Z.

BITS & PIECES: CATHY GREENFEDER

 Maybe it was the way that Cathy gave out chocolate hugs and kisses while we were doing the first round table of the year at the last chapter meeting, or listening to her give a talk on journal writing, but there is an amazing warmth about her. It maybe because she is a school teacher or a hopeless romantic after my own heart, she has a lot of heart.
We were on our way to Starbuck's to talk and not even out of the building when she tells me about her favorite American Indian artist RC Gorman, trips to museums, and wanting to see the Jane Austen exhibition noting that she wants to maybe make a group field trip after the next meeting (I think we should as well even though I have never read Jane Austen before). I trust Cathy; she is full of ideas and passions, showing me things I never saw before as much meetings as I have been to for RWA_NYC. There is an amazing store on the corner a few blocks away with astounding stones, rose quartzes which I never noticed until she showed me. Enlightened by talking about her travels, romance and angels, her own novel called ANGELS AMONG US is a must find and must read for me. Throughout our cozy conversation I am looking at her jewelry, feeling her warmth and thinking she is definitely right about angels on earth--because she is one...




“Morning pages (after Julia Cameron’s THE ARTIST’S WAY) were one of my New Year resolutions. I am the first one up in the house and my routine generally is to get myself up, let the dog (my black Labrador mix) out, and write those pages while having breakfast. I used to set my timer on ten minutes and I would write whatever. I would not want to stop writing.”

It is nice to see all of the billboards for romantic comedies (that we see walking to Starbuck's). “I like old horror stories like Hitchcock,” Cathy said. “One of my students told me about a slasher film, and I said I really don’t want to hear about it. I wondered why such a nice boy is seeing that.

"I’ve always been a bit romantic. During college, I would write love letters to my husband (my boyfriend at the time). I think that was the beginning of my writing love letters. He would write me two pages and I would write back four pages. I wrote them on scented stationery.

"I have lots of angels in my home; I think that angels have saved me. They saved my son when he was a toddler from almost getting hit by a car, and I did not realize there was a car that was coming the opposite way that would have hit me as I went to save him. I really think there are angels among us. In a parochial school play I actually played an angel with a little pink outfit and silver wings.

(On my commenting about her nice handwriting and the shared Catholic school experience) “I think my handwriting is neater than the penmanship I see now. Once I was sent to Mother Superior for underlining words in a dictionary. We were not supposed to write in books. I was afraid of the lay teacher (non nun) more than the nuns. The school I went to was in Greenwich Village, and it was the school my mother and cousins went to. I did not like wearing a uniform, but It helped with the work ethic. Kids now think if they write their name on a piece of paper they should have A’s.

“I have had students come back and visit. When I teach, I try to be myself; I tell students what I do and how I identify with their frustrations when I make them write. I also share my accomplishments about publishing with them, and they are very happy for me. I show them that writing is not just something out there; it is something people can do. I asked my students to write a 500 to 1,500 word short story. I told them I have written hundreds of thousands of words. Then they ask if 1600 would be okay? How about 1700? One girl wrote twelve pages, and when I drew lines through her work to help her edit, she professed a love of the process and told me she wanted to be a novelist one day.

“Poetry from young teenagers is pretty uninhibited in terms of their expression, and it really comes from the heart. They are more willing to violate the rules. My novels include a little bit of poetry and my heroine in Wildflowers talks about poetry and love letters from a man that she loved. I still write poetry and have had some poems published.

“I’ve traveled a lot and learned from it. In Greece there were a lot of superstitions. We had a guide for our tour tell us that cab drivers and people wear an amulet that looks like a blue eye to ward off evil.

“I love Ireland because of the people and I love Spain because it is beautiful. Greece has beauty and culture and an interesting history. For just relaxing at the beach, nothing beats Bermuda. I like the tea in Morocco. Back in the early eighties, I thought I was going to get arrested before I left the airport in Morocco. I told the guard there that I was a writer. As he clutched his gun, he asked what do I write, and I said advertising. He merely nodded and waved me onto the plane.

“ANGELS AMONG US came out in 2006, and I dedicated the book to Kathryn Hayes and my father. The next book, WILDFLOWERS, my historical romance, was dedicated to my mother. I think she could have been a writer, she’s always telling stories, but she does not lot like to write things down.

“ With writing, it hurts to get rejection, but it’s how you learn and grow. It takes guts to put something out there. Everyone who tries deserves recognition.”♥

 

SECOND PASSION

By Karen Cino

Instead of writing a typical blog, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I thought I would share with you my second passion….writing poetry. I found that there is no better way to express yourself but through words.

Valentine’s Day isn’t about giving and receiving. It is about sharing the passion that two people have for each other. Chocolates, flowers and jewelry are wonderful ways to show your affection, but a gift from the heart is priceless.

A few years ago, I wrote a collection of poems, published them and gave them to my boyfriend. These were the poems that I had written and posted on AuthorsDen.com. I’d like to share one of my poems as part of the Valentine’s Day celebration. My relationship with him is Magical, which is the reason why my muse of always flowing.

The Magician

With you the window of opportunity is endless.
There is always magic in the air
from the moment you stepped into my life.

I try to be original every time we are together
keeping the magic between us alive.

We share a certain confidence
never afraid to explore
or express our physical and emotional needs.

Hours after we part
I still possess the initiative to create
opening my mind and soul
sending my pen flowing with the muse.

Being with you means that I can succeed
in any endeavor I take on.
You build my self-confidence
encouraging me to keep on writing
always complimenting me on my muse
knowing the words I have written
come from the magic we share as one.

We are The Magicians
here to take you on a magic carpet ride
full of love, laughter and harmony.♥

Karen Cino is an author, poet and former journalist. She is a single mom living in Staten Island New York with her two children, Michael and Nicole, along with her feline extended family: Whiskers, Frankie and Olli.  Presently, Karen is serving as President of the RWA New York City Chapter. She is shopping for a home for her novel, ROSES, and is working on her next novel , MYSTICAL WONDERS.