Guest Victoria Vane: When Art Inspires...Art

Linda Banche here. My guest today is Victoria Vane and her erotic Georgian romance novella, A Breach of Promise. Victoria has guested here in her other identity of Emery Lee, which she uses when she write mainstream Georgian romance.

Victoria/Emery will give away two books today. Victoria will give away an ecopy of her erotic Georgian romance, A Breach of Promise. Emery will give away a paper copy of her mainstream Georgian romance, Fortune's Son. Leave a comment with your email address for a chance to win and specify which book you would like. Victoria/Emery will select the winners. Check the comments to see who won, and how to contact Victoria/Emery to claim your book. Note, Emery can mail Fortune's Son to USA and Canada addresses only.

And the winners are Jeanne M for A Breach of Promise, and Meljprincess for Fortune's Son. Congratulations. I've contacted you both, so enjoy, and thanks to all for coming over.

Victoria Vane/Emery Lee:

As an author of romantic fiction, I am often asked what inspires my stories. As a history geek and self-professed Georgian Junkie, my inspiration for not just the story as a whole but the settings, the people, and the events are derived almost exclusively from some obscure thing I read in a memoir, a history book, or an 18th century play.

I love reading old plays, especially those bawdy restoration comedies that were largely reprised or "borrowed from" in the Georgian period. As art imitates life, the stage is where we garner so much truth about the mindset of the people and the mores of a particular era. By example, I use the theatre setting in my novel, FORTUNE'S SON, to draw parallels between my heroine, Lady Susannah Messingham and the character of William Wycherley's Margery Pinchwife:

***Excerpt***
The play was Cibber’s revival of William Wycherley’s The Country Wife, a notoriously bawdy Restoration comedy, with Kitty Clive as Margery. It was a favorite production of the prince’s; he was well-known for his vulgar sense of humor. Act I had already begun with the young bride, Margery, just up from the country, conversing with her new sister-in-law, Alithea, as Margery’s jealous husband, Mr. Pinchwife, eavesdropped from behind the drawing-room door.

While the audience enjoyed the satire of the pretty young country girl married to the jealous and possessive older man, Lady Messingham’s mirth faded with the dour reflection that the scene played out much like her own life of the past ten years. Like Wycherley’s Margery, she had been a country bride, the property of a jealous and possessive husband, and ignorant of the ways of the sophisticated world. Unlike Margery, however, she had also spent the past months languishing by the sickbed of a dying man.

She had longed for a normal life, one so many others took for granted, but those days were now behind her. Free at last free of husbandly constraints, she was determined to live, yet the strictures of mourning made her new widowhood both blessing and curse. After six months of formal mourning, she was restless, yearning for the pleasures of town life so long denied her. Making an effort to throw off the melancholy thought, she drew her attention back to the stage. ***End Excerpt***

Plays have also inspired my entire storyline, as is the case with my new Victoria Vane release, A BREACH OF PROMISE. In this hot historical novella, I loosely model the relationship of my characters Lydia and Marcus after Leticia Hardy and Doricourt in Hannah Cowley's The Belle's Stratagem.

Similar to Cowley’s play, the premise of my story is an engagement contracted by the hero and heroine’s parents when they were very young. Also similar is that my hero and Cowley’s Doricourt have both been many years abroad and have taken their betrothal and betrothed completely for granted. Each returns to England with a diminished appreciation of their own countrywomen compared to the continental beauties.

Cowley’s Leticia is smitten by her erstwhile finance but dismayed by his apparent indifference to her charms and vows to “win his heart or never be his wife.” Her unusual stratagem to win him over is based on the belief that it is “easier to convert a sentiment into its opposite than to transform indifference into tender passion.” These circumstance and sentiments closely match those of my own heroine, Lydia Trent in A BREACH OF PROMISE.

***Excerpt***
The elder woman patted her hand. “Then it’s no surprise you would feel as you do. But now you are here, Marcus shall soon make amends.”
“I’m afraid you misapprehend my purpose, Philomena. Though it pains me for your sake to say so, I no longer have any wish to marry Marcus. I have come to London only to request an end to our betrothal.”
“But my dear, you act in such haste!”
“Six years is hardly haste, ma’am,” Lydia remarked wryly.
“You should hear him out before coming to such an irrevocable decision. In truth, I take much blame upon myself for not prodding Marcus. Yet he was so single-minded to establish himself with the diplomatic service that I feared pressuring him to marry would only have caused resentment.”
“No doubt!” Lydia agreed. “He expressed as much the night of our engagement, but I was moonstruck. Marcus has never shown me more than polite indifference. I now realize that is not enough for me. In truth, I would almost rather he despised me than merely tolerated my existence.”
Lady Russell puckered her brow. “You would have a future husband despise you? How extraordinary!”
“Indeed, my lady! For antipathy is at least a form of passion! Even negative emotion can sometimes be turned around, but what can be done when no feeling exists at all? I will not wed a man only to live as indifferently as strangers.”
“My dear, given sufficient time…”
Lydia sighed. “For nearly six years I clung to that foolish hope but time appears to have only been my enemy. He truly doesn’t want me. He never did.”
“But my dear, you do not know men,” Lady Russell consoled. “They are undeniably obtuse. The daft creatures never know what they want until it’s placed under their very noses.” She smiled and clasped the young woman’s hand with a conspiratorial look. “You have now come to town, Lydia. Ergo, he will want you.”
“I fear it is not so simple as that. My feelings toward him are no longer engaged.”

“Is that truly so?” Lady Russell broke into a dubious smile. Although Lydia had spoken with conviction, she failed to meet the elder woman’s astute gaze. “Then my dear, it must be my son’s onus to re-engage them.”
***End Excerpt***

But while determined to rebuff the arrogant and conceited Marcus at every turn, my heroine Lydia wages a battle royale only to discover she is defenseless against his counter-strategy of seduction.

Indeed, I was so enamored of Cowley's play (it was a favorite of the Royal family who commanded it every season) that I used it again with my most recent hot historical novella, A WILD NIGHT'S BRIDE coming in late April from Breathless Press. In this case, however, my heroine is an actress at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane who not only plays the part of Cowley's notorious Kitty Willis on the stage, but actually adopts the persona of Kitty in her real life to help her obtain a powerful and influential protector.

While I have gained inspiration for my work from many historical sources, the Georgian stage will always be one of my very favorites. For those interested, here is a link to the Guardian's review of a recent reprisal of The Belle's Stratagem http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/sep/11/the-belles-stratagem-review .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Whether historical fiction or historical romance, self-professed Georgian junkie Emery Lee loves nothing more than crafting emotionally compelling stories that bring the past vividly to life.

"Lee brings the atmosphere of the Georgian era to life with lush descriptions that beg the reader to see, hear, feel and touch it all....with a lively cast of characters and surprising twists and turns that are reminiscent of Fielding’s Tom Jones or Defoe’s Moll Flanders."-RT BOOK REVIEWS

Her debut novel THE HIGHEST STAKES, is an epic tale of star-cross lovers set in the high stakes world of 18th century horse racing. In FORTUNE'S SON, Emery spins a web of drama, passion, and deceit, deep in the world of high stakes gaming. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, Romance Writers of America, RWA, Georgia Romance Writers, and the group moderator for Goodreads Romantic Historical Fiction Lovers. http://authoremerylee.com

She also writes hot historical romance as VICTORIA VANE http://authorvictoriavane.com

A BREACH OF PROMISE, Ellora's Cave. buy link here.
A WILD NIGHT'S BRIDE coming soon from Breathless Press

"Reckless hearts, battling wits, and plenty of steam in a wonderfully well drawn Georgian setting."- NYT Bestselling author Grace Burrowes

Blog: http://georgianjunkie.wordpress.com
Twitter: authoremerylee
FACEBOOK: Author Emery Lee

Guest Emery Lee: Georgian Gambling

Linda Banche here. My guest today is Emery Lee and her lush, exciting Georgian historical romance, Fortune's Son. Prequel and sequel to her previous book, The Highest Stakes, Fortune's Son is set in the London world of high stakes gambling. Here she talks about the types of gambling popular in the Georgian era.

Leave a comment with your email address for a chance to win the copy of Fortune's Son which Sourcebooks has generously provided. Emery will select the winner. Check the comments to see who won, and how to contact me to claim your book. If I cannot contact the winner within a week of selection, I will award the book to an alternate. Note, Sourcebooks can mail to USA and Canada addresses only.

And the winner Emery selected is christinebails! Congratulations, Christine, and thanks to all who came over.

Welcome Emery!

Emery Lee:

Gambling in all its various forms, from horseraces to cockfights, to cards and dice, and spinning wheels, reached a zenith of popularity in the Georgian age; but wherever large sums of money are staked, there are always those who prey on the unwary. In FORTUNE’S SON, Lady Susannah Messingham secretly believes the green tables are the answer to her financial woes and uses all her feminine wiles to persuade Philip Drake to teach her. In the following excerpt her extremely reluctant pedagogue endeavors in vain to open her eyes to the dangers.

(Excerpt from FORTUNE’S SON Chapter Six)

Are you not a professional gamester?” Lady Messingham asked.
Philip looked uncomfortable. “The question is not so easily answered. I don’t deny taking my living from the green tables but I assure you that I endeavor to maintain… certain standards… in my play.”
“Do you indeed?” Her half-smile bespoke disbelief.
“First of all, I endeavor never to sit down with a lady, or even with a man who has already over-imbibed. I find no allure in taking from those so disadvantaged.”
“So you deny that you win by cheating?”
He flushed. “’Tis such an unpalatable word, cheating, associated with swindlers, cutthroats, and highwaymen. By my troth, my lady, I have never marked a card, or rolled weighted dice. These are the trademarks of a cheat. I would merely say that I play with enhanced skill. I do not seek out victims to dupe, nor do I play intentionally to ruin any man. If, however, one has not the sense to know when to leave the tables, he deserves what he gets.”
“Are you not still a sharp, Philip?”
He paused to consider, “No. I do not say so. Not in the truest sense of the word. Besides, the term hardly encompasses the entire world of professional gamesters.”
“You speak almost as if it were a society in itself.”
“It is precisely that. Simply put, there are many types of players; varying degrees of Athenians, Captain Sharps, Amazons, blacklegs, tricksters, bamboozlers, and outright swindlers, inhabiting both the upper and the lower classes of society.”
“I have heard of the Greeks, but I don’t understand why the brethren of our much-venerated Aristotle are so vilified.”
“Ah,” Philip answered, “’tis a story that goes back to the days of Louis XIV, when a certain chevalier, A Greek named Apoulos, was admitted into the court. He was astonishingly adept at play and won a veritable fortune from the princes of the blood before his true methods were revealed.”
“What happened to him?”
“The king was much displeased and sentenced him to twenty years in the galleys. A true Greek tragedy,” he quipped.
“Thus, all players of his stamp are called Greeks?”
“Nay, only the select few. It is the name reserved for only those who play with great mastery. The Greek of the ton is by far the subtlest, most adroit, and the cleverest of creatures. He is accustomed to the best of company, and his deportment and manners are all that can be desired. He is capable of the most challenging conjuring feats—the partial shuffle, the false cut, the shift-pass, mucking, palming, pegging, and culling. No one surpasses his skill in drawing the ace, or breaking the cut, concealing cards or placing them. He raises the practice to an art.”
By now, Lady Messingham hung in rapt attention upon his every word.
“He is a master who lives for naught but the game, playing each one with unparalleled skill and equal perfection, yet plays only for others’ ultimate destruction. Attempts to hide emotion from him are in vain. He discerns the least movement or contraction of the features, peering with uncanny ability into his adversary’s very soul…”
“Lackaday! It sounds as if you describe Beelzebub, himself!”
“He is not far removed!” Philip laughed. “True vice, my lady, would frighten us all, if it did not wear the mask of virtue.”
“If that is so how does one evade a fate as his victim?”
“One can easily do so by avoiding deep play,” Philip answered “Since he is a master who only delights in high stakes, steer clear of his table, and you’ll never fall victim.”
“Do you not count yourself among those who are ‘equal in his talents’?” she asked.
“Not I, madam!” Philip barked. “I’d never make such a boast.” He paused with a thoughtful frown. “Nay, I do not endeavor to make my fortune so. I do not live for the play as others do.” His voice grew pensive. “I still have hope of something better.”
He met her quizzical look without further elaboration, and abruptly shifted back to their prior topic. “You have yet to learn of the wandering Greek—” He flashed a grin, breaking the solemn mood.
“Not to be confused with the wandering Jew?” she quipped back.
He laughed. “Indeed not. Although this manner of sharper does travel from place to place. He frequents the taverns, public assemblies, and pleasure gardens, seeking out the young and unwary, but rarely working alone.”
“He has an accomplice?”
“Yes, he employs a decoy, often an Amazon.”
“An Amazon? A woman? So there are, after all you said, women who are successful gamesters?” she remarked thoughtfully.
“I have never encountered one who does not act in conspiracy with a man. Her role is more to play the shepherdess to lure the hapless sheep to the wolf. Yet this is not even the worst type of sharp.”
Philip’s voice now took on a harsh, gritty quality. “The lowest sort of creature is the varlet who frequents the public gaming hells, and the low drinking dens. They are naught but evil wretches, wrought out of idleness and debauchery. After plying a victim with strong drink, their ‘games,’ involving any manner of trick or treachery, begin.”
“You speak as if you have fallen victim.”
“I was very young… and a fool. I am lucky to have escaped with my life.
She stared at him, stunned even more by what his words had not said than by what he had revealed.
Have I now opened your eyes?” he asked softly. “Or are you still bent on this inane gaming scheme?”
“It is only harmless diversion,” she lied. “It’s not as if I intend to make my living at the tables.” (end excerpt)

FORTUNE'S SON BY EMERY LEE
Philip Drake, an impoverished but titled gentleman, is forced to liquidate his assets and go back to his past gaming habits in an effort to right himself. Lady Susannah Messingham is a woman with a past and nearly ten years Philip's senior. After watching him at the tables, she propositions him to teach her to win at gaming. This fascinating and original look at an uncharted aspect of English life explores a gentleman snared by gambling, the threat of debtor's prison, and the wayward lady who redeems him.

About the Author
Emery Lee is a life-long equestrienne, a history buff, and a born romantic. A member of Romance Writers of America, she lives with her husband, sons, and two horses in upstate South Carolina. She is a self-professed “Georgian Junkie,” and is also the moderator for Goodreads Romantic Historical Fiction Lovers. Her first book is The Highest Stakes, which is the prequel to Fortune's Son.
http://authoremerylee.com
http://georgianjunkie.wordpress.com

Emery Lee and THE HIGHEST STAKES

Linda Banche here. Today, Historical Hussies is delighted to host Emery Lee, author of The Highest Stakes, a novel of horse racing in Georgian England, which Sourcebooks will release this month.

All you horse buffs, take notice! Today Emery talks about her love of horses, and the history of horse racing. Sourcebooks will give away two copies of The Highest Stakes. Leave a comment with your email address for a chance to win one. Emery will select the lucky winners, and I will contact them. Please note that Sourcebooks can mail only to addresses in the USA and Canada.

Welcome Emery!

I will start by saying that as a history buff, I had fertile ground to explore while living in the upstate of South Carolina, an area rich in Revolutionary history. Building upon this ground, was a unique idea for a novel, a love story involving horses (my other passion) and colonial horse racing that would be set in pre-revolutionary Virginia and South Carolina.

I first began The Highest Stakes with what I thought would be a prologue, which I would use to present the history of my characters and their English origins. The problem was that the prologue ran away with me and became the novel!

Rather than Colonial Virginia under George III, my setting suddenly became England under George II! This is the world I was compelled to re-create in The Highest Stakes.

I found the society of Georgian England a fascinating paradox, with its powerful aristocracy using an outer façade of honor and politesse to cover its multifarious (love that word!) sins. In the words of Dr. Johnson: “Vice, in its true light, is so deformed, that it shocks us at first sight; and would hardly ever seduce us, if it did not at first wear the mask of some virtue.”

In commencing my story in England against the backdrop of high stakes racing upon which my hero, Robert Devington ultimately hangs his fate, I literally went back to the genesis of the Thoroughbred itself which arguably began in 17th century England at the court of the Merry Monarch.

King Charles II was an accomplished equestrian, who raced his own horses against those of his courtiers. Charles II’s enthusiasm defined horseracing as “the Sport of Kings.” As for his horses, the foundation of the Royal racing stud was based upon a number of mares imported from Tangier as part of Charles’ queen consort’s dowry.

Later, the English aristocracy would put their minds to the selective breeding of racehorses by importing a number of highly bred stallions from the Middle East to cross with the blood of the royal mares. Of the many fine stallions that came to be housed in the stables of the rich and powerful, three names would eventually dominate the racing world of Georgian England: the Byerley Turk, the Darley Arabian, and the Godolphin Barb.

The offspring of these three great “desert kings” would prove superior to all others, as they triumphed repeatedly on the English turf, and their prepotency would later name them the progenitors of the modern day Thoroughbred racehorse. These are the bloodlines that rip up the turf in The Highest Stakes.

We now cross the Atlantic where in strict contrast to England, horseracing was not limited to the aristocracy. At county fairs, in plowed fields, and on barely-more-than-cow-paths, the colonists embraced a completely different kind of race on another distinctly new breed of horse they called the Quarter Miler. With few racing tracks to speak of, the Colonial races were mostly quarter-mile sprints, match races run with one’s neighbor for a bale of tobacco.

Moreover, just as the inhabitants of America would later come to be, the blood of the quarter mile racing horse was as mixed as the Thoroughbred was pure. His origins were a cross of the original Spanish mustangs, the Galloways imported from the British Isles, and the Chickasaw ponies bred by American natives and greatly prized for their utility and speed over short distances.

My challenge in The Highest Stakes was to converge these two racing worlds, as I wove into the drama and romance, the histories, progeny, and bloodlines of these early racing horses of both England and Colonial Virginia.

I hope that readers will appreciate this research, and that most of all that they will enjoy the ride!

THE HIGHEST STAKES BY EMERY LEE—IN STORES APRIL 2010
All thoroughbred horses in the world to this very day can trace their blood back to three specific Arabian stallions imported to England in the early part of the 18th century. Against this backdrop comes a painstakingly researched novel with breathtaking scenes of real races, real horses, glimpses of the men who cared for them, and the tensions of those who owned and controlled them.

In 18th century England and Colonial Virginia, when high-spirited stallions filled the stables of the lords of the land and fortunes were won and lost on the outcome of a race, a love story unfolds between a young woman for whom her uncle's horses are her only friends and the young man who teaches her everything about their care and racing. When she's forced into marriage, his only hope of winning her back is to race his horse to reclaim all that was stolen from him—his land, his dignity, and his love.

About the Author
Emery Lee is a life-long equestrienne, a history buff, and a born romantic. Combine the three and you have the essence of her debut novel: a tale of love, war, politics, and horseracing. A member of Romance Writers of America, she lives with her husband, sons, and two horses in upstate South Carolina. For more information, please visit http://authoremerylee.com/.