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Mary Jo Putney | Historical Romance Rocks!
July 6, 2009
Romance has been part of storytelling since the Ugggh clan sat around the
campfire in the Stone Age, and today the romance genre flourishes in many
delightful forms. But I think that historicals have something special that
really says romance! The dashing costumes are delightful even for those of us who would rather be
shot than wear a corset. The past is a great escape from everyday life. We can
return to times and places when Men were Men, Women were Women, and both
probably needed a good bath. *grin* When we read historical romances, we
aren’t thinking about the dark side of history. My English ancestors were
probably field laborers, but I read and write about lords and ladies, because
it’s fun. Of course, a certain amount of realism is required to anchor the story and give
it emotional resonance. Men who were raised with great wealth, power, and
privilege run the risk of being arrogant jerks, which is why I so often torture
my heroes. It makes them better and more compassionate, so anything I inflict
on them is for their own good. Really. Historical romance also allows for over-the-top plot elements like marriages of
convenience, amnesia, noble highwaymen and pirates, and characters returning
from presumed death. I love all of those (well, not so much the highwaymen and
pirates), and over the years I’ve conjured apparent death for an embarrassing
number of characters, especially the heroes. I also adore amnesia—what is a man when memory, habit, and the expectations of
friends are stripped away? What is the inner truth that has a chance to
emerge? My July release, Loving a Lost Lord,
is my third amnesia book, and the hero starts the book apparently dead. But he
was certainly happy to meet Mariah, the adaptable blond beauty who drags his
mostly drowned body ashore. By the time he and Mariah work things out, Adam has
come to terms with his half Hindu heritage and his ducal station, and is a much
happier man. I’m sure that someday he’ll thank me for all I put him
through. LOVING A LOST
LORD is the first of my new Lost Lords series featuring heroes who met
at a school for boys of “good birth and bad behavior.” Like my Fallen Angels
series, it’s set in the English Regency because that’s my favorite time
period. The second book is finished and scheduled for May 2010. In LOVING A LOST LORD,
the hero was missing and presumed dead. In the second (untitled) book the
heroine was declared dead years ago. The third starts with the hero’s death
notice, and life looks exceedingly chancy unsafe for some future protagonists as
well. I never deliberately set out to imperil so many of my characters—it just works
out that way because I like high drama, adventure, and larger than life
characters. The sort of plots one can get away with in historicals, but which
are much, much harder to pull off in a contemporary. (I suspect one reason
urban fantasy and paranormal romance are so popular is that they can combine
contemporary settings with over-the-top elements.) What balance of swashbuckling and reality do you like in your reading? Do you
like reading to escape into another time and place, or do you prefer your
stories to be set in a recognizable modern world? Luckily, there are enough kinds of romance out there to suit all tastes, and I
believe the mix will always include historical romance. And in that colorful
re-imagining of the past, amnesiac half-Hindu missing-and-presumed-dead dukes
will be waiting there to entertain us. *grin* Mary Jo Putney, in a
swashbuckling mood
MaryJoPutney.com
Comments
17 comments posted.
Re: Mary Jo Putney | Historical Romance Rocks!
Hi MaryJo!! I love to escape into a historical romance. I just love the history back then, the society, especially in regency, Victorian, etc. They make such wonderful comfort reads for me because I can be just into that world when reading and its a great feel. I'm totally excited about your new book. A huge congrats. I have many favorites of yours, and WILD CHILD is on the top!
(Cathie Morton 2:24am July 6, 2009)
Hi, Cathie!
Thanks for stopping by. THE WILD CHILD was one of those magical books. For years I'd had in mind this fey figure of a flaxen haired girl in a garden who could speak, but didn't.
And ever since I wrote Dancing on the Wind, which had female twins, I'd wanted to do a book about estranged male twins where one has to go to the other for help that he can get nowhere else.
One day those two idea crossed, and BINGO! I wrote that book in 5 or 6 months, which made it one of my fastest, and I was happy how it turned out.
As you say, historicals are so good for escape!
(Mary Jo Putney 10:54am July 6, 2009)
I can't wait to read your newest release! I love historical romance because it is an escape to a time of such pomp (for the wealthy!). I think part of the attraction is the seemingly endless list of rules people had to live by and how often they broke them that makes it interesting as well. Congrats on your new book/series.
(Sharla Long 12:56pm July 6, 2009)
Hi Mary Jo,
Historical Romances are my favorite genre and is nearly 100% of my reading. Your post has made me chuckle over a couple of things:
You said:
They probably both needed a good bath' reminds me of the differences between the 2 Pride & Prejudice films...in the first, everything seems to be pristine & sweet-smelling but in the remake, we see the dirt, in the streets, in the houses, on the clothing, even their hair looks dirty and we can imagine they all needed that bath!
Now with so many of your latest heros & heroines suppose to be dead, reminds me of a scene in an Alias episode: Sydney (speaking about her arch enemy Anna Espinosa) 'She's suppose to be dead.' And Jack in his usual deadpan manner responds 'So are a lot of people.'
Great post Mary Jo and I'm looking forward to getting my copy of LALL!
(Karen Haas 1:01pm July 6, 2009)
I enjoy historical fiction - until I ask myself questions about bathrooms, heat, fridges, etc.
(Karin Tillotson 1:09pm July 6, 2009)
Mary Jo I have been a fan of yours for years and have turned other readers onto your books. I love both historical and contempary. When I read your books you allow me to travel to places I will never be able to go and to dream of places I might someday be able to see. Your writing style is such a visual treat that I feel as If I have just come from a vacation when I read your books. I love all of your characters and the troubles they seem to over come and I feel I have usaually gained some historical knowledge along the way.
(Annetta Stolpmann 1:36pm July 6, 2009)
How nice to hear from so many readers! I think we're all quite selective in the way we visit the past in historical romance, and really, that's the way it should be for a fantasy escape!
Karin, having lived in England, I can tell you that it's not usually hot enough to spoil food quickly. Even when I lived there in the 70s, not all houses had refrigerators, or if they did, they were itty bitty. There was lots of daily shopping for fresh food--which is something we're coming back to in this country!
Annette, I figure that most historical romance readers like to learn some interesting hew tidbits along with the story. In LALL, it's diving bells. *g*
Sara--I'm writing as fast as I can!!!!
MJP
(Mary Jo Putney 3:40pm July 6, 2009)
Some of the first "adult" books I read were historical novels, mostly written by men. So I've always had a penchant for history and learned a lot from these novels. When I discovered historical romances in the mid-1970s, I was thrilled to be able to combine history and romance. Though I like reading contemporary romances, especially the ones with suspense elements, anything historical usually trumps those.
I also loved THE WILD CHILD, but I was disappointed with the rewrites of THE RAKE AND THE REFORMER (THE RAKE) and THE ROGUE AND THE RUNAWAY (ANGEL ROGUE) It meant more to me when the heroes decided not to make love in the original books, meaning: presumably not before the wedding.
But that's just my opinion. I know most readers live for the love scenes, but I like to know that sometimes the heroes can be morally strong enough to wait for sexual fulfillment. *grin*
I'm certainly looking forward to the newest ones.
(Sigrun Schulz 4:00pm July 6, 2009)
Hi! Can't wait to read Loving a Lost Lord. Got it on order at my library (I'm the librarian) and all my "ladies" love your books! So do I!
(Martha Lawson 10:24pm July 6, 2009)
Sigrun, the sexuality level was one of the major differences between traditional Regencies and Regency historicals, and I did those rewrites deliberately because my publisher wanted to reissue the books, and I didn't want the books to fail reader expectation. Which meant more graphic, though I did my best to make it plausible.
Actually, even in the original Rake and the Reformer, there was a love scene, but the revision did aim at more sexual tension. Revising created slightly different stories. But the esence was still the same, I think.
Libraries rock, Martha! I hope you and your ladies enjoy Loving a Lost Lord.
(Mary Jo Putney 11:18pm July 6, 2009)
Your stories hit just the right notes for
me. Historicals allow you to, as you
say, go over the top with certain plot
elements. Modern communication and
speed of travel, really spoil a lot of
plot possibilities. Keep up the
wonderful writing. A touch of magic,
danger, romance and mischief make
your books a delight.
(Patricia Barraclough 11:35pm July 6, 2009)
I love following heroes and heroines through romps in history in settings that anchor time, place and the classes of cultural moral of the period. The past seems richer in detail than the present, because changes can happen only in the future, everything else is wishful thinking.
(Alyson Widen 12:43pm July 7, 2009)
Hi Mary Jo!
There is no escape more wonderful (and affordable - ;) ) than a historical romance novel.
:)
G.
(Genella deGrey 1:54pm July 7, 2009)
Thanks, Patricia. There is so much you can't do in the age of cell phones! The past is another country, and it's wonderful to visit, even if it wasn't to live in.
Alyson, I agree that bringing real history into historical romance enriches the reading experience. I like to research at least one new subject per book, and it's usually more.
Genella--I think the romance genre flourishes because sometimes women need to escape their nearest and dearest without actually leaving the house. *g* Viva escapism!!!
(Mary Jo Putney 8:34pm July 7, 2009)
I love historicals and can I please tell you how happy I am that you are writing them again.
I know paranormals are popular but I wish some of the authors I love would throw us a historical novel "bone" once in a while!
I love regency and turn of the century novels the best.
(Mari M. 8:47pm July 7, 2009)
Mari--
Of course I'm glad you're happy! I've heard similar sentiments from other readers. And now I've found another outlet for writing fantasy (which I really do like writing) by selling a young adult historical fantasy trilogy. All's well that ends well. *g*
(Mary Jo Putney 9:50am July 8, 2009)
I agree with you. my English ancestors were probley sheep sheerers or chamber pot cleaners something like that. but i love to read about the snob's of the ton and how an uneducated or even educated, poor woman can bring them to their knees. Angle rouge was my first book to read of yours and i loved it so much i started collecting all of them. now that i have read each and every one i would have to say my favorite would be Thunder and Roses. it's like you had put so much of your heart in that book. so i just wanted to say thank you for all the wonderful stories.
(April Kirby 9:17am July 16, 2009)
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