A terrific word for a romance writer, don’t you think? 

I used it a variant of it in You May Kiss the Bride:

A surprisingly accurate depiction of my writing process.

Here’s a fantastic word for a romance writer, as our work is imbued with emotions of all kinds, and often very strong ones.

In fact, I used it in You May Kiss the Bride. My hero, Gabriel Penhallow, who has previously taken great pride in his cool sangfroid, has just had a public — and widely observed — altercation on a busy street in Bath, during which he effectively rips to shreds the character of a man whose carriage has nearly run over my heroine Livia:

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice plays a small role in You May Kiss the Bride, so I was especially delighted to come across these images from the Folio Society’s recently published edition of P & P. Aren’t they spectacular?

The artists are Anna and Elena Balbusso. More here.

Another excellent word for a romance writer, in whose work tensions often run high. 

I used it at least once, in adverbial form, in You May Kiss the Bride:

Livia looked balefully at the rumpled heap of expensive, fragile gowns lying on the floor. So Cecily thought one of her old cast-offs might suit her for the ball? And Lady Glanville thought that she’d be thrilled, grateful, to peek out from behind a potted palm to enjoy a glimpse of luxury?

Well, they were wrong. 

Dead wrong. 

Livia jumped to her feet and went over to the gowns. She snatched them up and shoved them onto a low shelf of her armoire. 

She was not going to the ball. 

This snippet appears in Chapter 1. You can read the full excerpt here.

I always love to hear what Eloisa James has to say about her books, writing, and creative process. Julie Tetel Andresen recently interviewed Eloisa — or, really, Professor Mary Bly — and I especially enjoyed this pearl from Mary/Eloisa:

“. . . romance has a rhythm and a promise to it that appeals to me. Romance reminds me that if there’s a pattern to the universe, it’s shaped around and by love. We can all use that reminder now and again.”

Read the full interview here.

“Get off the computer now and again.” It’s not always so easy for writers to do, especially for those who — like me — try to write every day. But tomorrow I’m off for a nice long holiday visit with family, and I’ve vowed to be offline the whole time.

illustration by Lizzy Stewart

More from me again a bit further down the road. In the meantime, here’s a link to the site of the wonderfully talented Lizzy Stewart.

Here’s another excellent word for a romance writer. For example, in You May Kiss the Bride, impetuous behavior on the part of both Gabriel and Livia catapults them into an unexpected betrothal — much to their mutual dismay.

Curious to meet them? You can read Chapter 1 here.

Yes, yes, I know the figures aren’t grounded in the same plane, but whatever. I love this collage! I’m writing Regency-era historicals and dwelling, as it were, in the Land of Neckcloths. So it’s kind of like a vision board.

via the Jane Austen Centre on Twitter

More about the Jane Austen Centre here.

This is a kind of manifesto, isn’t it — for writers and readers of romance?