Celebrating Women’s History Month at Read-A-Romance!
Since some of my favorite books are set in a variety of historical time-periods, I thought it would be fun to check in with some great authors in romance and women’s historical fiction, and explore their connection to history. Since the female perspective in history and fiction has been ignored so often, for so long, I find it heartening to see so many books representing romance and/or women’s history, telling such mesmerizing stories against the backdrop of some of the most intriguing and pivotal moments in time. I hope you find these essays as fascinating and fun as I do. You can see the full calendar of authors here.
Did you miss Read-A-Romance Month in August? Be sure to check out all the great “Joy of Romance” essays at the 2015 Calendar and if you’d like, you can follow RARM on Facebook.
Women’s History – So Much to Celebrate
Strong, smart, savvy, sensitive . . . compassionate, courageous, clever, caring. How to describe the women we love—and love to read about? It’s not an easy thing to capture in words. There are so many little nuances and complexities that intertwine and create a compelling whole. But for me, at the heart of a heroine, both real and imagined, is having human frailties, just like all of us, but also possessing the resilience to overcoming inner doubts and fears to triumph over adversity.
Perfection is very admirable, but it’s often the less than perfect women who inspire us to look deep within and find our own inner strengths. Struggle and sacrifice. Setbacks and disappointments. Life isn’t easy. We all know that, and there are times when we lose heart. A book, be it a bio or a work of fiction, can rekindle our courage, our optimism, our dreams, our hope. Our sense of joy.
That’s the power of writing, that’s the power of love, that’s the power of the human spirit.
I think I’ve always loved history because there are countless examples of HerStories—women who battled against
Ada Lovelace
the odds to define their individual place in the world. Just two of the many women who inspire me are Ada Lovelace, the daughter of Lord Byron, who at age twelve dreamed of building a mechanical steam-powered flying horse and soaring through the heavens. She went on to become a math genius and wrote a math sequence based on conditional logic that is considered the first computer program. And then there is Grace Hopper who during WWII became a pioneer in modern computer programming, as well as one of the first women admirals in the U. S. Navy—despite being told she was too old and short to enlist!
Many of the women in history remain unsung. But while their stories may have been lost through the centuries, I like to think they are part of our collective DNA, making us modern-day women stronger, kinder, and more open to new ideas and new ways of seeing things.
So let’s all join in the wonderful month-long celebration of women—past, present and future—and the HerStories 
that have been written and ones yet to come. The possibilities are endless, and incredibly exciting. (And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go curl up in my armchair with a good book! . . . okay, and maybe some chocolate. But love and chocolate go together, right?)
Cara recommends:
There are so many wonderful stories about women and history—it’s hard to know where to start in recommending fabulous authors. I’m going to cheat a little and get seven-in-one by giving a shout-out to my blogmates on the Word Wenches. Jo Beverley, Joanna Bourne, Nicola Cornick, Anne Gracie, Susan King, Mary Jo Putney and Pat Rice all create scintillating stories and characters that will sweep you off your feet. (Websites & links below.)
(Bobbi here – If you love history, you should totally follow the Word Wenches – and mine their blog archives; fascinating history tidbits they’ve written over the past few years! And they’ve all done posts for Read-A-Romance, so if you’re interested, you can search their names and find their past posts.)
And for something a little different, try new author Katrina Snow – www.katrinasnow.com – whose first book, Forbidden, weaves fantasy into a Renaissance-set world. Happy Reading!
Links for the Word Wenches :
Jo Beverley – www.jobev.com | Joanna Bourne – www.joannabourne.com |
Anne Gracie – annegracie.com | Nicola Cornick – nicolacornick.co.uk
Susan King – susanfraserking.com | Pat Rice – patriciarice.com
Mary Jo Putney – www.maryjoputney.com
Tell us about a moment when you felt a deep connection to history.
I must have been around ten or eleven and was reading some wonderful illustrated book about knights in shining armor who gallantly save damsels in distress or ride off on gallant quests to slay dragons . . . and I distinctly remember thinking that hey, why do the boys get to do all the fun things? I vowed right then that I wasn’t going to sit around being the damsel in distress—I wanted to be bold and fearless, and ride off on exciting adventures. Though it may seem counterintuitive, that book inspired me to dare to do the impossible. (I still like pulling out my sword and slaying dragons—I guess that’s why my heroines tend to be a little unconventional.)
Do you have a specific place or sound that makes you feel connected to history? Why?
One of my favorite places in the world is the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. I love getting up close to the wonderful displays of historic fashion and imagining the individuals who wore them. And when I walk through displays of period rooms and everyday objects, the past all really comes alive.
What is your (or a) favorite historical era or event?
I love the Regency era because it was a world aswirl in silks, seduction and the intrigue of the Napoleonic Wars. In every aspect of life—from music and art, to science and technology to politics and notions of class and gender equality—radical new ideas were clashing with the conventional thinking of the past, and as a result, people were challenging and changing the fundamentals of their society. So I really like that its characters and its conflicts have such relevance to the present. And hey, who doesn’t love ballgowns and tiaras!
Is there a moment in your research when some specific historical moment or event came to life for you? Tell us about it.
I was walking in London with some friends, and wasn’t really paying too much attention to the streets, when all of
St. George’s Hanover Square
a sudden I looked up and saw this wonderful historic church and noticed the sign said St. George’s. An instant later I realized I was in Hanover Square and that the church was the famous Regency landmark, where ALL the heroes and heroines of the era got married. (It’s often mentioned in Georgette Heyer’s novels.) Well, I stared hyperventilating and squeeing “Oh, look—St. George’s! St. George’s!” I tried to explain to my friends, but they all thought I had lost my marbles.
And for fun ~ Tell us about your Favorite Historical Crush. ;o) (This can be either a historical or fictional crush.) Why?
I confess, I have a real thing for Loretta Chase’s Lord Perfect. Now, I know a lot of women are attracted to bad boys. But I find Benedict irresistible because he’s the opposite—the absolutely perfectly proper gentleman who just needs a little encouragement to discover his inner imp. I just loved watching his aristocratic reserve come unbuttoned.
Cara is generously giving away a copy of “Scandalously Yours” to one U.S. reader (apologies to international friends). To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below or on the Facebook post you’ll find here (or both – Share the Love!) ;o) by 11:59 pm PST March 25. Good luck!
I started creating books at the age of five, or so my mother tells me. And she has the proof–a neatly penciled story, the pages lavishly illustrated with full color crayon drawings of horses and bound with staples–to back up her claim. I have since moved on from Westerns to writing about Regency England (clearly I have a thing for Men In Boots!) a time and place that has captured my imagination ever since I opened the covers of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.”
I have a BA and an MFA in Graphic Design from Yale University, where I studied book design (As you see, I’ve always had a left brain-right brain love affair with art and the printed word.) These days, when I’m not tethered to my keyboard I enjoy traveling to interesting destinations around the world–however, my favorite spot is London, where the esoteric museums, funky antique markets and used book stores offer a wealth of inspiration for my stories.
Learn more:
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