Sarah at Smart Bitches posted a great review of one of my historicals, LUCIEN’S FALL, published in 1994. It’s a good example of why I enjoy reading their blog–they treat romances as real books, and discuss them in that tone:
His efforts to deny his gifts and hide his emotional and musical sensitivity are reflections of his ability to hide or squander any good intentions he might have of behaving with honor. Thus his music and his morals are tied to one another as Lucien faces his own demons and acknowledges that he must change himself and modify his own behavior if he wants to become worthy of Madeline.
I tried to post my appreciation, but can’t read the code word.
What I remember about writing this book was being absolutely insanely in love with this tortured, lost man who really needed to connect with his music. I listened to Bach over and over, lots of baroque music on a cassette tape that I played on headphones day after day (my office was in the center of the house and I had two boys). I have a taste of red velvet in my imagination, and the lost city of Pompeii, and a vision of a castle ruin on a green, green hill.
I really miss writing historicals sometimes. Do you suppose the darker variety will come back?
Then again, I suppose a person can’t write everything.