The HEA Cafe

Get into the Christmas Party Mood because RWA Online wants you! Put on some Christmas music to add to the ambiance and join the members of RWA Online on Friday, December 14th from 9pm EST to 11pm EST for lots of holiday cheer! We will have cyber treats and drinks to offer as well.It’s not hard to find us, Holiday Tinkerbell will take you to the chat room with her Pixie dust when you click onto her picture!
Me and my other Christmas Elves will have lots of Christmas prizes, so don’t miss out! You never know what we’ll draw out of our magic bags!
Here are the invitation details once more!
When: Friday, December 14, 2007!
What Time: 9pm to 11pm EST!
Where: RWA Online Public Chat Room, click Christmas Tinkerbell to be taken to the chat room!

Who will be there: Members of RWA Online, and YOU our guests from outside of the chapter!

We hope to see you there!
~Marly and the rest of the RWA Online Christmas Elves.

Hi Lyn Cote here!

My latest book Blessed Assurance has three novels in one. The first one is about Chicago in the year of the Great Fire 1871. And here’s a little about what made the Chicago Fire great!

Chicago Blog

Two facts made the fire spread faster in Chicago that fateful night–the raised wooden sidewalks and the balloon framing of the houses. First, think of a fireplace. It must have a draft in order to draw air into the chimney or fire which needs oxygen can’t ignite. So imagine a windy night and long streets with raised wooden sidewalks. The sidewalks not only burned but acted like an open draft on a woodstove or fireplace; the sidewalks sucked in the air, fed the fire and burned.

Now balloon framing is the way we build our houses. It means that each wall is constructed out of tall wooden studs that reach from the foundation to the roof. So if a fire starts on the first floor, nothing stops it as it climbs the walls. In modern homes, fire stops or non-flammable gypsum board is put between floors so the fire can’t just go up up up. The fire stops are placed between each floor so the fire must completely engulf the first floor before climbing higher.

Needless to say, fire stops had not been introduced in the 19th century. In fact, the Chicago Fire brought this construction defect into prominence. And remember that Chicago was built from the Wisconsin and Michigan pine forest wood. Pine burns hot and fast.

Isn’t it funny how it’s these little things that add up to big disasters? Kind of a life lesson, isn’t it?

And here’s a review of BLESSED ASSURANCE by Harriet Klausner.

“Whispers of Love”. Several years have past since the Civil War made Jessie Wagstaff a single mother. She runs a Chicago boarding house as she raises her young son Linc. A new guest Lee Smith makes her feel uneasy as he seems too interested in her late husband’s family and besides she feels attracted to him. However, when the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 threatens mother and daughter, Lee risks his life to keep them safe.

“Lost in His Love”. In 1906 San Francisco social activist Linc Wagstaff demands the city outlaw child labor. To make his case stronger he investigates the Dickensian exploitation. During his inquiries he meets heiress Cecilia Jackson. As they fall in love, he holds her accountable for practices her trustees are doing to increase her wealth. Before they can confront one another, an earthquake devastates the city leaving everyone struggling to survive.

“Echoes of Mercy”. Meg Wagstaff has returned to the States after spending time as a volunteer in France during the war. Her parents, Linc and Cecilia are elated she came back safe, but Meg learns her childhood friend Delman Dubois has been accused of murdering Mitch Kennedy by the New Orleans police. Meg refuses to believe Del would kill anyone so she travels to the city to prove her Negro friend is innocent. As Del faces racism that will gladly lynch him, Meg feels like a traitor as she is attracted to her opponent New Orleans Parish Attorney Gabriel St. Clair.

The omnibus collection of the three superb Wagstaff BLESSED ASSURANCE inspirational historical tales will elate fans of the genre as each era comes alive due to the strong lead couple and a deep support cast.

Harriet Klausner

And Happy Holidays!

Lyn

On the first day of Christmas, my mad muse gave to me

            A desire to write a book…

On the second day of Christmas, my mad muse gave to me

            Two critique partners and a desire to write a book…

On the third day of Christmas, my mad muse gave to me

            Three online classes, two critique partners and a desire to write a book…

On the fourth day of Christmas, my mad muse gave to me

            Four plot threads hanging, three online classes, two critique partners and a desire to write a book…

On the fifth day of Christmas, my mad muse gave to me

            Five reference books, four plot threads hanging, three online classes, two critique partners and a desire to write a book…

On the sixth day of Christmas, my mad muse gave to me

            Six rough drafts, five reference books, four plot threads hanging, three online classes, two critique partners and a desire to write a book…

On the seventh day of Christmas, my mad muse gave to me

            Seven blogs for posting, six rough drafts, five reference books, four plot threads hanging, three online classes, two critique partners and a desire to write a book…

On the eighth day of Christmas, my mad muse gave to me

            Eight contests to enter, seven blogs for posting, six rough drafts, five reference books, four plot threads hanging, three online classes, two critique partners and a desire to write a book…

On the ninth day of Christmas, my mad muse gave to me

            Nine agents to query, eight contests to enter, seven blogs for posting, six rough drafts, five reference books, four plot threads hanging, three online classes, two critique partners and a desire to write a book…

On the tenth day of Christmas, my mad muse gave to me

            Ten editors wanting partials, nine agents to query, eight contests to enter, seven blogs for posting, six rough drafts, five reference books, four plot threads hanging, three online classes, two critique partners and a desire to write a book…

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my mad muse gave to me

            Eleven rejection letters,  ten editors wanting partials, nine agents to query, eight contests to enter, seven blogs for posting, six rough drafts, five reference books, four plot threads hanging, three online classes, two critique partners and a desire to write a book…

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my mad muse gave to me

            A contract!

Here’s hoping all your Christmas wishes come true!  Merry Christmas…Kim

(My apologies - I tried to embed these videos, but couldn’t figure out how to do it) 

This morning I was driving into the city and had my Christmas music cranked as loud as I could because, really, how can you listen to the Ave Maria or O Holy Night quietly?  You just can’t.

And then, tucked in between Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree and a Kenny & Dolly number was this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jEnTSQStGE

It was 1984 when Bob Geldoff convinced everyone to donate their time and talents to make this record (that’s back when it really was a record).  I believe they did a remake of it in 2004 to celebrate the 20th anniversary, but there’s nothing like the original.  And at this time of year, I think it’s appropriate that we all listen one more time and then reconsider what we can do to help, too.

Of course, shortly afterward, the rest of the world jumped on the idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jcrwu6WGoMs

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-KC9BxSibg

We can each only do what we can do, but if we all do a little bit, for whoever we can - whether for a stranger overseas or our next door neighbour - surely we can help make this holiday season a little brighter for everyone.

Cheers everyone!

Laura

I like reading books about pirates.  I like writing books about pirates.  But let’s face it, pirates are people who rob other people for a living.  This is a problem for me when I’m trying to write a pirate hero.  Would I write a bank robber hero?  Not very likely.  So why are we willing to accept pirate heroes?

Part of it is the romance of piracy.  Running away to sea, answering to no one but your shipmates, living life for the moment rather than the future, all good things.  Who would you rather spend an evening drinking with, Long John Silver or the guy who owns the tavern?  Plus the pirates get to dress with more flair than the shopkeeper.

As romance writers we work around this by making our pirates tragic, or funny, or on a mission, or in disguise, but unless you’re really tricky, it all comes back to him taking what isn’t his, and that’s theft.

You can avoid this issue, to a degree, by making your pirates privateers instead.  The difference between a pirate and a privateer is that a privateer has a license to steal.  Literally.  Governments would issue “letters of marque” to sea captains, authorizing them to stop-and-rob enemy ships.

The legal line between piracy and privateering could shift around, and many famous pirates were also privateers, and vice versa, Sir Henry Morgan and William Kidd both had letters of marque, but were also charged with piracy by England.   In the early 19th Century, Mexico and South American countries breaking away from Spain issued letters of marque to captains of all backgrounds who would agree to harass Spanish shipping.  Many of these sea rovers were little more than pirates, but it was in the interest of the rebelling countries to harass Spain, even if the privateer captains were neglectful about making sure the government issuing the letter of marque got its cut of the booty.

In the United States, the US Merchant Marine proudly includes privateers among its founders, pointing out, rightly, that in its earliest days the US only had merchant ships that could be put into action, not a standing navy. In the War of 1812 there were 23 USN ships in service, and 517 privateers.  Becoming a privateer was a favorite “get rich quick” plan for merchant captains, though naturally it carried a high risk.  The ships you attacked were likely to fight back, and if you were captured, the enemy nation might not wish to honor the letter of marque. John Paul Jones was a hero to the US, a pirate to the British.

All European and US governments engaged in privateering (they got a cut of the take) well into the 19th century, however, the US did not sign the 1856 Declaration of Paris that ended European use of privateers.  The Confederate States of America issued letters of marque to allow Southern privateers to harass US shipping during the Civil War and while we don’t issue letters of marque in the US today, it’s still possible.  Section 8 of the United States constitution says that Congress has the power “To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water”.

It would make for an interesting contemporary romance–a bold, swashbuckling adventurer, perhaps a former Special Forces operative, is issued a letter of marque and reprisal to go hunt down terrorists.

I’m not going to write that one, but it’s an interesting idea.  In the meantime, I’ll go back to working on my pirate and privateer historicals, ‘cause who doesn’t like to read about pirates?  I know I do.