tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post8320752628496774111..comments2024-03-28T12:00:29.857+00:00Comments on Historical and Regency Romance UK: An Interview with Anne GracieLouise Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09895724319451189592noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-64343675975083296772012-01-12T19:56:07.422+00:002012-01-12T19:56:07.422+00:00Alison I would never check a man's email, blac...Alison I would never check a man's email, blackberry or mail of any kind. I think if you have to check, the relationship is already on the rocks.<br /><br />As for reforming a rake — only one person can do that — the rake himself. It's like that old joke: How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?<br /><br />One, but the lightbulb has to want to change. ;)Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564152027118499399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-32375687939853604372012-01-12T14:59:14.120+00:002012-01-12T14:59:14.120+00:00Reforming a rake does sound like hard work - would...Reforming a rake does sound like hard work - would you ever be able to trust him if you couldn't chacek his email, facebook, Blackberry...!Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557254296508839106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-25961953779319086932012-01-12T11:21:22.891+00:002012-01-12T11:21:22.891+00:00Carol, I'm so pleased you're enjoying it. ...Carol, I'm so pleased you're enjoying it. When it comes to anti-heroes making good, you're one writer who can bring that off successfully, I think. But yes, they do need that core of honour there to start with. Thanks for popping in.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564152027118499399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-47775798206892751652012-01-12T09:10:40.418+00:002012-01-12T09:10:40.418+00:00Anne, I am 2/3 of the way through your new book an...Anne, I am 2/3 of the way through your new book and I completely love it. I was supposed to be rationed to one chapter a night but stayed up till 3am to get to where I am :-) I *love* your hero. <br />I really like anti heroes - though there has to be something that makes them honourable even if it is not immediately clear (imo). I just love a bad boy made good:-)<br />Thank you for the wonderful read - am going back to it tonight.<br />Carol MarinelliAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-74810489051213173772012-01-12T02:42:03.121+00:002012-01-12T02:42:03.121+00:00Not sure about your pennies, Melanie, but you'...Not sure about your pennies, Melanie, but you're not too late. :)<br />Thank you for your kind words about my other books. <br /><br />I completely agree with your assessment of your so-called hero who seduces a woman for the hell of it.<br /><br />That doesn't mean some heroes who start off that way in a story can't be redeemed. People can go off the tracks for various reasons. But it sounds as though your fellow was never on the tracks in the first place. I tend to believe redemption is only possible if there's a core of goodness/honour/kindness there in the first place, albeit deeply buried at times.<br /><br />Thanks for adding to the discussion.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564152027118499399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-65495944028802667502012-01-12T02:21:45.703+00:002012-01-12T02:21:45.703+00:00Oh I so hope I'm not a day late and a penny sh...Oh I so hope I'm not a day late and a penny short...or some such!<br /><br />First, thank you Anne for giving us another great story (no, I don't have it, haven't read it YET, but I know it will be good); Now for your question:<br /><br />Honour HAS to be a prerequisite for a hero. <br /><br />Case in point: I am having a HELL of a time understanding a hero that was brought up a Nobelman (in both France & Englund!) yet ADMITS to 'lack of morals' and uses the war as an excuse to seduce a gentlewoman. I just could not 'warm' up to the character such as he.<br /><br />I would be over the moon if I win this book :)<br /><br />Melanie<br />www.bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.comMelaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01007305817916683756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-64287019606876043852012-01-11T23:09:26.192+00:002012-01-11T23:09:26.192+00:00Hi Liz, I don't think being honourable and bei...Hi Liz, I don't think being honourable and being perfect are the same thing. To be honest, I think perfection would be fairly unbearable to live with.<br /><br />But certainly if more people behaved honourably most of the time the world would be a much better place.<br />Thanks for joining in the conversation.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564152027118499399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-66086341504093709952012-01-11T23:04:55.989+00:002012-01-11T23:04:55.989+00:00Hi Laurel, I'm so glad you enjoyed the book.
...Hi Laurel, I'm so glad you enjoyed the book.<br /><br />I'm not talking about arrogance — I like a touch of arrogance in a man, especially if it's well founded in capability.<br /><br />And I'm interested in your view that integrity and honour aren't interchangeable — I've always thought they were very close. I do think that different cultures (and by that I mean subcultures within the same society — eg class) have different codes of honour, and that can change as people grow and change. But that core of goodness is crucial to redemption, no matter how deeply it's buried at first.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564152027118499399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-84976839862942864822012-01-11T22:59:38.746+00:002012-01-11T22:59:38.746+00:00Thanks for those very kind words, Julie...
Yes, I...Thanks for those very kind words, Julie...<br /><br />Yes, I like a rakish hero, too, but you've nailed it — he has to deserve the hero. One of the pleasures of reading popular fiction is silently cheering on the participants, so they get their happy ending, and when a hero is too mean or brutal or selfish or dishonorable, I can't cheer for him because I just don't believe those last 20 page conversions of brute to nice guy, and I don't think they'll last — the moment they're crossed again, back will come the bully-boy.. So I always want to find the heroine another hero.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564152027118499399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-4585403094106753722012-01-11T22:53:31.904+00:002012-01-11T22:53:31.904+00:00Nicola, thanks for inviting me here to this most e...Nicola, thanks for inviting me here to this most excellent blog. I think my favourite kind of redemption story is one that starts when the hero who doesn't think he's honorable any longer, that whatever his fall from grace, he doesn't think he deserves respect any more.<br /><br />There's actually an element of this in Luke's story in Bride By Mistake, but only an element.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564152027118499399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-4408248305589340992012-01-11T20:59:04.463+00:002012-01-11T20:59:04.463+00:00If more people were honorable, the world might hav...If more people were honorable, the world might have less need for heroes. But, it is perhaps unreasonable to expect perfection. So, a protagonist must be redeemable.Liznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-29483925645980797702012-01-11T15:13:24.167+00:002012-01-11T15:13:24.167+00:00Arrogance is not a sign of a lack of honor. Though...Arrogance is not a sign of a lack of honor. Though integrity and honor are not interchangeable, I do believe they go hand in hand. A man can be a jerk and still be honorable. A man, or woman for that matter, cannot be malicious and be honorable. A person who grows up in an environment that does not value honor may not be honorable at first, but there must be goodness within them, in which an understanding of honor is possible, however late in life they discover it. Loved the book!Laurel Hawkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03146077260252479437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-83425049727363671012012-01-11T14:47:20.052+00:002012-01-11T14:47:20.052+00:00I've been a huge fan of Anne Gracie since Gall...I've been a huge fan of Anne Gracie since Gallant Waif and Bride by Mistake looks wonderful.<br /><br />I'm rather fond of the rakish hero myself and they are not always honourable, but even the most dastardly of rogues has to have something that makes him worthy of the heroine's love. There's nothing worse than reading a romance where you don't think the hero loves the heroine enough!Julie B.http://bookishjottings.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-45562913921655115202012-01-11T14:12:28.366+00:002012-01-11T14:12:28.366+00:00Thank you very much for visiting us today, Anne, a...Thank you very much for visiting us today, Anne, and for a fascinating post. For me, honour and integrity are essential qualities in a hero. The honour might be buried deep and the hero may think he does not possess it but it definitely has to be there. I love reading and writing redemption stories.Nicola Cornickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-64734876301825685292012-01-11T13:00:46.143+00:002012-01-11T13:00:46.143+00:00Hi Eli
I must admit, I'm not a huge fan of th...Hi Eli<br /><br />I must admit, I'm not a huge fan of the bastard hero, though a touch of arrogant swine can be sexy, I agree.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564152027118499399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-31345518683894091942012-01-11T12:50:48.522+00:002012-01-11T12:50:48.522+00:00Hi Anne,
i think dont have too, it's just ...Hi Anne,<br /><br />i think dont have too, it's just 'an additional value' for the hero being honourable sometimes i found a bastard hero can be so adorable ;)Eli Yantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06207823134263812836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-51451811775351727002012-01-11T12:35:24.006+00:002012-01-11T12:35:24.006+00:00Thanks, Elizabeth. He is a hero, but a bit of a to...Thanks, Elizabeth. He is a hero, but a bit of a tortured soul, nevertheless. Hope you enjoy it.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564152027118499399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-34977868947137460582012-01-11T12:26:24.528+00:002012-01-11T12:26:24.528+00:00Gosh, Anne, what a story! Your Luke is what I call...Gosh, Anne, what a story! Your Luke is what I call a proper hero. Can't wait to read it.Elizabeth Hawksleyhttp://www.elizabethhawksley.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-63536510995246406092012-01-11T11:37:16.279+00:002012-01-11T11:37:16.279+00:00Julie, a trope I really enjoy is where the hero be...Julie, a trope I really enjoy is where the hero believes himself irredeemable, and the heroine shows him he's not — directly or indirectly, consciously or simply by making him feel something.<br /><br />The redemption plot is one of my favourites.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564152027118499399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-74315588838551196492012-01-11T11:11:45.164+00:002012-01-11T11:11:45.164+00:00I do have a huge soft spot for the anti-heroes, bu...I do have a huge soft spot for the anti-heroes, but you're right: there has to be <i>something</i> there that allows readers to connect and root for him. I love story-lines that feature a hero who believes himself irredeemable and a heroine who strives to prove him wrong, because of that core honor. No matter how buried.Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10822002034350514039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-69118582178552422352012-01-11T10:28:50.090+00:002012-01-11T10:28:50.090+00:00Thanks, Prue. You know, writing this post has made...Thanks, Prue. You know, writing this post has made me want to write a hero who really needs to be redeemed. It's such an interesting question — can he really be redeemed or not? I think he'd have had to have honour at some point, and then lost it somehow.<br /><br />Are there any good examples in fiction, do you think?<br />Maybe Dain in Lord of Scoundrels. Damerel In Venetia perhaps... though I think that Damerel never lost his honour, just buried it a little. Lost his reputation rather than his honour. It certainly popped up the moment Venetia appeared at his home.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564152027118499399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-74439051768860400562012-01-11T10:25:12.959+00:002012-01-11T10:25:12.959+00:00I'm glad you enjoyed it, Cassandra. It is love...I'm glad you enjoyed it, Cassandra. It is lovely to have an array of different fictional heroes to play with, but yes, I think, deep down the good ones do have that core of honour.Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564152027118499399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-37098708494071945872012-01-11T10:07:15.893+00:002012-01-11T10:07:15.893+00:00Wonderful post Ann.
I suppose I'm one of thos...Wonderful post Ann.<br /> I suppose I'm one of those who believes in the possibility of redemption for the anti-hero. That said, there has to be some tiny part of his soul which shows humanity and valour. <br /><br />Thank you again.Prue Battenhttp://www.pruebatten.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18955239.post-4815907927485961022012-01-11T10:00:11.046+00:002012-01-11T10:00:11.046+00:00I loved your post Anne. We are so lucky as readers...I loved your post Anne. We are so lucky as readers to have such an array of heroes to choose from but most of them (the good ones) all have that trait you talked about - honour.<br /><br />Thank you <br /><br />Cassie PCassandra Samuelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13818025453828445251noreply@blogger.com