I love words. Like a lot. I love reading them. I love writing them. I love talking to people about the words they’re writing and the words they wished they were writing and the words they might someday write. I have a number of word-related degrees and resume items. And I’m adding another: freelance editor.
If you’re interested, send me an email at author.emma.barry (at) gmail.com. Let’s talk about your words.
A vague and random series of thoughts, for which I apologize in advance.
I was emailing with someone this morning about the final book in my series about political staffers, The Easy Part, and I realized that the series is about me. It’s not about me in the sense that any of the heroines is based on me; nothing that happens in the books happened to me. But it is about my experience as an older Millennial coming to political consciousness in the late 90s.
I’ve written before about how many of my early memories are political, but I think I’ve also been working through the later stuff. What does it mean to come to political consciousness during the age of Clinton? To vote for the first time in the election of 2000? (Which is both why I always vote and why I’m deeply cynical about the process.) To fall for a candidate–either George Bush or Barack Obama–and then to watch him either fail to implement the vision he articulated during the campaign at all or to seriously compromise his values?
I don’t think Millennials are unique in this regard. Surely younger Baby Boomers who voted for the first time in the late 1960s, witnessed Vietnam and then Watergate followed by the cynical 1970s had a parallel development among other generations. But the blend of hope and cynicism in all of The Easy Part novels and the looking for personal and professional compromise that occurs in all of those books feels of this moment to me in a way that I didn’t realize until now.
I don’t mean to be pretentious about my work at all. But now that I’ve finished a series and am starting to plan another one, I can see what I’m writing about in a way I couldn’t before.
Today, Crimson Romance’s Time after Time bundle released. It includes my American Civil War-set romance Brave in Heart. And the entire bundle, ten complete books, is only 99 cents!
It’s a good set to get if you like unusual historicals. Four of the titles are set in the US, one in the Caribbean. The other five are Western European–but one of those involves Vikings!
Brave in Heart is part second-chance-at-love story and part searing war memoir, a fast-paced but true-to-period historical romance about change and forgiveness, bravery and loss, and finding the strength to act.
My complete list of reasons to read it is here, but it’s a short, angst-y, unusual historical. Also there are lots of love letters. If that’s not inducement enough, might I remind you that Brave in Heart was a top pick at Romantic Historical Lovers. It made Miss Bates cry. And lots of readers found it too steamy (say it isn’t so!).
If you’re a romance reviewer who didn’t review Brave in Heart last summer–which is to say most reviewers–and you’re interested in the book, let me know.
And if I’ve convinced you to give my book and the entire bundle a try, here are the buy links:
Amazon | B&N | Crimson | iBooks | Kobo | All Romance | Google Play | Goodreads
The publisher’s blurb and links to each of the books are after the fold.
This is a quasi-follow-up to this post–at least the part about the American literary canon. I’ve been thinking about my books’ American-ness and wanted to put that into a historical context. But I’m going to start with a digression about publishing history.
It has always been difficult to make a living as a writer. Prior to the nineteenth-century, it was all but impossible with the notable exception of Shakespeare and a handful of others who managed to obtain patrons. But these guys proved the rule: most writers were wealthy folks, almost exclusively men, who pursued writing as a hobby. They didn’t need to make money and for the most part, they didn’t.
Books themselves were expensive until new printing processes and paper manufacturing developments lowered the price in the late 19th century. The circulation figures for 17th and 18th century texts are generally small. Additionally, difficulty transporting goods meant that book markets were largely regional. But even for a given local printer, it didn’t make sense to invest a lot of money to obtain a manuscript.
I’m so grateful to Angela Korra’ti for hosting me today as part of her Boosting the Signal series so that Parker can send (or not send) a memo. If you’ve read the book, he would have drafted this little extra after the meeting in chapter 3.
If you haven’t, it’s a little insight to the snippy, sexy relationship between an arrogant, cynical congressional aide and an idealistic, vulnerable labor organizer. (ETA: for newbies, Millie and Parker meet, she hits on him, he turns her down, and, then, as tends to happen in Washington, she ends up in his office for a meeting. Sparks fly. The memo extra is an attempt to tamp that down–though of course it won’t work.)
For more information about Special Interests, including the first chapter, look here. And for information about book 2–which features their friends Alyse and Liam and a seedy money-laundering scandal–check out Private Politics.
I’ve been thinking some about the Dear Author essay this week–which tends to be one of the highlights of my Tuesday–which asked what makes a romance endure.
I commented there, but I have a few more random thoughts after the break.
Less than two weeks ago, I finished writing the final book in The Easy Part series. I’m still promoting Special Interests (and to everyone who has reviewed the book or said nice things and mixed things about it–thank you!). And in less than 3 months, Private Politics will be out.
That’s right: on September 8, the second book in the series can be yours.
Do you want to see the cover?
I don’t have the final blurb yet–sorry!–but there are some minor spoilers on the book’s Pinterest board. (ETA: here’s the log line: A non-profit fundraiser needs help dealing with a scandal from a political blogger, but as their hearts and ambitions collide, they find out that everything in Washington comes with a price.)
I adore Millie and Parker from Special Interests. Their story, and the experience of writing that book, were so important to me. But Alyse and Liam are delightful. I love them and I hope you will too.
You can pre-order Private Politics on Amazon and Kobo and add it to your Goodreads shelves. In the meantime, I’ll be here. Staring.
I’ve seen several charity anthologies or boxed set recently, such as this one benefitting RAINN and this one raising money for juvenile diabetes research. These are lovely projects and reflect incredible generosity and hard work from everyone involved.
But I have a suggestion: the organizers for the next charity anthology should recruit a bunch of very famous authors, put their names on the cover but publish the stories (or novellas or whatever) unsigned.
The speculation about who wrote what would be intense. Additionally, the pseudo-anonymity might push the authors involved to write outside of their usual style, which might be interesting for everyone involved. It would only work if the authors were all very high-profile and had very distinct voices, but the hook might lead the project to be super successful.
Just a thought.
First things first, the Sizzling Summer Reads Event is under way at The Romance Reviews! Literally dozens of prizes are up for grabs including books and gift cards–and this week, one of those prizes is an e-copy of Special Interests. One of the questions for the game today is related to Special Interests and if you read my blog, I’m certain you know the answer. So go forth and enter!
Next, I will soon be available in a box. Specifically this box.
My American Civil War-set historical romance Brave in Heart is one of ten (10!) books in this bundle from Crimson Romance. It will be available starting on July 7 for the amazing cost of 99 cents. Brave in Heart has never been available at that price, let alone with nine other books. If you’ve been waiting to buy it, that would be time.
I don’t have any pre-order links yet, but I will post them when I have ’em. (ETA: you can add the collection on Goodreads.)
From the Carina Press site.
Emma Barry 