Member News: Lydia Dare book release

The Lady Scribes blog is buzzing this month because our very own Lydia Dare has her first book, A Certain Wolfish Charm, due for release from Sourcebooks.

The rules of Regency Society can be beastly—especially when you're a werewolf. Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoor has spent his entire life creating scandal and mayhem. It doesn't help his wolfish temper that since he's rich, powerful, and sinfully handsome, the town is willing to overlook his outrageous behavior. Lily Rutledge has a wild streak of her own. When she turns to Simon for help, he falls for her immediately. For Simon is drawn to the fearless Lily more powerfully than the moon...






Ladies, thanks for joining me. It’s a poorly kept secret that there are two wonderful writers behind Lydia Dare. Could you each describe the other?


Lydia/Jodie: I used to think that I was shy. Then I met Tammy. She’s the sort who quietly sits in the back of the room and observes EVERYTHING. Her mind is always spinning and she’s very clever.


Lydia/Tammy: Jodie’s bubbly and friendly and social and... well... all the things I’m not. She has a quick wit and is easy to laugh. And she tells me off on a regular basis, which wins her tons of respect from me.


What inspired you to combine paranormal and regency romance?


Lydia/Jodie: Well, I was writing Regency era romance and had hit a brick wall with my then current work in process. And Tammy had run into a similar issue with her then Paranormal romance. Anyway, we were at an all day workshop offered by our local chapter and Tammy tossed out the idea of merging our genres and writing something together. Two months later A Certain Wolfish Charm was complete.


Lydia/Tammy: Regencies are my favourite genre to read, and I’d always wanted to try my hand at writing one, but had a hard time wrapping my mind around the history of the period. So, I started quizzing Jodie at a workshop about whether or not an idea would work and she told me all the reasons it wouldn’t, not in that era. It made sense to combine her Regency and my Paranormal worlds and see if they could merge. They obviously did!

Lydia, can you tell us more about the paranormal regency world you created?


Lydia/Jodie: Well, our world is a lot like many authors’ Regency worlds – elegance and refinement. Carriages and servants. Pretty gowns and handsome rakes. But we’ve added a darker element on the fringe of that world. Things that are talked about only in whispers. Werewolves. Witches. Vampires.


A Certain Wolfish Charm is the first of a growing series. What’s scheduled for release next?


Lydia/Jodie: The Westfield Wolves series are back-to-back-to-back. A Certain Wolfish Charm hits shelves April 6th. Tall, Dark, and Wolfish comes out May 4th. And The Wolf Next Door will be available June 1st. Then we have The Taming of the Wolf, which is scheduled for November 2nd. And next spring we have another trilogy contracted that we are currently working on.

I know you’re incredibly busy right now, new writing, editing, promotional gigs – tell me, what do you both do to unwind?


Lydia/Jodie: What does unwind mean? In all seriousness, I don’t have much time for that. In addition to my writing career, I also have a day job; I’m recently divorced and a single mother; I’ve re-entered the world of dating; I judge several contests; and I’m the President of my local RWA Chapter. But when I get a little time to myself – I love old movies, especially the Screwball Comedies of the 30’s and 40’s. I’m an author, but also a reader – and for me there is nothing like escaping into the world of Regency Era romance. Oh yeah, and a nice Sangria or Pomegranate Martini.


Lydia/Tammy: I am the quintessential sports mom. There’s nothing more satisfying than sitting on the bleachers and watching a kid knock one over the fence or even get their butt whooped on a wrestling mat. I love it all. It’s my all-time favorite thing to do. Aside from that, I probably read more than anything in the little bit of spare time I may have.


To be in the draw [U.S & Canadian residents only due to the cost of postage] for a copy of A Certain Wolfish Charm simply leave a comment describing the most devious steps you've taken to grab some personal time for yourself and include your email address. The winner's name will be posted to the blog tomorrow (Sunday). Best of luck!

 **Lydia Dare is the author of A Certain Wolfish Charm, releasing from Sourcebooks Casablanca on April 6, 2010. You can find her at http://www.lydiadare.com/, follow on twitter and become a fan on her facebook page.

You can get other copies signed at the Spring Fling Conference April 23-24, 2010 and the RT Convention April 28 – May 2, 2010.

Join us

I’m an avid reader of Regency Romance and in the back of an Eloisa James’ novel, she advised budding authors to join their local Romance Writers of America chapters. That truly is some of the best advice I ever received. So, in turn, I tell everyone who will listen to me the same thing. If you write romance and aren’t a member of a local RWA chapter – do look into it; and if there isn’t one in your area, look into a specialty online chapter. You won’t regret it.

I cannot stress the importance of such organizations, and not just because I’m now the President of my local chapter; but because I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. When I first joined my chapter in Raleigh, NC, I had yet to finish a manuscript. I had dozens of ideas floating around in my head, and I had several stories started on paper, but I really didn’t have a clue about the industry. I’m one of those Henry David Thoreau-types. I just want to sit in my lonely cabin by Walden Pond, live in my own little fantasy world, and write.

But writing the manuscript is just the tip of the iceberg. You have to know so many things these days – “Show, don’t Tell,” POV, GMC, etc. And that is just to make your manuscript submittable. Some people reading this might not even know what I mean by these terms. Then you need to know how to query an agent/editor. What should you say? How do you know who to submit to? How long should you wait before getting panicky? Then - and for me this is worst - how to write the dreaded synopsis. And all of that is before you get “the call”. Then you need to have suddenly earned a degree in Marketing. How do you get book signings set up? Do promo bookmarks really work? Does anyone know any good website designers? Trust me, the list is endless.

We have some amazing members at my local chapter and they treat us to some equally amazing programs each month. At our meetings, speakers present a variety of topics from finding your voice to characterization to navigating the treacherous waters of publishing. I have learned SO much from my chapter-mates and guest speakers. There isn’t enough time or space for me to list it all. They are wonderful mentors, indeed. And I would not be where I am today without them or their selfless guidance.

But the most important reason to join a chapter, in my opinion, is the opportunity to meet face-to-face with other writers. In a word – camaraderie. We writers see the world a bit differently than a lot of people, and it is so rejuvenating to spend time with other people who speak the same language we do. This business is tough enough. Talking to someone else who gets it is a precious thing.

Are you a member of a local or online chapter?

If so, do you find the organization as helpful as I do?

And if you're not a member, what is keeping you from joining?