Bandit Booty from Claudia Dain

The winner of Claudia Dain's booty, a signed copy of The Courtesan's Secret is . . .

LIMECELLO!

Please email your contact info to claudiadain@gmail.com or go to Claudia's website and use the contact form.

Congrats to Limecello, and thanks to everyone who stopped by!

Interview With a Courtesan

by Caren Crane

Oh, my, that was a tease of a title! This is actually an interview with a former courtesan. Many of you have had the great pleasure to read Claudia Dain's fabulous Courtesan Chronicles I am sure. If you are anything like I, you have developed a healthy - or perhaps unhealthy - admiration for the courtesan-turned-countess who controls the ton like the highly-skilled puppet master - mistress? - she is. I speak, of course, of Lady Sophia Dalby.

Lady Sophia has a penchant for helping young ladies of the ton marry well and happily. Her latest matchmaking endeavor is featured in How To Dazzle a Duke is, thankfully, on shelves now. Do run and buy one! We will wait patiently for your return. No, no, do not read it now. If you must have a taste, there is an excerpt on Claudia's website. There is also a snappy trailer for The Courtesan Chronicles. Surely that will tide you over and allow you to pay strict attention to Lady Sophia before plunging into the book?

Lady Sophia is with us today to speak of...well, many things about which she is quite knowledgeable. *ahem* Without further ado, I present to you Lady Sophia Dalby.

Sophia: It is a delight to meet such an attentive and studious group of women. Not everyone appreciates education in a woman, of course, certainly not many men of my acquaintance. I, however, adore a keen female mind.

Caren: Um...yes. Well, Sophia, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sophia: A little bit? Certainly. What little bit would you like to know?

Caren: I was wondering why you’ve been helping the women of The Courtesan Chronicles get husbands. Not many women would do that sort of thing for another woman.

Sophia: But, darling, I am not like other women. Certainly that must be obvious. I’ve failed horribly if it’s not. As to why I helped them, they so desperately needed help, didn’t they? And, of course, I got a little something I wanted as well, which is always the best sort of arrangement. A woman of your age and experience must surely know that as well as I.

Caren: I’m in my absolute prime, Sophia.

Sophia: But of course. As am I. Isn’t it a lovely place to be, at one’s prime? I’m enjoying myself fully. Aren’t you?

Caren: Well, maybe not fully. I’m pretty busy, you know, what with my job and the kids, my hobbies and interests, my writing. Life is very full right now.

Sophia: Surely there is some man in your life to make everything more agreeable for you? A life lived hectically is not an ideal situation, and there is no reason to ever settle for anything less than ideal, is there?

Caren: My husband is also very busy, and besides, I’m not sure how anyone could arrange for him to make my life more agreeable.

Sophia: Not anyone? Darling, I’m insulted. I assure you that I can think of many ways to inspire him to do what you require of him. Perhaps it could be arranged for me to meet with him? I’m very good at persuading men to see things as they should. Shall I drop round tomorrow, then?

Caren: No! Thank you, but no. This interview isn’t going at all the way I’d planned.

Sophia: You had a plan? How utterly charming. Do all your plans go awry with such energy?

Caren: We are not here to talk about me. Now, back to my original question. Why did you help these women?

Sophia: I suppose the most obvious answer is that they asked for my help. Surely you remember that? Oh, dear, you are in a state. So agitated. I don’t really think you have a facility for this sort of work. Perhaps you should pursue something else entirely?

Caren: And the less obvious answer?

Sophia: Why, darling, I should think that would be obvious, even to you. A woman deserves to get what she wants, particularly from a man. If I can help arrange for men to serve their purpose on this earth, that of giving some delightful woman his heart, his name, and his money, which I certainly can, then I’m delighted to do so. In fact, I find the entire exercise completely delicious. Are you certain you don’t want me to speak with your charming husband? I’m nearly positive I could arrange things to your satisfaction.

Caren: You really think so?

Sophia: I certainly do. There is nothing so simple to manage as a man. What’s more, they seem to enjoy being managed to a nearly alarming degree.

Caren: I haven’t found that to be so.

Sophia: But, darling, I have. Simply put, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Caren: He’s not going to like it.

Sophia: On the contrary, Caren, he’s going to love every minute of it. Trust me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, that was certainly...enlightening, to say the least. Is it warm in here? Now, a question for you, dear readers. Do you have anyone in your life you turn to for help? Anyone who arranges things for you, whether you want them to or not? If you've met Sophia, would you like her in your life? Claudia will be here answering questions and comments on Sophia's behalf, since that lady is otherwise occupied today. A lucky commenter will win a prized copy of How To Dazzle a Duke autographed by Claudia!

[note from Caren: Please pardon my absence today. After that rather tasking interview, I find myself in need of a respite...perhaps with my vinagrette for company...]

The Courtesan's Booty!

by Caren Crane

Hey, not that kind of booty, you twisted people: Bandita booty! The winner of a signed copy of The Courtesan's Daughter is Gillian Layne!!

Gillian, please contact Claudia at claudia AT claudiadain DOT com with your snail mail information. Congratulations and thank you for playing with us!

Claudia Dain Has a Secret!

by Caren Crane

Or perhaps it isn't her secret, after all. If you have been hanging out at Romance Bandits for any length of time, you know that we are always a-twitter when Claudia Dain posts a comment. If you know Claudia's work, you will understand our excitement. If not, you may wonder why we call her The Incomparable Claudia Dain (TICD for short). You're about to find out. I am thrilled to welcome Claudia to the Bandits' Lair once again. Welcome, Claudia!

You know I love it here, Caren. It's like my second home...and I'm that freaky guest that will not leave! Here I am again, proving the point. It's your own fault for creating such a warm and happy blog in the cyber universe. Yes, that's right. I just blamed you for my tendency to loiter at Romance Bandits. Deal with it, Bandita.

Claudia, I am a huge fan of your Courtesan series. I read The Courtesan's Daughter (Oct 2007) at a speed that shocked my turtle-paced brain. The scenes clipped along, the chapters sped by and I was left panted and breathless for more when I galloped to the end. I am thrilled to note that your next book The Courtesan's Secret will be released tomorrow. Claudia, for those who may not yet have enjoyed The Courtesan's Daughter, what should we know about the Courtesan who stars in the title of these books?

My favorite topic: Sophia Dalby. Those who've read The Courtesan's Daughter have asked me about Sophia, noticing that she's not typical for a secondary character. She isn't! She's what I'm calling my anchor character. The series twirls around her, she's the fulcrum of all the action, but each book has a hero and heroine who enjoy (or not) their journey to love, marriage, and baby carriage.

Sophia's backstory is what makes her so interesting as a character and it took me two years of research for her to develop into a full-blown woman. She's the daughter of an Iroquois warrior and an English noblewoman, raised in the woods of upstate New York, mysterious events ensue, she winds up alone in Georgian London as a teen, forced to make her way as a courtesan.

Being Sophia, she's very good at being a courtesan and at negotiating her way through London's underbelly. She marries an Earl, gives him two children, he dies, and it is her daughter's love story that is covered in The Courtesan's Daughter. Sophia, being more intelligent and more devious than anyone, and who can arrange difficult love matches with apparent ease, is quickly becoming the Go-To Girl for the pretty young things in Regency London. In The Courtesan's Secret, Lady Louisa seeks help from Sophia in bringing the skittish and scrumptious Lord Dutton to the altar. Louisa gets far more than she bargained for, which is typical for those who tangle with Sophia.

Claudia, Sophia is a fascinating character. At the risk of inciting a riot, I confess that I have already read The Courtesan's Secret. Yes, friends, I tore through the ARC as if I were being chased by a band of savage Iroquois. Okay, that's not true. If Sophia's brother and nephews were after me, I wouldn't run at all and I raced through The Courtesan's Secret! I can say for a fact that Sophia knew far better than the heroine, Louisa Kirkland, what Louisa wanted - or perhaps what she needed. Sophia is a master at manipulating people and events and she is building a reputation as a matchmaker. How many matches will Sophia get to arrange? I hope it's lots, since that will mean more books for me!

I hope it's a lot, too! That would be my dream career, to write Regencies with Sophia skipping through the ton, whistling merrily as she has her way with all of them. When I created Sophia, or rather, as she arose from my research into Georgian and Regency England, as well as Colonial America and the important part the Indian nations played in European politics, I knew I wanted to stay with her for as long as possible. Because of that wish on my part, the series is very open ended. I know what's going to happen to Sophia ultimately, but I can write as many books as I want, stretching her journey out for the conceivable future.

But as enamored as I am with Sophia's character, I think the hero and heroine of each book do stand on their own well against her. She is not the focus of each book and as more characters arise within each book, I get excited about writing their love story, their stumbling tumble into each other and into marriage. And while I'm thinking of it, I should probably mention that just because an appealing, gorgeous character is introduced in any of the books doesn't mean that character will ever get her/his own story. I'm not sure if readers will love me or hate me for that, but it will keep things interesting!

Of course all your heroes and heroines do a fine job holding their own against Sophia. At least, they believe they do! *g* But I understand we will get a glimpse into Sophia's past in a novella coming out this year.

Very true. In Private Places, an anthology coming out in August, the reader gets to see one night in Sophia's life as a working courtesan, the night she meets Lord Dalby, as a matter of fact. As in all the Courtesan novels, Sophia is a secondary character in this story, but as in all the Courtesan novels, she is pulling quite a few strings to make sure everything turns out the way it should. I wish I had a Sophia in my life! I could use someone like her in my corner.

Thank you for being with us today, Claudia. It is always a thrill! Now, dear readers, Claudia has a question for you:

Do you have a Sophia in your life? Someone who watches your back, who knows you better than you know yourself, who can see the important details that you miss? Of course, your mom, but anyone else? I'll be giving away a signed copy of The Courtesan's Daughter to a lucky commenter.

Claudia Dain On Courtesans, Careers and Gauchos

Interview by Caren Crane

Many Banditas can point to a published author friend and say, "This author taught me everything I know about the business." I am happy to say that for me, that author is Claudia Dain. Claudia began her career writing historicals in a variety of time periods for Dorchester. After a brief hiatus, she is back with her first book for Berkley, a Regency-set historical titled The Courtesan's Daughter. Welcome, Claudia!

Caren: Claudia, you are known for your dark, emotional stories and rich historical detail. Can we expect more of the same from The Courtesan's Daughter?

Claudia: Thanks for the warm Banditas welcome, Caren. I'm thrilled to be here.

I'm almost afraid to answer this first question! Is The Courtesan's Daughter dark? No, it's not dark; I would call it a bawdy romp. I was ready for something different and decided not to fight the urge. I'm glad I gave into it since this book was a joyride from start to finish.

Is it rich in historical detail? That's a tougher one to answer. I think what people were responding to in my dark historicals was that the characters felt true to their time; the heroine didn't think like a 21st century woman and never behaved like one. It wasn't that I devoted 10 pages to describing the interior of a building, it was that the characters acted appropriately within their setting. That's my impression, anyway, and I can say without qualification that the characters in The Courtesan's Daughter behave very much the way they should, given who they are. But I still haven't spent 10 pages describing a house!

Caren: Wow, this sounds like a real departure from your old style of writing. I understand the Courtesan books will be a new series for you and you have already written the second. Are you having fun writing books with a lighter tone?

Claudia: I'm having more fun than I've ever had before and I think it shines through in the writing. This is just a fun, sexy romp in the vein of Oscar Wilde (which is what my editor compares it to and which tickles me to death). The Courtesan's Daughter begins what I hope will be a very long running series. I have multiple books planned and while each book stands alone, they are stronger when taken as a whole.

At the risk of boring non-writers, the romantic couple of each book stands alone, their story arc complete to that book, but the courtesan's story is the foundation for all the action and her arc will take multiple books to complete. That foundation, which is fairly dark, is what holds the books together. I guess it proves that I didn't leave 'dark' and 'emotional' behind completely!

The concept for the series began with what I'm calling the 'anchor character', and that's Sophia, the courtesan of the title. It took more than a year for her to come together in my mind, to be fleshed out, and it's her complex backstory that is the foundation of the fascinating, unique woman she is. It will be the slow revelation of her backstory that answers every question about her motivation.

As is typical for me, setting defines character to a great degree and this is especially true of Sophia. My husband is wildly in love with Sophia. To be honest, so am I. She is the most interesting, layered, compelling character I've ever created. It is a pure joy to spend time with her every day.


Caren: Your Dorchester books invariably contained dark, tormented, delicious heroes. (Does anyone else remember Richard the world's sexiest monk from The Marriage Bed? *swoon*) Are your Berkley books similarly endowed?

Claudia: Oh, another tough one. You wouldn't think talking about my heroes would be a tough assignment, would you? The heroes in the Courtesan Series aren't dark, at least not taken as a whole. Generally speaking, each one is a wonderful, sexy man who displays a real appreciation of the heroine as she is. True love, in my definition, means seeing the object of your affection as she truly is and loving her without reserve. Of course, each hero is different and completely individual, but the focus of the Courtesan series is really on the individual heroines. There will be lots of diversity in both heroes and heroines, but the weight of the story will fall on the heroine. This is a woman's story.

Caren: Claudia, to shift gears a bit, you are known by many for your astute business sense. Your "Publishing As a Blood Sport" talk is an RWA conference favorite for many people. Can you tell us, in a nutshell, what are things writers should be aware (and wary) of? For agented writers, what is the author's role in her/his career and what is the agent's role?

Claudia: Finally, an easy question! In a nutshell, too many writers are too emotional about the business of publishing. Bad business decisions, like the hiring or firing of an agent, are made from an emotional foundation. Picking an agent because you enjoyed talking with her in the bar at a conference is not good business. Staying with an agent primarily because you've developed an emotional bond with her is not good business. Vowing never to write for an editor because once she rejected you is not good business.

In a different vein, I also believe that an author's strongest asset is her voice and that, once identified, it should be protected at all costs. In my opinion, having a strong voice is clearly an asset once you're published and have a growing fan base, but it can make it harder to get published in the first place.

As for agents, I am of the opinion that an agent is an essential ingredient in doing business. I've always felt this way, even before I was published, so this is nothing new and I'm unlikely to change my opinion now. But, having said that, your career as an author will always mean more to you than it does to anyone else. Your agent has a career she is trying to build and protect. The same is true of your editor. Knowing that each of you is pursuing your own best career track is what makes making business decisions easy.

Too often it seems to me that authors want to hand their careers over to their agent. It's tempting! Who wouldn't want to pass that burden off onto someone else, someone competent? But it is your career. You have to protect it. If writing is your business, then you have to treat it like your business. Your agent's business is being an agent to many authors, not only you. Your business is to succeed as a writer and it has to be your sole priority. Of course, this 'business plan' includes writing a great novel, but that's only part of it.

I think the hardest part of being a published author is realizing that you now have to be a small business owner as well. It's exhausting work!

Caren: Those of us who were in the audience of the RITA and Golden Heart awards ceremony at the Romance Writers of America national conference this year heard you, specifically, mentioned by award recipients on the stage. Twice. Both recipients thanked you for advice on fashion and shoes. It seems that, as well as having a reputation for great business sense, you are also known for great fashion sense. Have you always been a connoisseur of fashion?

Claudia: I'm blushing! I don't know about my great fashion sense since I did own a pair of gauchos at one point, but I have always loved fashion and have been both willing to go along with the current trends and known what works for me and what doesn't. It's like walking a balance beam! I was the first girl in my high school to stop wearing mini skirts and bell bottoms (which tells you more than I want you to know about my age), and I was teased by the boys for my "hem falling down" and for my stovepipe pants. I had the last laugh, didn't I? Or did they?

Now I have a fun question: Speaking of being a fashion victim, I've confessed to gauchos, which are back in style. What have you worn that turned you into a fashion victim? I know Caren has knickers in her past... (Caren: Hey, I resemble that remark. But they were olive green, thin-wale corduroy and it was 1979 - so hip!)

Sophia, my courtesan, has never suffered a fashion disaster in her life, which is only one reason why she's the perfect heroine. I'm giving away a copy of The Courtesan's Daughter, maybe to the winner of The Worst Fashion Mistake of My Gorgeous Life? I had a friend once who wore Band-Aids over her *&^# underneath a sheer black dress. They showed. It was not pretty.

Thank you, Banditas! I'm looking forward to hearing about all those fashion faux pas! Don't leave me alone in my gauchos, I'm begging you!

Caren: (whispers) Just for fun, check out the Lego stop-action review for The Courtesan's Daughter at Dear Author!