Watching a writer at work can be like watching the paint dry

[pbray]

Borrowing the meme that's been going around, thought it time to ask folks what they expected from my LJ. I'm happy to have readers, and silent lurking is just fine, but if you'd like to chime in and let me know why you're reading my LJ, and what interests you, I'd like to hear from you.

Comments

[patchwork-prose.livejournal.com]

I just found your LJ. I am a reader of Regency romances and very much enjoy your books in that genre.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Nice to see a Regency fan. What's your opinion of the new Pride & Prejudice adaptation? Have you seen it, or are you going to? I've heard quite a few different opinions on it, and am trying to decide if I should see this in the theater or wait till it's out on DVD.

For me, the 1980 BBC adaptation with David Rintoul will always be the gold standard. After watching it on PBS, I devoured Jane Austen's novels (which, oddly, had not been required reading in school) and then went on to Georgette Heyer, then found the Regency section of the bookstore. So really I suppose I have PBS to thank for the fact that I got my career started by writing Regencies.

[fancythat2.livejournal.com]

I love Pride and Prejudice (the book) and the A&E miniseries with Jennifer Ehle was the Gold for me. I don't think anything else will ever be able to follow after it successfully.

I am also a Georgette Heyer fan. My Grandma turned me on to Georgette Heyer when I was about fourteen. Then, I found the Regency section too.

Have you ever read Patrica Veryan? I like her adventures.
Carla Kelly? I like how her characters interact, the couples are actually warm, not angry.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Yes, Patricia Veryan wrote wonderful books, as did Carla Kelly. I was also a huge fan of Mary Balogh, Jo Beverley's early novels and Loretta Chase, to name a couple off the top of my head.

I haven't read any new Regencies in several years because I was burned out on the genre. Though there is oddly enough a genre of SF known as space Regencies, that I still enjoy. Here I'm thinking of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Liaden novels, and Lois McMaster Bujold's "A Civil Campaign". Plus "Sorcery and Cecelia" by Patricia Wrede, Caroline Stevermer which is how the Regency might have been in there was magic.

[fancythat2.livejournal.com]

I think I read every Zebra and Signet Regency I could get my hands on in my local library before I had my first root canal. Very frivolous and nicely distracting. Do I remember much about them? No. Except that when I hit burn out I noticed the cookie cutter effect. And that the heroes were ALWAYS dark. Bleh, I like fair men.

I read a few by Loretta Chase (it was in the pre root canal blur and I don't remember them). I haven't read Mary Balogh or Jo Beverly yet.

I'll have to look into Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (...:-) I used to listen to the Steve Miller Band). I've read Lois Mc Master Bujold's Curse of Challion and I now have the sequel (unread, savor savor).

I borrowed Sorcery and Cecelia from the library because it was such a neat concept. I had to bring it back unread (I can't remember why I couldn't get to it in time) and then forgot about it. It has a sequel too, "The Grand Tour : Being a Revelation of Matters of High Confidentiality and Greatest Importance, Including Extracts from the Intimate Diary of a Noblewoman and the Sworn Testimony of a Lady of Quality" (whew).

[patchwork-prose.livejournal.com]

I hate to confess it, but I was without a television for 20 or so years and never really got back into the habit. Probably wait for the DVD rather than go to the theatre. I missed the 1980 adaptation totally. I did read Heyer's books as they came out in paperback and very much enjoyed them. It was quite a sad day when I learned she had died and there would be nothing more after her husband published...My Lord John, was it? Another favorite Regency author was April Kihlstrom.

I wandered into Regencies quite by accident, having grown up on historical novels by various writers--the Brontes, Alcott, Stevenson, Mann, Defoe, Slaughter, Austin, Scott. My dad liked historical novels, and so I got his when he was done reading them, before they had to go back to the library. That way, I got the stuff from the adult section, too, which was much more interesting!

I can imagine watching Pride and Prejudice would capture a person's imagination. :-)