Month: July 2011

Regency Miniatures

REGENCY MINIATURES

Portrait miniatures started in 16th century Europe and was used as a method of introducing people across vast differences. The practice of painting miniatures lasted until the mid-18th century when daguerrotype portraits were first used.

For me, just the thought of miniatures being used to strike up and seal a marriage agreement is like a veritable story goldmine. It’s easy to imagine someone being painted with better features than reality. Or just before blossoming into a real beauty.

As a side note, I employed the use of a miniature in my WIP Victorian even though tintype photos were just being developed. Hey, some people are just old school, you know.

Below is a picture I took while at the Regency Revisited exhibit at the Huntington Library. Here is what it said about their collection:

” . . .18th Century Miniatures served both public and private functions. Often, the elegant gilt mounts were backed with glass, behind which a woven or braided lock of hair of the sitter’s hair would be kept, enhancing the portrait’s  role as a token of affection or remembrance.”

The amount of detail used to paint the portraits was extraordinary. This miniature is watercolor on ivory and sealed with enamel. But the first miniatures were watercolors on stretched vellum in the 16th century, to vitreous enamel painted on copper in the 17th.

Here is a better image as an example of miniature portraits.

I would imagine – since it wasn’t stated in any of the sources that I’ve read nor at the exhibit that when traveling with these miniatures, they were wrapped in oil cloth or similar and tied with string to prevent scratching. At least that’s what I’m going to say in my novel. =)

Please check out the resources below for more detailed information on miniatures, how they were painted and a whole gallery of portraits to see what people of these times thought was important to portray.

Thanks for stopping by.

Resources:

Katherine Cox: Regency Era: Miniature Portraits                                             http://novembersautumn.wordpress.com/2010/05/13/regency-era-miniature-portraits/

Judy and Brian, Harden. Portrait Miniatures. Web.
http://www.portraitminiatures.co.uk/.

“19th Century Miniature Collection.” The Tansey Collection of Miniatures. Web.
http://www.miniaturen-tansey.de/en/miniatures/epoches/epoche/19

“Painting Technique.” The Tansey Collection of Miniatures. Web.
http://www.miniaturen-tansey.de/en/pages/show/sid/technique>.
”Portrait miniature.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_miniature

Q and A with Deb Werksman, editor at SourceBooks

Hi Everyone,

I have been checking out the blog tour on Romance Author Hotspot and it’s been so fun. If you’ve never been on a Blog Tour, this sis a great first experience, at least it has been for me. I’m not all the way through it yet, however I have been reading through Deb Werksman interview, which is great, but the REAL gold is found in the comments section, where Deb answers readers’ questions. I’ll repeat it at the end but go to www.romanceauthorhotspot.com and click on the header for Summer Bash 2011.

Here is just a snippet of what you’ll find in the comments section:

Q: What is your editorial criteria?

DW:

  • a heroine the reader can relate to
  • a hero she can fall in love with
  • a world gets created that she can escape into
  • a hook I can sell with in 2-3 sentences
  • the author has a clear career arc–i.e., if readers love the first book, what
    are we giving them next, and next and next?

Q: Would like to know what kind of stories would you like to see cross your desk (something that would really excite you)?

DW:

  • straight contemporaries that are fun to read (not issues-based, which I don’t think works in romance)
  • romantic suspense with law enforcement theme/characters
  • romantic comedy
  • commercial women’s fiction with a great hook and an unusual premise
  • Georgian and Victorian England historical romance

Q: Also, what kind of stories/genre do you think needs to be freshened up?
DW: paranormal romance and erotic romance

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, folks. Go check out the rest of the great blogs on the tour. There are many new-to-you authors to explore. www.romanceauthorhotspot.com

Happy Exploring!

Suzy Kue

 

Call for Submissions – July through September

Hi Everyone,

Submission Time!

Hopefully you have some material all polished and ready to go to fit these categories.

Good luck to you!

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The following information was first printed in the July 2011 Orange Blossom, newsletter for Orange County Romance Writers.

JULY CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS

XoXo Publishing is seeking original, never published before short stories written by unpublished and published writers. 2,500 to 4,500 words. Romances of all genres, safe-sex couples, sensuous romances, sweet, historical etc. Celebrating
dance of all kinds be it the dance of courtship or actual physical dance. Manuscript must be sent in as MS Word doc, attachment.12 pt Times New Roman. Double spaced and fully edited.

Deadline July 31, 2011.

                                                             _________________________________________

Angels & Fairies

There are angels who are good and pure and perfect — and there are angels whose halos are a bit, well, crooked. And tarnished. They’re naughty angels, and they’ve got more fun things to do than play harps and float on clouds.

Ravenous Romance is looking for steamy, sexy short stories for an anthology that features angels — the naughtier, the better. M/F, M/M, F/F, and ménage stories welcome. Submit your stories to acquisitions editor Jennifer Safrey at jen@ravenousromance.com. Please include a short query letter in the body of the email and the story as an attachment.

Deadline August 1, 2011.

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Samhain Superheroes

It’s up, up and away we go, to a world of superheroes and supervillains, where  heroes and/or heroines with special abilities and crime-fighting prowess  protect the public…and fall in love.

I’m very happy to announce an open call for submissions for a new,  yet-to-be-titled spring 2012 superhero romance anthology. For more information  on what I’m looking for when I ask for superhero stories, check out these  entries on wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superhero

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superhero_fiction

I’m open to M/F, M/M, F/F, or multiples thereof, any sexual heat level, and the romance must end happily ever after or happy for now.

The novellas must range between 25,000 to 30,000 words in length, no more, no less—please note, only manuscripts that fall in this word count will be  considered for this anthology—and will be released individually as ebooks in  spring 2012 and in print approximately one year later.

Submissions are open to all authors, published with Samhain or aspiring to be published with Samhain. All submissions must be new material—previously  published submissions will not be considered. Additionally, manuscripts  previously submitted, whether individually or for past anthologies, will not be  considered either. Be aware that manuscripts submitted to this anthology cannot  be resubmitted at a later date unless by invitation from an editor.

Please note: fanfiction of popular, trademarked and copyrighted superheroes  will not be considered. Only original works please.

To submit a manuscript for consideration, please include:

The full manuscript (of 25,000 to 30,000 words) with a comprehensive 2-5 page synopsis. Also include a letter of introduction/query letter. Full  manuscripts are required for this as it is a special project.

As well, when you send your manuscript, be sure to use the naming convention  Superhero_Title_MS and Superhero_Title_Synopsis. This will ensure that your submission doesn’t get missed in the many submissions we receive, and
makes it easy for me to find in my e-reader.

Submissions are open until September 1, 2011. No submissions will be accepted after this date—no exceptions.

http://www.samhainpublishing.com/special-calls/

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Ellora’s Cave Love Letters

~ Story length 18K – 45K words.

~ Any genres, settings.

~ Must use the theme as a primary story element.

Submission deadlines are firm. Earlier is preferred.

LOVE LETTERS

Theme is love letters, cards, diaries.

Stories will release in January/February 2012 (in time for Valentine’s Day).

Submission deadline is August 31, 2011.

Send a professional cover email, a detailed synopsis (2 to 5 pages describing  setting and main characters and outlining full plot, including resolution), the  first three chapters and the final chapter of your manuscript via email as an  attached file (doc or rtf format) to Submissions@ellorascave.com.  Note: We are an e-publisher and all our work is done electronically; we do not
accept paper submissions.

Compiled by Louisa Bacio. Bacio’s new erotic paranormal The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf: A New Orleans Threesome is now available. Visit her at http://www.louisabacio.com.