Two reviews - and a post on LUST BITES

[erastes]

Literary Nymphs have reviewed both Standish and Chiaroscuro and have given them both "Five Nymphs"

Erastes thrusts us back into post-Napoleonic Europe in Standish, with vivid scenic descriptions and lively period language. He has created a story that readers will enjoy not just because of his style of writing, which is fabulous all onto itself, but because of the lessons learned by two incredibly written characters. This is a story to be read and embraced.

The authors of Night Moves have brought us four fantastic stories about vampires. While each story presents characters with an allure that keeps readers begging for more; the similarities will end there. ...There is no weak link in this anthology.

And if that wasn't enough, I've posted a post on Lust Bites about historical fiction writing vs accuracy and hygiene in sex scenes.

How do you solve a problem like smegma?

Comments

[anderyn.livejournal.com]

Excellent article! I really liked the idea of the sponge bath. I now MUST have my very own copy of Transgressions when it comes out. (Though, darn it, my boys are going to be in the frickin' Taklamakan desert for a while, where I bet there ARE no bathing opportunities. Grrr. Well, there's always the odd oasis.)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I should hope you would want your own copy!!! Sadly it won't be a hardback - that's still a goal to be met and conquered.

Don't forget air and sand baths. That's always a good ruse.

:)

Yes, I spend entirely too long thinking about this stuff.

[anderyn.livejournal.com]

Weeeel, of course I would've gotten it just 'cause I know you, but now I am EAGER to read that story! Mmmmmmm.

Air and sand baths, hmmm.

I am so going to need to talk to you when we get that far!

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

What about oil baths? The Egyptians did that, I think--rub the body with scented oil and then scrape it off with a blunt-edged instrument. You could do a lot with an oil bath!

[anderyn.livejournal.com]

Egyptians, and Romans, too, I think. Ooooo. Thanks!

PS Love the books. I have loaned mine out and despair of ever getting a copy back!

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. Gorgeous tiger you've got there!

[mzcalypso.livejournal.com]

Y'know how, when you move the cursor over a link, you get a peek at what's there? (With an ad to the side, and keywords below?)

The keywords for this one are:

Horatio Hornblower, bedbugs, smegma, lice and sponge.

Poor Mr Hornblower is hiding in the cable tier, and I don't think he's ever going to come out.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

*dies laughing*

No, I didn't know that! I must have that option turned off. NOT exactly going to make people rush over there and read it, is it?

[m-barnette.livejournal.com]

Great review.

Your post reminded me I've been neglectful in posting my recent batch of reviews so that's something else I've accomplished today.

Now if only my accomplishments included getting some writing done today I'd be a lot happier.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Hah! Tell me about it. I've just had nearly 3 weeks off work and how much writing have I done? About 300 words...

*hopeless*

[m-barnette.livejournal.com]

It's quite depressing. I have the weekend off and I just can't get focused. Even worse I loathe the ending of Chapter 11 on this book I'm writing. It just fizzles out unlike the prior chapters that end on a proper dramatic note.

And my writing partner wants to do some writing but I can't even think of anything I want to write. It's terrible.

[madrigalist.livejournal.com]

Kudos for the review and great link! Timely for me. I was asked to be a guest speaker at an event the end of the month for a library that is celebrating its 100th anniversary. I was asked to speak on historical research and accuracy in novels.

Small world.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Oh that's wonderful, I look forward to hearing you report when you've done it!

[buachaill-dubh.livejournal.com]

"How do you solve a problem like smegma?"

enough already with the smegma! considering the things that ladies, lord love em, regularly produce from their bodies what is a little smegma by comparison? olden days men might have deliberately chosen to turn to other men just to avoid the horror of it all... and anyhow the real hygeine problem back then was what they did with their food before they knew about germs and tuberculosis in the milk and all that, yet olde tyme fiction never seems to have trouble with dinner table scenes.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Well, we ladies also produce smegma of course...

I agree about the food, but then that would be accurate to just write it as it came - no-one (or not many) people, knew about the tiny floating monsters in food and drink so it would not bother them one jot. Many historicals do deal with the problems of coping with storing food though, of course - weevils in the biscuits and people going mad with the ergot.

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Show me an historical romance with the characters heaving up their socks and lying around suffering from food poisoning, and I'll show you a book that doesn't have readers coming back for seconds....

[erastes.livejournal.com]

And what about the barrel of rum with Nelson in? That the crew actually drank from??

ick!!

Is that even true?

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

They did pickle him in 'spirits.' Whether or not the crew drank from it ... well, hell, it was alcohol, so at least that would've been ... it would've been positively disgusting. Talk about 'drinking your health!'