The first book blog I discovered was the Word Wenches, www.wordwenches.com, "Eight historical authors plotting the present, writing about the past, ... and improvising the rest." I've had the opportunity to hobnob with these uber talented writers. Today, I offer you that opportunity with the incomparable Patricia Rice. From her bio,
Kim: Tell us about St. Louis – what is your favorite sight, sound, and smell?
Patricia: Oh wow, tough one! The arch against the downtown skyline has to be my favorite sight. It’s different no matter when I view it—with sun, clouds, sunset, fireworks, glorious. Sound—possibly the variety of blues they play everywhere, on the street, at festivals, in the bars. That Mississippi delta sound dates back decades but the passion behind it is eternal. Smell—well, I can’t say it’s my favorite but St Louis is known for its beer and the smell of hops is distinctive!
I would like to add a personal note about Patricia Rice. I met her during the 2008 RT Booklovers' Convention in Pittsburgh. She, Mary Jo Putney, Mary Balogh, and Nicole Jordan participated in an intimate chat with readers. After the chat, Patricia and Mary Jo invited me for coffee and extended the invitation to my father, Jack Adams. At that point, he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's. He came to visit me in Baltimore when my mother needed a break. Since I was scheduled to attend RT, he became an honored guest of Kathryn Falk. He enjoyed conversation with Patricia, Mary Jo, and the veterans at the SOS Military Mixer. Today is the first anniversary of his death. As I reflect upon his last years, I appreciate that Patricia was so kind to him.
Kim: You are a member of the distinguished blog, Word Wenches. How did the Word Wenches come about? Can you share a favorite moment from the blog?
Patricia: We’re distinguished? Cool. I’ll have to tell the others. Wenches aren’t usually distinguished, or even aristocratic, as you might be able to tell by our origin—we were too lazy to blog alone and decided if we had a bunch of people, we could pretend we were doing promo, and have jolly fun while we’re at it. Several of us were already good friends and we just kept building on that, bringing in our favorite historical authors whenever someone had to drop out, until we now have an international group.
We are an amazingly congenial, and perhaps partially insane, group. Hard to tell what our favorite moment is—the naked wench blog? That was a lesson in unity! I think there were six or seven of us way back then and we were talking behind the scenes about how people thought about nudity over the centuries. Then we had the brilliant idea to pull all our e-mails together in a joint blog. I stupidly agreed to format the “essay” and then I let everyone edit the result. Have you ever seen six or seven writers edit a single piece of work? Just don’t go there. The fact that the blog survived the process permanently bonded our friendships.
Kim: You write a wide range of books. How do you interchange between genres?
Patricia: Being insane… it’s not difficult. I read across a huge variety of genres. I cut my teeth on literary works. Heck, I was reading Chekov at age 10 because I’d run out of books to read and that’s what was in the house. With a mind like that, how could I do less than try everything? And Mary Jo Putney tells me I have a Uranian nature—I like change. I get bored easily. So diving into a new genre excites me no end.
Kim: Tell us about your new magical contemporary romance, The Lure of Song and Magic?
Patricia: I ended my Georgian Magic series after book six because I wanted to go out with a bang, and I hope I succeeded with Magic Man. (Sourcebooks will be reissuing the whole series—Merely Magic is already out and Must Be Magic will be out this spring) But readers kept asking about the progeny of these eccentric couples, and I have to admit, I really wanted to see what happened if a logical Ives male was born with an illogical Malcolm psychic talent. But because of contractual obligations, I couldn’t write about the next generation. Which, naturally, stirred my creativity. So I spent several years toying with the idea of a contemporary Malcolm/Ives generation. When I hit upon a Malcolm with a siren talent, I was off and running. Those of you familiar with the historical series, I hope you’ll see the Malcolm gift running through my maddening Oswins, who have a strong streak of pragmatic Ives in their ancestry. They’re conflicted any way you look at it!
Kim: What’s next for Patricia Rice?
Patricia: I’m following the lure of different genres… So my next print book will be urban fantasy under a pseudonym. But I’ve written the next contemporary Magic book and I’ve resurrected the sequel to The Marquess. The English Heiress (known to readers as Michael’s book) is a historical romance that was purchased and paid for and never printed way back in the 90s. I had to restore old document files and heavily revise and edit for today’s audience, but with luck, I’ll e-publish it through Book View Café this summer to keep my historical readers happy. I’m also working on a new historical series, but that’s further down the road. Keep an eye on my website at www.patriciarice.com or my facebook page at
www.facebook.com/OfficialPatriciaRice for all the latest news!
Mahalo, Patricia, for joining us at SOS Aloha! Sourcebooks is giving away two copies of THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC to randomly selected commenters:
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| Marcus Stone's Love at First Sight |
We are an amazingly congenial, and perhaps partially insane, group. Hard to tell what our favorite moment is—the naked wench blog? That was a lesson in unity! I think there were six or seven of us way back then and we were talking behind the scenes about how people thought about nudity over the centuries. Then we had the brilliant idea to pull all our e-mails together in a joint blog. I stupidly agreed to format the “essay” and then I let everyone edit the result. Have you ever seen six or seven writers edit a single piece of work? Just don’t go there. The fact that the blog survived the process permanently bonded our friendships.
 |
| Jacques-Louis David's Portrait of Madame Récamier She's not quite naked but still scandalous. |
Patricia: Being insane… it’s not difficult. I read across a huge variety of genres. I cut my teeth on literary works. Heck, I was reading Chekov at age 10 because I’d run out of books to read and that’s what was in the house. With a mind like that, how could I do less than try everything? And Mary Jo Putney tells me I have a Uranian nature—I like change. I get bored easily. So diving into a new genre excites me no end.
 |
| Simon Vouet, The Muses Urania and Calliope, c. 1634 |
Patricia: I ended my Georgian Magic series after book six because I wanted to go out with a bang, and I hope I succeeded with Magic Man. (Sourcebooks will be reissuing the whole series—Merely Magic is already out and Must Be Magic will be out this spring) But readers kept asking about the progeny of these eccentric couples, and I have to admit, I really wanted to see what happened if a logical Ives male was born with an illogical Malcolm psychic talent. But because of contractual obligations, I couldn’t write about the next generation. Which, naturally, stirred my creativity. So I spent several years toying with the idea of a contemporary Malcolm/Ives generation. When I hit upon a Malcolm with a siren talent, I was off and running. Those of you familiar with the historical series, I hope you’ll see the Malcolm gift running through my maddening Oswins, who have a strong streak of pragmatic Ives in their ancestry. They’re conflicted any way you look at it!
Kim: What’s next for Patricia Rice?
Patricia: I’m following the lure of different genres… So my next print book will be urban fantasy under a pseudonym. But I’ve written the next contemporary Magic book and I’ve resurrected the sequel to The Marquess. The English Heiress (known to readers as Michael’s book) is a historical romance that was purchased and paid for and never printed way back in the 90s. I had to restore old document files and heavily revise and edit for today’s audience, but with luck, I’ll e-publish it through Book View Café this summer to keep my historical readers happy. I’m also working on a new historical series, but that’s further down the road. Keep an eye on my website at www.patriciarice.com or my facebook page at
www.facebook.com/OfficialPatriciaRice for all the latest news!
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| It is pure magic during the Kamehameha Schools' Song Contest. |
Mahalo, Patricia, for joining us at SOS Aloha! Sourcebooks is giving away two copies of THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC to randomly selected commenters:
THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC BY PATRICIA RICE – IN STORES JANUARY 2012
Her voice was a curse…
When Dylan “Oz” Oswin’s son is kidnapped, the high-powered producer will do anything to get him back. Desperately following an anonymous tip, he seeks help from a former child singing sensation called Syrene, only to find she’s vowed never to sing again. Immune to her voice but not her charm, Oz is convinced she holds the key to his son’s disappearance—and he’ll stop at nothing to make her break her vow.
Only he can make her sing…
She knows the devastation her talent can bring. There’s more than a child’s life at stake, but Syrene cannot unleash her dangerous siren’s voice upon the world, even for a man who is impossible to deny…
To enter the giveaway,
Her voice was a curse…
When Dylan “Oz” Oswin’s son is kidnapped, the high-powered producer will do anything to get him back. Desperately following an anonymous tip, he seeks help from a former child singing sensation called Syrene, only to find she’s vowed never to sing again. Immune to her voice but not her charm, Oz is convinced she holds the key to his son’s disappearance—and he’ll stop at nothing to make her break her vow.
Only he can make her sing…
She knows the devastation her talent can bring. There’s more than a child’s life at stake, but Syrene cannot unleash her dangerous siren’s voice upon the world, even for a man who is impossible to deny…
To enter the giveaway,
1. Leave a comment about music - what is your favorite? I'm stuck on '80s hair bands.
2. Sourcebooks' giveaway is open to North American residents only. I'll giveaway a copy of THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC to one international reader (winner's choice of print or ecopy).
3. Comments are open through Saturday, January 14, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 15.
Mahalo,
Kim in Hawaii
I would like to add a personal note about Patricia Rice. I met her during the 2008 RT Booklovers' Convention in Pittsburgh. She, Mary Jo Putney, Mary Balogh, and Nicole Jordan participated in an intimate chat with readers. After the chat, Patricia and Mary Jo invited me for coffee and extended the invitation to my father, Jack Adams. At that point, he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's. He came to visit me in Baltimore when my mother needed a break. Since I was scheduled to attend RT, he became an honored guest of Kathryn Falk. He enjoyed conversation with Patricia, Mary Jo, and the veterans at the SOS Military Mixer. Today is the first anniversary of his death. As I reflect upon his last years, I appreciate that Patricia was so kind to him.
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| Left to Right: George Small, WWII Veteran Frank Lowe, Vietnam War Veteran Steely McBeam, Navy Veteran Jack Adams, Korean Era Veteran Tony Marshall, Active Duty Army Chris Lowe, Active Duty Air Force |
I'm still a lover of the oldies, give me those songs from the late 50's, 60's and early 70's.
ReplyDeleteNice picture of your husband Kim!
I am fond of the early 70s and then mid 80s. Happy Friday the 13th.
ReplyDeletemy favorite music is country pop ;)
ReplyDeletethis book make so curious hmpfh ;)
I love the 80's hair bands but I also love today's metal. Bands like Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, and slipknot are my favorite's right now.
ReplyDeleteStill trying to persuade comments to show up. Third time the charm?
ReplyDeleteI did it, I did it! It's not pretty, but I'm in. Hi, Kim! Just wanted to say it was a pleasure meeting you and your charming father in Philly. I'm so sorry to hear about his loss. Hope we'll run into each other again soon...
ReplyDeleteMy favorite songs are from the late 50's and early 60's.
ReplyDeleteI love Patricia Rice and would follow her to any genre! My favorite music is Jazz!
ReplyDeleteSue
My favorite music is country.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! I think song and magic go hand in hand, especially while watching a ballet. That's why I prefer classical music.
ReplyDeleteBarbara
Love you, Sue! And agree, Barbara. Music transports me to other worlds.
ReplyDeleteAs in reading, I like most of the genres within music. I'm picky about the artists though.
I like all kinds of music, especially the 50's. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI love Big Band music, the oldies, and now country.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Patricia on her new book!
ReplyDeleteIsn't St. Louis the home of the blues? I like the Blues, Jazz, and even swing. Never hear the stuff on the radio!
Pam
I love classical music. It so incredibly beautiful & moving - most of it. Mozart would be my favourite right now.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new release, Pat! I have a few of your non-Magic books. I'd love to read this one.
ReplyDeletethe 80;s ! still ,lol even my 19yr old rather listening to the 80s
ReplyDeleteI like all kinds music but can get addicted to current pop songs :)
ReplyDelete