Character Intros: Raven Emerson

Why am I starting with the heroine?

Spellbound is Raven's story. I love Tristan but he is almost a secondary character to Raven. He helps her story move along and eventually helps her find her happily-ever-after. That said...

Raven was first introduced into my fictional world in Betrayal. She was the mistress of the hero, Adam Prestwich. She was a favorite character of many readers, myself included. When Adam let her go, she accepted the protection of Levi, Lord Greville. (He is the hero of my upcoming release, Deception.)

Raven was raised in a strictly religious household. Illness struck down most of her family, leaving her father bedridden and her as the only means of support for the survivors. She used what few talents she had, making her way to London and the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. She soon made a name for herself as Shakespeare's Juliet.

Raven's looks are the type that will always be considered beautiful. It is more than just her waist-length straight black hair and sultry dark eyes. It has everything to do with the way she carries herself, her outer certainty in regard to the world and her place in it. She is kind to everyone, has an odd penchant for mothering those around her and is typically calm and collected. This last has led to some bottling of emotions that lead to something of a breakdown.

It was never her intention to grace some gentleman's bed. She wanted better for herself. Living frugally allowed her to take care of her ailing father and younger sister. Unlike many women in such situations, Raven didn't fall into the demimonde out of necessity. She was a victim of lust, plain and simple.

Where did I come up with such a character?

Oh, I don't really know. I suppose I got tired of the "mistress" being either a desperate woman trying to survive or a mercenary hussy. So Raven was "born", a woman whose calm acceptance of her lot in life warred with the very real desires women experience. Not all women are able to say no. Raven gave in to impulse and simply lived with the guilt.

I should point out that despite the fact that Raven was little better than a prostitute, I do not in anyway condone her choices. I attempted to portray a real personality, a real woman who fell away from what she believed was right and merely did the best she could after the fall. No one is perfect and while many more modern thinkers would not think Raven so bad for her choices, for the time period, only money and power could have raised her in public esteem. Even then, the acceptance would be mere facade. In Raven's own mind, the guilt is permanent.

*The preceding is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, to factual events or businesses is coincidental and unintentional.

(c) 2009 Laura J Miller aka Jaimey Grant. All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced in print or electronically without the written permission of the author. Image is in the public domain; click picture for enlargement and more details.

The Genre: Regency Romance

I am fully aware that some of my readers are actually quite new to the genre of Regency Romance. Therefore, I think the first post to this blog should be something about Regency England, a brief explanation of the time and the draw for readers and writers.

What was the Regency?

King George III fell ill, his insanity making it impossible for him to rule. His heir, the Prince of Wales, was appointed as Regent in 1811, performing his father's duties until the king died in 1820.

While the Regency was technically between those years, the era is more aptly described by the characteristic trends in fashion, architecture, literature, politics, and culture. It is commonly held that these trends began some years before 1800 and continued on until Victoria ascended to the throne in 1837. Before that is referred to as Georgian and after as Victorian.

The Regency was a time of ladies and gentlemen, manners, breeding, Society, social upheaval, and war. The upper classes were aware of the recent revolution in France and nervous of the same thing happening in their own country. And yet, the hedonistic lifestyle persevered, many not allowing their fears to take root...or push them to improve the quality of life for the poor around them. Decadence abounded, gambling was nearly a requirement, drinking in excess was expected, prostitution flourished, adultery was overlooked and violence was the norm.

Upper-class women of the Regency really weren't allowed to be self-sufficient. A girl was raised to show respect, be submissive, run a household, and demonstrate a certain amount of efficiency in all the social accomplishments deemed necessary for success.

To go along with this training, ladies were taught how to cope with married life. She should not acknowledge her husband's amours, his drinking, his gambling or his spending. As the man, it was his right to say and do what he pleased. Even the Regent was known for his unfaithfulness to his wife, his lavish homes and entertainments, and excessive spending habits. He was the butt of many a Regency caricaturist's pen.

The war with Napoleon was going strong at the time of the prince's appointment as Regent. Wellington proved himself on the battlefield, rising in rank. By the end of the infamous Battle of Waterloo, he was a duke. Napoleon was officially defeated in 1815 but civil unrest continued.

So what is the draw for many to this era?

Despite all the depravity of the era there is still an element of absolute romance attached. The kissing of hands, the gentle courting, the manners and charm are all things that appeal to my shy nature. What woman would not want to be treated as a princess, her permission sought before being introduced to a gentleman, her every comfort seen to? It is in our nature to desire to be cherished and adored.

Perhaps this does not appeal to a more modern woman. Hence the reason for heroines who have opinions and even voice them occasionally. They know what they want and are willing to go after it, all the while retaining their femininity and poise, their grace and charm.

And people love the "Pretty Woman" scenario. While the heroine is rarely a prostitute, especially in a Regency, she often is a woman down on her luck, poor, lower class, or in dire straits by some other means. She often gets the lord, whether he be a duke, earl or baron. Even if he's a plain ole mister with a pile of money, the draw is there. The heroine is rescued from penury, able to rise above her birth, overcomes the obstacle of her upbringing and manages it all by simply falling in love.

Why do my books seem to focus on the negative aspects of this time period?

I am a hopeless believer in redemption. No matter how bad things get, how many mistakes one has made, there is hope and there is a way to come about. The majority of my characters have, in some way, hit rock bottom. My motto: There is always a silver lining. Some are just harder to find than others.

My focus is more on the attitudes, emotions and mental turmoil of the time rather than the fashions and outer appearance. Spellbound is about a woman who is low born, an actress, the mistress of more than one man...but more about her in the post dedicated to her.

What modern authors do I recommend?

Georgette Heyer technically developed the genre. Jane Austen did not write Regency romance. She wrote contemporary romance. It was Ms Heyer who saw the romantic value in the Regency and set many of her novels then. She is often attributed with having developed the historical romance genre as a whole. She would be an excellent start for this genre. Other well-known authors of the genre include Mary Balogh, Jo Beverley, Patricia Veryan, Marion Chesney, Elizabeth Mansfield, and Julia Quinn.

*Pictures on this page are either the copyright of the author or in the public domain. Recommended nonfiction reading for this time period: The Regency Underworld by Donald A Low, Prisons and Punishments of London by Richard Byrne, What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool, British Regency at Wikipedia and Jane Austen's World.