Now or then?

I live in Flowery Branch, Georgia – a northern suburb of Atlanta. Doesn’t the name sound romantic and sweet? Maybe even a little nostalgic. That makes sense considering it’s beginning.

The town started in 1874 and it’s one of the oldest in the county. Originally, it was called Anaguluskee, which sounds much less romantic. But, Anaguluskee is a Cherokee Indian word that means flowers on the branch. Knowing the origin makes me love it even more. If you want to find out a little bit about my little town, the Wiki has some fun details.

This week has not been a romantic week in Flowery Branch, though. What’s left of Hurricane Irma came through on Monday and early Tuesday and knocked us around a bit. Many trees are down and power is out all over the place. Sitting at home Monday night trying to decide what to do by candlelight with no internet and an iPhone battery that was about to die was a bit difficult. 

That’s hard for me to admit. I write historical romance. I should be able to think of something to do when the power’s out. I have an imagination and I’ve done a fair amount of research. I shouldn’t have come up empty! But alas, I have no farm animals to tend to and I didn’t attempt to make supper in the fireplace, thought that would have killed some time. Probably about all of it until bedtime.

I’ve heard from many people that they often feel like they were born in the wrong era. That they would love to live a simpler life even with the many challenges the early pioneers faced. I understand those feelings. Things do get complicated sometimes! It makes sense to wish for days gone by. I think that’s one reason some people love to read historical fiction – especially historical romance.

I get it that it seems romantic to want to go back in time. And I do love those sweet, romantic, nostalgic thoughts. Writing sweet historical romance is a dream come true for me. I absolutely love that my work allows me to get caught up in all the details of the wonderful times and people of the past. The people were captivating and the brave way they faced challenges is inspiring. Scenes like the farm scene here look idyllic and perfect! It makes me want to be there!

 

As a reader, I enjoy the romanticized happenings of the era. While there certainly were difficulties, deaths, and losses too great to quantify, I love a sweet story with a happy ending. It’s okay with me to read a story that doesn’t place all the focus on the hardships. I know I'm not completely typical regarding this.

So here it is. I’m happy to live now. With technology and medical advancements and Starbucks on every corner. I like to get in my car and nip down to the grocery store and be back home in less than a half day. I’ve been thinking about this very thing for a few weeks as I do the final edits on a new story. Then the storm brought it back home in a big way. 

Could I have lived in 1880? Of course, but I’m really glad I didn’t. I hope you won’t hold that against me! Being without power for three days is for the birds! 

What about you? If you could live in 1880, would you time travel to do it?

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Annie Boone writes sweet western historical romance with a happy ending guaranteed in every single story. Inspiration comes in many forms and Annie finds more than one way to make her stories entertain and inspire.

To connect with Annie, find her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

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Etiquette and Manners

Manners. They’re often forgotten in society today. That’s a bit of a shame. While manners seem outdated and old school to many, a little politeness goes a long way. But good and proper etiquette involves more than saying please and thank you or turning your radio down a few notches as you drive through the Walmart parking lot. Back in the day, about 125 years ago and more, manners were vitally important. Reputations could be ruined in the blink of an eye.

In the 19^th century there was a definite code of conduct that people were expected to abide by – especially women. A lady must not appear to be in a hurry because that indicated she lacked grace. It was permissible for a lady to lift her skirts just above her ankle if she tripped, but she must right herself quickly so her ankle didn’t show for too long. So basically, if a woman tripped, she might be breaking several rules at once.

The book AmericanEtiquette and Rules of Politeness by Walter R. Houghton was written in 1883 and covered a wide range of helpful tips to guide those in doubt through the difficulties faced in polite society. The book outlined some expectations that must have been next to impossible to follow unless nothing unexpected was happening.

In truth, many of Mr. Houghton’s rules simply cannot be followed by any author who wants to create a compelling heroine and have her find love and happiness. As I read through some of the rules, I couldn’t help but laugh. If authors created heroines who followed all the rules, these women would be boring and forgettable. Who wants to read about a woman who followed all the rules all the time?

Here are some of my favorite rules from Mr. Houghton’s American Etiquette and Rules of Politeness that need to be broken in romance writing – at least sometimes - to make a romance fun to read. 

Always be careful in your conversation not to dwell on what you heard somebody say about somebody else. While I agree completely that gossiping is bad and we shouldn’t do it, don’t we need a town gossip in our fiction from time to time to make some waves? Conflict in a romance is a good thing, right?

It is very unwise, not to say presumptuous, for a gentleman to make a proposal to a young lady on a too brief acquaintance. Such hasty proposals generally come from mere adventurers, or else from mere novices in love, so that in either case they are to be rejected. A lady who would accept a gentleman at first sight can hardly possess the discretion needed to make a good wife. How many love at first sight romance stories would never be written if romance writers followed this rule all the time? There are just too many stories that come to mind where an early proposal was charming and lovely and the perfect vehicle for sweet disaster.

It is a mark of good breeding to suppress undue emotion, whether of disappointment, of mortification, or laughter, of anger, or of selfishness in any form. Emotions of all sorts are the cornerstones of romance written about any era. If everyone in our stories was too polite to show how they feel, we’d be reading about robots in historical romance. Not good.

If you chance to be in the company of an inferior, do not let him feel his inferiority. When you invite an inferior as your guest, treat him with all the politeness and consideration you would show an equal. This one is simply condescending and rude just the way it’s written. And isn’t it ironic that one of the rules is built on bad manners?

I’ve broken all these rules of etiquette and proper manners in my stories and many others, too. My latest book, A Pure Heart from theCutter’s Creek Series, is about a girl who thinks she’s better than everyone else in town. She doesn’t hold back in letting others know that they’re inferior. Creating Mary Pershing as a prim and proper young woman living at the time Mr. Houghton’s book was published, would have been a travesty. She’s a woman you love to hate, but at the same time you want her to see the truth and change. If she is perfect to start with, how can she grow? How could there be much of a story?

So, I intend to keep reading about heroines who break the rules. I’ll keep writing about them, too.

P.S. If you'd like to see American Etiquette and Rules of Politeness by Walter R. Houghton, you can find it in the Smithsonian Libraries. 

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Annie Boone writes sweet western historical romance with a happy ending guaranteed in every single story. Inspiration comes in many forms and Annie finds more than one way to make her stories entertain and inspire.

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Good vs. Evil

Do you believe people can change? Can a person who seems shallow, judgmental, and sometimes mean push those negative traits away to bring out a sweeter spirit?

Redemption. Paying the price for bad acts. Forgiveness. Is it easy to forgive someone who has done terrible things? Not at all. But what if they’re sincere in the changes they make? Does that change things? Maybe.

Everyone has been wronged by someone else at some point in their life. On the flip side of that, everyone has done something to hurt someone else. So, we’re all victims and we’re all villains, though that sounds a little harsher than it should.

Okay, maybe I don’t need to dig too deeply into the good vs. evil thing as it relates to real life. But what about in fiction, specifically romance?

Have you read stories with heroines or heroes you love to hate? Probably. Most stories would be pretty boring if the characters were perfect in every way. I have to admit that a snobby heroine who gets her comeuppance is fun for me. I love to read stories where a character gets what they deserve, especially if it happens in a creative or funny way. And writing about this sort of girl, well that can be pure joy!

When I picture the villain, sometimes he looks a little like this:

It's obvious and a little fun to have a villain where you can see his or her motives. You can see the fall coming, even if the bad guy doesn't - and of course, they never do. 

But what about the less obvious villain? The one who goes back and forth or seems sweet and lovely until you're shown her black heart. Those villains often look something like this:

 

I love a story where the heroine has deep character flaws. If there’s a glimmer of goodness in her somewhere, there’s hope she can turn things around. Whether the transformation is gradual where she doesn’t even realize she’s changing or fast due to some incident, it’s fulfilling to witness the change. It restores faith in people. It brings a smile.

When I was deciding on the story line for my last Cutter’s Creek book, I knew I had to find true love for Mary Pershing. I don’t think she really deserved to find someone to put up with her attitude, but I knew it could be a fun story. I honestly struggled with whether to actually write the story that was in my head. I wasn’t sure the girl was redeemable and in my head I saw the scheming villain with the curled mustache. Then I remembered that everyone is redeemable – if they choose to be.

So, I took the challenge and Mary’s story made it through. She got worse before she got better. She allowed herself to be influenced by flash and affluence. She scoffed at a man she deemed unworthy of her attention when he was simply trying to get to know her. She was unlikable until she started to see the truth about life and herself. And it turns out that people are happy this story made it out of the darkness!

If you like a flawed heroine, then Mary Pershing will be right up your alley. If you like transformation and happy endings, then you’ll enjoy the latest Cutter’s Creek story – A Pure Heart.

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Annie Boone writes sweet western historical romance with a happy ending guaranteed in every single story. Inspiration comes in many forms and Annie finds more than one way to make her stories entertain and inspire.

To connect with Annie, find her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

Follow Annie on Amazon, Bookbub and get email updates.