I’m over at Plot Monkeys today (that’s them, above), blogging about 15 Things I’ve Learned From Writing Romance Novels and giving away a bunch of books. Come visit and tell us what you’ve learned from reading romances to be entered to win.
And then come back here tomorrow Sunday to begin our journey through Sherwood Forest with Steinarr and Marian.
From the time I started IMMORTAL OUTLAW, I intended to take you all on a tour of the locations in the book and reveal the fact and fiction in the story. However, I didn’t want to post too much too soon and end up with spoilers.
The book has been out about 6 weeks now, so I think it’s safe to begin our trek. First though, a bit about a question I’ve gotten over and over during the past couple of months:
Why Robin Hood?
Well, why not? It’s a story that has been around for at least 600 years, so it clearly resonates: A good man outlawed for either an unfortunate mistake (accidentally killing a forester) or for standing up to tyranny (refusing to do homage to a usurper trying to steal the throne) depending on the version you’re reading, making his way in the wilds, gathering a band of like-minded men around him to redress the wrongs of society by robbing only the rich to aid the poorest around them. Bows and arrows, horses, great chase scenes through the woods, comic relief, and a love for the ages. Great stuff, even if it’s likely based on the romanticized story of a tax-evading scofflaw.
But really why are these two:
That’s Bernadette O’Farrell as Marion and Richard Green as Robin from The Adventures of Robin Hood, an ITV series rebroadcast in the US on CBS. I grew up on these two (and Patricia Driscoll, who took over the role of Marion, as they spelled it, in seasons 3 and 4). [Photo used without permission.]
I watched TARH in syndicated re-runs, and I loved it from the first. I fantasized about being Marian, who in the series was brave and bold and every bit as good with a bow as Robin. No victimized Olivia de Haviland here. She was a tough cookie (and even tougher after pixie-like Driscoll took over), and she fought the bad guys alongside the men. This was probably because the producer was Hannah Weinstein, one tough cookie herself (she hired blacklisted writers like Ring Lardner to write episodes under psuedonyms, which explains the solid, socially conscious storylines).
As a bonus, bits of the series were shot on location in the meadow at Runnymede where the English barons—including a descendant of the real Ivo from Immortal Warrior—forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. The production values on TARH were pretty high for the time (it was shot on 35 mm film), so even now, some 50+ years later, the images are crisp. You can find the DVDs at Amazon
So, yeah, Robin Hood, and not for the first time. My first published romance, Hostage Heart, was totally Robin Hood gone cowboy, a straightforward western version of the legend complete with robber-cattle-barons and unsavory sheriffs—unlike this one, which is my fantasy about how such a story might have come about if our boy Ari had been around.
I hope you’ll follow along as we retrace Steinarr and Marian’s zig-zag route through Nottinghamshire. You’ll be able to see their path on the interactive map available from my Extras page or at GoogleMaps. Invite a few friends to come along. It’s going to be an interesting ride.
So, what was your favorite version of Robin Hood (book, movie, or tv)? Did you ever dream of going outlaw for the sake of justice? Were you a fan of Little John, Alan-a-Dale, or Will Scarlet?
UP NEXT: The Road to Maltby
Ah, the joys of summer. Lazy days, hammocks under the maple tree, corn on the cob, poison ivy…
Wait. I live in southern Oregon. We have poison oak, not poison ivy. Everyone knows that. Well, everyone except the bird that apparently flew in with a gut full of poison ivy seeds and planted them in the pachysandra.
A while back, I noticed we had some new plant growing in the front side yard, between the mulberry and the cherry. It was pretty and green, and other than a vague idea that I needed to figure out what it was, I didn’t think much of it at the time. Then I got that debilitating crick in my neck I mentioned and wasn’t doing much of anything, particularly gardening, so the pretty green plant grew and spread, looking quite lovely in the shade and filling in a bare patch in the ground cover that needed something anyway.
Then my neck got better and I went out to take a closer look. Leaves of three. Oh, crap. The leaves weren’t shiny, like I remember from summers in Kansas, but I knew. I came in and fired up the laptop just to check.
We’ve got poison ivy, a patch about 10′ x 15′ that bleeds into the pachysandra and the lilies of the valley (also poisonous, btw, but not in quite the same way). I scooted off to buy Tecnu and Marie’s Poison Oak Soap, and then hubby and I geared up for the attack. But the woody root is well buried in the pachysandra and intertwined with those of the mulberry, and it quickly became obvious we were never going to succeed that way. So hubby headed off to the armory (garden store) while I scrubbed the tools with Technu. (Here’s a great site with info on poison ivy, how to recognize it, and what to do about it.)
Thank goodness Steinarr and Marian (IMMORTAL OUTLAW) didn’t have to worry about poison ivy (imagine that scene under the tree at the collier’s camp if they discovered they’d been sitting in the wrong plant!), It’s not native to England, but unfortunately, modern English practitioners of love al fresco have to look before they lie. The plant is so beautiful in the autumn that some fool brought some in to enhance his garden. Somebody, presumably, immune (about 1 in 4 is, although that can change with continued exposure).
The bird that made us a gift of the seeds was likely a downy woodpecker, who loves the creamy white berries. I’ve seen way more woodpeckers in the neighborhood than usual this year, including one I think was a downy. But it could have been anything, because the only beasts NOT immune to poison ivy are primates — like us. So there you go.
Anyway, chemical warfare has been launched. Leaves are beginning to wilt (not to include the mulberry or cherry, we hope). We’ll still have to grub up the roots this fall while wearing exposure suits, but at least we’ll know they’re dead when we do. And then we’ll have to replant. Something pretty and green…and non-toxic.
We’ve avoided rashes so far, but I bet some of you haven’t. Care to share your itchy story? Got pix?
I’m chatting today at Romance in the Backseat — and I have company! Delilah Marvelle (LORD OF PLEASURE), Minnette Meador (THE CENTURION AND THE QUEEN) will be joining me, and Elisabeth Naughton may drop in as well.
Come join the fun, 4-8pm Eastern (1-5pm Pacific) at
http://www.romanceinthebackseat.com/chat.htm
See you there.
That’s the name of the fun site where I’m the featured paranormal author starting July 7. The forums are already open for a discussion about IMMORTAL OUTLAW and the Immortal Brotherhood in general, and Terry, the owner started things off with a heavy question about human mortality. Come check out my answer and add your own questions or comments by going to the RITBS Forums.
Then be sure to wander around the rest of the site. It’s called Romance in the Back Seat because Terry actually does interviews of authors in the back seat of a moving car — a clever idea, and one which I very much wanted to get in on. Unfortunately, her schedule and mine were in opposition when she was in this part of the country, so I missed out, but my friend Sheila Roberts (LOVE IN BLOOM) hopped in her backseat and chatted for a few minutes. And another buddy, Delilah Marvelle (MISTRESS OF PLEASURE and the upcoming LORD OF PLEASURE) managed to be so naughtily entertaining that she got two spots. Check out both ladies’ videos HERE.
See you in the Back Seat.
I just got a note from Nalini Singh that she’s giving away a copy of IMMORTAL OUTLAW
today as part of the countdown celebrations for the release of her latest, BRANDED BY FIRE (Psy-Changelings, Book 6)
And if you haven’t checked out Nalini’s Psy-Changeling books, you’re missing out on a real treat.
Sorry this is a bit late. I crunched my neck somehow and haven’t been able to sit at the computer for more than two minutes without screaming in pain.
However, I’m doing a bit better now, so with the able assistance of Random.org, I have selected the winner of the Bookspotter Contest (Time to go Lion Hunting) from those entered by June 20. And the winner of the goodie-stuffed tote bag is…//drumroll//…
Dawnlizabeth didn’t leave her email when she commented, so she needs to contact me (use the Contact form here on the website, please). CORRECTION — Oops. I did get her address, but my mail system had buried it. I have notified dawnlizabeth and am waiting for her reply. But the following still goes, so keep commenting with your sightings!
If for any reason, dawnlizabeth does not respond by July 15, I will select another winner, this time from ALL the commenters, including any new ones that are posted in the meantime. So go ahead, keep reporting where you’ve spotted Steinarr on the prowl, using the BOOKSPOTTER link in the sidebar. You just may be lucky enough to bag a lion after all.
UPDATE : Dawnlisabeth contacted me, so the contest is officially ended. However you can continueto post sightings or comments on Immortal Outlaw. In fact, I encourage it! – Lisa 7/9/09
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