Hottie Monday, Darcy Edition

Happy Monday, everyone! I'm feeling in an Austen-ish mood today, so here is a selection of Mr. Darcys (mostly '95 and '05, but a few others--Olivier, Bride and Prejudice, and the guy from Lost in Austen). Who is your favorite Darcy???

Heroine of the Weekend

Since last weekend I was still totally wiped out by the NY trip, I dropped the ball on Heroine of the Weekend! Sorry about that. We'll continue exploring the fascinating Tudor women this week with Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland.

Margaret, the elder of the 2 surviving daughters of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, was born November 28, 1489 and baptised two days later in St. Margaret's Church, Westminster. Even before her 6th birthday, her father started negotiating a marriage between her and King James of Scotland (he hoped to head off Scottish support of Perkin Warbeck, the latest Yorkist pretender to the English throne). In January 1502 England and Scotland concluded the Treaty of Perpetual Peace along with a marriage contract, which was then completed with a proxy wedding. (It's been said her younger brother Prince Henry, Duke of York, then pitched a fit because his queenly sister now outranked him at Court!) In 1503, she made her way in a grand procession northward, where she was married again on August 8 at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh. The marriage was said to be harmonious enough, and they had 6 children, though only one, the future James V, lived beyond infancy.

But the 1502 treaty was hardly "perpetual" (they never were), and as soon as Henry VII died in 1509 his succesosor, Henry VIII, had no time for his father's cautious diplomacy and penny-pinching ways. He was soon headed towards war with Scotland's ally France. In 1513, King James fought for France, honoring that Auld Alliance, and died at the Battle of Flodden. Margaret, who had opposed the war, was named Regent for her infant son the new king. A woman was never much welcome in positions of power, and Margaret was the sister of the enemy in addition. A pro-French party soon formed among the discontented nobility, saying she should be replaced by John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany, 3rd in line to the throne behind Margaret's two sons (and born and raised in France). But by July 1514 Margaret had managed to pacify the battling parties, and Scotland (and France) concluded peace with England. But then she took a fatal step.

In seeking allies, she had turned to the House of Douglas, and found herself especially drawn to Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, whom even his uncle called "a young witless fool." The two were secretly married at the church of Kinnoull, near Perth, on August 6. This alienated the other noble houses, and strengthened the pro-French faction. By September, the Privy Council ruled she had forfeited her right to the supervision of her sons, and she ran off with her children to Stirling Castle. This didn't stop her enemies, though; in May 1515 Albany arrived from France to take over custody of the children as Regent. Margaret, initially defiant, finally surrendered at Stirling in August, and, expecting another baby, retired to Edinburgh. Eventually she escaped to the English border, and went to Harbottle Castle to give birth to a daughter, Lady Margaret Douglas (who became Countess of Lennox and mother of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, cousin and husband to Mary Queen of Scots). She also finally started to get the measure of Angus, who had returned to Scotland to look after his own interests and make peace with Albany.

Margaret was well-received by her brother, and installed at Scotland Yard, the ancient palace of the Scottish kings. But in 1517, after having spent only a year in England, she returned north after a treaty of reconciliation negotiated between Albany, Henry, and Cardinal Wolsey. She was temporarily reconciled with her husband as well, but that was not for long. She discovered that while she was gone Angus was shacked up with his old lover Lady Jane Stewart, and living on Margaret's money while he was doing it. She wrote to her brother, hinting at divorce plans: "I am so minded that, an I may by law of God and to my honor, to part with him, for I wit well he loves me not, as he shows me daily."

Henry, then a staunch Catholic, was opposed to divorce (ha!!!). Also he found Angus a useful ally against Albany and the pro-French faction. Angered by his unsupportive attitude, Margaret drew closer to the Albany faction, calling for his return from France. (Albany, wisely not wanting to get into the middle of this mess, suggested she become Regent again herself). Albany finally came back to Scotland in November 1521, and soon rumors were flying he and Margaret were more than political allies. Angus went in exile as the Regent and Queen Dowager set about restoring order to a country torn by 3 years of bitter factional fighting. Albany was also useful to Margaret in other ways, as he used his influence in Rome to facilitate her divorce.

But their alliance was short-lived. In 1524, Margaret staged a coup removing the Regent (who was once again in France, lucky man) and bringing her son James to Edinburgh to be declared fully King in his own right (but he was only 12, and very much under his mother's influence). In November Margaret was formally recognized as chief counselor to the King. Having more time on her hands, she now formed a new attachment to Henry Stewart, younger brother of Lord Avondale. Henry was promoted to high office, angering powerful nobles who promptly joined forces with her estranged husband. Angus arrived in Edinburgh with a large force of armed men, claiming his right to attend Parliament, and Margaret ordered cannons fired on him from both the Castle and Holyrood House. When 2 English ambassadors suggested that maybe she shouldn't fire on her lawful husband, she told them to "go home and not meddle with Scottish matters." But under pressure, she finally admitted him to the council of regency in February 1525. He took custody of James, refusing to give him up, and exercised power on his behalf for 3 years (which left young James with an abiding hatred of both the Douglases and the English).

By this time Margaret was obsessed with getting her divorce, and in March 1527 the Pope finally granted her petition. She quickly married Henry Stewart, ignorning her brother's hypocritical warnings that marriage was "divinely ordained." In June 1528 her son broke away from Angus and began truly ruling in his own right. Margaret benefited from this change greatly, she and her husband becoming two of his most trusted advisors. James created Stewart Lord Methven "for the great love he bore to my dearest mother." Margaret's main political goal now was to ensure understanding between England and Scotland, but by 1536 she confessed "I am weary of Scotland."

Weary of her husband, too, who was even worse than Angus in his desire for other women and his wife's money. Their only child had died in infancy, and she was thwarted in her quest for another divorce. Eventually husband and wife reconciled, and in June 1538 she welcomed her son's new wife Marie of Guise from France, and the two strong women proved fast friends. An ambassador reported to King Henry, "the young queen was all papist, and the old queen not much less."

After this tumultuous life, Margaret died of a stroke at Methven Castle on October 18, 1541 and was buried at the Carthusian Priory of St. John in Perth (which was destroyd in 1559). Her son died in 1542, leaving the newborn Mary as his successor.

A few good sources on Margaret's life are:
Alison Plowden's Tudor Women
Hester W. Chapman's The Thistle and the Rose: The Sisters of Henry VIII
Maria Perry's The Sisters of Henry VIII
Sharon L. Jansen's The Monstrous Regiment of Women: Female Rulers in Early Modern Europe

Fab auction

Check out this auction of movie costumes and props! There are some great things here, including beautiful gowns from Elizabeth R. Wish I could bid!!!

Tuesday at Riskies

Over at the Riskies today, talking more about the NYC trip!

Busy Sunday

Today I am diving into the "finishing touches" edits of Countess of Scandal, hoping to be done by tomorrow. So I'm playing the Marie Antoinette soundtrack very loudly to help me along (sorry, neighbors! I know you must be totally sick of hearing "Aphrodisiac" and "I Want Candy"...)

What music gets you inspired when you would really rather watch TV or go to Target than write???

Dream House

Many thanks to Megan Frampton for sending me the link to this house! I think my own abode needs some renovations now...

My BEA in Linkage

So, I am now back from my New York adventures and totally exhausted! I'm facing piles of dirty laundry, new books for the TBR pile, and lots of deadlines, but I had the most fabulous time. Signing The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor at BEA with Diane Gaston, shopping, museum-going, reading at the wonderful Lady Jane's Salon, meeting my agent and my Grand Central editor Alex Logan (who did a fab cover presentation at Lady Jane's!), seeing friends (hi Kwana, Megan, and Andrea!!), going to the Harlequin cover art exhibit...sigh. It was wonderful. Here are a few interesting links...

The Harlequin cover art exhibit

Rob at RT's post and pics

Kwana at Kwana Writes (Crush It! is my new motto)

Romance Novel TV

Barbara Vey's blog at Publishers Weekly

Megan Frampton's Blog

Heroine of the Weekend

To kick off our Tudor Heroines of the Weekend posts, we'll start with one of Henry VIII's troublesome sisters--Mary Tudor Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk, Dowager Queen of France.

Mary was born March 18, 1496, the fifth child of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, and the youngest to survive infancy. She was renowned as one of the most beautiful princesses in Europe, described by the Venetian ambassador as "a Paradise," and she was betrothed in 1507 to Charles of Castile (later Holy Roman Emperor), but the wedding never took place. Instead, a treaty with France was signed in 1514, and Mary was its pawn. At age 18 she married the 53-year-old Louis XII (two of the girls in her train were Mary and Anne Boleyn. Despite 2 previous marriages, Louis had no sons to succeed him, and hoped to produce one on the Tudor beauty--but he died barely 3 months after their marriage (rumored to be done in by the strenuous exertions in the bedchamber). Mary again became a marriage pawn, both for her brother and the new French king.

But Mary had plans of her own. At the time of her marriage to King Louis, she was in love with her brother's handsome, dashing, athletic young friend Charles Brandon. She had made Henry promise her that if she wed the French king now, she could choose her own marriage later--not the he intended to keep this promise, of course. Brandon was sent to fetch her back to England after her period of mourning was over, and she persuaded him to marry secretly on March 3, 1515 before they left France. Henry was outraged, and the Privy Council urged that Brandon be executed, or at least imprisoned (marrying a royal princess without the King's consent was treason). But Mary was his favorite sister, and she managed to cajole him into forgiving her and her new husband. They were officially married at Greenwich on May 13.

Mary seemed content with her handsome husband, and spent most of her time at their home of Westhorpe Hall in Suffolk (she was known as "the French Queen" for the rest of her life). Relations between herself and her brother were not so cordial when she opposed his efforts to end his marriage to Katherine of Aragon.

She died on June 25, 1533 and was first buried at the abbey of Bury St. Edmonds. When the abbey was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, she was moved to St. Mary's Church--and her husband went on to marry their son's fiancee (and their ward), 14-year-old heiress Catherine Willoughby. Mary had 3 children with Brandon, Henry, 1st Earl of Lincoln; Lady Frances Brandon (the mother of Lady Jane Grey), and Lady Eleanor Brandon.

A few good sources on Mary's life include WC Richardson's Mary Tudor: The White Queen; Maria Perry, The Sisters of Henry VIII: The Tumultuous Lives of Margaret of Scotland and Mary of France; Alison Plowden's Lady Jane Grey and the House of Suffolk.

Hottie Monday, Elizabethan Edition

I've been doing research lately for an Elizabethan theater story for Harlequin, and of course that involves watching lots of movies set in the period! :) Thought I would share some of the work...

Happy Memorial Day

I was just thinking about my grandfather today--Lowell McCabe, who served in World War II. I miss you, Granddad!

Heroine of the Weekend

Last week on Risky Regencies, I wrote about the anniversary of the death of Anne Boleyn, one of my biggest "historical heroines." It seems appropriate to feature her this week, Memorial Day Weekend! And in honor of all the Henry VIII anniversary activities going on in England this year, I'll spend a few weeks featuring Tudor women (there are so many fascinating Tudor women!). next week, Mary Tudor Brandon, Queen of France...

Have a great weekend, everyone! Who are you thinking about this Memorial Day?

When Photoshop gets outta control

I came across this feature on the formerly Project Rungay blog (which is fabulous blog, BTW, and I visit at least twice a day in hopes they will have all new fashion goodness waiting for me I especially love a Shelli O post!). But along with the good must come the bad, or, even better, the insane. Witness this fashion spread of "Brook Sheilds Cougar" in some Australian magazine.

First of all, Photoshop craziness! Does that even look like her in any way? I totally understand the desire to change one's image, branch out, try new things, go a little cray, but it should be a new thing you are kinda sorta comfortable with and find to be fun. She looks tense and nauseated in almost all these pics. A+ for effort though, especially the ass grabbing pic. (And where can I get those stockings??? And a whip!)

Another Great Exhibit

If I was in Australia I would definitely go to this exhibit! Persuasion: Fashion in the Age of Jane Austen at the National Gallery of Victoria. It looks gorgeous.

Wuthering Heights--???

Is this some kind of a joke?

Ed Westwick to star in Wuthering Heights movie

I mean, yes, I love and adore Gossip Girl, and without Chuck ad Blair that show would be nothing, but --Heathcliff?

OTOH, I bet Gemma Arterton will make a good Cathy, she was terrific in the new Tess of the Durbervilles. And I'm not sure who I would cast as Heathcliff instead. You know I'll go see it. But--Chuck Bass? Hmmm.

Hottie Monday--DWTS Finale Edition

In honor of tonight's Dancing With the Stars finale, a Hottie Monday collection of current/past "stars" and pro dancers. Enjoy!

(Who are you betting on to take the mirror ball trophy tonight? I like all the final 3, and would have no quarrel with any of them winning, but I am sort of cheering for Melissa. That would just be a great ending to her crazy reality show odyssey...)

Heroine of the Weekend

To go along with Hottie Monday (and show that I am not just shallow and giggly!!) I'm starting a Heroine of the Weekend feature to spotlight fascinating women in history. First up: Madame de Pompadour (1721--1764)--royal mistress, but also intellectual, politician, fashionista, and great patron of the arts...

Get Well Soon, Miss Wee!

Hello Kitty hopes you're feeling better very, very soon!

At Word Wenches Today

Today is the last stop on the Diamonds of Welbourne Manor blog tour! Visit Word Wenches for one last chance to win a copy...

Bag Crush

I totally love this pink bag from J. Crew! The color, the bow--perfect. Sadly, I read it is sold out. :(

18th Century Hats

Because I've been obsessed with hats lately...

Blog Visit Sunday

I'm at the Scandalous Women blog today! Come visit for a chance to win a copy of The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor, or, y'know, just to say hi...

You can also read more about the heroes of Welbourne Manor at eharlequin's "My Favorite Hero" blog. And on May 15, Diane, Deb, and I will be at Word Wenches. Don't miss it!!!

Mother's Day Weekend!

Happy Mother's Day Weekend, to my mom (I'm so lucky to have you for my mother!) and all the moms I know. Eat chocolate, go to the spa, watch movies, do whatever makes you happy....

Beach Wednesday

It's been gray and rainy and soggy here for what feels like a month! So, here is my fantasy vacation for the day...

Riskies Tuesday

Over at Risky Regencies today (and at Romance Bandits!)--two chances to win copies of Diamonds of Welbourne Manor!