Sherry’s Comments (group member since May 02, 2009)

Sherry’s comments from the Q & A with Sherry Thomas group.

that wench willaful wrote: "This is the first time I've heard, and I'm thrilled! Usually my rooting for a book is the kiss of death. ;-) Congratulations!"

I was a bit surprised too. Usually awards tend to have a bit of seniority built in. But boy, am I gald to have it for NQAH and am I glad to have it now. :-)

seton wrote: "Congratulations Sherry on your RITA win tonite for Not Quite a Husband! I flove that book!

Woohoo! "

Thank you, Seton. Wish I could see your happy dance. :-P

Kathy Anne,

I'm exactly the same. It's about the book as a whole, not about the locales or any other specific element.

Sachki,

A low down dirty pastor, sounds fun!

Urenna,

I think the ultimate standard a writer can have is how well s/he likes his/her own books. I think it's great that your book passed that test with flying colors.

Dear Emily,

Thank you so VERY MUCH! I'm so glad you liked NQAH. And thank you for mentioning it in your blog. That's totally cherry on the top.

All the best with your books!

LOL, Evangeline, better late than never.

I completely agree with you in that a lot of times, exotic locations seem just names, that they could be Egypt or South America or Greenland and it wouldn't make a whit of difference to the story. Wall-paper exotic locations, so to speak.

The of-its-time element is why I love Laura Kinsale's books so much. I never felt what it meant to be Victorian so vividly as when I read The Shadow and the Star, the starchiness, the propriety, the fact that no one ever called each other by their Christian names unless they'd grown up together.

(Ever since then, it has been one of my pet peeves in historicals for people to be overly familiar with each other, in the late 20th century/21st century manner.)

Liz,

You know what I love about being taken to an unusual place--actually anyplace--in fiction? The little details a skillful author puts in to make the place come alive.

For example, Judith Ivory's BEAST, set partially in Provence. I was an exchange student in Provence for a while, but in a different area, and I was entranced by the way she re-immersed me in Provence, from the familiar--the disdain for all things Parisian--to the stuff I didn't know about--tiny pieces of garlic sprinkled like sea salt.

In the end, whether it's the familiar regency London ballroom, or somewhere in the bowels of a South African goldmine, it's all about worldbuilding. Good worldbuilding makes a setting come alive. Mediocre worldbuilding gives wallpaper.

Dorothy,

Happy Hawt Man-loving to you. :-)

Kris,

LOL! Hope you enjoy everything--absolutely everything!--on your list.

Beverley,

I've gotta check out Ian MacKenzie. Have heard so much good stuff about it.

LOL, those chinese historical dramas! I grew up watching them too and am scared of the oldentimes!

And don't worry too much about the road trip. It's still a regular Sherry Thomas book. :-)

Let me quote a review at you:

"There are a few settings that I tend to avoid in my romance reading. Among those settings is the British/Indian setting. But with NOT QUITE A HUSBAND Sherry Thomas has made me make an exception once again. Her amazing descriptive talents made me feel like I was truly in India, taking in the scenery she described so vividly and lifelike. And I liked it! Her writing is powerful, filled with beautiful metaphors and descriptions. It's elaborate without compromising the pace or action and it's descriptive without taking away from the intensity of the emotions."

See, nothing to worry about. :-)

Kris,

I think it was Samuel Goldwyn who first said, "Give me the same thing...only different!" :-) We all want to repeat that last fabulous reading experience. But because we can't virgin-read that same book again, it has to be different, but same!

Louise,

My 2nd book, Delicious, is a Cinderella story. Says so in the first line of the book. And has a very prim and proper gentleman unraveling. :-)

Once I heard author Julie Ortolon speak and she gave the best answer as to why so many historical romances are set in Britain: because Britain is masculine, and makes a perfect backdrop for relationship-driven, i.e., more feminine stories. Though it doesn't explain why the Western is on life support.

Sheri,

I love stories where the location plays a character, like Provence did in Judith Ivory's BEAST. But I'm wary of novels where the exoticism of a locale is played up yet the story itself is the same ole same ole.

I think you will find North-West Frontier, where part of NOT QUITE A HUSBAND is set, a beautiful and interesting place--if dangerous. I'd done a lot of research and had a lot more info I wanted to put in the book, but in the end, story must come first and infodumpery is always an absolute no-no. :-)

Lorelie,

I totally think you've hit on something here. The re-emergence of the Regency as examplified by Jane Austen's and Georgette Heyer's books probably speak of a large nostalgia in our collective psyche. The real time period was beset by war and uncertainty, but the fictionalized rendition of it is full of gorgeous, unspoiled countryside and refinement in clothes and deportment, with none of the soot and complication of the Industrial Age.

Beverley,

Well said.

And you now what other mundane things I don't want to read about in a romance? When couples are just plain annoyed with each other! Annoyance is just such not a turn-on, lol.

I'm not an Anglophile, but I think I certainly understand the allure of Britain, especially that of the British Empire.

Beverley,

I'm with you in the sense that I want my romance to be all about the romance--which is why I very rarely read romantic suspense.

In NOT QUITE A HUSBAND you will find the romance is front and center, all the time. :-)

Lorelie,

Do you think it's just the general familiarity? Because Jane Austen has been so popular in recent years and the period is sort of familiar even to people who don't do historical romance/fiction? And let's face it, it is a great period in a way, lovely clothes, relative freedom for women, so on and so forth. Not to mention the great Regency hero in Mr. Darcy. (I know strictly speaking, Austen is pre-Regency, but the period referred to as the Regency usually go from very late 1700s to Victoria's ascent to the throne.)

I've always been curious about this subject. I'm personally neutral on when or where a book is set--I read more by the author.

But so called "exotic locations"--basically anywhere that is not Great Britain these days as far as historical romances are concerned, are said not to sell.

Since part of my upcoming release takes place in India, I am more interested in the subject of unusual locations than, well, usual. :-)

Do you have preferred locations for your books to be set in? Are you more likely to pick up a book if it's a familiar setting? Or are you adventurous?

Hi, everyone. So glad you are here. Are you having a good day, week, year reading? Let me know.