Loretta Chase Chronicle 1.4
Winter Edition

WORK IN PROGRESS
It Could Be Worse
Last time, you remember, my characters staged a protest, forcing me to revise the book. Actually, it’s turned out to be an extensive rewrite, because yes, they weren’t merely whining. The book needed work.
The good news is, the rewrite is near the halfway point. Meanwhile, my thanks to all who sent e-mails and notes of encouragement and support. May the writing gods allow me to reward your patience and understanding with a ripping good story.

IN OTHER NEWS
Reruns
In the last issue, readers were asked which of my books they’d wish returned to print first. The majority of votes went to THE LION’S DAUGHTER. Consequently I have been filling out forms in my non-existent spare time. As soon as I can put my hands on the right cover image, we will be ready to set the machinery in motion.
If all goes well with this reprint, we will turn our attention to the Regencies, where it makes sense to me to simply start with the first book and continue chronologically. And speaking of chronology...

Who’s On First? Several readers have pointed out that a character who is dead in my second historical, CAPTIVES OF THE NIGHT, is very much alive in the third and fourth, LORD OF SCOUNDRELS and THE LAST HELLION. Since none of these books involve vampires or any other undead being, apart from the occasional misplaced modifier, these readers have wondered whether (a) I have a tragically faulty memory, (b) I can’t count, or (c) they have read the books in the wrong order.
The answers are (a) yes, (b) yes, and (c) that depends. My mind is not linear. This is one reason it takes me so long to complete a book. I do not always ask myself, “What happens next?” Often I wonder, “What happened before?”

Anyway, here’s the story chronology (excluding prologues):
THE LION’S DAUGHTER autumn 1818
LORD OF SCOUNDRELS March-April 1828
“THE MAD EARL’S BRIDE,” starts in early May 1828
THE LAST HELLION autumn 1828
CAPTIVES OF THE NIGHT starts March 1828 (Ch1) then jumps to January 1829 several pages into Ch 2. Events overlap. Ismal is in Paris when Dain is there, but Ismal remains in Paris after the Beaumonts and Lord Dain and Jessica have left for England. I brought Ismal into LOS to give readers an idea of what he had been up to during the period from spring 1828 until January 1829, when Leila Beaumont sees him again. Now, the troubled reader may ask, “What is the correct order for reading the books?”
I suggest you try it first in the order in which they were written, then in the story order. This will give you something to do during the long dreary months (decades?) until the new book gets out into the real world.

That’s No Lady As a service to readers, I shall attempt, on an unsystematic and irregular basis, to translate the jargon encountered in Regencies and Regency-era historicals.
Today, boys and girls, we’ll talk about lords and ladies...but not very much.
One undertakes a discussion of the British Peerage only with the quaking heart and a large bottle of aspirin. The One in question will certainly not be me, as the complexity of the topic far surpasses that of, for instance, the amusing instructions the U.S. Internal Revenue Service provides for completing annual tax returns.
In case you think I am exaggerating the difficulties, here is a quote from WHITAKER’S PEERAGE, BARONETAGE, KNIGHTAGE, AND COMPANIONAGE FOR THE YEAR 1936 CONTAINING A LIST OF THE ROYAL FAMILY THE PEERAGE WITH TITLED ISSUE DOWAGER LADIES BARONETS, KNIGHTS AND DAMES PRIVY COUNCILLORS HOME AND COLONIAL BISHOPS A COMPREHENSIVE INTRODUCTION AND A COMPLETE COMPANIONAGE

“The rules which govern the arrangements of the Peerage are marked by so many complications that even an expert may occasionally be perplexed.”
Please be assured that I have studied a great many works dealing with the aristocracy, from the etiquette involved in speaking, writing, or referring to them to the various privileges and responsibilities peculiar to their class. Nonetheless, upon publication of each of my books I have experienced a gnawing certainty of having committed, all unwitting, atrocities beyond counting. I do believe that if so lofty a personage as the Lord Chamberlain were to read my books, he would laugh himself sick--in the event he did not go off in an apoplexy. In another section of Whitaker’s, for instance, one encounters this: “such forms as ‘Viscount James Cranborne’ are simply outrageous monstrosities.” Now does he mean outrageous as in hysterically funny or “off with their heads”?
In the course of writing my Regency-era works I always heard, from some gloomy corner of my mind, a voice with a British accent (perhaps it’s John Cleese) saying, “stupid Yank git.”

Lengthy disclaimer over, here is what I have to say about the Peerage.
In descending order the grades of the peerage are:
Duke,
Marquis (or Marquess),
Earl,
Viscount,
Baron.
Thus the Duke of Ainswood is of higher rank than the Marquess of Dain.
Viscount is pronounced VI (rhymes with pie; the s is silent)-COUNT, with accent on the first syllable.
A peer has a family name, (e.g., Ballister) and at least one title (e.g, Marquess of Dain), but often, especially in the higher ranks, several titles. In some cases, a title and a family name will be the same.
I will not discuss the proper way to address these personages, as it can only lead to hospitalization. If you are desperate to know, you may consult any of numerous books devoted to the subject. Debrett’s Correct Form is the best-known. I have used Debrett’s, Black’s, and the Whitaker’s mentioned above. Regency author Emily Hendrickson has compiled a wonderful resource dealing with Regency matters, THE REGENCY REFERENCE BOOK, which I only recently discovered, and wish I had owned when I wrote my books, as it would have spared me ever so much work.

THE BACKLIST
[H = hardcover P = paperback]

ISABELLA
Walker & Company (H) 10/87 ISBN 0-8027-0975-3
Avon Regency (P) 2/89 ISBN 0-380-70597-4

THE ENGLISH WITCH
Walker & Company (H) 7/88 ISBN 0-8027-1027-1
Avon Regency (P) 8/89 ISBN 0-380-70660-1

VISCOUNT VAGABOND
Walker & Company (H) 12/88 ISBN 0-8027-1046-8
Avon Regency (P) 2/90 ISBN 0-380-70836-1

THE DEVIL’S DELILAH
Walker & Company (H) 6/89 ISBN 0-8027-1058-1
Fawcett Regency (P) 7/90 ISBN 0-449-21894-5

KNAVES’ WAGER
Walker & Company (H) 5/90 ISBN 0-8027-1114-6
Avon Regency (P) 8/91 ISBN 0-380-71363-2

THE SANDALWOOD PRINCESS
Walker & Company (H) 12/90 ISBN 0-8027-1128-6
Avon Regency (P) 11/91 ISBN 0-380-71455-8

THE LION’S DAUGHTER
Avon Historical Romance (P)10/92 ISBN 0-380-76647-7

“FALLING STARS,”
short story in A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
Avon (P) 11/92 ISBN 0-380-76833-X
also in A CHRISTMAS PRESENT
Avon (P) 9/94 ISBN 0-380-97240-9

CAPTIVES OF THE NIGHT
Avon Historical Romance (P) 2/94 ISBN 0-380-76648-5
Five Star Romance (H) 2000 ISBN 0-7862-2368-5

LORD OF SCOUNDRELS
Avon Historical Romance (P) 1/95 ISBN 0-380-77616-2
Five Star Romance (H) 11/99 ISBN 0-7862-2252-2

“THE MAD EARL’S BRIDE,” novella in
THREE WEDDINGS AND A KISS
Avon Historical Romance 9/95 ISBN 0-380-78122-0

THE LAST HELLION
Avon Historical Romance (P) 4/98 ISBN 0-380-77617-0
Five Star Romance (H) 8/99 ISBN 0-7862-1989-0


AND HOW TO FIND IT
We cannot say how much longer the last three stories will be available. If your local bookseller cannot or will not order LORD OF SCOUNDRELS, THE LAST HELLION, or THREE WEDDINGS AND A KISS, you can try calling Harper Collins’s order department at 1-800-331-3761. If you’re told the book is out of stock, ask when it will be back in stock. If you do not receive a clear answer, please write or e-mail me.
Two books in the author’s limited stock have entered the rare species category. Only a few dozen of these unused copies remain, and prices have risen accordingly.
KNAVES’ WAGER $30.
THE SANDALWOOD PRINCESS $30.
A smaller increase has been applied to the second historical, which, having been printed in larger quantities than the Regencies, is not quite such a rarity.
CAPTIVES OF THE NIGHT $15
All prices include shipping and handling. New prices apply to orders postmarked after 31 January 2001.
No more than six books can be shipped at a time.
Each copy will be signed with the author’s name only unless you request it be inscribed “To ______________.”
Please send your request and check or money order (payable to Loretta Chase) to the PO address given below.
Note 1: A very limited number of copies of LORD OF SCOUNDRELS are available for purchase by readers with addresses outside North America, who have been unable to obtain the book through other sources. Kindly write or e-mail me for details.
Note 2: KW, TSP, and COTN can also be shipped abroad for an additional $5 per order.
Note 3: Please allow a minimum of three weeks for your order to be filled. Writing books is a full-time job, and this is a very small organization. We haven’t the staff and resources that retailers have.

MAKING CONTACT Thanks to the loyal and talented Ms. Foisey, information is available electronically.
the Loretta Chase home page: www.theLChp.com
e-mail: lorettachase@yahoo.com
Or, there’s always mail with a stamp:
LORETTA CHASE
BOX 3063
FAYVILLE MA 01745-3063

We’re especially grateful to those who enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for the reply.