Fannish bits
May. 2nd, 2016 06:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thisbluespirit1. It is nearly time for the Obscure & British Commentfest! I was in two minds whether to run it or not this year - up until a few weeks ago, ever since when I've been basically hopping up and down going "Is it time yet? IS IT NOW?" Well, next weekend and onwards, it will be. The May online b'day party for those who love obscure and British fandoms. (For a given meaning of obscure; please let's not go into that again...)
\o/ Any fandoms I should make banners of that I haven't already done?
2. I made a thing: an Unconventional Courtship Generator Tumblr. It seemed like disposing of the masses of cracky summaries I've generated via Tumblr was one of the things it might be useful for. We shall see! (Probably not. Is Tumblr useful for anything in the end, except that lonely in a crowd feeling? /cynical yet hopeful)
3. Sorry about the meme ficlets I owe. For some reason, when Victoria Wood died, it really knocked me off my stride. I don't know why. Hopefully this week! (Please send a note to other celebrities not to die and inconvenience my fannish pursuits).
... nearly the commentfest. *nods*
ETA: Also am reading more terrible Regency Romances. Latest heroines were called Roslyn and Lindsey. Lindsey has a sister called Blythe. /o\
\o/ Any fandoms I should make banners of that I haven't already done?
2. I made a thing: an Unconventional Courtship Generator Tumblr. It seemed like disposing of the masses of cracky summaries I've generated via Tumblr was one of the things it might be useful for. We shall see! (Probably not. Is Tumblr useful for anything in the end, except that lonely in a crowd feeling? /cynical yet hopeful)
3. Sorry about the meme ficlets I owe. For some reason, when Victoria Wood died, it really knocked me off my stride. I don't know why. Hopefully this week! (Please send a note to other celebrities not to die and inconvenience my fannish pursuits).
... nearly the commentfest. *nods*
ETA: Also am reading more terrible Regency Romances. Latest heroines were called Roslyn and Lindsey. Lindsey has a sister called Blythe. /o\
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Date: 2016-05-02 09:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-03 04:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-10 12:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-10 06:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-10 07:32 pm (UTC)by Sydney Croft
Haley Holmes has been dispatched to the Louisiana bayous to investigate the phenomen known as Remy Begnaud - a man with a gift he never wanted: the ability to control a storm's fury. But even a woman trained in bizarre weather phenomena has no defence against the electrifying power of the ex-Navy SEAL... a power his enemies would kill to control.
With her agency monitoring their every move, Haley's job is to seduce Remy, gain his trust - and help him harness his extraordinary gift. But who will protect her from this voracious lover who's introducing her to a new world of erotic thrills, a man who grows increasingly insatiable with each new weather event?
THE WEDDING TRAP
Tracy Anne Warren
Eliza Hammond has always been quiet and reserved - hardly the best qualities for finding the man of her dreams and living happily ever after. A new heiress, Eliza is financially secure, courtesy of her aunt's fortune, but even great wealth has its drawbacks: every greedy, fortune-hunting bachelor suddenly finds Eliza irresistable.
To help her best friend, Violet takes Eliza's romantic dilemma into her own hands, enlisting the social skills of her brother-in-law, Lord Christopher "Kit" Winter. Kit helps transform Eliza into a stunning belle, certain to attract a worthy beau. There's just one problem: Eliza has always been head over heels in love with Kit, the very man who is trying to find her a husband!
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Date: 2016-05-10 08:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-10 08:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-10 07:38 pm (UTC)by Julia Justiss
Despite being imprisoned as a child by her spiteful father, Helena Lambeth journeys to London to enter society - and becomes a reluctant houseguest of the dashing Lord Darnell.
Saddled with his father's debts, Adam, Lord Darnell, must win the hand of wealthy Priscilla Standish. If only she weren't so ordinary compared to the unconventional Helena - who has transformed into a bewitching young woman...
THE QUEEN'S LADY
by Shannon Drake
By trying to help the reckless, defiant Mary Queen of Scots take her rightful place on the throne, Lady Gwenyth Macleod is at perilous odds with Rowan Graham, a laird accomplished in both passion and affairs of state.
The more Gwenyth challenges his intentions, the less he can resist the desire igniting between them. But will Gwenyth's last daring gamble lead her to the ultimate betrayal - or a destiny greater than she could ever imagine?
(That one gets some kind of special award for a Scottish heroine with a Welsh name.)
(There are some more, but I'll do them later!)
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Date: 2016-05-10 08:08 pm (UTC)(logically, should the female form of 'laird' be 'lairdette'?)
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Date: 2016-05-10 08:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-10 08:54 pm (UTC)by Olivia Drake
A devil in disguise...
When wealthy heiress Miss Lindsey Crompton sneaks into the house of the Earl of Mansfield - a known cad and wicked scoundrel - she simply wants to investigate his involvement in some recent murders. But when Mansfield catches her, he blackmails her into a betrothal
Or the man of her dreams?
However, underneath his wicked exterior, the Earl has a secret - he is tracking a killer who may be one of Miss Crompton's suitors.
FROM GOVERNESS TO SOCIETY BRIDE
by Helen Dickson
The Lord's convenient wife
Lord Lucas Stainton is in need of a governess. The man is ruthless, rude beyond belief, and Eve Brody wishes him to the devil... but the position is hers if she'll accept.
As sparks fly between her and the magnificient man of the house, Eve learns, shockingly, the dark-hearted Lord is carrying the weight of ruin on his broad shoulders. Desperately craving the security she's never had, Eve offers a proposal - in return for her secret fortune, she asks only that he take her hand in marriage...
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Date: 2016-05-10 09:49 pm (UTC)And here's the other one.
Molly fall for someone who's ruthless and rude? Nah, can't see that ever happening.
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Date: 2016-05-10 09:03 pm (UTC)by Isabelle Goddard
Domino de Silva appears quite the most innocent of girls: young, beautiful and pure. Her sparkling merriment charms all who meet her. But all is not what it seems, and a summer spent in Brighton promises every delectable temptation.
Mr Joshua Marchmain is reputed to be society's most scandalous rake: tall and wickedly handsome, with a dangerous allure that can disgrace even the most decent of ladies...
An overwhelming force draws Joshua and Domino together - but there are those in society who would stop at nothing to keep them apart...
MISS WINBOLT AND THE FORTUNE HUNTER
by Sylvia Andrew
When respected spinster Miss Emily Winbolt jeopardises her reputation by tumbling into a stranger's arms, her rescuer is none other than distinguished Sir William Ashenden. He needs to marry - but Emily longs to believe he wants her not for her fortune but for herself...
CAPTAIN FAWLEY'S INNOCENT BRIDGE
by Annie Burrows
Battle-scarred Captain Robert Fawley knew no woman would marry him - except perhaps Miss Deborah Gillies, a woman so unfortunate that a convenient marriage was ideal. Accepting his pragmatic proposal, Deborah is halfway to falling in love with him...
(And that's it, at least for the moment!)
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Date: 2016-05-10 10:00 pm (UTC)Which is easier to imagine: An innocent Turlough, or a tall Martha?
Baaaaah! OK, I think the brain bleach may be necessary.
That seems to be oddly canonical and yet so very much not.
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Date: 2016-05-11 12:56 pm (UTC)I've found three more, but that really is it for the time being at least:
THE MISTRESS OF HANOVER SQUARE
by Anne Herries
Forever generous, matchmaker Amelia Royston despairs of ever being swept off her feet herself! Then the charismatic Earl of Ravenshead returns to tip her world upside down. He finally declares his intention to marry her - but does he only want a convenient bride?
THE ACCIDENTAL COUNTESS
by Michelle Willingham
Stephen Chesterfield, Earl of Whitmore, awakes to find a beauty berating him - but he cannot recall the last three months of his life, or having a wife! Emily is clearly the most unsuitable countess, but he cannot stop himself falling for her all over again...
ROGUE'S WIDOW, GENTLEMAN'S WIFE
by Helen Dickson
Amanda O'Connell is in a scrape. If she doesn't find a husband while she is in America, her father will marry her off against her will. Then Christopher Claybourne - a dark, mysterious rogue sentenced to death for murder - inspires a plan. She'll marry him secretly and return home a widow. But sometimes even the best laid plans fall apart...
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Date: 2016-05-11 06:34 pm (UTC)Well, that's one War Games fixit I've never written.Given Big Finish's The Memory Cheats arc, this could be canon as far as Zoë's half of the plot is concerned.
(Looking over the earlier prompts, I noticed Lord Darnell. In B7 or Kaldor City, there's obviously a terrible temptation to let that slip by one letter...)
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Date: 2016-05-11 07:29 pm (UTC)Is Carnell on the generator or just in my B7 minor characters version?
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Date: 2016-05-11 07:39 pm (UTC)Carnell's not in my preloaded list, so he'll be exclusive to yours.
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Date: 2016-05-11 07:47 pm (UTC)(Although, of course, sorry, I wouldn't want to distract you from your true mission in life of writing Austen AUs.)
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Date: 2016-05-02 06:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-02 08:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-02 08:17 pm (UTC)(I tried that with page 45, and got some nice ship underneaths, which must have a proper name that Jack Aubrey would be mad at me for not knowing! Actually, page 47 has the classic painted-ship-upon-a-painted-ocean, as well as some nice sailing ones.)
I don't know where I've put all my pictures of Trincomalee's masts, although I took plenty!
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Date: 2016-05-04 04:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-02 06:45 pm (UTC)*HUGS*
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Date: 2016-05-02 07:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-02 06:50 pm (UTC)I'm probably the only person who cares about Takin' Over the Asylum in this context, aren't I? lol.
I made a thing: an Unconventional Courtship Generator Tumblr.
A sample from that - Inheriting half of his late wife’s company means Dave Lister is now Holly’s business partner – to their mutal dismay!
Working together, they are forced to confront their growing attraction. Then Dave discovers that Holly promised his late wife she’d take care of him.
Oookay then. Now I'm wondering who this "late" wife would be. We better not be talking about Hilly, here, lol. And how did this person die, anyway? Maybe I am being too narrow-minded to assume it would be another computer in the first place...
(And as you commented, I would probably read this anyway, heh.)
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Date: 2016-05-02 07:56 pm (UTC)And, aha, knowing red Dwarf and Lister's history, Lister's late wife was probably Lister. (Or is he technically sort of married to that gelf?)
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Date: 2016-05-02 08:08 pm (UTC)And yeah, I think he's still married to Achehchchachhahhehehk. Or however you want to spell "a footballer clearing his nose." :)
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Date: 2016-05-02 08:51 pm (UTC)As infrequently as possible?
(And, ahh, I hadn't read it that way round. Sometimes it's not always clear once they go through the summary.)
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Date: 2016-05-02 08:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-02 08:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-02 10:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-03 08:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-02 10:02 pm (UTC)Lindsey, Roslyn and Blythe. There are no words for this.
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Date: 2016-05-03 08:46 am (UTC)Lindsey, Roslyn and Blythe. There are no words for this.
The authors clearly have done some research, but apparently the concept of naming patterns being specific to a time and place is something that many US authors have serious difficulty with. (C.F. also inappropriate use of totally British swearing, regardless of period).
See also Edith, Daisy, Lily, Victoria, Carolyn, Jocelyn... /o\ (I mean, some of those are possible, but def. unwise.)
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Date: 2016-05-03 02:14 pm (UTC)Tumblr has improved 100%:) The generator was being sensible realising Steed was a spy.
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Date: 2016-05-03 04:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-03 10:41 pm (UTC)Also, the Hamlet Detective Agency AU is my new favorite AU. <3
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Date: 2016-05-04 08:18 am (UTC)And, aha, I haven't really read that many of them. As far as I can see, pick up a 250+ plenty-of-sex brand US one and you'll be golden. You can't fail. There will be pages of sex you'll have to skip over (well, I wind up skipping over it because it was fine the first time - as long as it was - but by the sixth time I'd like to get back to what's laughingly described as the plot) and anachronistic names and people may or may not be wearing underwear. (Even if they are wearing underwear, US authors can't seem to bear using the 18th C/Regency shift and stays and have to go for Victorian chemise and corsets.) With bonus random 'totally British' swearing without thought for whether or not swear words that Americans think ordinary British people use a lot in the 21st C are at all likely or appropriate for 18th/19th C nobility. Interspersed with actual slang (or made up slang) they picked up from Georgette Heyer or possibly even Jane Austen, if they're dedicated. Indeed, the plot may well also be borrowed from Georgette Heyer (although Jane Eyre has a powerful influence still.)
I am finding them easy to read but simultaneously wishing I was finding something easy to read that didn't have quite such a cavalier attitude to reality. Unless it came clean and said it was a fantasy. So I don't want to be ungrateful but...
Mind, you will like this: I read one recently (that was in no other way exciting or especially anachronistic or anything at all) where the author decided to make an unsubtle reference by calling her hero Justin Duke of Avonlea, which is not only a bonus Heyer ref (Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon, Satanas is one of her more famous characters, if an early one) but, well, clearly also a ref to a certain other author! Which is fine, but if you're not even 100th of a patch on either of them, not a good idea. Especially everytime people talk about Avonlea. (I had the additional problem because Avon for me equals Avon from Blake's 7 and then she went and had a villain called Blake. /o\)
Also: I feel they overestimate how many Dukes spied for the government and the duties of the Bow Street Runners. I've never looked into these things in detail, but I am sceptical.
(Sorry! Apparently I have feelings about my unwise reading matter of late. I tried reading Bath Tangle instead, but it was headache-inducing as most actual books that are good and which I like are. So I'll take the Roslyns and whatever if I can at least damn well read a book and mostly enjoy it and not get a headache every five pages.)
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Date: 2016-05-04 09:31 pm (UTC)My impression of contemporary Regencies (having gotten several large donations of them) is that they are a little overrun with dukes in general. Sir Walter Elliot would be pleased, but where's everyone else?
Someone with the skills to do it justice ought to make The Hamlet Detective Agency the glorious reality it deserves to be. Hamlet can't be obscure enough for the Obscure and British, can he?
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Date: 2016-05-05 12:06 pm (UTC)There are an amazing number of Dukes in Regency Romance-land, further proving that it isn't related to the real world in any way and is obviously an alternate universe of some kind. I suppose if winning the heart of his runaway Duchess counts, then he is a kindred spirit? But it isn't mentioned.
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Date: 2016-05-04 01:41 am (UTC)Those names... urgh. I don't suppose they're meant to be weird a la 'Shirley', by any chance? *clutches at straws*
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Date: 2016-05-04 08:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-05-05 03:42 am (UTC)Apparently Parthena was popular and now I really want to write about someone called thatno subject
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Date: 2016-05-09 11:38 am (UTC)