I was Googling myself the other day. Actually, it was Good Friday. As an Episcopalian by upbringing (aka Catholic lite), I felt this was the only appropriate way to observe so solemn an occasion.

And what did I find? On the Barnes and Noble listing for Phyllida, an absolute rave review, the kind that an author dares to imagine only in her most narcissistic dreams.

I braced myself for the shattering crack of doom as the earth stood still and all of creation went flying (as in the H.G. Wells story, "The Man Who Could Work Miracles"). Nothing. I then flapped aimlessly around my apartment, unable to sit still in front of my computer, wondering why I was still inhabiting this middle-aged body and had not yet sprouted wings or been teleported into the fifth dimension to sip nectar and be fed ambrosia by beautiful, half-naked, bisexual young men.

When it was clear I wasn't headed for Mount Olympos, I e-mailed everybody in my address book and called those people who might not come over to my apartment and bash me on the head for starting their weekend off with unseemly gloating and boasting. On Monday, I figured, I would be deluged by the alerted media. I'd better get my beauty sleep, wash my hair. Perhaps Botox or a face-lift was in order. And was it possible to get a full set of dental implants over Easter?

But what do you know? Monday came and life went on as before. One thing is different. I can now die happy. I have written the book I wanted to write. I have managed to get it published without having to change it. And I have received a well written rave review from a reviewer who sees the book as I would like it to be seen and expresses her opinion with concise, literate style.

To wish for anything more might be seen as...ungrateful. And so I thank you, Cynthia Johnson, reviewer for Library Journal. I thank everyone at HarperCollins who made this possible. And I thank my friends and coworkers who have endured the ongoing saga of the perils of Phyllida, the trials and tribulations of authorship and publishing, with forbearance and even the remarkable ability to feign interest. Thank you all.

If you'd like to read the complete review, here's the link to the Fiction reviews of the March 15 issue of Library Journal:

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6541458.ht ml?q=ann+herendeen

There’s a terrific review of my book, Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander: A Bisexual Regency Romance, on the witty, snarky web site, Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Novels, which begins by describing Phyllida as “a very clever, highly articulate, historically sharp and delightfully entertaining romance.”
Read the whole thing at:
http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/index.php/weblog/phyllida_and_the_brotherhood_of_philander_a_bisexual_regency_romance

I’m writing a longer version here of an already long comment that I left on the site, because the reviewer described certain parts of the story, including what I hoped would be a delightful and heartwarming final scene, as “jarringly modern” and decided I had included them, and justified them in my Author’s Note, as “fantasy.”

Please note: This discussion will eventually refer to some specific plot details, so if you haven’t yet read Phyllida but would like to, and would prefer not to have the story spoiled, then please be careful about reading beyond the LJ cut, here. ( Read more... )

Back in June I was interviewed on Queery, Madison, Wisconsin’s longest-running LGBT radio show, to talk about my bisexual historical novel, Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander: a bisexual Regency romance.

Here’s the link to the page on my Web site with the audio and a transcript.

http://www.annherendeen.com/Interview.html

Since this was my first live on-air interview, I have to admit I wasn’t as sharp as I wish I'd been. The interviewers, Sharon Osterloh and Shawn Neal, were excellent—kind and gentle, guiding me to present my book in the best light possible—but there were some points I should have made and didn’t. If you’re interested, they follow the cut.
( Read more... )

OK, if you’re reading this, I finally did it—started my blog.

I know, me and 20 gazillion others, this week. But it’s a big deal for me. It’s the first sustained writing I will have done for over a year, since I finished writing my bisexual Regency romance novel, “Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander.”

“What?” you ask. “What is that—a bisexual Regency romance?” (At least, I hope you’re asking.)

The easy answer is to check out my Web site, where all is made clear: www.annherendeen.com With any luck, this blog will soon be linked to the site anyway, but until then, please, please, please check it out. The site is all about the book, and the book is beautiful, sexy, intelligent and funny, just like Phyllida herself, the heroine of the novel. It’s a romance, so yes, she’s the “heroine,” not simply the “title character” or “protagonist” or some other wimpy literary term. (And btw, her name is pronounced with the accent on the first syllable, like Phyllis, only longer).

Now, back to your question. The Regency is the period in English history from 1811 to 1820 when the future George IV acted as Prince Regent for his father, George III (yes, he was still alive, about 150 years old, sick and incapacitated). You don’t care? So why ask?

Oh, I see, you want to know about the bisexual part. Terrific! That’s exactly what I want to talk about. ( Read more... )