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The Joys of Research by Sue Brown

There is a language with flowers. Did you know that? I didn’t. It is called floriography, and was particularly used in the Victorian era to allow coded messages to be passed, and express feelings which could not be spoken out loud.

Why do I know this? Well, one of the reasons is the Horrible Histories clip, and the other is a Male/Male romance. I wish I could remember the name and author of the book. Of all the things I thought I’d read about in an M/M book, the language of flowers was not one of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcjUGEZ19Bw

But then, if I consider the things I’ve researched in the past few years I’d never have considered putting them in a story. For instance, how to kill a cow with salt poisoning in Morning Report, what year the waltz became an established part of balls in The Layered Mask, and how to make the most disgusting coffee in a forthcoming story, Stolen Dreams. The latter suggestion apparently was a real coffee. Black forest coffee with chocolate, cherry and hazelnut, with liqueur and with whipped cream, cherries and shaved dark chocolate. Now, if you like that idea please remember you’re talking to an industrial black coffee drinker – and I will vomit.

How about trying to build sandcastles in Empty Sands (a current WIP)? Yes, I did mean what I just said. In my story I have two men trying to outbuild each other’s sandcastles. I needed to research sandcastles. I enjoyed that much more than trying to kill cattle.

When I think of research in previous eras, believe me, I praise Google for having the world at my fingertips. The one thing that it doesn’t do is fill your senses. I would love to be on a Texas ranch just to get the sights, sounds and smells of a real ranch.

Now, maybe it was a little naïve, but I never thought of romance novels needing that much research. I was brought up on Mills and Boon and Barbara Cartland. In my mind they were just alpha man meets submissive female; he looms, she pouts and cries, and they walk off into the sunset. Do they think that about my books? Alpha male meets young shy virgin; he looms, he swoons, and they walk off into the sunset. Um, well, yes, but I can’t tell you how many hours I spent trying to find out about homosexual life in Regency times, all for a very short story. Thank God for Jane Austen, that’s all I can say.

So maybe I was a little dismissive of authors and now I’ve learned my lesson. Just because the story has two people getting it on together, does not mean the author has not spent agonising over one throwaway line about the sex life of pigs.

The Layered Mask

Buy Link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/masquerade-the-layered-mask-ebook-p-730

Published on 4^th February

Blurb: Threatened by his father with disinheritance, Lord Edwin Nash arrives in London for one season to find a wife. While there, Nash discovers he is the lamb, the sacrifice of the society matrons, to be shackled to one of the girls by the end of the season.

During a masquerade ball, Nash hides from the ladies vying for his attention. He is discovered by Lord Thomas Downe, the Duke of Lynwood. Nash is horrified when Thomas calmly tells him that he knows the secret that Nash had hidden for years and that he sees through the mask that Edwin presents to the rest of the world.

What will happen when the time comes for Edwin to return home with a suitable bride?

Excerpt: Downe held out his hand. "May I have this dance?" he asked huskily, holding out his hand.

Eyes widening in shock, Nash swallowed audibly. He hesitated and then placed his hand in Downe's, allowing the older man to draw him to his feet. Downe gathered him into a dancing position, hoping that Nash would not pull away once he realised he was in the lady's role.

"You will have to guide me," Nash said, resting his left hand lightly on Downe's right arm, as he waited for Downe to take the first step. If this position did bother him, Nash didn't say so, as he smiled up at Downe.

Having Edwin Nash in his arms, warm and solid despite his slight form, left Downe breathless. Downe wondered if the young man was even aware of the effect he was having on him. Struggling against the urge to pull Nash hard against him, Downe hummed the music to a slow waltz.

They started dancing, Nash only taking a short while to grasp the simple steps, and suddenly Downe could see why the waltz was thought of as scandalous. They weren't touching except for their hands, but it was so intimate, a few inches between them instead of the width of a line. For once, Downe thought the moral brigade may have had the right idea. Being able to hold your partner so close was… he struggled to find the right word… sensuous. He was aware of every part of Nash’s lithe body, from the curls of his dark hair around his temple to his shapely legs almost, but not quite, pressed up against his.

Author Bio: Sue Brown is owned by her dog and two children. When she isn't following their orders, she can be found at university listening to lecturers discuss long-dead theologians. In her head, however, she's plotting how to get her cowboys into bed together; she just hopes the lecturer doesn't ask her any questions.

Sue discovered M/M erotica at the time she woke up to find two men kissing on her favorite television series. The series was boring; the kissing was not. She may be late to the party, but she's made up for it since, writing fan fiction until she was brave enough to venture out into the world of original fiction.

Please join in the giveaway in February on my blog: http://suebrownsstories.blogspot.com/2012/02/february-giveaway.html