MONDAY MUSINGS—LAUGHTER AND HARD TIMES

Laughter isn't just the best medicine -- it's life's saving grace.

My Unfair Lady Review

My Unfair Lady
By: Kathryne Kennedy
Product ISBN: 9781402229909
Price: $6.99
Publication Date: December 2009

Pygmalion meets the wild west in this lively and unusual historical romance by award-winning author Kathryne Kennedy

• Back Cover Blurb:

A Wild West heiress, Summer Wine Lee knows that she's not an acceptable bride for her fiance's knickerbocker family. She grew up in an Arizona mining town, cares more for critters than people, carries a knife under her skirts, and, worst of all, she has a highly improper secret from her past. But she also has high hopes that a real English Duke can teach her how to be a lady.

Were it not for his father's gambling debts, the Duke of Monchester would never have stooped to civilize Summer. But the more time he spends with her, and the more social scrapes he has to rescue her from, the more he finds it impossible to change her into a proper lady. How could he, when he's falling in love with her just the way she is?

"If you have not discovered Kathryne Kennedy's romances yet, you are truly missing out." Merrimon Book Reviews

• My Thoughts:

My Unfair Lady was a delight to read on several levels.

Ms. Kennedy’s a pro at creating memorable characters, comical situations, a fun dialog, and an endearing love story.

The characterization of Summer, Maria (I have a couple of friends like her), and Byron were well done. Even her depiction of historical figures and villains, were realistically crafted. Not a cardboard figure to be found.

I loved that both M/C’s had hidden emotional conflict and only hinted at and unveiled slowly throughout the story. Both were very much a product of their respective worlds. I liked the way Ms. Kennedy obviously researched and reflected that research into her story. How insular the titled aristocrats were in Victorian England. They were somewhat inbred and confined by rigid rules of conduct—only allowed to marry within a certain strata, and the anathema of Gentry working any kind of trade. It was a time when the great fortunes were waning in the *modern* world of the time, necessitating importing rich brides, and many American brides with fortunes were sought and many titles were *bought by* rich American families.

Ms. Kennedy presents a fresh, independent American Miss into a very structured setting. Summer is a very capable young woman not given to vapors or panic when facing unknown situations. She is from frontier America where even women are crack shots, well able to defend both home and hearth and put food on the table.

Imagine the reaction of Byron’s world to such a young woman? His shock and gradual respect, especially given his prejudice against *title hunting* American women, his surprise that Summer needed little protection; in fact she tries to protect him. Her spunk and frankness is like a fresh breath of air in a stale room.

Ms. Kennedy creates a believable world. She also has a wonderful love story between Byron and Summer Lee Wine. Both are fighting the attraction and when they do come together it’s hot.

I loved Summer’s attachments to her *critters* and Byron's reaction to those critters (his poor boots). There were many comical situations that had me laughing out loud or giggling at the word picture.

The dialog is full colloquiums and the contrast between the two worlds is hilarious in places.

If you enjoy reading a good historical, you have to read My Unfair Lady. It’s one that leaves a glow in your heart and a smile on your lips.

As Summer Lee would say, “Tarnation, you write a great story, Ms. Kathyrne!”

Excerpt from My Unfair Lady:

"Maria, this had better work," Summer muttered to the empty drawing room. For this was her friend's plan, not her own. Summer had wanted to hire one of the American heiresses who had already married a title; the ones that had gone through money so quickly entertaining Prince Albert that they sponsored young American girls looking for an introduction into society.

"Not good enough," Maria had responded, flipping her long, black hair over her shoulder. "Trust me when I tell ya', if ya' want to be a lady, ya' hire a man to teach ya' how to do it. And I finally discovered the perfect fellow, a poor Duke with two falling down castles who's feared by all in the social circle for his quick wit and nasty tongue...but is also a particular favorite of his Highness."

Summer couldn't take her eyes off the man who strode towards her home. All the other men wore those bowler hats, so he was easy to pick out, for his blond hair reflected the feeble rays of England's sun and glowed a golden yellow. He wore it unfashionably long and bare of the pomade that slicked most other men's hair back. Summer liked it.

The Duke wore a long coat of pale blue, narrow trousers and a deep blue cravat. He carried no umbrella or cane, and as he passed a group of gentlemen going in the opposite direction she realized that he was also not a particularly tall man. For some reason this made her feel more at ease, so that when the bell jangled, and Maria came in to announce that she had a visitor, Summer felt almost quite calm.

Until he walked into the room.

"Are you Miss Lee?" inquired the Duke as he ran his eyes from the top of her head to the tips of her kidskin boots. "Miss Summer Wine Lee?" The deep richness of his voice made her heart turn over.

FYI: I WILL BE INTERVIEWING KATHYRNE KENNEDY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16TH. SHE WILL ALSO BE SHARING SOME INFO ON HER NEWEST SERIES, A HISTORICAL PARA, TO BE PUBLISHED IN 2010.

CAN I JUST SAY, I LOVE THE PREMISE?

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Kathryne Kennedy is a college graduate and business owner, and is a multipublished, award-winning author of magical romances. She’s lived in Guam, Okinawa, and several states in the U.S., and currently lives in Arizona with her wonderful family—which includes two very tiny Chihuahuas.



She welcomes readers to visit her website where she has ongoing contests at: http://www.kathrynekennedy.com/

Writing Laughter for Hard Times

Laughter isn't just the best medicine -- it's life's saving grace.

Laughter is the ultimate stress buster during hard times. When times are rough, people need something to de-stress their life and lighten the load—even if it’s only for a short time. I think this is why during the 1930’s, during the Great Depression and as Europe was gearing up for WWII, some of the greatest comedy teams were born: Marx Brothers, The Three Stooges, and Laurel and Hardy. Abbot and Costello were popular on radio. Remember, during this time period, radio shows were the main form of entertainment. The movies of the time featured a variety of comedies, from silly slapstick to romantic comedies.

The styles were different but they achieved their purpose. Making people laugh and forget for a time their troubles. The subject/premise of comedies were either light and fluffy or dealt with darker issues with an overlay of comedy. Parroting life, you could say. What made them work? A reasonable, though many times an improbable, premise. Good dialog, fast paced, proper build up of tension, and comedic timing.

For example, Laurel and Hardy’s Sons of the Desert (actually most of their movies) was a balance of laugh-out-loud dialogue, plus fast-paced slapstick. Every frame of the script and dialog built up to and led into the next, and comedic timing. This was the pattern taken up by Jackie Gleason and Art Carney and later Sienfeld used the same sort of humor. Monk and Psych, seen on TV today, borrow from this general style. It works.

Romantic comedies like Bringing up Baby, with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn were popular. The premise was improbable but it worked. Main characters were well drawn, a straight-laced paleontologist trying to raise money for a museum and an impulsive and beautiful heiress, and their adventures. This was pure madcap comedy. I think an improbable premise works well for comedy. What made the comedy work are good dialog, fast pacing, and impeccable comedic timing.

The Thin Man is a classic and based on a novel by Dashiell Hammet. This was really a dark tale of solving multiple murders. Yet the movie makes you laugh. The dialog is sharp and clever, a combination of dry wit and unexpected silliness. It’s fast paced and never allows your attention to wander. The main characters are well developed; glamorous, stylish, intelligent, and they have tremendous fun as they work together to tracked down the murderer. From this style of light and dark, humor and danger, sprang many movies, TV shows, and books…Magnum, P.I., Remington Steel, and Burn Notice. Even Robert B Parker’s Spencer books are a blue-collar take on the Thin Man.

In the past eight years we’ve seen a lot of tragedy and hard times and they haven’t ended. Like in the 1930’s and 1940’s, people are facing attacks on the American people, subsequent wars, and economic hard times. People are looking for laughter and diversion. For example, just recently, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, starring Kevin James was #1 at the box office. So, its no surprise that updated versions of old styled comedies are again popular. Movies like The Mummy trilogy and the Rush Hour trilogy also balance fast paced dialog, laugh out loud humor, and the physical fight scenes—today’s form of slapstick. The Meet the Parents movie has well placed comic moments, but within the gags and the shock humor is a nice little romance story.

Romantic comedies like What Women Want and Two Weeks Notice are throwbacks to the screwball comedies of the 1930's and 1940's with witty repartee between characters, a rather improbable premise, well-paced comedic timing, and some gags/physical humor.

Many of these comedies were scripts; a few were based on novels. Setting up a premise, crafting your scenes, and writing dialog for a thriller or suspense are different than writing dialog for comedy. The same holds true if you write Romance—romantic suspense as opposed to romantic comedy. A different mind-set is required.

There is a market for laughter and well-developed comedy in today's hard times. Romantic comedies are popular and authors like Janet Evanovich and Toni Blake have successfully filled that need.

To be successful in writing comedy one must first have a solid premise. As we've seen, it doesn't have to be particularly realistic, in fact being slightly improbable works well. Well developed characters and from the examples we've looked at here, having a straight man and the comic, are necessary elements in writing a good comedy. Tightly written scenes that build one on the other pull your reader forward. Sharp, fast paced dialog. Use of gags or physical slapstick and this can be fight scenes or situations. One of the most important aspects of writing good comedy is having impeccable comedic timing.

What do you think is the secret to writing comedy? How do you set up your scenes? Do you feel a story can have a blend of both serious aspects and comedy, and be successful? What authors have you read that seem to do comedy well? And why?