You know what would look good on your wall? A smug bull, that’s what.
To celebrate the release of Lessons in French, Laura Kinsale is giving away a very limited edition print of an original artwork by Charles Rutledge. Inspired by the illustrated editions of classic Jane Austen novels, this sketch features the scene of Callie and Hubert in the kitchen, on the lam from the constable. To quote Kinsale, “It’s very much in the spirit of an illustration from a 19th century book. As well-known comic book curator and art critic Cliff of Dr. No’s commented; “That is one smug bull.”
Have a look:
There were only 5 prints made, with 2 artist’s proofs, and Laura gave away one on her site in January. This is one smack of a collector’s item to someone who is a Kinsale fan, especially if you enjoyed Lessons in French – and if you didn’t win that one, here’s another chance. I have one limited edition copy on archival paper, signed by the artist and by Laura Kinsale, and an autographed copy of Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale to one random commenter. (Note: All copyright in the artwork remains with the artist, and his permission is required for any copy or digital display.) The print will be unframed print number 5/5 and an autographed copy of Lessons in French.
What do you have to do to win? Simple: leave a comment and tell me which scene or line in a romance novel you’d love to see in an illustrated drawing such as this one. Comments close in 24 hours, so start pondering and making your artistic wishes! (Me? A tie between Merlin flying, and that scene in the beginning of The Duke and I where Daphne punches out that annoying guy, Nigel.)
Standard disclaimer: I’m not being compensated for this giveaway. Use only in a well-ventilated area. For a limited time only. No postage necessary if mailed in the United States. Parental advisory: explicit lyrics. Falling rock.
In Georgette Heyer’s “Friday’s Child,” there’s a scene in which the heroine (appropriately named Hero) is at the opera with her husband (partner in an amiable marriage of convenience) and a group of friends. She knows that her husband has some history with various of the women around town, and when she sees one of the chorus girls flirting with him, she blurts out without thinking of the company, “Oh, is that your opera dancer?”
It’s such a classic moment; I’d love to have an illustration of it.
I think the scene from It Happened One Autumn where Lillian gets a tad too tipsy would be funny.
And I would love to see one of Samuel from the Shadow and the Star. (In ninja gear, please!)
LOL Frankie, I can think of a scene from The Shadow and the Star—the one where Leda discovers he’s been hiding up on a beam while she dressed. She’s furious, and his leg is broken. I’d put this quote on it:
“I’ve every right to clean my floor and move my furnishings if I please, without some housebreaker complaining of it! And—and then hanging up in the eaves like a horrid vampire bat!”
Great comment topic, Sarah is a master at thinking of them!
How about in Devil’s Bride by Stehpanie Laurens at the beginning when Devil tosses his wife-to-be Honoria up in the saddle, climbs up behind her without a shirt on, and when she questions him, he simply tells her “Get use to it”. She doesn’t even know his full name yet. I never thought I’d like a book with a character named Devil (hello, alpha male alert) but I’m enjoying it immensely.
The opening scene from SEP’s It Had To Be You. Phoebe’s poodle Pooh escapes from Phoebe at her father’s funeral and gets chased all over the graveyard by Phoebe, Phoebe’s Hungarian faux-lover Viktor, the hero Dan Calebow, and an entire NFL offensive line. The dog, understandably, panics, and ends up urinating on Phoebe’s father’s casket, which anybody who knew Phoebe’s father would probably agree he deserved.
Basically, if the bull is smug, what facial expression would this artist bestow upon a purebred white poodle peeing on Bert Somerville’s grave?
I would love to see the rounders-in-knickers scene from Secrets of a Summer Night or perhaps the scene from Scandal in Spring when Daisy and Matthew Swift are disentangling the goose. I’d also be happy to see Rupert whistling in prison when he first meets Daphne in Mr. Impossible. Or perhaps Olivia beating Peregrine with his own sketchbook in Lord Perfect. I’d also love to see the scene from To Desire a Devil when Reynaud St. Aubyn bursts into the political tea and breaks the table, all scraggily and tattooed. There are so many meet-cute scenes that I can think of that would be great. And of course, anything from Nora Roberts, including a sanctioned picture of Roarke, or any scene of the Baranovs by MaryJanice Davidson.
My favorite work of romantic fiction is “Ashes in the Wind” by the late, great Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. “Ashes” is a soaring Civil War love story which shows the humanity and the tragedy of both sides of the conflict. Cole Latimer is a Yankee surgeon whose compassionate nature and strong physician’s ethics benefit both “the blue and the gray”. Alaina MacGaren is a beautiful young Southern woman forced to pose as a young boy in order to survive. In her disguise as “Al”, the young cleaning boy at the military hospital, she comes to know Dr. Latimer. The beginning of their relationship is that of sparring partners who form a tentative friendship. The scene where Cole realizes that not only is “Al” a female, she is the mystery woman with whom he shared a night of blazing passion and also the illusive, veiled widow whom he has pursued is something else! Once they finally face each other as man and woman, a deep, abiding love begins to grow. Their passion overcomes many doubts and obstacles and finally reaches full bloom. Both of these characters went through a personal growth process as the horror of the War Between the States and its lasting aftermath unfolded. Cole’s disgust and frustration when he was unable to save a life due to military interference was deeply felt. Alaina’s desire to be seen as a lovely young woman instead of a ragged boy was palpable. An unforgettable love story.
Is it skeevy of me to vote for the scene in The Viscount who Loved Me where Anthony compromises Kate? I’d just like to see the shocked faces of the onlookers.
Having just read “Lessons in French” I would love to see an illustration of the melee in the marketplace: Cry havoc and let slip the hens of war.
I would draw the Duc’s glowing eyes, with the rest of his face disguised by the muffler as the hens and goats, sheep and calves erupt into chaos behind him.
I’d like to see the scene from Diana Gabaldon’s Voyager where Claire goes back to Scotland the second time knowing that Jamie is alive and she walks into the printing shop in Edinburgh and Jamie faints.
I’m enjoying Lessons in French so much! Thank you for the awesome read, Laura! I would have to choose the scene I just read where Trev is hiding out in Callie’s dressing room among her stockings and reading books about cattle breeds. That would be a funny illustration. 🙂
Oh that is a great print, right for above my mantel… hehehe. I would like to see is this one:
“One thing I’ve learned about vampires—they keep pulling new rabbits out of their cloaks. Big, fanged, carnivorous bunnies that’ll eat your eyeballs if you’re not paying attention.”
— Laurell K. Hamilton Bloody Bones
now i know, I know it is not romantic, but it would be pretty funny.
Don’t enter me in the contest, but…
Hahaha! That’s the first thing that came to my mind, too!
Because I read it recently enough that it’s still in my brain, how about the scene in Barbara O’Neal’s “The Secret of Everything” where Tessa is photographing the salt in Natalie’s hand.
I’m choosing the scene from The Duke where Robert and Belinda ride off from the symphony on his horse.
That’s The Duke by Gaelen Foley of course
My favorite scene has already been mentioned by Brooks*belle with the hedgehog from Midsummer Moon wrapped around Mr. Duke’s finger. I just about died laughing at that and go back and read it when I need a good laugh.
Another scene from Midsummer Moon would be the mishap with the “salt.”
“N.A.-C.L.” He frowned at the white crystals. “Are you certain this is salt?”
“Oh, yes. That would be the chemical formula, you see. Sodium chloride.”
“Dare I ask what this ‘Aphro.’ signifies?”
“I expect that means that it’s African salt.”
Such a funny book, so many scenes could be great illustrations.
Oh, I’d love to some scenes from Loretta Chase’s The Last Hellion illustrated. Maybe Lydia and Ainswood’s first meeting – Ainswood on his back after she hit him? Or when she’s impersonating him at the club? Or a dozen more, really:)
I think the scene in J.R. Ward’s Lover Revealed when Zsadist writes down ‘I love you’ for Bella to see. Awe! I loved that part so much!
I’d love the print because I adored Hubert. I’d like to see the opening scene from the Raven Prince, where Edward, the Earl of Swartingham is in the mud puddle with the wild eye horse and the incredibly ugly dog sitting and watching. Of course Anna is nearby offering to help him up.
All I can think of is a book I read as a child that was illustrated that way. It was called the Tinderbox I recall the name because I had to look up “tinderbox.” All I recall of the book was that the h graduated from college and was a landscape designer. She wanted to marry but only if she asked the man and he said yes. The picture I remember is of h on one knee like prince charming in reverse preposing to the hero. For some reason I think it was at a picnic in graveyard?
from one of my most current read: when Holly was playing baseball for the first time with the kids Pace coaches and the ball hit square on the forehead and knocked her on the ground.
I would like to see any of the scenes in Kathleen E. Woodiwiss’ So Worthy My Love in which Elise and Maxim prank each other. Partly because I want to see the crazy Elizabethan fashions.
Hm…
It’s between the scene where Anthony & Kate are hiding under the desk during a storm in The Viscount Who Loved My by Julia Quinn
or
The scene where Jessica shoots Dain in Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels.
Er, of course, I meant The Viscount Who Love ME!!!
LORD OF SCOUNDRELS: The part where Dain and Jessica are looking at the watch that Jessica is buying for her grandmother. Dain is anticipating shocking her by showing her the watch’s naughty hidden image, but instead he is shocked that she knew it was naughty all along.
Any campy scene from any campy Joanna Lindsay book. Complete with Fabio look-a-like. (Like in MAN OF MY DREAMS when Meg realizes that her “horse trainer” is- GASP- a DUKE OMGWTF.)
FINDING THE DREAM: When Margo, Kate, and Laura stuff Candy (naked) into the locker at the spa.
The opening scene in Mary Balogh’s “Slightly Scandalous”, when Freyja faces down the strange man in her bedroom.
Lord Peter and Harriet in the punt in Sayers’ Guady Night– as Peter sleeps and Harriet reads a peculiar book she filched from his pocket, and admits she is in love with him, after all.
Pooh, that one’s already taken. How about the scene from Kristan Higgins’ “Just One Of The Guys”, when Chastity is trying to impress her date, and sees her dog run by down the street wearing her brother’s underpants, and they’re all trying to chase her down (the dog).
Hard choice, but I love the scene in Janet Chapmans The Seductive Imposter, where our heroine + her sister are utterly rat-arsed on strawberry daquari’s, & insist on trying to put up the puffin statue…..all the while being watched by our hero + his best mate….who can’t believe their eyes
My favourite scene is in between Christian and Maddy, when they are hastly married. His uncles are at the door and she finally relinquishes. It is exquisitely done.
Addendum to above:
God, I forgot to write the book’s name, “the flowers from the storm”. I always presume everyone has read it, :).
…OK, so the fact that the very first comment (Lyssa) calls for a scene from Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels series just made my night, since that’s one of my favorite series, 🙂 And it immediately makes me want a scene out of ‘Prince of Ebon Rih’, one of the short stories in that series (not technically a romance novel, but that story is very much a romance at heart, even more than the series). It’s the scene where Lucivar pisses Marian off, and she tries to hit him with a frying pan without thinking. She’s so afraid that she’s made him angry, but he just drags her outside and teaches her how to throw a pan properly, and do some real damage, 🙂
I would love to see the scene from the Precious Gem romance book “Three for the Road” by Barbara Daly where the heroine bounces on the car seat as she’s getting in and it hits the hero (an undercover detective) on the head and he bites his tongue and is struggling to keep from crying out (he’s hiding in her car and she doesn’t know it…yeah, I promise it really does make sense).
that scene cracks me up every single time
I would choose Julia Quinn’s What Happens In London where Olivia and Valentine are leaning out their respective windows talking to each other. Another scenefrom the book is where Sebastian is on top of a table reading from a romance novel.
I just finished reading NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE by Sarah MacLean. There is a duel with a very interesting outcome that would be fantastic as an illustration.
I just want to throw in some western romance:
The scene in Laurel by Leigh Greenwood when the hero’s teenage brother saves the day by showing up dressed as a woman.
That scene in La Nora’s “Jewels of the Sun” when Jude punches Aiden in the schnozz, giving him his first broken nose. This is in response to his arrogant assumption in telling everyone in the village that she will marry him. Go, Jude!
How about a paranormal with strong romantic overtones? The scene in Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews where Kate meets the Beast Lord for the first time. She can’t see him in the shadows, so she crouches and calls out “Here kitty, kitty, kitty.”
I would love to see a drawing of the Lucky Charms scene in SEP’s Nobody’s Baby But Mine. Cal opening his car door and an avalanche of Lucky Charms spilling out of it, his face showing disbelief and frustration.
The What Happens in London scene is also an awesome suggestion; I laughed so hard at that scene.