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Saturday, January 07, 2012

Regency New York City




Despite my having had a love affair with all things Regency and London since I was in high school, I will admit, I have had a much longer obsession with all things known as historical New York City ever since I first saw the movie Annie as a girl. 


After seeing the movie, I wanted to know everything there was to know about New York.  Everything

So my father let me loose in our local library at the age of nine and without even knowing what I was doing, I researched the history of New York City with such a determined passion that I ended up stumbling on a much grittier side of New York than what was shown to me in Annie.  It was known as the Five Points.  I even found words I didn’t understand.  Like Prostitution.  My father was horrified and told me to forget about New York AND research.  But the Five Points stayed with me ever since. 

When the movie Newsies came out, just as I was finishing high school (yes, I’m dating myself here), it came calling to me again in a way that sent me back to the library.  There was just something about historical New York City I couldn’t let go of and it wasn’t until now that I found the stories in my head to fit the stories I saw in my youth.  I wanted two very different worlds to collide (not just poor versus rich, orphan versus parents, street kid versus authority, but everything versus everything) and in my Rumor Series, I’m ensuring it. 

Forever and A Day is my version of the Price and the Pauper, yes, but you will also notice that my heroine is actually a feisty, older version of Annie, with red hair to boot.  Forever A Lady is my twisted version of the Newsies.  Only I’m going with buff, older men toting pistols, instead of boys toting newspapers.  And Forever A Lord is my version of the movie Cinderella Man.  Only instead of setting it in the Depression, it’s set against the savage, underground boxing rings of Regency New York with a journey that takes our hero into the upper crusts of London society as a bare knuckle boxer where he will become what he has always been...a Lord. 

So now I open up a question to you.  Which is YOUR favorite New York set movie or book?  Comment for your chance to win a signed copy of FOREVER AND A DAY!  This giveaway is open to both U.S. and International readers.

Delilah
www.delilahmarvelle.com

***Sheree is the winner of FOREVER AND A DAY! Congratulations, Sheree! Please send an email with your full name and mailing address to totebag@authorsoundrelations.com so we can get the prize in the mail! Thank you!***

15 comments:

Dina said...

Remember Me was a surprising movie for me, didn't expect it. But I really liked it.

thank you

Dina

dlsmilad (at)yahoo (dot) com

Alison said...

ooh, I loved Annie too - although i yearned to be the competent, pretty secretary rather than the brash young kid. The scene on the bridge was really atmospheric and I was very impressed with the strength of the silk turban when it held Annie.

pageturner345@gmail.com

Barbara E. said...

I've enjoyed a lot of great movies set in New York, and one that sticks in my mind as a favorite is One Fine Day with George Clooney as a New York newspaper columnist and Michelle Pfeiffer as an architect.

Barbed1951 at aol dot com

Jane said...

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" is my favorite movie set in NYC.

Di said...

How about 'Working Girl', 'Ghostbusters', 'Kate & Leopold' and even 'Far & Away' which had a NY segment.
Did you know Disney is developing Newsies into a stage show? My niece (who's 25) Loves Newsies so we had to see it's first staging last fall at the PaperMill Playhouse in Millburn NJ. It's supposed to go to Broadway this spring. But be aware that they changed the story a little.

sallans d at yahoo dot com

Sheree said...

I do look a bit fondly upon "Saturday Night Fever" - not that I was old enough to watch it when it came out and when I was old enough, I was rather appalled by the casual misogyny - for shots of my old neighborhood. Yes, I ignored the rest and just watched for the location shots.

A more recent movie would be "Enchanted" with all those scenes in Central Park and other places in New York City.

ironss [at] gmail [dot] com

Renee said...

I don't remember having read many books that take place in New York. However, I love An Affair to Remember set in New York. I actually got to go to New York once and had a ball. I even went to the top of the Empire State Building and The World Trade Center before 9/11. I loved just walking down the streets and seeing the shops and the people. The food was to die for.

chey said...

I think Annie is my favourite movie set in New York.

Mary Preston said...

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S for sure. I can picture it so vividly.

Caroline said...

I know it's not remotely romantic, but "Gangs of New York" strikes a chord with me. It just captures the heart of NY in all it's guises. Caroline. p.s LOVE the cover of your book!

BW said...

When Harry met Sally is my all time favorite movie that took place in NYC.

lmyost@roadrunner.com

Michele L. said...

I really enjoyed "Kate & Leopold" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's". That is a pretty sexy cover!

Maureen said...

Some of my favorite movies set in New York are musicals like 42nd Street and A Chorus Line.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com

Laurie G said...

Miracle On 34th Street would be my favorite movie set in NY.

I loved Ghostbusters too!

Delilah Marvelle said...

Thank you so much for posting everyone!!! Wow. It's amazing to see the amount of movies that ARE set in NYC, isn't it? If I didn't have kids, I know I'd probably live in NYC myself. I just love the city. So much to do and so much to see. BTW, a winner will be posted soon! Thank you again everyone for posting!