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English on my mother's side - Eastern European on my father's. I'm a lethal combination of drama and tragedy when I write fiction.
Articles, Historical Romance

The Dark Side of Historical Romance

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There is a dark side to the historical romance genre.  It’s Gothic romance, which doesn’t always give the reader a happily-ever-after ending. Born centuries ago, the genre flourished in late 18th and 19th century England. They were dark tales, often with a supernatural backdrop, set in creepy houses, castles, or ruins. Somewhere lurking in the fearful locations were mysterious men with secrets or questionable pasts who wooed unsuspecting female heroines.  Of course, in the mix, there could be ghosts, monsters, vampires, and other evils lurking beneath the bed.

The romance, however, is still a focal point of these dark tales of love intermixed with the not-so-pleasant surroundings.  A few years ago a Gothic romance by the name of Crimson Peak hit the theaters starring Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, and Mia Wasikowska.  Tom Hiddleston in an interview with Charlie Rose in October of 2015 (which you can find on YouTube), says this about the genre. “It was a way of expressing things about society in the eighteenth century that were repressed, which were sexuality and the fear of death. Gothic romance is the first genre to speak and explain the supernatural.”

After doing a bit of Google searching, I came across another good article about the genre that is worth the read – Romance Unlaced: Authors Discuss Today’s Gothic Romances by Madeline Hunter of USA Today (July 13, 2016). “Years ago, before big, fat historical romances broke onto the scene, I would look at the mass-market racks in the drugstore and see rows of covers that had much in common. A woman in a flimsy gown running down a hill in the night. In the background, cast in eerie moonlight, was a big house.”

If you haven’t read a good Gothic lately, perhaps it’s time to venture to the dark side of romance. Tread with caution, as not all endings are happily ever after.

Articles

January 2018 Report: US Online Book Sales, Q2-Q4 2017

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Calling all geeks who love statistics. Sure you want to know that 90% of all ebook sales are in the romance genre. The independent authors are taking up a huge share of the pie, leaving behind the big five in the dust.

To read more of what’s happening in the publishing industry, you dare not miss this report full of graphs and pie charts to make your eyes blurry but filled with interesting news for authors and readers.

http://authorearnings.com/report/january-2018-report-us-online-book-sales-q2-q4-2017/

Articles, Historical Romance

Huge Changes Coming to Facebook

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Today an announcement was made regarding changes coming to Facebook’s feed.  As an author and promoter of books, I regularly use Facebook to engage with fans and followers.  It helps me connect, keep my followers up-to-date on news, and is a means of promotion.  As of today, that is going to change dramatically.

Facebook is making changes to make sure that your feed will include more information from your friends and family.  Content from pages you LIKE is going to drop dramatically.  As reported in the Irish Times (which had a good article about it):  “As we roll this out, you’ll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media,” wrote Zuckerberg. The implication couldn’t be clearer. All media companies that post their content on Facebook will see a decline in the number of users that they reach through the platform.  For those publishers that have built their commercial strategy around Facebook and are dependent on it for most or even all of their income, it could be ruinous.”

So what does this mean to you?  With my followers on my page for Historical Romance Books on Facebook nearing 1,000, you will see fewer posts.  I’ll probably fall into obscurity on your feed so marketing and news regarding historical romance from your favorite authors may be non-existent in your feed.

The only solution I can give you is to regularly follow the Historical-Romances.com website and subscribe to the feed of new posts and sign up for our newsletter. You can do so on our home page:  HTTPS://atomic-temporary-100180380.wpcomstaging.com If you love historical romance and the articles and news we post, this may be the only means of connecting with you on a regular basis to keep you informed on new releases, offer authors promotion, and provide great reviews.

To read more about these Facebook changes here is a good article on RECODE.  Facebook will be more focused now on personal connections than a platform for marketing.  For some, I’m sure that will be great news.  But for others, it will dramatically hinder our reach to bring to you the news on things you like.

Articles, Historical Romance

Strike a Pose for Covers – The Reclining Lovers

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From the back and neck strain to the grasping duke from behind, comes the ultimate place most aristocrats are hoping to place their heroines — on their back.

After searching through the covers of past and present, this pose seems to be the least used in the variety of physical positions.  Nonetheless, it serves to take the story to a satisfying conclusion…if you get my drift.  Here are a few goodies from the past.

…and those from the present carrying on the seductive reclining position.

Articles

Smashwords Unveils Publishing Predictions for 2018

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Each year, the CEO of Smashwords (a distributor of eBooks for authors), writes his predictions for the coming year. Most of the time, so I’ve read, he’s pretty well spot-on right.

This year’s predictions for authors (and readers who wish to be in the know) is well worth the read. Though readers enjoy a proliferation of great deals and more books than they can possibly read, the market is becoming bleaker for publishers and independent authors alike because of the growing monopolization of Amazon in the marketplace.

I encourage you to take a moment and read Mark’s post. Be informed of how everything works besides the dashing duke you’ve fallen in love with between the pages.  Each time you flip a page in Kindle Unlimited, the author’s work you read is being paid at less than a penny a page.

All my best, your HR Admin.

Smashwords’ CEO and founder Mark Coker has once again unveiled his annual predictions for the publishing industry, and to say this year’s edition is dark would be an understatement. Coker continues his longtime tradition of decrying all things Amazon, but this year…things are different. For too long, it was easy to dismiss Coker’s predictions as…

Source: Smashwords Unveils Publishing Predictions for 2018

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Strike a Post for Covers – The Behind Approach

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Moving on from the back and neck strain pose comes the opposite of the hero seductively approaching the heroine from behind.  Not quite as popular as the frontal view, they still make up a large number of covers in the historical romance genre.

As you can see, the windstorm continues with flying female hair in a few of the scenes.  The male domination remains as the shirtless, seductive hero catch their female prey. The ladies are turning their heads backward getting a good look at their seducer. The last cover, however, has me scratching my head as the hero is apparently into gymnastics, raising her into the air!

Does the pose continue these days! You betcha! Men are still grabbing the ladies from behind.

Anyway, it’s all in fun.  Stay tuned for the next overused pose in the historical romance books genre.

Articles, Historical Romance

Strike a Pose for Covers – The Backstrain

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Yesterday, I was feeling a bit loopy looking at old historical romance book covers. Have you ever thought about the cover poses in this genre?  If you look at the older books, I can imagine an ensuing backache and neck strain sustained if a shirtless man bent me over backward, while I lifted my naked leg up against his side.  Romantic?  I laugh at the faces of these ladies who often turn their head away and looked pained rather than seduced.  Of course, the windstorm is always blowing and the hair is flying around.  Do they make you go ouch or moan at the thought of the dominant male seducing you as our spine cracks?

Have a bit of a chuckle with me on the first strike a pose for covers blog post.  More to come!

Has the pose diminished in current historical romance covers?  Not really.  Backs and necks are still out of line, however, it’s hard to find the consistent leg up these days.

Articles, Historical Romance

Let’s Duke it Out

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Let’s face it, ladies.  We are drowning in dukes!  This morning when I visited the historical romance best sellers on Amazon Kindle, that’s pretty much dominated the scene in the 100 top-selling books.  Even those books that don’t have the title “duke” on the cover, doesn’t mean there isn’t one lurking between the pages.  Most of these dukes are bad boys with a few charming ones thrown into the mix.

Here’s a quick sampling if you don’t think I’ve gone historical romance raving mad.

Blame it on the Duke
Kind Ella and the Charming Duke
A Beauty for the Scarred Duke
The Duke of Nothing
A Duke in Shining Armor
The Duke of Ruin
A Governess for the Brooding Duke
The Silent Duke
From Duke Till Dawn
The Desires of a Duke
My Wild Duke
The Lady, the Duke, and the Gentleman
Kissing the Duke
The Broken Duke…and on, and on, and on.

Once in a while, a lord, baron, marquis, and earl sneak in the bunch, not to be confused with the many rogues of the historical romance genre.  There are even duke series like Difficult Dukes, The Disgraceful Dukes, Girl Meets Duke and many more.  I guess I’m scratching my head on why we always have to fall in love with a duke.  Is there a hidden code that only best-selling romances must be duke focused?  Is this the only peerage that can sweep us away into the fantasy land of romance?

After doing some research, I’ve found a Goodreads Listopia entitled, “Dukes – Bring ’em on!”  If you Google the term “dukes in historical romance novels,” you’ll be smacked to learn the results.  There’s an interesting article on NPR entitled, “Put Up Your Dukes: Romance’s Favorite Rank.”

Perhaps authors and readers alike have determined that dukes are the sexiest and most desired of the English peerage. We prefer dreaming about becoming a duchess regardless if we understand why we should address him as His Grace or where he stands in the scheme of English peerage. Whatever the reason, I’d frankly like to see more historical romances that go beyond this narrow breed of titled men and even dare to focus on a man without an aristocratic title.

What are your thoughts?  Don’t be shy!  Start chiming in and enjoy the discussion.

If you want to learn about British peerage, there is a good article on Anglotopia, “The peerage: A primer on Understanding Lords, Ladies, Dukes, Earls, and More.”

Articles, Historical Romance

What Makes a Great Historical Romance?

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If you ever get to know me personally, you will soon find out that I love to analyze just about anything.  My question for the day is what makes a great historical romance book?

To answer that question, I turned toward one-star reviews left for books written by famous historical romance authors from the big publishers. You would think I’d be reading the five stars instead, but what is lacking in historical romance stories has piqued my interest. Here are the top-ten complaints that I discovered.

Predictable Plot.  Supposedly, these are books where you already know how it’s going to end after reading a few chapters.  In other words, there isn’t a plot twist or anything else interesting between boy meets girl and the happily ever after.  The story is supposed to reach a climax point (not the other kind of climax, ladies) before reaching the satisfying end.

Contrived Plot.  I’ve seen contrived plots on television but what’s the definition and why does it irk readers?  Frankly, there is an excess of comments if you Google the term.  Authors apparently stretch plausibility, such as setting up situations that are unbelievable and deliberate or forced and unnatural.

No Tension – No Sizzle.  Well, this one is obvious.  The hero and heroine are a dud.  Is sexual tension always the spice of the story?  Of course, how can you believe the love if there isn’t any sizzle?

Too Much Sex or Not Enough Sex.  There doesn’t seem to be a happy medium when it comes to this complaint.  There either isn’t enough sex or there is too much sex.  I suppose a story should come in between the sheets somewhere.

Dialogue.   Boy, this one rampant, of course.  Historical romances with too many modern statements don’t go over very well.  Authors must write Regency-speak or Victorian-speak, regardless if we actually lived in those eras. However, I question whether every historical romance needs to sound like Jane Austen’s writing or Charlotte Bronte’s prose.

It’s a Ghost.  This is an interesting complaint aimed at well-known authors who have released multiple books. Statements like, “Makes me wonder who actually wrote it.”  “What have you done with the author?” “Someone else must have written this book.” Do you think long careers make some authors fizzle out? Do they rehash plot lines and run out of inspiration?  Food for thought.

Boring.  It’s either a boring story or boring writing.  The boring story is an obvious one — nothing to keep the reader interested in continuing the book.  Another common complaint is scenes that are too descriptive. How long does it take to describe a person, a room, landscape, or even a sex scene? Too much is often termed writer’s fluff.

Poor Editing.  Surprisingly, these comments are not for independent authors.  There are plenty aimed at large traditional publishing houses.  It makes me wonder how much author support has been cut back due to financial reasons. An odd style that drives me absolutely bonkers is no quotation marks for dialogue.  And don’t get me started on the lack of the Oxford comma.

Unlikable Characters.  This brings me back to what is a likable hero or heroine?  There are some personality types readers do not like in their books.

No Character Development.  Characters are made of cardboard or are fully formed.  Character development is a hot topic but also a difficult one to pinpoint.  Of course, characters need flaws, positive traits, and growth.

In conclusion, everyone reacts differently to a book.  It’s interesting to read polarized positions of the same novel, making you scratch your head if they read the same story.

As always, chime in!  What are your complaints?  I love to hear from our followers.

Your Admin for Historical Romance Books

Articles, Historical Romance Authors

Georgette Heyer – Regency Romance

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The article link below to The Guardian was actually released back in September of 2016.  I’ve been thinking about focusing some posts on a few well-known authors of the past who have paved the way for the historical romance genre’s popularity.  Georgette Heyer is certainly one of those writers who come to mind.

The article states, “Heyer, known for her tales of romance and intrigue set during the early 19th century, died in 1974, the author of more than 50 books. She said of her work that ‘I ought to be shot for writing such nonsense, but it’s unquestionably good escapist literature.'”  Obviously, many have escaped over the years into the Regency era through her books.

Though she passed away in 1974, she still ranks #46 in the top 100 historical romance authors in ebooks and #28 in historical romance in print.  This prolific writer’s popularity has not waned in any fashion over the years.  Her author page on Amazon is filled with her works.

Read more about her life here:

Three short stories by the queen of Regency romance have been discovered by her biographer and are being reprinted in a new volume.  Source: Forgotten Georgette Heyer stories to be republished

Articles, Historical Romance

Different Flavors of Authors

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Untitled designSo who are these women (and occasional males) that write historical romance novels?  As a reader, if you haven’t been following the ever-changing landscape in the publishing world, authors come in a variety pack.  From young to old, these are the people who pen your stories that you rate from one to five stars.  We all have favorite sub-genres.  We all have favorite eras.  We all have the likable type of hero and heroine.  However, with such a variety of authors, it may be hard to weed through the inundated market of romance these days.

The Traditional

These are the ones who have chosen the traditional publishing world.  They traveled the rough trail of submissions and rejections and paid their dues.  They were proficient in writing great query letters to hook agents. Others were persistent, knocking on doors of publishers that accept direct submissions.  Whatever gateway they have been fortunate enough to open, it has provided them support from big-named publishers and smaller publishing houses on the road to release. These authors have a unique experience with their publishers who do it all – editing, cover design, distribution, in addition to bearing the majority of costs associated with publishing a book.

The Indie

Once coined the vanity writers, self-published authors or “indies” as many call them, are an entirely different breed.  At first, they came out of the gate with a less than warm welcome or reputation, often coined as the slush pile rejects or wood-be, mediocre writers.  However, as the years have passed, the indies have taken over a large portion of the market, including reaching the USA Today and NYT best-seller lists. They have gained great strides in gaining respect and earnings. Supposedly, indies are control freaks. They enjoy full engagement in their artistic endeavors.  The smart ones seek out good editors to tone their content and talented graphic artists to do their covers. It’s a learning experience in ISBN’s, eBook formatting, printing, distribution, marketing, etc., because they immerse themselves in the publishing world in order to succeed.  They are the independent ones who bear the cost of getting their books into print.

The Hybrid

What in the world is a hybrid?  No, it’s not a new dinosaur about to hatch that will grow up to eat you or your book.  It’s an author who enjoys both worlds – the traditional and the self-published.    It’s a path that some individuals pursue in a variety of ways.  It’s not unusual for a traditionally published author to take a book when the rights have reverted back to her or him and self-published it afterward.  Frankly, it’s a sweet spot for many because they are well known as traditional authors who already have a fan base.  However, this route may take negotiation because some publishers insist on a non-compete clause that prevents authors from self-publishing while under contract.

In the end, I like to think that all three author varieties have one common goal — to spread the romance together.  At Historical Romance Books, whatever path to print you have chosen, you are welcome on our pages.

Historical Romance Books Admin

Articles, Jane Austen Quotes

Speak to Me of Love

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Romantic quotes.  Recently, I glanced at one quote spoken by Marianne in the movie Sense and Sensibility:
 “Can he love her? Can the soul really be satisfied with such polite affections? To love is to burn – to be on fire, like Juliet or Guinevere or Eloise…”
Hmm…I pondered.  I know that there are many more quotes that move my heart, so I flipped over to the quote section on Goodreads and starting tagging all sorts of wonderful words. Goodreads has a nifty widget that I added to the sidebar that will rotate all sorts of great lines and quotes.
Of course, I favored Jane Austen’s work, only because her lines are so memorable and moving.  Here are the quotes I so love from Austen’s work.  I hope you enjoy and feel free to comment on a few of your own memorable quotes from books!  Now, if we could only get the men in our lives to whisper such glorious words to melt our hearts.  
 “Dare not say that man forgets sooner than a woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you.”
(Captain Wentworth – Persuasion)
“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope.
Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever.”
(Captain Wentworth – Persuasion)
  “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed.
You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
(Mr. Darcy – Pride & Prejudice)
“I cannot make speeches, Emma,” he soon resumed; and in a tone of such sincere, decided, intelligible tenderness as was tolerably convincing.
“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.”
(Mr. Knightly – Emma)
“I come here with no expectations, only to profess, now that I am at liberty to do so, that my heart is and always will be yours.”
(Edward Ferrars – Sense & Sensibility)
 
Come back soon for more fun things before we start dissecting romance novels.
Your amiable host,
Historical Romance Books
Articles

Book Covers – Shirtless Men or Flowing Dresses?

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Jon
Posted with Artist’s Permission

They say men are stimulated visually. It’s not what they hear whispered in their ears – it’s what they see with their eyes that move them toward sex and romance. For the most part, I do think that men are wired that way. However, when it comes to reading steamy historical romance novels, women are not only moved by the story, but by the covers that give us a glimpse of the hero and heroine in a passionate embrace.

The historical romance genre bombards readers with bare-chested, muscular males, who have shirts falling off their backs, toned physiques, and six-pack abs. The heroines are women with unbuttoned or unlaced dresses in the back, overflowing breasts from low necklines, and lustful scenes of kissing in provocative poses. They set the stage for the forthcoming sexual tension between the characters and build the reader’s anticipation of what is to come between the sheets . . . I mean pages.

The old adage you can’t judge a book by its cover is really only a half-truth because I dare say most books are sold in the romance genre by what is on the cover. The cover sets the scene, tempts us with what’s inside, and reveals the type of book we’re about to read, or at least it should.  However, there also appears to be a lot of similarities in covers between well-known authors, including fonts that are utilized as well as stylistic features that are part of an author’s branding.

Of course, there are many talented cover designers and graphic artists that produce fantastic work in the industry. Large publishing houses can afford the best artists and highly paid models to grace their covers. One artist, in particular, is Jon Paul Studios. You will recognize his work on many covers coming from traditional publishing houses. Check out his gallery and get lost in his works of art that are breathtakingly beautiful. The cover art above is a Jon Paul creation and reposted with his permission.

Many indie authors and traditional publishers are also turning toward stock photography on sites such as Dreamstime, iStockPhoto, Getty Images, Shutterstock, Adobe, and much more. There are also romance cover sites, such as Period Images, which I highly recommend, as well as Romance Novel Covers. The prices are reasonable and licensing terms are fairly straightforward. Frankly, I’ve thought for many years that photographers have a goldmine of opportunity if they would focus more on historical era shots with men and women in the fashions of the time. I’m happy to see an increase of such photographs on the market.

However, just purchasing a photograph isn’t the end of the design process. The real artistry, of course, comes when a picture is chosen, as well as a background, and then it’s turned into a cover story that is unique. Authors, however, are wise to learn the rules about license usage rights, model releases, and copyright law when dealing with photography. Better to be safe than sued for damages in a court of law for infringement.

Since Fabio’s earlier days of book cover shots, with his long hair, chiseled face and body, it seems the standard for romance covers hasn’t changed very much. We now have new models and artists on the scene and the advent of advanced design techniques to tickle our fantasies. I have noticed, though, a distinct difference between historical romance and historical fiction covers. Historical fiction uses less exposed flesh than the historical romance genre with bulging six-pack abs under white open ruffled shirts and ladies with breasts spilling over the bodice or low in the back.

In any event, a well-designed cover does the trick. It will either entice us to purchase or not. Frankly, I remember the days when I loved to buy novels with beautiful covers and kept them on my bookshelves like works of art. Now, we enjoy them our high definition digital readers. Wherever they meet our eyes, in print or on screen, the effect remains the same — you wish you were the heroine in the arms of the hero about to enjoy the fleshly pleasures that await.

Historical-Romance Books.com

Articles

Don’t Feel Guilty About Buying Used Books 

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Interesting article and food for thought since we are about to embark on selling used historical romance books. Besides, there are times I love to hold one and take a sniff.

It’s always good when consumers are aware of how creators get paid—but there’s no shame in not buying new

Source: Don’t feel guilty about buying used books: Writers won’t see a…

Articles, Historical Romance

For November, A Romance Trio For ‘Hamilton’ Fans (And The Rest Of You, Too)

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Historical Romance News!

Even if you haven’t seen the musical, you can keep warm this November with a delightful trio of novellas set in and around the battalion commanded by Alexander Hamilton at the siege of Yorktown.

Source: For November, A Romance Trio For ‘Hamilton’ Fans (And The Rest Of You, Too)

Articles, Historical Romance

The Perfect Hero

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Lamina WaterhouseThe perfect hero in historical romance. Is there one? What fantasy do readers want?

In reality, as much as we are filled with fanciful and romantic thoughts, there probably isn’t a perfect man. Of course, it depends on how you define perfection. Like the variety of readers and their various tastes over heroines, there is no absence of criticism over the perfect male. Once again, I’ve strolled through the reviews of some best selling authors to find out what women are thinking.

There are the usual complaints of women who dislike emotionally scared men (except for Fifty Shades, apparently), along with arrogant aristocrats and walking cardboard characters (boy that term gets used a lot). Frankly, I think women who look for the perfect hero want a type of man they can fall in love with during the story. Women are looking for romance and ways to live vicariously through storytelling, no doubt to soothe our lack of it in real life. If you love historical romance, then no doubt you want a swoon-worthy, good-looking chap in breaches, boots, with a ruffled shirt, and white cravat.

So what is the perfect hero? If we look at the typical male stereotypes in works of centuries past, we can categorize them in a variety of ways.

The Darcy Type – Prideful and arrogant but humbled in the presence of one woman. His good sense and social class tell him to walk away. Instead, he bemoans his tortured and bewitched existence as if he’s helpless to resist. “In vain have I struggled, it will not do. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

The Knightly Type – A soulful, kindhearted, and wise man who is your friend. He supports you, chides you when needed, admires you silently, and gradually falls in love. He cares deeply about your well-being and sacrifices his own happiness to ensure your own. When his outward motives reveal a deeper love, he declares the obvious. “Marry me, my wonderful darling friend.”

The Captain Wentworth Type – He suffers in silence over a love lost but clings to the hope that he may regain what he desires. As he quietly watches from the sidelines the love of his life, he waits for the opportune time to once again profess his love. “You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever…I have loved none but you.” Who can deny such a plea?

The Mr. Rochester Type – The tortured soul, who is moody and cynical about life. He has a dark secret, that binds him to another, while in the meantime he lures the innocent and young Jane into marrying him. Even though the Rochester type of hero should contain a warning label, women are drawn to his brooding character. His words of love are filled with desperation. “My very soul demands you: it will be satisfied: or it will take deadly vengeance on its frame.” It’s not until the ultimate tragedy plays out that happy ever after arrives.

The Mr. Thornton Type – A successful man of determination in his business and family life. A bit too close to his mother, annoyed by his sister, but nonetheless respected by his peers. He is drawn to a woman of strong character, like himself, and they clash repeatedly like a stormy sea. “He shrank from hearing Margaret’s very name mentioned; he, while he blamed her–while he was jealous of her–while he renounced her–he loved her sorely, in spite of himself.”

The men above are just a small sampling, and I bet you can think of more.

The Edward Ferrars Type
The Willoughby Type
The Colonel Brandon Type
The Mr. Bingley Type

It’s an endless list of possible men who can make you swoon.

I don’t know that there is necessarily a perfect hero by any means because I believe women are drawn to types and situations when they think of falling in love between the pages of a book. Whether they be an arrogant male, steadfast friend, silent sufferer, tortured soul, or irritating sod, they possess alluring and attractive qualities. Every woman has their type. Of course, that makes it difficult for authors to consistently write the perfect hero!

Do you have a particular type of man that you like to read about in historical romance? Frankly, I like the silent suffering male who cannot live without me, like Captain Wentworth.

All our best from Historical Romance Books!