So why are Regency romances as popular as ever? Romance readers of all stripes know that a happily-ever-after ending is coming by the last page of any romance they pick up. But historical romance readers want more – they also want the fantasy world that historical romances create. After all, we live in the same world as contemporary romances (international tycoons aside…for most of us, unfortunately). But historicals give us not just the swooning romance but also the fairytale fantasy of escaping the contemporary world. Okay, let’s be honest. For all that historical romance writers do our best to be historically accurate with the details, the overall world we portray in our pages is pure fantasy. The real Regency era was smelly, dirty, disease-ridden, filled with a large amount death and starvation, a dearth of good teeth, and very limited indoor plumbing. Very limited. Even Jane Austen, the original Queen of Regency Romance Novels, avoided this darker side of life, only tangentially including poverty and war into her books, although both were pervasive in real Regency England. What romance readers want, though, isn’t reality; they want the fairytale world of castles (or at least grand country estates), carriages, dashing princes…

1: Sink me! I adore a good caper. And The Scarlet Pimpernel is a GORGEOUS movie and full of hilarious banter. Plus, it features an amazing cast that includes a young Ian McKellen! 2: Emma with Romola Garai is my very favorite version. It is such a treat! Romola plays Emma as fun, feisty, and yet limited by the fact she’s never left home. Also, they do a great job of giving context to the childhoods of supporting characters. A really lovely and fun presentation! 3: Girls are boss! In this very gritty, funny, and pretty true series, Harlots gives Georgian England the full female treatment. I’ve read a lot about Covent Garden and the show holds true to form. This one is not for the light of heart or for those who prefer their love scenes off screen. Produced, directed, and largely acted by women, I love it! So gorgeous! 4: War and Peace sounds really heavy and it is serious, but I could look at the main characters in their fabulous costumes in their fabulous settings all day. It’s a gorgeous trip back into the height of war time 1800s. The balls are out of this world. 5:…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WAITING FOR A SCOT LIKE YOU 2–What is it about? Major Duncan McCameron is struggling to adjust to life in peacetime, so as a favor to a friend he agrees to escort a widowed countess on a trip north. He didn’t anticipate that Lady Faris would be a vibrant woman eager to explore all of life’s experiences. They clash at first, but as their journey turns into a wild ride, they can’t deny the explosive attraction between them. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love road stories because they’re always full of adventure, and this book is no different! 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  Beatrice’s zest for living comes from the fact that she’s spent most of her life in an unsatisfying, confining marriage, and I loved learning how determined she is to finally break free. 5–Why will readers love your hero?  Three words: grumpy Scot Dom. Okay, two more words: younger man. 6–What was one of your biggest challenges while writing this book (spoiler-free, of course!)?  Making sure that Duncan and Beatrice challenge but also complement each other on their emotional as well as physical…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  THE PRICE OF TEMPTATION 2–What is it about?  An estranged married couple must reunite to circumvent blackmail against the family. This book started out life as “Pride and Prejudice if Lizzy were a jewel thief and Darcy were a conman” and took on a life of its own from there. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Resourceful. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  His utter devotion to the heroine. Even after years apart, Adam is still willing to do anything to protect and support Lily. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  In this case, each other. Both have an unfortunate habit of trying to fix situations on their own, but when they’re really in need, Adam and Lily know they can count on one another despite their rocky history. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book? With every book I write in the Regency era, I love to dive deeper into a certain aspect of the history. In this case, I did a lot of research about the fad of Egyptomania and how this love for all things Ancient Egyptian affected certain social circles….

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-ReaderMatch” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Anna Harrington! Writes: Suspenseful, sexy Regency romances with a modern feel with dashing heroes and fiercely independent heroines. An Inconvenient Duke, the first book in the new Lords of the Armory series, is based loosely on comic book superheroes in which an evil organization named Scepter plans to overthrow the British monarchy; only the Lords of the Armory possess the powers to stop it. About: Historical romance writer who wishes she could time travel seeks same! Loves ballroom dancing, gardening, and taking long walks, as well as coffee, roses, jazz music, and all things chocolate. I’m looking to meet someone who understands that real men wear cravats and aren’t afraid to waltz. Should we hit it off, I promise to fill your rainy and winter afternoons with plenty of adventure and spice between the covers. So let’s give it a shot and see if we can spark a “happily ever after.” What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Loves dashing soldiers turned dukes who possess a vulnerable side…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  HIS SECRET MISTRESS, the first book of The Logical Men’s Society’s Guide to Dangerous Women series 2–What is it about?  It is about the one that got away. You know, that person whose path crossed ours with such intensity, we couldn’t believe what the relationship promised was real.  So, for whatever reason, we made other choices. Still, the memory of that relationship lingers in the back of our minds years after we have gone on—until we rediscover each other.  Fun stuff because usually, the first parting was not present. 3–What word best describes your heroine(s)?  I will go with a phrase: They aren’t fools. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  That in spite of being mutton-headed at times, his heart is always in the right place. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Friends.  Friends are our sounding boards, our mini-mes.  I need my friends to give me a hard shove in the right direction when I go astray . . . or start feeling sorry for myself. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I’ve been writing about Regency England for over twenty-five years. …

Imposter Syndrome. Definition. “Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud’.” What does that mean? Well, it means that rather than feel like you’ve actually accomplished something great, you feel like your success is a product of luck and not actual skill. That any moment, you will be called out as a fraud, as someone who doesn’t deserve the praise or benefits of that success. Is that something you have? I know I do. And I struggle with it daily. Before I ever picked up a pen to write a book, I was a reader. I’ve read thousands of books over my 38 years, so you can imagine all the amazing authors I have to compare myself to. Kresley Cole, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Victoria Ashley, Tess Gerritsen, Sybil Bartel, Alison Aimes–the list goes on and on. I’ve read and enjoyed their work and because I am also a born writer, I internalize their artistic abilities, learning from them, get inspired by them and their talent. And when it comes time for me to sit down and actually write my own books. ….

My new book is called How to Cross a Marquess. Five years ago, Roger Berwick and Fenella Fairclough rebelled when their fathers tried to marry them off. They would not be ordered about! A whole lot has happened since then. They’ve both changed, and now a fiery attraction has flared between them. It’s just too ironic. Circumstances have brought these former enemies much closer than they ever could have anticipated. But various people don’t like that idea at all. The path to a happy future is convoluted. So for these two: H is for history. Theirs is complicated. O is for oh! Neither expected the passion that has flared between them. So surprising with someone you’ve known for most of your life. But people change. W is for the worrisome anonymous letters spreading rumors about them through the neighborhood. How do you fight an invisible adversary? T is for time. There seemed to be so much, and now there’s nearly none. O is for opponent. But who is it? C is for choleric. Roger finds his temper sweetened by his lovely neighbor. R is for reminiscence. Roger’s mother has much to recall. O is for overset, as circumstances spiral out…

Hello! I’m Tina Gabrielle and I write adventurous historical romance featuring feisty ladies and bold heroes. I’m excited to be on Fresh Fiction to celebrate my new historical release, HOW TO BEST A MARQUESS, the second book in my Raven Club series. Writing a novel is not an easy task. I think of it as a rollercoaster ride of emotion. One day I can be struggling with the dreaded sagging middle, and the next day my fingers are flying over the keyboard. Writer’s block is also a dreaded phenomenon, and it can result in frustration and depression. I’ve experienced a form of it. Whether I’m staring at a blank screen or an empty piece of paper, it can be crippling. Thankfully, I’ve used helpful tips to overcome it. Exercising works best for me. I’m a lap swimmer, and I’ve found the quiet time away from the kids and work very helpful. I’m able to simply think. If this doesn’t work, I change my environment. I’m not a coffee drinker, but I go to my nearest Starbucks with my laptop and order a large iced tea. Something about being around people, without having to talk to anyone, helps me focus. I’ve…

I’ve explored many themes over the years while writing historical romance. In doing so, I discovered the potential obstacles to two people falling in love and being together were pretty much the same in the periods in which my stories are set as they are now—family issues, economic/class disparity, job demands, etc. I’ve written about all of those. Another, perhaps stickier challenge when writing period romance is tackling societal approval for a so-called “unconventional” love. Except…it’s not an issue restricted to period romance. It’s an issue for romance, period. Although humanity has (generally) made great social progress over the last three hundred years, there are still some big societal hurdles to be leaped—for some, hurdles that have existed for millennia. I address one of these in my new release A Wicked Reputation. A Wicked Reputation features not one, but two romances, one revealed in the back cover copy, the other more subtly implied. Without spoiling too much, I can tell you that while both couples encounter immense challenges to achieving their happy ever after, the danger for one of these is far greater. For this couple, because of societal intolerances of the period (which, unfortunately, haven’t yet been entirely eradicated),…