A question from a reader about creating and using secondary characters prompted me to think about the people in a book as though they were actors in a movie -- complete with pay scales. If an actor …
The importance of being edited
Lately I've been spending a fair bit of time with my e-reader in hand. And I have to say it's been … educational, and entertaining. And also a little sad, to see all the careless and well-meaning …
Splitting Heirs
Under the aristocratic system of primogeniture, followed almost religiously during the Regency period, the eldest son is the heir. He gets the title, the fortune, and the land. But what if there …
Creating Extraordinary Characters
For an interview today I was jotting some notes and talking points about characters -- a subject which can and does fill entire books. But here are the three traits which came to me as most important …
Mourning Customs
As a fan of Regency romances, I've always been interested in the mourning customs of the day -- black clothes and veils most of all. Then I discovered that my friend Loren the historian is even more …
Dear Margaret Mitchell
How would modern romance publishers react if Margaret Mitchell was submitting Gone With The Wind today? From: Today’s romance publishersTo: Margaret MitchellRegarding: Your submission, currently …