TGTBTU’s Harlequin Insider: Michelle Styles On the State of the Historical
Not so long, long ago or far, far away, the Duckies were all aglow with the flush of the coming year. The new year is so full of promise, isn’t it? The promise of new releases, new authors to discover, new ideas for the blog. Sigh.
Then came The Move. Sigh again. The difficult, nearly disastrous move to a new server and a new template. With the head Duckie's full attention so thoroughly engaged, some of our wonderful plans did not quite happen. Almost. But...
We have been planning to spotlight Harlequin for several months and we're finally getting around to it. Like them or not, one cannot deny the publishing house’s impact on the genre. No other publisher offers such a wide variety for romance readers. Therefore, to celebrate this variety and the publisher's commitment to our obsession hobby, each month we will spotlight a different Harlequin/Silhouette line. We hope from that people will see some favorite authors and find some new ones.
The lovely and talented Michelle Styles, author of The Roman’s Virgin Mistress and The Gladiator’s Honor (among others) has agreed to write us a monthly news column from the Harlequin front. In fact, she has been far more diligent than us, already turning in several columns. Over the next few days, we will be catching you up on Michelle’s tidbits. And stay tuned for more things Harlequin.
So, without further ado, I give you the first edition of TGTBTU's Harlequin Insider...
TGTBTU's Harlequin Insider: The State of the Historical
by Michelle Styles
Is the Historical genre on the upswing?
There have been rumors of a historical upswing for months. Or maybe it is simply the realization by publishers and booksellers that a large proportion of romance readers enjoy reading Historicals. Harlequin remains committed to providing quality reading for this segment. Not only with its Harlequin Historical program (which provides four books per month in retail, six per month direct and through its e-book program), but also through its single title programs, HQN and Mira and new venture Love Inspired Historical.
On 27 January 2008, when asked what HQN was looking for, Keyren Gerlach, editorial assistant for HQN stated on the blog Magical Musings: 'Sexy historicals, romantic comedies, dark paranormals, fantasy, emotional tearjerkers. You name it, we do it, as long as the romance plot is the main star of the narrative. (But we are anticipating that historicals are poised to make a comeback.)'
The Love Inspired Historical line debuts this month with two strong offerings
The Briton, a Medieval from debut author Catherine Palmer, and Homespun Bride, a Western from veteran Harlequin Historical author, Jillian Hart. Love Inspired Historicals will publish two books per month which feature overt religious themes as well as providing a great romance. The authors will be a mix of new and multi-published authors, including Victoria Bylin and Cheryl St John. As Bylin pointed out recently, her westerns often have featured preachers and so this is a natural progression for her work.
According to the guidelines: "... the time periods included in the series will be biblical fiction, Americana (e.g. Westerns, post-Civil War, etc.), European historical eras (e.g. Tudor, Regency and Victorian England, eighteenth-century Scotland, etc.) and twentieth-century (turn-of-the-century through World War II). We are also interested in stories featuring missionaries abroad in exotic locations during various historical periods. We are not looking for stories set in Colonial America or the Civil War at this time." You can the full guidelines on EHarlequin.Com. The books are 70,000- 75,000 words (computer count).
M& B celebrates 100 years!
Interest in the Mills & Boon centenary continues to grow, with extensive coverage of the Mills & Boon story featured in the British quality press including The Times, The Sunday Observer and the Daily Mail. Most articles make reference to the infamous Violet Winspear quote from 1970 about how her heroes had to be capable of rape. It should be noted that Violet Winspear was a shy spinster whose personal experience of life may have been lacking. Today's Mills & Boon authors reject that notion, pointing out that the category hero has changed with the times and reflects the fantasies of today’s reader rather than the social mores of the late 1960s.
The articles also mention real life heroine and Mills & Boon novelist, Ida Cook (Mary Burchill), who used the proceeds from her writing to help rescue Jewish people from Nazi Germany. Afterwards, she continued to support Jewish refugees. The Observer’s article contains a quotation from best selling novelist Jilly Cooper: 'After all, life's bloody tough. Mills & Boon is much better than binge drinking.' [Ed note: how about binge brinking while reading Mills & Boon?] For those interested in such things, Harlequin was founded in 1949 in Winnipeg and started buying in Mills & Boon Medical romances in 1954. Harlequin purchased Mills & Boon in 1972.
M&B in India
Mills & Boon also received coverage in the Times this week for its move into India. This is seen as confirmation of the burgeoning middle class in India, who seem to want to purchase their books rather than borrow them from the numerous circulating libraries. Despite the mention of Louise Allen’s Virgin Slave, Barbarian King by the Times, the offerings at the moment are limited to the Romance, Presents and Desire lines.
If they prove a success, the other lines will be included. Andrew Go, the managing director of Harlequin Mills & Boon India, also confirmed that he is hoping to discover several India-based authors. As with any of Harlequin Enterprise authors, these authors would be published on a global scale.
Is there any word whether Harlequin Historicals will have another Carla Kelly title in 2009? Please, please say yes!
I've actually never been that in love with Harlequin historicals - not sure why, since I really like that genre. Maybe I'll give it another go. I also read an article on Ida Cook a few weeks a go - very cool!
Oh I could talk Harlequin Historical with you for hours ;).
As for Carla Kelly... looks like Jennie has this to say:
Carla Kelly popped up last week on AAR's message board to post this:
Yippee!
My one complaint is I want longer books. I hate the lower word limits.
Although I use Harlequins as a fast read.
Not one, but three! Yippee is right. With a few squees thrown in for good measure. Thanks for the news!
Now here is a topic after my own heart. Thanks, Michelle, for the really interesting blog. I didn't know about the India releases. Always great to hear of a new market. I'd also like to wish the women of the new Love Inspired Historicals line very good luck with their releases. That sounds like a fascination combination of two popular genres.
Jenna Kernan
http://www.jennakernan.com
OUTLAW BRIDE, Harlequin Historical, February 2008
I'm a total sucker for Harlequin, and Sybil knows how much I love me the HH line. Glad to see things calmed down here at the pond cuz I was really looking forward to the start of Michelle's columns
Thanks for this topic, Sybil, and thank you, Michelle for your insights. Since historicals are my favorite genre, I'm always encouraged to hear of them gaining popularity in the marketplace. It's a good sign that Harlequin has launched the Steeple Hill line, and I'm delighted to have a book contracted for them. I plan to turn it into a series, so hopefully the trend continues to climb.
Jenna! Don't be getting any ideas! I too will try and be somewhat selfless and wish the line well cuz woot westerns. BUT HANDS off my HH authors!
They already had Jillian Hart! Did they need Cheryl St. John too? ::sniff:: 1 book she sez... it always starts with one...
Victoria Bylin I can understand and she is a great fit as she was pretty close to inspy as it was without being too inspy.
But really no no no no Cheryl St. John should write HH. Sez me. hmmm I should go get my hands on that list.
ACK!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seeeeeeeeeeeeeee it starts with one! ::dies::
Phyl, I'm eagerly awaiting that Carla Kelly right along with you.
I like a lot of the HH, got into them at first looking for some books by the M&B authors.
Hooray that this is happening.
Sybil -- yes, I knew that there was going to be another Carla Kelly.
Love Inspired Historical looks like it is going to be an interesting and innovative line. They have just signed Carla Capshaw who has done a Roman for them. It will be a June 09 release, title to be determined.
But this does not mean HH has become any less interesting. In March, there is Bronwyn Scott with her book, The Pickpocket Countess. The US cover is lovely. April sees a new Kate Bridges Klondike Fever(I like Kate Bridges' Mounties) and May sees Nicola COrnick's 25th book and foray into Edwardian England -- The Last Rake in London. Also in May, my first Viking is published in the US (it was published in October in the UK) -- Taken by the Viking.
There are pros and cons to the lower word count limit. And for many writers, it is not really a change as it is the length they were already writing.
When HH went to UK editorial, they changed from word page count to computer count. Because word page count is always an average rather than an absolute figure like computer count, you will end up with a higher figure for word page count. Depending on how much dialogue the writer uses, in a book the size of a HH, you can be looking at a 10k discrepency. So the seeming decrease is slightly illusionary and merely an adjustment in the counting method.
It is up to the author to ensure the read remains just as rich and vibrant as ever, regardless of the word count. For the author, it means getting more clever with words and making sure every word does count. HH are supposed to be quick page turning reads which are primarily focused on the growth of the emotional relationship between the central couple. Longer historicals are published under the HQN brand -- for example Margaret Moore's latest Knave's Honor and Nicola Cornick. Mira also publishes some historical.
I can talk Historicals all day long, but with this column, I am going to give an overview of some of the things that are happening within Harlequin.
Yay for Michelle and Sybil! So glad to see you guys put this together. Congrats to Cheryl and everyone on the new Love Inspired Historicals. Looking forward to your regular column, Michelle!
Hi Michelle,
I'm looking forward to seeing more articles about our beloved Harlequin Historical line! Wow, I didn't know about the India releases. Great news that we are opening new doors with HH.
Charlene Sands
Taming the Texan - March 2008
Hi Michelle,
What a great column! I'm looking forward to checking in and reading more of your reporting.
Thank you for mentioning my debut novel set in ancient Rome. As you mentioned, it's waiting on an official title. For now, it's called The Heart Beckons. My website is under construction, but if anyone would like to read an excerpt, they can go to: http://www.carlacapshaw.com/books.html.
Thanks again!
Sorry about that. The link to read an excerpt is http://www.carlacapshaw.com/books.html.
Can't wait to read Carla Capshaw's story. I've read bits and pieces and it is an amazing read.
Hi,
My first Love Inspired Historical, HER CAPTAIN'S HEART, will be released this December, the first in my series of three crusading Quaker Sisters in post Civil War US. My first heroine Verity heads to Virginia to open a Freedman's School to teach former slaves how to read and how to vote. And runs smack into the stirrings of backlash in the form of the KKK. I had a great time researching and writing it.
And EXTRA NOTE ABOUT THE RETURN TO HISTORICALS--I am a coordinator for a readers choice contest and last year I had a hard time getting readers to judge the long historical category. This year it is the most popular category! That to me shows a real shift in readers going back to their fave-- historicals.
Hugs,
Lyn