Monday 26 August 2019

Regency Bad Boys

Amy Rose Bennett is an Australian author who has a passion for penning emotion-packed historical romances. Of course, her strong-willed heroines and rakish heroes always find their happily ever after.

A former speech pathologist, Amy is happily married to her very own romantic hero and has two lovely, very accomplished adult daughters. When she's not creating stories, Amy loves to cook up a storm in the kitchen, lose herself in a good book or a witty rom-com, and when she can afford it, travel to all the places she writes about. Welcome, Amy Rose!



Regency bad boys… Are you a fan of the alpha-historical-romance hero with a bit of a bad-boy edge? I know I am. In fact, one of my absolutely favourite historical romance heroes is Lisa Kleypas’s Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent in The Devil in Winter. He’s just so wicked and alpha and delish!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7939893-the-devil-in-winter

In my soon-to-be released Regency romance How to Catch a Wicked Viscount—Book 1 in the Disreputable Debutantes series with Berkley—the wicked viscount in question is Nate Hastings, Lord Malverne, a devil-may-care rake who maintains he is ‘not the marrying kind’ whatsoever. While the Disreputable Debutantes series focuses on the trial and tribulations of a small group of aspiring debutantes who are expelled from a young ladies’ academy for ‘conduct unbecoming’, it’s also equally about Nate and his rakehell friends who fall head-over-heels in love with these resilient young women. 

After Miss Sophie Brightwell—the shy, bookish heroine of How to Catch a Wicked Viscount—and her friends find that the academy scandal continues to cling to them even after three years in exile, they reason that the only eligible men likely to overlook their stained reputations and consider them as potential wives are the real ‘bad boys’ of the ton with even worse reputations—rakehells. Indeed, Lady Chelmsford, the aunt of one of Sophie’s closest friends and academy-scandal-partner-in-crime, Lady Charlotte Hastings, maintains that reformed rakehells make the very best husbands. But as Sophie rightly points out, how does one make an elusive, marriage-averse rake fall in love with you? Thus, begins Sophie’s quest to capture the heart of wicked Lord Malverne, Charlotte’s older brother, who she has a huge crush on.

Image courtesy of: Berkley Romance

I, for one, can attest to Lady Chelmsford’s belief as I’ve been blissfully wed to my own ‘reformed rake’ for twenty-six years. My dear hubby is a former military pilot, and yes, I’ll happily confess that when we first met, I was drawn to his bad boy image, plus the fact he rocked a pair of aviator sunglasses (and still does).  

Image courtesy of: http://gph.is/1X80W12

Nate, Lord Malverne and his rakish friends also have military backgrounds; they all served in Wellington’s army and fought at the Battle of Waterloo. They’ve all been adversely affected by their time on the battlefield to some degree and on their return to Polite Society, they all ‘party’ a little too hard i.e. they spend most of their days indulging in ‘wine, women, and song’ and challenging each other to wicked wagers. For instance, at the beginning of How to Catch a Wicked Viscount, Nate and the Earl of Langdale (the ‘errant earl’ hero of Book 2 in the series, out in April next year) are tasked with stealing an item of underwear from a married countess with her own scandalous reputation. Indeed, Lord Langdale ends up having an adulterous affair with the countess (yes, he’s a very bad boy, but you’ll have to read How to Catch an Errant Earl to see how he’s reformed by the bluestocking heroine, Miss Arabella Jardine).

In How to Catch a Wicked Viscount a terribly foxed Nate accidentally compromises Sophie, a compromise that has him striking a wicked bargain with Charlotte: to avoid a scandal and the parson's mousetrap, Nate must help Sophie snare a husband. But as Nate fulfills his obligation and begins to instruct the lovely Sophie in the art of luring rakes, he soon finds himself battling his own fierce attraction to her.

Of course, the real rakehells of the Regency and Georgian period could be very wicked indeed and were infamous, not just for drinking and gambling to excess and fornicating with impunity, but sometimes engaging in outrageous debauchery that was beyond the pale. A prime example is Lord Byron—the English peer, Romantic poet, and revolutionary—who was famously described by one of his lovers, Lady Caroline Lamb, as ‘mad, bad, and dangerous to know’. Byron, who was well-known for his sexual escapades (apparently with both men and women) was rumoured to have had an incestuous affair with his half-sister, Augusta Leigh. They scandal was so great, his marriage to Anne ‘Annabella’ Millbanke broke down and in 1816, he was driven from England. He remained abroad until his death in 1824 in Greece during the Greek War of Independence. Even though Byron’s thoroughly wicked reputation endures to this day, I do love some of his poetry. She Walks in Beauty is one of my favourite poems (and indeed, it features in a scene or two in How to Catch a Wicked Viscount).

Image courtesy of: Wikimedia Commons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Byron#/media/File:Byron_1813_by_Phillips.jpg)

So, inquiring minds want to know: how bad do you actually like historical Romancelandia’s ‘bad boys’ to be? Is there any behaviour that you can’t forgive in a rake before the heroine manages to turn him into an adoring, devoted partner-for-life? And do you have a favourite Regency romance rakehell? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

For lovers of rakish heroes, How to Catch a Wicked Viscount is out on August 27th:
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2A0iOZ1

Amy's website and social media links:






Love to love… the Regency romance genre and its wicked rakehells.

Love to laugh… with my own reformed ‘bad boy’ husband every single day.

Love to learn… about the fascinating lives of real historical figures.

Monday 19 August 2019

The RWA 2019 Conference is Over: What’ll I Do Now?




By Marilyn Forsyth

I love the RWAus annual conference! From Anne Gracie’s ‘Welcome’ to Amy Andrews’ ‘Closing Keynote’ speech it was a three-day celebration of the fabulousness of our organisation. Huge congratulations to the whole conference team, under the very able leadership of the unflappable Tanya Kean.



As always, I had the best time participating in inspiring sessions, chatting with authors I admire, catching up with old friends, making new ones. Just spending time with like-minded people is a buzz you can’t beat.

Image courtesy of giphy



The workshops I attended were excellent and I took a gazillion notes. I was inspired. Motivated. Ready to get stuck into my wip.



But then I got home.


Image courtesy of giphy


To real life.

You’ve been there, you know the scenario: a stack of emails to take care of, a pile of dirty washing, a family who want to know all about my days away, and a drained body and brain.




I could have folded. I could have given in and done what needed to be done around the house first. Instead, I took up Jami Gold’s suggestion to maintain the writing conference “frame of mind” for just a few more days. (Jami is one of my favourite bloggers. Click here to go to her page).


Image courtesy of Pixabay




Her suggestion really paid off, so here’s what I did (after a good long sleep - 3 late nights in a row and I’m brain-dead.):







1. Re-read all my notes (I use Evernote, but One Note is also excellent for note-taking) and summarized key takeaways. (See below for just some of them.)


2. Located and sent off the stuff that I promised people I’d send them. (Except for my requests. I’ll send them off asap in the hope of the editors/agent remembering me, but I want to make sure they’re in top shape first.)


3. Updated my Facebook and email contacts, adding details of new people I connected with.


4. Downloaded some books I discovered through conversations with friends and rearranged my TBR pile (again 😉).


Some of My Top Takeaways

From Nalini Singh – ‘Leave your completed ms for at least 2 weeks before re-reading it to send off.’



From Anne Gracie – ‘In one of the paradoxes of storytelling, readers want to predict how the story will end (or how it will get to the end) but they want to be wrong.’ Steven James.



Emily Roach – ‘Show up on social media as the truest version of yourself. The more people get to know the real you, the more they know, like and trust you.’



Tracy Travis – ‘Stories which highlight what you wish to communicate are great, just keep them short and to the point during a presentation.’


Writing conferences are a heap of fun. The real work comes once they’re over, but all it takes is the right mind-set and a bit of organisation to make the most of what you learned.


Huge congratulations to the incoming RWA committee, to all the cheerful volunteers, to the competition finalists and winners, and to everyone who played a part in making the 2019 Conference such a success.

If you attended this year’s RWA Conference, what was the highlight for you?

Love to Love catching up with old friends and making new ones at the RWA Conference.

Marilyn Forsyth, Ali Sinclair, Alyssa J Montgomery

Alyssa J Montgomery

There were plenty of fantastic costumes!

Some of the winners at the conference dinner.

Love to Laugh at some of the amazing costumes at the cocktail party.

The crazy Paula Roe who never fails to make us laugh.

Love to Learn that the max word count for a single title romance is 90-95K words (according to the two publishers and an agent I pitched to).

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Monday 12 August 2019

Best Books So Far This Year!

Miranda's August Musings


Hello dear readers! I've decided to do what everyone else seems to do and tell you the Best Books I've Read this year. Everyone loves lists, right? You know, Summer Reading, Winter Reading (just did that, check it out here), Prize Winners for A, B, C and D awards; I just lap it up. At the beginning of each year we at Breathless pick our top read for the previous year. But picking just one isn't enough for me. 

So, ta-dah! Here are my romance Best Books so far for 2019! And gosh, I just realised what a terrible dilemma it's going to be to narrow it down!

MARRY IN SECRET by beloved Aussie author Anne Gracie. 

Photo credit: amazon.com

This is the 3rd book in Anne Gracie's 'Marriage of Convenience' series, and if you haven't already read them I urge you to start (what joy ahead). I cannot stress to you how much I love and adore Anne's books. Her characters strive to be the best people they can be, and encourage others around them to also step up; human nature at its best. They are kind, protective, valiant, strong, loving and utterly heroic. Add to that Anne's beautiful romance and fabulous sense of humour, and my heart is happy. There is a comic 'bonding' scene in this book between the heroine's brother and her suddenly-returned-from-the-dead naval husband, guaranteed to make you laugh. I love the fun in Anne's books, but this is just one scene out of many. A book full of absolute romance magic. 


Photo credit: amazon.com

What a delight this was to read! Fresh and funny, the story of flatmates who share a flat but actually don't meet for months. One works night shift: Leon, a quiet, introverted palliative care nurse; the other works during the day: Tiffy, a bubbly book editor, whose clothing choices would probably blind you in direct sunlight. Intrigued? I was, and it certainly paid off. The endless Post-it notes they leave each other are delightful, showing their different personalities - and also mark the beginning of a scrumptious romance, even though they're the last to know it. So many thanks, Beth O'Leary!


Photo credit: amazon.com

If' you read and enjoyed Sally Thorne's debut The Hating Game then it's probably a no-brainer to reach for her second book 99 Percent Mine, a walk on the wilder side, with dark humour and Darcie, a full-on heroine you might find confronting at first. I confess I was initially a bit startled by Darcie's fierceness, and how savagely biting her dialogue and thoughts are. But then I totally 'got' her defensive humour and ripped through the story so fast it was incredibly sad to reach the end... 99 Percent Mine is a romance for today, for the readers who want something to break through past perceptions of schmaltzy romance and take it to the next (edgy) level. 100 percent enjoyment!


Photo credit: amazon.com

I was bewitched by this charming read, a deceptively gentle rural/farm/family story from New Zealand. It's not a 'romance' as such until about half way through the book, then, wow, look out! At the beginning poor Jenny is confronted by news of her husband's affair with the next door neighbour - and that makes her already difficult day terrible. Outfall is inevitable and messy, but Danielle Hawkins writes with such strength, warmth, wit and wonderful characters, the story enchants. The book has a tremendous heart, and Jenny is terrific. I never thought I'd enjoy a day on the farm quite so much. You'll understand the custard reference when you read it!


Photo credit: amazon.com

I've mentioned the lovely Miss Prim in my post on Winter Reading but I simply have to add it in here with my faves. It's a beautiful book if you want to sit and bathe yourself in sunshine and luscious romance for the afternoon. One of the reasons I loved this book (and there are many) is the way the hero and heroine are so nice to each other. They haven't had the best of interactions in the past, but being on a Greek island together is a sure thing for magic to start. This is all about new beginnings, new possibilities, and a sparkling new romance. Win, win, win.


Photo credit: amazon.com

Sometimes you just need gentle, so this is perfect. Miriam, the youngest of the Holley Sisters, arrives home pregnant and alone. As her father was the vicar of Thornthwaite, and her sister is about to be married to the now recumbent vicar, Miriam feels her pregnancy brings difficulties into the family and church community. But the Holleys are made of love. Arms open everywhere, even in unexpected places. The romance in this book is a surprise. I can't give it away, but it makes complete sense once you realise where it's headed. Read this one with a sigh and a smile.

So! I could keep on and on and on... There are so many other fabbo romances that just beg to have their moment of fame, and I feel so sad I've left them out... Maybe (brightening up) I can do another blog towards the end of the year about the ones I've missed...???

Meanwhile, what's been your best reads so far this year?

Looking forward to hearing about your favourites!

Love from Miranda xx


Love to love: 

So much variety in romance these days! You can always suit your mood!

Love to laugh:

When authors gift us funny scenes. Always makes me happy.

Love to learn:

What are your favourite reads so far in 2019?




Monday 5 August 2019

A Dozen Ways to Hone Writing Skills

By Alyssa J. Montgomery

To date I have twelve published novels and three more books scheduled for release. I reflect on my novels and wish I could take the first couple of books back and rewrite them. That's a good thing because it means I've improved in my craft. Hopefully I'll look back on what I'm writing now and feel the same way in another few years, then I'll know I've grown as an author.

Writing is a craft which constantly needs to be honed. This came to light for me again at the end of last year when a lovely fellow romance writer critiqued a manuscript before it was submitted and pointed out a fundamental error - I had written 'He scratched his head in frustration'. She stated what should've been obvious to me - 'Leave it at 'He scratched his head' and let the reader figure out it was in frustration.'
Such a tiny, basic point and one I was well aware of, yet the error had slipped in to my writing and I hadn't identified it and polished it out.

With tight publishing schedules and all sorts of demands on our time as authors, how can we best continue to develop our skills so all the basic things become so fundamental we don't fall back into committing rookie errors a few years in to our careers?

1. Work with an editor.
Editorial guidance while writing a story is invaluable.

2. Read as many books as possible both within and outside the genres where we're published.
We can learn from others styles - what we like and what we don't like, what works and what doesn't work for us.


3. Attend conferences - even the odd boot camp. 
Although I was already published, I paid to attend a two day Boot Camp in New Orleans at a conference I went to some years ago. I was about to start another book and it was perfect timing because it forced me to revisit all the basics. Popular conferences will generally try to aim their workshops at various levels - aspiring, emerging and established authors - and have craft sessions to suit writers of different levels.

4. Look for on-line courses.
There are a plethora of these available. Speak to other authors and see if they've completed any they've found useful, or do a search for a topic you think might be one you specifically need to focus on.

5. Read back through 'How-to books
Don't let those old How-To books sit on the shelf and gather dust. Get them out and read them cover to cover, even if it's just a page at a time while you have your morning coffee or before you switch off your bedside light.

6. Be part of a writer's group/network.
Being around other writers not only stops the isolation so inherent in this profession, but allows for sharing of ideas and experiences. One of the things I find particularly useful in the Breathless in the Bush group is the way the group reads a title per month. At the monthly meeting there each person gives their opinion on the story/character development/appeal/writing techniques. Now I found last year I seldom had time to read the assigned title, but I certainly benefited from listening to the opinion of others and what to do and not to do is strongly reinforced.

8. Have your work critiqued by your peers.
If you can do this, it's gold! A great learning opportunity. When I was part of a critique group we found we each focused on different things when we were critiquing each other's work. All very valuable.

9. Surf the net for on-line articles
This can be very valuable even if it is time-consuming.

10. Read reviews and consider reader feedback.
Okay some people dread reviews but I'm not one of them. The only thing I don't appreciate in reviews is a reviewer giving away spoilers without spoiler alerts. If a reader doesn't like part of the story, that's fine. Sometimes I've learnt valuable things from reviewer comments, other times I might not relate to what they're saying, but then I accept it's a difference of taste. Someone commented an ending felt rushed. I've taken care since to ensure I spend a little longer wrapping up my stories. 

 11. Enter contests that give you feedback.
If you can handle the feedback and look at it as a way to improve your skills, great! Keep in mind, some feedback may be a matter of personal opinion and you can't please everybody all the time. 


12.Run courses
What better way to improve your craft than to teach it!

What do you do to ensure you continue to hone your writing skills?

Love to Love: Finding ways to improve.

Love to Laugh: At some of the errors I've made. (actually, I probably cringe more than laugh!)

Love to Learn: Through others critiquing my work.