Regency or Regency-set Historical? by Cheryl Bolen

One of our recently featured authors, Cheryl Bolen, has graciously given us permission to publish some of her articles here at the Beau Monde. We begin with an article she wrote in which she explains how she got started writing Regencies. She also provides a clear and concise explanation of the difference between traditional Regencies and romance novels set in the period of the English Regency. This article was originally published in 2002, and sadly, since its original publication, her predictions on the fate of traditional Regency romances have come to pass. Nevertheless, this article will give those writing in the Regency genre a rare look at the development of romance novels set in our favorite period of history, from the perspective of an author successfully published in that genre.

We hope you will enjoy reading Cheryl’s candid look at the business of Regency romance writing  . . .

Continue reading “Regency or Regency-set Historical? by Cheryl Bolen”

Cheryl Bolen – Featured Beau Monde Author

Cheryl Bolen - Beau Monde author headshot

Cheryl Bolen is today’s Featured Beau Monde Author.

Cheryl Bolen is the acclaimed author of eight Regency-set historical romance novels published by Harlequin Historical and Zebra Historicals, some of which are now available as e-books. Her books have placed in several writing contests, including the Daphne du Maurier, and have been translated into eleven languages. She was named Notable New Author in 1999, and in 2006 she won the Holt Medallion (Honoring Outstanding Literary Talent) for Best Short Historical Novel. Her last two books became Barnes & Noble bestsellers.

A former journalist who admits to a fascination with dead Englishwomen, Cheryl is a regular contributor to The Regency Plume, The Regency Reader, and The Quizzing Glass. Many of her articles can found on her website, www.CherylBolen.com. Cheryl holds a dual degree in English and journalism from the University of Texas, and she earned a master’s degree from the University of Houston. She and her professor husband are the parents of two sons, one who is an attorney, and the other a journalist.

Find her at www.cherylbolen.com

Tracey Devlyn; Featured Beau Monde Author

Tracey Devlyn - Beau Monde Author headshot

Tracey Devlyn is today’s Featured Beau Monde Author.

Tracey Devlyn writes historical romantic thrillers (translation: a slightly more grievous journey toward the heroine’s happy ending). She accepted a three-book deal from Sourcebooks, Inc. in April 2010. Her first release, A Lady’s Revenge, will hit the bookstores in April 2012.

Tracey is a co-founder of Romance University, a group blog dedicated to readers and writers of romance. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and the Hearts Through History, The Beau Monde, Women’s Fiction, and Windy City Romance Writers of America chapters.

An Illinois native, Tracey spends her evenings harassing her once-in-a-lifetime husband and her weekends torturing her characters.

 

Find her at Facebook@TraceyDevlyntraceydevlyn.com/blogtraceydevlyn.com

Nicole Jordan – Featured Beau Monde Author

Nicole Jordan - Beau Monde author headshot

Nicole Jordan is today’s Featured Beau Monde Author.

New York Times bestselling author Nicole Jordan spins delightful Regency tales that simmer with passion and sensuality. With over two dozen historical romances to her credit and six million books in print, Nicole has earned such honors as RITA finalist, RWA’s Favorite Book of the Year, the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, and the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence, presented by a group of over one hundred romance reviewers.

In her former life, Nicole grew up as an Army brat, moving frequently and attending high school in Germany. She later earned a civil engineering degree from Georgia Tech. Currently Nicole lives in the Rocky Mountains of Utah with her real-life hero (her husband) and beloved kids (her horses).

Find her at Facebooknicolejordanauthor.com

Heather Boyd – Featured Beau Monde Author

Heather Boyd - Beau Monde author headshot

Heather Boyd is today’s Featured Beau Monde Author.

Heather Boyd is a fan of novels of the English Regency. She has only recently turned her hand to writing, admitting that she finds life as a romance author very exciting. She is the author of erotic romances with an historical bent. She does not like her romance sugar-coated, and is fascinated by the strange language and customs of bygone times, especially those of the Regency. She therefore takes delight in writing m/f and m/m stories which push the boundaries of propriety and even break the laws of that era.

Heather has chosen to eschew literary representation and has come to believe that independent publishing is an essential component of her writing career. She looks eagerly to the future and believes the best of her work is yet to come.

Find her at Facebook@Heather_Boydheatherboyd.wordpress.com/www.heather-boyd.com

Regency Promenade – About Lord Byron

To begin The Beau Monde’s new series on Regency Personages, Nancy Mayer,

Regency Researcher Extraordinaire, takes great delight in presenting –

About Lord Byron

About Lord Byron by Nancy Mayer

Lord Byron in Albanian Dress Image via Wikipedia
Portrait of Lord Byron for the Beau Monde blog article

Lord Byron
1788 – 1824In April 1812, Lord Byron “awoke and found himself famous.” The occasion was the publication of the first two cantos of his “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage,” a poetical version of his journey to Greece.

It wasn’t exactly true that he had been unknown before 1812. He had been a man of interest to society ever since his return from travels to Spain and Greece. He was a bachelor peer and a new face on the social scene.

The publication of the poem made people of all classes more aware of him.

Lord Byron had a crippled foot and an air that made him wildly attractive to some females. He became the lion of the hour. He received more invitations than a man could possibly accept. He, also, if all tales are correct, received locks of hair from the head and pubic area of females, as well as gifts, love letters and all the silly things females still send to celebrities.

Not all ladies were attracted to him. Miss Edgeworth wasn’t as impressed by him as he was by her.

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Take your lumps! Sweet ones!

A cross-post from The Regency Redingote:

Tea parties are common events in innumerable Regency romance novels. Countless characters in attendance at those fictional events take sugar in their tea. But the manner in which they take that sugar is not always historically accurate.

Will that be lumps or cubes?

Continue reading “Take your lumps! Sweet ones!”

Elena Greene – Featured Beau Monde Author

Elena Greene - Beau Monde author head shot

Elena Greene is today’s Featured Beau Monde Author.

A long time fan of Regency era romance, Elena Greene began writing her own stories after an inspiring three-year international assignment in the United Kingdom. She has written five Regency romances and a Regency novella. Her books have won the Desert Rose Golden Quill Award, the Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of Excellence and the National Readers’ Choice Award. They have also been nominated for the Holt Medallion and the Booksellers’ Best Award.

Elena’s last book, Lady Dearing’s Masquerade, was awarded the Romantic Times Best Regency Romance of 2005.

After a long hiatus due to a family crisis, Elena is happily writing again. She lives in upstate New York with her husband and two children.

Find her at — www.riskyregencies.blogspot.com/www.elenagreene.com