Regency and Christmas seem to go together very well – almost like Lizzie and Darcy! There is a fairly long tradition of Regency novellas set around the winter holiday season – the first such coming from Signet in 1989.
Readers who loved these stories would find much to like with the individual e-books and print collection issued almost annually by Cotillion, the Regency imprint from Ellora’s Cave. (Yes, you read that right – EC, the world’s largest publisher of erotica and/or Romantica™ is also one of the very few publishers willing to consider NEW Regency books.) We all owe a debt of gratitude to Publisher Raelene Gorlinsky for her persistence in publishing our favorite books.
As did most of us, she grew up reading Georgette Heyer, and bemoaned the premature kill-off by the big NY publishers, so she determined to do something about it. Hence – Cotillion. I was thrilled to learn about this in the fall of 2006, just as it was getting itself off the ground. It just so happened that I had an unpublished Regency novel hanging around—for nearly twenty years! Bertie’s Golden Treasure (http://www.ellorascave.com/bertie-s-golden-treasure-1.html) was the first book of mine that was accepted by EC. I was in alt! Last year, I produced a novella for the Christmas collection: Wagered Kiss,
(http://www.ellorascave.com/wagered-kiss.html) one of five stories wrapped around the delightful theme of Christmas Kisses (the title of the anthology.) I’m working on one for next year the theme of which is Christmas Traditions.
This year’s book, mentioned in the October blog, is Christmas Surprises, and each of the four stories chosen contains an not-so-ordinary surprise within its pages. I’ve now read them all, and confess to being delighted with each of them. If you like traditional Regencies, you should rejoice at having this collection available!
If you want to try your hand at writing a traditional Regency, submission guidelines for next year’s anthology may be found here: http://www.ellorascave.com/write-for-us/
Do be sure you’re not mistaking Victorian Christmas traditions for those of the Regency. They’re vastly different, my dears. The Christmas stories should be between 12,000 and 25,000 words, and if you are not currently an EC author, deadline is May 15. However, you should also know that you are not limited to just Christmas stories. NO! Cotillion is open for any story, true to the period, and any length – from 7,000 to 75,000 words. There are specific instructions to be followed for submitting to Ellora’s Cave, and if I could do it, so can you! (Because the web-site is still under construction, the guidelines are difficult to reach just now. If you'd like to have a copy of them, please write to me directly. My e-mail is listed below.
Whether you’re a reader or a writer, there are also other markets available for these quieter, more gentle books, as well. Some publishers still do print versions along with the e-books, while some are strictly electronic. Okay – pens at the ready? Go!
Thank you -- and Happy New Year's wishes to all of you -- even if you don't care for Regencies!
Hetty St James @ gmail.com (remove the spaces, please)
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