Anne here, with an interview with my last editor at Harlequin, Linda Fildew. Based at the London office of Harlequin Enterprises, Linda is the editor in charge of Harlequin Historical (Nth America) and Mills and Boon Historical (UK.) The historicals have huge world-wide appeal and come out in a range of countries.
Linda, welcome!
Thank you for inviting me on to the Word Wenches blog, Anne. I’m looking forward to answering as many questions as I can.
Linda, you’ve worked at Mills & Boon for many years. Can you tell us how you started out and how things have changed in that time?
I came to publishing because of a love of books, and I’ve been at Harlequin Mills & Boon all my working life. Quite amazing, I know! I joined just as Mills & Boon launched its historical programme, then called Masquerade, and was part of the team which got this off the ground. I still have a photo of myself dressed in Regency costume at the launch party! I’ve worked in a number of editorial acquisition roles on the contemporary side of the business and am most happy to be back now with my first love, Historicals, where I am Senior Editor. This means I have responsibility for the acquisition of between 72-82 original historical books a year which first appear across North America’s Harlequin Historical and UK’s Mills & Boon Historical lines. Mills & Boon in Australia and other countries make their selection from these books. Harlequin is a global company, so keeping in mind what has worldwide appeal is an important part of the acquisition process.
There have been a number of big changes during my working life. When I joined the company John and Alan Boon (sons of the one of the founders) were very much in evidence as Chairman and Editorial Director. The staff were all crammed into small premises in London’s Foley Street and the Post Office Tower was perfectly placed just around the corner for author lunches. The company was growing apace even then and, now, we reside in leafy Richmond, on the edge of London, close to a beautiful stretch of the river Thames. We’re part of Harlequin Enterprises which is the world’s leading publisher of romantic fiction. One of the biggest editorial changes I’ve seen is the way the hero has evolved over time. When stories were seen almost exclusively from the heroine’s perspective the hero, of necessity, was often aloof and enigmatic. Over time he has come to reveal more of his own thoughts which has had the effect of creating a much more three-dimensional character, although I have to confess there’s a lot to be said for the occasional hero who doesn’t give much away!
The romance market is always developing and changing. What are you looking for now in historicals? And what are your own particular preferences?
What remain ever-popular are historicals set in Regency times. The love of authors such as Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer never fades so this successfully keeps feeding reader appetite for this time period. In North America Westerns are key performers while in our Overseas markets, such as Japan and Italy, Medievals are highly popular.
We’re happy to consider a wide variety of time periods from Ancient Civilisations – such as Greece, Rome and Egypt - up to and including the Second World War. In a nutshell, what we’re looking for are well paced, well characterised, well researched, emotionally intense stories where the main focus is on the developing relationship between the hero and heroine. I do have a soft spot for sexy Viking heroes, myself, and embittered, battle-scarred loners be they warriors or outcasts from the Regency ton.
M&B historicals have a reputation for being flexible and wide-ranging in the time settings accepted -- a boon (no pun intended) for the reader looking for something different. In fact at the recent RWA conference in Washington, I heard a Golden Heart winner tell people that she'd been warned she'd never sell that setting, but that Mills & Boon bought it. And Mills & Boon were the first to take a chance on Diane Gaston's controversial book with a courtesan heroine -- and now everyone's doing it. So what settings do you accept?
As already mentioned, we are open to strong storylines well told. We will seriously consider stories which break boundaries as long as the writing convinces us that the journey into, for example, the Regency underworld or into less familiar Asian cultures will be an exciting and emotionally rewarding one.
Who are some rising stars in HH? The exciting new voices people should look for. We already know about Nicola Cornick.
All of our authors are stars! I would like to highlight some outstanding authors who are published this month in North America. Carole Mortimer – celebrating publication of her 150th Presents book this year – is now also contributing to the historical line. THE DUKE’S CINDERELLA BRIDE is the first in a Regency quartet about The Notorious St Claires. We’re very pleased to welcome Carole to the line and know you’ll find her Regency Rake heroes sinfully delicious. Louise Allen’s THE PIRATICAL MISS RAVENHURST is the final tale in her six-book family miniseries. Warm wit and sensuality combine to make this a special book. Blythe Gifford’s Medieval IN THE MASTER’S BED features a heroine who dresses as a young man to attain the independence she so desires. She doesn’t foresee her attraction to Duncan, who stirs unknown but delightful sensations in her highly receptive, very feminine body!
Kathryn Albright writes a wonderfully emotional story with a Western setting. TEXAS WEDDING FOR THEIR BABY’S SAKE features a war-shattered hero (a Linda favourite!) who feels he no longer fits into society – until his fiancée tracks him down and proves that he has all to live for…
I hope I’ve whetted your appetite to sample these and other Harlequin Mills & Boon novels. These can be found on www.eHarlequin.com and www.millsandboon.co.uk as print and also eBooks. We are constantly adding to our ebook backlist so you can now go and download books you might have missed out on.
I'm drooling at the delicious covers. And I'm so pleased about the backlist coming out in e-books -- it might be the nudge I need to get me to buy an e-reader.
As well as readers, we have a number of aspiring writers who visit this blog regularly. What are some of the problems you see in manuscripts that come to you?
Lack of research is a key one. Historical readers love to pick up a book, enter into the story and really feel as if they are there. Authors need to do enough research so that the background feels authentic without the story seeming like a historical text book. It’s a fine line to walk. I always think the hardest part for an author must be to decide what gets to stay in the story and what must be cut out to help pacing and bring the focus back to the all-vital developing relationship between the hero and heroine.
Some stories can feel claustrophobic set within one Regency family home, or one Norman castle’s walls because the author hasn’t the confidence to go beyond them. You don’t have to know all the politics of the day, but some social context is necessary because readers love to feel they’ve learnt something about the period along with enjoying the romance.
To turn this round, what I want to see is a storyline where you can tell the author is in love with her characters. There's a depth to their personalities which shows that the writer has got to know them intimately and understands what motivates and drives them. It's how the hero and heroine interact that is key to a good historical romance. The authentic background is important, but it's the developing relationship between your main protagonists that is key. Take the reader into their world and hold them there with good pacing, natural dialogue, intense emotion, and a strong storyline.
What new developments are happening in HH? I’ve heard about the Undone series of short e-books. Would you care to explain more?
Undone is an exciting new venture for Harlequin Historical! Launched November 1, 2008, these short, sexy, scandalous stories appear in ebook format. Available from eharlequin and other ebook distributors. The length is between 10 and 15,000 words, and we encourage submissions for any time period. We've widened our horizons and are also encouraging paranormal and time travel stories. We are looking for a high level of sensuality that flows naturally out of the plotline. There should be a strong emotional basis to the heightened attraction--it's vital the reader can believe in the intense emotion driving the characters as their relationship develops. These stories should be hot, sexy, and subtly explicit without the lovemaking being vulgar or gratuitous. Full guidelines are on eHarlequin's and millsandboon’s websites.
We launched with 4 Undones and continue with 1 a month. In our anniversary month (1 year old in November 09!) we are featuring 2 stories and will publish 1 - 2 stories each month as we move into 2010. In November we’re delighted to introduce some newly acquired authors. 3 talented new authors have been signed up so far from unsolicited submissions for Undone.
For any aspiring writers who have been daunted by the idea of writing an historical of over 70,000 words, the shorter Undones might now give you the opportunity you've been looking for. Look out this month for Michelle Willingham’s THE WARRIOR’S FORBIDDEN VIRGIN.
It sounds like a very vibrant and exciting program, Linda. Thank you so much for answering my questions and visiting here at the Word Wenches. I know you're extremely busy, so I appreciate your generosity.
It was my pleasure, Anne. Now, if any of your readers have any questions to ask me, I'll do my best to answer them.
Linda will be giving away a book to several readers who leave comments or ask questions.
