Meet Nicola Cornick . . .

Hi all, Anne here, introducing my friend English historical romance author, Nicola Cornick. We started off as "baby" authors at much the same time, and struck up a cyber friendship from our different corners of the world. Nicola's written twenty-three historical romances for Harlequin Mills and Boon (Harlequin Historicals) and seven for HQN Books. As well as being popular with readers all over the world, she's also had critical acclaim; she's been a RITA finalist twice, has twice finalled in the Romantic Novelists’ Association's Romance Prize and has been nominated for several Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Awards. 

I am delighted to welcome Nicola to the Word Wench blog. 

NC: Thank you very much for inviting me to blog with the Word Wenches, Anne! It’s a great pleasure to be here.  

AG: Nicola, tell us a little about yourself. 

NC:  Well, to introduce myself - I was born in Yorkshire, in the North of England, of largely Scandinavian ancestry. According to the studies on personality types that apparently makes me practical, down to earth, very relationship-oriented and conscientious! It’s certainly true that I value family, friends - and pets - very highly indeed and that I work hard and fret over the stuff that doesn’t get done. The flipside of the character is apparently a tendency to sadness (not helped by all those long, dark northern winters) but actually I’ve found this useful for my writing! Romantic Times reviews frequently comment that my books are very emotional and I think I’m accessing that “northern melancholy.” But most of the time I’m a jolly soul because I love my writing life and consider myself very lucky.

When I’m not writing I’m usually to be found working for the National Trust at Ashdown House, more of which later, or training guide dog puppies, or travelling! I have American cousins and love to visit them and I’ve been fortunate enough to travel all over the world although I still have Australia and New Zealand on my “must visit” list!

AG: Oh, good, you must come one day — we'd love to have you. The Australian and NZ conferences are in August each year. (hint hint) 

What drew you to a) writing fiction and b) historical romance?

NC: I never made a conscious decision to become a writer, which may sound odd but looking back I can see I was rather slow in working out what I really wanted to do as a career! After I graduated from college in London I became a university administrator and followed that career for 15 years. It was fine but it didn’t set my world alight. I wanted to work with history in some way and kept considering other jobs but nothing really appealed.

At the same time I was an avid reader and had been since childhood. Like so many historical authors I started out reading Georgette Heyer when I was in my teens (Devil’s Cub was my first) and I devoured books by writers including Anya Seton, Mary Stewart – both the historicals and the contemporary novels – and Victoria Holt. Then I discovered Mills & Boon historical romances at my local library and I was in seventh heaven! I read every Mills & Boon historical they had plus all the 1970s UK Regency authors as well such as Sheila Walsh, Clare Darcy and Alice Chetwynd Ley. I was desperate for new reading matter and I kept popping in to the library every week hoping that my favourite authors would have written something new. Eventually the librarians had to explain to me that it took longer than a week to produce a book! 

By the time I was eighteen I had run out of historical romances to read so I started to write my own. It took me twelve years to be published, Mills & Boon rejected the book three times, but eventually it became my first Regency True Colours. I can remember the moment when I suddenly realised that this was what I wanted to do. It was so exciting – and hey, it only took me 12 years to work it out! 

AG: I'm so very glad you persisted, and True Colours is a lovely book. Your passion for history is not simply related to your writing, is it? Tell us how history permeates some of the other areas your life, in particular your work at Ashdown House.

NC: Yes, Ashdown House is most definitely one of my passions! It’s a beautiful seventeenth century hunting lodge and I work there as a guide and a historian. I’m writing the history of the house and the Craven family who owned it. It’s taking me years and years because I keep getting distracted by obscure pieces of research and disappear off at a tangent! Not only is the house stunningly pretty and well worth a visit but the Craven family history is fascinating. The Regency Earl of Craven was the sort of man who could inspire a book. He had a successful army career, married an actress and sailed his armed schooner in the English Channel during the Napoleonic Wars, in defiance of the French privateers! 

AG: He certainly sounds like a real hero.  You and I were first published around the same time, and with the same editor, and I think we were some of the first non US-based authors to be published in Harlequin Historicals. Did this change anything for you? 

NC: We were! You and I were the first two non US-based authors to be published in Harlequin Historicals. I remember feeling honoured to be chosen but also daunted as well. I knew very little about the US market and when I received my first reviews and started to hear from readers I realised how active and engaged the US romance community was. This was a total eye opener for me! I also discovered all the wonderful US and Australian authors writing in the Regency genre so as a reader it was amazing – seventh heaven all over again!  It also made me feel the need to raise my game in a market where there were so many great books, and authors writing with such verve and freshness. So in terms of my writing development it was extremely good for me.

AG: Of course these days Harlequin Historicals and Mills and Boon historicals are both edited out of London. One of the things I always loved about the London office is that they're very open to different time periods and different settings. You yourself have written books set in a range of eras and locations – even writing a 1908 book for the Mills and Boon centenary. That sounds like fun — modern and yet not modern. 

NC: I totally agree that it is one of the great strengths of HMB that they encourage authors to write historicals with such diverse backgrounds and periods. I’ve written two books for them that were set outside the Regency era. My first was Lord Greville’s Captive, which was set in the English Civil War. It’s a period of history I would love to revisit with my writing because it was a time of such intense conflict leading to equally intense passions and loyalties. The other book, the Edwardian-set one was a lot of fun to write. In some ways the period reminded me of the Regency, with its conspicuous consumption and glittering high society. What surprised me was that so many aspects of our daily life were already in place a hundred years ago. For example the London Underground was operating and was already known as the Tube, cars were becoming more frequent on the streets and if the King wanted to visit his friends he would telephone to let them know! I loved researching the fashions as well.

HMB have also published a first person Regency of mine that came out in March this year which is called Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress. It’s good to know that I can refresh my writing by doing something different and writing a first person book was definitely different!

AG: I believe you've also written a story for Harlequin's new "Undone" e-book line. Tell us about that.

NC: It was lots of fun writing a Harlequin Historical Undone for the launch of the new line! I like writing short stories so to be asked to write one that was super-hot was super-fun! The Undone imprint really sizzles, it’s very naughty and a great way for writers to draw on their wild side! To my mind the challenge is to create something that is short and sexy but also very romantic, to build convincing characters and create a meaningful relationship between them, and all in 15 000 words max!

AG: Do you have a writing routine? You have a dog and two cats, who no doubt supervise much of your writing. 

NC: Yes, they do!  I imagine lots of authors find that their pets do this, including yourself! They are arch-manipulators and have me perfectly trained to fit my writing around their requirements rather than vice versa! My cats try to steal my office chair each day and really resent being thrown off. Monty, my dog, is an expert at staring. If I am so engrossed in my writing he will come up and put his head on my lap and stare fixedly at me until he breaks my concentration! I’ve written about how my writing routine is dictated by my pets on my website at: http://www.nicolacornick.co.uk/day_in_the_life.htm

AG:  What's the difference between your Harlequin Historicals and your books for HQN?

NC: Well, first of all it’s a huge privilege to be able to write for both lines because they give me different challenges. My Harlequin Historicals are the ones that are more diverse in that they are set in different eras or I can try something experimental with the style, like the first person narrative. 

I started writing for HQN in 2006. My editor had pointed out to me that my Harlequin Historical Regencies were becoming more and more like single titles – they were getting too long for the word count and I kept introducing secondary characters and complex sub-plots. I was very fortunate that Harlequin had established the HQN Books imprint around that time to publish mainstream romance so now I write my Regency Historicals for HQN Books and throw in secondary romances and sub-plots to my heart’s content!

AG: Lovely. It's also great that the HQN Nicola Cornicks remain available to buy longer than your series books. Will you share an extract from one your HQN books, please?

NC: Of course. Here is an extract from my most recent HQN Regency historical, Unmasked:

“I know it was you in the fountain,” he said softly, whilst her trapped mind ran back and forth over the possibilities. “You may protest if you wish but I believe I would recognise you anywhere.”

 A shiver ran along Mari’s nerves and she drew the silver shawl more tightly about her shoulders. Oh yes, he recognised her from the gardens but did he know her from the tavern as well? It felt as though they were already deeply involved in a game of hunter and hunted and any admission she made could be so very dangerous.

Challenge him. See how far he will go, what he will give away…

She had always been a gambler. She had had to be in order to survive. Sometimes to throw down the gauntlet was the only way.

She gave a little shrug. “Very well. I concede that I was the woman you saw in the fountain. I thought I was unobserved. It was… careless of me.”

He flashed her a smile, a disturbingly attractive one. Her toes curled instinctively within her slippers and her heart did another giddy little skip as though she was a schoolroom miss developing a tendre rather than a mature woman of five and twenty. 

“I like it that you do not pretend,” he said. His voice was intimately low. “Ninety nine women out of one hundred would have claimed not to understand me.”

If only he knew. Sometimes she forgot where the pretence began – and where it ended.

She gave him a very straight look. “Of course they would, and who could blame them? A reputation dies all too easily, as you must know, Major Falconer.”

When he remained silent, watching her face, she raised her brows. “Was that all?"

She saw his lips twitch into another smile at her attempted dismissal of him.

“No, it was not all.” He reached forward. His fingers brushed against her neck very lightly and lingered, warm against her skin. “You had better hide that curl if you do not wish anyone else to guess your secret. Your hair is still wet. You must have rushed home and dressed in a great hurry.”

 * * * * *

AG: Sounds fabulous, Nicola. Thank you so much for joining us on Word Wenches.

Nicola is giving away a copy of Unmasked and her previous HQN title, Lord of Scandal. To enter in the draw for one of these books, answer the following question: Which historical era fascinates you the most and what is your favourite book set in that era?

And to learn more about Nicola and her books, go here.

Comments

[Helen]

What a great interview and Nicola I have some of your books on TBR pile and am very much looking forward to them.
I do hope you get to visit Australia one day and then I could perhaps meet you in person.
Your job sounds fantastic as well.

As for my favourite historical era I would say the Regency I love the glamour and the country estates and all the fun they seem to have in the books that I have read. Now asking me which one is my favourite that is hard for me I have read so many but Anna Campbells Claiming The Courtesan and Anne Gracie's Perfect series and I love Lorretta Chase's books that I have read as well I could go on and on but I will stop there.
Again thank you Ladies for a wonderful interview.

Have Fun
Helen

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Helen and thank you so much for dropping in! It's such a thrill for me to be here and to receive such a warm welcome.

It's hard to beat the Regency as a rich, historical era, isn't it. I love it for the contrast between the glamour of high society and all the other turbulent stuff that was going on beneath the surface, the criminal underworld and the political climate created by the Napoleonic Wars, and the development of industrial technology... So much going on that you can learn about and exploit as an author!

I just wanted to add that this morning I received my advance copies of my NEW HQN book, The Confessions of a Duchess (woo hoo!) so I will be offering a copy of that book as part of the prize as well!

Best wishes
Nicola

[Helen]

Nicola

I have always enjoyed the Regency and I love stories about soldiers returned from the wars some of those heros are so tortured and the heroines are perfect for them. I really love loosing myself in a good book.

Great news about the copies of The Confessions Of A Duchess.

Have Fun
Helen

[Caffey]

Hi Nicola!! I've written you about your books before when I discovered them with Harlequin Historicals! You have a beautiful writing voice that has always made wonderful reads! I too agree your books are emotional, and I think in part that's what pulls me in more is because I get attached to the characters.

I discovered romance with Victoria Holt's books in HS. I had kept a checklist going to library to library until I found them all!

Loved your interview here! I'm looking forward to the upcoming trilogy!! Don't put me in your contest since I have them!

[Linda Banche]

Hi Nicola,

Gushing fan, here. I love your books. They're such great stories. I read and read them almost without stopping. Will HH reissue your early books? I've been buying used copies.

My favorite era is the Regency. Like you, I read my library out. I tried different eras and authors, but nothing clicks with me the way the Regency does.

I have so many favorite authors, I don't know where to start. Besides you, there are the Word Wenches, past and present, the great Mary Balogh, other HH authors like Louise Allen and Joanna Maitland, and I could go on forever.

But I reserve a special place for Barbara Metzger. Her stories are always hilarious, although she does have a core of seriousness. I love the way she integrates Regency phrases and cadence into her books without being obvious. She's so good at it, I read her books partly for the way they sound. I love all her books, but my favorite is a laugh-out-loud story called "Snowdrops and Scandalbroth".

[Louisa Cornell]

Hello, Nicola!

Great interview and how interesting to find out how you moved into your writing career. Now, being a guide at a historical house and writing a family history of the house sounds like a dream life to me!

Another Regency fan here. I love the gentility, the manners, the romance, the country estates and the glittering ballrooms. Add the intrigue and horrors of the Napoleonic wars and there is just too much in this era NOT to love it.

Of course one of my favorite books was set a bit later than the Regency. I LOVE The Last Rake in London ! The hero was SO sexy!

My favorite authors are YOU, of course! Diane Gaston, Anna Campbell, Mary Jo Putney, Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase, Louisa Allen, Joanna Maitland. I could go on and on. I LOVE Regency historicals and my shelves at home are FULL of them. I read other genres, other romances, but Regency historicals are my bread and butter.

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Caffey and Linda! Thank you both so much for your kind comments about my books! I'm so glad to find another Victoria Holt fan here, Caffey. I still re-read Mistress of Mellyn when I'm in the mood for a VH fix. I loved that gothic feel. I guess there are quite a few of us who haunt the libraries with our must read lists!

Linda, there aren't any plans for HH to reissue my early books at the moment. Maybe if I get famous! Whilst Mills & Boon do reissue the historicals on a regular basis, HH tend only to reissue big name historical authors like Mary Balogh and Stephanie Laurens. Still, HQN get my new books first before they are pubbed in the UK so I guess that's fair! I did discover recently that The Book Depository in the UK will send books anywhere in the world for NO POSTAGE costs so if there are any of the reissues you fancy that might be a good bet.

[Nicola Cornick]

LOL Louisa, thank you! I'm glad you liked my rakish hero from the Edwardian book! The rake hero has a perennial appeal, doesn't he, and I love reading books with those sort of heroes as well as writing them. Maybe I was hooked early because of my first Heyer being Devil's Cub! Then I went back and read These Old Shades and thought "That's a real rake!" Vidal was very attractive but Avon still sends a shiver down my spine he was so ruthless.

[Beatriz]

Many historical periods appeal to me such as World War I, World War II and the American Civil War, and I love the Arthurian period, too. But the Regency/Napoleonic War period is my favorite, hands-down. I love your books, Nicola; just read _One Night of Scandal_ with the magnificent Lord Richard Kestrel! I love the classical Regency authors such as Georgette Heyer and Alice Chetwynd Ley (just re-read _The Jewelled Snuff Box_) and many of the Word Wenches authors whom I'm familiar with: Edith Layton, Mary Jo Putney and Jo Beverley.

[Mari]

My favorite historical era to read about is the turn of the century, from the 19th to the 20th century. Not to many authors use this time frame, but I really find it fascinating. There were so many advances in modern science and technology, as well as social advancement for women. I like reading about how the traditions of the time clashed with the progression into modern times.

[dick]

Twelve years? Is perseverence a trait of Yorkshire women? Jo Beverley hails from Yorkshire also, doesn't she?
I read Regency-set romances, but prefer medievals; a personal favorite is Elizabeth Elliott's "Warlord."

[Jenna Dawlish]

Hi Nicola,

Great interview, nice to learn some more about you. So, you are from Yorkshire!
Well, I'm married to a Yorkshireman.

I also went to Uni in Huddersfield, so West Yorks has a special place in my heart. We sometimes go back to visit and go shopping - weird feeling going somewhere you were a student with no money, and then you can buy things now I earn!!

[Nicola Cornick]

Beatriz, The Jewelled Snuffbox is one of my favourite ACL books! I still have every one of her Regencies on my shelf. I believe she had US publication as well as UK. She was a real inspiration to me in so many ways and when I heard she was a founder member of the UK Romantic Novelists Association I was very excited!

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Mari! That was the period I was writing in when I wrote The Last Rake in London and I was surprised that so few authors appeared to write Edwardian set books. Some readers told me they didn't enjoy them because of the shadow that the First World War cast over the period but I think it was a fascinating era.

LOL dick, they certainly say that stubbornness is a trait of Yorkshire women!

[Nicola Cornick]

So glad that you liked the interview, Jenna. Thank you! I was a student in London and I STILL can't afford to buy anything there! My father taught at the University of Huddersfield. It really is a small world!

[Patricia Rice]

It's a delight to have you here, Nicola! As you can see, our readers know their historicals, and they have excellent taste in reading material. "G" Any plans to attend any of our US conferences some day?

[JJ Johnson]

Hello Nicola! I pop in to Word Wenches to find great new books, and I'm excited about trying one of yours. A fave time period of mine to read is late 19th - early 20th Century. Looking forward to stepping into the worlds you've created. Best Wishes!

[Nicola Cornick]

Hello Patricia and thank you for the welcome! Yes indeed, your readers are a knowledgeable lot! I'm pleased to say that I'll be attending the RWA National in Washington this year and I am looking forward to it a lot. I haven't been for a few years and I had such a good time when I was there last, so I am very excited!

[Nicola Cornick]

Hello JJ - it's great to meet you here! I'm delighted you'd like to try my books. Thank you!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Hi, Nicola!

I'm so glad to hear that you're coming to RWA in DC! At an earlier conference, someone pointed you out, and sure enough, blond elegance in the Nordic style! (My b-i-l is a blond Swede from the American Midwest. I, alas, am not. )

Much as I love the Regency, more Edwardians would be lovely. It's a great era, too seldom written about. (Though Eva Ibbotson does an amazing job.)

My cats pass on their regards to your cats. They are also very good trainers of writers. :)

Mary Jo

[Susan Flanders, Writer of Queens]

Nicola, Wonderful interview. Enjoyed the excerpt and also learning about how you came upon writing. It was very interesting

[Sherrie Holmes]

From Sherrie:
Hi, Nicola! So glad to see you here at the Word Wenches! I was interested to hear you are a guide and historian for Ashdown House. What an incredibly fun job that must be. Do you get many visitors, and if so, what are their interests? In other words, are they simply tourists, or do you find there are some visitors interested in architecture, history, writers doing research, etc.? Do you ever allow visitors to off-limits areas of the house if there is a special need, such as for research? How I would love to have a guided tour by you! I have a deep and abiding love for old houses.

I laughed reading about your cats on your Web site. Mine are also chair stealers, and when I'm on the computer, I often have a cat draped over one of my arms, making it difficult to type. One of my cats doesn't even jump off my lap if I stand up to change position. He simply hangs on until I get settled again, then he plumps me like a pillow and until he's got my soft parts where he wants them for his own comfort. *g*

I've met so many new and wonderful authors here at the Word Wenches, and now I am adding you to my list of "new" authors to explore.

[cheryl c.]

I love historical romances, so many historical periods are favorites. I have enjoyed Medieval stories written by Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood.

The Regency Period has a lot of wonderful books written by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Lisa Kleypas. Nicola, your book "Deceived" is one of my best-loved Regencies!

Another favorite time period is the old American West with books written by Linda Lael Miller, Jodi Thomas, and Cheryl St. John.

[Nicola Cornick]

What a lovely compliment, Mary Jo, thank you! I sometimes wonder if all these pets have a secret means of communication by which they share top tips on how to train their humans. I can imagine Bob and Petra on the computer after I have gone to bed. The dog not so much!

Susan, thank you so much for dropping by and I'm so pleased you enjoyed the interview!

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Sherrie! If you come to the UK you must let me know and I'd be very happy to give you the personal guided tour of Ashdown House. We get a huge variety of visitors, which is wonderful because I find that I learn such a lot from them. A lot of people are history buffs with a general interest in the 17th century, but there are some very specialised interests as well. We have a beautiful portrait collection, so a lot of people are art experts. My two favourite experts, though, were a man who was interested in the carved stags' heads and told me a lot about the history of the craft of stag head carving in 17th century Germany (!) and a lady who was writing a book about the Queen's collection of jewels and was interested in the pearls in the portraits. Apparently they were part of a very famous seven string pearl necklace called The Bretherin which was said to be very unlucky. Fascinating stuff! I've also met a few historical novelists doing some research, particularly into Prince Rupert of the Rhine. His portrait is in the collection and he looks incredibly handsome and dashing and occasionally ladies have almost swooned when they see the picture!!

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Cheryl! I am so pleased that you enjoyed Deceived. Thank you! Yes, the old American West is another wonderful time period. I explored this a little on my recent trip to Arizona and California. My dh, who studied American History, was enthralled and I learned such a lot.

[cheryl c.]

You know, Nicola, I haven't read Deceived in a while, but I have been thinking about it a lot today. I think I am going to have to reread it tonight! :-)

[Sherrinda]

What an interesting interview! I have always loved Regency, but read a few medievals by Lynn Kurland that I really enjoyed. But the courtly love, the balls, the dress...ahhh...I love it all! BTW, the cover for Unmasked is quite lovely!

[Mary Jo Putney]

Experts on carved stag heads of the 17th Century. Who knew???? Fascinating people you get there! Though I'm still contemplating the dashing Regency era earl who is such good hero material. IF he was short and looked like a fireplug, I don't want to know. :}

Speaking of cats on computers, there's a lovely small press book called CATS IN CYBERSPACE about two bored cats who become day traders in order to get enough money so their owners can work at home again and keep the cats company. Great fun!

Mary Jo

[Andrea Pickens]

Hi Nicola,

What a terrific interview! I've enjoyed your regency-set books very much, and now will look for the Edwardian one too.

Your work at Ashdown House sounds fascinating—any plans to put your earl in a novel? He would make a wonderful Regency hero.

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Sherrinda! I'm glad you like the cover of Unmasked - I think I have been very lucky with all my HQN covers, unlike the early days of Mills & Boon when I had a prize-winningly dreadful cover of a heroine in a see-through nightie being carried by a hero at the same time as she was doing the splits! I still recoil when I see it even to this day!

[Nicola Cornick]

For Mary Jo and Andrea, yes, I definitely intend to model a hero on the Regency Earl of Craven one day. He sounds like my sort of guy. The only thing that put me off him slightly was that he was Harriette Wilson's first lover and she described him as being a tad boring! Apparently he took her to Ashdown and left her there and she was a townie and didn't really enjoy it! But I'm a country girl myself so I wouldn't mind him chatting on about his estates!

Thank you for inviting me today, Wenches! I've had a lovely time!

[carol marinelli]

Lovely interview - thank you. Anne Gracie got me into historicals - her Perfect Rake was perfect! I also loved her Tudors. I know they're not strictly historicals, but I love Lucilla Andrews and I would love to write a medical romance set in the early days of the NHS.

[Crystal B.]

Regency England fascinates me the most. My favorite book set in that era is The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt.

[Minna]

Well, 19th century and Finland. It's interesting because of the tzars (one of them has got a statue in Helsinki) and because the idea of independence started to take hold here during that time.

[Anne Gracie]

Nicola, thank you so much for coming to chat on the wenches. I'm so pleased you could come to visit. The chat on the comments has been wonderful, with so many interesting topics raised.

I plan to invite Nicola back next month to talk about herr upcoming trilogy, so stay tuned.
thanks again
anne

[chey]

Great interview Nicola!
The historical time that fascinates me is the mid 1700's. My favourite book from that era is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.