Emily E K Murdoch

May 27, 2023 + Writing

Planning for summer!

Well, even though I live in the UK, I think I can officially declare it: we’re approaching summer!

And honestly, I am ready for it. After so many coughs, colds, sniffles, and a two week bout of flu, I am definitely ready for the warmer weather. Maybe not drier. This is England, after all.

So, what are my plans for summer?

Number 1 (and this will surprise many of you)…rest!

I’m not very good at resting. I adore writing so much that honestly, it doesn’t always feel like work. It’s so easy for me to pick up the laptop and start tapping away, and before I know it, I’ve written another chapter.

It’s a real problem!

So I really am going to dedicate more time this summer to properly resting. That means switching off the internet, turning off emails, and seriously not allowing myself to be tempted to edit ‘just one chapter’…

Number 2…see family and friends!

I’m still in the post-pandemic mode of being desperate to see the people I care about, and now that I can, I will be packing in seeing as many people as possible.

And number 3, of course…reading!

I’m trying to read every new release from my author friends this year (!) and I either need to lose some friends, or ask them to slow down 😂 seriously thought, I have a bit of a backlog, and so I’m looking forward to curling up in my sunny garden with a hat and a gin and tonic, and losing myself in some really good books.

So over to you! What do you have planned for the summer?

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May 20, 2023 + History

The fun of naming characters

by Emily

Have you ever noticed that if you read, I don’t know, ten Regency historical romances in a month, you start to see the same names over and over again?

William, James, Charles…Elizabeth, Mary, Sophia…

Why does this happen?

Well, as a historian and an author, let me give you some of my thoughts, which are 100% not scientific but based on my own experience, and a few comments from my author friends!

Firstly, there are some names that were super popular in the Regency era. Just like there was a time about a decade ago when every baby seemed to be named Oliver or Isla, there have been name fashions throughout history. So we see a huge number of Olivias in the historical record, for example. Many historical authors want to be accurate, so they choose these popular names.

Secondly, some of the names that were quite popular in the Regency era simply haven’t stuck it out to the 21st century, and so sound really odd to the modern ear. Be honest: would you read a book if the heroine was called Spencer, or Awellah, or Unity? Can you picture a duke called Americus, Coape, or Jahleel?

Don’t get me wrong: there is nothing wrong with these names! But they are unusual, and so often pull the reader out of the story.

And thirdly, we come to ‘the Tiffany effect’. The Tiffany effect is simple: it’s when something seems historically inaccurate, but it’s actually 100% true. For example, the name Tiffany was a popular name in medieval England, but it just seems…wrong? Doesn’t it?

In a similar way, there are names historically used in Regency England that sound far too modern, and so readers might complain that the author isn’t being historically accurate…even if they are! Examples include Miles, Sampson, Marina, and Angel.

So there you have it! Some of the complexities we authors face when it comes to naming characters 😅

Does anything in this blog surprise you?

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May 13, 2023 + new book, regency

Out now! The Duke is Mightier than the Sword…

by Emily

This was such a fun book to write, and I really hope that you enjoy it! Make sure you grab this book now, and lose yourself in the passions and witty banter of two people who are definitely not well suited…right?

Montague Lancaster, Duke of Caefall, is in hiding in Oxford after a wartime injury, trying to ignore his doctor’s advice.

Because he’ll definitely be going back to France to fight, right? He’s determined not to leave his honor on the battlefield—but Montague has financial concerns to keep him occupied. The Duchy is bankrupt. He’s got to keep it a secret and keep his presence in England quiet.

Fencing is his only refuge, his passion, and Montague agrees to teach students to pass the time. Easier said than done when a poetess storms into his bedchamber and demands he help her finish her poem…

Sarah Lockwood is tired of having her poetry diminished merely because she’s a woman. Society holds no interest, and she’s in search of a poetry professor in one of the prestigious Oxford colleges to help her finish it. She ends up discovering a hidden duke who fences like a soldier and kisses like the devil.

Words cross blades with actions as both Sarah and Montague fight their growing feelings for each other, and the expectations of the world.

She cannot be a poet. He must return to France to fight. So which is mightier: the duke or the sword?

This full length novel is a steamy Regency romance with a happily ever after, no cliffhangers, and is part of a series that can be read in any order.

Free in Kindle Unlimited!

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May 6, 2023 + History

Happy Coronation Day!

by Emily

If you have somehow been living under a rock the last few weeks, you might have missed that here in Blighty, we officially have a new monarch.

I mean, we had one since last year, but today, it becomes official in a legal, spiritual, and governmental way.

Charles III was crowned today!

As a medieval historian, I have a huge fascination with kingship, coronations, and what it means to transform someone of the royal bloodline into a ‘monarch’, with a few traditions and pieces of clothing.

There was a lot of speculation about this coronation. There are literally hundreds of rules and regulations when it comes to crowning a monarch, but honestly, because we haven’t done it in this country for so long, I don’t think most of us had ever seen a coronation in the flesh!

For a long time, Charles was clear that he didn’t want to have as complicated a coronation as Queen Elizabeth II, his mother, and that made me sad for two reasons. Firstly because I love a bit of pageantry, but secondly because my great-grandfather was knighted for his leadership in organising Elizabeth II’s coronation. I wanted to see another spectacular coronation in my lifetime.

But having said all that, I think Charles was onto the right lines.

Our attention span as a generation is short, and our awareness of the environmental impact of big events like coronations means that it’s a good thing to keep it short. Short and sweet.

And memorable. I don’t think I’ll ever forget watching this coronation, a truly amazing part of history.

Did you watch the coronation? What did you think?

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April 29, 2023 + regency

What is Regency fashion?

by Emily

Let’s start with a simpler question: when (or what!) was the Regency?

In 1811, there was a problem in Britain. The King, George III, was struggling with his mental health to the point that he was no longer lucid enough to rule. So who was supposed to take the place of the monarch?

No one wishes to depose him – but the business of government had to continue. Two options were put forward, and it’s not hard to see the reasonings behind each of them: his wife, Queen Charlotte, and their eldest son, George, Prince of Wales.

While I certainly would have loved to see what Queen Charlotte would have done with that sort of power, it was decided by the government that George would take over as Regent. Regent simply meant a kind of caretaker, looking after the kingdom while King George III (hopefully) got better.

This period, however, was not the short few months that some at the time predicted. In fact, the Regency of George, Prince of Wales, lasted from 1811 to 1820. We’ll call him Prinny from now on, to prevent him getting mixed up with his father! This was a nickname that was actually given to him during this time, so it’s totally historically accurate.

So, that’s the Regency! But what about its fashion, and why is it worth writing a blog about?

Well, firstly, there was a huge shift in British culture during this time because of the introduction of a Regent. Prinny adored the finer things in life: beautiful women, silks and furs, adornments, fine dining, and lots and lots of entertainment.

And fashions reflected that.

Necklines dropped, as did the waistline, becoming the ‘Empire’ waistline that we know and love from so many Jane Austen adaptations.

Secondly, Regency fashion fascinates us because of what was happening particularly in men’s fashion. Everything was getting more, and yet at the same time, less! For example, cravat knots were getting increasingly more complex, with ‘dandies’ trying to outdo each other. But on the other hand, fashion leaders such as Beau Brummell started to make it literally a full time job to look good.

He was asked once how much an unmarried man should budget for good clothes. Apparently, he said: “Why, with tolerable economy, I think it might be done with £800.”

It doesn’t sound much to our modern ears, but back then, the average annual wage for a craftsman was £52…

And thirdly, socialising drastically changed during this period. King George III was quiet, gentle, pious, and never took a mistress during his 57 year long marriage to Queen Charlotte. Prinny was very much NOT cut from the same cloth. So ribbons, feathers, turbans: fashion became whatever you could wear to look outrageous.

I hope that gives you an insight into why Regency fashion is so fun! What’s your favorite Regency fashion fact?

And so with this sudden influx of societal expectations,

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April 22, 2023 + publishing

Emily E K Murdoch signs two book contract with Harlequin/Mills & Boon

by Emily

Well, I’ve been teasing in my newsletter and on social media that I have big news…and here it is.

I’ve signed a two book contract with Harlequin/Mills & Boon!

This is such an exciting time for me as an author. I love writing with Dragonblade and I’m still committed to them – but I don’t think there’s a historical romance author in the world who doesn’t want to write for Harlequin Historical in their career.

My two Regency books for Harlequin will be connected, and you’ll be able to read the first one in December 2023, and the second in summer 2024.

Oh, you want to know the title?

Well, I can reveal that book 1…will be…

Least Likely to Win a Duke 😍

Make sure that you’re following this blog, or signed up to my newsletter, to get all the details when it’s up on pre-order!

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April 15, 2023 + new book, regency

PRE-ORDER: A Duke in Time Saves Nine…

by Emily

I am so excited for you to see the cover of book 4 in my Dukes in Danger, A Duke in Time Saves Nine!

This is a gorgeous story that I adored writing, but it was a real challenge, I’ll be honest. Check out the blurb, and you’ll see why…

Byron Renwick, Duke of Sedley, is a man on a mission. Vengeance fills his soul, and he will stop at nothing to gain justice.

Which is why he finds himself chasing after a mail coach in the dead of night with a mysterious and rather beautiful passenger.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. After discovering the Glasshand Gang’s plans to rob a mail coach, Byron was determined to catch them in the act and bring them to justice.

Missing the mail coach, and accidently letting slip to a woman that everyone in the mail coach was in danger? Also not the plan.

Anne Mead has just put her darling younger sister on that mail coach, and won’t take no for an answer from the strange gentleman who seems to know the nine people on that coach are now risking their lives.

She tells him in no uncertain terms: Anne is going with him. Together, they’ll save her sister.

But secrets on both sides threaten to surface in their race against time, as Byron keeps his title and more to himself, and Anne resists spilling the truth about her family.

And a sequence of inns with only one bed available doesn’t help…

With nine lives hanging in the balance, will Byron and Anne be able to put their bickering aside to rescue them—or will their growing attraction prove more of a distraction?

This full length novel is a steamy Regency romance with a happily ever after, no cliffhangers, and is part of a series that can be read in any order.

Free in Kindle Unlimited!

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April 8, 2023 + publishing

Thank you so much for your support!

by Emily

Okay, sappy post alert.

I am so grateful to you, my loyal readers, for your support. Being a full time author has been a dream from me for pretty much my entire life, and the fact that I can do that now? That’s amazing.

Taking this for granted is never going to happen, because every day I am conscious that there are so many people who want to be doing this. They are working really hard to write wonderful books for their readers, and I am one of the fortunate ones.

Don’t get me wrong: I’ve worked really hard for this!

But at the same time, I know that not everyone can do this, and so I want to send a big thank you to you, to my readers, to the universe. Thank you for being so loyal and reading all my books. Thank you for recommending my books, rereading my books, reviewing my books. Thank you for telling your friends about them.

Because I definitely couldn’t do this without you.

Thank you!

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April 6, 2023 + new book

Emily E K Murdoch reading list

by Emily

If you’re worried that you’ve missed out on one of my books, fear not! I’ve now created a checklist reading list for all my books!

Emily books checklist Download for free!

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April 1, 2023 + Writing

All my first in series in one place!

by Emily

If you’ve ever wondered where to start with my almost 100 books, this is the place!

Don’t Judge a Duke by His Cover is book 1 in my latest series, Dukes in Dangers, and has already received rave reviews! This steamy Regency romance has just a hint of adventure, and a feisty heroine who is determined to have the man who she’s fallen in love with…despite not knowing that he’s actually a duke!