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Take one of my courses!

by Unknown's avatar

I adore teaching. I love breaking down something complicated, teaching it to someone else, and seeing them get it – and then apply it themselves!

I used to teach a lot of workshops, speak at events, and mentor, and I’ve spent some time working out how I can bring those elements into my writing career.

One of the things I really miss about my old day jobs was the amount of teaching that they included.

So I decided to do something about that! After all, I’m an entrepreneur – an authorpreneur if you will. First off, I’ve created two writing courses specifically for authors, based on my skills. You can find them here.

Secondly, I teach courses through the RWF throughout the year, based on my historical and craft specialties. You can always seen what courses are coming up here.

And thirdly, I offer developmental and line editing (separately and together!) for authors who want to up their game. Get in touch to talk with me about this, if this sounds interesting.

Thank you for reading!

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+ new book

Do you take books on the beach?

by Unknown's avatar

Okay, it’s a controversial question this week: do you take books onto the beach?

There will be some people who are adamantly against this. They loathe the idea that their books could get dirty or dishevelled in any way, and in the main, I have to be honest and admit that I am in this camp!

Books are precious. They become companions to me and accompany me on some of the most adventurous moments of my life…and they are the friends I can curl up with under a blanket when I don’t want to leave the house.

I wouldn’t allow my friends to get damaged!

…having said that.

I also have to admit that there is a very rich joy in reading on the beach. Sunshine, sand, the sound of the waves breaking on the shore…the only two things you need alongside that is a book and a cool drink of your choice.

When I was a child, my parents would buy me a book from a charity shop for every day of the holiday. Each morning I would wake up and there would be a new book waiting for me on the carpet. Being able to take it to the beach to enjoy was such a huge part of my childhood experience.

So: I guess I fall into book camps. Books on the beach, yes, but usually a duplicate copy if it’s a book I really love 😅

What about you – are you the sort of person who takes books to the beach?

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Writing a love scene

by Unknown's avatar

I wanted to talk a little bit about what makes a love scene a really good love scene. And don’t worry, there isn’t going to be anything super explicit here – though if that’s your jam, check out my books…

So: where do we start?

I think a love scene has to start with emotions. Without an emotional connection, a true and deep intimacy, a love scene isn’t going to feel romantic. It might even feel forced or unbelievable, which is the last thing I want in a book.

Second, a love scene has to have time. I don’t mean time to write it (although that is helpful) – I mean time in the actual scene! No one wants this sort of moment to be rushed…unless that’s the point of the scene. Ahem. You want your characters to have time to explore, discover new things, and enjoy themselves.

And thirdly, a love scene has to have consequences. Now, those consequences could be in the shape of a bouncing baby nine months later, but it doesn’t have to. But there has to be some difference in the characters, individually and as a couple, because of what they shared. The love scene has to move the plot along.

So that’s what I think a love scene has to include! Obviously other authors are going to have different ideas than me, and that’s okay. Every author SHOULD have a different approach, otherwise reading would be pretty boring.

Do you think I’ve missed anything? Let me know in the comments below!

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Learning to take a holiday

by Unknown's avatar

You know what’s a real challenge? Learning to take a holiday when you do a job that you love!

I am conscious that I am incredibly fortunate to write as a job. I mean, I’m an author…that’s what I do! Having worked so hard for a decade to get to where I am, sometimes it can feel as though I am being ungrateful if I want to take some time off.

But you know what I’m learning – that if I don’t chose to take time off, I start to need time off. Yup, I’m talking about burnout.

When the creative well is empty, you can’t just keep dropping your bucket in there and expecting water to somehow magically appear. You have to wait. You have to rest. You have to give the well time to fill on up.

This was never a problem before I left my day job because I had at least ten hours a day when I couldn’t think about writing!

Now, all I do is think about writing, and characters, and plots, and book launches – and I love it! Why would I want to stop doing that!

This is why I have to be intentional when it comes to taking a vacation. If I’m not careful, I can get so swept up into loving what I do that I forget that I need time for my brain to recover. Otherwise the good ideas dry up and the words leave me.

SO…if I’m a little slower getting back to you on emails and social media, please be patient with me. I’m (trying!) to take a break!

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Have you checked out my Patreon?

by Unknown's avatar

If you have never heard of Patreon, you are not alone. Not everyone has! I hope this short blog will give you an idea of how you can support me in a new and exciting way.

So first off, what is Patreon?

Patreon is a website where anyone can sign up to support a creative person for just a few dollars a month, in exchange for rewards. It is a modern re-imagining of the medieval and renaissance idea of a ‘patron’, a wealthy person who pays the salary of an artist, creative, or engineer, so that they can get the prestige of being their supporter.

But thanks to Patreon, you don’t need to be rich to be a Patreon supporter, and you’ll still get a whole ton of rewards!

On my Patreon page, which you can find here, there are three different levels of support. Each level costs a different amount a month, and as you would expect, the higher the financial support, the more rewards.

I’d really encourage you, if you want exclusive insights, behind the scenes, early access to chapters, and free books, my Patreon is the place to be.

Please check out my Patreon and consider whether you’d like to take your support of me to the next level!

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+ new book, regency

Christmas in July boxset!

by Unknown's avatar

Happy Christmas in July!

If you’ve never celebrated this, it’s a wonderful chance to escape the heat (or snuggle up, if you’re Down Under!), and lose yourself in a wonderful Christmas historical romance.

I’m celebrating by reminding you about my three Christmas Regency novellas in one steamy boxset. Make sure you grab it now – or read for free in Kindle Unlimited!

Plunge into the fourth boxset of Regency romances in Emily Murdoch’s bestselling Ravishing Regencies series – Christmas edition! Each of these books has spice at its heart and a heart ready to lose, heroes in pain and heroines acting out of the ordinary. There are no ballrooms here… This collected stories promises hours and hours of steamy hot reading…

Kidnapped with a Knight
A man disowned by his family and a woman with absolutely no interest in him – and their kidnappers have left them all alone…

Christmas with a Czar
A man who claims to be a prince and a woman forced to play along – but the real secret must be revealed before Christmas Day…

Advent with an Archduke
A man who disappeared a year ago – and the woman forced to welcome a stranger at Christmas…

These books are steamy forced proximity Regency romances with happily ever afters, no cliffhangers, and are a series that can be read in any order. It’s time to get ravished…

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Starting a new series

by Unknown's avatar

Hello and welcome to the celebration of a new series!

As I mentioned in a previous blog, it can be a little bittersweet to end a series – but you have to end one to begin another. I’m super excited to be launching a multi-generational series of love stories all within one (rather rambunctious) family.

Now, I’m not going to pretend that starting to write a new series is easy. In fact, it is incredibly difficult! I knew my characters in my Dukes in Danger series really well, and that made writing each installment a little easier. Now that I’m meeting a whole new family, there’s a lot of characterisation to create.

I have to think about the different family dynamics; about how birth order can affect sibling interactions; how becoming adults in the Regency era is very different from the Victorian.

I need to think about how one sibling finding love could draw them closer, or further away, from their other siblings. Who the favourite daughter (!) and son would be. And just how far a family would go to interfere in the love lives of their members (hint: very far).

Honestly, it took me a little time to get into the vibe of this series because I really wanted to make sure that they were believable as a family. There’s nothing worse than reading a story about a family who get on all the time – but I didn’t want there to be too much drama!

I really hope that you enjoy it. Keep an eye out for the launch of the first book!

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Make sure you read these romances!

by Unknown's avatar

THE COST OF LOVE BOXED SET: by G. S. Carr

Carr’s attention to emotional detail, be it the caustic dialogue of the antagonists or the tender interactions between the lovers, is certain to resonate with readers. ~BookLife Prize Judge

This well-told historical romance is intense and powerful. ~Publishers Weekly Reviewer

This is an outstanding historical novel. Don’t miss out. Ms Carr, thank you for sharing your story with us. This is a must read to the end. ~ 5 star Amazon review, The Cost of Hope

I read the 3 books in the series and they were fantastic. ~ 5 star Amazon review

This boxed set contains the first 3 books in the Cost of Love series!

BEAUTY AND THE HIGHLANDER: by Hildie McQueen

Laird’s son Carrick Gordon is scarred for life and expects his betroth’s rejection, so he prepares for it by putting up a solid wall. When Analise Macgregor sees her husband to be, she is enthralled by the quiet man who wants nothing to do with her. How will they ever come together and find happiness?

Will Carrick and Analise get past preconceived perceptions to finally admit their mutual attraction?

Carrick Gordon gave his word and now he will marry a lass he’s never met. After lying with her long enough to procure an heir, he will release her from the marriage bed. She won’t fight it. Carrick is certain one look at his marred face and she’ll recoil in horror.

It had to be a cruel joke. Analise Macgregor cannot believe the handsome man is to be her husband. That he rejects her after a wonderful night is hurtful, but not surprising once she sees how Carrick keeps everyone at a distance.

AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION: by Alyssa Cole

Elle Burns is a former slave with a passion for justice and an eidetic memory. Trading in her life of freedom in Massachusetts, she returns to the indignity of slavery in the South—to spy for the Union Army.

Malcolm McCall is a detective for Pinkerton’s Secret Service. Subterfuge is his calling, but he’s facing his deadliest mission yet—risking his life to infiltrate a Rebel enclave in Virginia.

Two undercover agents who share a common cause—and an undeniable attraction—Malcolm and Elle join forces when they discover a plot that could turn the tide of the war in the Confederacy’s favor. Caught in a tightening web of wartime intrigue, and fighting a fiery and forbidden love, Malcolm and Elle must make their boldest move to preserve the Union at any cost—even if it means losing each other . . .

THE BITTERSWEET BRIDE: by Vanessa Riley

Widow Theodosia Cecil needs a husband to help protect her son. The former flower seller turned estate owner posts an ad in the newspaper, and no one is more surprised than she when her first love, the man she thought dead, reappears.

Ewan Fitzwilliam has been at war for six years. Now, the second son of a powerful earl is back but his beloved Theo needs a husband and will not consider him. She believes Ewan left her—in desperate straits—so she denies the feelings she still harbors for the handsome, scarred soldier. Theo and playwright Ewan must overcome bitter lies and vengeful actions that ruined their youthful affair. Theo must reveal her deepest secret in order to reclaim the love that has long been denied.

WHAT A COURTESAN WANTS: by Victoria Vale

Lady Lucinda Bowery has decided to cast off mourning attire and begin moving on from the loss of her husband. Hiring the gentleman courtesan known as an experienced dominant seems like just the thing to propel her out of bereavement and back to life. She intends for him to give her pleasure, and perhaps help her find a bit of the woman she was before being widowed.

Aubrey Drake became a courtesan to help bolster his expanding business, as well as provide a trousseau and dowry for his ward. Over time he has grown bored catering to women who only see him as an exotic offering to be enjoyed temporarily and then discarded. Thus, the thrill of mastering a submissive bedmate has lost its luster, leaving him cold. When Lady Bowery is suggested as his new keeper, he expects to be as apathetic toward her as all the others. But, when sparks fly at their first meeting, Aubrey becomes determined to master Lucinda in every way possible—even though she seems intent on keeping him at arm’s length.

REBEL: by Beverly Jenkins

Valinda Lacy’s mission in the steamy heart of New Orleans is to help the newly emancipated community survive and flourish. But soon she discovers that here, freedom can also mean danger. When thugs destroy the school she has set up and then target her, Valinda runs for her life—and straight into the arms of Captain Drake LeVeq.

As an architect from an old New Orleans family, Drake has a deeply personal


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3 things I do when writing dialogue

by Unknown's avatar

You know what’s hard to write?

Well, every author has their own answer to that question. For many people, it’s dialogue, especially in historical fiction: it’s a challenge to balance making the dialogue sound natural to the modern ear, and include enough historical lingo to make it feel accurate to the time when your book is set.

Ironically, I find dialogue one of the easiest things to write!

I think it’s because I love people watching; I listen in to many conversations when I’m out and about, and so picking up the natural cadence and rhythm is easier for me.

In fact, my first drafts are almost all dialogue and action, a bit like a script. It’s in the second (or third) draft that I add in the description and some more of the emotions.

So here are three things that I consider when writing dialogue:

  1. What do I want to achieve with this dialogue? What information do my characters need to share/reveal? Where do they need to be at the end of the conversation?
  2. How can I reveal character through dialogue? This could be through accents, word choices, how often they interrupt other characters or speak over them.
  3. How natural does it sound when I read it out loud? This is particularly important for books that I know will be made into an audiobook, but it really helps make sure the dialogue flows.

So there you have it! Do you think I’ve missed something important? Let me know in the comments!

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Saying goodbye to a series

by Unknown's avatar

Well, this is a bittersweet post to write.

With the publication of book twelve in my Dukes in Danger series, All Good Dukes Come to an End, I am saying goodbye to this joyful, fluffy, fun Regency series with a hint of danger.

I have absolutely adored writing it. With each new book, I’ve discovered a new hero to fall in love with, a new heroine to aspire to and cheer on, and a cast of secondary characters who I honestly, cannot believe I created.

The first book came out in January 2023, so it’s been quite a journey. I’ve become so accustomed to looking forward to the next Dukes in Danger book coming out, that it’s going to be difficult to shift gear to my new The Chances series!

Leaving a series behind is bittersweet. There’s so much joy in starting something new, of course, but to start something new you have to let something else go.

Will I ever return to the Dukes in Danger series?

Maybe. Never say never!

But I don’t have plans to right now, and that means saying goodbye to the gorgeous and frankly chaotic heroes from that series 😅

If you have a favourite moment, character, or book in that series, please let me know in the comments!

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+ publishing

Did you know I teach?

by Unknown's avatar

One of the things I really miss about my old day jobs was the amount of teaching that they included.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I have the utmost respect for the people I would call ‘real’ teachers. The people who teach our children, young people, and adults through educational institutions. You are incredible!

But on a much smaller scale, I adore teaching. I love breaking down something complicated, teaching it to someone else, and seeing them get it – and then apply it themselves!

I used to teach a lot of workshops, speak at events, and mentor, and I’ve spent some time working out how I can bring those elements into my writing career.

First off, I’ve created two writing courses specifically for authors, based on my skills. You can find them here.

Secondly, I teach courses through the RWF throughout the year, based on my historical and craft specialties. You can always seen what courses are coming up here.

And thirdly, I offer developmental and line editing (separately and together!) for authors who want to up their game. Get in touch to talk with me about this, if this sounds interesting.

Thank you for reading!

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+ Writing

What is your favourite fairytale?

by Unknown's avatar

There’s something about a fairytale, isn’t there? They creep into our social and cultural consciousness. There’s so much imagery shorthand that can add something to a piece of art: a red hood, a tower with golden hair, glass shoes.

I have always wanted to write a series of fairytale retellings, but I just haven’t had time yet! I don’t think I’m alone, I think most authors would love to bring their own spin to the fairytales that we love so much.

So my question is: if I WAS going to write a series of fairytales…which would you like me to include?

Let me know in the comments below!

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