+ Writing
by Emily
The world is starting to open up again, and I had a wonderful time with some family a few weeks ago. Nothing complicated; good food, good wine, great conversation. We eventually meandered onto the topic of art, and what made a great artist. How some of hte best artists were not recognised or respected during their lifetime. How they were often ahead of their field, capturing the zietgeist of the culture at the time.
+ Writing
by Emily
Well, it’s officially the height of summer, and I don’t know about you but I have so many fond memories of reading in this season.
When I was a child, my family would bundle everything up in our car and head to Enid Blyton country in the south of England. When I say I had idyllic holidays there, I mean it. Hiking, art galleries, cricket on the beach and ice creams on the banks of medieval castles…
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by Emily
I absolutely loved attending and speaking at the Historical Novel Society (HNS) conference this year. For the first time in years, they have delivered a fully remote, virtual conference – which has been incredible, because as a British author, it’s a challenge to get to America!
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by Emily
I don’t know about you, but after the last eighteen months, I have really needed summer. I wanted warm mornings with bright sunshine, lazy humid afternoons sipping a gin and tonic in the shade, and balmy evenings around a BBQ with friends and family.
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by Emily
I cannot believe I am finally typing this, but…my world is starting to open up again! Here in the UK, May 17th is the date when we can finally start to see friends and family inside again. I never thought I would be so excited about sitting down in someone’s house that wasn’t my own!
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by Emily
It’s a strange thing, finishing a book series. It’s an even stranger thing when you are the author writing it!
There’s a reason I always write long series. I love delving into a series, really getting to know the characters, loving some, hating others. I want to immerse myself in their world; I want to taste their food, breathe in their air, feel as though I could reach out and touch them at any point.
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by Emily
I don’t know about you, but I have found the last year very hard, and very strange.
Pandemics are not frequent. It’s hard to think of many people who have experienced two in their lifetime. Now that we have all gone through a pandemic, and that experience will be very different to each of us depending on what we personally had to face.
And now it’s changing. Freedom is coming.
+ Writing
by Emily
You know, it’s been five years since I had designed my website, and honestly? I thought it was looking a little tired.
I’m not saying what I had before was bad – it wasn’t! But it wasn’t representative of what my books were, and who I was as an author anymore.
I have learned so much over the last few years. I have crowdfunded (thanks to the amazing support of my readers!) an entire series of Regency romance, started a bestselling Regency series with my amazing publishers, Dragonblade Publishing; and I now have a Patreon where my readers can get bonus content, have a say in how books are developed, and even have training on how to write a romance yourself!
+ Writing
by Emily
I don’t know about you, but the last year has really changed the way I read.
Not that I don’t read the same things; I don’t think it will ever be possible for me to leave historical romance alone!
But more the way I read, both when I read and what medium I end up reading on.
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by Emily
A short and sweet one from me, because I am also celebrating my wedding anniversary this week! Happy Valentine’s Day to all of my incredible readers who make writing my books completely worthwhile. Whether you are in a romantic relationship or not, take some time to read a good book and tell someone you love how much they mean to you!
+ Writing
by Emily
Okay, let’s be honest. New Year’s resolutions are hard! They are difficult to come up with, difficult to keep, and ever yyear I just feel more and more guilty that I haven’t managed to keep them beyond January! So now we’re halfway through the year, how are you doing? I’ll share mine, and please share yours in the comments!
by Emily
I’m almost thirty! And to be honest, I couldn’t be happier about it. My twenties have been fun, don’t get me wrong – two degrees, three jobs, and one rather fantastic husband have all been gained during this decade – but there comes a point when you realise being 19 and being 29 are very different places.
Emily E K Murdoch 