Hello and thank you for having me as your guest for this newsletter. I am Michelle Styles and I write historical romances for Harlequin Mills & Boon. In the US, they are published in the Harlequin Historical imprint . In the UK, it is Mills & Boon Historical. Both UK and US imprints now put all their front list into e-books, so really you can download one of my books from anywhere, rather than waiting for the print version. One of the great things about the Mills & Boon website is their widgets. This means it is possible to read the first chapter of my books before buying. Reading a bit of a book before I buy was something I really missed once I started buying my books off the internet, so I am really glad to have the innovation.
My latest UK book is Impoverished Miss, Convenient Wife and it comes out in the UK in April as an e-book. Although it can be read as a stand alone book, it is linked to A Question of Impropriety which was released in the UK last November. There are plans to release both books in the North American market but I am not sure when.
My latest US book ,Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife was released as an ebook in December, and eharlequin helpfully did a widget for that book as well.
As you can see by the different books, I write in a variety of time periods – from ancient Rome to early Viking and the Regency/Victorian period. Even my Regency and Victorians have a slightly different twist as they are set in the North East of England and have to do a little with industrialisation.
I really like that Harlequin Mills & Boon Historical allows its authors to write in a variety of time periods. They are very committed to providing the full gamut of historical romance. Harlequin is a worldwide company, so I never know quite where my books will appear.
In March, I have books out in Poland, Czech and Australia. My books are much better travelled than I am!
One of the great things about research is doing hands on. With Impoverished Miss, Convenient Wife, I went down a reconstructed coal mine and rode a replica 1820s train at the local open air museum. With my Vikings, I got to go to Iceland and Norway to do the research and even ended up falling off a galloping horse. I have just returned from a trip to Venice and will incorporate some of the things I learnt into an upcoming a novel.
My biggest tip for writing is the same tip that I would give for any one who wants to do anything from running a marathon to completing a quilt to competing at ballroom dancing – it takes desire, determination, dedication, discipline and a whole lots of perseverance. The urge to write shows you have talent. What you do and how much you are willing to sacrifice is up to you.
Thank you so much for having me.
You can find out more about Michelle at these links:
To purchase any of Michelle's books, visit the link below:
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