Even though I find the eponymous heroine of Francois Orzon’s Angel (2007) ridiculously over-the-top and deluded, I identify with her fierce desire to become a published writer (what was it Derrick Jensen said? “Writing is really very easy. Tap a vein and bleed onto the page.”). Also, having just completed a manuscript and moving into the fairly early stages of revisions and edits, I am a few steps closer on the path of publication. I’ve already blogged about the publishing industry in the Edwardian era, but now I turn to the aspiring author of the period, particularly those of the female sex who, by the strictures of the day, were placed in a nebulous category of both praise and disapproval, particularly when the woman author was the family breadwinner!

The advice given to aspiring authors, young writers, older writers, etc etc is remarkably similar to that of today:

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Fatin has been an integral part of the romance community for years – she owns and runs the RR@H Novel Thoughts and Book Talk blog, is an administrator of the WriteMinded loop, an author assistant and a tireless advocate for romance novels. She is also a friend to many in this community.

On Tuesday, March 8th, she lost her husband in a senseless act of violence, leaving her alone with four children. You can read more about the tragedy here: http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/9233067/

The romance community would like to rally around her. Therefore, we will be holding auctions on eBay the last week of March. More information on exact days and donations will follow.

The ladies at Jane Austen Today and Elizabeth of Scandalous Women have bestowed high honors upon my blog within the last two months. Without further ado, I pass on the awards to the following:

Unusual Historicals
Zoe Winters
Suzanne Arruda
Vauxhall Vixens
Belinda Kroll
Agent Kristen
Nineteen Teen
Regency Ramble
The Victorian Era