Today we welcome Fenella
Miller to the blog. Fenella tells us how she and four other authors
collaborated to produce box sets.
I would like to say thank you
for inviting us to be part of the RNA blog. Melinda
Hammond, Amanda Grange, Elizabeth Bailey, Monica Fairview and I are all
bestselling authors in a variety of genre. I discovered a multi-author crime box
set and thought it an excellent idea to promote each other’s work and get new
readers.
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| Regency Quintet Christmas Edition |
Our
first foray into multi-author box sets, the Valentine Edition, had a slightly
different format as Wendy Soliman was one of the five authors, but she had to
drop out and we were delighted Monica Fairview was able to join us. This box
set did amazingly well – way above our expectations so we decided to continue. The
second, Regency Quintet Summer Edition, also did well. We are just about to
publish our Christmas box set and this is the first one with new titles.
This
has been an enjoyable venture. However, as the box sets are on my account I
have to keep track of sales and work out the royalties, which is a worry. If
you have friends who write in a similar genre you could do this. Our box sets
sell at £1.99 – an absolute bargain for five books – so don’t expect to make a
fortune - think of it as a promotional opportunity. You might be lucky and find your box set becomes a bestseller. My
advice is to have a go – but whoever’s hosting shouldn’t have more than two to
juggle with.
Fenella
J Miller
Miss
Cressida Hadley is delighted when Lord Bromley and his family are unexpectedly
obliged to spend Christmas at The Abbey. However, falling in love with Lord
Bromley hadn’t been part of her plan.
Winter Inheritance
Melinda
Hammond
Governess
Verity Shore longs for a little adventure, then Rafe Bannerman too exciting!
arrives to carry
her off to Highclough and Verity discovers that life can be a little
A Very Merry Chase
Monica
Fairview
A penniless lady is
caught poaching by a lord, but when she flees to her rich aunt’s manor, she
finds the same man is her aunt’s house guest.
His Lordship’s Christmas Bride
Elizabeth Bailey
Isolde Cavanagh seeks refuge with her father’s old friend and finds a
reluctant guardian in his son. Richard de Baudresey.
A Six-Month Marriage
Amanda Grange
Desperate to escape her brutal uncle, Madeline Delaware enters into a
marriage of convenience with Philip, Lord Pemberton. On the night of the
Christmas fete they give in to their feelings but it is not until they vanquish
a woman from Philip's past that they find the happiness they deserve.
I
asked my fellow authors what they thought about our joint venture.
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| Melinda Hammond |
Melinda Hammond
said: I have known my fellow authors for many years and it is a delight to be
working with them. We support and encourage each other, and the added bonus is
that we are providing our readers with a variety of Regency romances.
 |
| Elizabeth Bailey |
Elizabeth Bailey said: I love
historical romance and despite forays into historical mystery and edgy women’s
fiction. I was delighted to be offered the chance to work with friends and
fellow authors on the Regency Quintet box sets.
 |
| Monica Fairview |
Monica
Fairview
said: I was thrilled to be asked to join the group. It is an opportunity to
work with some of the best authors in the field (who also happen to be lovely
friends), but will also keep me on a strict deadline. It’s a wonderful way for
readers to try other writers.
Amanda Grange said: I like working with
friends. Writing is usually a solitary business but the box sets give us a
reason to email each other and keep in touch. As an author, it's a good way for
me to maximise earnings and it's good value for readers. They get 5 books for
the price of 1 - or even less than the price of 1, judged on paperback prices.
It's also a good way to readers to try new authors and discover new favourites.
I
thought you might like to know a little about all of us and our latest books.
Fenella J Miller was born in the Isle of Man and wrote her
first book when she was twelve. There are now forty books published including
seven WW2 family sagas.
Her latest book is Christmas at Castle Elrick, a Regency fairy tale - Miss Verity
Sanderson the beauty and Sir Ralph Elrick the beast. Castle Elrick is a cold,
unwelcoming place situated on the bleak Northumbrian coast and Ralph and his
small staff are not the only residents. Will Christmas be a celebration or will
the ghosts of Castle Elrick force them apart?
Amanda Grange was born in Yorkshire and
studied music at Nottingham University. Her first novel, A Most Unusual
Governess, was published in 2001, after which she had another 25 novels published
by a range of publishers.
Amanda's
best-known book is Darcy's Diary
Melinda Hammond was
born in the West Country and grew up with a love of history. She has written
more than 40 historical romances, including the award-winning Dance for a
Diamond. She also writes romantic historical adventures for Harlequin Mills
& Boon under the pen name of Sarah Mallory and won the RNA's Rona Rose for
two of her titles.
Monica Fairview’s
first novel was a Regency which was published by Robert Hale. Since then she
has also published several Jane Austen variations and sequels. She is best
known for The Other Mr Darcy and for her series The Darcy Novels.
For more about Monica, go to http://monicafairview.com
Here are the links to Mr Darcy's
Pledge on Amazon.
Elizabeth Bailey’s latest stand-alone
story is a romantic suspense novella, Silence of a Stranger - Is
Bea’s life more at risk than her
disobedient heart?
A wonderful idea and good to see five authors working so
well together. We wish you luck with your forthcoming Christmas box set.
The RNA blog is brought to you by,
Elaine Everest
& Natalie Kleinman
Would you like to write for us?
Get in touch on elaineeverest@aol.com
8 comments:
Thanks for hosting us. We love doing out box sets and maybe this will inspire others to make them, too.
Yes it is lovely to be here, thank you! I have learned a great deal from this collaboration and I am already looking forward to the next boxed set.
I have to agree, ladies. The box set is a lovely way to share stories. There's a lot of extra promotion, when 4 or more people are sharing it. I've been in a few box sets this year, and they've all done well. The Regency one I was in did phenomenally well, and still pops up into the Amazon US top 100 from time to time.
I agree, Lynne -- yes, there are plenty of reasons to combine efforts and do a box set, including the chance to be part of the RNA Blog! Thank you Elaine and Natalie!
It's definitely well worthwhile. And it gets you writing! Now some of us are doing new books for the box sets, it's really making me work. Deadline hell, but the rewards are worth it. And I so much enjoy working with the other four authors. We all get on so well, and it's great to share the load.
An interesting collaboration and a bargain for readers - should draw lots of new ones for you all.
I love being part of this group and the interaction between us all makes writing a less isolated profession. Thanks for inviting us to the RNA blog.
Well done and congratulations ladies. Box sets have become popular this year and what a lovely
idea with Christmas coming up.
I'll certainly be looking at some of these wonderful titles.
The best of luck to you all.
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