But Regency England has so much more wealth to offer. Different situations, settings, plot possibilities. There are authors who tap into that wealth. Mary Jo Putney is one of my favorites.

And for quite some time the Signet editors have encouraged authors (including me) to experiment with original stories and characters. Not necessarily angst and sex, though they can include them, but anything original. I highly second the recommendation of DEDICATION by Janet Mullany, a beautiful and complex book, with sex, angst and wry humor. My September release, LADY DEARING’S MASQUERADE, also includes original elements: hero/heroine in their thirties, issues of infertility and foundling children, and yes, SEX.

And yet, as Cara mentioned in an earlier comment, they put the same misleading covers on most traditional Regencies.

My theory is the genre is like a person standing between two ships sailing away from one another. The covers are designed to appeal to a dwindling segment of readers who want their Regencies cozy. Readers who want more original stories have largely gone on to reading the big historicals by innovative authors who got their start in traditionals.

I’m reassured to see that many of my favorite Regency historical authors are doing very well, because I do love this setting!

My editor at Signet told me they hoped for crossover sales from readers of regular historicals, but keeping the actual content of the books a well-kept secret is not the way to go. I’m not the only author to include “non-traditional” material–Cara is too modest to mention she’s another risky regency writers–but the image of the regency as a bland, asexual, comfy read persists. And as for the craze for regency-set historicals, I tend to read them questioning why on earth the reder chose the period. A lot of them seem to have a setting and feel closer to the Edwardian age (no, I’m not naming names. There are too many). Jane Feather made the break and set a series in the early 1900s, and they’re a great read. (Also a time of conflict and great clothes!)

Case in point: Janet Mullany’s so-called “traditional” Regency, DEDICATION. (Signet Regency, September.) The cover illustration is of a sweet young thing in a demure gown, and a handsome, well-groomed young man, sitting on a chaise longue reading a book, with flowers and ferns in the background. (You can see the cover on amazon if you like.) The back-cover copy hints that the book is a bit sensual, with phrases like “sophisticated patroness of the arts” and “long-held secrets” — but the copy doesn’t go very far.

The book? Okay, WAY not the “sweet” and “sex-free” read that Wendy rightly points out many people associate with the “traditional Regency.” Yep, there’s sex in the book. Lots of different kinds of sex, plus sex talk, naughty letters, and even a bondage scene! The characters are mature adults who know what they want out of life and each other, and the book never sanitizes the conditions people lived in 200 years ago. It’s different, it’s earthy, it’s sometimes edgy.

But any readers who are bored with “traditional” Regencies, who would love an adult story full of complications and surprises, drama and hot sex, and realistic historical details, would never pick up this book. And readers who would like a Regency full of witty banter and waltzing at Almack’s might be put off by this book (it not being what the cover implies) and stop buying new books.

This, of course, is just one example. But I think as long as the covers and cover copy and blurbs fail to give a real hint of what’s inside, readers seeking unusual or daring books will continue to be frustrated — and writers of daring books will continue having a hard time reaching their audience.

One thing to keep in mind – the online romance community is far smaller than the general romance reading public. While I firmly believe those active in the online world are hungry for “different”, there are many readers out there who want “McDonalds.” Heck, someone has to be buying all those secret baby books right? Otherwise, why would they keep getting published?

In the meantime, for readers who are serious about change – I think Jennifer Ashley said it best. By those “different” and “unusal” books new! Also, support publishers who push that envelope every now and then. Heck, write some letters. It can’t hurt, right?

I published my Western historical series (PROMISE series) with Ellora’a in March of 2004. I had a heck of a time even getting it reviewed because well, it was Western historical and everyone had pre-coneived notions of what that meant.

The series has caught on is very popular with e and print readers. I just released my first paranormal suspense series which I assume will have a higher draw factor because of the genre. I had anticipated those that enjoyed CONCEPTION would go back and check out my back list, but what I didn’t anticipate was how in love the dedicated paranormal fans would become of my Historical bad boys. I have a huge number of “Normally only read paranormal and contemp” readers in my fan base.

I think that just goes to show that while people have some genre preferences and prejudices, readers are not as genre bound as marketing would lead authors to believe and that in the end, irregardless of where they started, the majority of readers will find a good book in whatever genre it hides.

Granted, an author of an off standard book may have to go outside of a traditional NY publishing house to find a home for their stories, but more and more traditional print readers are discovering ebooks and as they do, they are finding more and more diverse stories to entertain them. I have plenty of readers who find me through my print books and end up buying my next book in ebook rather than wait on the print version. Other authors have the same experience and with the NY houses putting their books out in e-version too, the public is becoming more and more savvy of this market which, IMO, will either force NY houses to expand the scope of their acceptable storylines or increase the popularity and sales of epublsihers. Either scenario works in an author’s favor.:cool:

Just my opinion.