We do *prefer* that historical romance is set before 1900. Time and again, this is what is proven to work best in the market. But we’re willing to make exceptions when the book itself is extraordinarily exceptional. This is one of the benefits of having an agent – they know our personal preferences and what project is worth breaking the rules.

Futuristics and time-travels – It’s definitely true that the descriptions we currently have posted could be better worded. The basic point here is that we’re much more interested in the characters and their developing relationship than paragraphs upon paragraphs of straight description about their technology or the world they inhabit. Of course you need *some* description to understand and feel fully engaged in the story, but it shouldn’t be the focus of the book.

I hope this helps clear things up a bit.

And for those looking for a preview, here are some projects I’ve worked on that I’m particularly excited about:

Available now:

IMMORTALS: THE GATHERING by Jennifer Ashley – The concluding book of the series arc, but not the last we’ve seen of these characters (she hints mysteriously…)

UNDERCOVER IN HIGH HEELS by Gemma Halliday – This is the third book of the series, which the USA Network is currently developing for a TV show

Eve Kenin’s DRIVEN, of course, which Jane has so kindly linked to at the top of the page

Coming in October:

WARRIOR’S BRIDE by Gerri Russell – This is the second novel from last year’s American Title Contest winner. With rave reviews from Jayne Ann Krentz, Debbie Macomber and Sabrina Jeffries, this steamy Scottish historical is definitely one to check out.

Coming in November:
UNLUCKY by Jana DeLeon – A riotous mystery romance in which the unluckiest woman in the world tries to help a federal agent take down a wanted criminal. Like Jana’s debut, Rumble on the Bayou, this features a great bayou flavor and lots of quirky characters.

FORECAST by Jane Tara – A contemporary debut novel that I like to describe as Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic meets Jane Austen’s Emma.

But you bring sunshine into my chromy shiny world! Just for that, I shall spend some money on Dorch books, including yours, and stop being such a petty little embargo-er. Thank you.

I’d say Dorch is a PERFECT place for a geek girl writer. Chris Keeslar, one of the editors, LOVES that stuff. He gets it, too, and never asks that it be dumbed down – if anything, he wants them smarter. When I passed in the first draft of Moongazer, he teased me, calling it Sci-fi Lite, and made me add a ton of explanation of the technology behind the story, etc.

They also say in those guidelines, if I remember right, that they strongly prefer third person. Also wrong. (To the dismay of some of the people here, I’m sure, lol.)

Dorchester is an awesome publisher to write for. They give you so much freedom to really write the books YOU want to write. Even if they’re weird. Perhaps ESPECIALLY if they’re weird.

Marianne

FUTURISTIC: Avoid science-fiction-type hardware, technology, etc. The greatest challenge of a futuristic is building a world that is unique and yet accessible to the reader.

Sounds like Dorchester would reject William Gibson.

I took the guidelines to mean not focusing on technology at the expense of the characters and the story. Which Bujold never does.

TIME TRAVEL. Beware of philosophizing about the meaning of time, and how the past affects the present. No time machines, please.

Yeah, ‘cos we all know that…what? Romance readers can’t understand philosophy? And no time machines. Why not? Why not a kick-ass geeky engineer who tinkers with machines on her off-time? Someone who thinks she’s not attractive, but whose intelligence and compassion attracts the love of her life who happens to live in a different era?

FUTURISTIC: Avoid science-fiction-type hardware, technology, etc. The greatest challenge of a futuristic is building a world that is unique and yet accessible to the reader.

“Science-fiction-type hardware” isn’t accessible? Someone tell Lois McMaster Bujold, quick! She’s obviously been scamming us with the Vorkosigan saga for years now.

Forgive me, but this sounds like Dorchester is deliberately dumbing down two sub-genres which, in the right hands, can fly! Or, if that’s Dorchester, maybe that should be, levitate mysteriously through touching some charmed device.

There are really lazy people like me who want to get all my info w/o leaving DA!

Hehe. I know the feeling. The extra couple of mouse clicks takes energy.

There are really lazy people like me who want to get all my info w/o leaving DA!

I do really like how Dorchester takes chances. I love Marjorie Liu, for example. And can’t wait for the CL Wilson books.

but really, I want ebooks!