Amazon discontinued the ability to create images using their SiteStripe feature and in their infinite wisdom broke all previously created images on 12/31/23. Many blogs used this feature, including this one. Expect my archives to be a hot mess of broken book cover images until I can slowly comb through 20 years of archives to make corrections.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Unusual Historicals Spotlight: Introduction

One of my favorite author-run blogs out there is Unusual Historicals, which is a group blog that features historical romances with unique and/or unusual settings.  Back in the not too distant past, I found myself suffering from a severe case of Regency England Burn Out (which I have since overcome) and that was when I developed a deep, mad love for historical romances that were a little off the beaten path.  So I thought it would be fun, here at the Bat Cave, to semi-regularly highlight new-ish historical romance titles that feature "different" or "unusual" elements.

This post serves as an introduction, and also as a bit of a disclaimer.  Here it goes:

1. Titles featured in the UH Spotlight are in no way endorsed by yours truly.  As in, the chances are highly likely that I won't have read any or all of these.  This is merely a BOLO (Be On The Lookout) style of promo post.  It's up to the reader of these posts to do further research on specific title(s), if they so desire, and to digest these posts however they see fit.  Likewise, if I don't feature a title, it should not reflect poorly on the author or title.  Could be I didn't know about it, or I had to make the executive decision to leave it off to keep the post manageable.  I'm a lot of things people - but I'm not the end-all-be-all of historical romance promotion.  Also, it's why Baby Jesus created blog comments.

2.  Historical romances only.  As in, the romance has to be the central focus of the story.  Sorry fans of historical fiction or historical mysteries - you're not going to find them featured here.

3.  I will do my very best to mix these posts up to feature both digital-only and print-available titles.  I can't make a 100% guarantee, since I will be at the mercy of what's getting published - but I will try.

4.  As of right now, I'm not planning on putting myself on a strict calender for these posts to go up.  I'm going to shoot for quarterly (every three months).  Again, I'm at the mercy of what's getting published, so right now I would start to think of these posts like Christmas morning.  It will be a surprise to both of us what will be under the tree.

The inaugural post of the UH Spotlight is set to live tomorrow morning.  Enjoy!

5 comments:

A Library Girl said...

Sounds like fun - I think the only thing I've read in recent memory that would count as an unusual historical is Jeannie Lin's Butterfly Swords, so I'm looking forward to seeing what gets mentioned.

Hilcia said...

Great idea Wendy. I've been looking for more and more historicals with different settings, i.e. Songs of Seduction by Lofty, The Sergeant's Lady by Fraser, and of course there are always the Americana historicals, both Western and non-Western.

I'm still reading books set in England, but less these days. I don't remember the last time I read one set in Scotland (and I love Scotland)... hmm... burnout.

Dr J said...

I discovered this website about six weeks ago and have enjoyed their posts. I started out years ago with historicals and it has continued to be one of my favorites forms of romance fiction. That I have branched out is absolutely true, but I continue to love a good historical as a part of the mix. I go back to Jean Plaidy, Barbara Cartland, and the whole panaply of historical authors that have been gifting us with their talents for years. They are like old friends.

nath said...

That's fun, but so not for me LOL. I have difficulty reading historicals outside of England. Don't ask me why ^_^; But I'll be reading this feature religiously :)

Wendy said...

And the post went live today. A nice mix of settings and unusual "elements." I also was able to mix it up between print and digital. 3 available in print, 2 digital-only.