top of page

Heather Moll's Blog
Excessively Diverted


Without Undue Pride is a winner!
Without Undue Pride  won silver in romance in The Independent Publisher Book Awards for 2025! The IPPY Awards is an affiliated awards...
Jun 1
14
0


Vellum versus Vellum AI
There is a difference between the software Vellum used to format books and the entirely unrelated platform Vellum AI used to develop LLM apps.
May 13
14
0


Thieves and pirates and AI, oh my
This is my commitment to not using AI as a productivity tool in writing Jane Austen variations.
Apr 2
32
2


Word Choice Part 4: Is it Regency or Modern?
I think a lot about word choice and language use during era I'm writing and my goal is to be as accurate as possible. That often means...
Jan 26
17
0


Regency Matchmaking and My Dear Friend
While researching another book, I came across a reference to a handbill from about 1820 that described a subscription matchmaking service...
Aug 7, 2024
135
0


Word Choice Part 2: Is it regency or modern?
I’m back with more modern sounding words that are actually regency-setting appropriate. Check out my first post about the “Tiffany...
Jul 7, 2024
178
10


Rising Courage is a winner
I'm excited to announce that Rising Courage is a 2024 Bronze IPPY winner for romance! The Independent Publisher Book Awards is a...
Jul 4, 2024
33
0


Word Choice Part 1: Is it regency or modern?
A challenge with writing historical fiction is getting the word usage right. I like putting in as many regency era details as...
Mar 24, 2024
300
11


Free ways to support your favorite indie author
I love the creative control of being a self-published author. The higher royalty rates aren't bad either and I'm in charge of my own...
Jul 9, 2023
113
2


Can mysteries be romantic?
If you look at my Goodreads shelf, you’ll see I read a ton of mysteries, far more than romance or Jane Austen variations. After my mother...
Nov 13, 2022
39
0


Nerdy writer details: fun with words and n-grams
Ever wonder how I decide if a word or phrase is appropriate for 1812? Watch the video to see one of the ways I check. P.S. There's a...
Jul 31, 2022
125
12


I look up weird stuff
Research is a big part of writing historical fiction, especially if you value authenticity as much as I do. My background is in...
Feb 13, 2022
44
2


Can Austen cross over with sci-fi and fantasy?
As someone who writes Regencies, someone who enjoys a dive down the historical research rabbit hole, why would I write a story like Nine...
Jan 3, 2022
66
0


Holiday Novella On Pre-Sale Now
I have a brand new Pride and Prejudice novella ebook! It's called A Hopeful Holiday and it imagines a resolution for Darcy and Elizabeth...
Oct 10, 2021
35
0


Join My ARC Team
I'm looking for a few good readers...and reviewers. Is your Goodreads to-read shelf filled with JAFF or do people follow your JAFF...
Sep 12, 2021
70
4


Free short stories
Several years ago, I wrote a few scenes just for fun, and I recently set to work on them to see if they could be expanded. Long story...
Jul 25, 2021
116
0


Favorite Opening Lines
All the writing advice out there discuss the importance of that opening line—that hook—that gets your potential reader to sit down, pay...
Jul 11, 2021
81
6


Giveaway: Something New, Something Short
My first drafts tend to be long. Way too long. I've gotten better at trusting readers to know what I mean without hitting them over the...
Aug 25, 2020
212
4


Wait ... how many shillings in a pound?
Have you read a JAFF where a character lays out 5 shillings to buy a yard of muslin, or pays off £1,000 in gambling debts, or tips a servant
Jul 17, 2020
3,227
1


Furniture is Fun, and an Accurate Setting Matters
I’m often asked how much research I do for my books. The answer falls somewhere between a lot and too much! I have strong opinions about...
May 21, 2020
49
0
bottom of page