Heather Moll's Blog 
Excessively Diverted 

Coming soon is a post-Hunsford, kissing only, full-length Jane Austen variation. There's no Wickham and there are parlor games. The premise to this story came to me when I wanted to learn more about English horse races and the events of a "race meeting." It turned out to be a great backdrop to a group gathering at an estate—we'd use the term house party now even if our regency friends wouldn't. Darcy and Elizabeth are both reluctant to be at Woodcote Park, which is located wi

I received this message about the price of a recent release when I offered a $0.99 sale on a different, older book: “I’d buy (newest book) outright if you brought down the price.” I followed up and said since it wasn’t in their budget right now to look out in future newsletters for when the new book they wanted was on sale for $0.99 and I thanked them for being a subscriber. They replied with the implication that I make the book free on a fanfic site. I used to do that. I lov

I think a lot about word choice and language use when writing and my goal is to be as accurate to the time as possible. That means trips to Google Ngram and looking up etymology to see if the word I want was in use the way I want to use it when I set my book, usually 1811-1813. Of course, readability trumps accuracy, and no word choice should hurt a modern reader. I'll use a modern word before I offend someone, no matter how accurate it might have been in Austen's day. Words

Do you ever read a regency romance or JAFF and come across a word that sounds too modern for Georgian England? Well, it's always a good idea to check your assumptions! This article delves into my words and phrases I've found that might sound mdoern, but were actually appropriate for regency-set books.

I've been keeping track of some of the modern sounding words that come up while writing historical fiction. Sometimes, I look up words...

Without Undue Pride won silver in romance in The Independent Publisher Book Awards for 2025! The IPPY Awards is an affiliated awards...

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

This is my commitment to not using AI as a productivity tool in writing Jane Austen variations.

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...

While researching another book, I came across a reference to a handbill from about 1820 that described a subscription matchmaking service...

I’m back with more modern sounding words that are actually regency-setting appropriate. Check out my first post about the “Tiffany...

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

A challenge with writing historical fiction is getting the word usage right. I like putting in as many regency era details as...

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...

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...

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...

Research is a big part of writing historical fiction, especially if you value authenticity as much as I do. My background is in...

As someone who writes Regencies, someone who enjoys a dive down the historical research rabbit hole, why would I write a story like Nine...

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...

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...