Writing Both Regency & Contemporary Romance: Author Interview with Carolyn Miller

Amazon shows you’ve published 38 titles. Your earlier titles were regency romance. What inspired you to write in that genre?
I grew up with a high school librarian mum (I’m Australian) and when she insisted we watch the 1995 BBC production of Pride and Prejudice it basically kick-started my love of the Regency era. I’d studied Jane Austen books in school, but watching it onscreen made it come alive. My sister loved Georgette Heyer books which were also set in this era, so I decided that as a Christian author I’d love to write a book that blended Austen’s prose with Heyer’s humor but with a strong Christian thread through it too. 

That first Regency became The Elusive Miss Ellison, which was my first published book, even though I’d written several contemporary novels before this. My most recent Regency, Dawn’s Untrodden Green, has just released, and I’ve had so many readers saying how much they’ve loved this book because of its strong characters, evocative setting, witty banter, and hope-filled themes.

Most of your recent novels are contemporary romance, why the switch?
It's actually a switch back to where I originally started. Back in 2010 I was watching the Vancouver Winter Olympics and was intrigued by an Aussie female athlete walking into the closing ceremony holding hands with an American male athlete, and I wondered about their story. I did my best to find out and when I couldn’t, I made it up, which became Love on Ice, the first contemporary novel I wrote (but didn’t publish). It sparked a love for writing which then saw me write several other contemporaries before I tried my hand at a historical (The Elusive Miss Ellison) meaning I had a bunch of stories sitting in my computer.

A few years ago as the 2022 Winter Olympics approached, I figured I could hustle to make it happen or wait another four years to see my Winter Olympics story finally release - so I hustled! I started building a contemporary readership by joining the Independence Islands multi-author series, then in 2021 released the first book in my Original Six series, of which Love on Ice became the second book. 

This series is based on the Original Six teams of the NHL, which I love, and set in places I’d visited back in 2010, and sees Christian players from these teams finding love amid the big hits on and off the ice. That led to another series based on another area I visited called the Muskoka Romance series, based on a fictional small town in the Muskoka area that’s two hours north of Toronto. 

Which sells better – regency or contemporary?
I had a traditional publisher for the release of my Regency series for the first four years of being published, so at this stage my Regency still sells more. But I’m very happy with my sales figures for my contemporaries, and hopeful that the volume of contemporary books I have will provide more ‘gateways’ for readers to embrace those books, and we’ll see theses sales continue to grow.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? 
I love dialogue so it’s not that! I tend to write as a "pantser" and not outline or plot beforehand a great deal, which gets a little tricky sometimes to join the scenes together and make sure the story flow. I try to run with the story ideas as they’re flowing and fresh, and this process has served me pretty well over the years. Sometimes, I see a book scene in its entirety and write it down then ‘stitch’ it in later, like a patchwork quilt of plot. 

I’ve found that writing in series helps a lot, because it gives you the story world and often the characters as well, so it makes it easier. When you can write all the books in one go, the tone and flavor remains consistent. I’m currently midway through a book that doesn’t release until 2025.  I’m getting it done now because it’s so much easier to write when I’m already in the flow, than struggle to pick it up again later.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
I’ve had some nice editorial reviews, which is good, but the best encouragement always comes from readers who say how one of my books has touched their life. I was reading an Instagram post this morning from a reader who said my stories “have had a profound impact on my heart over the last several years.” 

Comments like that encourage me to continue writing books that express some of the challenges I’ve gone through – everything from working through forgiveness, to loss, and to finding contentment. I realise that although I write my books in a tiny corner of Australia, people can resonate with them around the world.

Marketing is the biggest key to getting sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produces more sales rather than just clicks?
Bookbub is obviously a powerhouse with getting sales, but one of my best tools I only tried in the past year was the freebie book. I resisted for years, but it’s seriously grown my newsletter list by 3-4000 subscribers, and that’s only for a contemporary novella (that I wrote super fast as a prequel to my Original Six series). 

I hope to one day write a historical novella to set up a new Regency series I’ll independently publish. I think that will help boost sales because I’ll know more to make it very intentional, and link it more directly to the series. 

Do you sell more eBooks or print books?
eBooks for the win! Print books are awesome (nothing beats a ‘real’ book), and I’ve found that having print (and audiobook) as an option helps convince readers of the value of an eBook. The lower price point is a huge drawcard for many readers, especially when you can run sales on eBooks more easily, which means I’ll sell way more eBooks, both with my traditionally published books and my indie series, too.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give? 
Trust yourself, and write the next book. Many authors get hung up on the opinions of others and don’t try. I’ve had agents and traditional publishers tell me my hockey books won’t sell – but I’ve got thousands of readers around the globe who love them. So chances are if you find a topic you find interesting enough to craft a book about, there are others out there who’d like to read it. 

Another valuable piece of advice is to not get so enamored with your first book that you're forever tweaking it, polishing it, etc. Consider it as a practice book and write the next one. I think the fact I had 7-8 finished books (a mix of contemporary and historical, including a romantic suspense!) under my belt before I signed with a traditional publisher meant I had learned a lot about how to craft a story, working to deadlines, applying butt in chair until it’s finished, etc. So finish the first book, pat yourself on the back, then write the next one. Then come back with fresh eyes, fix up and edit that first one, then go write the next one. If you want writing to be more than a hobby, that is.

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
Here's what's releasing this year (less than last year, which ended up being 11!).  Love Somebody Like You, Fire and Ice, Muskoka Spotlight, and Muskoka Holiday Morsels (a collection of Christmas stories) but I’ll focus on Fire and Ice because I love it so much.

Hannah Wade's heart might've once been touched by a rancher's son, but her real passion has always been sports. Years later, when her sports career is cut short by injury, she jumps at the chance to be one of Calgary's first female sports reporters. Trouble is, some of the old dinosaurs she works with think she's only there to look good, add ratings, and stir controversy among the fiercely loyal hockey fans. She longs to prove herself, so when an opportunity comes along to interview newly traded defenseman Franklin James, she meets him. Or, more accurately, re-meets him. With disastrous effect.

Growing up with three sisters means Franklin thought he knew something about women, but nothing had ever prepared him for the sparkling firecracker that is Hannah. And yet her vibrant personality holds a sweetness and soft side, something that draws his interest and protectiveness when an interview goes south. And there's something about her that's vaguely familiar...

Can these two overcome prejudice and find a way forward? And what has faith - or the lack of - got to do with anything?

Fire and Ice is a second-chance, forbidden romance and the first book in the new Northwest Ice hockey romance series, a sweet and swoony, slightly sporty, Christian contemporary romance series, perfect for fans of Becky Wade, Courtney Walsh, and Susan May Warren.

That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Carolyn's books, here are some links to get you started.

Website: https://www.carolynmillerauthor.com/

Newsletter: https://www.carolynmillerauthor.com/connect

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolynMillerAuthor/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Carolyn-Miller/author/B01J9KFYP2

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carolyn-miller

And here's a bonus for my readers... Download a FREE eBook -  Originally Yours by clicking here.  ( https://dl.bookfunnel.com/x4z3vyamyg )

And there's more...Leave a comment on this post and one reader will get a FREE eBook of The Breakup Project, the first book in the Original Six contemporary series, which blends Boston and banter, a brother’s off-limits best friend, a Philippines missions trip, and plenty of heart stopping action and swoonworthy moments. Winner chosen next Friday.