What do I say?

Well, prior to the last week of July I might have sided with the former group, since I am not, nor have I ever been, a devout fan of this particular sub-genre of historical fiction. Granted, apart from several requisite love scenes, many of these books are exciting, intriguing, and daring pieces of work. Were it not for the sexual tension taking center stage, these books might appeal to the general population instead of attracting primarily female readers.

But then, I tell myself, there are those handful of books that are nothing but poorly-constructed, horribly-researched, and yawn-worthy bits of fluff, carbon-copies of carbon-copies of carbon-copies with only the names of the characters being changed on storyline templates, that cast the whole sub-genre in a jaundiced light. These are the books that usually feature the god-awful cover art of sinewy, long-haired titans and busty, poofy-haired maidens who wear leather pants during a time when women would be stoned for donning such outrageous attire. These are also the books that make it difficult to take this sub-genre seriously, and the reason I am not a fan.

Yet here I sit, after a week of snooping about the RWA National Convention being held at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and am reconsidering my feelings toward this sub-genre. Oh, yes, there will still be those horrid pieces of drivel appearing on bookstore shelves that will forever give historical-romance a bad name (not to mention making my stomach churn with their silly covers). But after talking in-depth to several talented and hardworking writers of historical-romance, authors who I’ve come to admire for both their story-telling and research skills, I can’t help but wish them all the success in the world. They are a passionate lot whose work deserves to be embraced by a wider audience. Though, because of those aforementioned “fluff” pieces, I will most likely never become a true devotee of the sub-genre, nor will most males, I can safely assume, I have gained a healthy respect for these authors who are struggling to succeed in this highly-competitive industry. Most, if not all, of the writers I met take their work—and more importantly—their research very seriously, so how can anyone fault them? They are not the “fluff writers” of my imagination, the type who crank out one paperback a month, but professionals who spend months upon months researching, reediting, replotting, all in a commendable attempt to counteract the negativity that has plagued them.

Therefore, I have reached the conclusion that historical romance is definitely not dead. Not even close, if the thousands of fans who attended the convention for a chance to meet their favorite authors is any indication. And I can’t help feeling glad about it. At least in this particular sub-genre, historical fiction is very much alive.

But what do you think? Am I way off base, or right on target? I welcome any opinions and will gladly post them in an upcoming issue.

Now, on to this month’s Of Ages Past...

I must again thank those wonderful writers who came to my rescue when I found myself short on submissions in several areas yet again. The outpouring of support was tremendous, and I shan’t forget your generosity in providing your work.

As promised, I have added a new section to the magazine—Author Of The Month. Each issue will have a page devoted to one published historical-fiction author, including links to their webpages, their photograph, their entire bibliography, and a detailed interview. (Thanks must go to the many readers, authors, and magazine contributors who suggested questions for this interview, and I must say, the answers our first featured author provided are quite detailed.)

The Of Ages Past Award for Historical Excellence has been given to another outstanding website. (See the “Sites Of The Month” section.) I congratulate this dedicated webmaster for doing a commendable job for history lovers, and strongly suggest a visit to this site at your earliest convenience. Believe me, you won’t be sorry.

In this month’s Articles, writer Victoria Prescott offers some helpful hints for creating a believable fictional town in historical England; novelist Robin Bayne offers information on the growth of E-Publishing and its impact on the publishing industry; while Jamie Engle provides invaluable advice to authors who are flirting with the idea of creating their own web pages.

In this month’s Book Reviews, new contributors Pat H. Fredeman and Cy Korte each give their opinion on historical fiction works; K. G. McAbee shares with us her views on a non-fiction title; while I give my take on a sweeping epic of the old west.

In this month’s Short Stories, author John M. Taylor, Jr. provides “Flower Lay,” a story of Florida in the days when tribes freely wandered the land; K. G. McAbee offers “Wisteria Bozomheave Meets The Love Of Her Life,” a quirky, tongue-in-cheek adventure of life in the old South; in “A Winter’s Tale,” Yvette Viets Flaten provides a Chantfable, a minstrel-like blending of story-telling and poetry; while my own “Joie De Vivre” is a story of love, death, and riches in antebellum America.

In this month’s Novel Excerpts, highly-praised novelist Deb Crockett gives us a taste of her newly-released Natchez, a suspenseful tale of passion, dirty deeds, and endless intrigue along the banks of the mighty Mississippi in 19th-century America; Rusty Harding shares part of his Instrument Of Darkness, his recently-released tale of conspiracies and mayhem, based on the myth of a man named John St. Helen, who, on his deathbed, claimed to be the infamous John Wilkes Booth; while new contributor Janelle Benham offers us a glimpse of A Woman Of Valor, an exciting story of a modern-day couple who are magically dragged back in time to ancient Israel.

In conclusion, I thank you for dropping by. Feel free to send me an email detailing what you like, or even what you hate, about the magazine. Moreover, keep sending those nominations for websites you feel fit the qualifications for our “Sites Of The Month” section. All mail is welcome and very much appreciated.

Enjoy!