Sad Goodbye to Robert Hale.

6th book

3rd book

I was sad, but not surprised to hear that Robert Hale had closed for business in December 1st. They were the last of the old-fashioned publishers and will be missed. They had been in business since the 30s and were always family owned. Mr John Hale (son of Robert Hale) only retired a few years ago. Perhaps if they had changed to paperbacks, instead of the very expensively produced hardbacks, they might have survived a little longer. £18.99 was far too much in today's climate and cash strapped libraries just couldn't continue to buy them.

7th book

They started my writing career ten years ago and  I can still remember the joy of receiving the letter from Mr Hale saying he was going to publish 'The Unconventional Miss Walters.' I went on to write nine books for them, before moving on to an American publisher and then to indie-publishing. They were one of the few publishers still accepting submissions without using an agent.

1st book.

 They were unfailingly polite and responded to submissions within three weeks. I only had one cover I didn't like - that for 'A Suitable Husband' - the head of the girl is out of proportion and she should have looked like an English rose.

'The Mesalliance' (what a silly title) shows St Osyth Priory where the book takes place. 'A Dissembler' is the road to Great Bentley where that book is set. I was allowed to work with the artist, although it said in the contract the covers were decided by Hale.
The royalties were minimal and the print run tiny - but when I started I didn't care - just seeing my books on library shelves, and being able to give/sell them to friends was enough for me.

Editing was not as thorough as it could have been - but I only realised that after working with a different editor. I wasn't told about point of view/show not tell etc - this is something I learned later.

8th book.

2nd book.

9th book.

4th book.

5th book.

However, without Mr Hale buying my first book I wouldn't now be a successful author with over forty books to my name, and making more today than I ever did as top of the scale teacher.

D C Thomson, (My Weekly Pocket Novel & People's Friend Pocket Novels) are still there for new writers and they take unagented submissions.

I know many successful writers that started their careers with Robert Hale and I'm sure, like me, they will always be grateful for the start they received from this old-fashioned publisher.
The business has been sold to a publisher that only produces non-fiction. I understand that the fiction in the pipeline will be produced but no further books of this sort will appear.

I bid Robert Hale a fond farewell and hope everyone there finds alternative  employment.

Fenella J Miller

Why I work with other writers.

Elizabeth Bailey & Melinda Hammond

Melinda Hammond & Amanda Grange

About a year ago I downloaded a multi-author box set of crime novels and thought what a good idea this was if a group of writers wanted to promote their work to new readers.
I immediately contacted writers that I knew who wrote Regency and asked if they would be interested in putting out a Regency box set.
The original five included Wendy Soliman – she was forced to drop out of the next two box sets but will be rejoining us next year.
Initially we thought of this exercise as purely to introduce our own fans to books to other people. However this venture has proved to be successful as a business as well as a promotional tool.

Fenella J Miller, Monica Fairview,
Elizabeth Bailey and Melinda Hammond

We got together last week at the very grand St Pancras Hotel (£5 pound for a cup of tea!!) and held our first business meeting. Working with a group of excellent, well established writers in a similar genre as myself not only makes financial sense, but it's also beneficial in several other ways.
If any of us have writing related problems then we can contact each other for a solution – even non-writing problems can be shared and solved.
Writing is a solitary business and working with people in a similar position as I am makes the business less lonely. Of course I have Facebook and Twitter friends, but I'm unlikely to meet up face to face with many of them.
After our meeting we've now come up with a new business model. This will be more flexible and allow the six of us to participate in a box set or not depending on our current circumstances. I've also handed over the running to Amanda for 2016 and I can't tell you how delighted I am that she's agreed to take it over.
The other members of the group will take a turn in being the host for a year's box sets – my turn won't come round again until 2021! I shall enjoy the experience fare more when I'm not responsible for the financial side of things.
We think this is such a good idea that we're intending to put out a Regency crime box set in the future as well as our romances.
I can highly recommend the experience and would suggest that if you write in a similar genre to anyone you know, think about joining up with them in producing a multi-author box set.

Fenella J Miller

Are things different now for indie writers?

When Amazon introduced KOL in July 2 014 – the subscription service for readers – everything changed for me. From September 2014 when the first payment of the July  KOL royalties arrived in my bank, my income doubled. Then last year's Christmas novella, Christmas at Hartfield Hall, took off and became a bestseller and gained me three lots of author bonus payments.
This amazing increase in royalties continued until April (which was February's royalties)and then began to tail off and for a while I was worried that my writing career was on a downward slope.
Then I realised this surge of borrowing was because the scheme was newly introduced and once everyone who'd joined had read my books, things had returned to normal.
There are over 1 million people in the scheme and the majority signed up when it started. I doubt that there will ever be that sort of explosion again – which is a shame as it gave me a fantastic boost in income.
That said, my income hasn't fallen below what it was before the scheme began – in fact it is slightly higher.
There are still indie writers who sell a substantial amount of books without being in the KOL system,but I think they are in the minority. For me everything is now different. I have literally hundreds of thousands of pages read every month, but am lucky to get three or four hundred sales when I used to have three or four thousand. I think that my readers have all moved to the library scheme.
My mainstream historical titles still sell a pleasing amount every month so I must assume that these readers are not in KOL and  prefer to buy books.
There are a finite number of readers and a growing number of writers – someone told me that there are 3000 titles published in the UK every week. That's a staggering number and we are all competing for sales in the the same pool of readers. Indie writers can actually be maintaining their author and sales rankings whilst their slice of the sales-pie is now smaller than it was.
I shall continue to write to the best of my ability and publish seven or eight new titles every year in the hope that this keeps my market share stable even if it is no longer rising.

Fenella J Miller

Christmas at Highfield Court

Click here US
Click here UK

I know what your thinking -not another Christmas book. I love the build up to the festive season but usually find the period itself a let down. Not having a faith the religious side is rather lost on me - although I do love singing carols and hearing the Christmas story.
I like to give gifts to friends and family and this is the one time of the year I can do it without anyone objecting.
For this reason I think there can't be too many Christmas themed books -hence this my third.
Here is the blurb for this recycled title. Don't you love the new cover?

Christmas at Highfield Court was previously published as Lord Atherton's Ward. 
Extra scenes have been added to this book. When their father, Sir John, dies leaving Sarah Ellison and her younger sister Jane orphaned, his choice of guardian is entirely disagreeable to Sarah – particularly with Lord Atherton's insistence that they leave their family home and move to Highfield Court to remain under the care of his mother. Will the spirit of Christmas work it's magic or will Sarah continue to alienate Lord Atherton with her headstrong behaviour or prove that she is a girl he can respect?

If you enjoy this book would you be kind enough to leave a short review on Amazon?
Many thanks.
Fenella J Miller

Barbara's War - Audio Version now live.

Amazon UK Amazon US

I'm rather excited to announce that my very first audio book is now available on Amazon and itunes. Sandra Garston is my narrator and she's done an excellent job. It's a shame it's so expensive but Amazon price on length and this is over eleven hours. Hopefully lots of people will be part of Audible and can download it as a loan.

Having four versions of this book is amazing - there is a large print version/paperback/e-book and now an audio. I feel like a real writer now. 

Barbara's War has been given The IndiePENdents Seal # 10112245 .
This certifcate is issued to books that meet their standards of good writing.

"BARBARA'S WAR by Fenella J Miller is a gripping tale of a young woman in wartime changing the course of her unhappy life. Some very dark moments. A really excellent read.
Maureen Lee

‘A captivating story, so evocative of the period.’
Jean Fullerton.

"If you liked War Brides you will love this book."

As war rages over Europe, Barbara Sinclair is desperate to escape from her unhappy home which is a target of the German Luftwaffe. Caught up by the emotion of the moment she agrees to marry John, her childhood friend, who is leaving to join the RAF, but a meeting with Simon Farley, the son of a local industrialist, and an encounter with Alex Everton, a Spitfire pilot, complicate matters. With rationing, bombing and the constant threat of death all around her, Barbara must unravel the complexities of her home life and the difficulties of her emotional relationships in this gripping coming-of-age wartime drama.

Regency Quintet Christmas Edition

£1.99 & $2.99
See book here.

Here it is – the long awaited, and hopefully much appreciated,  collaborative effort from myself, Melinda Hammond, Amanda Grange, Elizabeth Bailey and Monica Fairview.
This time Monica, Elizabeth and myself have written stories especially for this box set so anyone who downloads this edition will be getting a real bargain.
I know it's very early to be talking about the holiday season – in the US you've not even celebrated Thanksgiving and over here we still have Bonfire Night  to come – but all the shops are crammed full of Christmas treats and decorations so we're obviously not the only people who like to get in the festive spirit far too soon.
Here are the blurbs to give you an idea what you will get if you buy this box set:

A Most Unusual Christmas
NEW BOOK
Fenella J Miller
Miss Cressida Hadley is delighted when Lord Bromley and his family are unexpectedly obliged to spend Christmas at The Abbey. Despite the fact that Lord Harry has a broken leg, her papa and the Earl take an instant dislike to each other, the Dowager Lady Bromley drinks too much and her older brother, Richard has got into another scrape – Cressida is convinced she can overcome these difficulties by reviving the old-fashioned Christmas traditions and getting everyone involved. However, falling in love with Lord Bromley hadn’t been part of her plan.

Winter Inheritance
Melinda Hammond
Governess Verity Shore longs for a little adventure, then Rafe Bannerman arrives to carry her off to Highclough and Verity discovers that life can be a little too exciting! An estate the edge of the wild Yorkshire Moors, Highclough is Verity's inheritance, but she soon discovers that the land is coveted not only by her handsome cousin Luke but also by Rafe Bannerman and soon her very life is in danger…..

A Merry Christmas Chase
NEW BOOK
A Very Merry Chase
Monica Fairview
When the new earl at the Lodge catches Cherry poaching, she manages to get away before he discovers her identity. But the Earl is serious about catching his poacher and bringing “him” to justice, so Cherry flees to her estranged rich aunt. Imagine her dismay when she discovers that the earl is a house guest there for the whole twelve days of Christmas! She has to rely on her ingenuity to throw him off the scent.
Lord Carsdale has come to the Christmas house party to find a wife, but there is something very odd about Lady Ashburn’s niece. At first he turns away from her, but as he catches glimpses of someone else behind the mask she wears, he gets more and more intrigued, unaware that she is leading him on a very merry chase, one where it is not clear who is the hunted and who the hunter.

His Lordship's Christmas Bride
NEW BOOK
Elizabeth Bailey
Orphaned and alone, Isolde Cavanagh seeks refuge with her father’s old friend and finds a reluctant guardian in his son. Richard de Baudresey, beset with problems of his own, cannot imagine what to do with a girl who has followed the drum and is unfitted for society. Will her estranged uncle take her on? Can he use the relationship to his advantage in his own dealings with the man? But when, in his absence, Isolde is thrown out, Richard realises his plans for her future have undergone a radical change.

The Six Month Marriage
Amanda Grange
Desperate to escape her brutal uncle, Madeline Delaware enters into a marriage of convenience with Philip, Lord Pemberton. On the night of the Christmas fete they give in to their feelings but it is not until they vanquish a woman from Philip's past that they find the happiness 

they deserve. 

I love working with these brilliant Regency writers and next year Wendy Soliman will be joining us again and we will become the Regency Sextet.

Fenella J Miller

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Why are sales of e-books falling?

I was fortunate enough to get in at the beginning of the e-book revolution. 2013 and 2014 were extraordinary years for indie publishers but we all knew this couldn't last. Things have definitely started to go downhill this year.

£0.99 $0.99

I'm not the only one who has noticed a very sharp drop in sales, indeed, I think that August's royalties are going to be less than for last August  and this will be a first for me. My loans have become stronger and pay per page seems to be working to my advantage.
My new Christmas book, Christmas at Castle Elrick, ( Click to buy in UK  Click to buy in US  ) is already in  several bestselling lists which is very encouraging.
I had to go to Author Central in order to copy my mini bio and whilst there I looked at my author and sales rankings over the past two years. I was surprised to see that both were slightly above the position they were in last year.
There can only be one explanation – I'm still selling the same proportion of books as before in comparison to other writers, but as there are so many excellent Regency books available readers are not buying as many from each author as they did previously. Eighteen months ago there were probably only a couple of dozen successful Regency writers now there must be a couple of hundred.
I also think that the pool of readers isn't growing as fast as everybody expected so with more good books available each author is going to sell proportionately less.
I think we're going to have to get used to earning less from our books than we did before. I'm just happy that the fall in sales figures is not because I've become unpopular, but for the reasons stated above.
I would be really interested to know if other writers have come to the same conclusion.
Fenella J Miller