A Note from Karen

Back in 1994, when I first began writing, I wrote a couple of romances set during the Regency period. Straight historicals with no paranormal elements, they were great practice and good fun, but a few years later I burned them because, as I evolved as a writer I didn't want to run the risk that anyone might discover my freshman efforts.

What I didn't know was that my older sister had swiped an early incarnation of both manuscripts and tucked them away in a trunk. I was already notorious for burning what I wrote and my family was getting a little sick of it.

A year and a half ago-nearly 15 years later!-my sister gave them back to me. Once I got over my initial shock that she'd pilfered and kept them, I realized how grateful I was that she had. Memory Lane can be a real hoot to walk down. No, they're not what I write now. No, they're not the same caliber, and yes, you can see how much I've changed. Still, they're...fun!

Way back when, in 1994, I sent the unpublished manuscript for The Lady Lies to one publisher and two agents. Both agents requested it but I got divorced, stopped writing for a few years, and never got around to submitting again. The other Regency went to Avon and made it all the way to the final acquisition stage when the editor left and, orphaned, the manuscript was abandoned. Both had potential in the market at the time, but that market has changed dramatically. Be warned: head-hopping is rampant and cliches abound.

For kicks (and because I know that when I was a struggling writer I was insatiably curious about successful authors earliest works) I began to post chapters of The Lady Lies at my blog, figuring it would give everyone a chuckle and be forgotten. It wasn't and began to take over my blog, so we've moved it here.

Keep in mind this is unedited, has never been copy-edited, and the regency details are based on research I did fifteen years ago, so don't write me to tell me what's wrong with it. I know, and I have no intention of going back and fixing it now.

I've temporarily stopped posting chapters because I'm buried in Shadowfever and can't look at anything else at the moment, but when Shadowfever is done, and I've taken a bit of a breather, I'll get the rest of it typed in. The manuscript is roughly 90,000 words, 45,000 of which is already posted.

Happy reading!

Karen