Space Regency is here, and somehow, I’ve helped. In the wake
of a conversation at RWA Nationals a few years back, I was inspired to write a
novel that pulled together the things I loved most about Space Opera and
Regency Romance. That mélange, for me, grew into my debut novel, His Lowborn
Heart; a cross-breeding of Regency flair with a Space Opera setting.
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| HIS LOWBORN HEART |
Like any great Romantic Couple, at first glance these two
have nothing in common. Space Opera is about wildly futuristic technology;
aliens, spaceships, and laser-swords. Regency is grounded in history, in
stories of and about the Ton, and those who are impacted by them. And just like
any great couple, the more time they spend together, the more you realize just
how much they have in common. How right for each other they really are.
Space Opera has a long tradition of galactic nobility,
filled with counts, dukes, princesses, and emperors of all stripes. Almost from
its conception, Regency has featured strong women either quietly or overtly
breaking the boundaries of their society. They cross-pollinate and compliment.
If left together too long, they melt into each other until it’s hard to see the
pieces as separate.
And like any great couple, they hope to create something new
that transforms how we see the individual parts.
In His Lowborn Heart, I made
an effort to parallel some of the obliviousness of the Ton to what was
happening in the fields of Spain and Portugal as Napoleon advanced. The war is
a game for the wealthy, while those without means struggle and die unseen on
the front. (I even made the aliens a society of equals – similar to the ideas
of the Revolution which Napoleon claimed to further.)
The end result gave me a world where a lowborn fighter pilot
and a duke’s headstrong daughter can find love while they struggle against both
the strictures of society and their human and alien adversaries. Hopefully,
other people find it as fun to read as it was to write.
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| J.C. HAY |
Bio: JC Hay
writes romantic science fiction and space opera, because the coolest gadgets in
the world are useless without someone to share them.
In addition to Romance
Writers of America, he is also a proud member of the SFR Brigade (for Science
Fiction Romance), and the Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal Romance chapter
of RWA. His space opera, His Lowborn Heart, is available now from
Lyrical Press.
8 comments:
Hi JC, fab to see another Brigader on the blog and good luck with the debut.
Your debut novel sounds fabulous! Putting it on my to-be-read shelf! Good luck on sales.
Thanks for guesting at RTG, JC. I love cross-genre books! Yours sounds like a winner! A Space Opera with a Regency aesthetic - Wonderful!
Thanks, Diana, for putting me on your TBR shelf - with the change at Lyrical it just went off sale, but should be back up next month. I'll make sure everyone knows when it re-launches.
-JC
Thanks for having me visit, Sarah! It's been a pleasure to be on. Glad you love the concept as much a I do.
Thanks for joining us at RTG, JC. You are one of the reasons Sarah and I started this blog - we want to showcase the depth and breadth of writing readers can find in the romance genre. Fascinating concept blending Space Opera and Regency sub-genres. Good luck with your book's sales!
Thanks, Judith! I appreciate the invite, and am glad to be part of RTG.
do let us know when His Lowborn heart re-launches. We'll put it in our Headline for our readers!
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