Shiny, ready to roll right out of the dealership to the right publisher
A NOTE OF SCANDAL, Regency-set historical fiction, 83,000 words
London, 1815—A resourceful composer falls for the newspaper publisher she tricks into printing her music, crossing the political aisle, the class line, and the new method of journalism: “nothing but the truth.”
Back in the shop, soon to be better than new
An Untitled Lady, general fiction, 117,000 words
Lady Madeline Wetherby returns to Manchester in 1819 to marry the earl of her dreams, only to learn she is not a lady after all. When the earl throws her over, his younger brother offers her a place by his side–but he’s in trade, a mighty step down from the peerage. Still, what choice does a woman of unknown provenance have?
She struggles to adapt to this new husband, her new position as a merchant’s wife, and this new style of town, changing rapidly as machines displace skilled workers. As whispers of rebellion grow, a mill is set on fire, and Manchester starts to roil in the summer heat, Maddie discovers her birth father is one of the weavers her husband is helping put out of work—and a radical leader. Now she must decide whether the family she longs for can be made of the man of her heart or the people of her blood.
On the assembly line
The Spanish Patriot, historical romance or historical fiction, 80,000 words
Corunna, Spain, 1808 — A reporter on foreign assignment lives life by his own rules — until a haunted refugee changes them.
The Ambassador’s Daughter, historical romance, 60,000 words
London, 1815 — Can a sky-high-stickler maintain his grip on the earldom while loosening it enough to let in the chaos of a lady steeped in foreign lands? Can an Englishwoman raised in the Orient and India behave upper-crust enough to please the man she’s grown to love?
On the drafting board
Remember Me Well, collection of contemporary short stories
In separate, linked stories, three women consider rekindling missed-opportunity loves from long ago.
Play for Keeps, not sure length
Who wants to read a story featuring playwright Richard Sheridan, owner and magager of London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and longtime member of the House of Commons and his quixotic fight to keep his theater going? Romance? Comedy? Anyone?
Need more details? Write me at nickyp@nickypenttila. com
