Harlequin Historical Undone Guidelines

Hello Fellow Writers!

Yesterday I spent five hours drinking coffee and racking up my word count at the Panera in Fishkill NY. It was a blast! I'm having so much fun hanging out with fellow NaNoWriMo participants that I will be very sad to see November end. Usually writing is a very solitary sport. It feels motivating to make it a group venture.

I wrote two thousand words on Friday and four thousand words yesterday, so now I have a total of 28,000 words. That's 100 manuscript pages. And here's the scary part - I recently ran out of plot! That's right. I spent three weeks writing a 40 page plot outline that took me almost to the end of my story, and now I am forced to throw the darn thing out and write by the seat of my pants.

It all started when I had planned for a love scene and realized that my hero and heroine weren't ready for that. So the plot is gone. Now the characters are running the show!

I think after November is over I will take a break from "Snowed in With a Millionaire" and let it percolate a bit. During that time I'll try my hand at a shorter piece, perhaps something for Harlequin Historical Undone....

Here are the guidelines, from eHarlequin.com:

Writing Guideline
Harlequin Historical Undone

Word Length: 10–15,000 words
Format: eBooks
Senior Editor: Linda Fildew
Editor: Sally Williamson
Editorial Assistant: Mimi Berchie
Editorial Office: London, U.K.

If you've always wanted to write for Harlequin Historical, but were daunted by the length, now is your chance to submit something shorter!
The response to Harlequin Historical's more sensual story lines have been so positive that we are creating a new eBook sexy short story program—Historical Undone.
In Historical Undone we are looking for a high level of sensuality that flows naturally out of the plotline. There should be a strong emotional basis to the heightened attraction—it's vital the reader can believe in the intense emotion driving the characters as their relationship develops. These stories should be hot, sexy and subtly explicit without the lovemaking being vulgar or gratuitous.
Whether you choose a dark and devilishly sexy Regency rake caught in a compromising situation with a headstrong miss, or a courageous Saxon lady held captive by a powerful Norman warrior, your characters should be fully fleshed out and should be the main focus of the story.
The history should be well researched in order to give an authentic sense of period without taking over from the romance. We are happy to consider stories set in ancient civilizations up to and including the First and Second World Wars. What remains ever popular are the Regency tales, which could see your characters scandalizing high society or being drawn into a salacious underworld inhabited by pickpockets and courtesans!
We are also open to slightly different elements from those normally found in Harlequin Historical books. Please feel that you can explore aspects of the paranormal and time travel.
You do not need to be agented to send material to us. We are actively looking for talented new authors and wish you every success with your submissions.
Only complete manuscripts submitted electronically will be considered—no partials or queries, please. Submissions should be sent as a Word-compatible attachment. Submissions should also follow standard formatting guidelines and should be double-spaced and typed in a clear, legible font on numbered pages. Author name and title should appear as a header or footer on each page.
Historical Undone e-mail address: undone@harlequin.ca

Today I plan on bringing my word count up to 30,000 words. I'll be attending another write-in at Panera today as well. In fact, I'm running late so off I go!
Wish me luck, and good luck to you too!
Yours Truly,
Shoshanna Evers