Madame X

Poor Madame X.

In the last few months the damsel has been langishing, neglected and all but forgotten in the veritable oubliette of my computer.

She's traveled far -- across empires -- from Paris to St. Petersburg. But she has yet to meet her hero, although naught but a mere door now separates them.

Poor, poor Madame X. Although in reality she's a madamoiselle, but we'll get to that later. . .

I've known for some time that in order to accomplish anything -- and I mean anything -- I require some form of external accountability. Without it, I'm hopeless. A parapatetic in the land of projects.

So I've installed one of those ubiquitous word meters to keep me honest and keep me motivated. I should have one for everything I undertake. But that would mean slathering the walls of my flat with blackboard paint and, really, the aesthete in me rebels at the thought.

I am also asking for assistance to keep me focused. My background is in research and I have a troublesome tendency to toddle off on tangents. The fashions of a period, what they ate, how they spent their leisure time, and the like, are fascinating to me, but obviously not to every romance reader. Particularly if the story is taking place against a backdrop with which most are not familiar. To wit, Madame X takes place in Catherine the Great's Russia.

My question to you, therefore, is this:

What is most appealing or off-putting in an historical romance that takes place outside what might be called your 'genre of choice'? In other words, if, for example, you tend to read regency historicals, what might tempt you to buy something different and what, aside from rubbish writing or an absurd storyline, might cause you to chuck it in the bin?

Xenia and I would be most appreciative of your insights.