AUSSIE AUTHOR'S JOURNEY TO LITERARY SUCCESS WITH POPULAR HISTORICAL ROMANCE
The Bridgerton series has captivated millions around the globe, and its influence extends far beyond the screen.
According to Aussie author Diana (DJ) Rampton, pictured above in Bowral, NSW, the series has sparked a love for historical romances and made the genre more mainstream.
“The success of Bridgerton is in part due to the fact that there has always been a substantial portion of the female population that has loved reading historical romances (some racy, some not),” Rampton told Lifestyle News.
“Bridgerton has made it more acceptable to admit to that preference. Due to its success, we now realsze there are millions of others like us around the world!”
Rampton’s own journey to becoming a celebrated author was not a straightforward one.
She left a corporate career, not out of a bold belief in her writing talents but due to life’s circumstances.
“I became a mum and wanted to focus on raising my daughter, and I couldn’t do that while working full-time. I had been dabbling in writing a book throughout my twenties and I finally had the time to concentrate on finishing it,” she said.
Writing about the Regency era is no easy feat, and Rampton continues to immerse herself in research to ensure the authenticity of her novels.
“I love reading about the Regency period and have my favourite three reference books that I dip into as I write,” she says.
Much of her inspiration and understanding of the period comes from reading the popular Georgette Heyer novels.
“Heyer’s books are packed full of historical detail. Because Austen wrote about her own time, she didn’t need to go into great detail to set the scene for the readers.
"Heyer, on the other hand, was writing about a time her readers knew little about, and so she did meticulous research to bring that time alive in her stories.”
Rampton’s efforts have paid off, particularly on Amazon, where she has achieved remarkable success.
Artemisia, Aphrodite and Aurora are DG Rampton’s three Amazon bestselling novels from the Regency Goddesses Series. Set in England’s Regency era in the early 1800s, they are packed with feisty, eloquent heroines, masterful, dashing men and plenty of wit.
Her secret to climbing the ranks? As well as great books, a combination of strategic moves and savvy marketing.
“I made my e-books exclusive to Amazon, which meant that I could enrol them in the Kindle Unlimited Programme (KDP) and be eligible for a variety of promotional activities.
"I also invested in ads on Amazon, BookBub, and Facebook,” she reveals. Aligning these promotions and ads with her marketing efforts has allowed her to achieve impressive results, such as #1 on Amazon US with 100,000 downloads.
With her next book, Daphne, set to release at the end of the year, Rampton is returning to her first love: Regency romance.
“Regency romance is definitely my happy place! There is something about the period that resonates with me.
"There is a romance to it that is difficult to find in our own time. Naturally, I only focus on the positives in my writing even though there were negatives because at the end of the day, I want to encourage joy and laughter in my readers,” she says, quoting Jane Austen, “Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery.”
Rampton offers a glimpse into Daphne, the first book in her upcoming Taming of the Dukes Series.
“When heiress Miss Daphne Jones finds herself married to the wrong brother – the black-sheep son of the Duke of Burlington – she has little idea that her groom will promptly disappear after the wedding, or worse, that she’ll become a duchess and a widow before her 17th birthday.
"Several years later, Daphne finds contentment in taking care of her family and pets, only for her supposedly deceased husband to reappear, turning her life upside down.
“Daphne is probably my ‘softest’ heroine to dat,e and I’m enjoying writing about her journey towards greater self-awareness and her power to create the life she wants for herself with her husband-in-name-only.”
Rampton’s dedication to her craft and her ability to create captivating stories continue to endear her to readers.
As she prepares to release Daphne, fans of Regency romance can look forward to more enchanting tales from an author who truly understands the allure of the era.
Daphne: Re-education of a Duchess, a historical romantic comedy, is out December 1 this year.
