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An Annotated List of Jo Beverley's novellas


For a menu of all my work in e-book, please click here.

Over the years I've written quite a few novellas -- some of which have actually been published in anthologies. I know that readers often don't want to buy an anthology for just one or two stories, so I'm delighted that nearly all my published novellas are now coming out individually as e-books. You'll see by each title whether it is in e-book, or if/when it will be.

If you're interested in one not yet out in e-book, please be patient... Or you could try the Contact Jo page.

I enjoy letting my imagination fly in novellas, so as you'll see, some of mine include fairies, dragons, and even a planet far, far, away. All my published novellas, however, are romances with a happy ending.

[As of 2018-11-11, Jo's novellas are now listed in chronological order by date of original publication.]


THE FRUIT PICKER

First published in Writers of the Future Vol IV, Bridge Publications, 1988.
This is a very short story. If you want it, be sure to buy the correct issue of this annual collection.
This novella is also available in another anthology, Best of Writers of the Future, Bridge Publications, 2000 trade.
I do not know who has the rights to this story, so I don't know if it will ever be available as an e-book.

In a world where meat eating is beyond the pale, even the plants have feelings.



IF FANCY BE THE FOOD OF LOVE

First published in A Regency Valentine, Walker, 1991 hardcover, which is hard to find.
It was reissued in paperback by Fawcett, 1992 [even harder to find a readable copy!].
An extensively rewritten version of the story is now available in the Jo Beverley e-collection, REGENCY VALENTINES, February 2015.



TWELFTH NIGHT

First published in A Christmas Delight, Zebra, 1991.
This novella is also available in another anthology, Five Golden Rings, Zebra, 2000.
Foolishly, I sold the rights to this story, so I don't know if it will ever be available as an e-book.

Every year at Christmas, the Conyngham family host a grand medieval twelve day feast, and this year Lady Alice Conyngham is organizing it for the first time. It presents only the usual problems until a man from her past turns up -- Tyr Norman, who had seduced her and abandoned her on Twelfth Night. But Tyr, now Lord Ivanridge, seems to think that he is the injured party, and he has the same power as before to melt Alice's common sense and willpower.


LORD SAMHAIN'S NIGHT

First published in All Hallows' Eve, Walker, 1992 hardcover.
This novella only came out in a short run of hardcovers. You'll be really lucky to find a copy...
It became available as a stand-alone e-book, October 2011.
Set in the Regency period.

A childish superstition turns serious for Phoebe Batsford and the two brothers who are suitors for her hand. The trouble is that she ends up engaged to marry the wrong one, and only a ghost can sort it all out.



THE DEMON'S BRIDE

First published in Moonlight Lovers, Signet, 1993.
It became available as a stand-alone e-book, January 2011.
Set in the Georgian period [but not a Malloren].

Rachel Proudfoot has enough trouble resisting the temptation of rakish Lord Morden without supernatural intervention. When she plays the traditional role of the Demon's Bride, however, a mighty earth spirit wants to use their passion to return to the world.

Read an excerpt of this story here.



A MUMMER'S PLAY

First published in A Regency Christmas, Signet, 1995.
It became available as a stand-alone e-book, December 2013.
Set in the Regency period.

Justina Travers is sure that her beloved fiancee was killed because of the treason of his commanding officer, Lucky Jack Beaufort. Now that Lucky Jack is home and Duke of Cramoore, she intends to end his luck forever. But after sneaking into his home as part of a Christmas mummers' play, she begins to uncover secrets that change everything.

Read an excerpt of this story here.



FORBIDDEN AFFECTIONS

First published in A Spring Bouquet, Zebra, 1996. It was reissued in 2000.
This novella is also available in another anthology, An Invitation To Sin, Zebra, 2011.
Set in the Regency period.

Anna Featherstone is just sixteen and should never even encounter a person like the wicked Earl of Carne, but when she discovers a secret door, she can't resist exploring, especially when the door and all about it comes straight out of her favourite gothic novel.

Thus she does meet the wicked earl, and when he tries to seduce her, he doesn't know what's hit him. Literally!

Anna's been struck, too, however. By his fatal charm...



THE DETERMINED BRIDE

First published in Married at Midnight, Avon, 1996.
This story will be available as an e-book -- eventually...
Set in the Georgian period [but not a Malloren].

Tricked by a clever seducer, Kate Dunstable finds herself a pregnant army camp-follower. She will not let her child be born a nameless bastard, however, and pursues the father into a battlefield, determined on marriage. There she finds that her lover is dead. In despair and in labor, she accepts the offer of one of his fellow officers, a man who expects to die.

But Charles Tennant does not die, and soon they discover that their midnight marriage has created as many problems as it solved.


A GIFT OF LIGHT

First published in The Christmas Cat, Berkley, 1996.
Available now with other Christmas stories in the boxed set MISTLETOE KISSES AND YULETIDE JOY, October 2013.
Set in the Regency period.

Kitty Mayhew is living quietly during her first Christmas since her parents' deaths, but then her new cat and her maid entangle her with the rake who lives nearby. A rake who doesn't believe in the Christmas spirit. Kitty tries to resist, but soon her better nature and his intriguing charm draw them closer and closer to temptation.



THE LORD OF ELPHINDALE

First published in Faery Magic, Zebra, 1998. It was reissued in 2006.
It is included in the FAERY WEDDINGS e-book anthology, July 2015.
Set in the Regency period.

Gwen Forsythe is startled, to put it mildly, to be told that she's part Faerie, and that it is her duty to marry into the human family of Elphinson to strengthen the Faerie bond there. It's not that she doesn't want to marry Sir Andrew Elphinson, her childhood friend, but Drew doesn't care for her, and is about to offer for another lady. Can she really seduce him at Faery's command? She may have no choice.

First published in The Brides of Christmas, Harlequin, 1999. It was reissued in trade paperback in 2006.
It was published in the UK in another anthology, Yuletide Weddings, Mills & Boon, 2006.
This novella is also available in yet another anthology, A Bride by Christmas, Harlequin, 2008.
Available as a stand-alone e-book, November 20, 2018.
Set in the Medieval period.

It was a daring attempt to rescue Lady Nicolette de Montelan before her father finds out that she's pregnant with an enemy family's child, but it goes awry because Nicolette's cousin Joan has played the Blessed Virgin in the Christmas reenactment. After all, for Nicolette to do it would have been sacrilege!

Now, however, Lady Joan finds herself trapped in a cave on Christmas Eve with the great Edmund de Grave, the Golden Lion, and neither of them are pleased about it. He's annoyed that his plan has been spoiled and worried about his brother, now in enemy hands. She's disappointed that a distant hero has turned out to be the sort to get a lady with child outside of marriage. A mighty battle ensues, but one that ends up breaking ancient hatreds and bringing the true spirit of Christmas and love to everyone around.

Read an excerpt of this story here.



DAY OF WRATH   (RITA finalist)

First published in the millenial collection Star of Wonder, Jove, 1999.
Available now with other Christmas stories in the boxed set MISTLETOE KISSES AND YULETIDE JOY, October 2013.
Set in the Medieval period.

When her childhood friend and love marries another, Wulfhera of Froxton enters a nunnery, but in December 999 Viking raids and the panic surrounding the coming of the millennium cause her to flee home. There she finds Raef a widower, but intent only on despair and suicidal vengeance. Then, on the shortest day of the year, she finds a precious jewel in the belly of a fish. Is it the fabled Star of the Magi? Can it really help her to bring peace, and save the life of the man she loves?

"...well-crafted tale of love and enchantment. Two sisters find unexpected love and help bring peace between two enemy warriors in Jo Beverley's passionate, Viking-filled "Day of Wrath". Fans of the medieval period may be particularly interested in the historical detail, especially the way in which people then viewed the millennium."

Read an excerpt of this story here.



THE DEMON'S MISTRESS   (RITA finalist)

A novella set in Jo Beverley's Rogues' World in the Regency period.
First published in In Praise of Younger Men, Signet, 2001.
This story is also available in an omnibus edition, Three Heroes, NAL, 2004 trade, with two connected novels, The Dragon's Bride, and The Devil's Heiress, available in print and as an e-book from all the usual places.
It became available as a stand-alone e-book, June 2011.

Lord Vandeimen returns home from Waterloo to ruined estates, his family all dead. His attempts to recreate something of his heritage leave him deep in debt, and he is ready to commit suicide when a woman bursts into his room with an extraordinary proposal. Mrs. Maria Celestin, widow of a wealthy foreign merchant, will pay him a small fortune to pretend to be her betrothed husband for six weeks.

Van cannot refuse, but he is wary of this outrageous good fortune. He is also intent on getting into the widow's bed. He doesn't expect to be dragged back into life, and into love, or into a battle to win the woman who bought him.

"Darkly erotic." Publishers Weekly.
"Poignant..." Romantic Times.

Read an excerpt of this story here.
Read my article, In Praise of Younger Men, that inspired this anthology.
More info is available in my Company of Rogues wiki.



THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES

Winner of the Sapphire Award for Best Science Fiction Romance, short form, 2004.
First published in Irresistible Forces, NAL, 2004 trade. It was reissued in paperback by Signet in 2006.
It became available as a stand-alone e-book, April 2013.
The people of Gaia think themselves blessed to be living on the most perfect colony world ever discovered, even if there is a strange energy force that occasionally destroy people. Only very occasionally. Rarely, really. Until now. Now, the entire population is threatened and all the obvious heroes are dead.

Which leaves an unlikely hero and the woman he loves.

"'The Trouble With Heroes' is a brilliant novella" The Romance Reader.
"...an imaginative and moving allegory about war: those we've fought in the past and those we may fight in the future and on far-off worlds." Bookloons.com
"I adored it... Beverley did a brilliant job of capturing real human emotions in an otherworldly situation." All About Romance
"...a moving exploration of the consequences of war and power on those who fight as well as those left behind." Romantic Times

Read an excerpt of this story here.



THE DRAGON AND THE PRINCESS

First published as The Dragon and the Virgin Princess in the anthology, Dragon Lovers, Signet Eclipse, 2007 trade. It was reissued in paperback by Signet in 2008.
It became available as a stand-alone e-book, February 2014.
Fantasy with a medieval style.

Rozlinda of Saragon is the official SVP -- the Sacrificial Virgin Princess -- and she can't wait for a dragon to come so she can do her duty. After all, she'll only have to sacrifice a cup of blood and then at last, at long last, she'll no longer need to be V. But when a dragon flies in from the enemy nation of Dorn, things don't go quite as expected.

Read chapter one here.
Just for fun, see my captioned dragon pictures here.



THE RAVEN AND THE ROSE

First published in Chalice of Roses, Signet Eclipse, 2010.
It became available as a stand-alone e-book, March 2014.
Set in the Medieval period [middle ages], close to Glastonbury, the heart of Grail mythology.

Sister Gledys of Rosewell was sinning again. She can't stop her dreams about a handsome knight, nor the feelings stirred by them. When an old woman and a raven summon her to leave her convent to find her knight, she's challenged to sin in an even greater way. But if she's to believe the message, only she and he together can summon the Holy Grail and bring peace to a country devastated by civil war.

Read chapter one here.

The Marrying Maid was an honorable mention in Best Science Fiction, 2010.
First published in Songs of Love and Death, Gallery Books, 2010 hardcover. It was reissued in paperback by Pocket Books, 2011.
It was included in the Songs of Love Lost & Found e-book anthology, 2012.
It became available as a stand-alone e-book, July 2013.
It is also included in the FAERY WEDDINGS e-book anthology, July 2015.

A Georgian rake, a prim spinster, Faery, curses, and a twist on Robin Hood! A faerie curse hangs over the family of Rob Loxleigh unless he can find his destined bride, his "marrying maid". But what if the very proper lady flees such a rakish aristocrat? A desperate pursuit with seduction in mind.

Read an excerpt of this story here.



JANE AUSTEN AND THE MISTLETOE KISS

First published in Jane Austen Made Me Do It, Ballantine Books, 2011 trade.
Inspired by Jane Austen's world.

A widow doesn't believe she'll have a second chance at love... until a Miss Austen suggests otherwise.



MISS BROCKHURST'S CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN

First published in Mischief and Mistletoe, a Word Wenches anthology.
Available in trade paperback and e-book, Zebra, 2012. It was reissued in paperback, 2013, 2014.
Set in the Regency period.

The authors at the Word Wenches blog have put together a collection of fun Christmas stories involving "wicked wenches" -- that is, ladies breaking the rules. In my story, the heroine, notorious for jilting gentlemen, realizes whom she really loves and will break the rules to win him.

"...delectable tidbits, confections that charm and delight, like the holidays themselves." Romantic Times
"...a sweet gift for the reader." Publishers Weekly.

Read an excerpt of this story here.



SAINT AGNES AND THE BLACK SHEEP

First published in A Cast of Characters, Fiction Studio Books, 2012 trade.
An expanded version of this story is now available in the Jo Beverley e-collection, REGENCY VALENTINES, February 2015.

Read an excerpt of this story here.



DARE TO KISS

A novella set in Jo Beverley's Malloren World in the Georgian period.
This has never appeared in print, but is now available for Kindle and other e-readers.

A mother fleeing scandal with her children finds herself homeless on a cold November day. A passing gentleman offers her refuge which she can't refuse, but why is he so secretive, and why does he live in seclusion in a neglected house? When Lily discovers the answers she sees hope for herself and her children, if only she dare fight for it.



MISTLETOE KISSES AND YULETIDE JOY

A boxed set of Christmas delights.
What's in the box? Three previously-published novellas set at Christmas, a description of Christmas in the Regency period, and some seasonal recipes, new and old.
MISTLETOE KISSES AND YULETIDE JOY is only available as an e-book anthology, October 2013.

A Gift of Light was first published in The Christmas Cat, Berkley, 1996.

The Christmas Wedding Gambit has been freely available on my web site for years.

Star of Wonder, set in 999 AD. This was published as "Day of Wrath" in Star of Wonder, Jove, 1999, a millenial collection, so I've switched the title. I hope that doesn't confuse.

The box also includes an essay about Christmas traditions in the real Regency and some seasonal recipes.

It would make a great small gift for anyone with an e-reader. Buyers from Kindle US can get a download code. Other buyers can get one from Smashwords for use with any e-reader. Write the code in a card and you have a nice stocking stuffer or small gift.



REGENCY VALENTINES

Two Regency novellas and some extras.
Both novellas have been previously published, but one has been unavailable for a long time.
REGENCY VALENTINES is only available as an e-book anthology, February 2015.

If Fancy be the Food of Love... was first published in A Regency Valentine, Walker, 1991, which is hard to find. In that anthology Juno and Chart's story was interwoven with four others. To publish it alone has meant extensive rewriting, but the basic story is the same. These characters connect to the Classic Regency novels listed here.

Saint Agnes and the Black Sheep was first published in A Cast of Characters, Fiction Studio Books, 2012, a large collection of eclectic stories. This version has been expanded, but is essentially the same.

Read an excerpt of this story here.

This anthology also includes traditional Valentine spells and games; an essay about odd marriages; Jo Beverley's guide to those pesky English peerage titles; an essay on the importance of money in the Regency; and some pre-written Valentine's Day verses sold in the Regency for gentlemen unable to come up with their own.



FAERY WEDDINGS

Three novellas in which the powerful race of Faery brings about human unions.
Two of the novellas have been previously published. One is new.
FAERY WEDDINGS is only available as an e-book anthology, July 2015.

The Marrying Maid was first published in Songs of Love and Death, Gallery Books, 2010 hardcover. It was reissued in paperback by Pocket Books, 2011.
The Marrying Maid is also available as a stand-alone e-book.

Rob Loxleigh must find his destined bride or Faery will wreak vengeance on his family. But what if his bride has no intention of wedding a fashionable rake?

Read an excerpt of this story here.

The Lord of Elphindale was first published in Faery Magic, Zebra, 1998.

Gwen Forsythe is startled to be told that she's part Faerie, and that it is her duty to marry into the human family of Elphinson to strengthen the Faerie bond there. Gwen is not at all reluctant to wed her childhood friend, but Sir Andrew Elphinson is about to offer for another lady. Can she really seduce him at Faery's command? She may have no choice.

Read an excerpt of this story here.

Titania's Gift is a new story, only available in this collection.

Sarah, Lady Vaughn, is a perfect lady stuck in a very imperfect marriage, but that's no excuse for slipping out to join in pagan revelry. Perhaps she's justly served when a faery blessing tumbles her into love with a stranger, but how can there ever be a happy ending for any of those involved?

Read an excerpt of this story here.



MISS FINCH AND THE ANGEL

First published in The Last Chance Christmas Ball, a new Word Wenches anthology.
Available in trade paperback and e-book, Zebra, 2015. It was reissued in paperback, 2016.
Set in the Regency period.

The authors at the Word Wenches blog have put together another collection of fun Christmas romances all woven around a very special Christmas ball.

Read an excerpt of this story here.




More information about Jo Beverley's Company of Rogues.     The Company of Rogues wiki.

More information about Jo Beverley's Malloren World.     Jo's Malloren World wiki.

Join Jo's friends for talk about historical fiction on the Word Wenches blog.

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