I am one of the lucky ones. The first thing I did when I decided I wanted to write a romance novel was to join Romance Writers of America. I won first place in two of them. That editor liked my chapters and asked for a complete manuscript. She bought the book based on my first 9 chapters.
Regency is perhaps one of the narrowest frameworks in which to set a romance.
But more than a specific range of years, the Regency period represents a fascinating mix of elegance and upheaval. While the Napoleonic Wars raged in Europe and decimated the population of young British men, a small, insulated, glittering Society flourished among the upper classes in England. It is this Society that provides the setting for most Regencies. As a writer I am drawn to this setting partially because of the strict rules under which young ladies, especially, had to live. Our heros and heroines often have to struggle to forge a love relationship within that rigid social framework.