Monthly Archives: June 2020

What Does Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Have to Do With the Release of “The Courtship of Lord Blackhurst”?

According to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: A Maine Historical Society Website, “Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a commanding figure in the cultural life of nineteenth-century America. Born in Portland, Maine, in 1807, he became a national literary figure by the 1850s, and … Continue reading

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John Alden and Celebrating the Release of “The Courtship of Lord Blackhurst” + Giveaway

My story, “The Courtship of Lord Blackhurst,” is part of the Regency anthology, Secrets and Soirees, being released 1 July 2020. It is heavily influenced by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Courtship of Miles Standish.” Many of the characters names, for … Continue reading

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The Market for Quackery in Medicine During Late Georgian Era

Previously, I have spoken of anxiety treatments for Mrs. Bennet’s nerves. You may find the article HERE.  Recently, I have been exploring a book called Decency and Disorder: The Age of Cant 1789-1837. It is by Ben Wilson. Amazon describes … Continue reading

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Smugglers in Kent, UK, a Plot Device for “Losing Lizzy: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary”

In my latest Austen-inspired story, Losing Lizzy: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary, smugglers in Kent were mentioned several times. Yet, what do we know of these smugglers? Daniel Defoe wrote a poem about smugglers in Deal, Kent, who turned the … Continue reading

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Finding Sheet Music During the Regency Era

Although quite expensive, sheet music was readily available during the Regency era. Many a person subscribed to services offered by music publishers, among the Schirmer, the most well known of the time. Sheet music was produced for subscribers in bound … Continue reading

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Frances Burney, Writer of Her Times, a Guest Post from Collins Hemingway

Fanny Burney was the female writer before and during Jane Austen’s life. Both in popularity and literary regard, she stood astride the Regency era as the Colossus stood astride the harbor of Rhodes. She published her first novel, Evelina, when Jane Austen was … Continue reading

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How Was It to Shop in Market Towns and Villages of Early 1800s England?

Obviously, there would not be street vendors, but rather peddlers, who would travel from village to village, selling their ware. “A peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a canvasser, cheapjack, monger, higler or solicitor (with negative connotations since the … Continue reading

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Misuse of Words Driving Me Crazy!

Of late, the news media has been driving me a bit batty with the various reporters misusing words either in their oral reporting or the blips crossing our screens. Do you, too, have a pet peeve when it comes to … Continue reading

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Location, Location, Location, a Guest Post from Catherine Bilson

This post originally appeared on Austen Authors on 23 April 2020. Enjoy!  “It must be very agreeable to her to be settled within so easy a distance of her own family and friends.” “An easy distance do you call it? … Continue reading

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Exercise Tiger, a Tragic Rehearsal for D-Day

Most of us know something of D-Day. On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower called the … Continue reading

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