Monthly Archives: November 2023

Anna Larpent, 18th Century Diarist and Lover of Plays

An 18th Century diarist, Anna Larpent’s diary gives a look into Georgian life. She was the daughter of a diplomat. She served as the de facto assistant Examiner of Plays during her time. At age 18, Larpent pulished a 32-page … Continue reading

Posted in British history, drama, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Jane Austen, playwrights, reading habits, real life tales, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A Personal Salute to My Mother on What Would Have Been Her Birthday, along with a Look at Mothers, in general, from Jane Austen’s Stories

Today, would have been my mother’s birthday, but, sadly, I lost her in 2002. It is odd when I think of her. She was a “mighty” force, even though she was but 5’1″ tall and only weighed 97 pounds when … Continue reading

Posted in birthdays, book excerpts, family, heroines, Jane Austen, real life tales, war | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

And the Winners Are …

Amanda Kai is pleased to announce the winners from her recent blog post on this site. Thank you again, Regina, for hosting me on your blog!  Here are the winners from the Miss Bingley and the Baron giveaway. Prizes are … Continue reading

Posted in Always Austen, contest, giveaway, historical fiction, Jane Austen, Regency era, Regency romance, Vagary | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Very “Real” Estate: Vicars’ Close, Wells, Somerset, England

The oldest purely residential street in England is known as Vicars’ Close, which is located in Wells, Somerset, England, and dates from the mid 14th Century.  Planned by Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury, at one time it was 42 separate houses, … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, British history, buildings and structures, customs and tradiitons, England, Great Britain, history, medieval, research | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

William Strickland, the Man Who Introduced Turkeys to England

Tomorrow in the U.S., we will be all about the turkey and fixings and football and preparing for Black Friday sales, but in the U.K., turkeys are a more traditional dish for Christmas. Why might you ask? We can blame … Continue reading

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, Christmas, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, England, history, holidays, kings and queens, legends, Living in the UK, real life tales, religion, Thanksgiving | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Women’s Rights to Property During the Regency Era

Women’s rights to property plays out in several of my stories, including, Captain Stanwick’s Bride, therefore, I searched for minute details regarding whether women could inherit property after their husband’s demise. Although I thought I knew the answer, I wanted … Continue reading

Posted in British history, family, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Inheritance, Regency era, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Women’s Rights to Property During the Regency Era

In History, “False Teeth” Were Not So False

  What we refer to as “false” teeth are not false, for most dentures in history contained real teeth, either from another human or from an animal. Some of the oldest finding regarding false teeth come to us from Mexico. … Continue reading

Posted in American History, British history, Elizabeth I, fashion, history, inventions, medicine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Inventions of Thomas Jefferson Found in “Mr. Darcy and the Designing Woman”

Thomas Jefferson is best known for writing the Declaration of Independence, but what other “credits” might we attribute to him? He was also a scientist, an inventor, an architect, and even a philosopher. “The papers of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), diplomat, … Continue reading

Posted in America, book excerpts, book release, British history, buildings and structures, eBooks, excerpt, Georgian Era, historical fiction, history, inventions, presidents, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, Regency era, Regency romance, research, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

How to Rebuild Pemberley After a Fire? + the Release of “Mr. Darcy and the Designing Woman” + a Giveaway

Last Monday, my latest Austen-related book, Mr. Darcy and the Designing Woman, released. It has been the work of many days, and those of you who have read it already know there was a great deal of research involved to … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, book release, books, British history, buildings and structures, eBooks, estates, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, historical fiction, history, Living in the Regency, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, reading habits, Regency era, Regency romance, research, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Trompe L’oeil & Grisaille in Historic Houses + an Excerpt from “Mr. Darcy and the Designing Woman” and a Giveaway!

To write “Mr. Darcy and the Designing Woman,” I had to learn the “technical” architectural terms for many architectural effects I enjoy viewing in historic houses and buildings. Two such terms are “trompe L’oeil,” and the other is “grisaille.” Trompe-l’œil (French for … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art, book excerpts, book release, British history, buildings and structures, eBooks, excerpt, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, historical fiction, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, reading, reading habits, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, research, tradtions, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments