Category Archives: architecture

Thomas Jefferson’s Influence on “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 →

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Rochester Cathedral and the Villages Surrounding It During the Regency Era and How They Fit Into My Writing Process

I wrote this post on New Year’s Eve 2025, with the idea I would need this information for the release of the 5th book in my Dragonblade mystery/romantic suspense series, which officially released 17 June 2026. Yes, I know that … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, British history, buildings and structures, Church of England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, religion, research | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Rochester Cathedral and the Villages Surrounding It During the Regency Era and How They Fit Into My Writing Process

Rochester, England, Part of the Plot Line for “Lyon on the Inside” from Dragonblade Publishing

I have set the latter part of my latest Dragonblade novel in and around Rochester, England. One of the characters introduced in the novel “Lyon on the Inside” is a Scottish “gentleman,” who is familiar to both Lord Macdonald Duncan … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Saxons, architecture, book release, British history, buildings and structures, Church of England, Dragonblade Publishers, England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, hero, heroines, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, mystery, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, religion, research, series, suspense, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Rochester, England, Part of the Plot Line for “Lyon on the Inside” from Dragonblade Publishing

Traitor Tuesday: Celebrating 250 Years of the United States as a Separate Nation: Thomas Jefferson, the Signer Who Wrote the Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson was a plantation owner, but also a lawyer and a scientist. He was only 33 years of age when he signed the Declaration of Independence. He was the father of 6 and lived to age 83, not leaving … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, architecture, British history, buildings and structures, Declaration of Independence, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, political stance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Rebuilding or Refurbishing a House in Regency England + the Upcoming Release of “Lost in the Lyon’s Garden” from Dragonblade Publishing (Arriving 18 March 2026)

The hero of Lost in the Lyon’s Garden was raised, until about the age of ten, by his father, a vicar on his uncle’s estate (now his estate). Lord Benjamin Thompson lives quite simply, as compared to his brothers and … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, aristocracy, book release, British history, buildings and structures, Dragonblade Publishers, eBooks, estates, fashion, Georgian England, Georgian Era, heroines, historical fiction, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, mystery, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, Regency era, Regency romance, research, series, suspense, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

King Henry and English Abbeys by a Partial, Prejudiced and Ignorant Historian and the Upcoming Release of “Crime and Culpability,” a Guest Post by Jeanette Watts

Northanger Abbey, Donwell Abbey, and Downton Abbey may all be fictional locations, but homes titled an “abbey” are perfectly real, scattered across England: Forde Abbey in West Dorset. Anglesey Abbey in Cambridge. Woburn Abbey is the family seat of the … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, blog hop, book release, British history, Church of England, England, Guest Blog, Guest Post, history, Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey, political stance, publishing, religion, world history, writing | 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

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

Robert Adam and Sir William Chambers, Two Major Architects of the Georgian Era and Their Influence on “Mr. Darcy and the Designing Woman” + a Giveaway

Adelphi is a district in the City of Westminster. The Adelphi Buildings, a block of 24 unified neoclassical terrace houses, between The Strand and the River Thames in the parish of St Martin in the Fields, was named “Adelphi,” for … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, book excerpts, book release, British history, buildings and structures, eBooks, excerpt, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, heroines, historical fiction, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, Regency era, Regency personalities, Regency romance, research, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments