Category Archives: Great Britain

A Witch Bottle and the Writing of “The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy” + Excerpt

Posted on August 10, 2020 by

Incorporating Research into a Story Line Today, I thought I would spend some time on how I incorporated my research into Dorset’s superstitions and legends into the text of one of my Austen-inspired cozy mysteries. Enjoy the short history lesson … Continue reading →

Posted in book excerpts, British history, excerpt, gothic and paranormal, Great Britain, Jane Austen, legends and myths, Regency era, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Lesser Key of Solomon, a Grimoire, a Minor Plot Point in “The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy”

Posted on August 7, 2020 by

The Lesser Key of Solomon, a Grimoire Although it has nothing to do with Halloween and the images of witches, demons and spirits, The Lesser Key of Solomon (or) Lemegeton does present a mystery of sorts. In researching my cozy, The Mysterious … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, mystery, real life tales, Regency era, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thief and Killer – Why I Write What I Do

Posted on August 5, 2020 by

In 2008, I took the plunge in the publishing world when one of my AP students challenged me with “If you know how to do this, do it yourself.” Publishing was not on my radar. I was 37 years into … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen Authors, book release, books, British history, eBooks, George IV, Georgian England, Great Britain, historical fiction, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, mystery, Pegasus Books, Pride and Prejudice, Regency era, Regency romance, suspense, Ulysses Press, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Carriages, Coaches, Landaus, Gigs, Phaetons, and More – How to Write Regency Accident Scenes

Posted on July 27, 2020 by

This is a repeat from a 2019 post by request of two of my author friends. Enjoy! There are many fine posts on the internet regarding the various types of coaches available to those of the Regency, but such is … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, commerce, customs and tradiitons, England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Did An Officer’s Wife Receive a Pension if Her Husband Died in the Napoleonic Wars?

Posted on July 8, 2020 by

Did an officer’s wives receive any kind of pension or a refund for her husband’s purchased rank if the man was killed in battle? First, permit me to explain, regiments were formed “whole cloth” in some regions, or whole battalions … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, military, real life tales, Regency era, war | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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

Posted on June 12, 2020 by

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 →

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Uncategorized, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Exercise Tiger, a Tragic Rehearsal for D-Day

Posted on June 5, 2020 by

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 →

Posted in American History, British history, Great Britain, history, Living in the UK, military, war | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Burntwick Island, Setting as Character in “Losing Lizzy: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary”

Posted on May 25, 2020 by

On Friday, we had a closer look at Deadman’s Island, and its part in the setting for Losing Lizzy: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary. Like Deadman’s Island, Burntwick can be found in the estuary of the River Medway in Kent. … Continue reading →

Posted in book release, British history, eBooks, England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, reading habits, real life tales, Regency era, research, spooky tales, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Deadman’s Island, Setting as Character in “Losing Lizzy: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary”

Posted on May 22, 2020 by

Deadman’s Island, located at the mouth of The Swale, opposite the town of Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey, off the north Kent coast, plays a major role in my new JAFF story, entitled Losing Lizzy: A Pride and Prejudice … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen Authors, book release, British history, eBooks, England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, historical fiction, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Pride and Prejudice, reading habits, Regency era, Regency romance, suspense, Vagary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The “Churching” of Women After Childbirth

Posted on May 6, 2020 by

 Although it has largely fallen out of favor with Western religion, the concept of “churching” in the Church of England can be traced well into the 20th Century. (Margaret Houlbrooke. Rite out of Time: a Study of the Ancient Rite of … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, England, Great Britain, history, Living in the UK, marriage, marriage customs, medicine, religion, tradtions | Tagged , , , , , ,