Category Archives: Great Britain

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

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

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

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

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

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”

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”

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

Tax Day During the late Georgian and Regency Periods

Today is tax day in the U.S. I paid mine in March. My tax receipts are sometimes 5 inches deep in paper. As a self-employed author and retired teacher, I save receipts for lodging, mileage, advertising, home office, technology, insurance … Continue reading

Posted in British currency, British history, buildings and structures, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Inheritance, Living in the Regency | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Meet Francis Grose, Author of the 1811 Dictionary of theVulgar Tongue

As my novels are set in the early part of the 1800s, attempting to discover appropriate words to express “dismay” or “disgust” often sends me searching out my online copy of 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, a Dictionary of … Continue reading

Posted in British history, England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, real life tales, research, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Social Class in Jane Austen “Emma”

Hopefully, you will have the opportunity to view the newest film version of Jane Austen’s “Emma,” this weekend or have been fortunate to have viewed it already. I plan to see it with my friend Kim. Below are some of … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , | 24 Comments

We Get Stacks and Stacks of Letters…The Expense of Mail During the Regency Period

On the Perry Como Show, which began back in 1955, the chorus customarily sang: “Letters, we get letters. We get stacks and stacks of letters.” However, during the Regency Period, the mail was expensive. MPs were the only ones who … Continue reading

Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, political stance, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Life Below Stairs, Part 5 – The “Fallen” Female Servant

The life of a female servant in an English household of the 18th or 19th Century was a lonely one in terms of romantic entanglements, and we can only imagine how easily such a woman might be tempted to “taste” … Continue reading

Posted in British history, commerce, Georgian England, Great Britain, history, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, Regency era, romance, servant life, vocabulary | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments