Category Archives: research

Was an Annulment Possible in the Regency? + Release of “A Dance with Mr. Darcy” + Giveaway

 One of the “what ifs” in my latest Pride and Prejudice vagary, A Dance with Mr. Darcy, revolves around Lydia’s marriage to Mr. Wickham. What if the marriage could be voided? What would it entail to break her bond to … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen Authors, book excerpts, book release, customs and tradiitons, excerpt, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, Pride and Prejudice, Regency era, Regency romance, research, Vagary | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 53 Comments

Was Sawney Bean Truly a 14th Century Scottish Cannibal or Was He a Legend? + a Giveaway of “The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy”

Was Sawney Bean Real or a Legend? Alexander Sawney Bean was reportedly the head of a cannibalistic family residing along Scotland’s Ayrshire/Galloway coast during the 14th Century. According to the legend, Sawney was born in a small East Lothian village, … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Georgian Era, giveaway, gothic and paranormal, Jane Austen, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, medieval, mystery, publishing, reading habits, real life tales, research, Scotland, spooky tales, suspense, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Catholic/Protestant Marriages During the Regency + “The Earl Claims His Comfort”

Catholic/ Protestant Weddings During the Regency Era On 25 March 1754, the Hardwicke Act went into effect in England. It was designed to prevent Clandestine Weddings (Read More on Clandestine Weddings HERE) and to force couples marrying in England to … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Opal Books, blog hop, book excerpts, book release, British history, Church of England, excerpt, George IV, Georgian England, historical fiction, Ireland, Living in the Regency, marriage, marriage customs, marriage licenses, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, Regency romance, research, romance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Catholic/Protestant Marriages During the Regency + “The Earl Claims His Comfort”

A Woman of Faith, a Guest Post from Elaine Owen

(This post originally appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on December 7, 2018. Enjoy!) Every December we like to remember the birthday of Jane Austen the author, the genius writer who penned witty, and sometimes scathing, observations of society. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen Authors, British history, Church of England, customs and tradiitons, family, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Guest Post, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Regency era, religion, research | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A Woman of Faith, a Guest Post from Elaine Owen

Did Queen Victoria Marry John Brown?

  Have you seen the film Victoria and Abdul? It started me thinking more on the “supposed” relationship between Queen Victoria and her Scottish servant John Brown. (By the way, this relationship has also been explored in film. Again the … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, castles, film, film adaptations, Great Britain, history, Living in the UK, research, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Did Queen Victoria Marry John Brown?

An Interview with Author Betty Bolté + an Excerpt from “Charmed Against All Odds”

I am thrilled to have Betty Bolté join us today on the blog. Betty writes in several genres, and she is one of the authors I share duties with in the Common Elements Romance Project. You can learn more about … Continue reading →

Posted in book excerpts, book release, contemporary, contemporary romance, eBooks, gothic and paranormal, Guest Post, paranormal, publishing, research, suspense, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Celebrating the Release of “A Regency Christmas Proposal” + Excerpt + Giveaway

I am celebrating the last of my seven releases this calendar year. A REGENCY CHRISTMAS PROPOSAL,  a “clean” Regency anthology, featuring smart and somewhat sassy heroines, arrives TOMORROW, November 7. My contribution to the project is a story entitled “Last … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Christmas, Dreamstone Publishing, Georgian England, Georgian Era, giveaway, Living in the Regency, reading, Regency era, Regency romance, research, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Mirrors of the Mind, Part 3, a Guest Post from Alexa Adams

This post originally appeared on July 12, 2019, on the Austen Authors’ blog. Enjoy.  I had planned to take a break from this topic, but then a recent article inspired me to press on, and not in the direction I … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen Authors, British history, excerpt, film adaptations, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Guest Post, heroines, historical fiction, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, Regency era, Regency romance, research, writing | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Mirrors of the Mind, Part 3, a Guest Post from Alexa Adams

What Does a Renown French Astronomer Have to Do with the Release of “Mr. Darcy’s Bet?” + a Giveaway

Charles Messier was born in Badonviller on 26 June 1730 in the Lorraine region of France. He was the tenth of twelve children. Six of his siblings died young. Messier’s interest in astronomy was fired by, first, the Great Comet … Continue reading →

Posted in book excerpts, book release, excerpt, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Napoleonic Wars, Pride and Prejudice, publishing, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, research, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Did Lady Bertram Suffer from a Thyroid Condition? a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

This post originally appeared on Austen Authors on July 23, 2019. Enjoy! Mansfield Park’s Lady Bertram is the epitome of laziness and indolence. Her favourite activity is sitting on her favourite sofa, with a piece of sewing on her lap … Continue reading →

Posted in Austen Authors, British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Guest Post, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Mansfield Park, medicine, real life tales, Regency era, Regency personalities, Regency romance, research, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Did Lady Bertram Suffer from a Thyroid Condition? a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer