Chaucer’s Influence: Minor Stories and Poems

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Geoffrey Chaucer - Author, Poet - Biography.com www.biography.com

Geoffrey Chaucer – Author, Poet – Biography.com
http://www.biography.com

According to Chaucer’s biography on the Luminarium, “GEOFFREY CHAUCER, English poet. The name Chaucer, a French form of the Latin calcearius, a shoemaker, is found in London and the eastern counties as early as the second half of the 13th century. Some of the London Chaucers lived in Cordwainer Street, in the shoemakers’ quarter; several of them, however, were vintners, and among others the poet’s father John, and probably also his grandfather Robert. Legal pleadings inform us that in December 1324 John Chaucer was not much over twelve years old, and that he was still unmarried in 1328, the year which used to be considered that of Geoffrey’s birth. The poet was probably born from eight to twelve years later, since in 1386, when giving evidence in Sir Richard le Scrope’s suit against Sir Robert Grosvenor as to the right to bear certain arms, he was set down as “del age de xl ans et plus, armeez par xxvij ans.” At a later date, and probably at the time of the poet’s birth, his father lived in Thames Street, and had to wife a certain Agnes, niece of Hamo de Compton, whom we may regard as Geoffrey Chaucer’s mother.”

By 1357, Chaucer served in the household of Elizabeth, Countess of Ulster and wife of Lionel, Duke of Clarence. Notations in her household accounts show where she paid for Chaucer’s clothing and expenses. In 1359, Chaucer entered the war with France, spending time at “Retters,” (Rethel) near Reims, where he was taken prisoner and later ransomed by the government. King Edward III paid sixteen pounds toward the ransom in March 1360.

“…on the 10th of June 1367 Edward granted him a pension of twenty marks for his past and future services. A pension of ten marks had been granted by the king the previous September to a Philippa Chaucer for services to the queen as one of her “domicellae” or “damoiselles,” and it seems probable that at this date Chaucer was already married and this Philippa his wife, a conclusion which used to be resisted on the ground of allusions in his early poems to a hopeless love-affair, now reckoned part of his poetical outfit. Philippa is usually said to have been one of two daughters of a Sir Payne Roet, the other being Katherine, who after the death of her first husband, Sir Hugh de Swynford, in 1372, became governess to John of Gaunt’s children, and subsequently his mistress and (in 1396) his wife. It is possible that Philippa was sister to Sir Hugh and sister-in-law to Katherine. In either case the marriage helps to account for the favour subsequently shown to Chaucer by John of Gaunt.” (Luminarium)

Philip Mould | Historical Portraits | Geoffrey Chaucer | 16th ... www.historicalportraits.com

Philip Mould | Historical Portraits | Geoffrey Chaucer | 16th …
http://www.historicalportraits.com

Serving as a diplomat, Chaucer traveled to both France and Italy. Eventually, he was given a political appointment as customs controller and later made a justice. Later still, he became a Knight of the Shire. He died in 1400 and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

Chaucer’s works include…

Before 1372: Minor poems and the Book of the House of Fame, Anelida and Arcite. This is the period of the French influence.

1380-1386: The Parliament of Fowls, Troilus and Cressida, Boece, The Legend of Good Women, and minor poems. This is the period of Italian influence.

1387-1392: The early Canterbury Tales, and the Astrolobe.

1393-1400: The later Canterbury Tales, and minor poems.

Chaucer’s Verse:

Chaucer was one of the most musical of English poets. When read properly, his lines retain a fine melody even to the modern ear to which his language is unfamiliar. To read Chaucer properly, the following simple rules should be observed:

Vowels should be pronounced as in modern European languages, especially the Teutonic. That is, the “a” as in “father”; the “i” as in “machine” or “this”; the “u” as in “full”; the “o” as in “dope” “ou” as in “ghoul.”
An “e” at the end of a word is usually give full syllabic content.
Chaucer’s favorite line is a five foot line which is accented as follows:

Whan thát Aprílle wíth his shóures sóote

This type of line is used uniformly throughout the Canterbury Tales.

Some selections from Chaucer’s works:

Minor Poems

“The Former Age” – In the former age, men did not know of luxuries or riches. It was a period of blissfulness. Corn grew without ploughing and all lived simply, yet well. It was a wholesome innocent world.

Now Chaucer says: “For in our days nit but covetyse Doubleness, and treason and envy Poyson, manslaughter and mordre in sundry wise.”

“Truth” – Truth shall deliver all from ill. Be bold and honest and have no fear.

“Gentilesse” – True gentility is inborn; it cannot be passed down as a title.

“Lack of Steadfastnesse” – Contrast of former time and the present. The past age was stable and steadfast; the present is false and deceiving. Chaucer is keenly aware of the ills of the world in which he lives.

“Lenvoy of Chaucer to Scogan” – Scogan has scoffed at love. Chaucer ironically warns him of his great foolhardiness. He has caused Venus so to weep that her tears caused the floods of 1393.

“Complaint to his Empty Purse”

“I am so sorry, now that y be light

for certes, but ye make me heavy cheer.”

The Envoy pleads to the king (Henry IV) to remedy the emaciated condition of the poet’s purse.

Please take the time to read Chaucer’s Biography HERE.

Posted in Age of Chaucer, Anglo-Normans, British history, Great Britain, literature, real life tales | Tagged Anglo-Normans, biography, Geoffrey Chaucer, minor poems, overview, verse | 1 Comment

“One Minute Past Christmas,” a Holiday Short Story + a Giveaway

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Are you sick of Halloween already? Dreading Thanksgiving? Are you ready for Christmas? Then I have just the thing to bring a bit of the HOLIDAY Spirit.

In 2012, a gentleman friend released a Christmas-based eBook short story, which his friends and family promptly read, but few others. Although the story had a great premise, Dr. Arnold is not a “story” teller. In truth, he’s a retired journalism professor (my journalism professor some 45 years prior). If you know anything about journalistic writing, as opposed to fiction, you know that in journalism all the “fluff and stuff” is omitted.

Enter moi. An expert in “fluff and stuff.”

Therefore, I convinced Dr. Arnold into permitting me to “rework” the story, and we could release the tale together. When the story was originally written it was 6500 words. Now, it’s over 17,000. “Fluff and Stuff.”

This is not a Jane Austen story, but I believe you will enjoy it just the same. “One Minute Past Christmas” is the story of a Greenbrier County, West Virginia, family in which a grandfather and his granddaughter share a special ability — they call it a “gift” — that enables them to briefly witness a miracle, for surely only God could grant them such an unbelievable sight. What they see each year begins at precisely one minute past Christmas and fills them with as much relief as it does wonder. But Jared Nicholas and his granddaughter Jessica worry that the “gift” — which they cannot reveal to anyone else — will die with them because it has been passed to no other relative for sixty-five years.

Excerpt:

She climbed the steps to the attic a bit more slowly than she did previously. Jessica claimed her sixty-fifth birthday in September, and even though both the Nicholas and Lawrence families traditionally lived well into their late seventies and early eighties, Jessica could not shake the idea that her days were shorter than she hoped.

“Where to look?” she murmured as she pulled the chain to turn on the bare overhead bulb to illuminate the space once used as a drying room, but which now held the family “treasures.”

Hanna joined Jessica to look around in bewilderment.

“I did not realize there were so many boxes.”

“Several lifetimes chronicled here,” Jessica said as she scanned the markings on the side of many of the boxes.

She turned slowly to scan the many configurations.

“You used to like to play among all the boxes,” Jessica reminded her granddaughter. “We made castles for you to crawl through.”

“Really?” Hanna asked in surprise, and Jessica could not disguise her scowl of disapproval.

“I don’t wish to think upon the values you lost by movin’ away from your family home,” she pronounced in chastisement.

“Yes, your father found a viable position, but your family abandoned so much more.”

“Oh, Gram, don’t be going there again. Papa is accounted one of the best mechanics in the area. He has fifteen men working for him.”

“Financial success doesn’t keep a person warm in the same way as one’s memories do,” Jessica countered.

Her granddaughter rolled her eyes in the way of all young people who think they know everything.

Discarding her frustration with what she could not change, Jessica gestured toward several rows of boxes against the far wall.

“You look over there. I’ll take this side. The boxes are labeled, but it wouldn’t hurt to take a peek into each to make sure the contents match the labels.”

“Do you think there are mice in here?” Hanna asked tentatively.

Her granddaughter lifted a box from the top of the stack to investigate the inside.

“You know nothin’ of livin’ in the country,” Jessica remarked as she adjusted her glasses upon her nose so she could read through the bifocals.

“Your grandfather and I have three of the best mousers in the county. Nothing gets past those cats.”

“I thought you kept the cats because they were treasured pets,” Hanna said in distraction before searching through the first box.

Jessica thought, Not likely, but she said, “No. The cats earn their keep.” Like everyone on this farm.

Silence fell between them as they searched. Hanna made quicker work of the task than Jessica. Reminiscing over one of Jeremy’s toy trucks or a favorite picture frame belonging to her mother required time. Recollections required time. Her grandfather Jared Nicholas taught Jessica that time only bent for those God granted a miracle. When Hanna was born, Jessica thought to teach her granddaughter something of the magic, but Jeremy and Molly snatched the child away from Jessica before she could show the girl what made the child one of God’s chosen beings.

“Any luck?” Hanna called out.

“Not yet,” Jessica murmured as she caressed each of the precious items before returning them to the box.

Hanna stood to scan the stacks.

“Do you recall anything of how the dress was put away?” the girl asked.

Jessica watched Hanna work her way behind what appeared to be an artificial Christmas tree box along the wall.

A smile of recognition claimed Jessica’s lips.

“I recall now,” she said before crossing the small space to spin the box meant for a fake tree around where she could tear away the tape holding it closed.

“There is no need for an artificial tree on a Christmas tree farm,” she declared. “My mother thought it a good joke to store a family heirloom in a hoax of a box.”

Stripping the masking tape away, Jessica placed the box upon the floor and opened the flaps.

“Ah, here it is.”

Jessica lifted the garment bag, which was closed at the bottom with more tape to keep moisture and air from ruining the dress.

“There are mothballs in the box,” she said with a laugh. “We may need to air the dress out.”

Jessica slowly unzipped the bag.

“I imagine my mother covered the hanger before returning the dress to it. My mama, bless her soul, was most particular about the gown. It was the most expensive dress anyone in the family ever owned. I think her cautions and her protestations nearly persuaded your mama not to marry our Jeremy.”

“Will you be as crazy with my wearing it?” Hanna asked half in a tease and half in fear.

“Count on it,” Jessica said smartly as she lifted the dress from the bag.

Beneath the heavy garment carrier was a dry cleaning bag covering the gown and its layers of soft lace.

“Thanks for the warning,” Hanna retorted in what sounded like cynicism.

The girl reached for the bottom of the bag and lifted the plastic to reveal a dress with all the glamour of the 1920s.

“It is like something right out of The Great Gatsby,” Hanna gasped. “It is perfect. We can do the wedding as if it’s high tea in the Hamptons.”

Jessica was more practical.

“We must check all the seams. The lace has yellowed a bit, but not enough to hurt the look of the dress. We may need to find some replacement lace for the sleeves, but matching it shouldn’t be too difficult. It’s a common rose-and-ivy pattern. I do not want you to think of making this a flapper look. My mama and my grandmother would roll over in their graves. Grandma Lily ordered this dress special, based on a picture of her mother’s wedding dress in the old country. Grandpa Jared spent his last penny to please Lily Hardwick. During their first few years of marriage they had nothing to live on but love, but that was enough. Even later, during the Great Depression, they never considered selling the dress or the lace.”

“I promise I’ll treat it properly,” Hanna swore, crossing her heart with her index finger.

“I’ll return the dress to the bag, and we’ll take it downstairs for a closer look. Later, we’ll go into town for lace and whatever else we might need.”

Jessica reached for the box.

“Help me set the empty carton from the way.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Jessica thought it ironic that the prospects of wearing her great great-grandmother’s dress brought a return of Hanna’s manners.

“What’s that?” Hanna asked as she lifted the box to hear a thud hit the floor a second time.

“Best we find out.”

Jessica draped the bagged dress over the back of a chest of drawers, which should be donated to one of the shelters, before she knelt to dig into the bottom of the tree box.

“Well, I’ll be,” Jessica swore with a chuckle. “I haven’t seen these since before Grandpa Jared passed. I thought it long gone. I wonder who put them in this box.”

“You must have put whatever it is there, Gram,” Hanna said with a bit of impatience, common of young people dealing with the older generation.

Jessica’s frown lines met.

“You are assuming I am suffering from early ‘old timer’s’ disease, but it’s not true. I thought these were long gone.”

She withdrew two composition notebooks with hard covers.

“Love poems written to Grandpa Bob?” Hanna teased with a raised eyebrow.

Jessica clutched the two books to her chest as she stood.

“No, they contain a story my Papaw Jared thought should be kept alive to be shared sometime after our deaths.. He was in his eighties when he asked me to record his tale, a story I shared with him. Although he could read and write, Papaw Jared was not much for his letters. He worried too much about correct spelling and such. His teacher was quite strict, striking his hands many times for his poor penmanship, and I often helped with legal papers and the such as I grew older. Eventually, Papaw told his tale into an old tape recorder, and I transcribed it for him.”

Jessica shot a quick glance at her granddaughter, and hope lodged in Jessica’s heart. She long regretted not knowing for certain whether Hanna could be the answer to a family mystery. With the absence of Jeremy’s family during those years when the girl might show herself, Jessica remained uncertain about how to approach the subject.

“I’d like very much to share the story with you,” she said tentatively. “There’s a bit about you in it.”

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY! I HAVE 3 eBOOK COPIES OF “ONE MINUTE PAST CHRISTMAS” FOR 3 LUCKY WINNERS. TO BE ELIGIBLE, LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW. THE GIVEAWAY ENDS AT MIDNIGHT EST, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24.

Purchase Links:

Posted in Appalachia, Christmas, Uncategorized | Tagged Appalachia, Christmas, family relationships, George T. Arnold, holidays, legends, One Minute Past Christmas, Regina Jeffers, short story | 10 Comments

Celebrating Our Ladies: Four More Heroines of The Realm Series + a Giveaway

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Cathy Helms of http://www.avalongraphics has designed us this logo

During the month of October (on Tuesdays) nine other authors and I are “Shining a Light on Our Ladies” by taking a closer look at what makes our heroines so special. The other authors involved include: Helen Hollick, Alison Morton, Anna Belfrage, Inge H Borg, Linda Collison, Elizabeth Revill, Patricia Bracewell, Sophie Perinot, and Diana Wilder.

Specifically, we are looking at what makes heroines in our series such an integral part of the action. With this first post, I wish to highlight some of my favorite female leads from my award-winning REALM series. For those of you who are first timers on “Every Woman Dreams,” the REALM is a covert operation working under the auspices of the Home Office during the Napoleonic Wars. There are seven men in my group, and each book of the series is devoted to one of them (and the lady who brings the gentleman up to snuff). Please note that although the series is about the men of the REALM, the books all sport images of the women the men love.

I spoke of the Realm ladies of books 4, 5, 6, and the companion novel on October 6. You may see those comments HERE.

Today, I wish to start with A Touch of Scandal, Book 1 (aka The Scandal of Lady Eleanor) and the “stalwart” of the Realm ladies, Lady Eleanor Fowler Kerrington, the Countess of Linworth. Of all the women of this series, Lady Eleanor suffers the most, but she is remarkably resilient. Eleanor’s father, the late Duke of Thornhill, physically abused Eleanor from the ages of fourteen to sixteen. Because Thornhill involved another couple in his “fantasies,” the duke exposed Eleanor to blackmail from Sir Louis Levering. Only with the manipulations of her brother, Brantley Fowler, the Duke of Thornhill, and the man she loves, James Kerrington, Viscount Worthing, is Eleanor saved in a bizarre twist of fate at a party hosted by Prince George.

Later, in the series, we see Eleanor in defense of the injured Viscount Levering’s life when she takes on Murhad Jamot, one of Shaheed Mir’s henchmen. Eleanor also serves as the “mother” for the other ladies of the Realm. She is the first to marry, and she assumes the role of leader of the women as her husband did with the men. When her father was ill, suffering from the pox, it was Eleanor who kept the estate running in her brother’s absence. It is Eleanor who arranges each of the weddings of the Realm ladies. But more importantly, it is Eleanor who accepts Kerrington’s ten-year-old son Daniel as if he is her own. Being a stepmother to two sons, long before I was a mother, I infused some of the qualities I exercised and some I wished I knew into Eleanor and Daniel’s relationship. Even when she bears Viscount Worthing other children, she adamantly considers Daniel her son.

Eleanor never “talks down” to Daniel; she permits the boy to express his opinions and presents him with value. She encourages Daniel to be his own man – not an imitation of his renown father. Although the other members of the Kerrington family “criticize” Daniel’s later mother, Eleanor acknowledges that the memory of the late Elizabeth Kerrington should be a part of Daniel’s life.

Book Blurb for A Touch of Scandal

JAMES KERRINGTON, the future Earl of Linworth, left his title and infant son behind after the death of his beloved Elizabeth, but he returns to England to ten to his ailing father and to establish his roots. With Daniel as his heir, Kerrington has no need to marry, but when Lady Eleanor Fowler stumbles and falls into his arms, Kerrington’s world is turned upon its head. He will do anything to claim her.

LADY ELEANOR FOWLER hides from Society, knowing her father’s notorious reputation for debauchery tainted any hopes she might have of a happy family. And yet, despite her fears, her brother’s closest friend, James Kerrington, Lord Worthing, rekindles her hopes, but when Sir Louis Levering appears with proof of Eleanor’s participation in her father’s wickedness, she is drawn into a world of depravity, and only Kerrington’s love can save her.

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Book 2 of the Realm series features Lady Eleanor’s cousin, Miss Velvet Aldridge, as the heroine. A Touch of Velvet brings childhood “lovers” together. Brantley Fowler, the Duke of Thornhill, has loved Velvet Aldridge since she was twelve. Velvet is a distant cousin of the Fowlers; she came to reside at Thorn Hall when she was but five. The Duchess of Thornhill sent for Velvet to be a companion to her daughter Eleanor. Velvet’s parents are killed in a questionable accident, and the Aldridge sisters are sent to different relatives to reside.

I wrote Velvet as a “dreamer” of sorts. She reads “romance” and “wishes” for Brantley Fowler to act the role of her prince. When she learns he chose an Indian wife (who has passed) and has a daughter, Velvet sets out to make Bran jealous of what he left behind. Velvet does act with some courage when Murhad Jamot kidnaps her, but overall I did not permit her to be as strong as some of the other characters in the series. This was a conscious choice (which I could not discuss with others until the end of the series). Although I liked some of the characteristics I presented Velvet, I did not always approve of her methods. Velvet is a dreamer (not an idealist), and as such she expects opposition and misunderstandings, but she believes she be successful. Another of her more likable characteristics, Velvet takes positive steps toward achieving her goals. In Velvet’s defense, Fowler does not display the same maturity as other members of the Realm. The reader will hope that they mature together.

I write about modern issues, but set them in the Regency. In “Velvet,” I explore the modern idea of “victim mentality.”

“Victim mentality is an acquired (learned) personality trait in which a person tends to regard him or herself as a victim of the negative actions of others, and to think, speak and act as if that were the case — even in the absence of clear evidence. The desire of sympathy is crucial in that the mere experience of a harmful event is not enough for the emergence of the sense of being a victim. In order to have this sense there is the need to perceive the harm as undeserved, unjust and immoral, an act that could not be prevented by the victim. The need to obtain empathy can then emerge.” As the series developed, I presented Velvet with a mild case of this trait, but her sister Satiné is more neurotic.

Book Blurb for A Touch of Velvet:

No one finds his soul mate when she is twelve and he is seventeen, but BRANTLEY FOWLER, the Duke of Thornhill, always thought he had found his. The memory of Velvet Aldridge’s face is the only thing that kept him alive all those years he remained estranged from his family. Now, he has returned to Kent to claim his title and the woman he loves, but first he must obliterate the memory of his infamous father, while staving off numerous attacks from Mir’s associates.

VELVET ALDRIDGE always believes in “happily ever after.” Yet, when Brantley Fowler returns home, he has a daughter and his wife’s memory to accompany him. He promised Velvet eight years prior that he would return to Thorn Hall to make her his wife, but Thornhill only offers her a Season and a dowry. How can she make him lover her? Make him her “knight in shining armor”?

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Book 3 of the series is A Touch of Cashémere. Miss Cashémere Aldridge is the youngest of the Aldridge sisters. She is the twin to Satiné. When Velvet was sent to live in the household of the Duke of Thornhill, Satiné was sent to live with the girls’ maternal uncle, Baron Ashton. Unfortunately, Cashémere remains with her father’s younger brother (and heir) and her paternal grandmother. The Aldridges are not easy people with whom to live, and Cashé is expected to follow VERY strict religious teachings. When we first encounter her, Cashémere is opinionated and a bit caustic. Aidan Kimbolt, Viscount Lexford, looks kindly upon her, but it is Marcus Wellston, the Earl of Berwick, whose approval she seeks. Unfortunately, Berwick is besotted with her twin, Satiné.

Cashémere takes the situation in hand. As they are identical, she maneuvers Satiné toward Lexford, while she charms Berwick. All looks well until a former Scottish suitor kidnaps Satiné, thinking it was Cashémere, and strikes Lexford a blow that nearly costs the viscount his life. Assuming the responsibility for the ruse going awry, Cashémere sets out to set her twin free and to accept the marriage her uncle/guardian arranged with Lachan Charters.

One of the reasons Cashémere knows success is Berwick. Where Lexford permitted her to rant and rave and called it “adorable,” Berwick holds Cashé accountable for her actions. After learning of her Uncle Samuel’s deceptions, she sees the world through a lens of opportunity. Cashé also is quick in making logical decisions. Where others might act irrationally, Cashémere tests herself and finds her own rhythm. One of Cashé’s most endearing qualities is how she treats Wellston’s oldest brother Trevor. Trevor has what we would now call Down’s syndrome, and although he is the oldest, he is not capable of claiming the title. First his brother Myles and then Marcus accepts the title as Trevor’s regent. This is another “modern” issue I included in the plot lines for the series.

Book Blurb for A Touch of Cashémere:

MARCUS WELLSTON never expected to inherit his father’s title. After all, he is the youngest of three sons. However, his oldest brother Trevor is judged incapable of meeting the title’s responsibilities, and his second brother Myles loses his life in a freak accident; therefore, Marcus returns to Tweed Hall and the earldom. Having departed Northumberland years prior to escape his guilt in his twin sister’s death, Wellston spent the previous six years with the Realm, a covert governmental group, in atonement. Now, all he requires is a biddable wife with a pleasing personality. Neither of those phrases describe Cashémere Aldridge.

CASHEMERE ALDRIDGE thought her opinions were absolutes and her world perfectly ordered, but when her eldest sister Velvet is kidnapped, Cashé becomes a part of the intrigue. She quickly discovers nothing she knew before is etched in stone. Leading her through these changes is a man who considers her a “spoiled brat.” A man who prefers her twin Satiné to Cashémere. A man who’s approval she desperately requires: Marcus Wellston, the Earl of Berwick. Toss in an irate Baloch warlord, a missing emerald, a double kidnapping, a blackmail attempt, and an explosion in a glass cone, and the Realm has its hands full. The Regency era has never been hotter, nor more dangerous.

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The last book I will mention today is A Touch of Honor: Book 7 of the series. As I mentioned above, when I started writing this series, I planned for Miss Satiné Aldridge to play a leading role in book 4. However, I did not care much for the woman I created, and although the fans wished me to bring her back and “tell her story,” I was not convinced. I am one of those who wants a HEA (happily ever after) for my characters, but perhaps not the one the reader anticipated.

In book 3, I permitted Baron John Swenton to develop a tendre for Satiné. At the time, I anticipated writing a novella for Swenton and the lady, but throughout the series, I began to wish to know more of Swenton. “Honor” is a word that marks his actions throughout the series, so it became an appropriate title for “his” book. At the beginning of this book, Satiné has gone to Europe to hide the shame of her kidnapping and assumed violation by Lachlan Charters. Swenton has kept tabs on her and makes an unexpected call upon the lady’s household when he must travel to Austria to settle his estranged mother’s will. Swenton’s purpose is to propose to the woman. He has witnessed his friends (Berwick and Thornhill) make happy marriages with Satiné’s sisters and so he “assumes” she will make him an excellent wife. Honorably, he “assumes” his title will protect her from any more rumors.

Unfortunately, when Swenton arrives, he learns Satiné has given birth to a son by a man she met upon the Continent. Most men would walk away from her, but the baron says he will marry her and claim the son is his (but because the boy is born before they marry, the child will be his acknowledged by-blow). Satiné is not happy with this outcome, and she manipulates Swenton for many months.

However, the baron finds salvation in the woman he hires to be his baroness’s companion. Miss Isolde Neville is the daughter of an Irish baron, who happens to be part of the Elgin expedition. Isolde assists Swenton in understanding Satiné’s nature, and despite their attraction to each other, she encourages John to make the best of his marriage. One of the issues is Satiné’s growing dependence upon laudanum so she might control her weight.

Isolde’s loyalty and her caring spirit make her a true heroine. She acts with as much honor as does Swenton in the manner in which they handle Satiné’s depression satisfies the reader (even the ones who wished this to be Satiné’s tale). She walks away from Swenton in order that he can find some happiness in his marriage, but Isolde never forsakes him. The baron is badly bruised by his mother’s desertion and his father’s absolute authority. Only once does he open his heart to a woman, and Satiné walks all over it. It is through Isolde’s thoughtfulness that Swenton is healed. (There is also the matter of bringing an Irish Catholic into a Protestant household…just a bit of history).

Book Blurb for A Touch of Honor:

For two years, BARON JOHN SWENTON thought of little else other than making Miss Satiné Aldridge his wife; so when he discovers her reputation in tatters, Swenton acts honorably: He puts forward a marriage of convenience that will save her from ruination and provide him the one woman he believes will bring joy to his life. However, the moment he utters his proposal, Swenton’s instincts scream he made a mistake: Unfortunately, a man of honor does his best in even the disastrous conditions.

SATINE ALDRIDGE fell for a man she can never process and accepted a man she finds only mildly tolerable. What will she do to extricate herself from Baron Swenton’s life and claim the elusive Prince Henri? Needless to say, more than anyone would ever expect.

ISOLDE NEVILLE was hired to serve as Satiné Aldridge’s companion, but her loyalty rests purely with the lady’s husband. With regret, she watches the baron struggle against the impossible situation in which Miss Aldridge places him, while her heart desires to claim the man as her own. Yet, Isolde is as honorable as the baron. She means to see him happy, even if that requires her to aid him in his quest to earn Miss Satiné’s affections.

GIVEAWAY: LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN eBOOK GIVEAWAY. TWO WINNERS MAY CHOOSE FROM ANY OF THE FOUR TITLES LISTED ABOVE. THE GIVEAWAY WILL END AT MIDNIGHT EST ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2015.

PLEASE JOIN THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE BLOG HOP. I HAVE LISTED THOSE FOR TODAY AND THOSE FOR THE PREVIOUS THREE TUESDAYS. I LEFT THE ORIGINAL LINKS IN CASE SOME OF THE CONNECTIONS ARE BROKEN.

6 October Participants:
Helen Hollick ~ Emma of Normandy http://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/shining-light-on-our-ladies_6.html
Pat Bracewell ~ Emma of Normandy http://www.patriciabracewell.com/2015/10/shining-light-on-our-ladies-a-tale-of-two-queens/
Inge Borg ~ Princess Nefret http://devilwinds.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/shining-light-on-our-ladies-blog-hop.html

13 October Participants:

Helen Hollick ~ the two Ediths of King Harold II http://www.ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/2015/10/shining-light-on.html
Diana Wilder ~ Lavinia Wheeler http://dianawilder.blogspot.com/2015/10/shining-light-on-our-ladies.html
Regina Jeffers ~ Elizabeth Bennet https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com/2015/10/13/shining-light-on-our-ladies-blog-tour-elizabeth-bennets-less-likable-qualities/
Liz Spear (Revill) ~ Caroline Llewellyn http://www.elizabethrevill.com/blog/shining-a-light-on-our-ladies

20 October Participants:

Alison Morton ~ Aurelia Mitela http://alison-morton.com/2015/10/20/meet-aurelia-mitela-woman-and-warrior/

Helen Hollick ~ King Arthur’s Ladies http://www.ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/2015/10/shiningh-light-on-arthurs-ladies.html

Sophie Perinot ~ Marguerite de Valois http://www.sophieperinot.com/blog/2015/10/20/marguerite-de-valois-shinning-a-light-on-a-much-maligned-french-princess/

Posted in Great Britain, heroines, Living in the Regency, Regency era, Uncategorized | Tagged " A Touch of Cashémere, A Touch of Honor, A Touch of Scandal, A Touch of Velvet, Regency romances, Regina Jeffers, the Realm series | 1 Comment

History Behind the BBC Series “The Last Kingdom”

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

I am watching “The Last Kingdom” on BBC America (Saturday’s at 10 P.M.). It is a tale of Saxon history, with England struggling to become a “nation” in itself, without the rule by the Danes. Although I possess a “working knowledge” of the time period, this is not an era of which I am well versed; even so, I find the series fascinating, even though the author of the book upon which it is based is said to have taken great liberties. Again, I cannot speak to those liberties, but I am certain some of my history novel friends can.

From imdb we learn, “The Last Kingdom is an adaptation of Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories. The books follow Uhtred of Bebbanburg from a boy taken from his birthright and raised by Vikings, later fighting for King Alfred the Great and his son Edward. Shield walls, blood, revenge and the forging of many Kingdoms into one nation, a dream of Alfred’s called England.”

According to several sources, in Bernard Cornwell’s series The Saxon Stories the protagonist is the Northumbrian Earl Uhtred of Bebbanburg. The story of the siege of Durham, which I mention below, and the severed heads on poles is told about the historical Uhtred (see Battles of the Dark Ages, Peter Marren), though it is perhaps possible to assume that the fictional Earl Uhtred of Bebbanburg is an ancestor of this Uhtred. In Bernard Cornwell’s series he adds a ‘historical note’ at the end, in which, especially in the first book, he mentions that Uhtred was his ancestor. He took the liberty of installing Uhtred earlier in history.” (Wikipedia)

My only complaint so far in the series is that the “delicious” Matthew Macfadyen, who portrayed Lord Uhtred, the boy’s father, is killed off in episode one.

If you missed the premiere episode (October 10) you may view it HERE.

There are several places that indicate streaming of episode two (shown on October 17), but I did not want to include a link that I felt was not safe.

Disclaimer: I plan to attempt to make sense of the real story of Uhtred. Please bear with me. There is a line in episode one where the Danes say something to the effect how the Saxons had unusual names. After reading this, you will likely agree. I admit that I have cited several sources below for I would not presume to portray myself as an expert on this material.

“Uhtred, earl of Bamburgh (d. 1016), magnate, was the son of Waltheof (fl. c.994–1006) and an unknown mother. Waltheof was probably the son of Eadwulf, the son of Oswulf (d. 966), the son of Ealdred of Bamburgh (d. 933?); the family had ruled Bernicia (Northumbria north of the Tyne) since the Scandinavian invasion and settlement of the late ninth century. The northern part of their earldom (Lothian) was ceded to the Scots, probably by 973.” (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography)

Uhtred (the Bold) was an ealdorman of Northumbria from 1006 to 1016. Prior to that time, we have records of Uhtred assisting in the removal of St. Cuthbert’s remains from Chester-le-Street to Durham. An English chronicler and a monk of Durham Priory, Syemon of Durham, recorded Uhtred’s efforts in moving St. Cuthbert’s remains. Uhtred married Bishop Aldhun’s (founder of Durham cathedral) daughter Ecgfrida, earning Uhtred several estates once belonging to the church.

“According to the De obsessione Dunelmi, a Durham tract on the history of the earldom of Northumbria, the principal theme of which was the right of Durham to certain estates, Uhtred married Aldhun’s daughter, Ecgfrida, probably at about this time. The marriage brought Uhtred certain vills of the church of St Cuthbert, namely Barmpton, Skirningham, Elton, Carlton, School Aycliffe, and Monk Hesleden in the south of co. Durham. This marriage has been seen as part of the church of St Cuthbert’s policy of recruiting allies, although the earl would also have gained from an alliance with this powerful ecclesiastical institution. Uhtred was to retain control of these vills as long as he lived honourably in marriage with Ecgfrida.” (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography)

Alexander Dreymon, who portrays Uhtred in the series “The Last Kingdom”

“In 1006 Malcolm II of Scotland invaded Northumbria and besieged the newly founded episcopal city of Durham. At that time the Danes were raiding southern England and King Ethelred was unable to send help to the Northumbrians. Ealdorman Waltheof was too old to fight and remained in his castle at Bamburgh. Ealdorman Ælfhelm of York also took no action. Uhtred, acting for his father, called together an army from Bernicia and Yorkshire and led it against the Scots. The result was a decisive victory for Uhtred. Local women washed the severed heads of the Scots, receiving a payment of a cow for each, and the heads were fixed on stakes to Durham’s walls. Uhtred was rewarded by King Ethelred II with the ealdormanry of Bamburgh even though his father was still alive. In the mean time, Ethelred had had Ealdorman Ælfhelm of York murdered, and he allowed Uhtred to succeed Ælfhelm as ealdorman of York, thus uniting northern and southern Northumbria under the house of Bamburgh. It seems likely that Ethelred did not trust the Scandinavian population of southern Northumbria and wanted an Anglo-Saxon in power there.” (Wikipedia) “Æthelred II added the earldom of York in succession to the Mercian Ælfhelm. The king’s grant effectively reunited the two parts of Northumbria under the earls of Bamburgh. In this respect Uhtred may have been seen as a political counterweight to the Scandinavians at York who may still have harboured thoughts of a separate Scandinavian-dominated north.” (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography)

Reportedly, Uhtred abandoned Ecgfrida to marry Sige, whose father (Styr) was a wealthy man residing in York. Sige presented Uhtred with two children, Eadulf III and Gospatric.

By 1013, King Sweyn of Denmark invaded England. Having made connections with the Danish in Deira, Uhtred submitted to Sweyn along with other Danes in the north. Sweyn was made king in December 1013, but he died on 2 February 1014. With Sweyn’s death, Ethelred, who had went into exile with Sweyn’s claim to the kingdom, returned to claim his throne. Therefore, Uhtred and others switched their allegiance once again. Uhtred supposedly married Ethelred’s daughter Ælfgifu.

“In 1016 Uhtred campaigned with Ethelred’s son Edmund Ironside in Cheshire and the surrounding shires. While Uhtred was away from his lands, Sweyn’s son, Cnut, invaded Yorkshire. Cnut’s forces were too strong for Uhtred to fight, and so Uhtred did homage to him as King of England. Uhtred was summoned to a meeting with Cnut, and on the way there, he and forty of his men were murdered by Thurbrand the Hold, with assistance from Uhtred’s own servant, Wighill and with the connivance of Cnut. Uhtred was succeeded in Bernicia by his brother Eadwulf Cudel. Cnut made the Norwegian, Eric of Hlathir, ealdorman (“earl” in Scandinavian terms) in southern Northumbria.” (Wikipedia)

“According to the De obsessione, the marriage was contracted [to Sige] on the understanding that Uhtred would kill Styr’s enemy Thurbrand. Similarly, the marriage of Uhtred’s first wife, Ecgfrida, to Kilvert, son of the Yorkshire thegn Ligulf, may also have been an attempt by Uhtred’s ally, Aldhun, to establish political support in Yorkshire.” (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography)

“Uhtred remained faithful to the West Saxon cause despite Cnut’s promise of substantial rewards, and accompanied Edmund Ironside on campaign in Staffordshire, Cheshire, and Shrewsbury against Eadric Streona. Cnut replied by invading Northumbria, forcing Uhtred to submit. Summoned to Cnut’s court and granted safe conduct, Uhtred was murdered by Thurbrand Hold, presumably that enemy of Styr. Forty of Uhtred’s men were slaughtered with him at Wiheal, identified as Wighill, near Tadcaster, in Yorkshire. Although a comparatively late source puts Uhtred at the battle of Carham leading the English to defeat by the Scots in 1018, it is now generally accepted that this was an error and that his death occurred in 1016.” (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography)

“The killing of Uhtred by Thurbrand the Hold started a blood feud that lasted for many years. Uhtred’s son Ealdred subsequently avenged his father by killing Thurbrand, but Ealdred in turn was killed by Thurbrand’s son, Carl. Eadred’s vengeance had to wait until the 1070s, when Waltheof, Eadred’s grandson had his soldiers kill most of Carl’s sons and grandsons. This is an example of the notorious Northumbrian blood feuds that were common at this time.

“Uhtred’s dynasty continued to reign in Bernicia through Ealdred, Earl of Bamburgh (killed 1038) his son from his marriage to Ecgfrida, and Eadulf (killed 1041) his son from his marriage to Sige, and briefly Eadulf’s son Osulf held the earldom of northern Northumbria 1067 until he too was killed. Uhtred’s marriage to Ælfgifu produced a daughter, Ealdgyth, who married Maldred, brother of Duncan I of Scotland and who gave birth to a son, Gospatric, who was Earl of Northumbria from 1068 to 1072.” (Wikipedia)

Posted in Anglo-Saxons, British history, Great Britain, real life tales | Tagged Anglo-Saxons, Danes, history, medieval, The Last Kingdom, Uhtred the Bold | 9 Comments

Lots of Winners from the Last Few Giveaways

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

These ladies will receive an eBook copy of Elizabeth Bennet’s Excellent Adventure: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary. These are the winners from two separate giveaways: Kim Amundsen, Glynis, Lynne, Patricia, drcopeland7294, Amy Z, Lora F, and Robin Helm.

In another giveaway, Pam Hunter, Dung, Linda Collison, Becky C, and carylkane will choose an eBook copy of one of these four titles:

Passions: Pride and Prejudice Retold Though His Eyes

Elizabeth Bennet’s Deception: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

Mr. Darcy’s Fault: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

Elizabeth Bennet’s Excellent Adventure: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

Posted in Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Uncategorized | Tagged Darcy's Passions, Elizabeth Bennet's Deception, Elizabeth Bennet's Excellent Adventure, giveaway, Jane Austen, Mr. Darcy's Fault | Comments Off

Some of My Favorite Movie Quotes ~ What Are Yours?

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

I admit to being a bit of a movie freak. Today, feeling a bit whimsical, I thought I might share some of my favorite lines from films over the last 70-80 years. ADD YOUR FAVORITES TO THIS LIST BY PLACING YOUR FAVORITES IN THE COMMENTS.

5 movies streaming on Netflix to watch for Valentine's Day | KSL.com www.ksl.com

5 movies streaming on Netflix to watch for Valentine’s Day | KSL.com
http://www.ksl.com

“It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together…and I knew it.” – SAM BALDWIN (Tom Hanks) in Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

“I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let’s face it.” – TERRY MALLOY (Marlon Brando) in On the Waterfront (1954)

People think a soulmate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soulmate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. – LIZ GILBERT (Julia Roberts) in Eat, Pray, Love (2010)

“Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me, aren’t you?” – BEN BRADDOCK (Dustin Hoffman) in The Graduate (1967)

Um…. Yes | My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | Know Your Meme
knowyourmeme.com

“Hearts will never be practical until they are made unbreakable.” – WIZARD OF OZ (Frank Morgan) in The Wizard of Oz (1939)

“I-I’ve come here with no expectations, only to profess, now that I am at liberty to do so, that my heart is, and always will be, yours.” – EDWARD FERRARS (Hugh Grant) in Sense and Sensibility (1995)

“Take your stinkin’ paws off me, you damn dirty ape.” – TAYLOR (Charlton Heston) in Planet of the Apes (1968)

“And one day, not long from now, my looks will go. They will discover I can’t act, and I will become some sad middle-aged woman who looks a bit like someone who was famous for a while.” – ANNA SCOTT (Julia Roberts) in Notting Hill (1999)

BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID | THE FILM THAT LAUNCHED AN ERA …
selvedgeyard.com

“Kid. The next time I say: ‘Let’s go someplace like Bolivia,’ let’s go someplace like Bolivia.”
– “Next time.”
– BUTCH CASSIDY (Paul Newman) in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

“A boy’s best friend is his mother.” – NORMAN BATES (Anthony Perkins) in Psycho (1960)

“No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die!” – AURIC GOLDFINGER (Gert Frobe) in Goldfinger (1964)

“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” – MAXWELL SCOTT (Carleton Young) in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

dead poets society | The Proactive Professional
theproactiveprofessional.com

“Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” – JOHN KEATING (Robin Williams) in Dead Poets Society (1989)

“Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!” – MARGO CHANNING Bette Davis) in All about Eve (1950)

“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn!” – RHETT BUTLER (Clark Gable) in Gone with the Wind (1939)

“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room!” – PRESIDENT MERKIN MUFFLEY (Peter Sellers) in Dr Strangelove (1964)

“Go ahead, make my day.” – HARRY CALLAGHAN (Clint Eastwood) in Sudden Impact (1983)

“I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.” – NORMA DESMOND (Gloria Swanson) in Sunset Boulevard (1950)

“I am Spartacus.” – The crowd in Spartacus (1960)

Is he Spartacus? – Telegraph Blogs
blogs.telegraph.co.uk

“If you build it, he will come.” – SHOELESS JOE JACKSON (Ray Liotta) in Field of Dreams (1989)

“I see dead people.” – COLE SEAR (Haley Joel Osment) in The Sixth Sense (1999)

“It was beauty killed the beast.” – CARL DENHAM (Robert Armstrong) in King Kong (1933)

“Life is a box of chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
– MRS. GUMP (Sally Field) in Forrest Gump (1994)

film: Krönika: Arnie kommer INTE tillbaka
se.ign.com

“I’ll be back.” – TERMINATOR (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in The Terminator (1984)

“Man who catch fly with chopstick accomplish anything.” – MR. MIYAGI (Pat Morita in The Karate Kid (1984)

“May the Force be with you.” – HAN SOLO (Harrison Ford) in Star Wars (1977)

“Oh, Jerry, don’t let’s ask for the moon. We have the stars.” – CHARLOTTE VALE (Bette Davis) in Now, Voyager (1942)

WITTERINGS: February 2015
fantasybob.blogspot.com

“Well. Nobody’s perfect.” – OSGOOD E. FIELDING III (Joe E Brown) in Some Like It Hot (1959)

“Rosebud.” – CHARLES FOSTER KANE (Orson Welles) in Citizen Kane (1941)

“Say hello to my little friend.” – TONY MONTANA (Al Pacino) in Scarface (1983)

“I’m ready for my close-up.” – NORMA DESMOND (Gloria Swanson) in Sunset Blvd (1950)

“You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and… blow.” – SLIM (Lauren Bacall) in To Have and Have Not (1944)

1,001 Reasons I Love Movies |
youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily.com

“That’s the way it crumbles, cookie-wise.” – CC BAXTER (Jack Lemmon) in The Apartment (1960)

“You talkin’ to me?” – TRAVIS BICKLE (Robert de Niro) in Taxi Driver (1976)

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” – BRODY (Roy Scheider) in Jaws (1975)

Back to the Future 1985 - Old Man Peabody Breeding Pine Trees ... www.youtube.com

Back to the Future 1985 – Old Man Peabody Breeding Pine Trees …
http://www.youtube.com

“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” – DR. EMMETT BROWN (Christopher Lloyd) in Back to the Future (1985)

“Hasta la vista, baby.” —TERMINATOR (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

“Calling it your job don’t make it right, boss.” —LUKE JACKSON (Paul Newman) in Cool Hand Luke (1967)

“That’s what makes me sad: Life is so different from books” – MARIANNE RENOIR (Anna Karina) in Pierrot Le Fou (1965)

“Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.” – PETER CLEMENZA (Richard Casstellano) in The Godfather (1972)

Relationships: 6 Major Advantages Of Having Sex With Robots | YourTango www.yourtango.com

Relationships: 6 Major Advantages Of Having Sex With Robots | YourTango
http://www.yourtango.com

“I’ll have what she’s having.” –OLDER WOMAN CUSTOMER (Estelle Reiner) in When Harry Met Sally (1989)

“I’m also just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her.” – ANNA SCOTT (Julia Roberts) in Notting Hill (1999)

“I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not gonna to take this anymore!” – HOWARD BEALE (Peter Finch) in Network (1976)

“I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” – DON CORLEONE (Marlon Brando) in The Godfather (1972)

Hintergrundinformationen über den Film »Menschen im Hotel« www.greta-garbo.de

Hintergrundinformationen über den Film »Menschen im Hotel«
http://www.greta-garbo.de

“I want to be alone.” – GRUSINSKAYA (Greta Garbo) in Grand Hotel (1932)

“Here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into!” – OLLIE (Oliver Hardy) in Sons of the Desert (1933)

“Here’s looking at you, kid.” – RICK BLAINE (Humphrey Bogart) in Casablanca (1942)

Posted in quotes, Uncategorized | Tagged films, movie quotes | 11 Comments

Welcoming Regency Romance Author, Vikki Vaught

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Today, I welcome fellow Regency romance author, Vikki Vaught and her latest release, book one of her Honorable Rogue series. Vikki is a fellow Southerner, living in Tennessee. She has a tempting excerpt below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I want to thank Regina for having me on her blog. I’m very exciting about my new release, Lady Overton’s Perilous Journey. This is the first book in my Honorable Rogue series. The story is set in early 19th century England & America, and I loved delving into a bit of American history for my novel. I’d like to discuss some of the fascinating research I did for my book.

I originally set this story in 1809, but after further research I discovered Thomas Jefferson convinced the U.S. Congress to pass the Embargo Act of 1807, which stopped foreign trade. While Jefferson did not want to involve the U.S. in the conflict between France and England, he needed to put financial sanctions in place that could possibly hurt these countries economically. This act devastated the U.S. economy. American ships literally remained in port rotting in the harbors. Illegal trade became the only means of getting goods from foreign shores. Many of the items needed by Americans were brought in through Canada and prices sky-rocketed.

Here is some background history that led up to the embargo. Britain and France resumed their war in 1803, causing relations to become strained between any countries deciding to remain neutral. In 1806, France passed a law against trading with neutral countries, and since America did not take sides in the conflict between the two countries, the French began plundering U.S. ships. In 1807, Britain passed a bill prohibiting trade between France and neutral countries. The Royal Navy began waylaying American vessels and demanded that the ships pull into their ports before they were allowed to trade with other countries.

The British also started boarding American vessels and began seizing sailors they deemed were deserters from the Royal Navy. This infuriated the U.S. and thousands of American sailors were unlawfully impressed into serving on British ships, leaving destitute families behind.

During the last sixteen days of Jefferson’s presidency, a bill was passed replacing the Embargo Act with the Non-Intercourse Act of 1809. While this act opened up trade again, it did not allow trade with Britain. Since my story has my heroine fleeing England on an American vessel, I needed to move it to a different year, prior to the escalating issues between the two countries. Since 1802 was the only year that England and France were not at war for more than twenty years, I decided to place my story in that year.

This was by no means the only research I did for Lady Overton’s Perilous Journey, but was certainly the most important. While this is a novel of fiction, I wanted to ensure that the happenings within the story were possible.

I hope you’ll enjoy the romance between Alex and Anissa as much as I enjoyed writing their love story. Happy reading!

Book Blurb:
When Lady Overton’s high-spirited son, the little marquess, distracts Captain Hawks’ cabin-boy and crew, he suspects the lovely lady may threaten his well-protected heart.

When her son’s life is threatened, Lady Overton seeks a vessel bound for America. Before the ship even reaches the high seas, sparks fly between her and Captain Alex Hawks. Although the young widow may be lonely and afraid, she cannot risk the diversion a romantic entanglement could bring, no matter how much she wants to lose herself in the captain’s embrace.

The Captain vows to protect the little marquess, but can offer no assurance that the marchioness will leave his ship with her virtue intact. Alex is drawn to Anissa’s beauty and courage. How long can he fight a losing battle before he surrenders and makes her his own?

Will Alex be able to keep this remarkable woman and her child safe? Will his passion for Anissa be enough or will their differences keep them apart?

Author Bio:
Vikki Vaught started her writing career when a story invaded her mind and would not leave.
Over the last few years, she has written more than a half dozen historical romances and is presently working on Book 2 in her Honorable Rogue series. Her new release, Lady Overton’s Perilous Journey, is the first book in the series.

Vikki loves a “Happily Ever After”, and she writes them in her stories. While romance is the central theme of all her books, she includes some significant historical event or place in all her novels.

For the last decade, Vikki has lived in the beautiful foothills of the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee with her beloved husband, Jim, who is the most tolerant man in the world for putting up with her when she is in a writing frenzy. When she is not writing or working her day job, you’ll find her curled up in a comfortable chair reading her Kindle, lost in a good book with a cup of coffee at her side.

Excerpt:
She cuddled her sleeping child close as she scanned the common area. Her insides churned as she wove her way through the crowded tables, the chairs filled with dirty, unsavory-looking men. The strong smell of sweat mingled with ale threatened to turn her stomach and had her breathing through her mouth.
Anissa approached the man the stable boy described. “Sir, are you Captain Hawks?”

He turned around, and in a drawling voice, he answered, “Well, darlin’, that’s my name.”

He swept his tri-corn hat from his head, stood and bowed.

“Captain Alex Hawks, at your service. What can I do for you?”

Anissa gazed up into the blackest eyes she had ever seen and wanted to fall into them. Mesmerized, she blinked as a shiver ran across her shoulders. This was not the time to notice this man’s eyes, no matter how compelling they were. Now was the time to use her charms to convince him to take her on his ship.

“My name is—” she quickly searched for a name, not wanting to give him her identity, “—Mrs. Carlson. I would like to pay for passage on your ship. I understand you are leaving for America this morning.” Then, thinking of a city she had heard of in America, she added, “I need to go to Boston, where some of my family lives. Would you be able to help me?”

Captain Hawks gave her an appraising stare, which unnerved her. This man was intimidating, to say the least. “I’m not going to Boston. And, I don’t normally take on passengers. I’m headed to Baltimore, and it’s a far piece from Boston, darlin’.”

“Please take me. I have to leave for America as soon as possible.” Anissa had to convince him to allow her passage. “And as far as your destination is concerned, I’m sure once I am in America, I shall be able to travel to Boston from there.”

“Darlin’, do you even know where Baltimore is and how far it is from Boston?”

Anissa wished he would quit calling her darling. It was quite presumptuous of him, and she did not appreciate it at all. Of course, she did not want to anger him, so she kept her feelings to herself. “Well, no, not really. How far is it?”

“It’s over four hundred miles,” Captain Hawks explained, as if he were speaking to a child, which further irritated her, tugging at her frazzled nerves. “You would be better served if you found a passenger ship going there. I have an associate who should be arriving in a few days, and his ship is going to Boston. He also takes passengers. I’m sure he would be happy to take you on board.”

Oh, dear, why did I say Boston? Please, Lord, let me convince him to take me.
Every hour brought her closer to the chance of discovery. She could not afford to wait for another ship. She needed to get as far away from Lord Howard as possible, immediately.

“Captain, I do not have a few days to wait. My uncle is dreadfully ill. He may only have a few months to live, so I need to leave right away. Please allow me to travel on your ship.” She looked up at him, willing a few tears into her eyes, praying to gain his sympathy.

Captain Hawks sighed and rolled his obsidian eyes toward the ceiling. “I know I’m going to regret this. All right, darlin’, if it’s that important, I’ll take you. I hope you realize how uncomfortable this voyage will be for you and the child. The cabin you will be in barely has room to turn around in. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”

“We shall be fine, regardless of the conditions.”

He shook his head, sending her heart to the floor.

Oh, Lord, please don’t let him change his mind. What shall I do if he has?

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Posted in America, American History, British history, Great Britain, Guest Post, Living in the Regency, Regency era | Tagged American history, guest post, Lady Overton's Perilous Journey, Regency romance, Vikki Vaught | 5 Comments

Northanger Horrid Novels ~ Are They Real?

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Northanger Horrid Novels

thoughts from Regina Jeffers…

I have highlighted these books previously, but at a recent event, I was again asked if Austen made up the names of the books in Northanger Abbey. So, I will again introduce our visitors to what are known as the Northanger Horrid Novels, seven early Gothic examples of fiction.

These books were among the many published by Minerva Press in the late 1700s and early 1800s. William Lane established Minerva Press at No. 33 Leadenhall Street, London, when he moved his circulating library there in 1790. The seven books, which comprise the Northanger Horrid Novels, were once thought to be creations of Jane Austen’s imagination, but research in the early 1900s by Michael Sadleir and Montague Summers proved the stories did exist. In Northanger Abbey, Isabella Thorpe tells Catherine Morland …

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/northanger-abbey/images/14651557/title/northanger-abbey-photo

“Dear creature! How much I am obliged to you; and when you have finished Udolpho, we will read The Italian together; and I have made out a list of ten or twelve more of the same kind for you.”

“Have you, indeed! How glad I am! – What are they all?”

“I will read you their names directly; here they are, in my pocket-book. Castle of Wolfenbach, Clermont, Mysterious Warnings, Necromancer of the Black Forest, Midnight Bell, Orphan of the Rhine, and Horrid Mysteries. Those will last us some time.”

“Yes, pretty well; but are they all horrid, are you sure they are all horrid?”

“Yes, quite sure; for a particular friend of mine, a Miss Andrews, a sweet girl, one of the sweetest creatures in the world, has read every one of them.”

Some years back, Valancourt Books began a project to bring these titles and many others from around the world to the reading public. Along with those found on Valancourt, most of the titles are available from online book sources. Some are even available in their entirety at internet reading sites. So, what are the stories in each of these books? And would Jane Austen have read them?

The Castle of Wolfenbach (1793 )by Eliza Parsons

A lecherous and incestuous uncle forces Matilda Weimar to flee her home and to seek refuge in the ancient Castle of Wolfenbach. Horrifying mysteries also dwell in the castle, including that of the missing Countess of Wolfenbach. Matilda must unravel the clues before her uncle tracks her down and takes her away with him.

The Mysterious Warning (1796) by Eliza Parsons

When the much revered Count Renaud dies, his degenerate heir, Rhodophil, assumes his father’s title. The count has disowned his son Ferdinand, who has married without his father’s permission. Rhodophil swears he will share his riches with Ferdinand and the younger brother’s wife, Claudina, but a “mysterious warning” from the grave sends Ferdinand fleeing for his life. To make matters worse, Claudina has aligned herself with Rhodophil. Ferdinand’s quest for his own fortune and adventure brings him to the doorstep of a recluse, who has a horrible secret. Later, he becomes imprisoned by the Turkish army and then encounters one of Gothic literature’s most depraved female characters, Fatima. If he survives all his meanderings, Ferdinand must then return to Renaud Castle to uncover the ghostly truth about his wife and his brother.

Clermont (1798) by Regina Maria Roche

Madeline lives in seclusion with her father Clermont, who holds a mysterious past. That seclusion is interrupted by one of Clermont’s former friends, a Countess. Madeline is allowed to reside with the Countess, with whom she will receive an education. However, the Countess is attacked by unknown assailants, and Madeline is assaulted in a ghostly crypt. Compounding their problems, a sinister stranger appears to claim Madeline as his bride. The stranger knows Clermont’s secret and threatens to ruin Madeline’s father. Madeline must avoid her pursuers, solve the mystery of her father’s past, and win the love of De Sevignie.

The Orphan of the Rhine (1798) by Eleanor Sleath

Sleath is very much an Ann Radcliffe wannabe, and she models many of her pieces on Radcliffe’s works, using several of Radcliffe’s signature plot devices: mysterious monks, ruined towers, assumed names for the characters, last-minute rescues, and death-bed scenes. In this novel, Julie de Rubine discovers that her marriage to the Marchese de Montferrat is a sham. Unfortunately, this news is not delivered until after Julie gives birth. Julie takes her child and an orphan by the name of Laurette to live in a half-ruined castle on the Rhine. She remains there under the Marchese’s threats until Laurette becomes old enough to “stir the passion” of other key characters. Then things get very interesting!

The Necromancer; or, The Tale of the Black Forest (1794) by Karl Friedrich Kahlert

This book is a series of interconnected stories, each of which deals with the enigmatic character Volkert the Necromancer. This is a very strange novel. It is filled with murder, dark magic, and plenty of ghosts. The plot takes too many twists and turns to describe in so short of a space, but for the true Gothic fan, it is a must.

The Midnight Bell: A German Story, Founded on Incidents in Real Life( 1798) by Francis Lathom

Alphonsus Cohenburg finds his mother covered in blood. She tells him that his uncle has murdered Alphonsus’s father, and he must flee for his life. He is never to return to Cohenburg castle. Alphonsus’s adventures include being a soldier, a miner, and a church sacristan. He meets and weds Lauretta, but she is kidnapped by a group of ruffians. Alphonsus must solve the mystery of his wife’s disappearance and the question of his mother’s strange pronouncement. Add to those dilemmas the news of ghosts haunting his family’s castle and the sound of great bell each night at midnight, and one has a complete Gothic delight.

The Horrid Mysteries: A Story from the German of the Marquis of Grosse (a translation of the German Gothic novel Der Genius) (1796)

It was first published by the sensationalist Minerva Press in 1796. A later, two-volume edition published by Robert Holden and Co., Ltd. in 1927 includes a new introductory essay by Montague Summers. The books were bound in pictoral boards, and feature a period-style “advertisement” for Pears’ Soap on the rear cover. The hero of the tale, the Marquis of Grosse, finds himself embroiled in a secret revolutionary society which advocates murder and mayhem in pursuit of an early form of communism. He creates a rival society to combat them and finds himself hopelessly trapped between the two antagonistic forces. The book has been both praised and lambasted for its lurid portrayal of sex, violence and barbarism. H. P. Lovecraft, in his lengthy essay Supernatural Horror in Literature, dismissed it and others like it as “…the dreary plethora of trash like Marquis von Grosse’s Horrid Mysteries…”(Wikipedia)

Posted in book excerpts, British history, castles, gothic and paranormal, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Regency era, Victorian era | Tagged Clermont, Horrid Novels, Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey, The Castle of Wolfenbach, The Horrid Mysteries, The Midnight Bell, The Mysterious Warning, The Necromancer, The Orphan of the Rhine | 9 Comments

Winners from Three Recent Giveaways

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Joana Starnes will gift Vesper with an eBook copy of release of The Unthinkable Triangle.

Regina Jeffers will gift Luthien84 with an eBook copy of A Touch of Love and Cassandra Samuels with an eBook copy of A Touch of Emerald as part of Regina‘s “Changes in Weaponry” post.

Regina will also gift tgruy with an eBook of an eBook copy A Touch of Emerald and Annie Whitehead with an eBook copy of His American Heartsong from Regina’s Shine a Light on Our Ladies Blog Hop Week One Post.

Posted in British history, giveaway, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Regency era | Tagged " "His American Heartsong, A Touch of Emerald, A Touch of Love, giveaway, Joana Starnes, Regina Jeffers, the Realm series, The Unthinkable Triangle | 2 Comments

“Shine a Light on Our Ladies” Blog Hop: Elizabeth Bennet (and Some Less Favorable Qualities) + a Giveaway

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Regina Jeffers

Cathy Helms of http://www.avalongraphics has designed us this logo

During the month of October nine other authors and I are “Shining a Light on Our Ladies” by taking a closer look at what makes our heroines so special. Those involved include: Helen Hollick, Alison Morton, Anna Belfrage, Inge H Borg, Linda Collison, Elizabeth Revill, Patricia Bracewell, Sophie Perinot, and Diana Wilder.

To view last week’s post on four of the heroines from the REALM series, go HERE.

Elizabeth Bennet, a fictional character appearing in the novel Pride and Prejudice, depicted by C. E. Brock
Scans from the book at Pemberley.com ~ Public Domain ~ Detail of C. E. Brock illustration for the 1895 edition of Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice (Chapter 56) showing Elizabeth Bennet outdoors in “walking dress”, with bonnet and parasol. en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Elizabeth_Bennet

Today, I chose to look at the heroine I feel I know best, although she is not my creation. Elizabeth Bennet came to the notice of the reading public in January 1813, and for over 200 years, readers have come to adore Elizabeth’s witty repartee, vitality, intelligence, and charm, and to a certain extent, her discriminating observations of those about her. She is regarded as Austen’s most endearing heroine. Elizabeth is a beloved character in British literature, and her complexity entices us. For example, despite her quick mind, we quickly discover that Elizabeth is as vulnerable to a man with a handsome face as are her sisters. Austen described her creation “as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print.” [Wright, Andrew H. “Elizabeth Bennet.” Elizabeth Bennet (introduction by Harold Bloom). Broomall: Chelsea House Publishers , 2004. 37–38 . Google Book Search. Web. 22 October 2011.]

What else do we know of Elizabeth Bennet? Obviously, to be as relatable as she is, Miss Elizabeth must have more depth that the above characteristics would show. Some of the characteristics we see of Elizabeth in ourselves are not necessarily her more endearing qualities.

Let us take a look at Elizabeth’s interactions with Charlotte Lucas. Of all the other female characters in the story, Elizabeth assumes that Charlotte is the one most like Elizabeth in her intelligence and her temperament. In reality, Elizabeth imagines Charlotte’s opinions are more of the same nature than they actually are. Elizabeth, like any woman in her social position, understands the need for a marriage of convenience, but she secretly hopes for a bit of affection between her and her future husband. She believes Charlotte feels the same, even when Charlotte declares otherwise. Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance…it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life. To which Elizabeth replies, You make me laugh, Charlotte, but it not sound. You know it is not sound, and that you would never act in this way yourself.

Yet, Charlotte’s choice of Mr. Collins proves Elizabeth’s friend “practical.” Charlotte’s perceived betrayal wounds Elizabeth’s confidence and her sense of dignity. If Charlotte MUST choose a man of Mr. Collins’ character, what choices remain for Elizabeth? She feels trapped by life, and Charlotte’s actions prove there is “no means out.” We in the modern world are often faced with the prospect of being the only one of our friends not married; yet, is this fear truly a modern one?

Charlotte resigns herself to a tedious marriage with Collins, a fact that goes against Elizabeth’s nature for she lives firsthand the outcome of such a marriage, the one between her parents. Elizabeth finds herself clinging to a fading hope of discovering someone who will recognize her as a superior choice. Unfortunately, Elizabeth’s pride is a false one. She has no real competition among her sisters. If she knew a wider society, Elizabeth would be more aware of her shortcomings when Mr. Darcy announces them in his first proposal. True, Jane is far handsomer, but the eldest Miss Bennet is not written by Austen to be Elizabeth’s equal. I am certain that there are many females out there who have asked themselves, “What does he see in her?”

Like her father, Elizabeth takes pleasure in living among foolish people. But, Lizzy, you look as if you did not enjoy it. You are not going to be missish, I hope, and pretend to be affronted at an idle report. For what do we live but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn? When I was still teaching school, one of my favorite lessons was on a “comedy” unit. Humor is the only socially accepted form of criticism, and both Elizabeth and her father use their witticisms as an attack on others and as a defense for their own shortcomings. My students loved it when I pointed out that we humans smile largely when we say, “I didn’t mean it. It was only a joke.” Compare that false “smile,” one with teeth showing and lips stretched wide, to the one an animal shows its enemy in warning. (i.e., The dog bared its teeth.) Very similar…

That being said, does Elizabeth use her humor to deflect attention from her own shortcomings? I do not criticize her actions. I find Elizabeth’s response quite “human.” If the Bingley sisters finding Elizabeth wanting, how else would she respond but to point out their “deficiencies”?

It is helpful to consider what life skills has Elizabeth learned from Mr. Bennet. Needless to say, Elizabeth is her father’s favorite, and she wallows in his approval. Any admiration she knows comes at the hands of Mr. Bennet. She imitates his love of reading, his witty observations of others, and Mr. Bennet’s “isolation,” although Elizabeth is not as successful as her father in remaining detached. We view Mr. Bennet as jaded in his opinions and in his bending to the wishes of Mrs. Bennet in order to avoid his wife’s “nerves.” In her imitation, Elizabeth takes herself quite seriously in her dealings with others. She tells Darcy, Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies ‘do’ divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can.

When the outside world proves her opinions in error, Elizabeth does not know how to react. She cannot understand Bingley’s abandonment of Jane for Elizabeth is certain the man loves her eldest sister. As mentioned earlier, Charlotte’s acceptance of Mr. Collins goes against all things Elizabeth claims as holy. Unconsciously, she does not reject her mother’s opinion of her. We recognize how Mrs. Bennet’s constant reminders to Elizabeth as being “ungrateful” and being “the least dear” of her children must play into Elizabeth’s personality. Elizabeth is defined by this image, and she fights it as does Mr. Bennet.

How could Elizabeth NOT feel the sting of Mr. Darcy’s rebuke? She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt ‘me’; and I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. Although she thinks herself Mr. Darcy’s equal, he sets her down as if she were a member of the working class. Elizabeth’s opinion of Darcy is a reflection of how badly her pride is bruised by his remark. Again, I find this a very natural response. We all like to think ourselves above such pettiness, but human nature says otherwise. Darcy’s opinion is a blow to Elizabeth’s confidence, and she makes it a point NOT to permit Mr. Darcy or anyone (including the incomparable Lady Catherine de Bourgh) to view her as inferior again. She uses her caustic wit as a sword to fend off all comers.

Elizabeth makes Darcy and the Bingley sisters (and later Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine) the butt of her jokes. Like her father, she weakens the significance of all that is “wrong” in her world with her laughter. By making Mr. Darcy appear ridiculous to others, Elizabeth brings him down to an inferior position. She builds fences around her heart so Mr. Darcy cannot hurt her pride again. This causes her to misinterpret his interest in her. For example, she thinks when Darcy listens in on her conversation with Charlotte at Lucas Lodge that he is attempting to find more fault with her. It is a defensive move on her part, and the reader must understand this before he/she can accept Elizabeth’s change of heart for Mr. Darcy. These foibles are what makes Elizabeth “one of us.” Just think how boring she would be if she were as one dimensional as Jane or Lydia Bennet.

In the end, the reader is led to believe that Darcy and Elizabeth experience an ideal marriage, but as both hold several character flaws, I can only assume they find a means of dealing with each other. As much as I would like to believe they live “happily ever after,” an HEA does not mean they do not experience the occasional tiffs/disagreements.

Elizabeth earns the status in Society she desires, while Darcy’s self-esteem is salvaged by Elizabeth’s acceptance of his hand. Darcy depends on his new wife’s constant admiration as part of his overall subjective evaluation of his self worth, while Elizabeth must build him up in order to achieve the admiration of those about her. She finally has her mother’s notice, as well as all who once thought her inferior. She is the Mistress of Pemberley – a reflection of the man she married. Remember that Mrs. Bennet refers to Darcy’s 10000 pounds a year as being “as good as a lord.”

Perhaps, I am a bit of a cynic, but Darcy and Elizabeth succeed as a couple because they each “feed” the other what he needs. I do not think that is bad, the “practical” part of me sees it as a great solution for marriage; at its best and its worst, marriage is a compromise. I am a bit of Charlotte Lucas’s nature in my view of what makes a successful marriage. It may, perhaps, be pleasant to be able to impose on the public in such a case; but it s sometimes a disadvantage to be so very guarded. If a woman conceals her affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of fixing him; and it will then be but poor consolation to believe the world equally in the dark. There is so much of gratitude or vanity in almost every attachment, that it is not safe to leave any to itself. We can all begin freely – a slight preference is natural enough; but there are few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement….When she [Jane Bennet] is secure of him [Mr. Bingley], there will be leisure for falling in love as much as she chooses….If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continued to grow sufficiently unlike afterward to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.

All this give and take makes Elizabeth Bennet a character with whom we can relate. She is not perfect. Not one sided. She is tolerable enough to tempt us to read Austen’s Pride and Prejudice again and again.

Now, it is your turn. Tell me what you think. Leave a comment below to add your opinions or to be part of the Giveaway. I have two eBooks up for grabs. The Giveaway ends at midnight Saturday, 17 October 2015. The winners may choose between the titles listed below…

(Note! Diana Wilder has an additional giveaways below!!!)

Darcy’s Passions: Pride and Prejudice Retold Though His Eyes

Elizabeth Bennet’s Deception: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

Mr. Darcy’s Fault: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

Elizabeth Bennet’s Excellent Adventure: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary

Please seek out the other members of the blog hop. There are a variety of writers, styles, and historical periods among the offerings. Many of the them also are hosting giveaways. This week, we are featuring…

Diana Wilder comes from a family of storytellers and people-watchers. A childhood spent traveling with her military family gave her plenty of opportunities to weave stories around the places and people that she encountered. Her first novel, written on lined paper and barely legible, was a story of the Hawaii of Kamehameha the Great. The Safeguard, born of a lifelong fascination with its period, features several of her ancestors who were in the area at that time. She says it is difficult to be bored when there is history to read and people to write about.

And her shining lady, Lavinia Wheeler: Born into the cream of Southern society in Savannah, Georgia, Lavinia Wheeler was raised to run an estate with a light touch. That training proves to be of some use when the American Civil War comes roaring to her doorstep.

Plus a chance to win a book – http://dianawilder.blogspot.co.uk/

Elizabeth Revill is a professional actress for many years with extensive experience in theatre, radio, film and television fuelled Elizabeth’s passion to write. Ever since she was a little girl I enjoyed writing stories and would keep friends and family entertained with her world of make believe. Born in Birmingham, Elizabeth now lives in North Devon.

introduces us to WWII District nurse Carrie –
Carrie’s strength, passion and fire prove her to be a determined woman who knows what she wants. Her spiritual and emotional journey survive a heart wrenching struggle of tangled, traumatic and life affirming experiences, which shape her into a woman never to be forgotten.

To read more on Elizabeth Revill, click here .

Helen Hollick lives on a thirteen-acre farm in Devon, England. Born in London, Helen wrote pony stories as a teenager, moved to science-fiction and fantasy, and then discovered historical fiction. Published for over twenty years with her Arthurian Trilogy, and the 1066 era, she became a ‘USA Today’ bestseller with Forever Queen. She also writes the Sea Witch Voyages, pirate-based fantasy adventures.
As a supporter of Indie Authors she is Managing Editor for the Historical Novel Society Indie Reviews, and inaugurated the HNS Indie Award.

And Helen’s ‘Ladies’
Edith number one: the love of King Harold’s life – a woman who walked the battlefield at Hastings in 1066 to identify his mutilated body, and Edith number two, Harold’s own sister who despised him…

Visit Helen at http://www.ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com

Visit the blog posts from week 1 (October 6) of “Shine a Light on Our Ladies.”

Hellen Hollick – Queen Emma of Normandy ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.co.uk/
Patricia Bracewell patriciabracewell.com/blog/
Inge H. Borg devilwinds.blogspot.com/

Regina Jeffers – Four Heroines of the Realm – https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com/2015/10/06/shine-a-light-on-our-ladies-the-women-of-the-realm-series-part-1/

In case one of the above links becomes broken, here are the links for the first two weeks of the blog tour:

6th October
Helen Hollick: http://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/shining-light-on-our-ladies_6.html
Pat Bracewell: http://www.patriciabracewell.com/2015/10/shining-light-on-our-ladies-a-tale-of-two-queens/
Inge Borg: http://devilwinds.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/shining-light-on-our-ladies-blog-hop.html

13th October

Helen Hollick: http://www.ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/2015/10/shining-light-on.html
Diana Wilder: http://dianawilder.blogspot.com/2015/10/shining-light-on-our-ladies.html
Regina Jeffers: https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com/2015/10/13/shining-light-on-our-ladies-blog-tour-elizabeth-bennets-less-likable-qualities/
Liz Spear (Revill): http://www.elizabethrevill.com/blog/shining-a-light-on-our-ladies

Posted in blog hop, British history, Great Britain, historical fiction, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Regency era, Shining Light on Our Ladies | Tagged blog hop, D. M. Wilder, Elizabeth Bennet, Elizabeth Revill, Helen Hollick, heroine, historical fiction, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Shining Light on Our Ladies | 36 Comments

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