Greetings,

It has been nearly a year since I've penned a post; shame on me.  Life does tend to get in the way, but for a bit I was spreading myself too thin and did not have the luxury of time to keep up the blog, work on my romance book, which includes lots of research, and do all the things that I must. One chilly, rain-filled morning this fall I decided to give it another go. 

Inspired by Ackermann's Respository, my blog is changing.  With a little imagination and the Adobe Photoshop workhorse, Elements 9, some CSS styles and HTML tweaking, I gave the appearance a personal twist.  There's more to the cover though.  I'll be posting tidbits of history as I research for my book and I'm planning to add links and resources that will help other historical romance writers. I don't know about you, but I would love to have everything in one neat and tidy virtual file cabinet. 

It all began with Regency attire and home decor descriptions.  Striving to write as accurate as possible descriptions led me to Ackermann's Repository, an English monthly periodical published between 1809 and 1829.  There's loads of information including fashion, landscape, and interior decorating plates along with a plethora of articles, some of which I'm planning to post about in the future.  

 

The fashion descriptions are wonderful.  Enjoy the snippets that describes the gowns pictured above:

Plate 18: Promenade Sea-beach Costume

A Grecian frock of fine French cambric or jaconoet  muslin, with corresponding border at feet in shaded purple embroidery: Roman back and front of the same.  Full long sleeves with a turned up cuff of lace; fastened with a bronze stud, set in gold. Read the entire description here. 

Plate 17: A Mourning Dress

Our plate will be found to represent a lady and her infant in slight mourning habits: the former composed of black gossamer net, or imperial guaze worn over a white satin slip.  A demi-traine. A round frock front, and short French sleeves, each edged with a rich vandyke lace. Curious for more?  You can find this description on the same page as the above link, but here it is again.  

 
So here I am changing it up by sharing the history that I love so much, the beauty that dazzles and the adventure of writing my first romance novel and striving to get it published. My plan is to add Regency Reference Pages, a Glossary, and more. I hope you'll find a comfortable sofa to lounge upon, settle in for a visit and glean bits of history from the eras that I love most: The Regency Period and the Tudor Years of England. 

 

     

Wanted: Critique Partner

Hello Romantic World!  I'm putting it out there that I'm searching for a critique partner. 

Wanted: A lover of romance. Someone who feels the pitter-patter of a rushed heart beat when they're reading a historical romance, but gets almost as much pleasure from contemporary love stories. If you're not published...that's great!  If you are published...that's great! 

Must love to read

 and be passionate about writing. 

Must be willing to be frank and honest without being overly insensitive.

If you happen by, just take a seat in the drawing room and leave your calling card  (comment).  I promise I'll get back to you and who knows...this could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Most Sincerely,

Romancing the Research

It's been so long since I've been about.  Shameful, indeed!  Where have I been?  Cruising the information highway for answers to a thousand questions.  Like? Well, since you asked...

1.  How large is the typical country estate of a Regency noble?
2.  What did the homes look like inside?
3.  What grew in the garden?
4.  How long did it take to get from York to London by horse?  By carriage?
5.  How many servants did a typical household employ?
6.  What is the etymology of certain words like...buffoon, fop, dandy.
7.  What garden structures were likely to be in gardens/parks/lawns of the Regency nobility?
8.  What if no heirs were born to a noble?  Who inherited the title?
9.  Could the widow of a noble be left with nothing?
10. What were people naming their children in the late 1700s and early 1800s?

The list goes on and on.  I've found wonderful resources for some of the questions I must answer to make my story both accurate and worth reading.  One of the best resources I've found is Jane Austen's World, a blog that is chock full of tantalizing bits about the Regency Era.  I also found Candice Hern's website to be extremely helpful.  She offers more resources that I know will answer my questions. 

I must make a trip to the library, soon.  I'm hoping to find answers to the questions regarding the Regency time period that will enhance my book. 

Where do you go for answers to historical questions?  Do you have a go-to source?  I'd love to know!

Happy Writing!