WIP: Eli’s Troubles

A bit for WIP Wednesday. I made start on The Forgotten Daughter. A young woman in Manchester has discovered the identity of her natural father. Her siblings need help and she is determined to get it. Meanwhile, Eli Benson is feeling entirely too self satisfied. Two points of clarification. Earlier in the chapter Eli notes […]

Travel by Mail Coach

That the coaches carrying the Royal Mail in the first half of the 19th century took passengers and were superior to travel by stage coach in a number of ways. They were faster. They stopped for nothing. They even flew through toll gates. They traveled at night Their schedule was strict and predictable They had […]

One Down, One Up

My still-without-title story for next year’s Bluestocking Belles collection ended with the hero and heroine in a coat closet. With nine other sisters in the house and guests occupying every possible space, they had to meet SOMEwhere. Today it is onward with The Ashmead Heirs. The next up, the Forgotten Daughter and I are becoming […]

Into the Slums with Aldridge

I travel. Sometimes I travel by boat, plane, or automobile. Sometimes I travel by book. Sometimes I explore the real world. This week I rambled through the worst sections of London with the Marquis of Aldridge. I wouldn’t normally dare go to St. Giles, Seven Dials, the Devil’s Acre etc., the lairs of thieves, murderers, […]

The Slums of London in Regency England

Highlighting the Facts behind Historical Romance with Jude Knight Like any big city, London has always had slum areas. In the early nineteenth century, they were noxious and dangerous. I’ve been studying them for the last two novels in my Regency series, The Return of the Mountain King. In 1800, over a million people lived […]

Alone in a Crowd: an Excerpt

The Defiant Daughter, the second of the Ashmead Heirs, has gone to beta readers. Here is a bit from early on. Lady Madelyn has been lured to London by invitations from her brothers and a plea from her stepson. She thought she preferred her solitude. She is beginning to realize she does not. ***** The […]

A Different Kind of Steamy Romance

Highlighting Historical Romance with Samara Parish and the facts behind her current release, How to Survive a Scandal. Writing my first historical romance novel was a lot of fun and there was so much to learn. In addition to researching the period and trying to make the book feel authentic, my hero was an engineer. […]

Visiting Grosvener Square

I travel. Sometimes I travel by boat, plane, or automobile. Sometimes I travel by book. This week I rambled through Mayfair with Mary Lancaster from a modest home on Half Moon Street to a shabby past its prime house on Charles Street to the homes of the truly wealthy on Grosvener Square.   As opulent […]

Female Pugilism in the Regency Era

Highlighting the facts behind historical fiction with Edie Cay. Boxing was the sport of the Regency era. Pugilism was considered the noblest and manliest pursuit, and thus, the most English of pastimes. Male prizefighters were celebrities, gaining fame and fortune, but women also fought for sport. I based the character of Bess Abbott, the heroine […]