I wanted to make a video that would alert people to Seduction in Silk, coming toward us rather faster than I'm prepared for. How can it be June already? Someone e-mailed me to remind me of something I'd promised to do in June and my first reaction was irritation that they were bugging me about it so early! Mind you, that could be the weather. How's your almost-summer? Continue reading

I'm talking today about parties, which fits a holiday Monday. That is, social events in the London season. Whilst researching something else, I discovered records of events during 1817 (time period for next year's Regency, A Shocking Delight) in the Morning Chronicle. Continue reading

On mothers. I have to say that my work is short on great mothers. No reflection on my own mum, but for some reason my heroine's good mothers are usually dead before the book starts. Mind you, most of the bad ones are, too. If I consider my recent books I have a cold mother for Georgia is A Scandalous Countess, and a dead, unappreciative one for Prudence in An Unlikely Countess. In my upcoming book, Seduction in Silk, the heroine's dead mother is a stinker, and the hero's is the same as in Scandalous C as Perry is Georgia's brother. Continue reading

"At these seasons of the year indeed a thick humid fog envelopes the whole for the greatest part of the day; and the smoke from coal-fires, being pressed down by the humidity of the atmosphere, floats through the streets in murky clouds: but in the spring and summer months, London is quite as cheerful in its appearance as any other large city whatever." Continue reading

However, my search and some on line discussions has made me aware of how limited our vision of the Regency look is. Almost always it's a slender high-waisted dress with short puff sleeves and little trimming or lushness in the fabric. We wouldn't think one style correct for today, and it wasn't back then. So here's a collection of genuine Regency images. (You can click on any to enlarge.) Continue reading

The blog on the appeal of the Scottish historical often mentioned the kilt, and it got me wondering what style of men's fashion we find most appealing. I'm going to run through some general historical styles, and invite you to have your say. On men in skirts. Men in dresses. Men in abundant wigs.... Continue reading

Jo here, pulling together answers to a question sent in by Alison. "I wondered in regard to their own books, which hero would the wenches want to live happily ever after with and which hero would they just want to have a fling with? I would love to know their reasons why as well. " Now this proved a bit tricky for us, because we all love all our heroes and at the same time, we all respect their devotion to their heroines, but imagination comes with the job, so here we go. Continue reading

You know the saying about death and taxes.... Taxes aren't mentioned much in historical romances, but they've been around for a long time, and I'm sure most Regency people felt as taxed to death as we do today. People of substance, that is. Can you think of a historical romance that mentions taxes, or even better, uses them as a plot point? All those impoverished families might want to look closely at their taxable assets! I'm going to mostly write about the small taxes, but a word first about one we all know well. Continue reading

Warning! A growing TBR pile could be imminent! From Forbidden Fruit to The Seduction of Elliot McBride, The Lightning Thief to Bygone Pleasures of London -- the Word Wenches' recent reads certainly cover a range! Come on over to be tempted. Continue reading

Most romances are courtship stories, sometimes with marriage at the very end, but I love a marriage story, especially a marriage of convenience or a forced marriage. I'm not so keen on marriage in trouble stories, though I did one in The Shattered Rose. I need a short hand here, and MOC -- marriage of convenience -- doesn't work, because some are very inconvenient for one or both parties! So I'll use VBL -- vows before love. That's the crux of it, isn't it? These two people will be in love (after all, it's a romance) but when they say their vows they aren't, and possibly are enemies. Continue reading

Jo here, waffling on a bit about peerage titles. A few things came together recently to stir my irritation. Why is it that even people who should know better make silly errors in British titles? Continue reading

I started thinking about pencils because my current heroine keeps a journal of sorts, one in which she notes down passing thoughts and observations. Now it was possible to use pen and ink on the go, and people did if they were setting out to do extensive writing in the outdoors, but it usually involved a mini-desk, and at a minimum a securely-closed inkwell, a quill pen or three and a pen knife to trim them with. This would be somewhat noticeable in a young lady of the ton. Continue reading

012 was another the year the world might end, but we seem to have dodged that missile, asteroid, or whatever it was supposed to be. Here in Britain it might have been the great flood. It is now officially the wettest year on record. And still it rains! Has the weather in 2012 been record breaking where you are? Continue reading

Jo here on Christmas Eve, which means the Wenches will be doing their traditional Christmastide celebration and posting briefly over the 12 Days of Christmas. Continue reading

At what age did boys go to Eton? My heroine's brothers are going to go to Eton, and I wondered what the normal age was for boys to start there in the 18th century. I've poked at this detail a fewEton times before, but without great need to know. However, the twins Peter and Tom are eleven and I wanted to know how unusual that would be. My general impression from previous looks is that about 13 was the norm. Continue reading

Do you remember when you fell in thrall to past times? I did a degree in history, unfortunately back in the day when social history wasn't much regarded, so it was mostly about international relations and political movements. :: yawn!:: My career as a writer has given me a beautiful excuse to wallow in primary sources a lot, and the internet has made it so delightfully easy. I can't however, pinpoint where and when I fell in love with the past. Continue reading

I enjoy the BBC radio programme In Our Time, which gathers experts to discuss a range of subjects. I can remember visiting England a few years ago and tuning the radio to Radio 4, my favorite station. A few minutes later I wandered over to my husband in a blissful haze, saying, "There's a program on the Library of Alexandria!" You can find In Our Time here, and I believe it can be listened to from anywhere in the world. They have also put all previous programs on line to either listen to or download as podcasts. The history archive is here. Continue reading

Years ago, people would say they liked Regency fashion because women back then didn't have to wear corsets, but we now know that isn't true. For the fashionable look, a lady had to wear one, and a substantial one, too, which could restrict movement as much and perhaps more than the Georgian stays. Continue reading

I don't know what it says about me, but I soon wanted to turn this scenario on its head. I didn't like the Red Fingernailed Ladies as presented, but I didn't much like the Poor But Honest twits either. (Twits because they always fell for the RFL's schemes.) I was also bothered by the hero loving her for her sweet naivity and the RFL getting no points at all for fighting spirit..... Continue reading

In the past, Edinburgh and Dublin had societies to rival London, but have you read an historical romance set there? If you have, I'd truly like to know so I could extend my study of this phenomenen. It seems to me that we reserve the aristocratic delights for England, and mostly for London, and expect rougher adventures in Scotland. Continue reading

In 1817 a quick-witted, penniless young woman persuaded local worthies and then some of thCare great that she was a lost princess from a foreign land. I decided to blog about this now not only because it's an engaging story, but because there's an enjoyable movie about it that might be a good choice for the lingering days of the summer holidays. Continue reading

As you know, I'm always exploring primary sources for my period. A while ago I came across a snippet from 1766. "We are informed that a grand Pleasure-Bath is intended to be made this Summer in Richmond-Gardens, for the Reception of the Royal Family." This would be at Richmond Lodge, which George III and family used as a summer retreat. Continue reading

Tempting Fortune was first published in 1995. The hero is Lord Arcenbryght Malloren, the second son, who has an edgy relationship with his half-brother, the Marquess of Rothgar. He's a more fiery man and likes risk. Rothgar has turned him from gaming onto handling the family's business affairs and investments, but there's risk there, too, because in those days the shareholders of a company were liable for all losses. Continue reading

In romance reading circles, there's often debate about what amount of courting or sexual licence people in the past were allowed. As always, it would depend on circumstances and in the rules laid down by parents or others, but I'm sure there was scope. After all, even in the sixties, when I was at university, the powers that be thought they could control misbehaviour by banning the opposite sex from halls of residence during the night hours. As always, it's in the hands of the author to make her world believable, but also in the mind of the reader, who will bring her beliefs and even her own experience to the book. Continue reading

Why do women treat menstruation as an unspeakable subject? It's a basic part of womanhood, deeply part of our sexuality and fertility, and we should at least accept it, and at best be proud of it, especially in our special genre. Comments? Continue reading