Category: Living in the Regency
-
Miss Austen—No Politician, She
On the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, she remains a touchstone for politics for many people. We find that white supremacists are co-opting the English author in support of a racial dictatorship, shocked opponents are claiming that true readers are “rational, compassionate, liberal-minded people,” and conservatives are chiding Janeites for assuming that great literature…
-
York Castle’s Role in the Final Chapter of “Lyon in Disguise” from Dragonblade Publishing (Arriving 17 December 2025)
The final chapter of Lyon in Disguise, which releases December 17 and is currently on preorder, is set around the York, England, and specifically York Castle. At the time the story is set, meaning late 1812 and early 1813, York Castle was used as a prison and a place for hanging of criminals. The last…
-
Cleanliness is Next to Modern-ness
Good morrow, dear readers. Many of my American readers are likely awakening from their turkey comas; my family is struggling with our lasagne coma. (Yes, we have lasagne for Thanksgiving dinner.) However, I hope every one of my dear readers enjoyed Netherfield Ball Day (otherwise known as November 26th to the non-Austen-enlightened world)! Balls in Georgian England must have been very different from…
-
Pull Out Your Cloaks and Coats
The time of the year has come to pull out the cloak, coat, pelisse, wraps, and spencers. At least, it is for those of us who live in climates that have winter from November/December to March/April and have frosted fields, snow on the ground for months on end, and the weather can remain at freezing…
-
“Bright Ideas in a Bygone Era: Regency Lighting”
Greetings, friends! It is that time of year when the days grow shorter, the nights stretch longer, and we long to decorate every conceivable surface with lights. Because if it’s not dazzling, is it even worth looking at? 🙂 We in the modern age enjoy the magic of illumination with a flick of a switch…
-
Messiah – A Regency Tradition?
I was busy thinking about what to write about this month. I have a book coming out early in 2026, starring our beloved Colonel Fitzwilliam, and I considered that. I’m also finally finishing Miss Mary and Alexander Lyons’ next mystery, set in the world of Persuasion, and that was an option too. Then, on one…
-
Hair-raising Horse Tales
Good morrow, dear readers! Happy Halloween. I suppose it should surprise no one that the Amish did not celebrate Halloween, so I cannot give you a spooky Amish tale. But there were more than a few hair-raising moments in our 5 years in the community, nearly all of them associated with horses. For the record, I am…
-
Blessed Be this All Hallow’s Eve
Given that this is one of the few posts a year that can step beyond the boundaries of the Regency time, I took full advantage of it. The lore of witches, those with mystical learned skills or powers, are mentioned in tales of old, centuries before any sect of the Christian religion was formed. “In…
-
Flames, Follies, and Fitzwilliam Darcy
Next week will be Guy Fawkes Day, a holiday celebrated mainly in Great Britain, especially in England. It’s surprising we don’t celebrate it in the United States, since fireworks, food, and rebellion are a point of national pride. But then again, we usually cheer for successful rebellions. 🙂 For those of you who may not…
-
Orwell Nailed It
#PrideAndPerjury #JAFF #HistoricalFiction #SelfPublishing “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness.” George Orwell First, please note what Orwell did not say. Writing is often intensely enjoyable – even non-fiction. It’s when your enjoyable project turns into a judgeable, sellable, editable book that the illness kicks in… My…