Category: military
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What is it About the Militia?
A running theme in books InspiredByAusten is the militia (well, yes, red coat) craziness of Lydia Bennet and her follower Kitty Bennet. Yes, her mother’s reminiscences of the appearance of the militia in Meryton in her adolescence fired their imaginations. Add their reading of novels, and you can understand Mr. Bennet’s reaction to his youngest…
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A Tale of Two Soldiers + an Excerpt and Cover Reveal!
Colonel Fitzwilliam & Lieutenant Wickham As I wrap up my next novel, Propriety and Piquet, I realize it greatly contrasts Wickham and Fitzwilliam. They both have ongoing stratagems at Bath, and although their goals are independent, they end up in conflict just by being who they are. Colonel Fitzwilliam has a large role to play…
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Taking a Break: Burning Questions that No Amount of Research Seems to Tackle
Friends of mine all over these United States—well, all over the world, really—are coping with the most awful weather patterns imaginable. Mother Nature is certainly letting us know she does not take too kindly to people messing with the climate, and we all know it’s not nice to fool Mother nature! The sole exception seems…
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For Captain Wentworth, Was Purchasing a Commission Necessary to Serve in the Navy?
Our lovely Gianna Thomas is still recovering from her hospital stay, so I am again filling in for her. Please send her well wishes if you follow her on social media. Now for my post. I recently had another writer send me a message to ask about the process for a man of the gentry…
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Modern Mudlarks
I am slowly but surely working on my latest bit of JAFF. Due to my health, this is the first time I have used what is referred to as “pantsing,” or “writing by the seat of your pants” as opposed to having a clear-cut and detailed outline. There are all sorts of reasons for this,…
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What Elizabeth Heard, What She Knew
Giving Sailors Their Voice This contemplation grows from both my friend Alice McVeigh’s recent column on reviews and the release of my latest full-blown novel, The Sailor’s Rest. Before I go further, I will stipulate that reviews are essential to the writing process. Good authors look at reviews and find value in reader comments that…
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Tidbits about a Tyrant
Lately, I have been researching information on Napoleon Bonaparte. I had never really delved into his family and anything other than his thirst for conquering all he could. He had a large and interesting family, and here are some of the tidbits I had not known before. Did you know Napoleon was actually of minor…
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Does the Picture Match the Box?
I hate puzzles. This goes back to my childhood, to those achievement tests the schools insisted you take. My bane (besides spelling) was spatial relations. Those line drawings that you had to fold into a box mentally were the downfall of my existence. Everything else was excellent. Then there were spatial relations where seventy-five percent…
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Purchasing a Commission in the British Army
Promotions in the army, whether during peace or war times, meant a man must purchase a higher rank. Promotions for bravery during combat were not impossible, but they were not the rule of thumb. Unfortunately, when it came to war itself, this practice often meant many of the officers held no real experience on the…
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Fencibles, Defending the Homeland
Based on the word “defencible,” fencibles were the British forces raised for a specific war, not just war, in general, as we think of our National Guard in the United States, who are available for war, but also for civic duties during national disasters. Acting as local military units, each of which was composed of…