Winner!

I'm delighted to announce that Joanne has won the Lord Deverill's Secret competition. A signed copy is on its way to you, Joanne!




Thank you to everyone who entered, your comments were really interesting.Opinion was split almost down the middle with regard to the covers.Slightly more people preferred the paperback (right), but it was very close.
Amanda Grange

New Austen fan site

There's a new Austen fan site on the web at http://www.austenfans.com - to visit it, click here

The site will be growing, expanding and improving as time goes by, so if there's anything you'd like to see on the site, or any way you think it could be improved, leave a comment and we'll pass along your ideas and suggestions.








And don't forget, this is your last chance to enter the competition to win a copy of Lord Deverill's Secret - see below for details. The competition closes at midnight tonight, GMT.

Regency food

Cake was an important part of afternoon tea, and saved many a visitor from an awkward silence during a visit. In Pride and Prejudice, Georgiana Darcy discovered the value of having something to do when shyness prevented her from making much conversation:

"The next variation which their visit afforded was produced by the entrance of servants with cold meat, cake, and a variety of all the finest fruits in season; but this did not take place till after many a significant look and smile from Mrs. Annesley to Miss Darcy had been given, to remind her of her post. There was now employment for the whole party -- for though they could not all talk, they could all eat."

Jane Austen doesn't tell us what sort of cake it was, but it could well have been seed cake, as seed cake was very popular at the time. Here's a recipe for anyone who wants to try it:

125g / I stick butter
150g / 2/3 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp caraway seeds
150g plain flour / 1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
25g cornflour / 3 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Method
1. Cream the butter and sugar.
2. Stir in the caraway seeds.
3. Beat in the eggs, a bit at a time.
4. Stir together the remaining ingredients then fold them into the mixture with a metal spoon.
5. Transfer to a tin and bake at 350 F / 180 C / Gas Mark 4 for 50 mins, or until a skewer put into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Eat for afternoon tea at about 4 o'clock!

Praise for The Social Outcast

The Social Outcast is only my third novel and I still haven't got used to reading reviews, and accepting other people's opinions, about my books. That being the case I was delighted when the Red Roses for Authors Review said the following nice things about it.

Soliman has created a delightful character in Eloise Hamilton. The illegitimate daughter of a wealthy banker, Eloise has accepted that she can never marry a man of high birth. Therefore, she will not allow herself to repine over the fact that the man she loves has become engaged to a woman she cannot like.

Eloise concentrates her love on her beloved horse and dog, treating Harry Benson-Smythe as simply the friend he has always been. She is at first flattered by the attention of a duke's son, who comes calling on her father, though she soon learns to dislike and distrust Lord Craven. He is in business with her father, but believes himself cheated and his pride leads him to a foolish attempt at revenge on Eloise's father. This places Eloise in a dangerous situation, from which she is extricated by Harry - but only with serious consequences.

Will Harry finally wake up to the fact that he is in love with the scamp who is forever in some scrape - and will Sir Henry Benson-Smythe accept a girl who is so far beneath them socially? Find out by reading this enchanting book! I enjoyed it and award five red roses.

Lord of Scandal

My new Regency historical, Lord of Scandal, is out in US book shops on Friday and is also available from Amazon!

Synopsis

Ben Hawksmoor is dangerous to know, a celebrity in the Regency firmament, a friend of Prinny, the lover of the most notorious courtesan in London and an all round scoundrel whose only aim in life is to make money and make sure he never returns to the gutters from which he came.

Catherine Fenton is an heiress, a nabob's daughter whose only aim is to keep her unhappy family together and save her stepmother from disgrace.
When Ben and Catherine meet the sensual attraction between them is explosive. But when Ben compromises Catherine's reputation and thinks to force her into marriage he discovers that the nabob's daughter - and her fortune - will not fall into his arms without a fight.

Can a man…
Who has always believed that everything has a price...
Who wantonly seduces a debutante for revenge...
Who will never risk his heart...
Ever find true love? And does he deserve the one woman who can show him that some things in life are worth more than money?


Review

"Nicola Cornick knows her period well, and in it she pairs a handsome, dangerous lord, well known for his scandalous reputation, with an innocent but not quite malleable heiress. Readers wil relish this sensual and emotional love story and its unexpected climax." Romantic Times BookClub Magazine

To read an extract and to enter the special Lord of Scandal Prize Draw, please visit my website!

Nicola

Chemical peels, Regency style

Miracle face creams have been in the news a lot recently, with the Boots face cream selling out almost instantly, but what did women do in the Regency era in order to preserve their beauty? Surprisingly, their beauty treatments were much the same as ours, in style if not in composition.

In Persuasion, Sir Walter Elliot encouraged Mrs Clay to use Gowland's lotion. Gowlands lotion was a commercial preparation that contained mercuric chloride, so in fact it acted as a chemical peel. No wonder Sir Walter thought the ladies' complexions were 'fresher' after they'd used it!

Information courtesy of The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret Sullivan, editrix of Austenblog

I have just got back from a wonderful weekend conference with the West Country Writers Association. I was born and brought up in Bristol, so I have very strong links with the West Country, and it is always great fun to go back and spend time in the area. This year's Congress was at Worcester, and took place at Fownes Hotel, which used to be a glove factory and has been beautifully converted into a very comfortable hotel. Worcester is probably stretching the West Country a little far north, but we were looked after very well and enjoyed a visit to the Cathedral and its library, where we were privileged to be able to look at some of their precious books and manuscripts. To see the beautiful script and ornate illumination in the medieval manuscripts was a real treat: as someone who loves Georgian history I particularly liked the first edition of Dr Johnson's Dixionary and a fascinating gardening book from the 1730's.

Of course the main purpose of the congress was to talk about writers and writing. Actor, director and writer George Baker gave the Christopher Fry Memorial Lecture. He had been a close friend and colleague of the dramatist and his talk was not only entertaining but very moving, too. Other luminaries of the West Country were on hand, including two speakers of especial interest to those of us interested in historical novels: Helen McCabe gave an insight into how she researches the historical figures that feature prominently in her books and John Wroughton described the pleasures of researching and publishing books on Bath that cover periods other than the well-documented Georgian and Roman periods.

Then there was plenty of time in the bar afterwards to discuss everything from literature to Landrovers. A fascinating weekend. As always I met up with old friends, made some new ones and came away refreshed and inspired. The West Country Writers Association is in the process of building a new website, so I am sure if you search for their name in a few weeks' time there will be plenty more information available.
Melinda Hammond

Covers - Lord Deverill's Secret

This has been an exciting year for me. Until recently my books only came out in the UK, but this year sees the release of four of my books in the US. Mr Darcy's Diary is already out, and the other three books will be out in the Autumn.



I've just seen the cover for the paperback of Lord Deverill's Secret, which is one of the three autumn releases. It will be out in November, published by Berkley.Cassandra appears to be in her town house in Bath, with the summer sun streaming in at the window. She has to sell the house, however, because her brother's death has left her with debts. Whilst clearing out the house she finds a disturbing letter, which her brother was prevented from posting by his sudden death, and the man who can answer her questions is Lord Deverill, who just happens to be devastatingly attractive and one of the most eligible bachelors in Brighton. It's available to preorder from Amazon now by clicking here






The hardback cover (left) forms a marked contrast to the paperback cover. It shows Cassandra outside the Pavilion in Brighton which, in 1804 when the book is set, looked more like an ordinary residence than the fantasy building it is today, as you can see from this illustration.

Cassandra's invitation to the Pavilion would have been a source of unalloyed pleasure were it not for one thing - someone was trying to kill her.






To celebrate the forthcoming release of the paperback, I thought I'd hold an impromptu competition. Just drop me an email by clicking here , letting me know which cover you prefer and why. I'll put all the names into a hat after the closing date of May 31st and pick a winner, who will receive a signed copy of the hardback of Lord Deverill's Secret.

And if you'd like a taster, you can read Chapter One by clicking here

Amanda Grange

Our recent books

Fashion

Fashion collections are in the news at the moment, with Kate Moss's collection for Top Shop and Lily Allen's collection for New Look. But what would a late eighteenth century fashion collection have looked like?




After the French Revolution, evening dresses were in the new style. Out went heavy brocades and skirts so wide that women had to turn sideways to enter a room. In came simpler styles, with dresses being made of floaty material. They typically had short sleeves, high waists and low necklines. Feather headdresses were popular, and, to complete the ensemble, the fashionable woman would carry a fan.













Walking dresses also had the newly fashionable high waist, and were worn with pelisses (coats), hats and muffs.



Hats were one of a Georgian woman's passions. When hairstyles became less elaborate after the French Revolution, hats took over the role of decorative headware. They were usually large with tall plumes, but as the Grecian influence began to be felt, hats could also take the shape of helmets to match the new, toga-like gowns.























The changes in fashion had little influence on court dress, however. Hoops were still worn at court well into the nineteenth century.

Guest blogger of the month - Sarah Bower

We are delighted to welcome Sarah Bower to the blog as our guest blogger of the month. Sarah works as Literature Development Officer for Norfolk and teaches creative writing at the University of East Anglia. She was UK Editor of the Historical Novels Review for two years and remains a regular contributor.

As you might expect from Sarah's background, her first novel 'The Needle in the Blood', is absolutely steeped in the sights, sounds and smells of the middle ages. This is no wallpaper history but the real thing, full of the pleasures, horrors, obsessions and passions of the era - an eleventh century tale of sex, lies and embroidery.


And now, over to Sarah.


"Thank you!
The Bayeux Tapestry is so familiar to most of us we might almost think of it as our history's wallpaper. Yet how much to we actually know about it? Who had it made, and why? Who made it, how and where did they work? Why are its margins full of mythological beasts and rampant naked men, and who were Aelfgytha and her unnamed cleric? Nearly a thousand years after the event, it's unlikely we shall ever know the answers to such questions for sure, but in The Needle in the Blood, I have tried to imagine what they might be and how this great and unique work of art might have changed the lives of the people who brought it into being.

It's January 1067. Charismatic Bishop Odo of Bayeux commissions a wall hanging, on a scale never seen before, to celebrate his role in the conquest of Britain by his brother William, Duke of Normandy. What he cannot anticipate is how this will change his life even more than the invasion itself. His life becomes entangled with those of the women who embroider the hanging, especially that of Gytha, once a waiting woman to the mistress of the fallen Saxon king and Odo's sworn enemy. Against either of their intentions, they fall passionately in love, bringing Odo into conflict with his king and his God. Odo's friends mistrust Gytha's hold over him, and his enemies exploit it. Friends and family become enemies, enemies become lovers. Nothing in life or in the hanging is what it seems."


This is an area of history which is often overlooked in fiction, and anyone who loves unusual time periods, as well as authentic history, is going to love it! Reviewers certainly did.


'Truly compelling...vivid, intriguing and masterfully portrayed' Susan Fletcher, author of 'Eve Green', winner of the 2004 Whitbread First Novel Award

'The author is brilliant at evoking all the senses, from the stench of blood on the battlefield, the taste of someone’s perfumed skin, the rasp of a needle against the finger.' Sally Zigmond, 'The Historical Novels Review'

'The Bayeux Tapestry will never look the same again.' Patricia Duncker, author of 'Hallucinating Foucault'


To find out more, visit Sarah Bower's website by clicking here

You can buy it from bookshops in the UK - here are the useful details:

Book Title: 'The Needle in the Blood'
Publisher: Snowbooks www.snowbooks.com
Publication date: 1st May 2007
Paperback original RRP £7.99
ISBN: 9781905005390


Or of course you can buy The Needle in the Blood online at Amazon or your favourite online seller.

A DISSEMBLER OUT IN LARGE PRINT

I love the covers that Ulverscoft use for my Large Print books - they even got the hair colour correct for the heroine. The hero also has blond hair, so the male figure must be one of the other characters.
I went to speak at Norwich Writer's Circle last week and shared with them my experiences of being a writer, both good and bad. I even read out a couple of bad reviews just to show that being published has its down side. Of course I also read them a couple of brilliant reviews from another source for the same book.
It was a pleasure to meet with so many well informed people - it's much more fun to talk to a group of writers - when I spoke at a WI meeting they had one eye on the cakes and tea-urn all night!!
Don't forget all my books are available from Amazon and to borrow at any UK library.
I'm not sure if they are to be found in a library anywhere else in the world, but a recent review of 'The Mesalliance' told readers to buy it, or borrow it, and that was in the States.
Maybe someone could let me know?
Fenella Miller

New Loveday Publication

THE LOVEDAY REVENGE

Published in hardback by Headline
3rd May 2007

It is always a thrill to announce the publication of a new novel. THE LOVEDAY REVENGE is the eighth in the Loveday series and has been described as the most suspenseful and emotionally intensive.

Can this be the end of the Loveday family?
Wild blood courses through the Loveday veins, as romance and danger continue to colour their lives.
Blighted by a series of tragedies, the Loveday family is on the edge of ruin. It would seem these cruel events have been instigated by Harry Sawle – an evil and corrupt smuggler who has sworn to destroy them. If the family is to survive, the time has come for brothers Adam and St John to exact their revenge.
Meanwhile their stepbrother, Richard Allbright, returns from the war with France, with sinister consequences. And in Australia vengeance is also on Japhet Loveday’s mind. He must triumph over his adversaries or fail to achieve his dream of returning to England with pride and honour…



Reviews for the series

‘A fast-moving and exciting read’ Historical Novels Review

‘This sweeping saga has the lot: colour, intensity and pace’ Northern Echo

‘Rich in drama and passion, with the atmosphere and flavour of eighteenth-century Cornwall’ North Cornwall Advertiser

Read an extract on my website click here


Kate Tremayne

Jane Austen Society

I had a wonderful day on Saturday. The Jane Austen Society kindly invited me to talk to them in London at St Saviour's Church. Those of you who know London will know that this is a stone's throw from Harrods, so I spent some time window shopping before going on to St Saviour's.

The church is very beautiful, and as soon as I saw it I thought, I wish I'd brought my camera. There are some pictures of it on the web, but they don't do it justice. Outside, the church is ornate, and inside, it has a modern, spacious feel.







I was met at the door by Jill, a very friendly Janeite, and we went upstairs to the meeting room. We could have taken the lift but in the end we took the stairs and went into an airy room where the AGM was just drawing to a close.

As soon as I went in I felt at home. A room full of Austen fans - how could I not fit in?!










I talked about my Austen retellings, and they were kind enough to listen avidly and laugh at my jokes. At the end we had a question and answer session, which led to some lively discussion, and then we went downstairs for tea.

All in all it was a very pleasurable way to spend the day - especially as I had time to pop into Harrods afterwards before making my way home.

Amanda Grange

RNA Luncheon

Well, all the excitement of the RNA luncheon is over for another year. It was very excting and I enjoyed it a lot, because I met friends and editors. One of the new friends I have made this year because of my writing is Michelle Styles. Michelle writes for HMB but does Roman and early books. She is a lovely person and so was her daughter Katharine. I was disappointed that our own Nicola Cornick was not able to be there. All the short listed authors for the Romnace Prize had to stand up and be applauded and we all got the most exquisite white rose. It was real and smelled lovely, but looked almost too perfect to be true. I gave mine to my editor Linda Fildew, because the editors do so much and never get anything. As authors we get all the praise and fuss and our editors do so much for us!

A modern book called Marrying Max won by Nell Dixon. I was disappointed that a historical didn't win, though I was not expecting it for myself, as I've won before and was happy just to be on the list. I did have hopes for Nicola as she wrote such an excellent book, and it would have been exciting for Michelle as her daughter was there. However, not to be. On to the next one! The important thing was that we all had so much publicity out of it this year and that was down for the most part to Michelle!

For me it was an excellent day, mainly because of all the friends and editors I met and chatted to. Now I have to settle back to work. I have just finished writing the last of a four book contract for HMB and we talked about the next one briefly. I still have revisions to do on the last book, but I like to leave them while I work on something else and then go back with a fresh mind. Although Linda Fildew spoke of my doing some other periods, I do have at least another five Regencies in the line up so far.
Anne Herries
www.lindasole.co.uk
http://booksfromlindasole.blogspot.com
http://redrosesforauthors.blogspot.com

From Jane Pollard

Hello everyone. Well, I finished writing Devil’s Prize, my 25th book, on Thursday of last week. The next four days were spent on a final read and edit (I do a rolling edit as I write) After I had printed and packed the manuscript and sent it off to my agent, I could feel myself slipping into post-book blues! On top of that I leaned into a cupboard to pick up a bag, and twisted my back. I hoped with gentle exercise, liberal applications of Ibuprofen gel and a hot water bottle it might soon right itself. It hasn’t, and I’m hobbling about looking as if I have a broom-handle instead of a spine. I’m seeing a chiropractor this afternoon, and hope that by the end of the session whatever is locked/strained/displaced will have been released, soothed and put back.

Still, before that happened I did manage to clean out the tip that my office resembled. Now it looks oddly bare and rather sad. What it needs is a new book. As soon as my back is fixed I’ll be raring to go. The first job will be to sort through the small mountain of research I've accumulated. Then I need to write a new outline incorporating additional information and ideas that have occurred since I wrote the original.

I can feel excitement stirring and that wonderful anticipation that always accompanies the plunge into a new adventure.

Meanwhile, I’m delighted to announce publication of the large print edition of Dangerous Waters, available from Amazon, or from your local library. I really like the cover picture, and hope you do too.

New Robert Hale website online

Regency lovers might like to visit publisher Robert Hale's new website by clicking here

Hale publish a wide variety of Regencies, and it's now possible to buy these online direct from Hale (with free UK delivery), as well as from all Amazons and bookshops in the UK. A lot of authors on the blog are published by Hale, including Kate Allan, Jane Jackson, Fenella-Jane Miller, Melinda Hammond, Wendy Soliman and Amanda Grange, so for details of our available books, just type our names into the search engine!

Our recent books

SO HAPPY!!!

I'm so delighted to announce that today I heard that I'd sold my third novella to D C Thomson for My Weekly Story Collection. It's called ' The Reluctant Bride' and will be in the shops summer/autumn 2008. D C Thomson have negotiated a deal with Tesco and their lovely little books will be available there very soon.
This is my first 'new sale' of 2007 and this makes it all the more exciting. I've sold LP rights for 'The Return of Lord Rivenhall' and 'The Mesalliance' since January, but this is not quite as thrilling as a selling something totally new.
Fenella Miller

Miss Charlotte Smith's Diary - Part 14

Regular blog readers will know that this is a Regency satire of Helen Fielding's wonderful Bridget Jones's Diary. Parts 1-13 are linked on the sidebar.

February 1st

5 o’clock
Woke before it was light and tried to go back to sleep. Couldn’t. Got up and packed my bag. Went back to bed.

7 o’clock
Got up and dressed, then went round to Melissa’s to say goodbye.
‘You’ll come and see me?’ I said.
‘Of course I will. As soon as you’re settled, I’ll be there.’
Have promised to write to Melissa every day. She has promised to do the same.

8 o’clock
Said goodbye to Mama and Susan.
‘I give it a week,’ said Mama.
‘I give it two days,’ said Susan.
‘I am never coming back here so long as I live,’ I said.
Climbed into the coach and drove away.

3 o’clock
Arrived at Winters Hall. Am cut out to live in Winters Hall. It is very grand and has a park the size of Cornwall, with lots of deer and other animals, also a lot of trees. Was met by the housekeeper, who showed me to my room. It was in the attic.

Ten past three
Unpacked things and went downstairs.
‘My dear, I’m so glad to see you,’ said Lady Florence, rising from her settee. ‘Graham – my son - has been playing havoc with my household. He insisted on me having a new estate manager, just because the estate was losing money, and when I complained and said that Mr Rowling wasn’t just an estate manager but a friend, who joined me for tea and kept me amused, he said I needed a companion. I was horrified. I thought he would find me a dour creature. I never imagined he’d find me a young thing with a taste for romances like you.’
‘How did you know I liked romances?’ I asked her.
‘Because of Lord Ravenskeep. Sit down, and I will ring for tea.’
Housekeeper brought tea and we drank it from china cups. Did not break cup or saucer. Am not a klutz after all, but am a refined lady cut out to take tea with members of the aristocracy.













'But why are you wasting your life being a companion, when you should be out dancing and enjoying life?’ she asked.
Told her all about Susan, Lord Rotherwell, and Mama.
‘Oh, we can do better than Lord Rotherwell. There are lots of eligible men around here. Why, there’s the Duke of Monsring for a start. He’s very handsome and he’s coming to dinner tomorrow.’
Think I am going to like it here.


February 2nd

Dinner was a disaster. The Duke of Monsring is very handsome, but he’s also eighty-two.


February 3rd

10 o’clock
‘Perhaps he was a little old for you,’ said Lady Florence. ‘But such a good dancer. Never mind. Let’s have a chapter of The Earl’s Secret. I do so love a nice romance. My nephew sneaks them in to me. Such a dear boy. He’s coming to stay tomorrow.’
Made a note to order jam tarts from the kitchen for Lady Florence’s nephew. They no doubt feed him on slop at Eton, which means he will be starving, and besides, dear boys must be rewarded for bringing their aunties romances.

12 o’clock
Lady Florence went upstairs for a rest before lunch. Was just about to go down to the kitchens when the drawing-room door opened and The Rude Man from the Ante Room walked in! Could not believe my eyes.
‘You!’ I said. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I was just about to ask you the same thing.’
‘I am Lady Florence’s friend and companion,’ I said haughtily. Then a brainwave hit as I realised who he must be. ‘And you are the new estate manager.’
Now I knew why Rude Man had been at Lord Winters’s house. He was having an interview, the same as me.
‘The estate manager,’ he said.

‘I knew it! If you will excuse me, I don’t have time to stand here all day talking to you, I have to go down to the kitchen and ask the cook to bake some jam tarts,’ I said with my nose in the air.
‘Jam tarts?’
‘For Lady Florence’s nephew. He is a dear boy who keeps his aunt supplied with romances, instead of expecting her to read improving books about kings and queens and other such people, and when he arrives he will find a plate of tarts waiting for him,’ I said.
Was very nice to have put Rude Man in his place. Enjoyed seeing his startled expression. Also enjoyed sweeping magnificently out of room. Or would have done, if I hadn’t tripped over the rug and landed flat on my face at estate manager’s feet.

5 past 12
Picked myself up with as much dignity as I could muster and went down to kitchen.

10 past 12
Instructed cook to make jam tarts.
Cook is in fact a chef with very little English, who has just arrived. Lord Winters did not approve of previous cook as previous cook plied Lady Florence with cooking sherry.
Believe I made myself clear to chef, but had better check the kitchen tomorrow in case Lady Florence’s nephew gets a plate of ham parts.


February 4th

10 o’clock
Went down to kitchen and saw dozens of jam tarts. Hope Lady Florence’s nephew has a hearty appetite.


5 o’clock
Heard carriage crunching on gravel and hurried into butler’s pantry.
‘Bring a plate of jam tarts to the drawing-room at once,’ I said.
He looked surprised.
‘They’re for Lady Florence’s nephew,’ I explained.


Butler looked even more surprised, but said, ‘Yes, Miss,’ in the most agreeable way.
Went to dining-room. Lady Florence was sitting there with estate manager. Estate manager always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tried to indicate by gestures, nods, winks and raised eyebrows that he should leave the room, but he only said, ‘Are you all right?’
‘Yes, quite all right,’ I said.

Was just about to say that Lady Flo’s nephew had arrived when butler entered with plate of jam tarts. Lady Florence looked at him in surprise.
‘Miss asked for them,’ he said. ‘I have strict instruction to give them to your nephew.’
Lady Florence turned to estate manager and said, ‘Do you like jam tarts?’
Began to have uncomfortable feeling in pit of tummy. Saw aged butler walk over to estate manager and offer him plate of tarts. Felt a bigger fool than I have ever felt in my life, which is not easy as I have often felt a gigantic fool. Estate manager was now going to say he was Lady Flo’s nephew and couldn’t stand the sight of jam tarts. He was then going to say I should be dismissed.

Visions of living in Susan’s attic for the next fifty years, wearing the same dress in manner of Miss Havisham, floated before me, then remembered I could not be like Miss Havisham, because thankfully Miss Havisham has not been invented yet.
‘Ah, thank you Dawkins,’ said Rude Man cum Lady Flo’s Nephew.
Watched in amazement as he tucked napkin into neck of shirt and took plate from butler. Lady Florence watched in amazement, too. Dawkins, like all the best butlers, looked as though he had Seen It All Before.
‘Jam tarts,’ said Rude Man cum Lady Flo’s nephew. ‘My favourite.’
He then ate half a dozen tarts, licked fingers, sat back and said, ‘Delicious.’

Half past 5
Am completely bamboozled. Is Estate Manager cum Nephew really Rude Man who thinks I am short and fat, or is he in fact knight in shining armour who has rescued me from a humiliation too terrible to contemplate? Will have to write to Melissa and see what she thinks.

Amanda Grange

Audio books

We've now added links to our audio books in the sidebar, underneath our names, as a lot of people have been asking about these. We hope you enjoy listening to them!

And for those of you who've asked about the order in which you should read Kate Tremayne's Loveday series - 'a new Poldark' - here it is.

I have just received copies of my latest book, The Belles Dames Club, which is published at the end of the month. The first time you hold your new book in your hand is always a wonderful moment for an author – at last you have something to show for all those months (sometimes years) of hard work. I get a real buzz from it, and I am sure I am not alone in this.

The Belles Dames Club was an extremely enjoyable book to write, featuring a group of ladies who are determined to enjoy themselves, even within the restrictions of their Georgian society. We have Madeleine Wyckenham, a fun-loving young lady who finds herself at odds with Lord Alresford – a gentleman who turns out to be not quite so straight-laced as she first assumes. Then there's her lovely step-mama, a widow whose charms attract the attentions of two very different suitors, while it is Viscountess Gaunt's outrageous ideas that plunge them all into a series of mad-cap adventures.

There was plenty of scope for fun and adventure in this book, but I had to stop somewhere! I hope you enjoy it – let me know what you think.

Melinda Hammond.

Guest blogger of the month - Margaret C Sullivan, author of The Jane Austen Handbook

We're delighted to welcome Margaret Sullivan to the blog. Margaret is rather fond of obscure English novelist Jane Austen, and here she talks about her obsession with Austen, which led her to write her new book, The Jane Austen Handbook.


"About nine years ago, I started writing Jane Austen fan fiction. I didn't set out to "write fan fiction," but was inspired to write a story by reading Persuasion a few too many times. The ideas for the stories came pretty easily, but the details escaped me: what was the difference between a chaise and a barouche? How long would an engagement last? What kind of needlework would the ladies be doing after dinner? When did they eat dinner, for that matter?

The research in those days was not that easy. There wasn't as much information on the Internet as there is now, and my tiny local library certainly had no dedicated Regency history section. I tried to buy books, but I quickly learned that buying anything that claimed to be about the 19th century was more likely to be about the Victorian period and anything marked 18th century tended to be pre-Revolution, neatly leaving out Jane Austen's period. However, after a persistent searching and reading, I would like to think I became, if not an expert on an academic level, somewhat versed in the period, at least enough to write fiction set in it without falling on my face too often.




I started AustenBlog in July 2004 with the idea of making it a repository for news interesting to Jane Austen fans, whether about new books or films coming out, Austen-related events, even fun stuff like the Jane Austen Action Figure.



When Quirk Books decided to expand their handbook line to create a Jane Austen Handbook, the editor found AustenBlog, and then my personal Web site ( Tilneys and Trap-doors), and asked me to write it. I was thrilled because finally I would have a use for all my period trivia! But I found that I still had some gaps in my knowledge, and I had fun researching the stuff I didn't know. One of my favorite sections is about dancing and balls; not just the actual mechanics of English country dancing (which would have been much too complicated for the scope of this book) but the social implications of dancing in Jane Austen's time: for instance, why Darcy was considered such a snob for refusing to dance with anyone except the Bingley sisters at the Meryton assembly.

I had a lot of help from Allison Thompson, a Janeite of my acquaintance who is an expert on historical dance. It was really fun to go to the JASNA AGM last year and dance at the Regency Ball after having learned so much about dancing while writing the book. My knowledge enhanced my experience, which is exactly what I hope the book will do for all those who love Jane Austen's work."


Thanks, Margaret! That's one book that belongs on the shelves of all Janeites. The Jane Austen Handbook is also a fantastic resource for the general reader, as well as writers and lovers of the period. It can be ordered from all Amazons, including Amazon UK and Amazon US

Loveday Intro Part 6

Please forgive the hasty blog this time. I have just returned from a week of research in my beloved Cornwall and I am all fired up to write the latest Loveday. Such bliss must be delayed as our house was put on the market and sold within 3 days and now I am entrenched in house hunting. I have also received the cover for the paperback of The Loveday Revenge which is fabulous.More about that next time when the hardback of The Loveday Revenge is published in May.


PRIDE, the curse of the Loveday family, may also be it's salvation

Adam Loveday and his twin brother St. John have fallen out once again, and this time there seems little chance of reconcilliation

While Adam struggles to maintain the family shipyard and develop his new lands at Boscabel, St John, heir to the estate, bears a bitter grudge against him for having won the yard he considers his birthright. Then Desiree Richmond arrives unexpectedly from Virginia, and Adam is appalled to learn that she believes herself to be engaged to St. John - though his brother's wife is still living. Will Adam be found guilty by association with St John's lies?

Meanwhile, in London, young Tamasine tries to keep faith with Rupert Carlton, the man who's declared his love for her, but is proving oddly elusive. And on a convict ship bound for Botany Bay, the family's black sheep is battling to survive. But both the illegitimate Tamasins and Japhet, the former highwayman, are fiercely proud of the Loveday name and resolved to honour their heritage.


Action, intrigue and romance continue unabated in this richly satisfying sixth book in the Loveday series.
Kate Tremayne

New book on early nineteenth century life discovered

A Picture History of the Grenville Family of Rosedale House, a beautiful book of watercolours by a little girl, has recently been discovered. The book depicts the life of her family in the early nineteenth century.

The book was auctioned when the contents of a rural Norfolk rectory were being sold recently,and it was spotted by an antiquarian book-dealer named Simon Finch. What a day for Mr Finch!

This link will take you to further details, including reproductions of some of the pictures. Simply click here

The RNA Luncheon and Romance Prize 2007

As the time gets nearer I think all my fellow authors on the short list must be getting very nervous. Last time I was short listed I went from apprehension to excitement. This time I do not expect to win having won only a few years back. For me being on the short list is a result and I am quite content for someone else to win this time.






I have to say I am hoping it will be a historical author. I am not being mean, because the modern authors do have more chances to win I think. It is a special year with three historical books on the list and so I shall unashamedly cheer for them. Historical books have been written off so often and refused to die, because readers love them so much. We have all been writing pieces for HH on the Harlequin site and they are interesting to read.




Michelle Styles put mine up for me because I wasn't sure whether I would be away. In the event something got in the way and I didn't get my holiday. Because of a health problem in the family we shall have to wait for June before we can fly, but everything is fine and so that does not matter.
I am posting Michelle's book as well as Nicola's and mine today even though they are not Regency, but I think everyone who visits this blog loves all kinds of historical books, even if Regency is their favourite.
Love to you all, Anne Herries
www.lindasole.co.uk

The Journal of A Regency Lady 13

The Journal of A Regency Lady 13
May 16th
When we arrived home I discovered that a letter was waiting for me. It was from Lieutenant Jones. He had sent it to my home, because he believed that I should be there before he could come to London. It seems that he was hurt in a skirmish soon after he reached the scene of the riots and he was too ill to write until this time!

I was shaking by the time I had finished reading to the end of his letter. What should I do? I felt confused and distressed for had I known this was waiting for me I might not have accepted Lord Belmond. But I have given my promise and it would be impossible to draw back now. Besides, I am not certain I want to. It will be pleasant to be lady Belmond I think. And yet Lieutenant Jones writes with such warmth. From the tone of his letter I am almost certain that he means to ask me to marry him when he comes – and he says he shall visit as soon as he is properly well again.

I feel terrible! I know that I must have given him cause to hope. Indeed, I do like him very well. If only he had sent the letter to us in London! I am sure that at the very least I should have asked Lord Belmond for time, which means that I cannot truly love him – can I? If I did I would not feel so unsettled by this letter. I do not know what to do. How can I answer this letter? My promise is given to Harry and it would hurt him if I asked him to release me, to say nothing of my reputation. I cannot show it to Mama for she would blame me. The only person I can ask is my brother. I know Paul will not judge me.


May17th.
I have not been able to speak to Paul about the letter. I saw him only for a short time and that was in company with his fiancée. He had waited only for Mama to return and give him her blessing before leaving to pay a short visit to Hester's home. He will return for my wedding, but that will be too late! I must make up my own mind what to do. I have no choice. I must go through with the wedding, because it would be so shameful if I did not – and I am fond of Harry. There are times when I think I love him, but at other times I do wonder what I might have said had Robert asked me first.

I think I must be a shallow sort of person, though I have never thought it – but how can I be torn this way when I have given my promise to Harry? If I had never met Lieutenant Jones everything would have been so wonderful, but now I am torn two ways. I know Mama has noticed something. She asked me if something was wrong but I could not tell her. I am too ashamed! I must write to Lieutenant Jones and tell him I am to be married, but it is the hardest thing I have ever had to do and I am not how to begin.

www.lindasole.co.uk
redrosesforauthors.blogspot.com
booksfromlindasole.blogspot.com

Our recent books

Pure Passion in the libraries

An unusual topic for this blog, but it is related, so please bear with me just this once. I don't think there can be any doubt that this blog is for avid readers. Those of you lucky enough to live in the northwest of England will be able to join in a very special debate this year. Libraries throughout the region, in partnership with the Romantic Novelists Association and sponsored by Bertrams Books, are promoting romance. They are going to be debating all forms of romance, including historical, with a view to finding the readers' top choice. Many polls have been carried out in recent years with Pride & Prejudice, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights always at the top of the list, so the libraries are limiting the choice to books written and published in the last ten years. If you live in the northwest (which for this exercise extends from Cheshire as far north as Cumbria) please pop into your local library and pick up a Pure Passion Leaflet which will give you all the information or follow the ink to Pure Passion on www.time-to-read.co.uk Whether or not you have access to a lending library, you might enjoy some of the books they suggest.

If you are lucky enough to live near Wigan, you can come along to the Pure Passion Launch at Wigan Town Hall next Monday, 16th April at 2.00 p.m. - Phone the Wigan Library number to reserve places- 01942 827 621.

When I was a young mum with three young children to look after, I had very little money to spend on books and the libraries were a life-saver – I could borrow several books at a time to take home and I used them to escape from the pressures of "real life" for a while. It is wonderful to be able to try out new authors for free. The beauty of this project is that although the initial selection of books has been chosen by the librarians themselves – all book lovers and great readers – and the final choice will be made by the readers. There are a couple of historicals already on the list, and I am sure more will follow once the discussion hots up.




Happy Reading
Melinda Hammond

THE MESALLIANCE

The Mesalliance

The Mesalliance
Fenella-Jane Miller
Robert Hale
ISBN 978-0-7090-8224-8
£18.99
hb 224 pages.



"This sparkling Regency is a must for all lovers of the genre. Lady Allegra Humphrey, a lady of high birth and rather too much pride, is suffering from lack of sleep after the horrific suicide of her beloved father. However, fate has not done with her yet and after nine months of mourning she and her twin brother Richard discover that they have been living on the charity of Mr Silas Tremayne. A wealthy cit of all things and as such beneath the notice of Lady Allegra and her brother the earl! However, Silas has an enchanting daughter who steals away Richard's heart and Allegra is drawn into a situation she at first finds intolerable. Can she overcome her pride and recognise the prompting of a heart she had hitherto believed cold?

With a satisfactory number of period references to inexpressibles and half boots, and of course the high perch phaeton, this book has a nice Regency flavour and bowls along at a spanking pace. An underlying threat of menace from someone who does not wish to see her happily resolved gives the romance a further twist. This book held me from page one and I recommend it as a cracking read. I award five red roses."

A review like this from a fellow author is something that makes my day. Of course, all good reviews are appreciated, but one like is is special.
Don't forget if your want to read it and you live in the UK - ask your local library to get it for you.
Fenella Miller

Captain Wentworth

I always think that one of the most fun parts of making a TV/ film adaptation of a great book must be the casting. In real life, for casting directors, it's probably a job with a lot of ups and downs, but in the imagination it's wonderful to try and decide who will play favourite parts.




We have had Ciaran Hinds and Rupert Penry-Jones as Captain Wentworth.

I would love to see Hugh Jackman as Wentworth. Who would be your ideal?








When looking for a cover for Captain Wentworth's Diary, which will be out in June, I found this wonderful portrait. The reason I like it so much (apart from the fact that he's gorgeous) is that it's an outdoor portrait, and they're not so easy to find. With the wind blowing in his hair, he could almost be on board ship.

He's also young, and as I start Captain Wentworth's Diary in 1806, when Wentworth is 23, that's ideal.

Captain Wentworth's Diary is out in June and is available to pre-order now from Amazon by clicking here

You can find more details, including an extract, on my website by clicking here