And you know what that means. Yes, friends, it’s time for another round of Victorian Valentine’s verses from my two favorite sources: Hymen’s Rhapsodies (for gentlemen), and The Lady’s Own Fashionable Valentine’s Writer (for the ladies, obviously). I realize I’ve been neglecting the blog for a while–I should probably just admit that winter depresses me Read More
Category: Victorian England
Victorian Food: The Delectable Sausage Roll
This post is a reboot of one published on October 1. The original disappeared after a website snafu, but thanks to my RSS feed on Goodreads, the sausage roll recipe is not gone forever, and I have received a helpful reminder to back up my blog posts… ***************** As the weather turns cooler, my poodles Read More
Why So Many Dead Bodies?
I’ve been sick for a few days with a nasty head cold. Sitting in bed with the dogs and my iPad for company, I’ve been thinking about a question readers sometimes ask me: why do so many people die in your books? In truth, not that many people die in my books, but there are definitely Read More
Trying New Things
So for the last couple of months, I’ve been querying literary agents for my new series. Although I’ve had some interest, I’ve racked up quite a few rejections. The most recent one, a kick in the teeth disguised as a pleasant form rejection, arrived Friday night. Although some writers prefer personalized rejections, I actually prefer Read More
Over the Sea to Skye
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you may remember my last post, in which I mused about which of several settings I should choose for the next book. Perhaps subconsciously influenced by this year’s RITA historical finalists–many of which seem to have involved dukes and Scotland–I did opt to send my duke Read More
Would you like arsenic with that?
Happy Sunday, everyone! I’m back, finally, with a historical post. The book I’m working on now is more mystery than romance–my penchant for killing people off in my books suggested I ought to go in the mystery direction, although so far I’ve killed off fewer people in this book than in all the others. Go Read More
Winter Blog Hop, Day 12 – Victorian Cookies
Today’s scheduled guest is unable to be here, so I’m filling in with a Victorian era recipe for Cinnamon Cakes, which are actually cookies. I found it in Eliza Acton’s Modern Cookery, and featured them in Secret Promise. Here’s an excerpt: Zachary was curled up in a chair in the sitting room, reading. “Zachary,” Anna said, “I have Read More
Taking Tea
I apologize, my friends, for my sad neglect of this blog. I have no excuse, really, beyond being busy and inefficient, and, if truth be told, possessing a certain degree of laziness. But never mind, I am back, so I hope I am forgiven. Lately I have been thinking about tea and scones far more than Read More
The Victorian Diet
Last October I turned 50. My sixth decade began with shingles on my face and in my eye, which took about 6 months to vanquish. I gained ten pounds and was diagnosed with high blood pressure, started a new law firm, and finished a book, so it’s safe to say there have been ups and downs. A Read More
New Blog Series! Victorian Food
So lately I have been watching the early seasons of The Great British Bake-Off. Of the five seasons aired so far, only the last three made it to network TV in the US, but the first two are available on YouTube, and they are so worth the watch. Each episode contains historical snippets about particular Read More