tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56053263500332223202024-03-10T23:06:00.520-04:00Romancing The PastWendy Solimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769040606499192321noreply@blogger.comBlogger256125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-43405250988050242392014-05-04T13:21:00.001-04:002014-05-04T13:21:35.012-04:00Summer in the Virgin Islands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPRg1pVAco27nKbynVLD8SGhc8yUNtJ_L42StN2Skn8chrpW1R5ol-fhUZYXuhGLp8LaEwUdzWWzU1iB_6oQZcgFPoJUf8EHYysQmDd6EpuaktHXAB_8k2HlIzJ0oBXtHHdvttujhwd8/s1600/EscapesCvr_RGB_FullSize_r1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPRg1pVAco27nKbynVLD8SGhc8yUNtJ_L42StN2Skn8chrpW1R5ol-fhUZYXuhGLp8LaEwUdzWWzU1iB_6oQZcgFPoJUf8EHYysQmDd6EpuaktHXAB_8k2HlIzJ0oBXtHHdvttujhwd8/s1600/EscapesCvr_RGB_FullSize_r1.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Escape to the Virgin Islands where the bonds of
marriage are renewed, friends become lovers, and new love is given a chance to
thrive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><b><i>Five Stories ~ Five Romances ~ Five Chances for Love!</i></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Ruth
A. Casie ~ Second Chance by the Sea </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Married for ten years, </span>a couple at odds find their marriage was
never registered<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">. Will an impending disaster be the final straw
that breaks them up or will it rekindle their love and send them back to the
altar for a second chance?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Lita
Harris ~ Chasing Fireflies</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">She didn't believe true love existed until she took
a trip and found the man who would open her heart.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Emma
Kaye ~ In Her Dreams</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">When an author escapes to the Virgin Islands to
work on her latest book, she’s swept back in time to Regency England and must
decide whether the love she finds with an English lord is real or only in her
dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Nicole
S. Patrick ~ Poseidon’s Strength</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A
beloved hero’s death leads his sister and his best friend, who have never
seen eye-to-eye, to discover that helping family can be their happy
medium, and possibly lead them to uncover a love that's meant to be.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Julie
Rowe ~ A Pirate’s Vacation</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A doctor
grieving the death of her husband, buys a B&B in the Virgin Islands in need
of a lot of fixing. Her old flame arrives to help with repairs, but will she
let him heal her shattered heart?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Join us on Star Island, a small fictional haven across from
St. Thomas, the setting for the short stories in <b>Timeless Escapes ~ A Collection of Summer Stories</b> by authors Ruth
A. Casie, Lita Harris, Emma Kaye, Nicole S. Patrick, and Julie Rowe with an
introduction by NYTimes and USA Today bestselling author Roxanne St. Claire. </div>
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<b>Worldwide release May 29. Facebook Event
May 30 </b><a href="http://on.fb.me/1melIKj">http://on.fb.me/1melIKj</a><b>.</b></div>
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<b><o:p></o:p></b>Ruth A Casiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721464034029743355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-38700465493772405712014-01-10T09:22:00.000-05:002014-01-10T09:22:34.207-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don’t like making resolutions. They are too easily dismissed. Instead, I set goals and make up to-do lists. My goals for the New Year are simple:</div>
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--to get butt in chair</div>
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--to write, write, write</div>
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--to finish the projects I’ve started</div>
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--to submit often</div>
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Also, I am not limiting my writing to just historical romance. I want to also write an adventure series I’ve been thinking of for the past year. I want to work with my Timeless Scribes and publish two more anthologies this year.</div>
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My talents are unlimited. My wants, my goals, my desires are … unlimited too, as they should be.</div>
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If we set limits on our writing, on ourselves, then we are selling ourselves short.</div>
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Isn’t that what we tell our children? That they can be anything they want to be; that they can do anything they want to do. Don’t we encourage them to dream big; and, the bigger the better? Why should kids be the only ones to dream? Why are only kids the inheritors of unlimited possibilities? Adults have dreams too. And, we know how big we can dream and how to make those dreams come true.</div>
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I can write anything, be anything. Maybe my writing is not as great as say, Diana Gabaldon or Brenda Novak, but that’s fine. Skill will come with time and hard work. And, I am ready for that. In fact, I am eager to get started, to open my notebook, to take pen in hand, to write.</div>
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And the New Year is a great excuse to start afresh. After all, I am unlimited.♥</div>
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Thank you to Maria Ferrer of NYC-RWA for the inspiration and help for this message.</div>
Ruth A Casiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721464034029743355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-42350316684740502802013-12-19T00:00:00.000-05:002014-01-01T22:39:13.757-05:00Bells on Bob TailsMerry Christmas and happy holidays!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD94HV5NrQBpqHoJslJCpdDR7sp5q6Hk33upClaggcxf04ywne8AGFne4n1wz4Q9X-U5XJPuB4i0H3uJgAHOP0ay8gJKxNr8xW5ikGHnemPEPMeCFB25V-n97hMGpEEynFkAs3b30scKo/s1600/1024px-John_Cordrey_-_A_Gentleman_with_His_Pair_of_Bays_Harnessed_to_a_Curricle_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD94HV5NrQBpqHoJslJCpdDR7sp5q6Hk33upClaggcxf04ywne8AGFne4n1wz4Q9X-U5XJPuB4i0H3uJgAHOP0ay8gJKxNr8xW5ikGHnemPEPMeCFB25V-n97hMGpEEynFkAs3b30scKo/s320/1024px-John_Cordrey_-_A_Gentleman_with_His_Pair_of_Bays_Harnessed_to_a_Curricle_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 220px; margin: 10px 10px 0px 10px; width: 358px;" /></a>
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John Cordrey's 1806 <b>A Gentleman with his Pair of Bays Harnessed to a Curricle</b> shows regency carriage horses with stylishly docked tails.</div>
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It's the time of year for decorations and presents and carols--including the first carol every child learns, "Jingle Bells." I was thinking just today about this line from the song:<br />
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<i>Bells on bob tails ring<br />
Making spirits rise.</i></blockquote>
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So what is a bob tail?<br />
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A bob tail is a horse that's had its tail docked, or cut short. Nowadays,
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcmtK6vDBEjl3gmW0uP4_b-ezHwTw2Q9MGs8HqeKJqROcylDNpLa5jIsC8HxwGubc9mZLFO-4CmLKgUPFE7wtCYQab_0r4o8ASGWJORdAAOfxXodYQZUHBpyoM2DZTfuCMVMV4KdPQSg/s1600/Sailor_Derby_winner.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcmtK6vDBEjl3gmW0uP4_b-ezHwTw2Q9MGs8HqeKJqROcylDNpLa5jIsC8HxwGubc9mZLFO-4CmLKgUPFE7wtCYQab_0r4o8ASGWJORdAAOfxXodYQZUHBpyoM2DZTfuCMVMV4KdPQSg/s320/Sailor_Derby_winner.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 256px; margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px; width: 324px;" /></a>
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Sailor, the winner of the 1820 Derby, is one example of a "bob tail nag" used in racing.</div>
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one doesn't often see a "bob tail nag" (as the song <i>Camptown Races</i> puts it), but during the regency bobbed tails were practically <i>de rigeur</i> on quality horseflesh, especially carriage horses. At first, docking was done for practical reasons, to prevent a horse from entangling its tail in its harness. The practice was even thought to benefit the horse's health--removing the caudal (tail) vertebrae was thought to make a horse's back stronger. Eventually, the reasons for docking evolved from simple practicality into a matter of taste and fashion. Not just carriage horses but also riding horses, hunters and racehorses routinely had their tails bobbed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBInYDmWuuXY59rmyoQpDONsQmEtg_Tc2lhLhL8o7JON8MQfM_HiSjI2IEVZPOJkz_ancjsU-at71-mlqPhr8_lzeEUSP6hHVhkkzIlbaoYrBYgbHVAQoVh9K2j_DKCmYcr0Dza_GyQZI/s1600/fullcry.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBInYDmWuuXY59rmyoQpDONsQmEtg_Tc2lhLhL8o7JON8MQfM_HiSjI2IEVZPOJkz_ancjsU-at71-mlqPhr8_lzeEUSP6hHVhkkzIlbaoYrBYgbHVAQoVh9K2j_DKCmYcr0Dza_GyQZI/s320/fullcry.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 127px; margin: 10px 10px 0px 10px; width: 396px;" /></a>
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In this image of foxhunting, <b>Full Cry</b>, every one of the hunters has a bob tail.</div>
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(It wasn't just horses that had their tails docked, either. It was formerly common to dock the tails of all working dogs. The practice was meant to prevent injury to dogs when hunting [as when spaniels charged into deep brush after a bird] and fighting [for example, when bulldogs were still engaged in "baiting" bulls for sport]. Though the practice of docking is now illegal in the UK, until 1796 working dogs were actually taxed if their tails weren't docked. Docking the tails of certain breeds is still common in the US, where in many rural areas dogs are used in field sports like hunting.)
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As "Jingle Bells" suggests, horses' harnesses were often decorated in the winter with sleigh bells--the "bells on bob tails" that ring in the song. And could there be any more charming sound that sleigh bells at Christmas time?
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s1600/signingprofile.jpg"><img alt="Alyssa Everett" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5761413493502480562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s200/signingprofile.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 100px; margin: 10px 10px 5px 0; width: 100px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Alyssa Everett's newest regency romance is <a href="http://amzn.com/B00CV30X1U" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>A Tryst With Trouble</b></a>, the story of an arrogant man's man and an outspoken spinster who must join forces to solve a deadly mystery. It joins her first two regencies, <a href="http://amzn.com/B00APEYANY" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>Lord of Secrets</b></a> and</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a href="http://amzn.com/B00BZPII9E" style="font-style: italic;" title="Click to order or learn more"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ruined by Rumor</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Alyssa hopes you'll visit her </span><a href="http://alyssaeverett.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">website</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and follow her on </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/Alyssa_Everett" style="font-style: italic;">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/alyssaeverett/">Pinterest</a></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyssa-Everett/225976490775474" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">, where she promises not to spam you.</span>Alyssa Everetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02074748920540723377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-53648931510757010002013-12-09T07:02:00.001-05:002013-12-09T07:02:14.654-05:00Happy Holidays!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday, my critique partners and I were at Book Trader of Hamilton (NJ) for a book signing of our holiday anthology, Timeless Keepsakes-A Collection of Christmas Stories. We drove through the first snow of the season. I'm not much of a cold weather person but I love this time of year.<br />
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As we get closer to our family celebration the excitement and anticipation build. Our children are on their own and our celebrations have grown to include in-laws and grandchildren. It's a wonderful time with family. While our daughters and grandchildren live close by, our son comes in from Boston and everyone sleeps over for the weekend. It's lots of cooking, playing games, watching movies, and of course opening gifts.<br />
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This year is no different. We're still working down the holiday wish list. Most of it is cyber shopping this year. But one of the things I love about this time of year is the music. Here is some holiday music to get you in the holiday mood.<br />
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Happy Holidays everyone!<br />
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<br />Ruth A Casiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721464034029743355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-56732868583386375542013-11-19T00:00:00.000-05:002013-11-19T09:48:25.115-05:00Regency Millinery: Blood, Sweat, and Possibly TearsEarlier this month, I headed off to Perrysburg, Ohio, for a weekend educational opportunity I'd been anticipating for months: a regency bonnet-making workshop taught by historical milliner extraordinaire Lydia Fast.<br />
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I'd always wanted to try my hand at making a regency bonnet, and I thought it would be good research for those times when my fictional characters discuss millinery matters. Making a bonnet from scratch is a time-consuming process, and I'd already learned that workshop attendees frequently don't finish their bonnets during the workshop. Lydia also warned me that the class was an advanced workshop, while I'd never tried a millinery project before. But as long as Lydia was willing to allow me to attend, I was eager to learn.<br />
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Lydia isn't just a skilled craftswoman, she's a real artist. Her bonnets are gorgeous, and each has an average of 30 hours of work invested in it. (That's 30 of Lydia's hours--for a novice like me, you can pretty much double the time required to finish a bonnet.) Here are a few of her creations:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEds_P1brS8CUFhiOiz6dzHh_qKjG_w7s4ptVXQ4x1x4yaT_ruf-XvvaD8KZjgNV2TYK6XjO-9w99a4BlcwS2BttIdK0UIo0L8RSvWeQSzgd8JUj-iVOgN8zpp9u60SfqqcPgd7iRzJU/s1600/lydia+bonnet.jpg"><img alt="Bonnet by Lydia Fast" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEds_P1brS8CUFhiOiz6dzHh_qKjG_w7s4ptVXQ4x1x4yaT_ruf-XvvaD8KZjgNV2TYK6XjO-9w99a4BlcwS2BttIdK0UIo0L8RSvWeQSzgd8JUj-iVOgN8zpp9u60SfqqcPgd7iRzJU/s320/lydia+bonnet.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 171px; margin: 10px 10px 10px 10px; width: 132px;" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnIn4M_XtoSLx_TPJP2t2Qq2nHLuH9ciNWYl5vhH_ZTEDxrOouk1JA747LW-XD3ZDTD7PKg0UgjWb_Qs2dXVtd7EpOEtk4v1iBWGbojUZKHgzllGAs9fQJ9qXsoVmW9rBoXsLGiyjV2w/s1600/lydia+bonnet+2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnIn4M_XtoSLx_TPJP2t2Qq2nHLuH9ciNWYl5vhH_ZTEDxrOouk1JA747LW-XD3ZDTD7PKg0UgjWb_Qs2dXVtd7EpOEtk4v1iBWGbojUZKHgzllGAs9fQJ9qXsoVmW9rBoXsLGiyjV2w/s320/lydia+bonnet+2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 171px; margin: 10px 10px 10px 10px; width: 132px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipU3SKr_k9hcxYB6ynB7pDprXKS6xnyIYbmmiwrwfcLVd9TIsR2UD1vLl9J3685Lc45kvtbAEpheXJ8kqkyQoXbBwlBT9ruyO4QOKBpqIKTMH1zB_4wqhkmtk3YBYFjXWQHhu05CWAa5k/s1600/lydia+bonnets.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipU3SKr_k9hcxYB6ynB7pDprXKS6xnyIYbmmiwrwfcLVd9TIsR2UD1vLl9J3685Lc45kvtbAEpheXJ8kqkyQoXbBwlBT9ruyO4QOKBpqIKTMH1zB_4wqhkmtk3YBYFjXWQHhu05CWAa5k/s320/lydia+bonnets.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 251px; margin: 10px 10px 0px 10px; width: 308px;" /></a><br />
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Aren't the fabrics and trims Lydia uses gorgeous? Sorry the photo doesn't show the bonnet linings, because they're equally lovely. (Edited to add: Lydia tells me the brown bonnet at upper left was actually made at last year's workshop by Tonya, one of the other attendees. I think I knew this at one point, but neglected to make a note of it. My apologies, Tonya, and your work is equally beautiful!)</div>
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Here's Lydia herself, modeling a bonnet she made during the workshop:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbH3F683ayxjybsWyN76-VcEmUkX2_bJ2wlbH4ouZ2EH-pyCf1-eXXYeyAQlu5ttpw6-J6czszIwl5E4AaDmWJP8gDpm1NUFxYX4rFXueDYzvXQga9h20ggKB4U2L4NINNCF2PIbUBykA/s1600/lydia+fast.jpg"><img alt="Lydia Fast" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbH3F683ayxjybsWyN76-VcEmUkX2_bJ2wlbH4ouZ2EH-pyCf1-eXXYeyAQlu5ttpw6-J6czszIwl5E4AaDmWJP8gDpm1NUFxYX4rFXueDYzvXQga9h20ggKB4U2L4NINNCF2PIbUBykA/s320/lydia+fast.jpg" style="float: center; height: 308px; margin: 10px 10px 0px; width: 251px;" /></a><br />
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Lydia tends to gravitate toward fall colors, which isn't surprising since they definitely suit her.</div>
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I decided to make an 1809-1817 style poke bonnet. Each workshop participant received a kit that included buckram (mesh permeated with glue to stiffen it), pellon (a heavy interfacing used to cover the rough buckram), wire for shaping, crinoline tape, and mull (batting used to soften the lines of the buckram form). A well made bonnet has up to nine layers of construction: buckram, pellon, wire, crinoline tape, mull, fashion covering, lining, and trim--not to mention the muslin drawstring liner sewn inside the crown. Bonnet construction also involves a variety of hand stitches: running stitches, whip stitches, buttonhole stitches, overlapping backstitches, and the ladder stitch that makes the finishing invisible. When it comes to quality workmanship, Lydia's method doesn't cut any corners, but Lydia and the other attendees were patient with my newbie cluelessness.<br />
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After tracing a paper pattern for later use when cutting our fashion covering fabric, we sandwiched the buckram pieces between layers of pellon, wired them, encased the wires with crinoline tape, then assembled and sewed the pieces together. I ended up with a form that looked like this:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnK3P0kQQCEZYaJq5UQdgGxCukfmcS6zRbob-80o0dSOHx7wxcT67SWI3LmKzYZDt89A3dUVN-0hUuu7gpGNzcHONn7z5yGK0fPzE96TrGrPFHz-dHRz8KnJbb4jgQSnBtqKsHTJ-i3g/s1600/buckram+form.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnK3P0kQQCEZYaJq5UQdgGxCukfmcS6zRbob-80o0dSOHx7wxcT67SWI3LmKzYZDt89A3dUVN-0hUuu7gpGNzcHONn7z5yGK0fPzE96TrGrPFHz-dHRz8KnJbb4jgQSnBtqKsHTJ-i3g/s320/buckram+form.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 308px; margin: 10px 10px 0px 10px; width: 251px;" /></a><br />
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My buckram bonnet form. From this point on, the sewing is mostly by hand rather than by machine.</div>
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The next steps involve covering the buckram form with mull, and then covering that with fashion fabric, including the silk lining for the brim. I'd bought ivory silk for my brim lining, and wisely chose to cover the outside of my bonnet in velvet--I say wisely because velvet is a pretty forgiving fabric, and the texture helped disguise my overly tight hand stitching. Due to my inexperience (and boneheaded attempts to wind a machine bobbin with thread made for hand quilting), I was several steps behind the other attendees, who were all re-enactors skilled in costuming. But I did reach my goal for the weekend, which was to get far enough along in my bonnet construction that I could finish the project at home. I left the workshop with the top of the crown and the bonnet brim covered in velvet, and when I got home I pinned and pleated the brim lining, like this:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzZVNa5XcVvdRTh3hfkKk-FJfcdREWue0OWcQE54651X9tjkZZFm9Db0Tfu6OwZE2eqitWA9Y1Cj1o3rJeaF8EqLX2h08QWrPVnyKCkuVvoTg6-YWCEvR2Uo3EJuUGxl7q7_dRXOkYBY/s1600/lining+pleated.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzZVNa5XcVvdRTh3hfkKk-FJfcdREWue0OWcQE54651X9tjkZZFm9Db0Tfu6OwZE2eqitWA9Y1Cj1o3rJeaF8EqLX2h08QWrPVnyKCkuVvoTg6-YWCEvR2Uo3EJuUGxl7q7_dRXOkYBY/s320/lining+pleated.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 251px; margin: 10px 10px 0px 10px; width: 308px;" /></a><br />
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You can see I've covered the top and outer brim of the bonnet in red velvet before stitching in the brim lining. <span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.1em;">My bonnet looks slightly squashed on one side, because I was a bit too forceful with it. Fortunately, I was able to reshape the buckram later with a steam iron.</span></div>
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The next step in bonnet construction is to cover the sides of the crown, which on a typical regency bonnet has that distinctive stovepipe shape. Here's Lydia, demonstrating how:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-REyhzOAly1FhWrEohB9fV-y1I8Zi07sEqH79GTaGOngWpVYa57a96kGOhv1uPAz7urb2xaPFQCUzPkXbrloRKetUdwuYdL45SPr2duUDGxDAgMrzj-0uznyPExarKKpElxN4St78Gu8/s1600/lydia+fashion+fabric.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-REyhzOAly1FhWrEohB9fV-y1I8Zi07sEqH79GTaGOngWpVYa57a96kGOhv1uPAz7urb2xaPFQCUzPkXbrloRKetUdwuYdL45SPr2duUDGxDAgMrzj-0uznyPExarKKpElxN4St78Gu8/s320/lydia+fashion+fabric.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 251px; margin: 10px 10px 0px 10px; width: 308px;" /></a><br />
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Action shot! Lydia gives the newcomers instruction in sewing a bonnet covering with invisible "magic fairy stitches."</div>
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I had a great time at Lydia's workshop. The other attendees were all members of the Jane Austen Society, and it was a joy to be around ladies who knew so much about history, and fashion history in particular. Fun fact: Lydia has seen a number of extant regency bonnets, and she reports that the workmanship in them was frequently poor. I learned a lot, including that it's almost impossible to make a regency bonnet without bleeding on it. (I stuck myself several times with pins, and poked myself more than once trying to pull my needle through the stiff buckram).<br />
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So how did my regency poke bonnet turn out? In the end, I was pretty happy with the actual construction, though not quite so happy with the job I did trimming it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3ls6sSOX4cPLwa5phdj2hxt6K8ek0rXj8wTrsP5MBwpsxhQBOr1Z1UspppsrcpSE0sq1JUgJdolXzJ-0NrrkzMDWufm8PXa_GwhzFxGCYSmbadO_fn_MdC_vslX2Uju8JDAzRJF6xAY/s1600/finishedpoke.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3ls6sSOX4cPLwa5phdj2hxt6K8ek0rXj8wTrsP5MBwpsxhQBOr1Z1UspppsrcpSE0sq1JUgJdolXzJ-0NrrkzMDWufm8PXa_GwhzFxGCYSmbadO_fn_MdC_vslX2Uju8JDAzRJF6xAY/s320/finishedpoke.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 251px; margin: 10px 10px 0px 10px; width: 308px;" /></a><br />
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I went with a primary color scheme, including blue piping along the crown and brim, but I don't think the ribbon is wide enough to suit the regency proportions.</div>
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Part of our workshop included a field trip to a shop that sells vintage ribbon, and I bought some lovely and rather expensive ribbon there, but when I got home that ribbon just seemed too dark against the red velvet. Instead, I ended up using some inexpensive plaid ribbon from my local fabric store, and though I like the brighter color, the new ribbon doesn't have the right visual impact. I wanted to have a finished bonnet photo for this blog post, but I can always re-trim my bonnet later--something any regency heroine worth her salt would have known how to do.
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Because millinery work is so time consuming, it's not for everyone. But I found it relaxing to sit and sew, and the best part about making a bonnet is that it's a small-scale project with boundless opportunities for creative expression. I'm already planning to tackle another bonnet once the holiday rush is over. Maybe something in blue...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s1600/signingprofile.jpg"><img alt="Alyssa Everett" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5761413493502480562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s200/signingprofile.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 100px; margin: 10px 10px 5px 0; width: 100px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Alyssa Everett's newest regency romance is <a href="http://amzn.com/B00CV30X1U" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>A Tryst With Trouble</b></a>, the story of an arrogant man's man and an outspoken spinster who must join forces to solve a deadly mystery. It joins her first two regencies, <a href="http://amzn.com/B00APEYANY" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>Lord of Secrets</b></a> and</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a href="http://amzn.com/B00BZPII9E" style="font-style: italic;" title="Click to order or learn more"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ruined by Rumor</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Alyssa hopes you'll visit her </span><a href="http://alyssaeverett.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">website</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and follow her on </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/Alyssa_Everett" style="font-style: italic;">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/alyssaeverett/">Pinterest</a></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyssa-Everett/225976490775474" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">, where she promises not to spam you.</span>Alyssa Everetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02074748920540723377noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-77185989237010513272013-11-09T07:28:00.000-05:002013-11-09T07:28:00.454-05:00Five Short Stories For the Holidays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEw4unPwzmqa7MvGaPQqhLPqlxu93NfH_KxiHB5wgDIj3LjOylOjDRoFm7UGbqYzZz6BOPPhV46Ys85iu-3jVCJ8FH4lwnVvRIJcXOGPiizR91AonqP7QIWCuaLEN3MHAcTpc8MpS2uOY/s1600/TimelessKeepsakesFinalCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEw4unPwzmqa7MvGaPQqhLPqlxu93NfH_KxiHB5wgDIj3LjOylOjDRoFm7UGbqYzZz6BOPPhV46Ys85iu-3jVCJ8FH4lwnVvRIJcXOGPiizR91AonqP7QIWCuaLEN3MHAcTpc8MpS2uOY/s200/TimelessKeepsakesFinalCover.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The romance of the coming holidays tugs at everyone's heart. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The magic of Christmas is in the memories we hold dear and those precious treasures that remind us of the past. Join us as our Timeless Keepsakes take us on five remarkable journeys that heal old wounds, remind us of days gone by, play matchmaker, sweep us back in time and prove that love can conquer all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">~~~~~~~<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Introduction ~ Sharon Sala</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Mistletoe and Magick ~ <a href="http://www.ruthacasie.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Ruth A. Casie</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">She would give her last breath for him. He would give up everything to guard her well and love her more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Christmas Spirits ~ <a href="http://www.litaharris.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Lita Harris</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">A widow's everlasting love is renewed by the memories of the holiday season.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Granting Her Wish ~ <a href="http://emma-kaye.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Emma Kaye</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">She doesn't belong in his time and he doesn't belong back home. Could they belong to each other?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Letter from St. Nick ~<a href="http://nicolespatrick.com/" target="_blank"> <span style="color: black;">Nicole S. Patrick</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">She’s trying to save her home and he’s never had one until now. Can an unexpected gift lead their hearts to the same place?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Secret Santa ~ <a href="http://www.julieroweauthor.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Julie Rowe</span></a></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">A nurse grieving the death of her twin brother receives an unusual gift at the staff Secret Santa party: the bullet that killed him along with a message of hope and love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><a href="http://ruthacasie.blogspot.com/2013/11/timeless-keepsakes-collection-of.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway information</span></a> available.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><b><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://amzn.to/HEDzvM" target="_blank">Amazon</a> </span> <a href="http://bit.ly/1b9jK6E" target="_blank">B&N</a></b></span></div>
Ruth A Casiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721464034029743355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-74908771086894672432013-11-01T09:34:00.001-04:002013-11-01T09:34:22.070-04:00Sensual Games
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<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Are any of you old
enough to remember the original Thomas Crown affair movie? The one starring
Steve McQueen as a millionaire businessman who pulls off a perfect crime
because he’s bored. Faye Dunaway is an independent insurance investigator who
will receive a percentage of the stolen money if she can recover it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN;">McQueen knows who she
is but can’t resist getting involved with her, sure she won’t get the better of
him. They play a game of chess, which was pretty damned sensual and gave me the
idea for a scene in my latest release from Carina Press, Finessing the
Contessa. Lord Rob Forster, younger brother of the Marquess of Denby, is a
chess master and relishes the opportunity to cross rooks with Electra Falzone,
the beautiful Sicilian widow who is reputed to play the game as well as he
does. Just like Crown, Rob suspects her motives but can’t help being drawn
towards her.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Here’s what happens
when they play chess in the presence of others and Electra seeks to distract
Rob.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDddy1rMfyjGmDBprCJf2tzk1GFKc4fpTyrur4vfKBxlfDGAhMv5kh8x7qFTpbUumcxv2JbeedBRJVYahHZDTdmXQYHUsaF-1y9ikjAWqnKlK1zqPWgMuft86c9vw24dOmih-gQH7nTww7/s1600/Carina_1113_97814268973405_finessingContessa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDddy1rMfyjGmDBprCJf2tzk1GFKc4fpTyrur4vfKBxlfDGAhMv5kh8x7qFTpbUumcxv2JbeedBRJVYahHZDTdmXQYHUsaF-1y9ikjAWqnKlK1zqPWgMuft86c9vw24dOmih-gQH7nTww7/s320/Carina_1113_97814268973405_finessingContessa.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rob leaned back in his chair as the contessa
moved a pawn and stopped her clock. The Sicilian defence again? He countered
her move, already sensing a trap. She darted frequent glances his way as they
moved their pieces in taut silence. She was up to something, something that was
immediately obvious to Charles if his amused smile was anything to go by.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Damn it, he needed to keep his mind on the
game.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He saw it when it was almost too late to stop
the rot. The Steinitz variation. Ah, very clever. He was able to save his
position by advancing his rook two squares and trapping her king. “Check.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She caught her lower lip between her teeth. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Diavolo! </i>I thought you hadn’t noticed.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“I almost didn’t.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Mind elsewhere, Rob?” Charles asked
innocently.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Go to the devil, Charles.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Charles roared with laughter as he strolled
away from them. “I very likely will.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Now, what to do?” she mused.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She moved a piece but Rob didn’t notice which
one or how it affected his position because he became conscious of something
gliding across his foot. A slipperless, stockinged foot to be precise.
Perdition, did the woman have no shame?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Your move, my lord,” she said sweetly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Don’t start anything with me unless you plan
to finish it,” he said softly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“You told me to go with my instincts.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Hmm, yes I did.” Rob treated her to a
challenging smile. “Perhaps I overplayed my hand.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She canted her head and returned his smile with
a sinfully tempting one of her own. “Not afraid, are you, my lord?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rob wanted to growl at her. He also wanted to
kiss that smile off her lips and then put her across his knee, lift her skirts
and spank her bottom for being such a tease. He might very likely do both of
those things before the night was out, but right now he had a game to win and
distractions to ignore. He made a move that worsened her position—and
his—because that stockinged foot was now creeping tantalizingly slowly up his
calf.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rob’s mind froze. He could think of nothing
other than the progress of that damned foot and its intended target, now
throbbing painfully within the tight confines of his breeches.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Do you wish to up the stakes, my lady?” he
asked.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She cut off the trap he’d set for her with her
rook. “I am very satisfied with the terms of our wager, my lord.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, that made one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rob thought ahead several moves, doing his best
to pretend that her toe hadn’t now worked its way dangerously close to his
groin. He could see that she intended to attack his king as stealthily as she
was attacking his person and made the appropriate defensive move.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“You shouldn’t have done that,” she said
quietly.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“I’m almost afraid to ask why not.”<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With a serene smile she landed her toes
squarely on his erection, and left them there. Rob, unable to do anything about
it other than continue with the game, shot her a warning glance and
simultaneously suppressed a groan.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“All actions have consequences, my lady. Are you
sure you’re ready for them?”<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finessing
the Contessa, Book Three in the Forsters series, available from November 18<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
</span></span><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/qe8cgdb"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">http://tinyurl.com/qe8cgdb</span></span></b></a></span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Amazon link </span></b><span lang="EN-IE"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/luvq2g6"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: blue;">http://tinyurl.com/luvq2g6</span></span></b></a></span><b><span lang="EN-IE" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-IE" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Wendy</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-IE"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Wendy Solimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769040606499192321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-65585482414499247042013-10-19T00:00:00.000-04:002013-10-19T00:00:04.931-04:00Ghostly PortentsIt's October once more, that season of Halloween thrills and frights. Fortunately, English history is rich with ghosts. Of all such spectral encounters, however, I think the spookiest may be those involving ghosts said to appear as harbingers of death.<br />
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Occasionally, these ominous appearances come in the form of a fateful animal. Arundel Castle in Sussex is the principal seat of the Dukes of Norfolk, and the appearance of a white owl at the castle windows is said to herald the imminent death of some prominent resident or member of the Howard family.<br />
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Similarly, a sinister black dog with glowing eyes--the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's <i>Hound of the Baskervilles</i>--pops up again and again in English folklore, particularly in East Anglia, where the hell hound is known as "Black Shuck" or just "Shuck" (the name may stem from the mythology of Viking riders, from an Old English word for "demon," or from a dialect word for "hairy"). Such an otherworldly dog is particularly known to haunt Leeds Castle in Maidstone, Kent. It is seen roaming the halls and disappearing into stone walls just before a resident of the castle dies. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_75vS2YFmVtTB9seN6UW91Q_jHyU6ZmRiBPM3848T_ClAM1JwGiAXR2KyUZGbubCCZfvWgxn5Xe9RfU42yz57ZH5J5p3yUsH-HH8eee5ii0MIPQRcN5gtQiM9V6xP5g3NQpco5IGOrM/s1600/LeedsCastlebyIanWilson.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_75vS2YFmVtTB9seN6UW91Q_jHyU6ZmRiBPM3848T_ClAM1JwGiAXR2KyUZGbubCCZfvWgxn5Xe9RfU42yz57ZH5J5p3yUsH-HH8eee5ii0MIPQRcN5gtQiM9V6xP5g3NQpco5IGOrM/s320/LeedsCastlebyIanWilson.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 233px; margin: 10px 10px 10px 10px; width: 350px;" /></a><br />
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The south front of Leeds Castle, shrouded in fog (photo by Ian Wilson).</div>
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The dog's presence is thought to date to the fifteenth century, when Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester, was imprisoned in the castle to await trial for witchcraft and necromancy. Despite the ominous implications of the spectral dog's appearance, however, the ghost once reportedly saved a woman's life. A member of the Wykeham-Martin family, former owners of the castle, was sitting in a bay window when she saw the dog. Leaping up, she narrowly avoided tragedy when the window masonry where she'd been sitting collapsed.<br />
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Another old castle has an even more fanciful ghostly omen--the Dun Cow of Warwick. This magical giant cow was said to have run amuck until it was killed on Dunsmore Heath by the equally legendary Guy of Warwick. (The Victorian philologist Isaac Taylor believed that the tale of the Dun Cow likely commemorated an Anglo-Saxon conquest of the <i>Dena Gau</i> or "settlement of the Danes" near Warwick.) Whatever the origin of the story, the appearance of an actual dun cow is now said to foretell the approaching death of a member of the Earl of Warwick's family.<br />
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But not all ghostly omens come in animal form. Perhaps the most spectacular specter of all is the horse-drawn hearse--manned by a headless driver, no less--that was said to enter the gates of the now-ruined Caister Castle in Norfolk just before the death of a family member. The ghostly hearse would circle the castle courtyard seven times. I'd think that sight alone would be enough to guarantee a death, if only from sheer fright.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s1600/signingprofile.jpg"><img alt="Alyssa Everett" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5761413493502480562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s200/signingprofile.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 100px; margin: 10px 10px 5px 0; width: 100px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Alyssa Everett's newest regency romance is <a href="http://amzn.com/B00CV30X1U" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>A Tryst With Trouble</b></a>, the story of an arrogant man's man and an outspoken spinster who must join forces to solve a deadly mystery. It joins her first two regencies, <a href="http://amzn.com/B00APEYANY" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>Lord of Secrets</b></a> and</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a href="http://amzn.com/B00BZPII9E" style="font-style: italic;" title="Click to order or learn more"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ruined by Rumor</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Alyssa hopes you'll visit her </span><a href="http://alyssaeverett.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">website</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and follow her on </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/Alyssa_Everett" style="font-style: italic;">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/alyssaeverett/">Pinterest</a></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyssa-Everett/225976490775474" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">, where she promises not to spam you.</span>Alyssa Everetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02074748920540723377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-42494276291337129862013-10-09T00:00:00.000-04:002013-10-09T00:00:07.582-04:002 Unrelated Posts: ~Windows Tech Scam ~New Release<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
Today, I'm shortening my originally planned post about an anthology my critique partners and I are self-pubbing (see below) to talk to you about hacking.</div>
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<strong>Windows Tech Scam</strong>. Computer hacking to be precise. Last week, and again today, Windows support called me and told me that they had information that my computer was corrupted.</div>
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While I had them on the phone I instant messaged with my son who does computer security work for the Defense Department. After laughing and telling me windows is a program not a company (I knew that), he told me about the scam.</div>
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A technician from windows support calls to tell you about your corrupt computer. They walk you through getting to your Event Viewer to see all he error messages. They ask you to <span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;">download software</span> so they can <span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;">remote into your compute</span>r and delete the error messages and 'fix' things. They go on to try to <span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;">sell you software</span> to protect your system.</div>
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I'm certain you've seen several red flags here. I've helped you a bit there. In addition you have<span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;"> given them credit card information</span> and what you don't see is the<span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;"> software they download</span> into your computer to do even more havoc.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
Here is a great article and video from <a data-mce-href="http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-04/11/malwarebytes" href="http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-04/11/malwarebytes" target="_blank">Wire.Co.UK</a> that explains the entire scam. The scammers call randomly. When they called Jerome Segura they didn't realize they had reached a senior security researcher at anti-malware company Malwarebytes.</div>
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* * * * *</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<strong>New Release</strong>. My critique partners and I have put together a holiday anthology that will be available on Amazon early November. We are excited that Sharon Sala has graciously offered to write the introduction. Here is the information about the book.</div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://blameitonthemuse.com/?attachment_id=13594" href="http://blameitonthemuse.com/?attachment_id=13594" rel="attachment wp-att-13594" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-13594" data-mce-src="http://blameitonthemuse.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/TimelessKeepsakesFinalCover-200x300.jpg" height="300" src="http://blameitonthemuse.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/TimelessKeepsakesFinalCover-200x300.jpg" style="border: 0px; float: left;" width="200" /></a><em>The magic of Christmas is in the memories we hold dear and those precious treasures that remind us of the past. </em></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<em>Join us as our Timeless Keepsakes take us on five remarkable journeys that heal old wounds, remind us of days gone by, play matchmaker, sweep us back in time and prove that love can conquer all. </em></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
Available November 1, 2013</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<em></em><strong>Mistletoe and Magick</strong> ~ Ruth A. Casie<br />She would give her last breath for him. He would give up everything to guard her well and love her more.</div>
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<strong>Christmas Spirits</strong> ~ Lita Harris<br />A widow’s everlasting love is renewed by the memories of the holiday season.</div>
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<strong>Granting Her Wish</strong> ~ Emma Kaye<br />She doesn’t belong in his time and he doesn’t belong back home. Could they belong to each other?</div>
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<strong>Letter From St. Nick</strong> ~ Nicole S. Patrick<br />She’s trying to save her home and he’s never had one until now. Can an unexpected gift lead their hearts to the same place?</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<strong>Secret Santa</strong> ~ Julie Rowe<br />A nurse grieving the death of her twin brother receives an usual gift at the staff secret Santa party: the bullet that killed him along with a message of hope and love.</div>
Ruth A Casiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721464034029743355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-70187721002618740602013-10-01T03:19:00.000-04:002013-10-01T03:20:08.772-04:00To Defy a DukeI simply love making opposites attract in my books, and you can't get more geometrically opposed on the social scale of things than being a wealthy duke in need of a wife and an impecunious young woman hiding away in a ramshackle cottage on that duke's estate.<br />
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I just adore this cover. What do you think?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9jKSgwuo842j-3-iiDnSziiJCDcueWaqIFEgnnoazpJAg3jo_KDkLv00L9hlcFU-Vaczdr8LWRI5ryrdUCncoBGxYtXkc7VGmaQlWDCJA_krmnN03H8_fCTJF7Cui8BsL6Lwajx9TFUt/s1600/To+Defy+A+Duke+Cover+EBOOK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9jKSgwuo842j-3-iiDnSziiJCDcueWaqIFEgnnoazpJAg3jo_KDkLv00L9hlcFU-Vaczdr8LWRI5ryrdUCncoBGxYtXkc7VGmaQlWDCJA_krmnN03H8_fCTJF7Cui8BsL6Lwajx9TFUt/s320/To+Defy+A+Duke+Cover+EBOOK.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
The duke's path might never have crossed with Athena's but for the fact that he fell from his horse after several days of carousing with his friends prior to returning home for his mother's house party, during the course of which he's expected to choose a bride from the oh-so-eminently suitable young ladies assembled there. The moment Eli opens his eyes and sees the goddess who rescued him from his fall, it's definitely if not love, then at least attraction at first sight. Athena gets his attention, even if that wasn't her intention.<br />
<br />
Eli can't possibly marry Athena, not without breaking his mother's heart, but at least he can try and solve her problems for her. To do that he must discover who she's afraid of, and what she's hiding from. Where is her husband, and why is he leaving her unprotected? Perhaps, if he can't have her for his wife, Athena might agree to become Eli's mistress...<br />
<br />
To Defy a Duke - now available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and all good etailors.<br />
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WendyWendy Solimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769040606499192321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-32187923036882423432013-09-19T00:00:00.000-04:002013-09-19T08:09:39.116-04:00Angels and Geese for MichaelmasLast year, I <a href="http://romancingthepast.blogspot.com/2012/11/an-english-harvest-home.html" target="_blank">blogged about the feast of Harvest Home</a>, a celebration of the end of the agricultural season. It tended to fall close to another celebration, this one of both ecclesiastical and bureaucratic significance: Michaelmas.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHC5t5HF_o19VGIKd0fAxg5c9TlO1q8aXf43dUus7vyo7364T-eSo29X_9wgxw_NzQXG5tWj5R8EYQJHRBNU4klm7jY7EYkO7Tv4SNp6aLUCgvMkm9VY9WLVPgvCWvmdVQyomRjW1HzaQ/s1600/Archangel+Michael.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHC5t5HF_o19VGIKd0fAxg5c9TlO1q8aXf43dUus7vyo7364T-eSo29X_9wgxw_NzQXG5tWj5R8EYQJHRBNU4klm7jY7EYkO7Tv4SNp6aLUCgvMkm9VY9WLVPgvCWvmdVQyomRjW1HzaQ/s320/Archangel+Michael.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 372px; margin: 10px 10px 10px 10px; width: 247px;" /></a><br />
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Guido Reni's 1635 "The Archangel Michael Defeating Satan" shows the angel expelling the rebellious Lucifer from Heaven.</div>
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Though Harvest Home was a movable feast, coinciding with the full moon, Michaelmas (pronounced MICK-el-mas) always falls on September 29. In the Anglican calendar, it's the feast day of St. Michael the Archangel.<br />
<br />
Michael, the patron saint of soldiers and the sick and suffering, is the most powerful of all the angels, one of only two archangels (along with Gabriel) in Anglican theology. Michael is a warrior-angel, the leader of God's army; in painting and sculpture, he's nearly always depicted wearing armor and carrying a sword, and sometimes bearing a shield with the Latin inscription <i>Quis ut Deus</i>--Latin for <i>Who is like God?</i>, the Hebrew meaning of his name. He often stands with either a dragon or Satan beneath his foot. This is because in <i>Revelation</i>, "Michael and his angels" are said to have "cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (<i>Revelation</i> 12:7-9).<br />
<br />
But historically, the significance of St. Michael's day in British life has more to do with practical matters than sacred ones. In addition to lending its name to the autumn academic term at Cambridge and Oxford, Michaelmas was also one of the four quarter-days, dates on which accounts were settled--rents paid, servants hired or let go, leases renewed, allowances handed out and debts collected. (The other three quarter days also fall near the end of the calendar seasons: Lady Day on March 25, Midsummer Day on June 24, and Christmas on December 25.)<br />
<br />
Servants were often hired on Michaelmas, and many villages held "Mop Fairs," hiring fairs in which those looking for work would present themselves with the tools of their trade. Michaelmas was also a day when local officials such as council members and reeves were elected. The righteous influence of St. Michael was thought to make it an auspicious day to fill such positions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebcPISy26cUNTEebvRsb1KC9Qw7601m55lBOp1fF7XzNWqjC1hYN9hCXt1S23ed2VrMPCEDPGz0EPNB3wLdLuNwyOfWZxEPOt_UG7lY8Ve09rtKRPfR6rro1FrQHx03m8nDMSgrTgK3U/s1600/Michaelmas.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebcPISy26cUNTEebvRsb1KC9Qw7601m55lBOp1fF7XzNWqjC1hYN9hCXt1S23ed2VrMPCEDPGz0EPNB3wLdLuNwyOfWZxEPOt_UG7lY8Ve09rtKRPfR6rro1FrQHx03m8nDMSgrTgK3U/s320/Michaelmas.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 306px; margin: 10px 10px 10px 10px; width: 467px;" /></a><br />
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In "Michaelmas" by Victorian painter Philip Richard Morris, a goose girl drives a gaggle of stubble geese before her.<br /></div>
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<br />
<br />As with most holidays, certain foods were associated with the day. It was traditional to serve a "stubble goose" on Michaelmas, since geese were in prime condition after having fed among the stubble of the harvested fields. Typically, the goose was a gift from the tenant to his landlord, presented along with his rent payment as a means of currying favor. Dining on goose was thought to ensure prosperity in the coming year. A poem of 1709 includes these lines:
<br />
<blockquote>
Yet my wife would persuade me (as I am a sinner)<br />
To have a fat goose on St. Michael for dinner:<br />
And then all the year round, I pray you would mind it,<br />
I shall not want money--oh, grant I may find it! </blockquote>
While visiting their brother Edward, Jane Austen even wrote to her sister Cassandra, "I dined upon goose yesterday--which I hope will secure a good sale of my second edition."<br />
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It was the last day of the year on which to eat blackberries, owing to the legend that when Satan fell from Heaven, he landed on a blackberry bramble and spit on it, turning the berries bad. Bannock, a type of flat bread, was also traditional in parts of Great Britain, particularly Ireland.<br />
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So remember Michaelmas on September 29, and eat goose for good luck. I may just try to roast one myself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s1600/signingprofile.jpg"><img alt="Alyssa Everett" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5761413493502480562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s200/signingprofile.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 100px; margin: 10px 10px 5px 0; width: 100px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Alyssa Everett's newest regency romance, <a href="http://amzn.com/B00CV30X1U" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>A Tryst With Trouble</b></a>, will be released on September 23. It's the story of an arrogant man's man and an outspoken spinster who must join forces to solve a deadly mystery. It will join her current release, <a href="http://amzn.com/B00APEYANY" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>Lord of Secrets</b></a>, and her</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> debut regency, </span><a href="http://amzn.com/B00BZPII9E" style="font-style: italic;" title="Click to order or learn more"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ruined by Rumor</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Alyssa hopes you'll visit her </span><a href="http://alyssaeverett.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">website</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and follow her on </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/Alyssa_Everett" style="font-style: italic;">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/alyssaeverett/">Pinterest</a></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyssa-Everett/225976490775474" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">, where she promises not to spam you.</span>Alyssa Everetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02074748920540723377noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-34893353559490152962013-09-14T06:00:00.000-04:002013-09-15T16:51:07.897-04:00History PornI give you...four thousand years of world history in one image. Isn't she beauiful? Courtesy of John B. Sparks via Rand McNally. The first version appeared in 1931. For those visual learners out there, this is priceless. My late FIL worked fo Rand McNally, so I was hoping to find one of the bad boys squirreled away somewhere, but no luck. Yet!<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnxABUVg_bBifg7MEnX2P5PsUWwiUGNDIxQJwPB4oZkdRiHTF0_zInJeRkSaziWjdx0IS74a4mLTd-JfAVOBRFlNuMMWD6XYAWM8K9mB-hTHusPsesuKIQod3D1y8KIWaipYuau9D_csW/s1600/HistomapFinal_jpg_CROP_article920-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" isa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnxABUVg_bBifg7MEnX2P5PsUWwiUGNDIxQJwPB4oZkdRiHTF0_zInJeRkSaziWjdx0IS74a4mLTd-JfAVOBRFlNuMMWD6XYAWM8K9mB-hTHusPsesuKIQod3D1y8KIWaipYuau9D_csW/s1600/HistomapFinal_jpg_CROP_article920-large.jpg"></a></div>
MK Chesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09561356820981726447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-61019080121637957132013-09-09T02:00:00.000-04:002013-09-09T02:00:09.630-04:00Stolen and Found<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently in Amsterdam the Swedish museum recovered a rare
1590 astrolabe. An astrolabes is a devise used by astronomers, navigators and
astrologers to locate the positions of the sun, moon, planets, and stars to
determine local time, for surveying, and casting horoscopes. Astrolabes were
used as early as the 150 B.C. until about 1650 A.D. <br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzvdmCunonJFq6tuZcbDrD35Qoxw_L3FdkNu7Qw6gRFocDA3hzErDm7sQ484G5K65g9LQOwxMXqPlFRW9Rtan04KVJJkWoXDVKtGMV57rPXYc48paOIUcZcJ97kOpOEiCwdS3Ry1F7r4/s1600/astrolabe+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzvdmCunonJFq6tuZcbDrD35Qoxw_L3FdkNu7Qw6gRFocDA3hzErDm7sQ484G5K65g9LQOwxMXqPlFRW9Rtan04KVJJkWoXDVKtGMV57rPXYc48paOIUcZcJ97kOpOEiCwdS3Ry1F7r4/s200/astrolabe+front.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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The brass-and-silver astrolabe, made in 1590 and worth about
$750,000 has been missing from the Swedish Museum for almost fifteen years. It
turned up when an Italian collector discovered that the piece was listed as
missing and came forward to return it.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The astrolabe is a very ancient astronomical computer for
solving problems relating to time and the position of the sun and stars in the
sky. Several types of astrolabes have been made. By far the most popular type
is the planispheric (a map of a sphere) astrolabe, on which a map of the stars
and planets are shown. A typical old astrolabe was made of brass and was about
6 inches (15 cm) in diameter, although much larger and smaller ones were made.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Astrolabes are used to show how the sky looks at a specific place
at a given time. Made up of several disks engraved with critical information,
the disks are adjusted to a specific time and date. Once set, much of the sky
is represented on the face of the instrument. The back of the instrument was
engraved with a wide variety of scales for measuring angles and determining the
sun’s longitude for any date. Some astrolabes included a scale for solving trigonometry
problems (shadow square). A cotangent scale was added to many <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TZLloGGF0eABypyskposeaubdobL685jIyI3Om5IgEOr78rlIncpGfFNCdcMjBgIhiPNvGs6uvy8-GMoIaOj5iP43FfT-_IzqStzWIjS7uGRYjlDPsHhjm-3TfelrgyyOEjyErzDj0E/s1600/astrolabe+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TZLloGGF0eABypyskposeaubdobL685jIyI3Om5IgEOr78rlIncpGfFNCdcMjBgIhiPNvGs6uvy8-GMoIaOj5iP43FfT-_IzqStzWIjS7uGRYjlDPsHhjm-3TfelrgyyOEjyErzDj0E/s200/astrolabe+back.jpg" width="174" /></a></div>
Islamic
instruments to determine prayer times as well as the true direction to Mecca. <br />
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The Swedish Museum (Skokloster Castle) in Stockholm, is glad
to get the piece back. The astrolabe was stolen in 1999, one of a string of
unexplained thefts of books and objects at the castle. Other precious items,
dozens of manuscripts were noted as missing from the Royal Library in 2004. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This newly found astrolabe is in outstanding condition and
could still be used today. It is an intricate mix of astronomical knowledge and
metal craftsmanship, the piece is about the size of a pancake, and engraved
with the name of its builder, Martinus Weiler.<o:p></o:p></div>
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German scholar Petra Schmidl of Bonn University, who studies
astrolabes, described astrolabes as a “two-dimensional model of the
three-dimensional world.” She goes on to say that modern clocks, while precise,
tend to leave our understanding of time “stripped from its astronomical
origins. Before telescopes, the astrolabe was the way you could say: ‘What time
does the sun rise? When will it set?” Today fewer than 2,000 astrolabes
survive.<o:p></o:p><br />
For more information see the full article from the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/swedish-castle-museum-to-recover-missing-rare-astronomical-astrolabe-made-in-1590/2013/08/20/60d062f0-0988-11e3-89fe-abb4a5067014_story.html" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>.</div>
Ruth A Casiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721464034029743355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-83108216016067048032013-08-19T00:00:00.000-04:002013-08-19T09:31:55.026-04:00A Beauty or Not?Beauty is, as the saying goes, in the eye of the beholder. Personal preferences guarantee that no matter how gorgeous a woman may be, she's bound to have her detractors. But whether beholders agree or not, both admirers and detractors should be able to recognize the same woman in a portrait and perhaps describe her in similar terms to a police sketch artist. That's why Fanny Crewe (later Lady Crewe) leaves me scratching my head. Was she a beauty or not?<br />
<br />
She certainly had the reputation of a beauty. Born in 1748 to the diplomat Fulke Greville and his poetess wife, also named Frances, she married John Crewe, the son of a Cheshire landowner and MP, when she was 18. Crewe had been elected to Parliament the year before (with Fanny's help, he would go on to earn a barony in 1806, making her Lady Crewe), and Fanny quickly became the toast of Whig society. Quite literally the toast--after the politician Charles James Fox won the hotly contested Westminster election of 1784, a race in which Fanny had daringly canvassed for him, the Prince of Wales attended the victory party and raised his glass with the words, "True blue and Mrs. Crewe."<br />
<br />
A popular hostess and enthusiastic campaigner, Fanny was the subject of three portraits by Sir Joshua Reynolds. The playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan dedicated his most famous work, <i>The School for Scandal</i>, to Fanny. Sheridan had a beautiful wife of his own (painted more than once by Gainsborough), but that didn't stop him from having an affair with Mrs. Crewe. Sheridan wrote in his dedication:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
<i>Vain Muse! couldst thou the humblest sketch create<br />
Of her, or slightest charm couldst imitate--<br />
Could thy blest strain in kindred colours trace<br />
The faintest wonder of her form and face--<br />
Poets would study the immortal line,<br />
And Reynolds own his art subdued by thine...</i></blockquote>
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Here's one of Reynolds's paintings of Fanny before her marriage, in which (as Miss Greville) she's portraying Hebe to her young brother's Cupid:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaWsq8W3j0OjHDAccsP2Yh4GNHTexf_iRPPs2Lwa9oi7FwBG9_NJbE4F3fWFim8Qt8iYQokq_DIwbSo5_lhUtIGJuti3S6SFP-67ujJZOi1VEB2yR16eutA7qj-sjJNlceUS1EQCbEG8/s1600/CreweReynolds1760.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaWsq8W3j0OjHDAccsP2Yh4GNHTexf_iRPPs2Lwa9oi7FwBG9_NJbE4F3fWFim8Qt8iYQokq_DIwbSo5_lhUtIGJuti3S6SFP-67ujJZOi1VEB2yR16eutA7qj-sjJNlceUS1EQCbEG8/s320/CreweReynolds1760.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 473px; margin: 10px 10px 10px 10px; width: 305px;" /></a><br />
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If my math is correct, Joshua Reynolds painted Fanny as Hebe when she was only thirteen.</div>
</div><br />
She looks quite pretty, and capable of growing into the woman her friend Fanny Burney praised by saying she "uglified everything near her." She looks even lovelier in the painting Reynolds did some twelve or thirteen years later, when Fanny was a married woman in her mid-twenties (here reproduced in an etching):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUvf3j1O-SW9kjZ7QYNtWgsiJuOeiAyj6_biWgxf15OFTttc971ccxaCNFVEEdMEsefdC12uBofaWurlc5BDId4qm5VDJAMNQsK5MlSLVp2Vunljump_FrK5EzVCz2xmXx-nY19lKljY/s1600/genevieve.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUvf3j1O-SW9kjZ7QYNtWgsiJuOeiAyj6_biWgxf15OFTttc971ccxaCNFVEEdMEsefdC12uBofaWurlc5BDId4qm5VDJAMNQsK5MlSLVp2Vunljump_FrK5EzVCz2xmXx-nY19lKljY/s320/genevieve.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 310px; margin: 10px 10px 10px 10px; width: 330px;" /></a><br />
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Lady Crewe was the model for St. Genevieve in this painting by Reynolds.</div>
</div><br />
On the other hand, author Amanda Foreman writes in <i>The Duchess</i>, a biography of Fanny's contemporary Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, that Lady Douglas described Fanny as "very fat with a considerable quantity of down about her mouth." She does look a bit plump, albeit pleasingly so, in this caricature of 1784, in which she's shown canvassing for Charles James Fox:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCEoXj2hCsHmLxZIowhju7LRMNJbWrcl4wEbNzlCz3X-KpZNC21Xg0dV9f4ee_tbtXCgjamL4nQS7j4oYZ3PhsE4lPaPmtQA24Da1WqtD7F0GKCtZptv8OklCsZesBSZdX2bY8ih4yNU/s1600/Rowlandson+Devonshire.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCEoXj2hCsHmLxZIowhju7LRMNJbWrcl4wEbNzlCz3X-KpZNC21Xg0dV9f4ee_tbtXCgjamL4nQS7j4oYZ3PhsE4lPaPmtQA24Da1WqtD7F0GKCtZptv8OklCsZesBSZdX2bY8ih4yNU/s320/Rowlandson+Devonshire.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 279px; margin: 10px 10px 10px 10px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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"The Devonshire, or the Most Approved Method of Securing Votes" by Thomas Rowlandson. Lady Crewe is on the left, saying "Huzza - Fox for ever"; the woman on the right is Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.</div>
</div><br />
Then there's this portrait by Thomas Lawrence. It may just be the lighting, but she <i>does</i> seem to have a faint mustache:<br />
<div style="display: block; float: center; margin: 9px 10px 9px 10px; width: 323px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTVkfbPH-l1jCwKYCPcm_M_7mutc6Xe17C1Yq8_daEZimvx1EZVcaNfgtXHdjLNXPJE-A8p6ZPxZPAwrFsDRnaPm9ngrNPRHseFIISugUKtmeBQWQqH6_nr1jIdb161GHUIRAP3ppzl8/s1600/CreweLawrence.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTVkfbPH-l1jCwKYCPcm_M_7mutc6Xe17C1Yq8_daEZimvx1EZVcaNfgtXHdjLNXPJE-A8p6ZPxZPAwrFsDRnaPm9ngrNPRHseFIISugUKtmeBQWQqH6_nr1jIdb161GHUIRAP3ppzl8/s320/CreweLawrence.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 400px; margin: 10px 10px 10px 10px; width: 323px;" /></a><br />
<div style="font: italic normal 12px/1.1em sans-serif; margin: 0px 10px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0;">
Thomas Lawrence painted Lady Crewe circa 1810.</div>
</div><br />
The painting that really makes me wonder, however, is this portrait by Gainsborough:<br />
<div style="display: block; float: center; margin: 9px 10px 9px 10px; width: 243px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUfwlFqsLqeb6DwIaTVmTKTNPKfaa6q0wVlsDb9YnZpi9WfnZVxIPR6GbToOqwSyOV_04nTPfdOFPd6VLbDLR4LfDxDQe_8AtIfM-SEfNNx5j80op38twSrCrVucVAvpr37vX5QKjjD8/s1600/MrsCreweGainsborough.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUfwlFqsLqeb6DwIaTVmTKTNPKfaa6q0wVlsDb9YnZpi9WfnZVxIPR6GbToOqwSyOV_04nTPfdOFPd6VLbDLR4LfDxDQe_8AtIfM-SEfNNx5j80op38twSrCrVucVAvpr37vX5QKjjD8/s320/MrsCreweGainsborough.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 300px; margin: 10px 10px 10px 10px; width: 243px;" /></a><br />
<div style="font: italic normal 12px/1.1em sans-serif; margin: 0px 10px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0;">
Does this even look the least bit like the same woman from the Rowlandson caricature?</div>
</div><br />
There's no sign of either fat or down in the painting, but I wouldn't call the subject a great beauty, either.<br />
<br />
Which brings me to the point: I'm convinced Fanny Crewe's beauty was the kind best appreciated in person, because in addition to being an energetic hostess, she was also an intelligent and lively conversationalist. Her admirers included not just Fox, Sheridan, Burney and Reynolds, but also the philosopher Edmund Burke. Charles Arbuthnot called her "amazingly well-informed."<br />
<br />
At a time when women held no direct political power, Frances, Lady Crewe was friend and counselor to the great. And I suspect it's due to that intelligence and energy, and not just due to her changeable looks, that she was so ardently admired.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s1600/signingprofile.jpg"><img alt="Alyssa Everett" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5761413493502480562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s200/signingprofile.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 100px; margin: 10px 10px 5px 0; width: 100px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Alyssa Everett's upcoming regency romance, <a href="http://amzn.com/B00CV30X1U" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>A Tryst With Trouble</b></a>, will be released on September 23. It </span><span style="font-style: italic;">will join her current release, <a href="http://amzn.com/B00APEYANY" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>Lord of Secrets</b></a>, and her</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> debut regency, </span><a href="http://amzn.com/B00BZPII9E" style="font-style: italic;" title="Click to order or learn more"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ruined by Rumor</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Alyssa hopes you'll visit her </span><a href="http://alyssaeverett.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">website</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and follow her on </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/Alyssa_Everett" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyssa-Everett/225976490775474" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">, where she promises not to spam you.</span>Alyssa Everetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02074748920540723377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-44854822238535356412013-08-12T00:03:00.001-04:002013-08-12T00:03:15.616-04:00If at first you don't succeed, do some more research.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDE4DhNPs2E3mBlGKLY957owqspm1hCfPfCNmX7NfNs2dVbDhrBbYWpwiyKHjiHMTEAIppB1U3QtmBFqd8tp9gfhZcGOaENx8ezD7kqifITOmDnOfZ-rvR-HlL0StS1kH6VJd-ZZroz0/s1600/writing1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDE4DhNPs2E3mBlGKLY957owqspm1hCfPfCNmX7NfNs2dVbDhrBbYWpwiyKHjiHMTEAIppB1U3QtmBFqd8tp9gfhZcGOaENx8ezD7kqifITOmDnOfZ-rvR-HlL0StS1kH6VJd-ZZroz0/s1600/writing1.gif" /></a>Anyone who writes historical romance novels knows how much research goes into developing and creating a story. Since I'm a voracious nonfiction history reader, this is one of my favorite parts of the process, but it can be tough. History in broad strokes is easy to discover. It’s the small details of daily life that can be elusive. Sometimes I can find the details, other times I have to take some artistic license based on my knowledge of the period. Then there are times when, despite my research and my careful fact checking, I still manage to get it wrong</div>
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I was recently editing my latest regency manuscript, and double checking my facts when I discovered I'd made not one, but many mistakes. I'd read a sentence and something about it wouldn't seem right. Off to the internet or a research book I'd go, only to find out I was incorrect. Then I’d ask myself, “How did I miss this during the umpteen times I’ve read this story?” or “I know I looked this up before. How did I get it so wrong?”</div>
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<a href="http://www.bing.com/th?id=A9aaqsCu9m4FQwA300C300&w=110&h=110&c=6&qlt=80&pid=16.1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1776" border="0" height="200" src="http://www.bing.com/th?id=A9aaqsCu9m4FQwA300C300&w=110&h=110&c=6&qlt=80&pid=16.1" width="200" /></a>Since catching mistakes and making changes is part of the editing process, I can’t be too hard on myself. Also, after listening to an interview with Pulitzer Prize winning author and historian David McCullough, I know I’m not alone. When asked about his research methods, he admitted that he continues researching right through the copyediting process. I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard this. If a noted historian of his stature can keep researching until the last minute, then so can I. After all, in the end it doesn’t matter when you get it right, as long as you do. </div>
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Interested in seeing how my research is incorporated into my stories? Then check out my Regency novella <i><a href="http://ebooks.carinapress.com/05D92BD3-7720-46F7-A802-0E90E74AB2E5/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=DBC6503B-E226-468E-B6B3-19970DCD7C85" target="_blank">Hero's Redemption</a>,</i> now available from Carina Press. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pONZ51rqXA4/UbihitJAfEI/AAAAAAAAAyw/1expuGDrr7E/s1600/HerosRedemptionFinal+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pONZ51rqXA4/UbihitJAfEI/AAAAAAAAAyw/1expuGDrr7E/s320/HerosRedemptionFinal+%25282%2529.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ebooks.carinapress.com/05D92BD3-7720-46F7-A802-0E90E74AB2E5/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=DBC6503B-E226-468E-B6B3-19970DCD7C85" target="_blank">Carina Press</a> * <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CC68FSO/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d2_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=10G507AC6X5Y8BV6GQPF&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846" target="_blank">Amazon</a> *<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heros-redemption-georgie-lee/1115148410?ean=9781426895913" target="_blank"> Barnes & Noble</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12019450793013285292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-16801997447357458842013-08-09T00:00:00.000-04:002013-08-09T08:52:02.414-04:00Double, double, toil and trouble…<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrAGL5ZzHGnFVxwBH_QgApsp8zpFCmtAI3EfWHIwUwp86gDPVjQeedzy5BZHAW31bDKjW45ycgL7jvZejqLkS1M1eeqvLOzlH1oX8oYxAfkckoLdOQ0PGR771dfvz9y_PBTmwzs7hFTM/s1600/witches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrAGL5ZzHGnFVxwBH_QgApsp8zpFCmtAI3EfWHIwUwp86gDPVjQeedzy5BZHAW31bDKjW45ycgL7jvZejqLkS1M1eeqvLOzlH1oX8oYxAfkckoLdOQ0PGR771dfvz9y_PBTmwzs7hFTM/s1600/witches.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">… Fire burn and brimstone bubble. Witches and witchcraft
date back through the ages to when people worshipped the Mother Earth or nature
goddess. It was a time before traditional religion when the unexplained was
called magical and people with unique talents were special. The Old Religion which existed since the Stone
Age was far from evil. These people were connected with the seasons, the
plants, the animals and the planet and sought a balanced life. These special
people were seers, knowers, healers, and averters of evil. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the centuries the nature goddess was replaced by more
traditional religions and practices. The word witch only took on a negative
meaning with the coming of Christianity, which taught that all the heathen gods
were devils. And by association, anyone who clung to the old ways and the Old
Religion was a devil worshipper. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The real roots of witchcraft and magic appear to come from
the Celts, a diverse group of Iron Age tribal societies which flourished
between about 700 BC and 100 AD in northern Europe. The Celts were a brilliant and dynamic
people, gifted artists, musicians, storytellers, and metalworkers, as well as
expert farmers and fierce warriors much feared by the Romans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">They were also a deeply spiritual people and believed in the
many gods associated with Mother Earth, the Divine Creator. By about 350 BC, a priestly class known as
the <a href="http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/related_druidism.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Druids</span></a> had
developed. They became the priests of the Celtic religion as well as teachers,
judges, astrologers, healers, midwives and bards.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The religious beliefs and practices of the Celts, their love
for the land, and their reverence of trees (the oak in particular) grew into
what later became known as <a href="http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/related_paganism.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Paganism</span></a>.
Blended over several centuries with the beliefs and rituals of other societies,
practices such as concocting <a href="http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/terms_potion.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">potions</span></a> and
ointments, casting <a href="http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/terms_spell.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">spells</span></a> and
performing works of <a href="http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/terms_magic.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">magic</span></a>,
all of which (along with many of the nature-based beliefs held by the Celts and
other groups) developed and became known as witchcraft in the <a href="http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/history_medieval.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Medieval
Period</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are many types of witches. The witchcraft of the Picts, the early inhabitant of what is now the Scottish Highlights, goes far back and differs from all the other types of witchcraft in Europe. This is Old Scotland and its history and legends are filled with stories of magickal workings, spells and charms. There are charms performed to increase farm production and to ensure a favorable wind for fishermen. Some seamen walked around a large monolith stone seven times to encourage a good trip/catch. Other people created charms such as the woodbine wreath. They would cut down woodbine (a form of honeysuckle) in March during the waxing moon (anytime between the new moon and full moon) and twist the boughs into large wreaths. They kept the wreath for a year and a day. Young children suffering from a fever would be passed through the wreath three times to be cured. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Old superstitions have a strong hold on people. There are hints of the 'old ways' even today. Some in Scotland carry a lucky penny or 'peighinn pisich' that they turn over three times at the first glimpse of a full moon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are many cases of Witchcraft throughout Scottish
history, demonstrating the zeal of the Protestants and Catholics alike, in
their paranoia over possible "servants of the devil." The vast
majority of Scottish Witches practiced as Solitaries (alone without a coven),
only occasionally coming together for special celebrations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Witchcraft was first made legally punishable, in Scotland,
by an Act passed by the Scottish Parliament, in 1563 during the reign of Mary.
Witch hunts swept through Northern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries and
were fed by a mixture of superstition, religious fever, political motivation
and general suspicion. No one was safe, not the peasant not the nobleman.
Storms, diseases, and misfortunes had to be blamed on something or
someone—witches were an easy target. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Types of witches:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Kitchen Witch</b>: Practices by home and hearth, mainly dealing
with practical sides of the religion, magick, the elements, and the earth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Ceremonial Witchcraf</b>t: Mainly use ceremonial magick in their
practices such as Kabbalistic magick or Egyptian magick. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Satanic Witch</b>: This doesn't exist. Why? Contrary to the
witch hunts of Europe and America, witches don't believe in Satan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Celtic Wicca</b>: Believe in the elements, the Ancient Ones, and
nature. They are usually healers. They work with plants, stones, flowers,
trees, the elemental people, the gnomes, and the fairies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Eclectic Witch</b>: These witches don’t follow a particular
religion or tradition. They study and learn from many different systems and use
what works best for them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>British Traditional Witch:</b> A mix of Celtic and Gardenarian
beliefs. They train through a degree process and the covens are usually co-ed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Alexandrian Tradition:</b> They are said to be modified
Gardenarian. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Gardenarian Tradition:</b> Follow a structure rooted in ceremony
and practice. They aren't as vocal as others and have a fairly foundational set
of customs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Dianic Tradition:</b> A compilation of many different traditions
rolled into one. Their prime focus is the Goddess. It is the more feminist side
of 'The Craft'. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Pictish Witchcraft:</b> It's originally from Scotland and is a
solitary form of The Craft. It is more magickal in nature than it is in
religion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Hereditary Witch: </b>Someone who has been taught the 'Old
Religion' through the generations of their family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Caledonii Tradition:</b> Also known as the Hecatine Tradition,
it has its roots in Scotland. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Pow-Wow: </b>Comes from South Central Pennsylvania and is a
system based on a 400 year old Elite German magick. They concentrate on simple
faith healing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Solitary Witch:</b> Any witch who practices alone, without a
coven. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Strega Witches:</b> Originally from Italy this group is known to
be the smallest group in the US. It is said their craft is wise and beautiful.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Ruth A Casiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721464034029743355noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-63350737636414984182013-08-06T06:00:00.000-04:002013-08-06T06:00:12.135-04:00A beginner's bibliography of the Napoleonic WarsWhile at RWA in Atlanta last month, I gave a talk titled "Beyond Trafalgar and Waterloo: Your Hero's Military History." at the Beau Monde Regency Special Interest Chapter's mini-conference. My goal was to help writers go beyond the most obvious battles and tropes when writing a military hero. (Or heroine! One of these days I'm going to finish that manuscript with a young lady disguised as a boy in the navy.) In my handouts I included a list of what I think are some of the best sources for writers who'd like to write a Napoleonic-era military or naval hero but don't know where to begin.<br />
<br />
It occurred to me that interest in such a list might go beyond the thirty or so people who were in the room that day, so here it is. This isn't even remotely intended as a comprehensive bibliography--just a good jumping-off point if you're a writer who'd like to add more richness to your military hero's backstory or a reader who enjoys romances with military heroes or books and movies like the Sharpe series and wants to learn more about the reality behind your favorite heroes. (Note that several of these books are out-of-print and sufficiently expensive that I've only included their buy links so you'll have all the info you need to track them down via interlibrary loan.)<br />
<br />
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Adkin, Mark. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Sharpe-Companion-Early-Years/dp/0060738146/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375678799&sr=8-1&keywords=the+sharpe+companion">The Sharpe Companion: The Early Years</a>.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Adkin, Mark. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Sharpe-Companion-Historical-Bestselling/dp/0002571587/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375678827&sr=8-2&keywords=the+sharpe+companion">The Sharpe Companion: A Detailed Historicaland Military Guide to Bernard Cornwell’s Bestselling Series of Sharpe Novels.</a></i>
Designed as companion pieces for the Sharpe series, this book and the one above
contain a wealth of detail about the lives and campaigns of British soldiers of
the era.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Barbero,
Alessandro.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Battle-ebook/dp/B002STNBCK/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1375678855&sr=8-1&keywords=the+battle+barbero">The Battle: A New History ofWaterloo</a>.</i> A page-turner of an introduction to the battle.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Brett-James,
Antony. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Wellingtons-Army-Antony-Brett-James/dp/0049400428/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375678895&sr=8-2&keywords=life+in+wellington%27s+army">Life in Wellington’s Army</a>.</i> A
book about every aspect of a soldier’s life <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but</i>
battle, this is a wonderful source for understanding how your hero would’ve
lived while on campaign.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Burnham, Robert
& Ron McGuigan. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/BRITISH-ARMY-AGAINST-NAPOLEON-THE/dp/1848325622/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375678932&sr=8-1&keywords=the+british+army+against+napoleon">The British Armyagainst Napoleon: Facts, Lists, and Trivia 1805-1815.</a></i> Something of an
encyclopedia of the British army, full of useful details such as soldiers’ and
officers’ pay, cost of commissions, rations, punishments for various offenses,
casualty figures, etc.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Crumplin,
Michael. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Men-Steel-Surgery-Napoleonic-Wars/dp/1904057942/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375678968&sr=8-1&keywords=men+of+steel+crumplin">Men of Steel: Surgery in theNapoleonic Wars</a>.</i> Want to write a surgeon hero, or have your hero wounded
and in need of surgical care? This book is for you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Elting, John. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Swords-Around-A-Throne-ebook/dp/B00B77AGWW/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1375679038&sr=8-1&keywords=swords+around+a+throne">Swords Around a Throne: Napoleon’s Grande
Arm</a></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Swords-Around-A-Throne-ebook/dp/B00B77AGWW/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1375679038&sr=8-1&keywords=swords+around+a+throne"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande";">é</span>e.</a> </i>Focused on the French, but it
manages to be both encyclopedic and fascinating about what made an army of the
era tick.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
Foulkes, Nick. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-into-Battle-History-Waterloo/dp/0753822172/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375679069&sr=8-1&keywords=dancing+into+battle">Dancing into Battle: A Social History of theBattle of Waterloo.</a> </i>Worthwhile for romance writers for its focus on the
social and cultural milieu.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Haythornthwaite,
Philip. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nelsons-Navy-Elite-Philip-Haythornthwaite/dp/1855323346/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375679099&sr=8-1&keywords=nelson%27s+navy+haythornthwaite">Nelson’s Navy</a>.</i> A short, well-illustrated
introduction to naval life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lieven, D.C.B. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Russia-Against-Napoleon-Battle-ebook/dp/B003NX75IQ/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1375679126&sr=8-1&keywords=russia+against+napoleon">Russia Against Napoleon: The True Story ofthe Campaigns of War and Peace.</a></i> Not directly relevant to an author focused
on British characters, but a fascinating and thought-provoking view of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> the major powers involved in the
wars.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Longford,
Elizabeth. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wellington-Elizabeth-Pakenham-Countess-Longford/dp/0831756462/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375679153&sr=8-1&keywords=wellington+the+years+of+the+sword">Wellington: The Years of theSword.</a></i> My favorite of the many Wellington biographies I’ve read.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Michael O’Meara
Books Ltd. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ships-Miscellany-Tony-Buchan/dp/1843170779/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375679239&sr=8-1&keywords=ships%27+miscellany">Ships’ Miscellany: A Guide tothe Royal Navy of Jack Aubrey</a>.</i> A good introductory source on the ships of
the era and the life of a sailor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
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Morgan, Matthew. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wellingtons-Victories-Guide-Sharpes-1797-1815/dp/1843170930/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375679305&sr=8-1&keywords=wellington%27s+victories+morgan">Wellington’s Victories: A Guide to Sharpe’sArmy 1797-1815. </a>Yes, another guide for readers of a fiction series, but
they tend to make extremely useful and readable introductions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
Park, S.J. and
G.F. Nafziger. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/British-Military-System-Organization-1803-1815/dp/B000WQXCNO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375679349&sr=8-1&keywords=the+british+military+its+system+and+organization">The British Military: ItsSystem and Organization 1803-1815</a>.</i> Bernard Cornwell pointed me to this one
when I met him at the Surrey Writers’ Conference a few years back. It tells you
where every regiment was during the time frame covered—invaluable in finding a
regimental home for your hero.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Whipple, A.B.C. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-sail-The-Seafarers-Whipple/dp/0809426560/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375679378&sr=8-1&keywords=fighting+sail+time+life">Fighting Sail</a>.</i> It’s a Time-Life book—which
means it’s fairly detailed and full of illustrations, and it doesn’t expect you
to come into the book with an expert’s knowledge. Focuses almost exclusively on
Nelson’s life and campaigns.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Susanna Fraserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16149293228696867804noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-64196950531499760062013-08-02T03:05:00.000-04:002013-08-02T03:05:21.959-04:00Saving Grace<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Hypocrisy,
double-standards, call it what you like, but I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">know </i>the Victorians weren’t quite as straitlaced as history leads
us to believe. I was brought up on the Isle of Wight—literally five minutes in
distance but a thousand miles away in terms of luxury—from Osborne House, Queen
Victoria’s island retreat. Prince Albert, that bastion of Victorian morals, had
a private bathroom there with one wall completely dedicated to a…well,
pornographic mural!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I thought
it would be fun to start a Victorian series based on a band of well-heeled
Vigilantes, righting wrongs that might otherwise slip through the cracks. Doing
researched I discovered that the largest diamond in the world, the Koh-i-Noor, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was exhibited at the </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Great Exhibition
of 1851. The exhibition was organised in part by Prince Albert, keen to show
the world that Britain had the cutting edge when it came to modern technology.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Incidentally, the Great Exhibition, or Crystal Palace
as it was more commonly known—a great feat of glass and steel engineering in
its own right—was moved to South London, where I lived from many years. It
burned down years later and I walked past the ruins every day with my dog,
wondering what it must have been like—a building before its time in a rapidly
changing world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anyway, the diamond in question was gifted to the
Queen as Emperor of India, but ownership had always been hotly contested and
the diamond is reputed to bring bad luck to any man who wore it. Needless to
say, someone tried to steal it during the exhibition, as they do in my steamy
novel, Saving Grace. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholqh5WT4CEHU5CoB3Co0TIc5YufpR_wup6dLJvVI3oi8xQ9gNsGqsA8gUScBOOGQEpCYbWz7ZnHrnMg4nIxSByO758pW_eHLXJjwzrZQJ1LxEoT-qxIbhOBTL3fvhcU4DUrqkK8GqYJU4/s1600/Victorian+Vigilantes+Book+1+Cover_MEDIUM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholqh5WT4CEHU5CoB3Co0TIc5YufpR_wup6dLJvVI3oi8xQ9gNsGqsA8gUScBOOGQEpCYbWz7ZnHrnMg4nIxSByO758pW_eHLXJjwzrZQJ1LxEoT-qxIbhOBTL3fvhcU4DUrqkK8GqYJU4/s1600/Victorian+Vigilantes+Book+1+Cover_MEDIUM.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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1851 The year of the Great Exhibition in England. The
largest diamond in the world has been gifted to Queen Victoria. Plans are afoot
to steal it and the Home Secretary calls in Jacob Morton, the Earl of Torbay,
and his highly-trained band of vigilantes to prevent the theft causing a
diplomatic incident.<br /> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lady Eva Woodstock is trapped in a loveless marriage to the man behind the
plot. Throwing in her lot with Jake and his compelling associate, Lord Isaac
Arnold, her dormant passions are awoken beneath Isaac’s skilful hands. But she
will never be free of her husband, nor will she gain custody of her daughter,
Grace, unless she can find the courage to face up to William and beat him at
his own game.<br /> </div>
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How far will a mother go to secure her child’s future and protect the man she
loves…</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saving Grace </b>by
Wendy Soliman Just $1.99 <a href="http://amzn.to/144oNpa">http://amzn.to/144oNpa</a></div>
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Wendy<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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Wendy Solimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769040606499192321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-37369424900812834892013-07-19T00:00:00.000-04:002013-07-19T00:00:10.119-04:00A Georgian Marriage Gone BadOne of the reasons I like setting love stories in the past is that the stakes were so high. When couples married two hundred years ago, it was for life. I was recently reading about the Georgian/regency novelist, Matthew "Monk" Lewis (a brief mention of Lewis and his most famous work, the lurid and bestselling <i>The Monk</i>, can be found in <a href="http://romancingthepast.blogspot.com/2011/10/gothic-horrors.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #351c75;">this earlier post on gothic horrors</span></a>). The story of his parents' disastrous marriage is almost as colorful as Lewis's fiction.<br />
<br />
Matthew Lewis (not the actor who played Neville Longbottom, but the father of the author of the same name) married Frances "Fanny" Maria Sewell in 1773, when both were twenty-three. Lewis had already earned a master's degree from Oxford and was the Chief Clerk in the War Office; in just two years, he would be the Deputy-Secretary at War. His family was wealthy, as was hers. Both owned neighboring estates in England as well as substantial property in Jamaica. The couple had four children together, of which the novelist, Matthew Gregory Lewis, was the eldest and heir. The senior Matthew Lewis seems to have been dedicated and hard-working; Maria, on the other hand, was admired, artistic, and injudicious.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ncKWCABBy5XS87nbPF0N-bIa7l5brJndztITfYZ1lzFd_nsFR83KUaOK0i6XmYAPPqg_gNKOpHnAapIqSvI9KuyaOJO3PFl3euebx27MToFWBbOyg1cHg-9Pe_q0zeISfiJtnddyNO4/s1600/en_monnik.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ncKWCABBy5XS87nbPF0N-bIa7l5brJndztITfYZ1lzFd_nsFR83KUaOK0i6XmYAPPqg_gNKOpHnAapIqSvI9KuyaOJO3PFl3euebx27MToFWBbOyg1cHg-9Pe_q0zeISfiJtnddyNO4/s320/en_monnik.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 408px; margin: 2px 0px 10px 10px; width: 358px;" /></a><br />
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The lurid plot of Matthew Gregory Lewis's <em>The Monk</em> manages to outdo the drama of his family life. ("A Monk with a Beguine," 1591, by Dutch painter Cornelis van Haarlem.)</div>
</div>
<br />
By 1781, when little Matthew was only six, his parents' marriage wasn't going well, owing to their mismatched temperaments--and to his mother's interest in a music master named Samuel Harrison. After sleeping apart for some time, the couple decided to separate, with Lewis agreeing to generous terms that gave his wife the use of one of his houses, full custody of the children (legally, they were his to take away), and six hundred pounds a year. Before the separation was finalized, however, Lewis returned from a visit to the Duke of Dorset to discover Fanny had been flagrantly carrying on in his house with Harrison the music master, sending him into a "phrenzy."<br />
<br />
Fanny Lewis fled. She began changing addresses and using a false name, Mrs. Langley, to avoid her husband. He was able to track her down, however, and came to confront her on July 3, 1782--which, inconveniently for Fanny, happened to be the same day she was giving birth to an illegitimate child by the music master.<br />
<br />
Lewis sought a separation--not a private one, but a judicial separation of the sort obtained as a precursor to divorce. On February 27, 1783, Lewis was awarded his separation on the grounds of adultery. Divorces, however, were as complicated and expensive to obtain as they were rare. Lewis petitioned Parliament, and his counsel presented the facts of Fanny's adultery, but the House of Lords refused to grant the divorce.<br />
<br />
And here's the part that's most surprising to me as a citizen of the twenty-first century: Lewis supported Fanny until his death in 1812. Why did he agree to such generous terms? Probably because it was the thing to do. A husband was expected to "keep" his wife, which meant everything from seeing that she didn't go hungry to paying her gambling debts. It was one of the fundamental expectations underlying marriage--just as wives had a duty to have sex with their husbands whether they liked it or not, husbands had a duty to support their wives financially whether they liked it or not. And since marriage was a sacrament, adultery and even separation couldn't completely erase that expectation.<br />
<br />
Though it's slightly off-topic, I'll close with an anecdote from James Boswell's 1791 <i>Life of Samuel Johnson </i>that provides a little more insight into the Georgian view of marriage as immutable and permanent, no matter how messy:<i> </i><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="p1">
I repeated to him an argument of a lady of my acquaintance, who maintained, that her husband's having been guilty of numberless infidelities, released her from conjugal obligations, because they were reciprocal. <i>Johnson:</i> "This is miserable stuff, Sir. To the contract of marriage, besides the man and wife, there is a third party -- Society; and, if it be considered as a vow -- GOD: and, therefore, it cannot be dissolved by their consent alone. <div style="display: block; float: left; margin: 9px 14px 9px 0px; width: 232px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DsbwTr_9I8ldqs2kaayE31hw9JV16Hjq7Iccl5NVOa5BZiMxeIymmWYf40aDhfYw4-0-VmO9WZCLQWf97xnXuIFA1WvPXOKJoFDtB4Fm0qv4OV32A5VPkx5IpOsQUoJeGX-hr5Fws5c/s1600/Samuel_Johnson.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DsbwTr_9I8ldqs2kaayE31hw9JV16Hjq7Iccl5NVOa5BZiMxeIymmWYf40aDhfYw4-0-VmO9WZCLQWf97xnXuIFA1WvPXOKJoFDtB4Fm0qv4OV32A5VPkx5IpOsQUoJeGX-hr5Fws5c/s320/Samuel_Johnson.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 282px; margin: 2px 10px 10px 0px; width: 232px;" /></a><br />
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Samuel Johnson was no fan of divorce. (Painting by Joshua Reynolds.)</div></div>
Laws are not made for particular cases, but for men in general. A woman may be unhappy with her husband; but she cannot be freed from him without the approbation of the civil and ecclesiastical power. A man may be unhappy, because he is not so rich as another; but he is not to seize upon another's property with his own hand." <i>Boswell:</i> "But, Sir, this lady does not want that the contract should be dissolved; she only argues that she may indulge herself in gallantries with equal freedom as her husband does, provided she takes care not to introduce a spurious issue into his family. You know, Sir, what Macrobius has told us of Julia."* <i>Johnson:</i> "This lady of yours, Sir, I think, is very fit for a brothel."</div>
</blockquote>
*Boswell's reference to "what Macrobius has told us of Julia" concerns a report that Augustus Caesar's daughter supposedly indulged in adultery only if she was pregnant with her husband's child: "To certain persons who knew of her infidelities and were expressing surprise at her children’s likeness to her husband Agrippa, since she was so free with her favors, she said: "Passengers are never allowed on board until the hold is full."<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s1600/signingprofile.jpg"><img alt="Alyssa Everett" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5761413493502480562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s200/signingprofile.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 100px; margin: 10px 10px 5px 0; width: 100px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Alyssa Everett's upcoming regency romance, <a href="http://amzn.com/B00CV30X1U" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>A Tryst With Trouble</b></a>, will be released on September 23. It </span><span style="font-style: italic;">will join her current release, <a href="http://amzn.com/B00APEYANY" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>Lord of Secrets</b></a>, and her</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> debut regency, </span><a href="http://amzn.com/B00BZPII9E" style="font-style: italic;" title="Click to order or learn more"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ruined by Rumor</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Alyssa hopes you'll visit her </span><a href="http://alyssaeverett.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">website</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and follow her on </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/Alyssa_Everett" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyssa-Everett/225976490775474" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">, where she promises not to spam you.</span>Alyssa Everetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02074748920540723377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-31426879024637302652013-07-14T04:00:00.000-04:002013-07-14T16:27:48.677-04:00Prepare for MORE GLORY!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-HEzoIzom7dPbVwYcNUrviRM38VR2pR_-wzqoRxfABsEtv6lmRWyP135tia44_pGGdxl843ALMtDWniSGhJte8aQ4OtpsbtbduuZv4kx_R8SZ3xqSb4rE5Qmj30dCQ0uCNZYoiqd-rhD/s1600/MV5BMTEwNTU2MjAwMDdeQTJeQWpwZ15BbWU3MDk2Njc2Njk%2540__V1_SY317_CR0%252C0%252C214%252C317_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-HEzoIzom7dPbVwYcNUrviRM38VR2pR_-wzqoRxfABsEtv6lmRWyP135tia44_pGGdxl843ALMtDWniSGhJte8aQ4OtpsbtbduuZv4kx_R8SZ3xqSb4rE5Qmj30dCQ0uCNZYoiqd-rhD/s1600/MV5BMTEwNTU2MjAwMDdeQTJeQWpwZ15BbWU3MDk2Njc2Njk%2540__V1_SY317_CR0%252C0%252C214%252C317_.jpg" /></a></div>Like every other history lover/geek/nerd in the movie-watching world, I was pretty excited when, in 2006, the movie <u>300</u> exploded onto the big screen. Fans of the comic book series had an edge over those of us who had not experienced King Leonidas on the page, but I’m not sure that made a big difference to the non-purist crowd. For me, it coined the term “hot men in leather underpants” and is the only movie I’ve paid to see twice in the theatre in recent memory.<br />
<br />
Now, the film that spawned catch phrases like “THIS IS SPARTA!” and “Let us fight in the shade” as well as a host of work out videos and Halloween spray-on abs has a sequel. Yes, <a href="http://www.300themovie.com/" target="_blank">300: Rise of an Empire</a> is due in movie venues in 2014. <br />
<br />
…and I’m not sure how I feel about this. <br />
<br />
Because the king dies in the end of the first film. You know this going in if you know your history. All the warriors we <strike>drooled over</strike> loved died, so…let’s take a look at the synopsis for the sequel, shall we? <br />
<br />
<i>“After its victory over Leonidas' 300, the Persian Army under the command of Xerxes marches north towards the major Greek city-states. The Democratic city of Athens, first on the path of Xerxes' army, bases its strength on its fleet, led by admiral Themistocles. Themistocles is forced to an unwilling alliance with the traditional rival of Athens, oligarchic Sparta whose might lies with its superior infantry troops. But Xerxes still reigns supreme in numbers over sea and land.”</i> (IMDB, written by Garganuan Media)<br />
<br />
So we have a new hero, and it’s presumably going to be a sea-based tale? Lena Heady and Rodrigo Santoro reprise their roles as Queen Gorga and Xerxes, respectively. I’m not recognizing a lot of other names in the cast, but that might be because they’re more a foreign group than American. It boasts the same action-animated style as its predecessor, and the abs and leather undies are still prevalent.<br />
<br />
It’s interesting to note that this is not the first film ever made regarding Themistocles. He was a noted Athenian politician and general, one of the first not born to the aristocracy. During the first Persian invasion, he was one of ten Athenian generals who fought and led men at the battle of Marathon. The second Persian invasion culminated in two notable battles: Artemisium and Salamis. A lot of politicking and alliance building went on behind the scenes to try to do two things: unify the Greek city-states against the Persians, and lure some of the Greek allies from Xerxes’ side. One more battle forces Xerxes to give up and return home, finally defeated. Ironically enough, Themistocles ends up ostracized after some internal struggles following the war, and seeks refuge in Persia, working for their government.<br />
<br />
So, given all that…will you go see this movie? I’m still not sure.MK Chesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09561356820981726447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-48792885140464878432013-07-12T00:00:00.000-04:002013-07-12T14:45:33.216-04:00Getting Close to Release Day!<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy middle of July everyone. Can you believe the year is already half over? I can't, nor can I believe my latest Carina release, <i><a href="http://ebooks.carinapress.com/05D92BD3-7720-46F7-A802-0E90E74AB2E5/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=DBC6503B-E226-468E-B6B3-19970DCD7C85" target="_blank">Hero's Redemption</a></i> will be out in a little over two weeks. To celebrate, I'm posting an excerpt today. I hope you enjoy it and consider checking out Devon and Cathleen's story. </div>
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Have a great July everyone!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ebooks.carinapress.com/05D92BD3-7720-46F7-A802-0E90E74AB2E5/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=DBC6503B-E226-468E-B6B3-19970DCD7C85" target="_blank">Carina Press</a> * <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heros-Redemption-ebook/dp/B00CC68FSO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373590081&sr=8-1&keywords=hero%27s+redemption" target="_blank">Amazon</a> * <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heros-redemption-georgie-lee/1115148410?ean=9781426895913" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></div>
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<a href="http://ebooks.carinapress.com/05D92BD3-7720-46F7-A802-0E90E74AB2E5/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=DBC6503B-E226-468E-B6B3-19970DCD7C85" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pONZ51rqXA4/UbihitJAfEI/AAAAAAAAAyw/1expuGDrr7E/s320/HerosRedemptionFinal+%25282%2529.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Devon, Lord Malton, tossed in bed, the throbbing pain in his thigh pulling him from the oblivion of drunkenness into a semi-sleep that clung to him like tar.<br />
<br />
"No," he moaned. The ghostlike images of old comrades and dead enemies drifted through his mind. Distant cannon fire rolled in the air, growing louder as light began to creep in along the edges of the sharpening visions. "No."<br />
<br />
In a flash the world turned bright, the afternoon sun reflecting off the stone walls of Hougoumont Manor's courtyard. Around him, British soldiers and trapped French soldiers fought, the metallic ring of sabers carrying over the shouts of dying men and the screams of frightened horses.<br />
<em><br /></em>
<em>"Cochon anglais!"</em> A French soldier charged at Devon and he swung around to face him. <em>"Je te tuerai."</em><br />
They locked swords, the Frenchman's wild eyes meeting Devon's across the blade.<br />
<em><br /></em>
<em>"Maintenant--au diable!"</em> Devon shoved the Frenchman back. The burly soldier staggered slightly but desperation gave him strength and he hurled himself forward.<br />
<br />
Devon was stepping back to parry when his boot rolled on the arm of a dead man and he fell, landing hard in the mud. The Frenchman lunged again. Devon swung his sword, deflecting the blow but the Frenchman's blade slid down the length of Devon's, impaling his thigh.<br />
<br />
"Bloody hell." Devon dug the heel of his boot into the man's chest and kicked hard. A searing pain nearly blinded him as the man's blade tore free.<br />
<br />
The Frenchman pulled himself to his feet and advanced. Devon rose up on one knee, lifting his sword to defend himself when suddenly the flash of a red coat cut across his vision. Captain Selton stood between them, his sword clanging against the Frenchman's.<br />
<br />
"Get back to the safety of the manor," the young officer called, swinging to repel the enemy's blade.<br />
<br />
"I'm not going anywhere." Devon stood, gritting his teeth against the pain. He limped forward, determined to fight when the sickening sound of metal slicing flesh drowned out the cannons. Captain Selton wavered a moment then slumped to the ground.<br />
<br />
"No!" Devon yelled.<br />
<br />
The Frenchman, his sword still lodged in Captain Selton's chest, met Devon's eyes, smug triumph dancing in their watery depths.<br />
<br />
"Bastard!" Devon hurled himself at the man, his pain forgotten in a rush of anger. The Frenchman's triumph turned to fear as Devon impaled him, driving him backwards across the courtyard, forcing the sword in deeper and deeper until it drove itself through his body, lodging in a wooden door in the far wall. Devon pulled out the blade and the Frenchman dropped to the ground.<br />
<br />
Devon stepped back and his wounded leg buckled. He fell hard against the wall, his palm scraping over the rough stone as he slid down into the mud. When he pressed his hand over the wound, the blood stained his breeches and covered his fingers. Out across the courtyard, heavy clouds of black powder smoke drifted through the fighting men, passing over Captain Selton, who lay with the others, his lifeless eyes watching the sky.<br />
<br />
"No," Devon cried in anguish. "No."<br />
<br />
"It's all right," a soft female voice carried over the crack of gunfire. "You're safe now."<br />
<br />
"I couldn't save him." Devon choked, struggling to breathe through the acrid smoke. "I couldn't help him."<br />
<br />
"I know." Gentle hands stroked his hair, his forehead and cheeks, their tenderness easing his tight chest and softening the pain coursing through him. "Sleep now."</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12019450793013285292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-46003408848004610892013-07-09T00:30:00.000-04:002013-07-09T00:30:01.808-04:00Double, double, toil and trouble…<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAbQCkPgDwEV6iwV4UF8ZDrm8V_fmrQxaW2_CpLq4u2Jg-1sceC0vfuMXUu2yscYZLDnGlmgkC7d6F2khazhKCWZD5zXo7-bgKDJvX94sft7MzTyJ7SWpHxEOliBRmB-sz-rMNNONLyY/s246/Three+witches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAbQCkPgDwEV6iwV4UF8ZDrm8V_fmrQxaW2_CpLq4u2Jg-1sceC0vfuMXUu2yscYZLDnGlmgkC7d6F2khazhKCWZD5zXo7-bgKDJvX94sft7MzTyJ7SWpHxEOliBRmB-sz-rMNNONLyY/s246/Three+witches.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">...Fire burn and brimstone bubble. Witches and witchcraft date
back through the ages to when people worshipped the Mother Earth or nature
goddess. It was a time before traditional religion when the unexplained was
called magical and people with unique talents were special. The Old Religion which existed since the Stone
Age was far from evil. These people were connected with the seasons, the
plants, the animals and the planet and sought a balanced life. These special
people were seers, knowers, healers, and averters of evil. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Over the centuries the nature goddess was replaced by more
traditional religions and practices. The word witch only took on a negative
meaning with the coming of Christianity, which taught that all the heathen gods
were devils. And by association, anyone who clung to the old ways and the Old
Religion was a devil worshipper. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The real roots of witchcraft and magic appear to come from
the Celts, a diverse group of Iron Age tribal societies which flourished
between about 700 BC and 100 AD in northern Europe. The Celts were a brilliant and dynamic
people, gifted artists, musicians, storytellers, and metalworkers, as well as
expert farmers and fierce warriors much feared by the Romans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They were
also a deeply spiritual people and believed in the many gods associated with
Mother Earth, the Divine Creator. By
about 350 BC, a priestly class known as the <a href="http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/related_druidism.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Druids</span></a> had
developed. They became the priests of the Celtic religion as well as teachers,
judges, astrologers, healers, midwives and bards.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The
religious beliefs and practices of the Celts, their love for the land, and
their reverence of trees (the oak in particular) grew into what later became
known as <a href="http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/related_paganism.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Paganism</span></a>.
Blended over several centuries with the beliefs and rituals of other societies,
practices such as concocting <a href="http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/terms_potion.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">potions</span></a> and
ointments, casting <a href="http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/terms_spell.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">spells</span></a> and
performing works of <a href="http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/terms_magic.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">magic</span></a>,
all of which (along with many of the nature-based beliefs held by the Celts and
other groups) developed and became known as witchcraft in the <a href="http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/history_medieval.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Medieval
Period</span></a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are many types of witches. The witchcraft of the Picts,
the early inhabitants of what is now the Scottish Highlands, goes far back and
differs from all the other types of witchcraft in Europe. This is Old Scotland
and its history and legends are filled with stories of magickal workings,
spells and charms. There are charms performed to increase farm production, to
ensure a favorable wind for fishermen. Some seamen walked around a large
monolith stone seven times to encourage a good trip/catch. Other people created
charms such as the woodbine wreath. They would cut down woodbine (a form of
honeysuckle) in March during the waxing moon (anytime between new moon and full
moon) and twist the boughs into large wreaths. They kept the wreath for a year
and a day. Young children suffering from
a fever would be passed through the wreaths three times to be cured. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Old
superstitions have a strong hold on people. There are hints of the ‘old ways’
even today. Some in Scotland carry a lucky penny or ‘peighinn pisich’ that they
turn over three times at the first glimpse of a full moon. <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are many cases of
Witchcraft throughout Scottish history, demonstrating the zeal of the Protestants
and Catholics alike, in their paranoia over possible "servants of the
devil." The vast majority of Scottish Witches practiced as Solitaries
(alone without a coven), only occasionally coming together for special
celebrations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Witchcraft was first made legally punishable, in Scotland,
by an Act passed by the Scottish Parliament, in 1563 during the reign of Mary.
Witch hunts swept through Northern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries and
were fed by a mixture of superstition, religious fever, political motivation
and general suspicion. No one was safe, not the peasant not the nobleman.
Storms, diseases, and misfortunes had to be blamed on something or
someone—witches were an easy target. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Types of witches<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Kitchen Witch:</i> Practices by home and hearth, mainly dealing
with practical sides of the religion, magick, the elements, and the earth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Ceremonial Witchcraft:</i> Mainly use ceremonial magick in their
practices such as Kabbalistic magick or Egyptian magick. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Satanic Witch: </i>This doesn't exist. Why? Contrary to the
witch hunts of Europe and America, witches don't believe in Satan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Celtic Wicca:</i> Believe in the elements, the Ancient Ones, and
nature. They are usually healers. They work with plants, stones, flowers,
trees, the elemental people, the gnomes, and the fairies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Eclectic Witch:</i> These witches don’t follow a particular
religion or tradition. They study and learn from many different systems and use
what works best for them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>British Traditional Witch:</i> A mix of Celtic and Gardenarian
beliefs. They train through a degree process and the covens are usually co-ed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Alexandrian Tradition: </i>They are said to be modified
Gardenarian. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Gardenarian Tradition:</i> Follow a structure rooted in ceremony
and practice. They aren't as vocal as others and have a fairly foundational set
of customs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Dianic Tradition: </i>A compilation of many different traditions
rolled into one. Their prime focus is the Goddess. It is the more feminist side
of 'The Craft'. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Pictish Witchcraft:</i> It's originally from Scotland and is a
solitary form of The Craft. It is more magickal in nature than it is in
religion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Hereditary Witch: </i>Someone who has been taught the 'Old
Religion' through the generations of their family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Caledonii Tradition:</i> Also known as the Hecatine Tradition,
it has its roots in Scotland. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Pow-Wow: </i>Comes from South Central Pennsylvania and is a
system based on a 400 year old Elite German magick. They concentrate on simple
faith healing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Solitary Witch:</i> Any witch who practices alone, without a
coven. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Strega Witches: </i>Originally from Italy this group is known to
be the smallest group in the US. It is said their craft is wise and beautiful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkhCAg8WK8Kq5hlsRAgYmNd6VccDAD6f9enhPMG_erqLulV4hnRKo493vn1f-h6yu1oBOda8CX0Y0v6y3fNyL7G2HId0uCOYDR8fiBdV885kplDMZP9eftATF6pdP1ivteqxygm1n2GI/s1281/TheGuardiansWitchFinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkhCAg8WK8Kq5hlsRAgYmNd6VccDAD6f9enhPMG_erqLulV4hnRKo493vn1f-h6yu1oBOda8CX0Y0v6y3fNyL7G2HId0uCOYDR8fiBdV885kplDMZP9eftATF6pdP1ivteqxygm1n2GI/s320/TheGuardiansWitchFinal.jpg" width="201" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Last week my second book, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/ZgvmDw" target="_blank">The Guardian's Witch</a></i>, was published. I must tell you I didn't think I could get more excited than I did when my first book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knight-of-Runes-ebook/dp/B005UPRNVY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1372993857&sr=1-1&keywords=knight+of+runes" target="_blank">Knight of Runes</a></i>, was released. Boy was I wrong! It was just as exciting. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This story is about a reluctant witch. I suppose that's not surprising considering the story takes place in England in 1290, a time when witch hunts were happening. Our heroine does all she can to hide her 'gift' but when the man she loves is accused of treason and she is destined to be given to accuser she has to decide whether to rely on her knight to find a way to save them both or does she trust her magic and risk exposure as a witch. What type of which do you think she is?</span><br />
Ruth A Casiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721464034029743355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-32199708055552987392013-07-06T06:00:00.000-04:002013-07-06T06:00:07.192-04:00The Battle of VittoriaMy July 29 release, <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.susannafraser.com/books/a-dream-defiant/">A Dream Defiant</a>,</i> takes place in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Vittoria during the Peninsular War (i.e. the main British land campaign of the Napoleonic Wars, during which an Anglo-Portuguese force under Wellington's command gradually drove the French from the Iberian Peninsula.<br />
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Vittoria took place late in the war, on June 21, 1813. Prior to 1813, while Wellington's forces won practically every battle they fought, they didn't have the numbers to gain a total victory until after 1812, when Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Russia forced him to pull troops from Spain.<br />
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The town of Vitoria (note--not a typo. I'm using the modern spelling for the town and the older one used by the British at the time for the battle) is in Basque country in the northeastern part of Spain, which by itself tells you that Wellington's army had almost succeeded in driving the French back to their own borders. In fact, by this point <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bonaparte">Joseph Bonaparte</a>, Napoleon's older brother whom he'd installed as King of Spain, had abandoned Madrid and was with the French army--with a formidable baggage train of royal riches and treasures looted from Madrid along with the usual money and gear you'd expect an army to be transporting. Its estimated value was one million pounds in 1813 money. While it's difficult to accurately convert currency values from two centuries ago, think $150,000,000 or so. In other words, a lot.<br />
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I won't go into details of the battle, though I'd be happy to point anyone who's interested to sources. Suffice it to say it turned into a rout. The French fled the field, in their haste abandoning that baggage train of treasure.<br />
<br />
Wellington, of course, would've preferred that his soldiers pursue their defeated enemy. Instead, discipline temporarily collapsed, and they stopped to plunder--along with not a few French soldiers who wanted to claim a few treasures of their own before catching up with their units.<br />
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And so not the battle but its aftermath became the springboard of my story. My hero, Elijah Cameron, comes upon one of his men in a lethal struggle with a French soldier for a ruby necklace. Elijah drives the Frenchman away, but it's too late for his friend--who entrusts the necklace to Elijah to give to his widow, Rose Merrifield, so she can use it to return to England and have the life she's always dreamed of--buying an inn in her home village and using her cooking skill to make it a place where all the travelers on the Great North Road will want to linger over their dinners. But once rumors of the treasure get out, Rose isn't safe from men who'd use her and the necklace to their own ends. And the only one she trusts to protect her is Elijah...Susanna Fraserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16149293228696867804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-88616668739344918102013-06-19T00:01:00.000-04:002013-06-19T08:47:59.015-04:00A Traitor's FateUntil 1870, if you were a man (not a woman) convicted of high treason in Great Britain, the judge would pronounce sentence upon you as follows:
<br />
<blockquote>
That you the prisoner, now at the bar, be conveyed hence to the place from whence you came, and that you be conveyed thence on a hurdle to the place of execution; where you are to be hanged by the neck; that you be cut down alive, that your privy members be cut off, your bowels taken out and burnt in your view; that your head be severed from your body; that your body be divided into four quarters; which are to be disposed of at the king's pleasure; and God of his infinite mercy have mercy upon your soul.</blockquote>
The penalty was called drawing and quartering, and it was pretty strong stuff. Perhaps that was why, at the urging of regency reformer Sir Samuel Romilly, the emasculation and disembowelment sections of the law were repealed in the Treason Act of 1814. <br />
<div style="display: block; float: right; margin: 9px 0px 9px 14px; width: 244px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisytVt1LRIvw9TOVEhrofygaJOt3cQIULoiZ__JroJsWFoqzXEJS9_s7IRiUCIpYVfIFWiyOUeRs-CqmK3mgsDb4cik1ZhJam49YkktXobCPjmxrRZk7ireA2sBOmSZ8pEAMUhIMqcjgg/s1600/Maj+Gen+Harrison.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisytVt1LRIvw9TOVEhrofygaJOt3cQIULoiZ__JroJsWFoqzXEJS9_s7IRiUCIpYVfIFWiyOUeRs-CqmK3mgsDb4cik1ZhJam49YkktXobCPjmxrRZk7ireA2sBOmSZ8pEAMUhIMqcjgg/s320/Maj+Gen+Harrison.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 2px 0px 10px 10px; width: 244px;" /></a><br />
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Thomas Harrison, one of the regicides who condemned King Charles I to death, and under Charles II received the full pre-1814 punishment for high treason. The diarist Samuel Pepys wrote of the 1660 execution, "I went out to Charing Cross, to see Major-general Harrison hanged, drawn, and quartered; which was done there, he looking as cheerful as any man could do in that condition."</div>
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The 1814 law also left it to the king's discretion whether those convicted of high treason had to be drawn to the place of execution on a hurdle, and also whether "such person shall not be hanged by the Neck, but that instead thereof the Head shall be there severed from the Body of such person whilst alive." The law still specified, however, that whether the person was hanged to death or beheaded, the traitor should ultimately end up with his head cut off and his body divided into four quarters. High treason was the most serious crime a man could commit in Great Britain, and it was punished accordingly.<br />
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The last persons actually condemned to be drawn and quartered in England were the Cato Street conspirators, a group of regency radicals. They were followers of the late Thomas Spence, who had espoused the notion that "if all the land in Britain was shared out equally, there would be enough to give every man, woman and child seven acres each."
With unrest in the country growing, radical "levellers" like the Spenceans worried the government so much that the Home Office planted spies in the group.<br />
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In February of 1820 one such spy, George Edwards, informed a leader of the group, Arthur Thistlewood, that government ministers would be holding a cabinet dinner at the Grosvenor Square home of Lord Harrowby. Thistlewood hatched a plan to storm Harrowby's house, kill the ministers, and then display the heads of Lord Castlereagh and Lord Sidmouth (the leader of the House of Commons and the Home Secretary respectively) on poles. The heads would be paraded through the poorer sections of London, and public buildings would be set on fire in the hopes of inciting the total overthrow of the government. To that end, Thistlewood and his followers rented a vacant stable and hayloft not far from Grosvenor Square, on a street off Edgeware Road called Cato Street.<br />
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<div style="display: block; float: center; margin: 9px 8px 9px 8px; width: 437px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNo-VmQ1zraLKGrJQEqkUg9A7tEg6HONkwU_MZW0-09SS0nDEB4laTv039xn9KoVvR213yQN2Pg8AH6U0SGOnUiW4FdlRG8u_li9UzFTBvZxhe_rwqF2gRRgtShayUB2_8mwu128pISkA/s1600/Cato+raid.jpg"><img alt="The Cato Street Conspirators" border="4" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNo-VmQ1zraLKGrJQEqkUg9A7tEg6HONkwU_MZW0-09SS0nDEB4laTv039xn9KoVvR213yQN2Pg8AH6U0SGOnUiW4FdlRG8u_li9UzFTBvZxhe_rwqF2gRRgtShayUB2_8mwu128pISkA/s320/Cato+raid.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 294px; margin: 2px 8px 10px 8px; width: 437px;" /></a><br />
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An artist's rendering of the Cato Street raid, with Smithers the Bow Street Runner being run through.</div>
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On February 23, conspirators gathered in the Cato Street command post with guns, swords, knives, and a hand grenade. Across the street in a public house, a magistrate from Bow Street, Richard Birnie, assembled with a dozen Bow Street Runners and a government spy named George Ruthven. They stormed the stable to arrest the conspirators. Ruthven shouted, "We are peace officers. Lay down your arms." But when a Bow Street Runner named Smithers moved in, Thistlewood stabbed him with a sword. Smithers died soon after.<br />
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Several of the conspirators surrendered, several had to be overpowered, and several escaped. Unfortunately for the escapees, George Edwards had provided the government with the names of all the Cato Street participants. Eleven men were eventually brought to trial.<br />
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The government had learned from a previous trial against Spencean radicals--Thistlewood included--that their own spies made poor witnesses, since the counsel for the defense was able to portray them as <i>agents provocateurs, </i>agitators who incited citizens to commit crimes they otherwise might not have committed. In this case, Edwards <i>had</i> brought the cabinet dinner at Lord Harrowby's house to Thistlewood's attention. Prosecutors were able to persuade three of the conspirators to give evidence against the eleven defendents in return for dropping the charges against them. During the trial, James Ings testified that Edwards had drawn him unwittingly into the conspiracy, and, bursting into tears, said, "I am like a bullock drove into Smithfield to be sold...I hope, before you give your verdict, that you will see this man brought forward, or else, I consider myself a murdered man."<br />
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On April 28, 1820, all of the Cato Street defendents were found guilty of high treason and sentenced to death. Thistlewood complained at his sentencing that the court had refused to allow him to "prove the infamy of Adams, of Heiden, and of Dwyer," the three chief witnesses against him, and George Edwards was never put on the stand at all.<br />
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Though the Cato Street conspirators were the last traitors in Great Britain sentenced to drawing and quartering, the sentence was afterward commuted to hanging and posthumous beheading, and six of the prisoners who had changed their plea from "not guilty" to "guilty" had their death sentences commuted to transportation.<br />
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<div style="display: block; float: center; margin: 9px 8px 9px 8px; width: 448px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc42l1wIWkk9Fs8vmOWyE3_pr01w_YPP_5ZuPF0xrBZVJJ8prT9fALJPQaJQG5SyAlOuMDTJAYsmpDRu62nDj29a24xDixJuNBg76scqcGz1ctjf5LEvDNH_VmtmpltsOYvG976fQhb5A/s1600/Cato+1820.jpg"><img alt="A May Day Garland for 1820" border="8" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc42l1wIWkk9Fs8vmOWyE3_pr01w_YPP_5ZuPF0xrBZVJJ8prT9fALJPQaJQG5SyAlOuMDTJAYsmpDRu62nDj29a24xDixJuNBg76scqcGz1ctjf5LEvDNH_VmtmpltsOYvG976fQhb5A/s320/Cato+1820.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: center; height: 320px; margin: 2px 8px 10px 8px; width: 448px;" /></a><br />
<div style="font: italic normal 12px/1.1em sans-serif; margin: 0px 14px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0;">
Government figures dance around the severed heads of the Cato Street conspirators in a reference to their May Day executions, while in the background, spy George Edwards fiddles and says, "Dance away my friends, I have been the cause of all this fun by your help and money, 'Edwards the Instigator!'"</div>
</div>
<br />
Executions were carried out swiftly in the early 19th century. On May 1, 1820, Thistlewood, John Brunt, William Davidson, James Ings and Richard Tidd were brought out before a crowd at Newgate. Ings began shouting the song "Death or Liberty," prompting Richard Tidd to tell him more than once to stop making noise. The men were then hanged--Ings and Brunt struggled for quite a while--and left on the gallows for half an hour before their bodies were lowered one at a time. A masked man cut the head from each body with a surgeon's knife. He passed the head in turn to the assistant executioner, Thomas Cheshire, who held it up for the crowd to see and proclaimed from each side of the scaffold, "This is the head of (name), the traitor!" The head and body were then placed together in a coffin.<br />
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It was all quite gruesome, even without the privy member removal and the burning bowels.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s1600/signingprofile.jpg"><img alt="Alyssa Everett" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5761413493502480562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRm2SZxSqF5zltF94Uvy_5MJscV5rSyWWl8aPj0VhgbmGhjF1l80c8xz6mfMLVomoyoRjIZ6EW-871XCumPcocSBY6yNkTdJF6bUnRPsvUWPjS_J8TahzSIL5EkCAMjX8npkJeqTmw6U/s200/signingprofile.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 100px; margin: 10px 10px 5px 0; width: 100px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Alyssa Everett's upcoming regency romance, <a href="http://amzn.com/B00CV30X1U" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>A Tryst With Trouble</b></a>, includes a brief mention of the Cato Street conspirators and their fate. When it's released on September 23, it</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> will join her current release, <a href="http://amzn.com/B00APEYANY" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank" title="Click to order or learn more"><b>Lord of Secrets</b></a>, and her</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> debut regency, </span><a href="http://amzn.com/B00BZPII9E" style="font-style: italic;" title="Click to order or learn more"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ruined by Rumor</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Alyssa hopes you'll visit her </span><a href="http://alyssaeverett.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">website</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and follow her on </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/Alyssa_Everett" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyssa-Everett/225976490775474" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">, where she promises not to spam you relentlessly.</span>Alyssa Everetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02074748920540723377noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605326350033222320.post-89307789352291288052013-06-14T06:00:00.000-04:002013-06-14T06:00:01.738-04:00Not-So-Secret Hero Material<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisvCYHE9zlLjpeN7sDr6FPGpQV9eLImbFgQHYvUGNPmJRF4zG0-6CTaNG389TWtIQvHxwGXvy-kGTO6oVKht6MjWhdB1BmL9GFlbGo5eJ671hPjlU4dd6_dsmjpa3tdk-qYSQSQe8LEtN/s1600/thCA5HSKSK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" cya="true" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisvCYHE9zlLjpeN7sDr6FPGpQV9eLImbFgQHYvUGNPmJRF4zG0-6CTaNG389TWtIQvHxwGXvy-kGTO6oVKht6MjWhdB1BmL9GFlbGo5eJ671hPjlU4dd6_dsmjpa3tdk-qYSQSQe8LEtN/s200/thCA5HSKSK.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The United States Secret Service gets a lot of attention (good and bad) for its role in protecting the President, the First Family, and presidential candidates on the trail. But that wasn’t their original intended role. The Secret Service was formed by Abraham Lincoln in April, 1865, days prior to his death, to combat the rampant counterfeit issue with US currency brought on by the Civil War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A branch of the Treasury Department, the branch began investigating everything from bad money to murder because, at that time, no other apparatus of the federal government had the jurisdiction to do so except the US Marshalls and they were short on man power.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So how did an organization started to battle funny money become the protector of US presidents?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a short timeline of Big Moments in Secret Service History:</span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1865 – The Secret Service is created</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1901 – Congress first informally requested the Secret Service provide protection following the assassinating of President William McKinley</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1902 – The Secret Service assumed full-time responsibility for the protection of the president (the Uniformed Division) </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1968 – As a result of the Robert Kennedy assassination, Congress authorized protection of major presidential candidates and nominees (they may decline protection)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1965 & 1968 – Congress authorizes lifetime protection for the spouses of deceased presidents (unless they remarry) and the children of former presidents until age sixteen, or ten years after the presidency</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2003 – Oversight of the department was transferred from the Treasury Department to the Department of Homeland Security</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While some responsibilities have been siphoned off the Secret Service, they still do vastly more than protect presidential types. They are still involved in tracking and prosecuting counterfeiters as well as electronic or cyber crimes with regard to financial institutions and ‘critical infrastructures.’ </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Secret Service agents have served as romantic heroes in Hollywood since the 1950’s when Burt Lancaster starred in <u>Mister 880</u>, and most notably in1992’s <u>The Bodyguard</u>, which featured Kevin Costner as a retired agent protecting a music diva.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most recently, Gerard Butler surfaced as hero material as Agent Mike Banning in <u>Olympus has Fallen</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you say “eye candy”? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I recently started a new WIP that features a Secret Service hero, and the research has been so much fun! So which type of heroic agent turns the pages for you? </span></div>
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MK Chesterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09561356820981726447noreply@blogger.com2