While working through the interview process, I had discovered Ms. MacKenzie and I were in actuality neighbors. When I mentioned this to her she graciously invited me out for a cup of coffee. Well you can imagine my response – here I was a newbie excited about starting the blog and pursuing my writing career; and a bona fide author wanted to get together with me. I nonchalantly accepted for I did not want to scare the woman. But, deep down inside I was excited, thrilled and nervous. I mean what do you say to someone as accomplished in the Historical Romances genre, that you had just met and she wanted to take you out for coffee?

When the time came to meet at the café I was very calm. As I parked the car, I began to pretend as if I was just meeting an old friend. But that did not last long. I had no idea what to say. It was not like I had planned to interview her since I had already done that. So I asked myself what do you talk about with an accomplished author. I berated myself for not having thought about it before I had set out to meet with her.

As I walked into the café, I wondered if I would have a difficult time spotting her, since she had mentioned to me that she had somewhat changed from the picture she had sent me. But, I did recognize her immediately — I found her reading her iPad. I stood for a second studying her and wondering what kind of greeting one gives an author. At first I thought about curtsying, for I felt as if I was meeting royalty. Then I thought hugs were out of the way since we had just met, so I settled for shaking hands — it was the professional thing to do. When I started walking toward her, and she saw me, she gave me the biggest grin ever and I immediately knew I was meeting a cool lady, apprehension and shyness all gone.

It was one of the best afternoons I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. She treated me to a cup of café latte, my favorite and we talked about anything and everything, as if we were old friends. Besides her lovely smile, another thing that stood out for me was her openness and willingness to share her wisdom on writing with me.

Ms. MacKenzie published her first book at the same age I am now, giving me and hopefully other first time writers the hope that it is never too late to follow ones dreams. She also mentioned that her writing mantra was “write, write, write and then revise, revise, revise.” She talked about the Romance Writers of America and its local chapters, and how important it is to be a part of a group like them. I can happily report, since our meeting, that I have joined both the RWA and the DC and Maryland chapters.

We talked about her family and before you knew it we spent 2 ½ hours chatting. This article is long overdue, so I can’t remember if we hugged before we said our goodbyes, but something tells me we did – because that would be just what Sally MacKenzie would do. For more information about her and her books, please visit her website.

…Miguelina

Please join Author Lynn Shepherd of “Murder at Mansfield Park” for a bit of holiday fun.  Ms. Shepherd hopes to pin, two Janeite  murder mysteries, Murder at Mansfield Park against PD James’ Death Comes to Pemberley.

She is inviting anyone who’s read both books to write a short review comparing the two, and giving them each a score. The #AustenMurderMatch will start on December 26th and run till Monday 9th January 2012, and at the end all the scores will be added up and the winner announced!

Three of the reviewers who take part will also be chosen at random to receive a prize:

•    One UK reviewer will receive a copy of my next book, Tom-All-Alone’s, a
murder mystery inspired by Charles Dickens’ Bleak House
•    One US or Canada reviewer will receive a copy of my Dickens book under
its North American title, The Solitary House
•    And one reviewer from the rest of the world will receive a signed copy
of Murder at Mansfield Park.

Thanks to Constable and Robinson and Random House for providing the copies of the new book.

Ms. Shepherd has not read the PD James’ book, so she is opening up this contest with a completely open mind – she’d genuinely like to know which book you all prefer. So what do you need to do?

Send Ms. Shepherd an email at contact@lynn-shepherd.com before midnight UK time on Sunday 8th January. The email needs to contain

•    Your Twitter name
•    A review, in English, comparing Death Comes to Pemberley and Murder at
Mansfield Park. This should be no more than 150 words long.
•    A score out of ten for each of the books.
•    The country where you live (this will not be made public – it’s purely
for the purpose of the prize draw).

All your reviews will be published in full on her website (including your Twitter name), though of course she will reserve the right not to publish anything that will be considered inappropriate or offensive. Hopefully there will be enough reviews to allow her to publish them in batches, so she can keep a running score of which book is winning! And of course you can publish your own review on your blog or elsewhere if you want to as well.

Any questions, just send her an email, but otherwise get those quills sharpened, and may the best murder win!

Good luck!

…Miguelina

The Victorian period encompasses the reign of Queen Victoria from June 1837 till her death in January of 1901. During this time England experienced a period of peace, prosperity, and refined social etiquette.

The period was preceded by the Georgian/Regency period and succeeded by the Edwardian period. Culturally, England went from the rationalism of the Georgian period to romanticism of the Victorian period, which entailed an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that began in the second half of the 18th century.

England’s government consisted of the House of Commons and was headed by the two parties, the Whigs and the Tories. From the late 1850s onwards, the Whigs became the Liberals; and the Tories became the Conservatives.

Population increase was accompanied by swift urbanization that was inspired by the Industrial Revolution. A large numbers of people looking for work kept wages down to a level that was not conducive to proper living. Available housing was scarce and expensive resulting in overcrowding and a shortage of dwelling that eventually became slum housing.

England was also plagued by child labor and prostitution. Prostitutes were often presented as victims in sentimental literature. However, social stress on the purity of women found in literature, i.e., such works as Coventry Patmore’s The Angel in the House led to the portrayal of the prostitute as a woman who was dirty, tainted and dishonorable.  She became an outcast of society even though it was society who sought her services.

The emphasis on female purity was allied to the stress on the homemaking role of women―that included to provide an environment that was conducive and crucial for her family―specifically, one that was free from diseases and corruption. Prostitution at this point becomes an enigma in that it comes to symbolize the violation of the image of female purity.

We hope you enjoyed these bits of historical Victorian era facts.  We are looking forward to bringing you many Victorian romance author interviews and reviews of their novels.

Sincerely,

…Miguelina Perez

Source: Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. The Victorian Era.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era. 29 September 2011.

At the time of the regency period, Parliament was a “sleepy collection” of peers in the House of Lords and the landed gentry, the Commons.  There were no rules as to how long Government could stay in power, no popular voting, and very little pressing  business-other than to vote on the budget for the army.

Members of the House of Lords consisted of the peerage together with the archbishop and bishops of the Church of England. Members of the House were elected in their counties or boroughs.  This was not considered a problem since they were men of considerable standing.

Parliament, by law, had to meet at least every three years, but because of the restrictions of spending and the army needing to have a budget, it met every year.

The House of Common was divided by two parties, the Tories and the Whigs.  After the 1830s they were known as the Liberals and Conservatives.

Hope you enjoyed this little bit of history.

Sincerely,

…Miguelina Perez

Pool, Daniel. “What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew.”

Dear Sir

My Emma is now so near publication that I feel it right to assure you of my not having forgotten your kind recommendation of an early copy for C.H. – and that I have Mr. Murray’s promise of its being sent to H.R.H. under cover to you, three days previous to the work being really out.

I must make use of this opportunity to thank you dear Sir, for the very high praise you bestow on my other novels. I am too vain to wish to convince you that you have praised them beyond their merit.

My greatest anxiety at present is that this 4th work shd. not disgrace what was good in the others. But on this point I will do myself the justice to declare that whatever may be my wishes for its success, I am very strongly haunted by the idea that to those readers who have preferred P. and P. it will appear inferior in wit; and to those who have preferred M.P., very inferior in good sense. Such as it is, however, I hope you will do me the favour of accepting a copy. Mr. M. will have directions for sending one.

I am quite honoured by your thinking me capable of drawing such a clergyman as you gave the sketch of in your note of Nov. 16. But I assure you I am not. The comic part of the character I might be equal to, but not the good, the enthusiastic, the literary. Such a man’s conversation must a times be on subjects of science and philosophy of which I know nothing – or at least be occasionally abundant in quotations and allusions which a woman who, like me, knows only her own mother-tongue and has read little in that, would be totally without the power of giving. A classical education, or at any rate, a very extensive acquaintance with English literature, ancient and modern, appears to me quite indispensable for the person who wd. do any justice to your clergyman; and I think I may boast myself to be, with all possible vanity, the most unlearned and uniformed female who ever dared to be an authoress.

Believe me, dear Sir,

Your obliged and faithl. Hum. Serv.

Jane Austen

‘C.H.’ was Carlton House; ‘H.R.H.’, His Royal Highness the Prince Regent.

Excerpt from:  The Illustrated Letters of Jane Austen. Ed. Penelope Hughes-Hallett

Carla Kelly is a popular writer in the Regency Romance genre. Regency romances are a sub-genre of romance novels set during the English Regency period, specifically during the reign of the prince regent who became King George IV in 1820, shortly after the death of his father, King George III.

Ms. Kelly earned a Masters in History and lives in Wellington, Utah with her husband.  Together they have five grown children living across the United States.

She began to write regency romances because of her love for the Napoleonic Wars. A major theme throughout her books is the effect of war on the lives or ordinary people. Most of her characters in surviving the effects of war and in helping others, find in themselves qualities of strength and purpose, which they originally lacked.  Ms. Kelly goes against the norms of the genre by focusing her attention not on the glittering world of London society or the social elite, but on the not so fortunate, which at the time encompassed the bulk of the English population living. Her stories are distinguished by authentic, well-research detail and lightened by humor.

Ms. Kelly has been influenced by Louisa May Alcott, C.S. Forester’s, of  The Hornblower novels, R.F. Delderfield, Joseph Conrad, Nevil Shute, Jack Schaefer, Ernest Haycox, and Charles King.

Her two recent works are The Admiral’s Penniless Bride, a historical romance published through Harlequin and Borrowed Light.

I hope you give her an opportunity and check some of her works, if you haven’t already done so.

Sincerely,

…Miguelina

Dear Readers,

We are bringing you our first featured author who writes regency period fiction.

Ms. Rebecca Ashley

An Intriguing Innocent. Candlelight #621, 1980.
Characters: Wesley Cresham, Marquis of Linton & Miss Victoria Lyons
Summary: Vagabond’s daughter lives with the housekeeper of a country estate until the new owner arrives and takes her to London.
Setting: English countryside & London

A Season of Surprises. Candlelight #638, February 1981.
Characters: Lord Brandon & Miss Julia Weston
Summary: Lady who scorns marriage finds herself at a house party among ladies vying for a lord.

A Willful Widow. Candlelight #673, September 1981.
Characters: Lord Arvelly & Alamina Wilson
Summary: Widow tries to resist her husband’s heir who controls her money.

Intrepid Encounter. Candlelight #707, 1982.
Characters: Earl of Devlon & Caroline Norton
Summary: A lady travels to Dorset to comfort her widowed niece and encounters her niece’s arrogant brother-in-law.
Setting: Dorset

The Arrogant Aristocrat. Candlelight #695, January 1982.
Characters: Lord Stranham & Miss Daphne Brown
Summary: A penniless squire’s daughter doubts a lord’s honorable intentions.

A Suitable Arrangement. Fawcett, 1987.
Characters: Viscount Wellesy & Mrs. Katie Marshall
Summary: Man whom a widow rejected to marry a rake asks her to be his mistress.
Setting: Kent

A Lady’s Lament. Fawcett, 1988.
Characters: Mr. Giles Blenhurst & Miss Cynthia Thornbury
Summary: A lady with a carefully tended estate wants to buy her neighbor’s wild, overgrown property but he seems amused by her offer.
Setting: Wiltshire

The Right Suitor. Fawcett, 1989.
Characters: Lord Knole & Priscilla Springton
Summary: A lady who longs to remain in India where she was raised tries to avoid her family’s plans to marry her off to a lord.
Setting: Kent & London

Lady Fair. Fawcett, 1990.
Characters: Edwin Sorrels & Cornelia, Lady Devenish
Summary: A widow tries to maintain her husband’s estate, but inquiries by a mysterious gentleman cause her to question how well she knew her spouse.
Setting: Near Plymouth in Devon

Feuds and Fantasies. Fawcett, 1991.
Characters: William Haversly & Fiona
Summary: A lady tries to keep her sister away from the brother of the man she blames for shooting her brother in a duel.
Setting: London

Ruins and Romance. Fawcett, 1991.
Characters: Sir Nicholas & Miss Elinor Wentworth
Summary: A lady accepts a friend’s invitation to a house party and discovers that the guests are not all they pretend to be.
Setting: Lincolnshire

An Awkward Arrangement. Fawcett, 1992.
Characters: Lawrence Cambridge, Earl of Lindworth & Miss Molly Mills
Summary: Lord claims that the furniture an Irish lass bought was stolen from him.
Setting: Bath & Chiltern Hills
Rating: very good

A Miss with a Purpose. Fawcett, 1993.
Characters: Cedric, Marquis of Ridgeton & Miss Arabella Fairingdale
Summary: Lady demands that the lord with whom she shares ownership of a mill help improve working conditions.
Setting: Manchester

She wrote other Regencies as Lois Arvin Walker. 

Listing courtesy of http://www.fictiondb.com/author/rebecca-ashley~259.htm

Sincerely,

…Miguelina

Dear Readers,

Wanted to wish you all a blessed and happy new year.

2011 promises many things for us all especially for Pamela and I as we have finished our first book, “The Vicar’s Deadly Sin.”  VDS is set in the regency period and it is a romance mystery.  Lady Jane Crittenden and Ms. Margaret Renard are the best of friends.  Both ladies lost their mother during childbirth and have a love for solving mysteries.  Lord Crittenden has recently remarried and much to Lady Jane’s chagrin, since she is nineteen and does not need a mama.  However, she does quickly comes to terms that perhaps her father needs a wife and companionship. Therefore she accepts the new Lady Crittenden all the whilst trying to find out, along with her dear friend Margaret, who killed the Vicar of Dover.

I hope you continue to visit us as we all journey through 2011 and strive to love more, work harder, play well and exceed in our creative endeavors.

One of the things we hope to bring you in the new year is a web serial.  We are still working out the details and hopefully will be producing something for you to enjoy soon.

Sincerely,

…Miguelina

Dear Readers,

Here is an article written by erasofelegance.com on art, literature and music during the regency period.

Painting, Sculpture and the Graphic Arts

The graphic arts were dominated by the continuing trends from the Georgian period, captured, for example, by Jacques-Louis David’s portraits of the Revolution and Joseph Turner’s dramatic oil paintings depicting scenes of stormy weather. David was a highly influential French painter in the Neoclassical style, and his cerebral brand of historical painting marked a change in taste away from Rococo frivolity towards a classical austerity and severity. Among his most famous paintings are his portraits of Napoleon in the “Empire style”, noted for his use of warm Venetian colours. Other painters of the period include John Constable, known for his beloved landscapes; Antoine-Jean Gros, appointed to capture Napoleon’s battles on canvas; and Sir Thomas Lawrence, renowned for painting a charming portrait of the Queen, a subject rarely praised for her beauty.

Literature and Poetry

The Regency era blossomed with the romantic literature and poetry of writers such as Lord Byron, William Blake, William Wordsworth, John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and of course, Jane Austen. All of these poets and authors published most of their renowned works during this period. Many of these writers are associated with Romanticism, an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. In part a revolt against aristocratic, social, and political norms of the Enlightenment period and a reaction against the rationalization of nature, in art and literature, Romanticism stressed strong emotion as a source of aesthetic experience, placing new emphasis on such emotions as trepidation, horror, and the awe experienced in confronting the sublimity of nature. Romanticism in British literature developed with the poets Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, whose co-authored book Lyrical Ballads sought to reject Augustan poetry in favor of more direct speech derived from folk traditions. Both poets were also involved in Utopian social thought in the wake of the French Revolution. Blake is the most extreme example of the Romantic sensibility in England, while Byron, Shelley, and Keats constitute a later phase of Romanticism in Britain.

Although all her works are love stories, and although her career coincided with the Romantic movement in literature, Austen was not an intensely passionate Romantic. Among Austen’s most famous works include Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma. Her insights into the lives of women of her period, and her mastery of form and irony have made Austen one of the most noted and influential novelists of her time.

Music

Regency composers include Ludwig van Beethoven, Gioacchino Rossini, Franz Peter Schubert, Franz Liszt and Felix Mendelssohn. Beethoven is generally regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of music, and was the predominant figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music. Beethoven’s “late period” of composition (beginning around 1816 and ending with his death in 1827) produced works that are greatly admired for and characterized by their intellectual depth, intense and highly personal expression, and experimentation with forms. For example, the “Quartet in C Sharp Minor” has seven movements, while most famously his “Ninth Symphony” adds choral forces to the orchestra in the last movement.

Additionally, during this era, the waltz became all the rage in ballrooms across Europe. The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in 3/4 time, and first became fashionable in Vienna around the 1780s. The waltz replaced the country dance, the cotillion, and the scotch reel, which had previously dominated ballrooms through the early 1810s. Although initially condemned as indecent, the popularity of the waltz grew around 1830 in part because of two Austrian composers, Franz Lanner and Johann Strauss. These two composers were by far the most popular during the nineteenth century, and set the standard for the Viennese Waltz (a very fast version of the waltz).

We hope you enjoyed this bit of information we gathered for your research.  For more on the regency period please visit their website at: erasofelegance.com.

Sincerely,

…Miguelina

Dear Readers,

Happy Thanksgiving!  We hope that you enjoyed a great feast with family and friends.  We gave thanks to God for all of our blessings and prayed for those less fortunate.

Here is another blog that focuses on bringing you authors of Jane Austen fiction.

Austen Authors: Thanksgiving Day during the Federal Era

Hope you enjoy!

Sincerely,
…Miguelina