GUEST AUTHOR JESSIE CLEVER SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON THE REGENCY ERA

Jessie Clever decided to become a writer because the job of Indiana Jones was already filled. Taking her history degree dangerously, Jessie tells the stories of courageous heroines, the men who dared to love them, and the world that tried to defeat them. Learn more about Jessie and her books at her website. 

War and Change: The Turbulence of the Regency Era

I first discovered the Regency era as most dedicated romance novel enthusiasts do: through the tales of Julia Quinn and Amanda Quick and Eloisa James. But while my passion for all things Regency started in the ballroom, it soon moved to the battlefield. I so enjoyed these stories of romance and intrigue that as a student of history, I decided to learn more.

This took me both mentally and physically to the heart of the Regency, and what I discovered was far different than what romance novels led me to believe. I began to study the Regency in college, particularly studying the Napoleonic Wars and more. I went to school in Great Britain where the Napoleonic Wars were a very real part of their history. It wasn’t something merely talked about in history class. It was a living, breathing thing, and what I discovered was the Regency was not about the perfect ball gown. It was about change.

The Regency era was filled with upheaval. Starting as early as the French Revolution, accepted understanding about class, social hierarchy and government by aristocracy and royalty were being questioned. The government feared a revolution much like what they had witnessed in France and the Colonies. Treason lurked around every corner, especially with men like Thomas Paine penning pamphlets with titles such as Rights of Man. More, the idea of a woman’s role in the home was being re-examined as advancements in technology created the idea of leisure time. Even the development of the novel was eyed suspiciously as women began to read them and gain “ideas.”

The Regency era was volatile. Such social and political upheaval precluded any sense of peace, and in such an atmosphere, an author finds enticing potential. So many stories can erupt from such change and development, and they do! Out of this research came the Spy Series, a Regency romantic suspense series that grapples some of the major themes that developed in the Regency, including revolution and treason and changing roles.  

I felt betrayed by the romance novels I had read in my formative years. The ones that told me the Regency was about debutantes and lemonade. (There was so much lemonade!) And as an author, I endeavor to set the story straight. To tell stories which reflect the turmoil of the Regency. The thirst for peace. The struggle to find the new normal. This is what the Regency era is about, and it is why I invite my readers to discover more about such a turbulent period of history.

To Save a Viscount

When an assassin threatens England's spy network, Lady Margaret Folton must find the killer before it's too late. Hardened from being forced to witness the murder of her British spy parents by French revolutionists, Margaret approaches this mission like any other, with steely determination and a resolute focus on the necessary outcome at the cost of all else.

Commodore John Lynwood, newly returned from the Mediterranean, finds himself granted the title of viscount in honor of his service during the war. Plagued with a string of good luck throughout his life, the title serves as another reminder that Jack has done nothing to earn the glory and prestige that comes with his position, and he’ll be damned if he’ll enjoy such an honor.

But when Jack is accidentally granted a title meant to be used as bait to lure the assassin into the War Office's trap, Margaret must face the tragedy of her past and decide which is more important: the assignment or love?

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TRAVEL WITH SERENA--GUEST AUTHOR SUZI LOVE ON 1840'S ENGLISH TRAIN TRAVEL

Author Suzi Love lives in Australia after spending many years in developing countries in the South Pacific. She adore history, especially the many-layered societies of the late Regency to early Victorian eras, and has used this time period in her writing. She not only portrays the privileged lives of her heroes and heroines but also the grittier and seamier levels of British life. Learn more about Suzi and her books at her website. 

Hi, I'm Suzi Love and the year is 1843. I'm thrilled to be taking you on a train journey through the English countryside with the heroine of Embracing Scandal, the first book in my Scandalous Siblings Series.  

Lady Rebecca Jamison is travelling with her sisters to the country estate of Lord and Lady Hetherington, and though Becca doesn't know it yet, she is about to place herself within the grasp of her enemy. But for now, Becca and her family are enjoying the novelty of traveling to the country by train, in contrast with past years when the only way to travel was by carriage over dreadful roads.

Paddington Station

The family departs from one of the new and bustling rail stations in London.

Then the steam train cuts across large tracts of country that Becca had never traveled before, because this land has always been private and many of the landowners are angry that the new railways dissect their estates.

Crowds watching the train pass

Along the way, Becca sees crowds of onlookers who come to watch every train pass as it is still such a novelty. But often the people stand too close to the tracks and Becca and her sisters are terrified that one of them will be knocked over when the steam blasts out of the train's furnaces. The engine driver pulls hard on his whistle to warn them to stand back and the train chugs out of the country station. 

  

Becca's train passes slowly over one of the new high viaducts and she can look down on the river they are crossing. All these new railway bridges make the trip to the country much shorter than it used to be.

Train viaduct

Along the way, there is plenty of room on the train to move about and talk to the other passengers that Becca knows, including the Duke of Sherwyn, who Becca has coerced into helping her find enough proof about an illegal investment syndicate so she can go to Scotland Yard and demand justice be done. 

Becca and her family are pleased to finally arrive at Lord Hetherington's estate for a weekend of country pleasures, including horse riding and archery.   

I hope you enjoyed this country train journey with my heroine and hero. 

Embracing Scandal 

The first in my scandal series with heroines whose scientific knowledge and intellect are an affront to increasingly prudish early Victorian society. A lady, a mathematical genius, saves her family from financial ruin by dabbling in the London stock exchange. When a greedy syndicate threatens them, she begs help from her nemesis, the duke, her lifelong friend before a scandal involving her cousin. 

As the duke and his lady rekindle old passions, he uses old skills as a spy to protect her. After beating the illegal consortium, he faces the even greater challenge of convincing this self-sufficient spinster of the benefits of becoming his duchess.

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TRAVEL WITH SERENA--BRITAIN'S WATERWAYS WITH GUEST AUTHOR BLAIR BANCROFT

In her twenty-plus years as an author, Blair Bancroft has written approximately thirty books, twenty-two of them currently available as ebooks.  Although the Regency era is her favorite, she also writes romantic suspense, mystery, thrillers, and steampunk with a paranormal futuristic in the not-too-distant future. Today Blair is here to tell us all about the hidden wonders of Britain’s waterways. As Grace Kone, she writes numerous how-to blogs aimed at beginning authors. Blair’s latest traditional Regency is Lady of the Lock. Visit Blair at her website and Grace at he blog.–AP

The Hidden Wonders of Britain’s Waterways

On a tour designed for Regency authors I fell in love—with the Regency Canal, instigating nearly a decade of research on England’s vast canal system, its demise, and modern resurrection. (The Regency Canal runs from Camden Lock to Little Venice, which includes along one side of Regency Park and past the London zoo.)

Water transport has always played an important role in an island nation criss-crossed by rivers, but in the eighteenth century the concept of linking every part of England to India, Asia, and the Americas solely by water exploded into the great Canal Age. Fine china, for example, could be off-loaded onto narrowboats in London and taken directly to distributors without being jostled about, and possibly broken, on wagons running over rough roads.

Narrowboats Duke & Duchess on the Kennet & Avon Canal

What is a narrowboat? Narrowboats can have a maximum length of 70 feet but cannot be more than 7 feet wide or they may have trouble with some of the locks in the British Waterways system. Nor would they be able to pass each other in the narrow canals. Narrowboats were England’s lifeline from the early eighteenth century through most of the nineteenth century. Some were still in use during World War II. But in England’s struggle to rebuild after the war, the canal system—replaced by both trains and modern roads—was neglected. The canals silted up; weeds grew where narrowboats had once brought goods into the heart of England.

And then an astounding thing happened. Volunteers decided to rehab the major canals. The back-breaking labor involved can only be imagined, but today England once again has a vast network of linked canals, now used for recreational boating.

Narrowboats parked end-to-end on The Regency Canal

Today, it’s technically possible for, say, a wealthy boater, who has his narrowboat tied up in front of his townhouse on the Regency Canal, to travel the width and breadth of England—and parts of Wales—as long as he has the strength and patience to navigate all the locks involved! I distinctly recall the sight of a woman attempting to jockey a narrowboat into a lock after her husband had leaped out to deal with opening the lock—a process that is much easier with three or four strong backs. She looked up at him and wailed, “You said this was going to be fun!”

Frankly, it’s only fun if you’re experienced at maneuvering through locks and have plenty of willing hands (or should I say bums?) to help shove the great gates open.

Putting your bum to the lock

But, oh, the joy of gliding along at 3mph through mile after mile of contrasting, but almost consistently idyllic, settings. Picturesque towns, farms, scenic landscapes, ducks, swans, heron, wildflowers. Total peace and quiet—even if there’s a road not far away, the noise doesn’t seem to penetrate the trees, shrubs, and brambles along the canal.

Newbury at 8am on a Sunday morning

There’s not even a whiff of manure as electric motors have replaced the horses who used to pull the narrowboats along the canals. The tow paths are now walking paths, used by locals, hiking enthusiasts, and boaters who want to stretch their legs for a bit. (Steering a narrowboat may be a “solo” activity, but for negotiating locks, the more hands the merrier.) 

       

Water entering a lock as it begins to open

 Which brings me to how I acquired these photos. It’s possible to take a narrowboat vacation without having to rent a narrowboat and do everything yourself (as happened to the poor woman mentioned above). I spent a week traveling by narrowboat from Newbury to Bath, through 72 locks and over at least two aqueducts, with no more responsibility than “putting my bum” to a lock gate. What is an aqueduct? Believe it or not, it’s a bridge strong enough to support a canal full of water and the narrowboats that travel over it. The Dundas Aqueduct is more than two hundred years old and still doing its job!

The 200 year old Dundas Aqueduct

The canal the aqueduct supports

A great debt is owed to the people who re-opened England’s canals and made this marvelous recreational opportunity available to all.  It’s beautiful, tranquil, a place out of time, a true chance to “get away from it all.” (Unless you try to negotiate locks with just two people! Or absolutely can’t stand the idea of traveling at 3mph.)

A note to Americans who might be asking, “But how did you get to such an out-of-the-way place as Newbury?” The British rail system is in a class by itself. I walked off a British Airways flight, bought a train ticket at the desk straight in front of me, walked down a short flight of steps and boarded a train which, with only one change, took me to Newbury in less than two hours. A taxi took me to canalside where, oops, my narrowboat hadn’t turned up yet—they’d gotten stuck in a lock! So, yes, even the experts have trouble at times.  But if you’d like to see where a narrowboat can take you, here’s a link to the hotelboats, Duke & Duchess.  Give it a try. 

Blurb:

For nearly a decade Miss Amanda Merriwether persists in an impossible dream. The object of her affections is heir to a dukedom; she, the daughter of a canal engineer,* a man considered little better than a tradesman. Her relationship with the Marquess of Montsale suffers enough blows to discourage the strongest will, yet even when she finally learns to spurn her long-time love, somehow a spark remains.

*A fictional version of the man who designed the Kennet & Avon Canal and the Dundas Aqueduct, mentioned in the article above.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY -- GUEST AUTHOR SUE SWIFT

Today we welcome best-selling, award-winning author Sue Swift, a.k.a Suz deMello. Sue has written over fifteen novels in numerous genres including romance, mystery, paranormal, historical, contemporary comedy, and erotic, plus several short stories and non-fiction articles. In addition, she’s both a freelance editor and a senior editor for Etopia Press. Learn more about Sue at her blog. Sue is offering an e-version of Lord Devere’s Ward to one of our readers who posts a comment. -- AP

Researching Historical Novels

I wrote the first draft of Lord Devere’s Ward by drawing upon my experiences traveling in England, reading other Regency romances, most notably Georgette Heyer, and studying the manners, mores, and art of the time.

I love to write historical romances mostly because of the research. I love history, especially the way people used to live. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not one of those starry-eyed nostalgia freaks who longs for the “good old days.” I know well that the old days were not good. We live in a wonderful period in history and in a great society, (to rip off LBJ). We have antibiotics, clean air, healthful food, and drinkable water. I’m especially grateful because I lived in China, a developing country, for the better part of a year. China’s air pollution is famous, but few Americans seem to be aware that the water isn’t drinkable without boiling it.

That was also the case in Regency England, but people weren’t aware of bacteria—the germ theory of disease wasn’t completely formulated until later in the century. But they knew that foul water was bad, which accounted for the popularity of tea as well as gin and ale.

I placed the book in 1820, toward the end of the Regency period, and on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution, so I had a lot of fun researching the clothes and food of the time.

When researching and writing a novel, I like to base plot points on some unique aspect of the era. In Lord Devere’s Ward, the art of the time precipitates a plot twist late in the story. I don’t want to reveal it, because it’s pretty important, but I will say that because few people were literate, the news and events of the day were often communicated via cartoons and broadsides that were pasted to shop windows, walls, and pillars.

I invite you to delve more deeply into this fascinating time and place by looking at some of the resources available online. I particularly like Candice Hern’s website and the Jane Austen’s World blog. Enjoy!

Blurb of Lord Devere’s Ward:


His honor or his passion…


Orphaned Kate Scoville is trapped in a tower prison by her scheming uncle, who plans to wed her to his loathsome son to gain control of her fortune. Plucky and resourceful, Lady Kate escapes to London to beg help from her guardian, the elderly Earl of Devere. But once she arrives, Kate is astounded to find that the Earl has died and his son has inherited–and her new guardian cuts a very dashing figure.


Quinn, the present Earl, remembers Kate from his childhood as an awkward child he loved to tease. But his father’s ward has grown into a beautiful young woman, and when she comes to him in need, he finds his thoughts far from honorable. Duty demands he offer his protection, but their attraction is irresistible, and the temptation of the dark-haired beauty may be too much for even an honorable man to resist…

Excerpt:

Badham Abbey, Wiltshire, England

January, 1820

"God, help me!"

Kate Scoville kicked and flailed her feet, struggling to grip the tower wall with her oversized boots. She whispered a hasty prayer in the chance that the Almighty paid attention to her small corner of His world. Wearing clumsy, borrowed gloves, she grasped the rope tied to the attic window and pushed her boots against the side of the tower, seeking purchase on the wall.

At last, her toes found a mortared joint between two massive blocks of stone. She breathed deeply until her racing pulse steadied. The chill air knifed her lungs. She could see her breath, small puffy clouds, when she exhaled.

She looked down and gulped. Three far stories below her, the slate roof of the abbey gleamed, pale and frosty in the moonlight.

She tried not to utter curses damning her wretched uncle, whose treachery had brought her to such desperate straits. First he'd torn her away from her beloved home in Somerset. Then he'd nagged her to marry his beef-witted son, Osborn, until she thought he'd drive her quite out of her mind. Locking her in an icy tower attic until she cooperated had been the proverbial last straw.

She inched her boots down the tower wall. The short sword she wore on her belt beat against her side with every halting step as her cape flapped around her knees. She finally attained her immediate goal: the abbey's second-story roof. Still clasping the rope, she crept across the slippery slates. If she reached the edge of the roof without mishap, she'd climb down to the ground by way of a convenient vine or tree.

At the end of the rope, she released it with a shaky, nervous hand. A few steps later, her feet flew out from under her. Yelping, she fell with a bump to slide down the pitched roof, scrabbling for a hold.

Scant feet from the brink, she plunged into a black gap. Her cape caught on the rough edges and timbers of the roof, breaking her fall. Despite her clinging garb, she plummeted through the hole, too shocked and frightened to scream.

Intrigued? Want to read more? Post a comment, and you could be the winner of an e-copy of Lord Devere’s Ward. -- AP