The Third Duke book & other items, including a deal

Curious about the Cossack trousers Cassandra wore? Here’s the inspiration. Cossack trousers United Kingdom Textiles and Fashion Collection. 1820-1830 (made) Artist/Maker: Unknown Materials and Techniques: ilk, lined with cotton, hand-sewn. Credit Line: Given by Mr Frederick Gill Museum number: T.197-1914. Copyright: © Victoria and Albert Museum

So many readers have asked about the third Difficult Dukes book that, with apologies, I’m going to have to respond here rather than in individual replies.

Alice & Blackwood’s story is in process. The goal is publication in 2022. If I could write faster, I would, but this is the way it goes nowadays, to my everlasting frustration.

Meanwhile, I’ll be continuing to stay in touch via this blog, Facebook, and Instagram. There will be pictures, lots of pictures, and information of varying degrees of historical nerdiness. Also, now and again on Instagram, there will be a giveaway.

For a set of images specifically related to individual books, please check out my Pinterest Page. If you would like to know more about any of the images, please email me, and I’ll be happy to write a blog post about it. The same applies to any puzzling elements in my books that you would like explained. I think it’s really fun to talk about social history: clothing, vehicles, manners, and so on. That’s part of the reason I write historical romance. For me, research is just delightful. It’s like playing Sherlock Holmes with history.

In other news:

A DEAL—The eBook edition of Royal Bridesmaids, an anthology that includes my novella, Lord Lovedon’s Duel, is for a limited time available for $0.99. Please be aware that these are short pieces, definitely not full-length novels. I’d need another three hundred-plus pages for that.



Gang of Historical Romance Authors + an Editor Tackle Bodice Rippers

Many of today’s historical romance writers got their first taste of the genre via Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Rosemary Rogers, Johanna Lindsey, and other historical romance pioneers. For a while now, though, we’ve been well aware of aspects of these books that seem to be very much at odds with today’s sensibilities. In fact, the subject came up at one of my last in-person events, hosted by Super Librarian Meena Jain. It was her idea to put together a panel to talk about the genre, as it was and as it is, and what we think now vs. what we thought then. And other things.

I do hope you’ll join us for what looks to be a very lively discussion.

Cary Library
Virtual Romance Panel: Bodice Rippers in the Era of Me, Too (Please scroll down calendar to event date.)
14 October 2020 7-8:30PM

And may I just say that I will forever be grateful to Ms. Woodiwiss, not only for being one of the authors who introduced me to historical romance, but for heading an anthology that included my novella, The Mad Earl’s Bride. This was the first time I ever saw my name on bestseller lists, all thanks to Ms. Woodiwiss.

 

The Singing Bird Pistols

Readers familiar with my short story, “Lord Lovedon’s Duel,” (recently reissued in the Royal Bridesmaids anthology and one of the two stories in the Royally Ever After duet) will remember the Singing Bird Pistols. In case anybody was wondering, yes, they’re real.

Some years ago, reader Ammie sent me a link she believed a Nerdy History Girl like me would enjoy. I was wowed, and the pistols became part of the inspiration for the novella.

This link will take you to the video I watched over and over: The Only Known Pair of Matching Singing Bird Pistols – Attributed to Frères Rochat | Christie's.

I and others did wonder how the pistols had survived, let alone survived in pristine condition. Apparently, they weren’t pristine. This video, which another reader, Kafryn W Lieder, was so good as to send me, tells the impressive story of their restoration.

Since not everybody’s screen of choice works quite the same, and some people who receive the blog via email see only a square, rectangle, or blank where the video ought to be, below are the respective links to the videos with their YouTube titles.

The Only Known Pair of Matching Singing Bird Pistols – Attributed to Frères Rochat | Christie's
Parmigiani Fleurier - Restoration "The Pistol and its Songbird"