Happy New Year - Glückliches Neujahr, by Mela Koehler ca 1910, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
It’s been a challenging couple of years, yes. I’m closing the door on all that, and hoping you’ll join me in a toast to better days to come.
I wish you a very happy, healthy, prosperous 2022.
Smithsonian Institution
My holiday gifts came early, in the form of the responses to my recent blog post about the third Difficult Dukes book.
I must have the best readers ever, anywhere. You made me smile and you made me cry, but most of all you made me grateful. For the last century or so (give or take a little), I’ve been fortunate to write the kind of stories I want to write, and get them published. My books are all over the world, translated into I don’t know how many languages. So really, when a couple of stories prove recalcitrant, during times that have been brutally difficult—and for all too many people, vastly more painful and difficult than my little problems—it’s frustrating, but hardly catastrophic. Hello, perspective? Yes, I’ve got some, really. These are not the easiest times, and we’re all doing the best we can.
I wish you the best of everything during this festive, special season: good health, and good times with loved ones, celebrations or quiet time—as you prefer—reasons to smile and laugh, and yes, some peace of mind.
More anon. Meanwhile, I’ve got cookies to bake.
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.
