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Category: Frivolity

Fun posts

Ask Lady Cordelia

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Good evening! May I offer you some tea? Perhaps some seed cake? (I am always polite, you see, even when deeply perplexed). When I went to my slumber last night, it was 1810 and I was visiting my dear friends Lord and Lady Seaforth-Haigh-Smythe. I was most comfortably ensconced in their lovely Yellow Chamber (rumored to be haunted, by those inclined to romantic superstition), and when I awoke I found myself here. In the small (yet charming!) cottage of Lady Amanda, surrounded by almost as many pets as our own Duchess of York possesses and forced to sleep on something called a “sleeper sofa.” There is also this magical contraption, the come-puter, and its instant post.

I am confused by many things in this new abode (tea in bags? Horrors!), but I am sure good manners and proper behavior will see me through. In my own time, I am rather well known for my knowledge of etiquette. I even pen my own pamphlet, “Ask Lady Cordelia,” where many a bewildered soul faced with social conundrums has benefited from my advice. Perhaps I can be of assistance to some of you?

As I bide my time until I can return home, I am quite relieved to see that a house party has recently (and properly) concluded, and that these, er, “Riskies” at least possess some knowledge of proper attire and gentle pursuits such as music.

Farewell for now!

Lady Cordelia

Posted in Frivolity, Regency | Tagged | 8 Replies

Getting Ready…

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Merry Christmas Eve, everyone. By now you are nearly as ready as you are going to be, I imagine. I sit here and think of folks basking in the lights of their trees with the beautifully wrapped gifts beneath, or sitting before a warm fire with a cozy shawl, a book, and a cup of spiked eggnog.

Then I think of everything I still have to do, and swear (nicely) that I will not be late again. Next year I am getting ready early for Christmas, sending cards and boxes on time, and having that nice evening of peace and comfort. I may spend it alone with my cats, but that doesn’t matter. I just want to be ready, and then be able to relax and feel the spirit.

I will shortly be packing gifts into my car and driving 70 miles north to visit my sister (fortunately the weather is behaving–usually there’s a winter storm at about this time), and so I hope you forgive me for cutting this short. But I am thinking of you all, lovers of Regencies, readers and writers both, and wishing you the Merriest Christmas of all.

love,
Laurie

Posted in Frivolity | Tagged | 2 Replies

Pulp and Prejudice

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And, kicking off the daily contests–today, win a signed copy of Dedication by Janet Mullany

Man Chase by Joseph Chadwick
Three women wanted him – His wife…for the wedding ring she didn’t deserve; the redhead…who “forgot” to tell him she was married; the blonde…for the affair she craved.
What…no brunettes? What’s wrong with the man?

Summer Widow by Florence Stonebraker
What did the beach boys have that her husband didn’t? Maggie meant to find out – and did!
Florence Stonebraker??! Do you think that was really her name?

Hell is a Woman by Garrett W. Deas
Helen loved other men behind his back…Mary Ann loved them in front of him… Lorna loved too, but in very special ways… They taught Ben Randall how to separate the women from the girls!
Hell? Sounds like old Ben isn’t having that bad a time. And “very special ways”? What on earth could those be?

Lust in Paradise by William Vaneer
Island paradise – or tourist trap? Blissful isle – or haven of lechery?
Well, let me see, now. I wonder which it would be…

I’m a great fan of eBay, where you can find things you didn’t even know you wanted, and certainly don’t need. It was there I found this batch of pulp novels circa 1960 and which inspired my contest contribution.

Your task, dear reader, is to rewrite these (original) cover blurbs as though they were Regencies or lost masterpieces by Jane Austen. All, or one–I won’t judge on quantity, but on quality (unlike the defunct Beacon press which churned these lovelies out). If you find that too daunting, give us the first sentence(s). Grammar and spelling are not as important as wild creativity and the ability to make tea come out of my nose.

Here’s an example: Summer Widow–visiting Brighton to recover her health, shy widow Maggie Stonebraker (oh, I just love that name) finds herself strangely attracted to the bronzed, handsome young man who drives her bathing machine…and his donkey.

I know you can do better than that. Go to it, and win a copy of my book Dedication (which will probably seem rather tame in comparison). You have until Saturday at midnight to post your entry.

And have you entered the Treasure Hunt? Go on, don’t be shy…and visit every day for more thrills, chills n spills with daily prizes.

Janet Mullany
www.janetmullany.com

 

Posted in Frivolity, Giveaways | Tagged , | 21 Replies

Treasure hunt!

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It is I, Bertram St. James, Regency Time-Traveler Extraordinaire, here to tell you about the deliciously exciting Risky Regencies Treasure Hunt!

Enter now! Answer the six questions that follow, “e-mail” them to the “e-mail address” provided, and you will be entered to win literary treasure!

How do you find the answers to these questions? It is excessively simple. Just search this “blog.” Have delirious fun while doing so. Indeed, become so distracted by all this fun that you almost forget to put on your cravat.

Oh, very well. Having all that fun is not actually a prerequisite for winning. (The prize-winner shall be the entrant with the greatest number of correct answers. If there is a tie, the winner shall be picked at random from those entries which contain the most correct answers.) Of course, anyone finding all six correct answers will have all the fun that I described above — and quite possibly so much more.

The best part of all this? The triumphant winner (who shan’t be paraded by chariot through the streets of Rome crowned with laurel, but really ought to be, if you ask me) will win many books written by the Risky Regencies authors — you are guaranteed at least six free autographed books (personally inscribed with your name) — and most likely more than six. You will also win a variety of delightful Regency-themed or English-themed items, which may include tea, or bookmarks, or who knows what else!

You have through Saturday, Jan 14, 2006 to enter. Email your answers to elailah@yahoo.com (you cannot post your answers on this “blog” for reasons that are so obvious that even I can figure them out).

And the questions (drum roll, please):

  1. If Megan could be any character from a Regency romance, which character would it be?
  2. What is Janet’s favorite museum in the city of Bath?
  3. What Regency era pastry recipe did Elena recreate for her Regency Tea and booksigning?
  4. What product was once marketed to worried consumers when the fear of Grave Robbers was prominent?
  5. Which Jane Austen movie heartthrobs won the top votes in the Risky Regencies poll in each of the three categories: (a) hottest, (b) most loveable, and (c) most marriageable? (You must name the character AND the actor for each!)
  6. What two Christmas novellas did Amanda write for Signet? And which one contains her personal favorite couple of her own creating? (Name the couple for bonus points!)

Best of British luck to you all!

Bertram St. James, Exquisite

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Blog Party Rules!!! (Besides HAVE FUN!)

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Welcome to the Risky Regencies Blog Party! Thanks for coming. Do come in, have a seat, have a glass of claret or a cup of tea.

In addition to mingling with other guests and your six hostesses (and of course me, Bertram St. James, Regency time-traveler extraordinaire), you have the chance to win prizes. Six daily prizes will be awarded, one for each day from Monday through Saturday, with a grand prize at the end of the week to the winner of the Treasure Hunt.

1. To be eligible for a daily prize, just submit a comment on any or all of the posts which appear each day from Monday through Saturday (January 9 through 14). The winning comment will be chosen based on its creativity, originality, or truthfulness — or perhaps on whether it made that day’s hostess snort with laughter.

2. You may continue to comment after the “day” of the post — all comments will be eligible for a prize, as long as they appear before the end of Saturday, January 14.

3. It is possible to win on multiple days.

4. Hedgehogs are eligible for prizes, but only if do not leave footprints in the blog.

5. Information about the Treasure Hunt rules and grand prize appear in the post entitled TREASURE HUNT.

6. Isn’t my waistcoat too beautiful for words?

7. The hostesses and their families are not eligible for prizes, although of course they are allowed to chatter as much as they want. They will anyway.

8. Tea is allowed to post comments as much as it likes, but only if it is real tea. It may have milk in it, or even sugar or honey, or a bit of lemon — but no mango, no vermicelli, no pantheon of primates.

9. All the prize winners will be announced next week — so do check back to see if you’ve won!

10. Gentlemen are encouraged to join in the fun. Bounders and cads, however, are not welcome. (You know who you are.)

11. Questions? Just ask by leaving a comment on this post! (To comment, you will need to be registered with the entity known as “Blogger” or “Blogspot” — but this process is free, and ever so delightful.)

Now, to the party!

Bertie the Beau, Regency Exquisite

Posted in Frivolity, Giveaways | Tagged , | 19 Replies