Back to Top

Tag Archives: A Regency Christmas

Unexpected Gifts

Updated on by

I hope everyone–especially the mothers–had a Happy Mother’s Day. My in-laws visited for the weekend and we went to the new Workhouse Arts Center, created from the former prison in Lorton, VA. It is a wonderful place where artists create and sell their art, everything from photography to textiles to glass to painting and sculpture. All kinds of creativity.

So it was only fitting that my daughter gave me “art” for mother’s day, a print she found in a thrift shop (she also bought me a necklace and my son gave me chocolates, which was a whole ‘nuther great gift).

I haven’t had time yet to look up what type of soldier this is. I think he’s French…Believe me, I have a few uniform books I can look though to find out. But I love him. Mostly I love that my daughter saw this print and thought of me.

Another thoughtful gift I received recently involved my uncle, aunt and her sister, who is no relation to me. A long time ago my uncle, who lives in Florida, asked me for the Regency Fashion print I’d used for a Christmas card. I sent it to him wondering a bit why he wanted to have it.

Then a few weeks ago, I received a HUGE box in the mail with this gift inside. My aunt’s sister makes these doll wall hangings as a craft. She copied my Regency Fashion print and made a doll of it
Isn’t this clever? Even the face is similar to the print. I love the way she made the hand holding the cape open.

Like my daughter’s gift, this was both unexpected and thoughtful. It went straight to my biggest obsession–The Regency. How grand is that?

Have you received a gift that was both unexpected and incredibly thoughtful?

Remember that my day to blog at Diane’s Blog is Thursdays! Come visit me then too.
Blogging at DianeGaston.com

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 14 Replies

A White Christmas

Updated on by

As you know Washington DC joined the rest of the mid-Atlantic in experiencing a record-breaking December snowstorm. Here in the Northern Virginia suburbs, the snow started Friday night about 9 pm and didn’t stop until late afternoon Saturday. We got 2 feet of snow. Here is a view of our snow, taken from my upstairs window at 12 noon Saturday.

One nice thing about snow is it covers all the dirt and darkness in a blanket of pure white, everything becomes quiet and life, of necessity, slows down.

One can almost imagine what it would be to live in the country in Regency England, to take walks through the wood, perhaps even to go skating on the pond or zipping over to your neighbor’s house in a horse-drawn sleigh.

Of course, a Regency winter walk might be like this:

And zipping along in a vehicle, might be more like this:

In the newspaper you might read about stories like this one from the 1814 Annual Register:

Extraordinary Instance of the Sagacity of a Dog.—Mr. T. Rutherford, of Long Framlington, was, about a fortnight ago, overcome in a snow storm, near Alnwick, and fell. In this state he was exposed to all the horrors of the night, till seven o’clock in the morning. His faithful dog at this time observing a shepherd at a small distance, used every exertion to attract his attention, such as howling, going from and returning to the spot where his master lay. This induced the shepherd to follow the dog’s motions. Mr. Rutherford was found, (then covered by the snow,) carried to a neighbouring publichouse, and, after five hours’ exertion, life was restored, and he is now quite well.

On the other hand, one might have a lovely Regency Christmas, eating Christmas pudding, drinking wassail, playing Christmas music on the pianoforte, dancing or playing cards.

What do you imagine a Regency winter and Christmas to be like? What do you think you’d like best about it?

It’s been a great gift to have such a wonderful Risky Regencies community. I wish all my fellow Riskies and everyone else a very happy holiday season!

Marmion
by Sir Walter Scott

Heap on more wood! – the wind is chill;
But let it whistle as it will,
We’ll keep our Christmas merry still.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 19 Replies

Omigosh It’s Monday

Updated on by

I am caught unprepared!

First of all, I stayed up all night to finish my Undone. You know, the one you all helped me with on 11/24/08. (janegeorge, I still promise to write about my writing routine…..someday).

Now before you feel sorry for me; it was my own fault that I didn’t use my time more efficiently. This story was only 10,000 to 15,000 words and I should have been able to write that in a week or two.

And I didn’t spend a great deal of time on the holidays except for one marathon 5 1/2 hour binge of shopping for everything last Tuesday.

New Year’s resolution–MAKE BETTER USE OF MY TIME!

Anyway I wound up pleased with the story and here is hoping Linda Fildew likes it, too. At least this time I did not accidentally delete it before sending it, like I did last summer when I stayed up all night to meet a deadline.

BUT…What I really wanted to blog about was my very favorite Christmas gift. My IPhone!

On Christmas eve my husband decided to get himself an IPhone for Christmas, which was fine with me, because what I got him was very unexciting and I was sick of hearing him discuss the pros and cons of various phones. To me this was an extravagance that we didn’t really need, but, let’s face it, I caved.

He came back with an IPhone for me, too!!!
Mine is white (as you can see) and I’ve fallen in love with it.

I can read my email anytime, anywhere, and even answer it, although the keyboard is a bit tedious. I used it to respond to Megan’s and Amanda’s blogs! I can read our Risky Regencies blog anytime, anywhere. It already has my calendar and my addresses and my ITunes. It has GAMES and YouTube! Plus it is a breeze to use.

Needless to say, I spent a lot of time playing with my IPhone when I should have been writing. I also enjoyed my family who all came for Christmas dinner here, my kids, my sisters, my brother-in-law and niece. My sister said the magic words a few days before Christmas, “Why don’t you get a ham?” Yay! No turkey to cook!

What was your favorite Christmas gift?

By the way, The Wet Noodle Posse will be back after Jan 1.
There is still a contest on my website and updates to be made very soon.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 23 Replies

What I Want For A Regency Christmas

Updated on by

I like to imagine myself in a Regency Christmas, gathering evergreens and mistletoe with my beau (who looks a lot like Colin Firth); ice skating on the nearby pond.

Riding to church in a horse-drawn sleigh.

My Christmas gifts would be a copy of Pride and Prejudice by A Lady and a lovely silk and ivory fan.

We’d have a delicious Christmas dinner.

And afterward dance and play whist.

And I would have a wonderful Regency Christmas!

My friendships are the treasured gifts I’m thankful for this 2008. Thank you all for your friendship and for making Risky Regencies almost as nice a place to be as the real Regency!

What would you like for a Regency Christmas? Or for this 2008 Holiday?

Stop by the Wet Noodle Posse blog today and read all about when Snoopy knocked down the Christmas tree. There’s a photo of me and one of Snoopy, too.

The bookcover is the 2007 anthology that included my novella, A Twelfth Night Tale.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 21 Replies

The Vanishing Viscountess cover is here!

Updated on by

The Cover Gods have blessed me once again!

Take a look at my new cover of The Vanishing Viscountess, coming January 2008 from Harlequin Historical!

I am THRILLED TO PIECES!! Not only does the scene fit the story, but the models even look like the hero and heroine.

The Vanishing Viscountess is Tanner’s story. Tanner first appeared in Innocence and Impropriety and when he threatened to take over the book, I promised him a very special book of his own. He settled down and allowed Flynn to get the girl in the end. Just as I suspected, however, Tanner gave me a wonderful good time writing his story of rescuing a viscountess-on-the-run and aiding her escape to Scotland.

Oddly enough when I was planning Innocence and Impropriety, I chose this image for Tanner. I didn’t realize that I’d chosen Gerard Butler, nor had I yet seen Phantom of the Opera and embarked on my Gerard Butler obsession. But talk about foreshadowing! Who thought that I’d foreshadow Tanner’s abs!

I do realize that the shirt and vest are not Regency period correct (Regency shirts did not open in the front and I doubt a Regency vest would be that color). I know I’m hypocritical, because I did lament about the Innocence and Impropriety cover hero wearing his neckcloth tied in a bow, and I made a big deal about the Beau Brummell BBC TV movie showing an open-front shirt. I do not care. The Vanishing Viscountess cover strikes just the right tone for the story and I’m betting the bare abs will make browsing female bookstore patrons pick up the book.

But if a gorgeous, bare-chested guy on one book wasn’t enough, I also received the cover for the UK version of last year’s Christmas anthology, featuring my novella, A Twelfth Night Tale and stories from yesterdays guest blogger, Elizabeth Rolls and the very talented, Deborah Hale. The UK version will be released October 2007 and was renamed A Regency Christmas.

Isn’t it a lovely Christmas cover?

You can actually order this book from Mills and Boon right now!

Visit my website to hear me gush more about these books. My contest this month is to win one autographed copy of my RITA winner, A Reputable Rake, for yourself and another copy for a friend. The Cover Gods were good to me for A Reputable Rake, too.

Is this a good time to renew our cover debate?

Would you be as thrilled about The Vanishing Viscountess cover as I am or do you think it is too….mantitty?

What kind of covers do you like best?

Do covers influence whether or not you pick up a book in a bookstore?

If you are reading a romance in public, do you conceal the cover? (I confess, I used to, but now I hope someone notices and dares to say something to me!)

If you are near Williamsburg, Virginia, this Saturday, September 15, from 1 pm to 3 pm, I’ll be signing copies of Innocence and Impropriety, along with Romance Authors, Michelle Willingham, Marliss Melton, and Sydney Croft at The College of William and Mary Bookstore (Barnes and Noble), 345 Duke of Gloucester Street, Williamsburg. Mention Risky Regencies and I’ll have something special for you!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 35 Replies