I frequently reflect on how different our lives are from the lives of those that lived during the Georgian Period, but occasionally, I am reminded in surprising ways that human nature is rather constant. As a case in point, let’s consider reality television. Back in 2012, there was a reality show called Extreme Cheapskates. It… Read the full blog post …
As I continue to work on my next book, I found I wanted to know a little more about the history of scarlet fever. You see, I needed to use a disease that would keep Elizabeth away from Longbourn so she would be forced to interact with Darcy at Netherfield, but I didn’t want a… Read the full blog post …
Do you ever have those moments where it is your turn to speak, but you aren’t sure what to say? As I sat down to write this post, I felt a little like that. Since we last connected, I’ve continued to work on my latest Pride and Prejudice variation. When writing, I tend to run… Read the full blog post …
Last October, a pet joined my family, which means I have been learning to cohabitate with another species. Now, I did my research before bringing the fluff-ball home. But reading about something differs from experiencing it. For example, when they mentioned shedding, I imagined a few dozen hairs escaping her daily brushing. I did not expect that, should… Read the full blog post …
Well, I planned to share chapter two of my work in progress today, but as the story progressed, I came to see it could benefit from a prologue. I thought it was better to share this excerpt before chapter two. Prologues were frequently used by the ancient Greeks. In Greek plays, they were rather important.… Read the full blog post …
After months of struggling to write, I started a new story. You will find the first chapter below. Keep in mind this is a draft. It’s subject to change and may contain errors. But one reason I wanted to share this excerpt with you is that it mentions indigo. When I wrote about this flower,… Read the full blog post …
During this past year, I have made greater use of my Netflix account. This is not an admission I make with pride. In fact, there have been times I have found myself scraping the bottom of the entertainment barrel—yes, Tiger King, I’m looking at you. Considering my copious amounts of digital consumption, it should come… Read the full blog post …
When I was about 12, a friend of mine curled her hair using rags. She was a fan of Anne of Green Gables and wanted to see what it looked like. It was cute, but rags are similar to curlers worn overnight. They may produce waves or add volume to straight hair, but they… Read the full blog post …
I recently finished watching the popular Netflix series The Crown, which is based on Queen Elizabeth’s life. If you have seen the series, you will recall that the Queen had two disabled cousins who were sent to live in a group home and were largely forgotten. By today’s standards, it’s unusual to send your children… Read the full blog post …
Like many of you, as the year has progressed, I have started to feel a little cooped up. Since I can’t currently travel, I have spent a good chunk of time this month fantasying about traveling, especially after I read about an organization called Regency Encounters. If you haven’t heard of this organization, they put… Read the full blog post …
When writing, one is told to draw on one’s own experiences. I was considering this advice (while trying to come up with a reason our dear couple might be confined together as virtual strangers) and was reminded of a first date I once had. The year was 1992. We had gone out to dinner. As… Read the full blog post …
In my household, I am the least technical person. My use of technology and internet presence is quite limited, but recently my children have introduced me to a new online passtime: scrolling through Reddit. There are some funny pages on there. I was looking at one called DIWhy. As the name implies it shows images… Read the full blog post …
I love food! Not only do I enjoy eating it, I like recipes. When I went to post my last blog entry, I noticed something that suggested Austen Authors sometimes share historical recipes with readers. Yay. Those things are so fun. Every recipe confuses me and sounds like something I just couldn’t bring myself to… Read the full blog post …
