Regency Era began 200 years ago today

It was 200 years ago today that the Regency Period began. It truly was a short era, 1811-1820, but according to the copious amount of books published, this time period can go from 1800-1820, though technically 1714-1811 was the Georgian Era.

In honor of this prestigious day, I'll be giving away random copies of my Regency Ménage Tale series. Simply leave a comment about why you like reading Regency romances to be entered! Any comment left between today (February 5) and Saturday (February 11) will count towards the giveaways.

Loathed by just about everyone, George Augustus Frederick was appointed Prince Regent to his father King George III on February 5th, 1811. He was a heavy drinker and a compulsive gambler.

In November 1810 the illness took possession of the king again, probably triggered by the death at the age of 27 of his youngest and favourite daughter Princess Amelia. She was a long time dying and she had a mourning ring containing a lock of her hair made for her father, which was thought to have sent him finally over the edge. He had to be put in a straitjacket and his medicine was administered by force. The royal doctors were optimistic, but it seemed clear to everyone in politics, including the Whig Prime Minister Spencer Perceval and his Cabinet, that a regency was inevitable. The prince behaved with what the Whig society hostess Lady Holland described as ‘very unusual discretion’. He kept well clear of the Whigs and told Cabinet ministers that they were the best judges of what to do, while making it plain that he had no quarrel with them and that if he was regent his treatment of them would depend entirely on their treatment of him.

In December a Regency Bill was introduced into Parliament. The Whigs wanted the Prince of Wales to be declared regent by hereditary right, but the bill passed on February 5th, 1811 was modelled on the one prepared in the crisis of 1788. The impossibility of procuring the king’s assent was got round by requiring the lord chancellor to affix the Great Seal of the Realm to letters patent naming lords commissioners who would grant the royal assent. This was an obvious dodge and the distinguished lawyer Sir Samuel Romilly described it as ‘a fraudulent trick’, but it was difficult to see a practical alternative and both houses of Parliament approved it.

Friday Recipe: Catherine's Spicy Chicken Soup

I have no idea how this will make me healthier or get me through this aweful cold season, but I have to say, once I could stand to be upright & functional for longer than 30 min at a time, this was a delicious soup!

Catherine's Spicy Chicken Soup from AllRecipes.com...photo from there, too. One day I'll take my own but they never look as nice as the ones from the site.

Prep Time:15 Min
Cook Time:30 Min
Ready In:45 Min


Ingredients
2 quarts water
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon onion powder
5 cubes chicken bouillon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (16 ounce) cans chili beans, undrained
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream




Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken.


In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, chili beans, sour cream, shredded chicken and 5 cups broth. Simmer 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 473 Total Fat: 15.3g Cholesterol: 82mg

Wednesday Regency

What fascinates us with the time period? With the Bon Ton? Is it the societal rules? Or simply the allure of privilege? Privilege then and now has usually been alluring and fascinating to most people. How to they acquire it? How do they live within it?

Just like today with the rich and famous, fascination with their lives is endless. How many websites and TV shows are devoted to gossip about celebrities and would-be celebrities?

We want to know if Brad Pitt has white couches (with 6 kids, probably not). Or if George Clooney has a Bentley in his garage (we know he has a motorcycle license at least). But during the Regency, it was all about who acquired the most coveted invitation to Almanacks or jostled for position during presentation at court or purchased a necklace from the royal jewelers.

The difference--or similarity depending on how you look at it--everyone know what you did and what you had, and when you acquired it.

What objects of gossip would you like to see in a book? Because scandal makes the best stories.

Downton Abby

Season 2 is coming out on DVD in America soon and I feel the need to watch it. Since I haven't watched season 1 of Downton Abby, I need to catch up. It's set 100 years after the time I usually write in, but it's still a scandalously epic show.

Has anyone watched it? Thoughts?

Weekly Goal #5

I may complain about this weekly goal thing, but it's really helped in keeping things moving. Between this nasty cold that won't go away and life in general it's been a month.

Last week I wanted to post 2 reviews on Goodreads for books I've read while on the couch with the worst of this cold. I managed one. This week I want to do 2. Don't want to push myself (I know myself all too well) but definitely 2 reviews posted this week.

I'm also going to finish Covet: A Regency Ménage Tale. I'm so close I can taste it! But I want to make it good, I want to make it worthy of its title. I don't want to cheat either my readers or characters.

Friday Recipe: Crispy Garlic-Sage Potatoes

This is from the Food Network's winter veggie site. I'm a sucker for all things potatoe and this is a delicious side. The garlic does help!

Directions
Put a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and preheat to 375 degrees F. Peel 4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes and cut into wedges. Toss with 1/2 cup olive oil, 6 chopped sage leaves, 2 sprigs sage, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread on the hot baking sheet and roast 30 minutes. Stir, then add 8 smashed garlic cloves; continue roasting until golden, about 30 minutes. Increase the temperature to 400 degrees F and cook until crisp, 15 more minutes. Season with salt.

Thursday Thoughts

What if. I love that game. Not just the what if I won a million dollars, but more, like imagining what the world would be like if...playing it with history is always fun.

Today's what if:

• What if Russia landed on the moon first...would it now be colonized? Would we be visiting the moon on a regular basis like we fly to England? What would our technology be like?

It's an interesting premise and I love playing around with ideas like that. Because who knows what could've happen or what might happen? It's the great thing about fiction.

Tell me, what are some of your what ifs?

Wednesday Sexy Regency: Excerpt

The Masque: A Hellfire Club Erotique:


Warning: explicit m/m scene.



Sebastian, le Comte de Courville, pounded into his lover. Anger unabated at the news of Louise’s death, he tried to block out the last time he saw her, mere weeks ago when she told him of her foolhardy plan. Sebastian moved faster, pounding into Julien, hands digging into the other man’s lean hips as he took his sorrow and rage out on his lover.

Julien shuddered beneath him, hips thrusting back to meet Sebastian’s punishing pace, and he knew the younger man was close to losing his prized control. Sebastian moved faster, harder, determined to break Julien’s control, to hear his lover’s groans of release, to feel him break beneath him. He growled, unable to restrain the sound that escaped him.

Shaking the hair from his face, he felt his own need wind tighter and tighter. Something from the doorway of his private rooms caught his attention and he looked in that direction.

What made him do so, Sebastian couldn’t have said. Through the haze of passion he saw Olivia standing there. She watched them with wide eyes; a flush stained her cheeks and Sebastian could see her chest heaving with every breath.

She watched Julien with rapt attention, brown eyes widening as she stared at his body. Sebastian continued to move within Julien, his own orgasm coiling tighter as Olivia watched him thrust in and out of his lover. Then her gaze moved, and he saw the reluctance with which it did so.

Olivia met his gaze, her hand raised to her décolletage and rested lightly on the swell of her breasts.

He wanted her.

Seeing her there, riveted to he and Julien enjoying each other, Sebastian wanted her. Desire for her slammed through him. Her eyes continued to hold his and Sebastian saw a myriad of emotions.

Sebastian faltered his movements, though his body screamed for release. Olivia stood there, beautiful, naïve in the ways of sex, and utterly enchanting because of it. He wanted to beckon her in, invite, entice, her to join them.

Her look wasn’t the normal lust-filled gaze of so many in the Club and he hadn’t expected it to be. Olivia’s gaze held a surprised curiosity, an innocence he couldn’t seem to resist.

Beneath him, Julien shifted and Sebastian glanced down to see his lover also looking at Olivia. She met his gaze, then Julien’s. Without a word, turned and fled the room. Sebastian had the strangest need to follow her.

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5 Star Review

Just Erotic Romance Reviews gave my new story, The Masque: A Hellfire Club Erotique, 5 stars!

You can read the whole review here, but this is my favorite:


The gorgeous storyline of The Masque combined incredibly erotic encounters between the three with an ongoing element of danger that had me on the edge of my seat....If you like historical romance novels but are tired of reading about the ton, don't miss out on this awesomely unique book by a very talented author!

Weekly Goal #4

Am now over the hump of hating this weekly goal thing. It was a small bump in my road. Course so was this cold. (It's not bronchitis!) I can barely concentrate on typing in my password in, let alone word count.

1. Finish act of Covet: A Regency Menage Tale. I separate all my stories into 5 acts, no matter the length, and am nearing the end of Act 3. I so wanted to have this story finished and out by now, but I've been sick and it's not so easy to write when you can't breathe.

2. Review stories I've read while sick. I understand the value of reader reviews and would like to offer reviews for the books I've read. I'm not so good at this, but my goal this week is to write reviews for at least 2 of the stories I've read and post them on GoodReads.