Harps and Music

If you’re like me, the very thought of a harp creates a magical wistfulness inside. When I was twelve years old, I had an opportunity to take harp lessons, and something came alive inside me. Instantly, more than anything. I wanted–no, had–to learn to play. It’s been an ongoing love affair ever since. Playing the harp takes years to master, and a great deal of time must be devoted to technique, not just learning to…

Why Pirates?

Pirates. Few words conjure up more dramatic, terrifying, and yet oddly romantic images than pirates. They captured the imagination of Robert Lewis Stevenson, J.M. Barrie, Walt Disney, and many others. I even used pirates in my Regency Romance Novel, The Guise of a Gentleman, book 2 of the Rogue Hearts series. But what is it, exactly that makes a pirate both the perfect villain and the perfect hero? When I was a child, one of…

Book giveaway

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED**** THE WINNERS: Julie won A Perfect Secret and Jerika and Rebecca won The Suspect’s Daughter.  CONGRATULATIONS! Thank you to everyone who entered. It’s giveaway time! I am giving away 2 PROOF paperback copies of The Suspect’s Daughter, book 4 of the Rogue Hearts series. If you have not yet read any of my other books, don’t worry–you don’t have to have read them first in order to understand this book. It’s written as…

Servants in Regency England

Servants were an indispensable part of running any Big House throughout the ages, including those in existence in Regency England. Manor houses and castles where the upper classes lived were huge and required an army of servants to keep them clean and well-maintained. Also, the owners themselves required a great deal of help from their staff. According to  The Victorian Domestic Servant, the Duke of Bedford had 300 servants in his employ, and the Duke…

Regency Easter

By the Regency Era, Easter had evolved, not quite to what is is today, but to a celebration much less pagan than its origins and more religious in nature. However, people still knew how to have fun. Normally Parliament did not begin its first session of the year until after Easter and activities were curtailed between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, and especially during the 40 days of Lent when people were expected to refrain…

New Release: Announcing THE SUSPECT’S DAUGHTER

Readers asked for it, so they got it–the story of the dark and mysterious Grant Amesbury who, in the course of his brothers’ books, gives glimpses into a tender heart buried far below layers of protective sarcasm. His story, at long last, is told in book 4 of the Rogue Hearts Series,  The Suspect’s Daughter coming December 15, 2015.   As a present to my readers, I hurried up production to get this published before Christmas.  …

Book Giveaway

*****Giveaway Closed***** It’s time to celebrate the upcoming release of book 4 in my award-winning “Rogue Hearts Regency Series,” The Suspect’s Daughter, available December 3, 2015.  Celebrating is always more fun with friends. So, I am giving away five copies of book 3, A Perfect Secret which features Grant who is the hero of book 4. Winners have a choice of receiving a paperback copy or a digital copy for ebook readers. A Perfect Secret …

Carriage Accidents Cliche?

by Donna Hatch Throughout most of history, travelling, especially long distance, was a dangerous undertaking. Some of the many dangers a traveler in Regency England faced included highwaymen attacks, most of which only resulted in loss of valuables but often injury and death as well. To offset this risk, the wealthy generally had armed outriders who rode horseback in front and behind the carriage to guard and protect them but not everyone could afford that…

Writing “Sweet” Romance

It surprises me a little when people ask me why I chose to write romance. I didn’t honestly choose to write romance, it sorta chose me. I never woke up one day and said, “The romance market is really successful over other genres, so that’s what I’m going to write.” It happened over time. My earliest attempts at writing were adventure and mystery. Later, I turned to science fiction. By my teens, I was writing…

Regency Sunscreen a.k.a. the Parasol

Unlike the sun-kissed tans admired by some women today, (and let’s face it, chalk-white legs just aren’t coveted) a pale complexion was a fashion statement during much of England’s history. Since laborers often worked long hours outside, their skins got tanned and weathered from exposure to the sun and the elements. A lady with a creamy complexion loudly proclaimed, without uttering a word, that she was wealthy enough not to have to spend a great…