Historical Hussies: Bathing in the Middle Ages

I’m on Historical Hussies today, continuing my inquiry into bathing through history. This month I’m talking about Bathing inthe Midle Ages:

The first thing to affirm is that yes, people did bathe during the Medieval period, using several different methods.

A lot depended on your status in life as to how often you took a bath. The lowest classes who did manual labor likely bathed the least. They would probably not have had the means or money to fetch buckets of water, heat the water, and purchase a tub and then bathe in it. Such laborers and the poorer people would have availed themselves of a dip in a pond, lake, or stream during the warmer months. Otherwise, they may have taken wash pan baths, washing as best they could during the colder month

To read on, click this link:  http://historicalhussies.blogspot.com/2022/09/bathing-in-middle-ages-by-jenna-jaxon.html

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Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 09/04/22 ~ Pride of Lyon’s ~ Some Other Course

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This week I’m continuing with snippets from Pride of Lyon’s, which released in June.

BLURB:

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

What’s a young lady to do when a powerful lord tries to abscond with her and make her his mistress?

When you’re Miss Honoria Quinn, you leap from his carriage and run like the wind to find some place to hide. Trouble is, Honoria mistakenly chooses The Lyon’s Den, a disreputable gambling house as her sanctuary, a move that ends up with her having to make another choice at the hands of the Den’s match-making proprietor Mrs. Dove-Lyons: wed a complete stranger or become the lord’s mistress.

No good deed goes unpunished…

Thomas, Lord Braeton agrees to attend a wager at The Lyon’s Den only to keep his brother-in-law out of trouble. What he doesn’t count on is becoming embroiled in one of Mrs. Dove-Lyons’s schemes to marry him off. But when he tries to come to the aid of another peer, Thomas finds the only honorable thing he can do to save Miss Quinn’s reputation is put aside his hopes for a love match for himself and instead offer to marry her.

As Thomas and Honoria set out on a wary journey to matrimony, can they learn to live together and hope love will grow between them? Or are they doomed to a loveless marriage of convenience from which one or both will want to escape?

I’m continuing with the meeting of Miss Honoria Quinn and Thomas, Lord Braeton in Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s office. (I’ve taken out a couple of sentences from this week’s snippet.)

EXCERPT:

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, my lord.” Honoria’s courage seemed to be waning, as were her wits.

“It must be confusing, I’m sure.” His tone was soothing, comforting even. “But the upshot of the situation, as I understand it, is that you wish to refuse Lord Danford’s offer, if some other opportunity would present itself, is that correct?”

“Well, yes.” Of course, she’d wish for some other choice than to become Lord Danford’s mistress. His use of the word “opportunity” reminded her of Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s words when they left the parlor. Was this what she’d been talking about? “Do you know of some other course, my lord?”

And a little more for good measure…

For a moment she allowed herself to hope. “Another, more honorable choice?”

“I do, Miss Quinn.” Lord Braeton shot a frightening look at Mrs. Dove-Lyon, then relaxed his features and turned a more pleasant gaze on her. “You can choose instead to marry me.”

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Pride of Lyon’s is available on Amazon and on KU for free.

I also wanted to let you know that my House of Pleasure series is now available in a boxset format on Amazon, Smashwords, and  B & N. All five House of Pleasure novels in one volume! Grab your copy today! (It remains at half-price because it has only been available on Amazon the past two weeks.)

 

 

The House of Pleasure series

Posted in Blog Hops, Historical Romance, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Pride of Lyon's, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Release Day Celebration: The House of Pleasure Boxset

Today I’m celebrating the release of the boxset of my House of Pleasure series!

All five novel-length romances are included:

Only Scandal Will Do

He has the woman of his dreams, but can he find a way to win her heart?

Kidnapped, displayed on the auction block of a notorious brothel, and sold to the highest bidder, Lady Katherine Fitzwilliam is furious and vows to fight her way out. Unfortunately, the rogue who bought her is way too charming and attractive to make that easy. He seduces Kat almost to the point of ruin, but she manages to escape him, although thoughts of him tend to linger long after she’s free.

Duncan, Marquess of Dalbury succumbs to temptation one night and purchases a fiery beauty whose very looks fill him with hot desire. When she insists she’s a lady, he scoffs, but is surprised when she flees before he can claim his pleasure. When he discovers she’s sister to a peer, Duncan is horrified to have compromised her. He offers marriage to scotch the scandal and gain an heir. However, the dazzling charms of the red-haired beauty, coupled with her astonishing skill with a sword, ensnares his heart and soul. If only Katarina didn’t hate him with a fury hotter than three hells…

Can he manage to turn her anger against him into a passion for him? Or will they be doomed to live together, but forever apart?

Only Marriage Will Do

What do you do when you discover you may be married to a villain?

Lady Juliet Ferrers’s response is to deny, deny, deny the marriage. Then, in desperation, she declares she’s already married to someone else–anything to make the man who abused her leave her alone. But with all her family from home, Juliet fears the villain may spirit her off to his home in France, never to be heard from again.

Until a stranger calls…

When Captain Amiable Dawson tries to pay a call on an old friend, he runs headlong into a dramatic scene complete with damsel in distress threatened by a dastardly villain. What’s a gentleman to do? Pretend to be the damsel’s husband, of course.

But the ruse won’t stop the villain for long. Unless it changes from ruse to reality.

And then Juliet is left to wonder if she’s married to one man or two?

Only A Mistress Will Do

The longest walk Miss Violet Carlton ever took was to the door of The House of Pleasure…seeking work as a courtesan.

Destitute and out of options, Violet steels herself for her ultimate ruin at the hands of some stranger…only to be whisked away as the man’s mistress—in name only. Unsure why, and not asking questions, Violet begins to trust Lord Trevor, her savior.

But when trust leads to affection, and ultimately to love, Violet’s fairy tale comes to a shattering halt.

Because the man she loves belongs to another.

With growing anguish Trevor fears he can never make Violet his own for the impediment of his coming marriage pales in comparison to the secret he must hide from her or risk her loathing him for the rest of their lives.

Only Seduction Will Do

Will a man of honor sacrifice himself for a woman’s folly…even if he doesn’t love her?

That’s the question Miss Alethea Forsythe puts to Jack, Lord Manning when she finds herself with child but without a husband and asks him to marry her.

With great misgivings, Jack agrees. He is a man of honor and Miss Forsythe’s prospects are grim should he refuse her. But Jack barely likes the woman, much less love her. So he agrees to marry her, with the stipulation that the marriage will be one of convenience only—with no intimacies between them.

Alethea should be weak with relief that she will not be ruined in the eyes of Society, except she’s been secretly in love with Lord Manning since they met.

His devastating pronouncement almost breaks her heart, but it also strengthens Alethea’s resolve: she’ll find a way to make her husband fall in love with her, no matter the cost.

Only Pleasure Will Do

Amorina Vestry’s business revolves around giving pleasure to others…so how can her life be so miserable?

Madam of the House of Pleasure for six long years, Amorina has wrested a living out the establishment by devising a variety of inventive ways to pleasure gentlemen. But behind the persona of the ruthless businesswoman, schooled in the erotic arts, lurks a very different woman with a secret she dares tell no one.

Now, in vengeance for thwarting a dastardly plan, Amorina is kidnapped and forced to commit murder to save the one person she loves unconditionally.

Unless the man she secretly yearns for can rescue her before it’s too late.

The House of Pleasure Boxset is available on Amazon and Smashwords for $4.99 through next week. After that the set price increases to $9.99.

To celebrate this release I’ll be giving away a copies of the individual books–five books, five winners. All you need to do is enter a comment below telling me why you read romance! Giveaway runs through Labor Day and winners will be announced next Tuesday, September 6, 2022.

Posted in Giveaways, Historical Romance, House of Pleasure, House of Pleasure Boxset, House of Pleasure Series, New Release, on Georgian Romance, Only A Mistress Will Do, Only Marriage Will Do, Only Pleasure Will Do, Only Scandal Will Do, Only Seduction Will Do, Regency Romance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 08/28/22 ~ Pride of Lyon’s ~ “Anything Your Heart Desires”

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This week I’m continuing with snippets from Pride of Lyon’s, which released in June.

BLURB:

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

What’s a young lady to do when a powerful lord tries to abscond with her and make her his mistress?

When you’re Miss Honoria Quinn, you leap from his carriage and run like the wind to find some place to hide. Trouble is, Honoria mistakenly chooses The Lyon’s Den, a disreputable gambling house as her sanctuary, a move that ends up with her having to make another choice at the hands of the Den’s match-making proprietor Mrs. Dove-Lyons: wed a complete stranger or become the lord’s mistress.

No good deed goes unpunished…

Thomas, Lord Braeton agrees to attend a wager at The Lyon’s Den only to keep his brother-in-law out of trouble. What he doesn’t count on is becoming embroiled in one of Mrs. Dove-Lyons’s schemes to marry him off. But when he tries to come to the aid of another peer, Thomas finds the only honorable thing he can do to save Miss Quinn’s reputation is put aside his hopes for a love match for himself and instead offer to marry her.

As Thomas and Honoria set out on a wary journey to matrimony, can they learn to live together and hope love will grow between them? Or are they doomed to a loveless marriage of convenience from which one or both will want to escape?

I’m continuing with the meeting of Miss Honoria Quinn and Thomas, Lord Braeton in Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s office. (I’ve skipped ahead a few paragraphs.)

EXCERPT:

“There will be servants, clothes, jewels. Anything your heart desires.” Eyes blazing with a strange light, he kissed her hand. “I assure you, I plan to be very generous with you, if you are generous with me.”

The touch of his lips made the skin want to crawl off her bones. She bounded up, drew her hand back, and slapped him across the cheek. Whirling around, to put the chaise between them, she glanced toward the door, but Mrs. Dove-Lyon stood between her and it. Honoria wasn’t completely certain the woman would let her leave. She turned to face Danford, careful to remain out of his reach. “I don’t care what you say in London. Shout it from the rafters for all I care, I will go home and remain there, where no one will know or care what lies you have spread.”

And a little more for good measure…

“Oh, but they will know, Honoria.” Lord Danford stalked around the chaise and she scooted back until she bumped into Mrs. Dove-Lyon. “I know where your father’s parish is. And I will make certain everyone in the village knows that I have asked you to be my mistress. Knowing the village mindset, they will believe it has already happened.” He shook his head, his lips set in a rueful smile. “I somehow think neither your parents nor your neighbors will welcome such a notorious figure with open arms. In fact, the bishop might even revoke your father’s living for having raised such a depraved daughter.”

He couldn’t do this. How could he boast of ruining her and her family so thoroughly and no one come to their aid? “You are a wicked, wicked man.” She burst into tears. “You cannot do this to me.”

“I can and I will, Honoria.” He cupped her chin and drew her face up to his. “If you wish to save your family, you have no choice, my dear.”

A sudden commotion in the corner of the room, where Lord Longford and Mr. Braeton had retired, drew all their attention to the two other gentlemen. Mr. Braeton had pulled away from Lord Longford and now stalked toward them, his frown darkening his otherwise handsome face. “You do have a choice, Miss Quinn.”

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Pride of Lyon’s is available on Amazon and on KU for free.

I also wanted to let you know that my House of Pleasure series is now available for pre-order in a boxset format on Amazon. All five House of Pleasure novels in one volume! Grab your copy today! It releases on Tuesday, August 30!

 

 

The House of Pleasure series

Posted in Blog Hops, Historical Romance, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Pride of Lyon's, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 08/21/22 ~ Pride of Lyon’s ~ “Not a Bad Offer”

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This week I’m continuing with snippets from Pride of Lyon’s, which released in June.

BLURB:

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

What’s a young lady to do when a powerful lord tries to abscond with her and make her his mistress?

When you’re Miss Honoria Quinn, you leap from his carriage and run like the wind to find some place to hide. Trouble is, Honoria mistakenly chooses The Lyon’s Den, a disreputable gambling house as her sanctuary, a move that ends up with her having to make another choice at the hands of the Den’s match-making proprietor Mrs. Dove-Lyons: wed a complete stranger or become the lord’s mistress.

No good deed goes unpunished…

Thomas, Lord Braeton agrees to attend a wager at The Lyon’s Den only to keep his brother-in-law out of trouble. What he doesn’t count on is becoming embroiled in one of Mrs. Dove-Lyons’s schemes to marry him off. But when he tries to come to the aid of another peer, Thomas finds the only honorable thing he can do to save Miss Quinn’s reputation is put aside his hopes for a love match for himself and instead offer to marry her.

As Thomas and Honoria set out on a wary journey to matrimony, can they learn to live together and hope love will grow between them? Or are they doomed to a loveless marriage of convenience from which one or both will want to escape?

I’m continuing with the meeting of Miss Honoria Quinn and Thomas, Lord Braeton in Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s office.

EXCERPT:

“Well, Miss Quinn?” Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s tone was soft, cajoling. “It’s not a bad offer, all things considered.”

Honoria turned to the woman, gazing at her astounded. Had she indeed lost her mind? Both Lord Longford and the one called Braeton had monstrous frowns on their faces, so maybe she wasn’t the only one outraged by Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s words. “It’s a scandalous offer, ma’am.” The brandy had somehow given her more backbone. “And not one I’m inclined to take.”

And a little more for good measure…

“You don’t have much of a choice, my dear.” Danford shrugged out of Braeton’s grip and straightened his shoulders. “Lady Danford won’t have you back once word of this reaches her ears. And I’ll make certain it reaches them post haste. You’ll be dismissed before the sun sets today. Then what will you do?”

Well, Honoria had already worked that out. “I’ve already considered myself no longer part of your household, my lord. I will make arrangements to travel to my parent’s home. No one will take notice of me there.”

“Except I’ll make certain they do, my dear.” Lord Danford had come to stand in front of her and she cringed, trying to make herself smaller. “Unless you accept my protection, I’ll make certain everyone knows why you left my household.” He smiled, almost kindly. “No decent person of the ton will ever speak to you or your family again.”

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Pride of Lyon’s is available on Amazon and on KU for free.

I also wanted to let you know that my House of Pleasure series is now available for pre-order in a boxset format on Amazon. All five House of Pleasure novels in one volume! Grab your copy today!

 

 

The House of Pleasure series

Posted in Blog Hops, Historical Romance, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Pride of Lyon's, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 08/14/22 ~ Pride of Lyon’s ~ “I Meant You No Harm”

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This week I’m continuing with snippets from Pride of Lyon’s, which released in June.

BLURB:

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

What’s a young lady to do when a powerful lord tries to abscond with her and make her his mistress?

When you’re Miss Honoria Quinn, you leap from his carriage and run like the wind to find some place to hide. Trouble is, Honoria mistakenly chooses The Lyon’s Den, a disreputable gambling house as her sanctuary, a move that ends up with her having to make another choice at the hands of the Den’s match-making proprietor Mrs. Dove-Lyons: wed a complete stranger or become the lord’s mistress.

No good deed goes unpunished…

Thomas, Lord Braeton agrees to attend a wager at The Lyon’s Den only to keep his brother-in-law out of trouble. What he doesn’t count on is becoming embroiled in one of Mrs. Dove-Lyons’s schemes to marry him off. But when he tries to come to the aid of another peer, Thomas finds the only honorable thing he can do to save Miss Quinn’s reputation is put aside his hopes for a love match for himself and instead offer to marry her.

As Thomas and Honoria set out on a wary journey to matrimony, can they learn to live together and hope love will grow between them? Or are they doomed to a loveless marriage of convenience from which one or both will want to escape?

I’m continuing with the meeting of Miss Honoria Quinn and Thomas, Lord Braeton in Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s office.

EXCERPT:

“Lord Longford.” The imperious tone must have moved the gentleman, for presently he urged a small cut-glass tumbler with a healthy tot of spirits into her hand. Honoria wrinkled her nose at the sharp smell.

“Honoria.”

She cringed at the urgency of Lord Danford’s voice as he spoke her name.

“Honoria, you must believe me I meant you no harm. If you had heard me out in the carriage, heard my plan for us to be together, we would not be here.”

If she could have sunk through the floor Honoria would have gladly done so. All the way to Timbuktu. The glass of brandy trembled in her hand.

And a little more for good measure…

“Danford, my God, man. Have you no shame?” This new voice, sharp with censure and clearly outraged, brought Honoria’s head up. The blond gentleman’s face was twisted with disgust as he glared at Lord Danford.

The earl looked astounded at the man. “I would not play her false, Braeton. As I told you, I meant to set her up with a house, carriage, jewels.” He turned eager eyes on Honoria. “Anything you wish, my dear, I will give you and gladly. All you need do is agree to be mine.”

Without another thought, Honoria tossed the brandy down her throat, then choked as the sharp spirits hit their mark. She coughed and coughed until Mrs. Dove-Lyon pounded her on the back, bringing tears to her eyes. Might as well cry. Her life hung around her in ruins.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Pride of Lyon’s is available on Amazon and on KU fpr free.

I also wanted to let you know that my House of Pleasure series is now available for pre-order in a boxset format on Amazon. All five House of Pleasure novels in one volume! Grab your copy today!

 

 

The House of Pleasure series

Posted in Blog Hops, Historical Romance, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Pride of Lyon's, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 08/08/22 ~ Pride of Lyon’s ~ “What is He Doing Here?”

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This week I’m going back to snippets from Pride of Lyon’s, which released in June.

BLURB:

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

What’s a young lady to do when a powerful lord tries to abscond with her and make her his mistress?

When you’re Miss Honoria Quinn, you leap from his carriage and run like the wind to find some place to hide. Trouble is, Honoria mistakenly chooses The Lyon’s Den, a disreputable gambling house as her sanctuary, a move that ends up with her having to make another choice at the hands of the Den’s match-making proprietor Mrs. Dove-Lyons: wed a complete stranger or become the lord’s mistress.

No good deed goes unpunished…

Thomas, Lord Braeton agrees to attend a wager at The Lyon’s Den only to keep his brother-in-law out of trouble. What he doesn’t count on is becoming embroiled in one of Mrs. Dove-Lyons’s schemes to marry him off. But when he tries to come to the aid of another peer, Thomas finds the only honorable thing he can do to save Miss Quinn’s reputation is put aside his hopes for a love match for himself and instead offer to marry her.

As Thomas and Honoria set out on a wary journey to matrimony, can they learn to live together and hope love will grow between them? Or are they doomed to a loveless marriage of convenience from which one or both will want to escape?

I’ve skipped ahead a few chapters, to the meeting of Miss Honoria Quinn and Thomas, Lord Braeton in Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s office.

EXCERPT:

“This way, Miss Quinn.”

Afraid to disobey, Honoria continued into the room, furnished with expensive chairs, a comfortable looking chaise longue, and an over large wooden desk, piles of papers neatly stacked all over it. Now what did Mrs.— Honoria stopped dead, all the air rushing out of her lungs at the sight of Lord Danford standing before the fireplace.

“Honoria!” The earl all but leaped toward her, prevented, thank God, by the efforts of a taller, blond-haired gentleman, who grabbed his arm and tugged him backward. A second gentleman, with dark hair and a huskier build, moved to Lord Danford’s other arm and grasped it in a strong grip. Once more able to breathe, Honoria turned to Mrs. Dove-Lyon, outrage bubbling up. “What is he doing here? He cannot be the opportunity you spoke of?”

“No, my dear, he is not,” she whispered.

And a little more for good measure…

The woman turned toward the earl and stretched out her arm, her finger pointing directly at him. “However, Lord Danford has made the unfortunate mistake of announcing to all my patrons within shouting distance, that he was searching for you. Worse, he called out for you by name, several times.”

The sinking sensation in the pit of Honoria’s stomach might have been due to the wine, but more likely to the horrible realization that now a great many people suspected Lord Danford was trying to debauch her. It didn’t matter that nothing had happened between her and the earl. In the eyes of the hearers, it was a fait accompli. Her knees buckled and she clutched the back of the brightly flowered chaise.

“Please have a seat, Miss Quinn. Lord Longford,” Mrs. Dove-Lyon shifted toward the dark-haired gentleman, “although you were not originally invited to this meeting, you may make yourself useful and pour Miss Quinn a brandy.”

“No, I’ll be fine.”  Honoria put her head in her hands. In her current state, more spirits might make an end to her.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

Pride of Lyon’s is available on Amazon and on KU fpr free.

I also wanted to let you know that my House of Pleasure series is now available for pre-order in a boxset format on Amazon. All five House of Pleasure novels in one volume! Grab your copy today!

Posted in Blog Hops, Historical Romance, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Pride of Lyon's, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Historical Hussies: Bathtubs in Regency England

I’m on Historical Hussies today, talking about Bathtubs in Regency England:

At the end of the 18th century, attitudes toward bathing began to change. Beau Brummel, a Regency fashion plate, was an advocate of bathing often and he was a major Regency “influencer.” About that same time, in 1791, John Wesley gave a sermon “On Dress” in which he made the acclamation, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” People took these and other ideas on cleanliness into consideration, making the Regency period of transitioning into good bathing habits.

To read on, click this link:  http://historicalhussies.blogspot.com/2022/08/bathtubs-in-regency-england-by-jenna.html

Posted in Historical Hussies | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Romance Writers of America National Convention 2022: My Retrospective

Having just returned from RWA’s 2022 National Convention, I thought a little overview/retrospection was in order. This was the first in-person RWA Conference since the pandemic and since the change in RWA leadership and I thought some thoughts from someone who had been to both pre- and now post- pandemic conventions might be helpful for current and former members.

First, I would like to say that I was encouraged to discover so many new members, new authors who are at the beginning of their careers coming to the RWA convention. That shows me, at least, that writers of romance still see the value of the organization as a whole. This is especailly encouraging given the turmoil of the past few years and the loss of more than half the membership.

RWA is, in my opinion, a valuable asset for writers of romance who, no matter what level of writing expertise they may have achieved. The education programs offered alone are invaluable and authors who can mentor newer authors are encouraged to do so.  And education, on all levels, was exemplary in the 2022 convention. There was a variety of workshops on all levels and in a range of categories that gave something to everyone who attended.

 

 

 

 

 

Back in February, I mentioned to my local chapter, Chesapeake Romance Writers, that the slate of workshops was still accepting proposals. I encouraged two of my board members to submit a proposal on Digital Marketing (which they ahd just given at our monthly meeting) because if we didn’t support RWA now, it might not be here in the future. They took my advice to heart and submitted their proposal and were accepted! Then I took my own advice to heart and submitted an entry level workshop on Publishing 101: What to Expect After You Sign. I remembered all the questions and all the things I didn’t know that I didn’t know when I first signed a contract for my writing, and thought this would be a great way to give back to the organization and give information to the members to hopefully make their writing lives easier. I am very happy to say that despite a large attack of nerves before my presentation, I managed to get through it with flying colors and many people came up to me afterwards and for the rest of the comference telling me they had enjoyed it and had gotten a lot of information from it.

There weren’t as many workshops as usual, but that wasn’t a problem as with the huge slate of workshops we’d had previously, I always missed a panel or workshop or two that I really wanted to see. This year I think there was only one or two times that happened.

One of the disappointing things both my friend Ella Quinn and I experienced was the lack of familiar faces. We both hope RWA will be able to woo back authors who have taken a hiatus and next year there will be additional friends for everyone to connect with.

I also must say that with one or two exceptions, the hotel, the Gaylord National Harbor, got the food right for those of us with food allergies. At the lunch buffet everything was labeled and there was a lot of gluten-free and dairy-free options, as well as vegan and vegetarian. I was pleased that the hotel provided a non-dairy alternative for coffee creamer, but was a bit disappointed that the Snack Buffet on the second day didn’t have an option that was gluten-free and dairy-free (the lunch buffet did). But overall the leadership did a good job of juggling all the possible food allergies of such a diverse group.

There was no awards ceremony this year, alas. Neither did they have a Literacy Signing nor pitch sessions with agents and editors. Whether these were concerns surrounding COVID or not, I don’t know. I only hope, as we built RWA back, that these wonderful events will return as well.

I hope, if anyone is interested in joining or renewing your RWA membership, you’ll check out the RWA website here: https://www.rwa.org/ There is always room for those who are passionate about writing romance.

 

Posted in Conferences, RWA Nationals | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 07/31/22 ~ The Widow’s Christmas Surprise ~ A Freakish Accident

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This is the last week for snippets from The Widow’s Christmas Surprise. Next week I’m switching back to Pride of Lyon’s.

BLURB:

The death of her husband has thrown Lady Maria Kersey’s future into doubt—and her heart into the arms of a man she cannot have. But Christmas with the Widows’ Club will bring choices—and surprises–that may change all her holidays to come . . .

Maria just gave birth to her first child, a beautiful daughter—but the event is shrouded in sorrow.  A month earlier, Maria’s husband, Lord Kersey, was killed in a duel under compromising circumstances. Worse, Maria’s failure to provide a male heir has stripped her of any hope of an inheritance. Scorned by the ton, one of her few allies is her late husband’s steward, Hugh Granger. Hugh is everything her husband was not—warm, charming—and penniless. . . .

Hugh has fallen desperately in love with Maria, but has little to offer but comfort. As their attraction becomes impossible to resist, Maria flees to London to spend Christmas with her dearest friends, a group of widows who lost their own husbands in the Battle of Waterloo. Little does she know the holidays will reveal a twist of fate she never expected—proving that the greatest Christmas gift is the magic of true love . . .

I’m starting the snippets about a third of he way through the novel. Maria has been widowed a second time and is virtually penniless and living off the kindness of her dead husband’s distant relations. Maria is trying to make a good impression on the family, especially on their elder son–who will eventually inherit her late husband’s title. But when the family invites her to a greenery gathering party, things get a little out of hand… Enjoy!

EXCERPT:

He’d bent her backward over his arm, pressing her so far she could see the sky directly above them. In a flash of intuition, she lifted both her legs off the ground–he’d tipped them so far off balance that they crashed to the ground. His arms had released her as he struggled to regain his footing, so Maria managed to fling herself away from him as they hit the ground. Unfortunately, the fall knocked the wind out of her and she lay staring at the sky once more, struggling to draw breath back into her lungs. Groaning and cursing from close by told her Lord Wetherby had not suffered any grievous harm. An eternity passed as she lay hitching in little gulps of air, praying that she would recover before Lord Wetherby could rouse himself and attack her again.

With a huge effort, she rolled to her side and struggled to her feet. Lord Wetherby had landed face-first on the ground, his head apparently coming down on a rock. He bled, though not copiously, from a gash on his forehead.

“What the devil is going on here?”

And a little more for good measure…

Maria whirled around to find Mr. Granger, face darkened with rage, speeding toward them. Right behind him were Jane, Miss Granger, and James Garrett.

Jane darted forward and pulled Maria into her arms. “Are you all right, my dear?”

Although still shaken, Maria nodded. Best for them all if she said nothing about what had just occurred. At least not publicly. “I am fine. There was a . . . little accident. Lord Wetherby took the worst of it I believe.”

“Anthony.” James Garrett dashed forward to assist his brother to rise, the latter groaning and clutching his head.

“Lady Kersey, tell me what happened.” Mr. Granger had come to her side, although he still sent deadly glances at Lord Wetherby.

Sighing, Maria cut her gaze briefly to Jane. Her cousin would understand and forgive the lie she was about to tell. Hopefully convincing enough that Mr. Granger would accept her word, or want to believe her enough to do so. “One of those freakish accidents you read about in The Times, Mr. Granger. Rather stupid really.”

Lord Wetherby was on his feet now, glaring at her while pressing his handkerchief to his forehead. He’d likely agree with the tale she was about to tell, as it would not paint him as the villain he actually was.

His gaze darting suspiciously between her and Lord Wetherby, Mr. Granger nodded. “Go on.”

Keeping Jane’s admonition to keep to the truth as much as possible, Maria launched into her tale with what she hoped was believable excitement. “I was gathering holly boughs and one of the thorny leaves pricked my finger rather deeply. I took off my glove and looked at it, but it was bleeding more heavily than it should have done. Lord Wetherby came to look at it and produced his handkerchief to bind it. As we were standing there, very close together, a huge bird swooped down as if to attack us.”

“A bird?” Mr. Granger’s brows lowered. “What kind of bird?”

“A very large bird. With brown feathers is all I recall. I’m afraid I have no idea what kind of bird it was.”

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.

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