Ways to Describe Your Wealthy Historical Character's Home

 

Here is the latest addition to my Writer's Tool Kit, Ways to Describe Your Wealthy Historical Character's Home. Please feel free to download it.

The rest of my tool kit can be found here on my blog by clicking the link at the top of the page (on the right) or here at:  Writer's Tool Kit and on Pinterest at:  Milly Jane's Writer's Tool kit  

Favorite Moments from My Books

 I thought I would begin posting a few favorite moments from my books. It's not always easy to get a real feel for a book merely from a blurb, so I will be posting a series of short scenes or 'moments' from my novels that I am particularly fond of.

This is a moment from The Curious Curate and the Opera Singer when Amelie and Aiden first meet. She is being pursued by an ardent admirer and has taken refuge in a stable: 

The sound of the main stable door creaking open secured her attention. Quickly grasping her whip firmly in her hand she ducked down behind the closed half-door to Calliope’s stall out of view. If that odious man had followed her here after all…

“Hello?” a masculine voice called.

“Go away, I have no intention of becoming your mistress!” she called out.

A cultured and slightly amused voice answered her. “Indeed, madam! I am not currently seeking one!”

With her whip held aloft in readiness, Amelie popped her head above the half-door to see who the man was and gasped in mortification. A vicar.

The Curious Curate and the Opera Singer

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Interesting Quote by Lord Byron

 

A cheeky sort of quote from the infamous Lord Byron who was, as many know, considered "Mad, bad, and dangerous to know,". However, it does appear he had a sense of humor. "All tragedies are finished by a death, all comedies are ended by a marriage."  

Often as Regency romance writers, we love to feature Byron in our books. While Byron doesn't actually apear in my book The Curious Curate and the Opera Singer, one of his poems does, along with many references to his notorious reputation.

In The Curious Curate and the Opera Singer when Amelie (my heroine) discovers more about Aiden (my hero) she compares the two, after all, Aiden has only been sent to act as a temporary curate to his uncle for a year due to his own bad behavior. Amelie teasingly refers to each of them as a scapegrace. 

Despite his notoriety, Byron was a very talented writer and I discovered a poem while writing this novel that I fell in love with and gave a very special place in my book. (Aiden quotes the poem in my book)

It is called, She Walks in Beauty

She Walks in Beauty

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

George Gordon Byron was born in London1788 and died in Greece in 1824.

I have been lucky enough to visit his ancestral home Newstead Abbey, and you can find my photographs of that visit here. Or simply look to the right under pages and click on Pictures of Newstead Abbey.