I posted this quite sometime ago, but with the increased recent interest in historic film and movie locations, I thought I would repost it in case you missed it.
Pages
- Home
- My Books
- Writer's Tool Kit
- Byron
- The Seductive Regency Romance Collection: Books 1-6
- Amelie's Almondine Biscuits
- Mulled Wine
- Visits to Historic Places
- Chatsworth House
- Kedleston Hall
- Haddon Hall, Derbyshire, England
- The Mary Rose
- Osborne House, Isle of Wight, UK
- Hardwick Hall
- York
- Quotes and Snippets
- History Quiz 1
- History Quiz 2
- History Quiz 3
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
English History and Film Locations
Saturday, April 3, 2021
The Seductive Regency Romance Collection: Books 1-6
I'm so happy to announce that I have published my box set this weekend and all six of my Seductive Regency Romances are now available as a collection. You'll find handsome heroes and headstrong heroines, arranged marriages and love matches. A large wolfhound named Rufus, a cat named Artemis. Balls, secret passages, snowball fights, a frost fair, caverns and much more.
Find The Seductive Regency Romance Collection: Books 1-6 here:
Thursday, January 7, 2021
The Seductive Regency Romances
I recently upgraded the covers of my six Seductive Regency Romances. What do you think? I like them! (The content is exactly the same if you bought one with a different cover) All can be read as standalone romances, but in order they are. The Aloof Marquess, The Enigmatic Earl, The Volatile Viscount, The Curious Curate and the Opera Singer, Twin Rogues in Winter, and Midnight in the Garden with Eros.
The Seductive Regency Romances
The Aloof Marquess
Can a cold and remote Marquess become a warm, loving and playful
husband? Unlikely, but not altogether impossible. Or is it? An arranged
marriage, an aloof Marquess, a sensual and determined bride. And a romance that
begins on their wedding night.
The Marquess of Telforn
has decided to take a bride. Now. In his matter-of-fact way, he heads to London
at the start of the Season, and within a week he makes his choice.
Lady Ellena Astonbury is
startled when after only the briefest of encounters with the aloof Marquess at
the first two events of the Season, he approaches her father with an offer, and
her parents are delighted to accept.
The Marquess requests an
almost immediate marriage, and within days, Ellena is a Marchioness. Knowing
little of the Marquess, she realizes that she will have no alternative but to
get to know her new husband after
their wedding.
Can her gentle and
sensual nature turn the aloof man she married into a real husband?
The Enigmatic Earl
Can a battle weary
lord preparing to head for the Season’s marriage mart find love in an
unexpected place?
When Richard Merilstone, the Earl of Surcliffe, and Drake
Warfield, Viscount Allum, ride up to their favorite haunt the Angel Fayre Inn
to escape an impending storm, they are dismayed to find it appears to be
closed.
But when they enter the quiet inn they find not only the
owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose, who are preparing for a family trip, but their
niece Miss Angela Lowry. Although the inn is closed for business, as old and
valued customers they are invited to join the family for dinner.
The Season is in full swing and both gentlemen must leave
for London in the following days to begin their search for a bride. It is time
to marry and neither is looking forward to it. They don’t expect to have the
same luck as their friend and neighbor James Ashburn, the Marquess of Telforn,
who despite his marriage of convenience was lucky enough to find love.
But under the tender auspices of the owner’s beautiful young
niece, one last night at the inn proves to be revealing in many ways for one of
them, and his life may never be the same.
The Volatile Viscount
Infuriated at being forced by his father into an arranged
marriage with a bluestocking, Drake Warfield, Viscount Allum, is determined to
get it over with and get on with his life. His gentle bluestocking, however,
has other ideas.
How can someone who looks so sweet, soft and well… alluring, be so bossy, irritating and
tempting all at the same time? She’s smart, practical, down to earth, curious
and inadvertently sensual. And she is driving him completely insane.
She wears round owlish looking reading glasses that make her
baby blue eyes look huge. Stargazes from her own library turret. Treats her
household staff like family, and as the apple of her father’s eye, she always
gets her own way. Until now. There are just a few things that Viscount Drake
Allum is determined to set straight. Exactly who is now boss in that household.
But will she listen? Unlikely.
This is the third in the Seductive Regency Short Story Series: The first is The Aloof Marquess, followed by The
Enigmatic Earl and The Volatile
Viscount.
The Curious Curate (and the Opera Singer)
When is a curate not a
curate? When he is a dashing rogue sent to assist his Reverend Uncle as penance
for his unruly behavior.
When the Marquess of Tyden learned of his youngest son, Lord
Aiden Renford’s, roguish behavior in Town—duels, fist fights, and gambling—he
knew there was only one solution for it. To send him to his uncle for a year.
Under the Reverend Matthew Renford’s gentle guidance, Aiden would learn
humility and to behave like a gentleman. The penalty if he refused? He would be
cut off, not only from his funds, but from his family and all access to the
family’s estates.
While the locals are happy to embrace the new temporary
curate and welcome him into their homes, Aiden soon discovers that although he
is counting the days until he regains his freedom, a year in Harelton is not
such a bad bargain, especially when an unexpected guest arrives at the vicarage
only a week before he is free to leave.
Miss Amelie Rouen is an opera singer, something many
Londoners unfortunately appeared to equate with being a Cyprian. While being
pursued by an ardent admirer, she takes refuge at the Harelton Parish Vicarage,
and finds herself in the care of an unusual curate with twinkling eyes and a
mischievous sense of humor, who looks like he belongs anywhere but there.
Can the attraction between the oddly matched pair lead to
anything but heartache?
Twin Rogues in Winter
A pair of identical twins, a winter house party, a
group of eligible young ladies, and the overwhelming temptation to switch
identities. What could possibly go wrong?
Gareth and Callum Renford are identical twins, only the most
discerning eye can tell them apart. Even their father gets them confused. But
one thing sets them apart in a most dramatic way. One is a future marquess, and
the other is not. So distinguishing one brother from the other is essential to
any lady seeking a titled husband.
The two have always played the ‘which twin is which’ game
and enjoyed confusing their friends and relatives. So when they are snowed in
at a winter house party, they cannot resist. Will the guests be able to tell
who is who? Not easily. And the mischievous pair are enjoying the game. Each
would like to be valued for himself, regardless of his future prospects. And
while love is the greatest prize of all, they don’t expect to find it.
But with a girl hiding under one twin’s bed and the sudden
reappearance of an old flame, the twins might get a little more than they
bargained for in this cheerful Regency romp filled with secret passages,
snowball fights, parlor games and a winter frost fair.
Midnight in the Garden with Eros
An eagle-eyed artist with a checkered past, a bored country Miss, a cat
called Artemis, caverns, and a ‘Greeks and Romans’ costume ball.
From humble beginnings to the height of fame, talented
painter and sculptor John Ivers Mason is the toast of London. Tall, lean,
handsome, and in possession of a pair of startling pale blue eyes and jet black
hair, he is sought after not only for his skill and artistry, but his
incredibly striking good looks.
But John’s lowly Newcastle background has made him cautious.
While he is invited to many ton events as a celebrated artist, he is not truly
a part of that world. Until he unexpectedly falls in love with a young woman
who is.
Asked by her father to paint the fiery Miss Diana Wilmington
at their country estate, he agrees—on one condition—that he be allowed to paint
her for his own gallery too.
Diana is no typical member of the beau monde. She is feisty,
stubborn, opinionated and definitely no shrinking violet. Almost perfect for
him in fact. Except that he swore he would never marry.
But rules are made to be broken. Aren’t they?
Assuming she is alone in the garden, Miss Diana Wilmington
is quite annoyed when in a rare whimsical moment she beseeches the newly
arrived statue of Eros for a love match, and is overheard by none other than
the statue’s amused sculptor himself. John Ivers Mason. The man is infuriating.
But intriguing.
Although she is not usually of a whimsical mindset, Diana’s
sister and several of her friends have recently married and she is feeling a
little left out. Her father is not a fan of going to Town, and prefers to
invite Town to him by creating his own entertainments at Wilmington Hall. And
while she has no intention of succumbing to ‘wedded bliss’ with one of the
stuffy, boring London fops who so often frequent their house parties, she
doesn’t want to become an aging spinster aunt someday either!
But now the infuriating artist will be staying to paint her.
And there is so much more to the talented artist than meets the eye.
You can find them all at my author pages on Amazon. Look below to find Amelie's (The Curious Curate and the Opera Singer) recipes for Almondine Biscuits and Mulled wine.
Thanks for reading!
Monday, December 28, 2020
Amelie's Almondine Biscuits
In my book The Curious Curate and the Opera Singer Amelie Rouen (the famous Amaline) spends a little time at the vicarage in Harelton with Aiden and assists the housekeeper Mrs. Comfrey in making her own recipe for Almondine Biscuits. Here is my version of this recipe. I hope you like it!
Amelie’s Almondine Biscuits
Preheat
the oven to 180C
100 grams of ground almonds
120 grams of sugar (this can be all
white or half white and half dark brown sugar if you prefer a toastier flavor)
300 grams of plain flour
200 grams of salted butter
2 medium eggs
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
For the topping:
50 grams of thinly sliced or
slivered almonds
2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
Cream together the butter and sugars
until smooth and set aside
Mix the ground almonds, flour and
nutmeg in a separate bowl
Beat the eggs and add slowly to the
butter and sugar mixture stirring constantly until smooth
Add the dry ingredients a little at
a time until a firm dough is formed
Roll out the dough on a floured
surface and using a crinkled edged cutter cut the biscuits into rounds.
If you like a thicker softer biscuit
roll out the dough to approximately 8-10mm, for thinner crisper biscuit rollout
the dough to approx. 5mm
Place on a greased and lightly
floured baking sheet.
Add the toppings before baking: Take
the slivered/sliced almonds and sprinkle on top, or form a star, a fan, or any other shape you
prefer in the center of the biscuit, then sprinkle lightly with a pinch of
brown sugar.
Place in the center of the oven and
bake for approximately 8 minutes until a light golden brown. If
you are making thinner biscuits, your cooking time will be less so watch them
carefully.
Slide them from the baking sheet
onto a metal rack and allow to cool.
These will be particularly good with a cold glass of champagne at the New Year or any other time for an after dinner dessert.
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Making Mulled Wine
Making mulled wine is a very subjective thing, keep your personal tastes in mind before you begin. Do you like cinnamon, cloves, honey or star anise? You don't need to add any of the spices you don't care for.
Greeks and Romans spiced and heated their wines to keep warm in winter. I'm sure they merely did it to taste.
Begin with two bottles of dry red wine in a large saucepan.
Add one large whole thinly sliced orange or two small oranges, clementines or satsumas
Add the grated zest of an orange or lemon if you like tangy citrusy flavors
You can choose to add any fruits such as pitted cherries, pomegranite seeds, cranberries or sliced apples
Half a cup of brown sugar or honey
You can grate in a small amount of nutmeg to taste
Add two cinnamon sticks, four cloves and two star anise, choose only the ones you like.
(Keep aside several sticks of cinnamon to add to your glasses as a stirer)
Simmer the ingredients on low heat stirring occasionally for forty five minutes, never boil as it will cook off the alcohol.
You can add half a cup of brandy to the pot or a small glass of port to add richness at the end.
When the fruits have cooked to a softness turn off the heat.
At this point you can either sieve the mixture providing a smooth liquid and adding back a slice of orange and a fresh cinnamon stick to each cup, or you could serve it as is in heat proof glasses or mugs.
Good Luck!
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Are you ready for Winter?
Winter is here at last! I'm not a big fan of summer, I love to bundle up and stay cosy in the crisp winter air, and I love snow. I'm not great at ice skating but I can stay upright...pretty much! But I love the idea of a Regency winter house party, complete with handsome rogues, heroines who know their own mind and a midnight jaunt or two onto the frozen ice as the romance of the holiday season takes hold.
Snowball fights, ice skating, a winter frost fair, a houseparty and a pair of eligible twin rogues, what more could anyone ask for? If you're in the mood for a winter romance, check out Twin Rogues in Winter.
Friday, October 9, 2020
Caverns
Luray Caverns
Have you ever visited a cavern? In Midnight in the Garden with Eros John and Diana visit a local cavern together, but I won't tell you what happens there, that would be a spoiler. However, I will say that my inspiration came from several of the caverns I have been lucky enough to visit over the years. In the UK as a child I visited the Blue John Cavern in the Peak District, it seemed like a miraculous place to me as a small child! It is most famous for the Blue John stones that are mined there and used to make jewelry and small objet d'art. Here's a link if you'd like to check it out. Blue John Cavern or https://www.bluejohn-cavern.co.uk/
In the US when I lived in Virginia I was lucky to visit the Luray Caverns, the largest on the east coast, it was one of the things I was determined to do before we left the State and it was well worth the visit, they also have a car and carriage museum and a small toy museum, fabulous for us history lovers! Here's the link: Luray Caverns or https://luraycaverns.com/
Regency Romance and Pets
You may notice that I have upgraded my covers lately as I wanted to make them a little more colorful, but the books inside remain exactly the same. Also, I wanted to illustrate the books which feature animals. And since we live in uncertain times when many of us have adopted pets to keep us company and bring us comfort, I thought you might enjoy reading those particular books.
In my Seductive Regency Romance Series, The Enigmatic Earl features a lovable wolfhound named Rufus. Wolfhounds are gorgeous, loyal and affectionate giants, and very true to the time period of Regency England when they were used as both hunting dogs and protection.
In Midnight in the Garden with Eros, a lovable black cat named Artemis makes an appearance, and no, she doesn't belong to the heroine but the hero!
And don't forget each book is a complete love story in case you wanted to read them out of order.
I don't think it's a spoiler to mention that I would never write something that had an unpleasant ending for humans or animals so you can rest assured that both human and animal characters in my books have a guaranteed happily-ever-after.
The Enigmatic Earl
Friday, October 2, 2020
My Books
I hope you're having a fabulous week. If you haven't been here in a little while you may notice that some of my books look a little different, I've just given the covers a colorful update, they are exactly the same inside.
As you know, most of my books contain love scenes, but recently I decided to write a few short stories that were on the sweeter side. The first is very short, but quite unusual, it is a complete Regency love story told entirely from the perspective of the hero: An Exceptional Duchess is out now. I will be publishing another playful sweet story soon,
In the meantime, here is the quick run down of my books depending on what you are in the mood for.
The Seductive Regency
Romances
The Seductive Regency
Romances are sweetly steamy and loosely linked playful romances, with
determined sensual heroes and headstrong passionate heroines. Each book is a
complete romance with a happily-ever-after designed to leave you smiling, and can
be read as a stand-alone, but in order they are:
Midnight in the Garden with Eros
My
other books include:
The Third Dance (A Sensual and Playful Regency Romance)
The Jewel Thief (A Ghostly Regency Romance)
In Devlin's Arms (A Steamy Regency Romance)
These two are extremely spicy but also contain a lot of humor:
Simply Adored (A Spicy and Playful Regency Romance)
An Aspiring Courtesan (A Sensual and Playful Regency Romance) This one is my most sensual and explicit.
Here are the links to some of my Amazon pages:
Saturday, September 26, 2020
New Release.
An Exceptional Duchess: A Short Sweet Kisses Only Romance
While I usually write books with plenty of sensual love
scenes, I thought this heartfelt little love story would be a lovely change of
pace. It is sweet and clean and contains only kisses. And just for a change the entire story is told from the point of view of the Hero. I hope you enjoy it.
Thank you for reading.
An Exceptional Duchess
A Short Sweet Kisses Only Love Story
A
short sweet love story told entirely from the perspective of the hero.
Maximillian Edward Grayson, Duke of Edgewater has lived a cold and privileged life. His parents married for duty and they expected him to do the same. But now that they are gone, he is dragging his feet. While he knows he must marry to secure the line, a marriage of convenience is the last thing he wants. Known as the ‘ice cold duke’, he finds it hard to shake off the years of imperious training to be the superior being he is expected to be. The debutantes are afraid of him, and the matchmaking mammas are on the hunt.
Returning to his estate, he encounters a girl who reminds
him of someone he used to know many years ago, and she refuses to allow him to
be even remotely imperious. Suddenly, he finds himself dipping his bare toes in
the lake, running through the woods, and tossing aside convention.
And he can’t quite
believe that she is real. Is she?
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
About Eros
Eros vs Cupid.
When I began writing my novel Midnight in the Garden with Eros I did a little research into exactly who Eros was, and discovered that in early Greek mythology Eros was depicted as a beautiful young adult male in his prime, it was only over time that the Greek myth was hijacked by the Romans and he became younger and was eventually depicted as a winged baby.
Eros is known as the Greek god of passionate love, romance and physical desire, from which the term erotic is derived.
I needed a beautiful male figure, as my hero sculptor John Ivers Mason, has sculpted a statue of Eros (based upon his own lithe physique) to grace the gardens of Wilmington Hall that was both beautiful and sensual. And after all, a statue of Cupid, a chubby baby in a diaper wasn’t going to cut it.
A beautiful statue many consider to be Eros has graced the center of Piccadilly circus for many years. Though as it turns out, the figure was meant to be Anteros, the brother of Eros and god of mutual and selfless love. Though he does wield a bow just like his brother.
Here is the statue from Picadilly Circus.
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Just a Few Pics for Fun
A little something different. I've been looking through the photographs of my travels over the past couple of years and discovered these, I don't think I have posted them before, but I thought they were truly adorable. Did you believe in fairies when you were little? If so, these will make you smile. The were taken during the winter on a walk at Hardwick Hall. The trail was filled with lovely little fairy homes and toadstools. Look inside the little fairy house at the detail there, it's hard to believe the whole thing is just a few inches tall.
There is a link on the left to my other pics of Hardwick Hall or just click here. My Pics of Hardwick Hall
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
A little about my series of Seductive Regency Romances
How one thing leads to another.
A little about how my series of Seductive Regency Romances came about.
When I wrote The Aloof
Marquess, it was intended to be a single story, I had no idea that I would
be writing more of them and that it would become the first of a series. I
enjoyed the way Ellena, after her sudden marriage to a man she barely knew, determinedly
coaxed James, her aloof marquess, into opening up. But by the end of the story I
had fallen in love with the marquess’s two best friends and felt that they deserved
their own stories too. In The Enigmatic
Earl, Richard Merilstone unexpectedly falls in love with an unsuitable girl,
and in The Volatile Viscount, Drake Warfield’s
father—much to his very animated and volatile disgust—insists he marry a blue
stocking, and she is no ordinary young woman.
I thought the three stories would be the end, but when I
finished writing The Volatile Viscount,
I began thinking about the other characters in the books. Lord Aiden Renford
made only a very brief appearance in The Volatile Viscount but somehow I was drawn to write his story. And
it had to be an unusual one. Thus came about The Curious Curate (and the Opera Singer), although he appears as a curate, he has merely been
sent--at his father’s insistence--to assist his Reverend Uncle for a year to
curb his roguish London ways, after which he is free to do as he pleases. But only
a week before his year is up, he has an unexpected encounter with a lovely opera
singer.
The gathering of Aiden’s family at the conclusion of this
book led me to wondering about Aiden’s playful twin brothers. And thus Twin Rogues in Winter came about. Two
mischievous rogues snowed in at a winter house party? Surely there will be some
love matches amid the playful winter games? Starting with the girl hiding under
one twin’s bed.
The next book, just out, features one of the girls who
didn’t get a match at the Wilmington’s winter house party in Midnight in the Garden with Eros, and her match is one of the most
unusual. A talented artist and sculptor whose creations grace the gardens of Wilmington
Hall is asked to paint the fiery Miss Diana Wilmington.
The Seductive Regency Romances are playful, light and
sensual romps that are meant to leave you smiling. Each is a complete love
story and can be read as a stand-alone.
But in order they are: The Aloof Marquess, The Enigmatic
Earl, The Volatile Viscount, The Curious Curate (and the Opera Singer), Twin
Rogues in Winter, and Midnight in the Garden with Eros.
Click this link to the page here within my blog for more info: My Books
Why not to take one of my history quizzes while you are here, I have designed three just for fun. (listed on the left) Also you can look around my site at some of the pics taken on my travels all around England in the past couple of years to some fabulous historical sites. Just in case you’ve been feeling a little cooped up lately.
Thanks for visiting,
Milly Jane Maven
Saturday, August 8, 2020
Just Published--Midnight in the Garden with Eros
Midnight in the Garden with Eros
A Seductive Regency Romance
An eagle-eyed artist with a checkered past, a bored country Miss, a cat
called Artemis, caverns, and a ‘Greeks and Romans’ costume ball.
From humble beginnings to the height of fame, talented
painter and sculptor John Ivers Mason is the toast of London. Tall, lean,
handsome, and in possession of a pair of startling pale blue eyes and jet black
hair, he is sought after not only for his skill and artistry, but his
incredibly striking good looks.
But John’s lowly Newcastle background has made him cautious.
While he is invited to many ton events as a celebrated artist, he is not truly
a part of that world. Until he unexpectedly falls in love with a young woman
who is.
Asked by her father to paint the fiery Miss Diana Wilmington
at their country estate, he agrees—on one condition—that he be allowed to paint
her for his own gallery too.
Diana is no typical member of the beau monde. She is feisty,
stubborn, opinionated and definitely no shrinking violet. Almost perfect for
him in fact. Except that he swore he would never marry.
But rules are made to be broken. Aren’t they?
Assuming she is alone in the garden, Miss Diana Wilmington
is quite annoyed when in a rare whimsical moment she beseeches the newly
arrived statue of Eros for a love match, and is overheard by none other than
the statue’s amused sculptor himself. John Ivers Mason. The man is infuriating.
But intriguing.
Although she is not usually of a whimsical mindset, Diana’s
sister and several of her friends have recently married and she is feeling a
little left out. Her father is not a fan of going to Town, and prefers to
invite Town to him by creating his own entertainments at Wilmington Hall. And
while she has no intention of succumbing to ‘wedded bliss’ with one of the
stuffy, boring London fops who so often frequent their house parties, she
doesn’t want to become an aging spinster aunt someday either!
But now the infuriating artist will be staying to paint her.
And there is so much more to the talented artist than meets the eye.
Midnight
in the Garden with Eros UK
Midnight
in the Garden with Eros US
Midnight
in the Garden with Eros Australia
Midnight in the Garden with Eros Canada
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
About this Blog
But there is so much more than my books on this blog. As a writer of historical romance, I am of course, also a history lover. My personal favorites are Regency and Tudor.
Three Free Quizzes
Here are the links to all three, feel free to print them and test your friends and family:
History Quiz 3 History Quiz 2 History Quiz
Thursday, May 7, 2020
A Ghost, An Earl, and an Unusual Romance --The Jewel Thief
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Stay Safe and Well
I hope if you are able to safely exercise in nearby woods you managed to see this year's blue bells. This was taken last year at Wollaton Hall, Nottinghamshire. Blue bells are such cheerful flowers, don't you think.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Monday, April 6, 2020
Just Published!
But with a girl hiding under one twin's bed and the sudden reappearance of an old flame, the twins might get a little more than they bargained for in this cheerful Regency romp filled with secret passages, snowball fights, parlor games and a winter frost fair.
Links
Friday, March 20, 2020
Things are Getting Curiouser and Curiouser
Thursday, January 16, 2020
My Recent Visit to Blickling Hall
Friday, December 6, 2019
Byron
She Walks in Beauty
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!
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A cheeky sort of quote from the infamous Lord Byron who was, as many know, considered "Mad, bad, and dangerous to know,". Howeve...
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The Exquisite reading room at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, a place those of us who love books would all adore! Clo...





















