Flash Sale with Elizabeth Johns, Bree Wolf, and Donna Hatch

Get 2 books for only 0.99$ each and 1 for FREE:

Bree Wolf

A dashing duke. A headstrong heroine. And a battle of wills.  
EDMOND DUNSWORTH, Duke of Cromwell, is bankrupt and, therefore, he marries ANNA HANDFORD for her sizable dowry. Anna is determined to hate him. Can Edmond change her mind with his oh so charming self or will there never be a happily ever after?

Cursed and Cherished is available on Amazon.

Elizabeth Johns

Elinor Abbott was only 14 years old when she and her father left England for America. Six years later, with war at their doorstep, Elinor Abbott is forced to return to her land of birth and a life amongst the aristocracy she abhors. A return to England also means facing the man who brutally attacked her as an adolescent.
Viscount Easton came to the United States at the behest of His Majesty’s Army, for his last assignment. He was sent home early due to an injury and must face his new destiny as the heir to an earldom. An unexpected encounter with the unrefined beauty links Easton and Elinor together in society, and he must decide whether to save Elinor’s reputation or hold on to bachelorhood.
Can Elinor navigate the perils of coming out in aristocratic England and still retain her sense of identity? Can Easton help her overcome her aversion to men? Or will her past keep her from facing her future?

Surrender the Past is available on Amazon.

And lastly, my book, The Stranger She Married, book One of the Rogue Hearts series, is FREE for only 4 days:

The Stranger She Married

Desperate to save her family from debtor’s prison, Alicia vows to marry the first wealthy man to propose. Her choices? A scarred cripple and a rake with a deadly secret.

The Stranger She Married, with it's lovely new cover, is FREE only on Amazon.
Flash sale for these three beautiful, clean and wholesome historical romances only lasts until Friday, so grab your copies today!

                                                                                            
I hope you'll find something you like!

And keep an eye on your inbox - Flash Sale Round Number 2 is also right around the corner! Stay tuned!

Rantings of a Mad, Mad Writer

I started this short story meant to be a free read for a blog tour and it's turning into a full-length novel. So now, because I have more word count to use, I need to deepen the plot in order to give it more depth, and I'm writing like mad because I've been possessed by something that won't let me put down the story.

Meanwhile, my short story free (which turned into this longer story)read is due soon (which I haven't yet begun to write), and in order to write it, that I have set aside a rough draft for a Regency I planned to submit this fall to Harlequin, and to do that, I've set aside working on the final draft for another Regency which is book 3 of the Rogue Hearts series which includes the Stranger She Married and The Guise of a Gentleman, also with a deadline. Everything I need to do is dependant upon something else getting done first, and I'm out on left field writing some stupid paranormal medieval long story that was supposed to be short, and I've set aside all my Regencies to do something that isn't even in my genre!

Writing doesn't keep me sane, it's making even more crazy!!!!!!!!!!

Win a free book

I read a fabulous book by Joyce DiPastena called Loyalty's Web. It's a Medieval Romace with a mystery, intrigue and suspence. It was well-written and obviously carefully researched. You can win a copy of Loyalty's Web at http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-of-loyaltys-web-and-enter-to-win.html

Why I Read and Write Regency Romances

When I was a youth, I read almost everything, especially sci fi and fantasy, but was always more interested in the interpersonal relationships and romances than the plot itself. I started reading Romances when I was about 14 or 15, and was immediately attracted to historicals of all kinds.

You’re going to laugh when I confess how clueless I was, but I didn’t really know what a Regency was until I started really researching it. Until then, I couldn’t have told the difference between a Regency and a Victorian. But I love historicals overall. I grew up on Little House on the Prairie books, Jane Eyre, Anne of Green Gables. Historicals are like a whole new world, totally different from the modern world in which I live. Regency in particular is fun because the manners and mores of society are so formal and lavish (unlike my reality). Besides what’s not to love about men who can dance? Not to mention that there are few things as manly as a man riding horseback or fencing or willing to engage in a dual to protect his honor. Or that of his lady love. I have a thing for medieval romances, too. Love those knights who are all about duty and honor.

Honestly, I didn’t know if I wanted to choose Georgian, Regency or Victorian until I really did my research. I discarded Georgian because I detested the white wigs and the wide panniers women wore then. I chose Regency over Victorian for a number of reasons: it was during and right after the Napoleonic war, which provides the perfect backdrop for the tortured hero still haunted by the horrors of war (my favorite kind of fictional character); it was a unique period, people were more free thinking and also their days were filled with huge, lavish parties which adds an element of fantasy or magic (yeah, still soooo not like my real life); I like the clothing styles and part of the fun of a historical is getting immersed in the ‘world’ which includes describing clothing; and a large part of my decision to go with fantasy is because it is a solid market niche which helps with marketing.

To do research, I read a lot of Regencies, but the most helpful resources are books actually written by authors who lived in that era, which is why Jane Austen is used so much by Georgian/Regency Era authors; she lived during that time, so what she writes is how things were, rather than someone’s perception of how things were. Georgette Heyer is also hailed as the "Queen of Regency" because of her uniquely believable voice. I've heard she wrote her books using the same terms and speech as her grandmother (who was born just after that time) used which is how she so easily achieved that voice. I also read a bunch of research books. And I joined an online writer's group called the Beau Monde which is for authors of the Georgian/Regency Era. The members are a plethora of information and can sometimes just answer questions, other times they can recommend sources for what members need.

In addition to the Beau Monde RWA group, some of the best sources for that era are:

The Regency Companion, by Sharon Laudermilk and Teresa L Hamlin
Georgette Heyer's Regency World, by Jennifer Kloester
Dee Hendrickson's Regency Reference Book (now on CD)
Our Tempestuous Day: A History of Regency England, by Carolly Erickson
The Prince of Pleasure and His Regency, by J.B. Priestly

I love Regency because of all this and more. Mostly, I love it because of the men. Or at least, my perception of the men. They were all about honor and duty. They were so wrapped up in honor that they were willing to die for it. And that is a character trait I find immensely attractive.


Donna Hatch is the Author is "The Stranger She Married" and "Troubled Hearts," both available on Amazon.com, The Wild Rose Press, and her website, www.donnahatch.com

Summer Treasure Hunt - Day 23 winner

The winner of Day 23 of our Summer Treasure Hunt is Shirley Bahlmann. Congrats, Shirley!

Only a few more days left of our Summer Treasure hunt, so keep playing!

And...I've been tagged for the Crazy Eights game by Joyce DiPastena, author of "Loyalty's Web" who is not only a gifted author, but also a marketing guru. I have to say, though, that with my copywriting background, it almost causes bodily pain to do 8, instead of 3 or 5 or 7 but Crazy Fives just doesn't have the same ring to it.

So here we go, more than you ever wanted to know about me:

Eight Things I Look Forward To:
*My "free day" with regards to dieting
*Bedtime (or naptime, on the rare occasion that happens)and I mean that both for my children and for myself
*My husband's day off
*Book club meetings
*A free moment I can spend reading just for the pleasure of it and not necessarily to do research
*Dessert (see the first of this list)
*Date Night with my husband
*The next extended family gathering

Eight Things I Did Yesterday:
*Got up (that was a biggie)
*Made a half dozen important phone calls
*Went to work
*Networked
*Blogged (sorta)
*Wrote about 5 pages on my current Work in Progress
*Drove my daughter to and from work
*Made spaghetti with homemade meatballs


Eight Things I Wish I Could Do:
*Make the New York Times best-sellers list
*Hire a full-time housekeeper
*Quit my day job
*Spend more time with my husband and children
*Travel - especially to England
*Take ballroom dancing classes with my husband
*Work out with a personal trainer
*Travel back in time for a few months to see what Regency England was really all about

Eight Shows I Watch:
Um, I don't? I have a really hard time making myself sit down and watch TV without thinking about everything I should be doing instead. Once in a great while I used to watch stuff on the Discovery Channel; Man vs Wild, Animal Planet, Myth Busters
Some Old Favorites were: Quantum Leap, Star Trek, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.

Eight Friends I’m Tagging:
Erin Quinn
Kathryne Kennedy
Laurean Brooks
Amber Scott
Diane Gaston
Denysé Bridger

Um, I'll have to come back to this since I'll have to research this further...

I got the Superior Scribbler Award!

How exciting! I've been awarded the "Superior Scribbler" award! I vacillate between being proud that Joyce DiPastena (author of Loyalty’s Web) who sent me this award was impressed by my writing, and wondering if she meant it as a not-so-subtle reminder that I need to be more diligent about finding time to finish my latest work in progress.

I think I’ll go with proud. Which in turn will inspire me to work harder. Anyway, here is the award and rules to go with it:



Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.

Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author and the name of the blog from whom he/she has received the award. So, in my case that would be Joyce DiPastena.

Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog and link to This Post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky list. That way we'll all be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives this Prestigious Honor! (Actually, I can't figure out how to do the Mr. Linky thing for this award, so if you know, please let me know!)

Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

So, drum roll please . . . The Winner's are:

Historical Hussies (Joyce Moore)

Seize the Chance (Laurie Alice Eakes)

Nicole Reising

Regency Ramble (Michelle Ann Young)

Much Cheaper than Therapy (Kim Watters)

In Search of Heroes (Delle Jacobs)

Congratulations, guys! Um, I mean, gals? Ladies?

Day 21 Summer Treasure

The winner of Day 21 of our Summer Treasure Hunt is Karen Haas of North Carolina.
Way to go, Karen!

Day 17 Treasure Hunt Winner

Hi Everyone!

The winner of Day 17 of our Summer Treasure Hunt is Dena Walton of Washington.

Day 15 & 16 Summer Treasure Hunt Winner

The winner of Day 15 of our Summer Treasure Hunt is Stacey Starley of Utah!

The winner of Day 16 of our Summer Treasure Hunt is LuAnn Morgan of Washington (state).

Also, check out the spotlight the Dark Divas did on me! http://darkdivareviews.blogspot.com/2009/05/donna-hatch-in-spotlight.html

Day 14 Summer Treasure Hunt Winner

Hi Everyone!

The winner of Day 14 of our Summer Treasure Hunt is Martha Lawson of Mississippi.

For those of you who might have missed the previous winners, here they are again:

Day 1 - Terry Fleming of California
Day 2 - Phyllis Lamken of Idaho
Day 3 - Debbie Lambson of Utah
Day 4 - Gloria Lyons of Michigan
Day 5 - Wendy Steed of Idaho
Day 6 - le Oreluk of Illinois
Day 7 - Heather Justesen of Utah
Day 8 - Valerie ards of Germany!
Day 9 - June Kirk of Arizona
Day 10 - Venetia Wilhelmsen of Arizona
Day 11 - Scott Duncan of Pennsylvania
Day 12 - Krista Darrach of Arizona
Day 13 - Ginny Romney of Arizona
Day 14 - Martha Lawson of Mississippi

Thanks everyone!

The London Season

by Donna Hatch

The London Season due to the titled lords attending Session of the House of Lords, which coincided with Parliament since it is the upper house. Often the gentlemen came alone, but many probably preferred to bring their families, who needed entertainment, and thus the season came into being.

Parliament comprises the Sovereign, the House of Commons (which is the lower house of Parliament and referred to as "the Commons"), and the Lords. Membership in the House of Lords was once a right of birth to hereditary peers. Each titled man was expected to serve in the House of the Lords. They typically met in October, November, December and then again in January through about April or so. There was really no set schedule, as far as I can see although the Queen held her birthday ball in January.

Since London was an undesirable place to live year-round, many would not come to London from their country houses until after Easter when the weather was better. The London Season was generally from after Easter to June or July, after which most would return to their country estates. Some people lived in London all year round, except for brief visits to other houses. Later, under Queen Victoria, the Season became more definite and the whole debutante thing was formalized.

During the Regency Era, the Season usually included lavish balls, parties, dinners, and musicales. London also offered many other attractions; the zoo, many parks, museums, shopping, and other entertainment. The Season grew into an important part of meeting and marrying eligible gentlemen and ladies.

The season became a much bigger production after the Regency Era and really came into prominence in the late Nineteenth century, or the Victorian days. Still, the Season figures prominently in many Regency-set novels, including mine, since it was a time to bring together all the noble families and their children of marriageable age. This of course, invites all kinds of possibilities. 

Day 13 Summer Treasure Hunt Winner

The winner of Day 13 of our Summer Treasure Hunt is Ginny Romney of Arizona. (What can I say? We've had an overabundance of entries from Arizona!)

Day 10 of our Summer Treasure Hunt

The winner of Day 10 of our Summer Treasure Hunt is Venetia Wilhelmsen of Arizona.

Day 9 Winner

The winner of Day 9 of our Summer Treasure Hunt is June Kirk of Arizona. Yeay, June!

Day 8 Winner

Congratulations to Valerie ards of Germany for winning my Regency Romance, The Stranger She Married. I'm excited that I will now have an International Audience. How cool is that?

Day 7 winner

Hi Everyone!

The winner of Day 7 of our Summer Treasure Hunt is Heather Justesen. Congratulations, Heather!

Keep playing and keep winning free books and other great prizes.

Day 5 & 6 Winners

The winner of Day 5 of our Summer Treasure Hunt is Wendy Steed from Idaho. le Oreluk of Illinois is the winner of Day 6.

Congratulations!!!

For those of you who might have missed the previous winners, here they are again:

Day 1 - Terry Fleming of California
Day 2 - Phyllis Lamken of Idaho
Day 3 - Debbie Lambson of Utah
Day 4 - Gloria Lyons of Michigan
Day 5 - Wendy Steed of Idaho
Day 6 - le Oreluk of Illinois

Thanks everyone!

Day 3 & 4 Winners

Sorry I failed to post day 3's winner. Congratuations to Debbie Lambson of Utah!!!

The winner of Day 4 of our Summer Treasure Hunt is Gloria Lyons of Michigan. Way to go, ladies!

To the rest of you; keep playing - there are plenty of days left in our Summer Treasure Hunt and lots of great prizes to win!!!

If you haven't yet entered, scroll down to find the instructions. Good luck to all of our Treasure Hunters!

Day 2 winner

The winner for Day 2 of our Summer Treasure Hunt contest is Phyllis Lamken of Idaho. Congratulations, Phyllis!!!

Keep playing, there are lots more days and prizes to win"!!!!

How to Light a Candle in Regency England

How does one light a candle in Regency England?

Usually with a "spill." It's a twisted piece of paper, long and narrow (from a distance it looks kind of like long kitchen match). It was common for a bunch of these to be kept standing in some kind of jar or vase on the mantel, then you lit them from the fire. If there's no fire in the room, then you’d have to light the candle with flint and tender, sparking at least enough of a fire to light the spill. There was also something called a tinderbox which was a small box of flint, firesteel, and tinder (typically charcloth, but could also be dry, finely-divided fibrous matter such as straw). The world became a much easier place with matches were invented! Matches were invented in 1823, and didn't come into mass production until around 1824.