Jane Austen must have had fun writing her fourth published novel, Emma. In addition to sparkling dialogue, funny situations, and comic misunderstandings, she included a couple of riddles.  If you have the book handy, these riddles (also referred to as charades) appear in Chapter IX of Volume I. Here’s how the riddles appear: Emma is attempting…
I’m always impressed by how one book can make a tremendous impact on the world, extending far beyond the writer’s lifetime. This certainly applies to Charles Dickens, born just a year after George, Prince of Wales was appointed Prince Regent. Dickens’ book, A Christmas Carol (originally titled A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story…
The Treaty of Ghent, also known as the Peace of Christmas Eve, was the pact signed in the city of Ghent, Belgium (chosen because Belgium was a neutral country) that officially ended hostilities between the fledgling United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Peace talks started in Ghent in August…
It appears certain fashion trends were cause for much derision—high shirt points, choking cravats, baggy pants… Have people changed or just trends?
On the 1st of each month, Regency Fiction Writers publishes our FREE online newsletter, The Regency Reader, to anyone interested in Regency Fiction (1780-1840). The publication features author interviews, tidbits about the Regency era, and a listing of new titles from members and non-members. Members’ releases also appear here on the blog. Submit your Regency-set…
Join us on December 14 at 2 pm EST for a members-only talk on all things about setting productivity goals for 2024! (Be sure to SAVE YOUR SPOT via the button below!) When we struggle with productivity, we often find ourselves asking why any one particular method won’t work for us. Or why we aren’t more…
“This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper” T.S. Eliot wasn’t describing the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire when he wrote those words in his poem, “The Hollow Men.” Nonetheless, his lines are an extremely apt way to describe the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, which…
The Napoleonic Wars Finally End: the Second Treaty of Paris signed November 20, 1815 It is tempting to assume the wars ended at Waterloo on June 18, 1815, with the surrender of the French. In fact, the French army fled the field in shocking disarray without so much as a rear guard action pursued through…
This month Quizzing Glass chats with Rue Allyn, writer of heart-melting romance QG:Â What did you want to be when you were ten or twelve? A coloratura soprano with the Metropolitan Opera
It’s almost time to break out the pumpkin (or apple, or pecan) pies, candied yams, cranberry sauce, and, of course, roast turkey. For many Americans, a family meal featuring traditional fare is the basis of a Thanksgiving celebration. But you may surprised, as I was, at just how far back in history our Thanksgiving tradition…