Wandering Wednesday: Bath, England

By Carolyn Miller @CarolynMAuthor

As a major fan of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, it was inevitable that on a trip to England to visit my sister that I would have to visit Bath, in Somerset. No longer would I have to be the ‘poor relation’ looking on with envy as others posted their scenic shots of places I was meant to be, places I knew so well from such novels as Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, Bath Tangle and a more recent Christian novel Prelude to a Lord. Now it was my turn to walk the streets (not run, as Anne Elliot did in the 2007 film of Persuasion!) and soak up the atmosphere of a city founded by the Romans in the first century AD.

Unsurprisingly for a city named Bath there are…Roman Baths. This iconic bathing complex is based on hot springs, and is a must visit for any tourist. According to UNESCO, the Temple of Sulis Minerva and the baths are some of the most important Roman remains north of the Alps, with the associated waters considered to hold health-giving properties, which led to it becoming England’s premier Spa town of the Georgian period.

Today, you can visit the Baths, see the Roman remains, or, if you’re like me with something of an Austen addiction, ‘take the waters’ at the Pump Room, where the famous pump delivers the slightly sour tasting water for your improved health, and where numbers of characters of various books have visited. Of course, I had to take my characters there in my new Regency novel Winning Miss Winthrop, both to experience the waters and the gossip associated with this fashionable venue of the 1800s.

Nearby is the magnificent Bath Abbey, founded in the 7th Century as a Benedictine monastery, which owes a lot of its current splendour to major restoration work in the mid-1800s. This Grade 1 listed building is a wonderful example of Gothic architecture, and is noted for its breath-taking fan vaulting and stained glass. Definitely worth a visit.







Of course, a trip to Bath means a visit to the Jane Austen centre, where one can learn more about this illustrious author, take a tour, try on Regency attire, and even take tea with Mr. Darcy (!). This is a fabulous place to conduct research, such as examining Regency-era concert programs, complete with descriptions of Galas of music and Grand Illuminations (fireworks) of new devices and decorations - in other words, a Regency author's dream.





Walking up Gay Street takes you past a glory of Georgian architecture, before The Circus (a street enclosing a round park) takes us to the Upper Assembly Rooms, where elegant society would assemble and mingle and perhaps engage in matchmaking. These rooms consist of the Ballroom, Octagonal room, tea rooms, and card rooms, and were the site of dances, concerts and lectures, and the site of many dramatic scenes for Austen heroines. I used these elegant 18th Century rooms for a number of pivotal scenes for Miss Winthrop – including a masquerade!





Not far away is another of the iconic scenes of Bath – the Royal Crescent, a row of 30 terraced houses in a semicircle, and one of the most fabulous examples of Georgian architecture in Britain, and a prestige address with its views over the park opposite.



Bath is built in the valley of the River Avon, with many steep streets and rows of terraced houses lining the surrounding hills, all designed for aesthetic appeal by illustrious 18th century builders. A walk along the river takes you across the beautiful Pulteney bridge and up another hill to Sydney Gardens. This is another location mentioned in Austen and Heyer novels, and a place any true Austen aficionado should visit – and Austen-inspired authors should use. So, of course I had to set several scenes here, especially as the many trees and paths make it perfect for secret rendezvous.

Bath is well worth a visit even if you’re not a history buff or a great fan of Austen’s literature. It is one place (of many!) I’d love to return to, and spend longer time, soaking in the atmosphere of this beautiful, evocative city.

Giveaway

Carolyn Miller is giving away an print copy or ebook copy (winner's choice) of Winning Miss Winthrop. To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post and/or ICFW's March New Releases post on March 19. Receive two entries in the drawing by commenting on both posts. I'll draw a winner from the comments on Saturday, March 24.  

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked part-time as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher. A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her Regency novels include The Elusive Miss Ellison, The Captivating Lady Charlotte, and The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, all available from Amazon, Book Depository, Koorong, etc 

Connect with her: website | facebook | pinterest | twitter

The Joys of Serendipitous Research

My father always told me, “You never learn anything you don’t use sometime.”

Just like most of the things my father taught me, I have found this to be true—especially when it comes to research for my novels. Because I live in the western US and set most of my novels in England, and because I try never to write about a place I haven’t visited, research looms large in my writing life. And because I’m always working on a tight schedule I’m very focused in my research.

I always set out knowing what I need to know and where I hope to find it. At least, I always “think” I know what I need to know—and how it will fit into my story. When something unexpected turns up—someone answers a question I didn’t ask, or suggests I go someplace I hadn’t planned to go—I used to dismiss that “extraneous” information.

Until at least the third or fourth time I was back in my office writing and discovered that that superfluous material was just what I needed—if only I could remember it, since I had failed to write it down.

I had an example of this when my husband and I visited the Royal Pavilion in Brighton as background for the novel I’m currently writing—A Lethal Spectre, book 5 in my Victorian true crime series Lord Danvers Investigates—I was enchanted to encounter a Regency dance group rehearsing to perform a program for an event later that night. But they were Regency, a whole generation earlier than the 1857 setting for my story. It was charming, but I needn’t take notes.

But wait, this was something I could report to the JaneAusten Society of North America newsletter. I sought out a pavilion official and got permission to take pictures—in spite of the prohibition against photography. 

Although I submitted the article to JASNA News, it was never published. A few days ago, however, when I needed to place my Victorian characters at a ball in the Royal Pavilion, I had my pictures to refer to for accurate details—adjusting for the changes in dance and dress fashion, of course.

You can see the results when A Lethal Spectre is published early next year, but in the meantime, my latest release is the all-new edition of ATincture of Murder, book 4 in Lord Danvers Investigates:

A devastating fire at Danvers’s ancestral home induces Charles to accept his brother Frederick’s plea for help with his work among fallen women and impoverished orphans in York. Charles soon finds himself struggling to identify a ruthless murderer while Antonia helps feed the women and children living in the asylum Frederick runs. The trial of notorious poisoner William Dove leads to surprising discoveries and sets legal precedent still followed today.

Posted by Donna Fletcher Crow. You can see more about all her books on her website.

                                                                                                                          

Dedications

One of the most special things of having a book published is having the opportunity to dedicate your book to someone. Even royalty consider such a thing an honour, so much so that Jane Austen received a 'suggestion' from the Prince Regent's librarian that she dedicate her novel Emma to him. Despite holding an unfavourable opinion of the profligate Prince, Jane knew ignoring the suggestion might be unwise, and so the first edition of Emma has a dedication that reads (somewhat sarcastically):

To 

His Royal Highness 

the Prince Regent, 

this work is,

by His Royal Highness's permission,

most respectfully dedicated 

by His Royal Highness's

dutiful and obedient humble servant,

the author.

Of course, most of us these days are not coerced into writing dedications to people we don't like, which makes the selection of the people we do dedicate our books to rather important.

Some people seem to prefer the pithy "For so-and-so" kind of definition; others are renowned for writing dedications to (multiple) people that can take up half a page (each)! Personally, I think such such long 'dedications' read more as an author's note, which might be better served at the end - after all, readers want to read a story, not a lengthy dedication to someone they have never met :)

Regarding the dedications of my novels, I am trying to show my appreciation for people who have supported me on my writing journey. My debut novel, The Elusive Miss Ellison, I dedicated to my husband; my second,  The Captivating Lady Charlotte, is dedicated to my parents; my third, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey is dedicated to my sister, with a thank you 'for sharing your Georgette Heyer books with me.' With each of these I've been conscious of balancing the content with the dedication, which is why the most romantic novel had to be dedicated to my husband :)

Of course, now my first three books are dedicated, it leaves the door open for my next novels. Hmm, whom to dedicate to. My children? Good friends? Favourite Beta readers? It's a nice problem to have.

How about you? Do you notice book dedications? Do you have particular methods for selecting to whom you dedicate your books? Do you prefer short and pithy or something more lengthy?

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked part-time as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives.

Her Regency novels are available from Amazon, Book Depository, Koorong, etc

Connect with her:        www.carolynmillerauthor.com

                                     pinterest   facebook   twitter

 

Cover Reveal

I’m excited to unveil the cover for my upcoming Jane Austen’s Emma Colouring & Activity Book! It will be available in late fall!

I’ve used flowers on every cover of this series. I can’t help but have these books face forward on my bookshelf so I ‘m surrounded by their beauty and cheerfulness.

I love how the flowers convey the setting and characters. For instance, roses for Pride And Prejudice, because they’re timeless and classic.

Daisies for Sense And Sensibility, because they’re fun and free spirited.

Emma’s cover is quite striking, as it matches her exuberant personality.

So, if you're a Jane Austen Fan, who'd love to know exactly when Emma is released, please sign up for my Newsletter! You'll also receive a FREE Jane Austen Word Search!

Just click on the link below:
http://lilaclanepublishing.com/newsletter

Cheers,
Eva :)


Eva Maria Hamilton is the author of Highland Hearts, a Love Inspired Historical novel published by Harlequin. Her novel, Highland Hearts, won 2nd Place in the Historical Romance, as well as the Traditional/Inspirational Romance Categories in the Heart of Excellence Reader’s Choice Awards, and was an Inspirational Series Finalist in the 2013 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Her short story, Disinherited Love, can be read in the anthology, A Kiss is Still A Kiss. Eva Maria Hamilton is also the owner of Lilac Lane Publishing, which has currently published, Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice Colouring & Activity Book featuring Illustrations from 1895, and Jane Austen’s Sense And Sensibility Colouring & Activity Book featuring Illustrations from 1896.

To connect with Eva Maria Hamilton, please visit her at www.evamariahamilton.com

Free Word Search

I’m so excited to announce my new website for Lilac Lane Publishing!

Currently, Lilac Lane is publishing a series of Jane Austen Colouring & Activity Books.

A colouring and activity book is already available for Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. You can purchase them at any of the major online retailers. Emma is coming next! It’s scheduled for release in the fall!

I also have a slew of books that I’ve written that will be published in the near future.

For instance, there’s a 3 book series featuring the grandchildren from Highland Hearts! And if you loved the cast from Highland Hearts, they’ll be in the Americas! You’ll get to see what became of them!

So please, hop on over to Lilac Lane Publishing’s website and sign up for the newsletter. Not only will you stay informed, but I’m giving away a FREE Jane Austen Colouring & Activity Books WORD SEARCH!

Just go to the Newsletter section of the website to get your FREE COPY!

www.LilacLanePublishing.com

See you there!

And depending on where you live,
Happy 1st day of Summer / Winter !

            

Passing it On

“I am an author,” my 10-year-old granddaughter declares with a conviction many published adults would envy. And, indeed, she is. She will read the cereal box if she has forgotten to take a book to the table. She spends hours alone in her room writing stories. She has sleepovers with a friend, and they spend the night writing. And, like a young Jane Austen, she delights in reading her stories aloud to her family.

Of course, her writer nana is thrilled to encourage her. I pass on writing tips and ask her questions about her plot when she is stuck. I listen to her reading and congratulate her—as she truly deserves. I buy books for her and gave her a pink leather journal to write her stories in—although she has recently moved up to writing them on her brother’s computer.

And, dear to my heart, she is well on her way to becoming a devout Janeite. She reads the Little Miss Austenbooks (supplied by Nana) to her little sisters, and has read an unabridged Pride and Prejudice herself. I followed up her reading with a “book discussion group” between the two of us.

I have also give her Eva Marie Hamilton’s delightful Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility colouring and puzzle books, which we do together when I visit.

The crowning touch came on my latest visit when I was able to take her and her mother to the Pride andPrejudice Ball in Calgary. We began the day with English Country Dance lessons.

Then fashioned a Regency hairstyle for her.

Earlier in the week we had remodeled a Disney princess gown a friend had given her and used the cut-off sleeves to make a reticule. The perfect cloak was waiting on a cupboard—another hand-me-down from a friend. She was very concerned that everything we do be “period correct” which made the entire event a teaching moment—even to her lacing nana into her stays.

The ball was a true Cinderella dream. This was not a children’s event. Many an adult male registered surprise, then grinned, when he turned to “set” to his new corner and found she was four feet tall. Our princess danced every dance and never missed a step.

Will my budding author become a professional? I believe the odds are high. But if not, by encouraging her current interests I have helped give her a foundation for a lifetime of pleasure in books. That may well be the greatest contribution I can make to literature.

Indeed, passing on our knowledge and enthusiasms and encouraging the next generation is so much of what life is all about. Those of us who love books can support libraries, volunteer with children in schools, Sunday school and other community programs. Picking up on a child’s interests and encouraging them may well be the greatest contribution any of us can make.

Donna Fletcher Crow has 14 grandchildren, all of whom she endeavors to encourage in their varied interests. She has authored 2 contemporary mystery novels with Jane Austen backgrounds: A Jane Austen Encounter which visits all of Jane Austen's homes and A Most Singular Venture, murder in Jane Austen's London. She looks forward to passing  these on to her granddaughter as well.

Jacket Blurb

In the middle of April, Donna Fletcher Crow, asked me if I would write a jacket blurb for her latest novel, A Most Singular Venture.

My answer…

I’d be honored!!!

Approximately two months later I had the privilege of reading Donna’s book.
One of the benefits - I got a peak at this book before the masses :)

Isn’t the cover lovely? I think it’s wonderful with many layers to enjoy, just like the book.

Anyway, my review was due by mid-August. I took about three weeks to enjoy reading the novel, then I gave Donna several blurbs for her to choose from by early July. I also took the liberty of adding a little editing service and pointed out a few minor mistakes I’d found. Donna was grateful and that made me happy.

So here are the blurbs that Donna used:
You can also view them on Amazon (when you click preview), or you can always buy the book ;)
https://www.amazon.com/Most-Singular-Venture-Elizabeth-Literary-ebook/dp/B01LDZEW90/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1476432039&sr=8-3&keywords=donna+fletcher+crow

Now let's chat :)
Do you read blurbs in/on books? Do you like them?
I know I do!


Eva Maria Hamilton is the author of Highland Hearts, a Love Inspired Historical novel published by Harlequin. Her novel, Highland Hearts, won 2nd Place in the Historical Romance, as well as the Traditional/Inspirational Romance Categories in the Heart of Excellence Reader’s Choice Awards, and was an Inspirational Series Finalist in the 2013 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Her short story, Disinherited Love, can be read in the anthology, A Kiss is Still A Kiss. Eva Maria Hamilton is also the owner of Lilac Lane Publishing, which has currently published, Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice Colouring & Activity Book featuring Illustrations from 1895 and Jane Austen’s Sense And Sensibility Colouring & Activity Book featuring Illustrations from 1896.

To connect with Eva Maria Hamilton online, please visit her at www.evamariahamilton.com

A Sneak Peak

Welcome to the First Day of June!

I’ve been hard at work on Jane Austen’s Sense And Sensibility Colouring & Activity Book featuring Illustrations from 1896, and today I’ll going to give you a sneak peak at the cover.

I just love the happy little bursts of sunshine, and I can imagine Marianne Dashwood adoring them, as well, or perhaps they cushioned her fall on that fated day when she first met Willoughby. *sigh*

*Ahem* Back to the book.

This book contains the vast array of activities enjoyed in Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice Colouring & Activity Book featuring Illustrations from 1895, and I will be publishing it very shortly. It should be in my hands by the next time I blog!

So, until then, I hope God’s light shines in your life.



Eva Maria Hamilton is the author of Highland Hearts, a Love Inspired Historical novel published by Harlequin. Her novel, Highland Hearts, won 2nd Place in the Historical Romance, as well as the Traditional/Inspirational Romance Categories in the Heart of Excellence Reader’s Choice Awards, and was an Inspirational Series Finalist in the 2013 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Her short story, Disinherited Love, can be read in the anthology, A Kiss is Still A Kiss. Eva Maria Hamilton is also the owner of Lilac Lane Publishing, which has currently published, Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice Colouring & Activity Book featuring Illustrations from 1895.

To connect with Eva Maria Hamilton online, please visit her at www.evamariahamilton.com

       

"Ode to Jane"

Author Julie Klassen is with us today. In her Christy award winning novel, The Girl in the Gatehouse, set during the English Regency, Julie opens a world foreign to the twenty-first century. It’s a world where a girl can be ruined and abandoned by her family for an “indiscretion” while the boy experiences little more than momentary embarrassment. It’s a world where novel authors are held in low repute. (Even the beloved books of Jane Austen were published anonymously in her time.) In this story, several characters are “outed” in this notorious profession. In places the author mimics the style and melodrama of the period, all in good fun.

LeAnne Hardy: Thank you for being with us, Julie. Won't you tell us a little more about the book.

Julie Klassen:  The Girl in the Gatehouse is about a young woman who has been sent away from her home after a scandal. She lives in an abandoned gatehouse on a distant relative’s estate, where she supports herself and her loyal servant by writing novels in secret. Her plan to live quietly goes astray when a wealthy and ambitious naval captain leases the estate. Captain Bryant is intrigued by the beautiful girl in the gatehouse. But he fights the attraction, not wanting to risk his own plans for a woman shadowed by scandal

LH: This book is so much fun. Where did the idea come from?

JK: The spark of the idea came from one of Jane Austen’s minor characters—Maria Bertram, who is caught in immorality and banished by her family to “an establishment being formed for them in another country—remote and private.” Of course in Mansfield Park, we do not admire vain and adulterous Maria Bertram and most readers likely feel she earned her just deserts. But I found myself wondering, What if Maria (pronounced “Mariah” in England) were a character we actually cared about? Would we be content to leave her in her lonely exile? As someone who has made her share of mistakes in life, I am thankful for forgiveness and second chances. And I enjoyed giving Mariah Aubrey hers as well.

LH: I think we are all grateful for second chances. The Girl in the Gatehouse has a delightful Jane Austen feel to it. What do you like best about Austen’s novels?

JK: Thank you. I call this book my “Ode to Jane” and Austen fans will recognize her influence in several aspects of the book. I like Austen’s strong, noble heroes, like Mr. Darcy, Captain Wentworth, Colonel Brandon, and Mr. Knightley. I also enjoy her sense of humor, and the chivalry and manners of the era—where a look across the ballroom or the mere touch of gloved hands sparked romance.

LH: You have even been to a conference of the Jane Austen Society, haven't you? What did you enjoy most about that experience?

JK: Yes, I attended the annual conference for the first time in September 2013. I enjoyed meeting fellow Austen fans from around the world, and learning more about the time period in which Jane Austen lived. I especially loved taking English Country Dance lessons and dancing at the formal ball in my Regency-era gown. 

Julie (center) with friends at the Jane Austen Society ball

LH: Have you visited places like the manor house, gatehouse and poorhouse you describe? What was that like?

JK: I loosely based the fictional manor in the book on one in Lower Slaughter—probably our favorite Cotswold village. I have also been inside a gatehouse, but not the one shown on the cover. And no, I have not been to a poorhouse, but I did manage to find a fair amount of information and old photographs online, which helped me imagine what an institution of this kind might have been like. I have been to England three times now—but at the time I wrote this novel I believe I had only been once. In general, my research is primarily done online and through books—though I find research on location very helpful and try to do so as often as I can. I love visiting England!

Julie outside the gatehouse at Lanhydrock House in Cornwall

LH: Me too. My husband and I spent a wedding anniversary at Lords of the Manor, a short walk up the river from Lower Slaughter, while we were living in England. Gorgeous area! What else do you find valuable for research?

JK: I like old books, maps, diaries, newspapers, advertisements, village web sites, classes through the Jane Austen Society, friendships with fellow Regency authors, etc. There’s always more to learn!

LH: More to learn. That’s what makes writing so much fun, I think. You were already in publishing before you became an author. Tell us a little about your journey.

JK: Like my main character, I was a “secret” or “closet” author for years while I worked as a fiction editor for Bethany House Publishers. I learned so much working with other editors and authors. When I finally completed my first historical, my boss wisely sent it around to my co-workers under a pseudonym so it would be reviewed objectively. Thankfully, they wanted to publish it. After that, everyone knew it was me and I was edited just as hard as I ever edited anyone else!

LH: I loved that not only was the main character a secret author, but several other characters turn out to be hiding similar secrets. How differently was writing viewed as a career in the early 19^th c?

JK: Novel-writing in particular was not considered proper or respectable, especially for ladies. Many authors (female and male alike) published anonymously or under pseudonyms in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As you mentioned, Jane Austen’s name never appeared in her novels during her lifetime. The title pages were printed with “by a lady” or “by the author of” one of her previous novels. Thankfully, times have changed.

LH: What should we be looking forward to from the pen of Jane, I mean, Julie Klassen?

JK: My 8th Regency era novel, The Secret of Pembrooke Park, is due out from Bethany House in November of this year. It centers around a long-abandoned manor house and is filled with mystery, family drama, and romance. I hope you’ll enjoy it!

LH: I’m sure we will. I love mystery around long-abandoned places! Readers, as Julie mentioned, this will be her eighth Regency novel. So if you go to your favourite on-line book site, you will find lots to interest you between now and November. Julie, thank you for being with us today.


___

LeAnne Hardy, author of the Glastonbury Grail series, has lived in six countries on four continents. She first met Julie Klassen at a book signing and has been a fan ever since. LeAnne's fiction reflects her faith, her passion for storytelling that stretches the mind and soul, and the cultures she has lived in. Learn more on her website.