Wandering Wednesday: Edinburgh and beyond! #giveaway

by @CarolynMAuthor

My upcoming Regency romance The Making of Mrs Hale releases next week, and to celebrate, I thought I'd take a quick trip down memory lane and recall some of the places I've visited in Edinburgh, Scotland, where part of the novel is set.

My trip to England in 2015 was not going to be complete without a whistle-stop visit of various Scottish locales, including iconic Edinburgh. My sister and I stayed in the basement level of a terrace house within walking distance of the Great Mile, at the end of which stands the famous castle.

Along the way are dozens of tourist enticements, such as these emblems of Scottish music:

From the battlements you can see New Town stretched before you, a grid like system of houses built in the early 1800s in an effort to stem the disease rife in older parts of the city.

One of my favourite places to visit was the Georgian House, a National Trust property in New Town dressed with period furnishings of the - you guessed it! - Georgian era.  

Inside, visitors can see various rooms, including the drawing room with a square piano, a room designed to be the most impressive for after-dinner entertaining. Visitors are shown the parlour, where the tea-table was positioned. Tea was heavily taxed in Regency times, and the lady of the house kept the keys to the tea chest to prevent servants from helping themselves. (They were permitted to use the owner's spent tea-leaves, though!)

The dining room with Wedgwood service and Regency-era menus is also on display, as are bedchambers, the water-closet, and 'below stairs' in the kitchen and cellars. If you want a taste of Regency life, visiting such a well preserved museum is a must!

For my story, I wanted to show something of what life would be like in 1800s Edinburgh, so the inclusion of details such as cobblestones and steep streets were a must.

 As were the many public houses ('pubs' or taverns) and other interesting places pointing to Edinburgh's history.

If you get the chance, visiting Scotland is a must; it's a place filled with castles, history and mystique that still resonates today - and makes a great setting for a book, such as The Making of Mrs Hale.

Giveaway

I'm giving away a copy of The Making of Mrs. Hale (ebook for international readers or print book for readers with an Australian mailing address).

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post and/or the November New Releases post  on November 19. Receive two entries in the drawing by commenting on both posts. The giveaway closes on Friday November 30.

Can a runaway marriage be redeemed?

Marry in haste, repent in leisure—Mrs. Hale is about to find out how painful that repentance can truly be. Julia Hale ran off to be married in Gretna Green, following romance instead of common sense. 

But her tale isn't turning into a happily ever after. Her new husband is gone and she doesn't know where—or if he's ever coming back. Julia has no option but to head home to the family she betrayed by eloping and to hope they'll forgive her. 

Along the way she will learn how relationship with God can bring restoration and hope, and find the answers she needs both for her husband and her future.

The Making of Mrs Hale is now available for preorder from Amazon, Book Depository, etc 

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, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, Winning Miss Winthrop, and Miss Serena’s Secret, all available from Amazon, Book Depository, Koorong, etc

Connect with her:      

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Wandering Wednesday: Derbyshire and Pemberley!

by Carolyn Miller @CarolynMAuthor

My brand new Regency novel, Miss Serena's Secret, is set partly in Derbyshire, so to celebrate, I thought it would be nice to take a visit to two of the iconic houses in this area, both of which have been used in filmed versions of one of my all time favourite novels, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Chatsworth House

Chatsworth House is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Devonshire, and has been in the Cavendish family's possession for sixteen generations! This Baroque styled house was used as the setting for Mr Darcy's Pemberley in the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley.

A grand staircase takes you up to the first of the State rooms.

Chatsworth has often been voted one of England's favourite stately homes, and it's not hard to see why. Visitors are allowed to take pictures (!), and there is so much to see in a history-filled house of such wealth and importance. The Chapel remains virtually unaltered since it was built between 1688 and 1693. Its altarpiece of alabaster and marble is stunning, and a reminder of the importance faith held for families, when they would gather for daily prayers and Sunday worship.

I wanted to show the awe of my artistic heroine (Miss Serena) as she visited a place such as this, and viewed the magnificence of the sculptures and paintings, such as those that line so many of the walls at Chatsworth. Here are some pictures I took of some of the magnificent artwork of Chatsworth, including the Sculpture Gallery from that famous scene in P&P!

Places like Chatsworth were designed to make a statement about a family's wealth and social position. This can be seen in the State and Guest bedrooms, where magnificence abounds in the furnishings, fabric and absolute attention to detail. 

Imagine being brought up in such a setting! Imagine visiting, as the far more humble daughter of a far more humble background, and being asked to dine at a table not unlike this!

One of the things I enjoyed about Chatsworth (there were so many!) was the inclusion of collectibles by the family, things that make a house more a home. The 5th Duchess of Devonshire collected minerals, and I included references to the local stone known as 'Blue John' in Miss Serena's Secret.

Of course, one can't visit Chatsworth without enjoying its magnificent gardens, with famous features such as the Cascades, designed to feed the Sea Horse fountain in the south lawn.

So much magnificence! So little time - especially if one still wants to visit the other (real!) Pemberley of Lyme Park, located not too far away in nearby Cheshire. 

Lyme Park

The exterior of this stately home was used in the 1995 BBC production of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth, and holds special significance because my husband worked here in its garden in the 1990s!

So here's some pics I took with my sister of the gardens and courtyard of this very stately building.

Visiting houses like these are such rare occasions for this Aussie from the opposite side of the world that one has to make the most of it via so many pictures and mementoes. For more pictures visit my website www.carolynmillerauthor.com and check out the Miss Serena's Secret page.

Want to know more about the book? Here's the blurb:

Scarred by her past, Serena Winthrop is determined to protect her heart - especially from flirts like the too smooth Viscount Carmichael. But when forced to share his roof, she discovers another side to the man who gambles with women's hearts as he does their husband's money. 

​

Henry, Lord Carmichael, struggles with the weight of his Derbyshire's family's expectations, until he finds a hope shared by the too perceptive, too young artist. But he's promised to protect his best friend's innocent sister-in-law, not charm her, much to his - and her - private dismay. 

​

When her art leads her to London infamy, he's forced to choose between the life mapped out for him, and the love of his life, with whom marriage might prove the end of his family line. 

You can purchase copies here.

Giveaway!

To celebrate the launch of Miss Serena's Secret I have one e-copy to give away, anywhere in the world. For your chance to win, leave a comment on this blog post, and to double your chances, leave a comment on the International Christian Fiction Writers July 2018 New Releases post. Entries close 31st July.

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, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, Winning Miss Winthrop and Miss Serena's Secret, all available from Amazon, Book Depository, Koorong, etc

Connect with her:        website | facebook | pinterest | twitter | instagram

Bookish Tuesday | A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter

Book Review by Iola Goulton @iolagoulton

The Honourable Katherine FitzGilbert (I'm sorry, but the title is British, so it should be Honourable not Honorable) is now known as Mama Kit. She shepherds a group of not-quite-orphans in a forgotten house in the country. Her anonymity and remote seclusion are her weapons, the way she protects those in her charge.

Graham, Viscount Wharton, is bored ... at least, until he notices a beautiful lady in green at a ball, a lady he then rescues before she disappears. He has no idea how to find her again, as he doesn't even know her name. So he's more than a little surprised to come across her in an out-of-the-way almost-abandoned manor house near the small market town of Marlborough.

As first meetings go, Kit and Graham's first meeting is definitely memorable. So is their second.

But it's when they meet in Marlborough that things get interesting. Graham is trying to locate his best friend's missing sister, and he realises Kit must know where she is. But Kit has spent the last twelve years protecting women and hiding their illegitimate children, and she's not about to stop for some random Lord who finds her secret home. No matter how attractive he is.

And the end ... I'm not going to give spoilers, but I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.

A Defence of Honor is the first full-length novel in Kristi Ann Hunter's new Haven Manor series, but it's not the first book. There is a prequel novella, A Search for Refuge, which is available as a free ebook.

It's not necessary to read A Search for Refuge first, although I did, and I can assure you it will provide needed backstory to A Defence of Honor.

Recommended for all Regency romance fans, because it's close to perfect. And Kristi Ann Hunter is a wonderful witty writer.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Iola Goulton

Iola Goulton is a New Zealand book reviewer, freelance editor, and author, writing contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist. She is a member of the Sisterhood of Unpronounceable Names (Iola is pronounced yo-la, not eye-ola and definitely not Lola).

Iola holds a degree in marketing, has a background in human resource consulting, and currently works as a freelance editor. When she’s not working, Iola is usually reading or writing her next book review. Iola lives in the beautiful Bay of Plenty in New Zealand (not far from Hobbiton) with her husband, two teenagers and one cat. She is currently working on her first novel.

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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