Laudanum I’m researching book one in my Wintergale Orchard series, titled When Love Wins. In this story, the hero is addicted to laudanum. Laudanum is an opium tincture made with 10% opium and 90% alcohol and then flavored with cinnamon or saffron. The tincture is reddish-brown in color and has a bitter taste. Laudanum is known […]
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St James’s Palace is located in the City of Westminster in London, England. The palace was commissioned by King Henry VIII on the site of a former leper hospital for women. The hospital was dedicated to Saint James the Less, who was one of the twelve Apostles of Christ. When the inhabitants of the hospital
My favorite animal happens to be the hawk, although the falcon is a close second. Birds of prey fascinate me. I find myself stopping my car often to take pictures of hawks that I see in the wild. Hunting with raptors is believed to have been initiated in Mesopotamia as early as 2000 BC. Falconry
Dancing is a way to let go and to move your body in a manner that may seem silly to some, but it’s a wonderful form of exercise and self-expression. Whenever I’m at a function where there’s dancing, I find myself completely entertained by watching the dance moves of others. Dancing, of course, has evolved
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Books are believed to have the power to change us and influence how we see the world and others. We know that pictures, music, and even simple words can evoke feeling and memories, and so it makes sense that stories would influence us as well. Novels have the ability to make us laugh and make
We Are What We Read? Read More »
The Regency happens to be one of my favorite times in history, which is likely the reason the majority of my books take place during this time. The Regency era in the United Kingdom is the period between 1811-1820. This is the period when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son,
A Short History of the Regency Period Read More »
It is likely you have tried a few home remedies when you were ill. Perhaps some hot tea with lemon and honey, or a saltwater gargle to soothe your sore throat. I’m sure when you were concocting your remedy that the thought of leeches never entered your mind. And yet bloodletting was the most common
Regency Home Remedies: Leeches and Bloodletting Read More »
The Marylebone Cricket Club is the world’s most famous cricket club, which was established in London, England in 1787. Like hunting, boxing, and fencing, cricket was considered a gentlemen’s pursuit and provided men with plenty of gambling opportunities. Before Marylebone opened, aristocrats and noblemen played cricket in White Conduit Fields in Islington, London. As London’s
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Since Valentine’s Day is almost here, I thought to do an article on Cupid. Cupid evolved in Roman mythology and is known as the god of desire, affection, and erotic love. He is the son of the Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Although Cupid’s paternity is vague, he is often believed to
Since I’m in the middle of writing the second book in my Courtesan Series, and the villain is involved in coin debasing, I thought to expand upon this crime. Coin debasement was considered by law to be on a similar magnitude as counterfeiting and was occasionally punished by death, but more frequently punished by transport.
