Romance and the American Civil War

Gina Danna on romance and war Why write about the American Civil War? It is a period that I, as a historian, love. Victorian America, with all the rules and societal set by England set, was practiced here on courting, marriage, fashion and how to manage life. Yet how did the War affect it? This […]

Book Hook: The Forceful Hero

In which the hero commands and Charlotte refuses… His fierce look almost cowed her, but she clenched her teeth and reminded herself how gentle his hands looked when he examined her brother. “You are without protection in a foreign city, you face desperate illness, and you refuse help. Foolish woman! Pack your bags,” he demanded. […]

Spymasters and Their Sons

Highlighting Historical Romance: We welcome Alina K. Field today to tell us about  spymasters, and the book sounds like a gem. Thank you so much, Caroline, for having me as a guest today. My latest release, The Bastard’s Iberian Bride, is the first book in my Sons of the Spy Lord series. On one of […]

Marriage, Consent, and Potential Misery

Highlighting Historical Romance: Today my good friend Sherry Ewing talks with us about marriage, consent and her tale of a particularly disastrous arranged marriage.   Thank you Caroline for hosting me today on your blog. My latest release and series, Nothing But Time: A Family of Worth (Book One), had me researching an era that […]

She Knows the World She Created

Highlighting Historical Romance: Jude Knight writes what she knows—and that is quite a lot. She should. She writes about a world she created, and tells us about Raging Madness, which has been released this very day. ‘Write what you know’, the old advice goes. This saying has been interpreted as meaning we should write about […]

4 Reasons I Love Baseball

We spent yesterday celebrating Mother’s Day early by watching the Phillies beat the Nationals at Citizen Bank Park with #1 daughter and her family.  I have loved baseball since elementary school. No other sport (even my beloved Ohio State football) even comes close. There are 4 reasons why. Family. We trooped in, three generations, all […]

Three Heroines, Three Points of View

Highlighting Historical Romance: Three heroines from A Holiday in Bath This delightful Regency anthology will be released on Tuesday, May 9. It features three different stories each with a heroine with different reasons for being in Bath and very different attitudes about it. Caroline Trenholme, The Art of Kissing in the Park  Caroline is the […]

Strength, Weakness, and the Day Job

This week’s writing challenge from Marketing for Romance Writers gave me flashbacks to the days when I had to endure job interviews. Inevitably someone on the selection committee would ask the dreaded question, “What’s your greatest strength?” The first time I heard it I was stymied. Since I went through a long period in which […]

It’s Messy. Is It a Process?

Process? I don’t need no stinking process. My book, alas, needs a plot. I’ve read the craft books. I know a scene from a sequel, and I understand the big W shaped romance plot and the four acts that make it up. I get hooks and turning points. I’ve tried outlines, story boards, and scene […]

5 Things I Learned About 1835

The Reluctant Wife is in the final stages of editing and on track for an April 26 release. It is set in 1835, and in the process of writing it I learned quite a bit about that era. Sometimes I think collecting odd bits of facts is the most fun part of my job. The […]