Teeth Whitening in the Victorian Era: From Charcoal Paste to Sulfuric Acid
(Wellcome Collection. CC BY 4.0)
I like to make my historical novels as authentically Victorian as possible. However, when it comes to the subject of dental health, I’m guilty of fudging the facts. The truth is, not everyone in the 19th century had strong white teeth. Rather the opposite. In an era with no Crest Whitestrips, no veneers, and somewhat primitive dentistry, you were more likely to encounter a hero with brown or missing teeth than one with a gleaming white smile.[…]Continue Reading
The Matrimonial Advertisement Release Day: Blog Tour, Giveaway, & More!
It’s release day for my new Victorian romance novel The Matrimonial Advertisement! To celebrate, I’m over at the USA Today Happy-Ever-After Blog for an interview. I’m also embarking on a virtual book tour, complete with reviews, interviews, and a special paperback giveaway. To top it all off, The Matrimonial Advertisement ebook is priced at just $2.99 for the entire week, and my last novel, The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter, has been reduced to $0.99 just to mark the occasion. So, without further ado, let’s get started![…]Continue Reading
On Elbows, Etiquette, and Evening Gloves
(Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna)
I can honestly say that I’ve never really paid attention to elbows. Certainly not as much as the Victorians seemed to do. They prized a delicately rounded female elbow—and abhorred one that was too sharp and pointy. Even gentlemen fell in for their share of elbow shaming. According to Victorian etiquette manuals, a pointy male elbow was worse than unattractive. It could also be dangerous. As the author of The Etiquette of Love, Courtship, and Marriage (1859) relates:[…]Continue Reading
A Holiday by Gaslight, Special Sales, and Other News
Did you know I’ve written a Victorian Christmas novella? A Holiday by Gaslight is set in 1861 and was inspired, in small part, by Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South. It was also inspired by the social, scientific, and technological advances of the mid-19th century. Like us, the Victorians were faced with a rapidly changing world. Many wanted to cling to the status quo, but some—like my heroine’s father—embraced the change to the point of folly.[…]Continue Reading
The Matrimonial Advertisement Audiobook is Coming Soon from Audible!
I’m super excited to announce that Audible has bought the audiobook rights to my upcoming Victorian romance The Matrimonial Advertisement! This actually happened last month, but I was waiting to tell you until the ink on the contracts was dry. What does it mean? It means that very soon you can purchase the audiobook version of The Matrimonial Advertisement at Amazon, iTunes, or at the Audible store. I don’t have a release date yet, nor do I know who the narrator is going to be, but I’ll keep you all posted as I get more info.[…]Continue Reading
