History & Research
Category
Regency Era Pregnancy Fashion
As a Regency romantic suspense author, I often write characters and scenarios that parallel modern life. Things like transportation and meals and holidays. I must then translate that familiar event into a historical context.
With all eyes on the Duchess of Sussex who is due to deliver her first child sometime this month, I’ve been fascinated by what it would have been like to be pregnant during the Regency Era, especially when it came to fashion.
A quick Google search revealed this interesting tidbits:
Society didn’t force women to hide their pregnancies during the Regency era, and the high-waisted fashion of the time was “baby-bump” friendly so women were able to were the same gowns for some time. (Source: Retro Maternity Style)
The average number of children for women during the Regency period was eight. When “in the family way,” they continued with regular social interactions until the birth of the child. (Source: A Life of Perpetual Pregnancy for Regency Women)
Some of the Georgian and Regency period styles were easily adaptable to pregnancy and nursing, which became increasingly popular in the upper classes. (Source: Maternity Fashions in Regency England)
Love Regency romance? Look for the release of A Holiday Code for Love, coming to ebook in May.
Behind the Bodyguard
There is a bodyguard angle in my new military romantic suspense series, Impossible Mission. In book 1, Mission: Impossible to Resist, Aiden Foster reluctantly takes on a short assignment as a bodyguard to fulfill a promise to a friend. As a Delta Force operative, Aiden has been trained to protect high-value assets but the beautiful socialite who ignores his directives proves to be more of a challenge than he expects. And, at six foot six, Aiden doesn’t blend in to the background like bodyguards are trained to do. In book 2, Mission: Impossible to Surrender, Navy SEAL Finn Jenkins also serves as a bodyguard to protect a gorgeous, wealthy young woman from danger even though it puts him—and his heart—at risk.
Whoever thought guarding bodies could prove so difficult?
When writing these books, I did some research on professional bodyguards. Here are five facts that surprised me.
- Not all bodyguards are armed. One expert explained that a bodyguard’s best strategy is to remove the person they’re protecting from dangerous situations, not fight off attackers.
- TMZ.com is a great source for news about celebrities. Some protection specialists use TMZ.com for information about which celebrities are uncooperative with their bodyguards or who’s having trouble and might be in need of services.
- Social media makes their job harder. Celebrities and entertainers can inadvertently expose themselves to risk by sharing personal information that reveals travel schedules, upcoming appearances and details about their routines and private life. Professional bodyguards often monitor clients’ social media accounts to identify and minimize risk.
- No glitz and glamour for bodyguards. Protection specialists are often part of a luxury lifestyle, but they are not living that lifestyle. Their job might include international travel on private jets to exotic locations, but they are there to do a job, not enjoy the amenities.
- Bodyguard is not their preferred title. Professionals don’t refer to themselves as bodyguards. The preferred term, according to the president and CEO of a company that provides such services, is “executive protection agents.”
I have huge respect for anyone who puts themselves between danger and others, but I’m sticking with “bodyguard”. Executive Protection Agent just doesn’t have the same allure.
Mission: Impossible To Resist
Book 1 in the Impossible Mission Series
Now Available
Mission: Impossible to Surrender
Book 2 in the Impossible Mission Series
Coming 2.21.19
#reader (or Hashtags for readers)
Some social media conventions come and go, but hashtags (aka #, also aka “pound sign”) have been around for more than 10 years. With the increase of activity and interaction on social media, they are more relevant than ever.
If you aren’t familiar with hashtags (#), they serve as a means of organizing and finding information on social media platforms. For example, if you enjoy reading romantic suspense, you might search #romanticsuspense to find authors, readers, books and events related to this genre on Facebook or Twitter.
Using hashtags as a search tool can help you find new content and information beyond those sources you’re already familiar with.
According the site amreading.com, these are ten of the most popular hashtags used by readers.
#AmReading
#BookLovers
#Bibliophile
#FreeBooks
#BookAddict
#Ebooks
#Books
#BookPhotography (a good choice if you’re on Instagram or Pinterest)
#KindleBargain
#WhatToRead
If I were to add my own favorite hashtags to the list, I would include:
#RegencyRomance
#Regencies
#AmWriting
#RomanticSuspense
#NewReleases
#AlphaHero
I dare you to have a little fun with hashtags. Enter #(Pick a word or phrase) and enter it into the search bar on your favorite social media platform. Did you find something new and interesting? Comment and let me know!
Top 5 Military-themed Shows to Binge-watch
It’s the weekend – yeah! With inclement weather continuing throughout the country, it might be a good weekend to binge-watch something on Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Prime or any of the other on-demand streaming services.
The proliferation of military-themed shows has made it easy for me to binge-watch my favorite type of hero: The Warrior. It’s the complex mix of characteristics that make these heroes so compelling: disciplined yet daring, stoic yet passionate, strong yet vulnerable.
Here is my list of top 5 military-themed shows to binge-watch — all in the name of research for my contemporary romantic suspense books, of course!
SEAL Team – The lives of the elite Navy S.E.A.L.s as they train, plan and execute the most dangerous, high-stakes missions our country can ask.
The Brave – The complex world of our bravest military heroes who make personal sacrifices while executing the most challenging and dangerous missions behind enemy lines.
Valor – The boundaries between military discipline and human desire are tested on a U.S. Army base that houses an elite unit of helicopter pilots trained to perform clandestine international and domestic missions. The drama unfolds in the present as well as in flashbacks to a failed mission involving one of the first female pilots in the unit, ultimately uncovering layers of personal and government/military secrets and leading to a season-long plan to rescue a group of MIA soldiers.
The Last Ship – After a global viral pandemic wipes out over 80% of the world’s population, the crew (consisting of 218 people) of a lone unaffected U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, the fictional USS Nathan James (DDG-151), must try to find a cure, stop the virus, and save humanity.
Six – Navy SEAL Team Six attempt to eliminate a Taliban leader in Afghanistan when they discover an American citizen working with the enemy.
What’s your favorite military-themed show to binge watch?
Regency Life: The Druggett
We have plenty of ways to clean carpets and rugs now, but in Regency times, small rugs would be put down on top of the nicer rugs to protect them, especially during meal times. These were called crumb cloths or “druggets.” What do you think of the drugget in this Regency painting?
