Fashionable People: La Belle Époque and Edwardian Fashion

By Lisa Marie Wilkinson

The 1890-1914 period referred to as La Belle Époque (French for “Beautiful Era”) was a time of peace and national pride buoyed by scientific and technological discovery. This fashion era overlapped the Edwardian fashion era in Britain and is nostalgically viewed as a golden age in contrast to the stark world introduced by World War I.

In France, those of wealth and privilege enjoyed the perks only the rich could afford, frequenting new entertainments such as the Folies Bergere, the Moulin Rouge and flocking to view the new Eiffel Tower, which was constructed as a grand entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair.


While men’s fashion did not undergo significant change during this period, women’s fashion saw the gradual disappearance of the bustle, replaced by a new, slimmer silhouette featuring enormous leg of mutton sleeves and tapered waists framed by sashes or belts flowing into trumpet-bell shaped skirts. This slender profile was offset by huge, ostentatious hats named “Merry Widows” after the popular operetta of the time. These accessories featured feathers and lavish trims (including stuffed hummingbirds for those who could afford them).


The descriptive term that easily captures this fashion era is the “pouter pigeon,” a corseted look with the bust suppressed into a “monobosom.” Fashion accents included gloves made of silk, suede or kid leather that were worn outdoors in summer and winter and featured frilly parasols dripping lace.

In Britain, the renowned tailoring houses of Redfern and Creed applied their skills to tailored fashions for women, creating ready to wear wool or serge suits paired with shirtwaist blouses and simple gored skirts and matching jackets promoted as ideal for traveling. This tailored look was embraced by middle class women entering the workforce, and was often criticized as masculine in appearance as women began to sport neckware rivaling that of their male counterparts.


The severity of the tailored suit was relieved by feminine touches such as ornate blouses embellished by embroidery, ruffled jabots decorated by stick pins, and collars reaching under the chin that were held in place by silk-wrapped wires to create the impression of an elongated neck.

The high-necked collar mandated for day wear was replaced by low sweetheart, round, or square necklines for evening fashions designed to showcase the owner’s jewelry. A lady dressed for an evening’s entertainment outside the home was not encumbered by what do to with her handbag. Little or no money was carried because purchases were charged to accounts and so little makeup was worn that only a dainty bag attached by a wrist strap was needed to complete her ensemble.

Gibson Girl by Charles Dana Gibson

In America, the pen and ink drawings of an artist named Charles Dana Gibson intended to spoof the modern woman (now known as the “Gibson Girl,”) eventually came to represent the first national American standard of beauty.

Lisa Marie Wilkinson is an IPPY Gold Medal winning author of historical adventure-romance. Her latest novel, STOLEN PROMISE, featuring vibrant Gypsy characters and breath-taking romance, is available now.

Fashionable People: What Charlemagne’s Clothes Say about Him

By Kim Rendfeld

Everything Charlemagne (748-814) did was political, right down to his choice of clothes. In The Life of Charlemagne, former courtier Einhard nicely has chapter called “Dress” and opens with, “He wore the national dress of the Franks.”

Einhard then provides this gem to historians and novelists everywhere:

“The trunk of his body was covered with a linen shirt, his thighs with linen pants. Over these, he put on a tunic trimmed in silk. The legs from the knee downward were wound with leggings, fastened around the calves with laces, and on his feet, he wore boots.  In winter, he protected his shoulders and chest with a vest made of otter skins or marten fur, and over that, he wrapped a blue cloak. He always carried a sword strapped to his side, and the hilt and the belt thereof were made of either silver or gold.”

The king also had a gold broach and a diadem. For special occasion or visits from foreign dignitaries, he had a jeweled sword. And during high festivals, he could wear golden cloth and jeweled boots.

“He disliked foreign clothes no matter how beautiful they were and would never allow himself to be dressed in them,” Einhard says.

Charlemagne was sending a message by this choice: that he was a proud, patriotic Frank who submitted to no one but God.

In fact, he used fashion as a political weapon.  In 788, one of his conditions for freeing a hostage, the son of the late duke of Benevento, was that the southern Italian agree to shave his beard in the Frankish fashion. This was an apparently response to the rival Byzantine desire for a similar show of loyalty from the old duke.

Only twice did Charlemagne ever wear anything other than the Frankish costume, and it took two succeeding popes to convince him. They asked him to wear a long tunic, chlamys, and Roman shoes—the garb of an emperor. He later used that image on his coins, complete with a laurel wreath.

The ninth century Sacramentary of Charles the Bald (also known as the Sacramentary of Metz) depicts a coronation—and it shows what a ninth century Frankish king wore. Charles the Bald was one of Charlemagne’s grandsons. (Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons)

Kim Rendfeld is the author of The Cross and the Dragon, a tale of love amid the wars and blood feuds of Charlemagne’s reign. Her debut novel, published by Fireship Press, is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. For more about Kim, visit www.kimrendfeld.com. 

FIRE & SILK Winner!

We have a winner of Erin O'Quinn's FIRE & SILK. The lucky winner is: 


Joanne Allen!


Contact Lisa with your information. The book must be claimed by next Sunday or another winner will be drawn. Please stop back later to let us know what you thought! Congratulations!

Guest Blog: Sherry Jones

This week, we're welcoming best-selling historical fiction author, Sherry Jones. Her latest title, FOUR SISTERS, ALL QUEENS tells the history of four sisters in 13th-century Provence who became queens. Sherry is here to talk about the novel and offer a copy to a lucky winner. Here's the blurb:

Amid the lush valleys and fragrant wildflowers of Provence, Marguerite, Eléonore, Sanchia, and Beatrice have learned to charm, hunt, dance, and debate under the careful tutelage of their ambitious mother—and to abide by the countess’s motto: “Family comes first.”

With Provence under constant attack, their legacy and safety depend upon powerful alliances. Marguerite’s illustrious match with the young King Louis IX makes her Queen of France. Soon Eléonore—independent and daring—is betrothed to Henry III of England. In turn, shy, devout Sanchia and tempestuous Beatrice wed noblemen who will also make them queens.

Yet a crown is no guarantee of protection. Enemies are everywhere, from Marguerite’s duplicitous mother-in-law to vengeful lovers and land-hungry barons. Then there are the dangers that come from within, as loyalty succumbs to bitter sibling rivalry, and sister is pitted against sister for the prize each believes is rightfully hers—Provence itself.

From the treacherous courts of France and England, to the bloody tumult of the Crusades, Sherry Jones traces the extraordinary true story of four fascinating sisters whose passions, conquests, and progeny shaped the course of history.

About Sherry Jones

Sherry Jones burst onto the international scene in 2008 with her controversial The Jewel of Medina, now published in 20 languages and a best-seller in seven countries. Her 2009 sequel, The Sword of Medina, won a silver medal in the IPPY awards and is an international best-seller, as well. Both books take place in seventh-century Arabia, and focus on the life of the Prophet Muhammad’s youngest and most beloved wife, A’isha.

In May, Jones published Four Sisters, All Queens (Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books) to much acclaim. Translation rights have been sold in Serbia and Italy so far. Here we talk with the author about portraying important women from history whose lives have been overlooked.

Q&A with Sherry Jones

Your first two novels, The Jewel of Medina and The Sword of Medina, told the story of A’isha, the youngest wife of the Prophet Muhammad, in seventh century Arabia. Your new book, Four Sisters, All Queens, tells of four sisters in 13^th century Provence who became queens of France, England, Germany, and Sicily. That’s quite a leap across time, space, and cultures. How do you choose the subjects for your novels?

I write about women in history whom I admire -- women whom I admire, or would like to befriend -- not about any particular time or place. I write about women’s history because we have been so marginalized by patriarchy that our stories often don’t get told. It was incredibly difficult for me to find information about Marguerite, the eldest sister in  Four Sisters, All Queens , for instance, although she was a heroine in the true sense, and married to one of France’s most famous kings – Saint Louis. These four sisters were celebrities during their time – like the Kardashians, but with class! ;) And yet we know almost nothing today about who they were, what they looked like, what their accomplishments were. By telling their stories, I honor them all.

Are you a feminist? Are your books feminist books?

It's said that every writer has one thing to write about -- one issue to explore. Women's struggle for self-empowerment in a man's world seems to be mine. I have never understood the notion that women are less intelligent, capable, or strong than men. As a woman, male superiority makes no sense to me at all. If women ran the world, it would be a much better place.

The Jewel of Medina and The Sword of Medina are feminist books in that they show how the Prophet Muhammad honored women and, by giving them rights such as the right to inherit and the right to testify in court, he helped them achieve greater equality than they’d had before he came along.

Four Sisters, All Queens looks at the powerlessness of some of the world’s most powerful women. Three of the four married their husbands when they were just 12 years old. They were chosen – Beatrice, the youngest sister, was kidnapped and whisked away on the back of a horse – and were not asked. I know, don’t cry for me, right? We assume that they wanted to be married to kings. But the fact remains that they had no power to choose for themselves the men who would, in essence, command their lives. Once married, they were valued as baby factories and little more. And yet each of the sisters in my book does find a way to power – it’s just not the man’s way.

Tell us about the sisters in your new book. How do they compare to A’isha, the protagonist in The Jewel of Medina and The Sword of Medina?

Each of these sisters is different from the others, with much different traits: Wit, laughter, passion, and shrewd intelligence in Marguerite, the eldest, who became Queen of France; boldness, loyalty to family, determination, and a love for literature and fashion in Eléonore, Queen of England; sweetness, piety, beauty, and a childlike naiveté in Sanchia, Queen of Germany; ambition, a wicked sense of humor, and a willingness to voice the truth even when it hurts in Beatrice, Queen of Sicily.

What they have in common with A’isha is this: living in patriarchy, each struggles for self determination. “Control your destiny, or it will control you,” is A’isha’s mantra. Married at nine to her father’s best friend, the Prophet of God, A’isha was a queen in her own right. She overcame the obstacles imposed by her culture to become the most famous and influential woman in Islam (something that never could have happened if he’d been a pedophilic, misogynist tyrant, IMHO). The sisters in Four Sisters, All Queens likewise must seek and find power for themselves in a culture that would deny it to them. How they succeed – and they do -- is what fascinates me.

You’ve also published a prequel to Four Sisters, All Queens. Tell us about it.

White Heart is the story of Blanche de Castille, Marguerite’s nefarious and controlling mother-in-law in Four Sisters, All Queens. I wanted to write a novella about her because she was truly an amazing woman, possibly the best queen France ever had and certainly the only woman to rule the kingdom alone, as she did while her son King Louis IX was still a boy. Because she is viewed through Marguerite’s eyes, she doesn’t get a fair shake in Four Sisters, All Queens. We are all complex, are we not? I love showing the “good” side of an “evil” character, and vice versa. White Heart shows how Blanche got to be the cold, hard woman we see in Four Sisters, All Queens.

What are you working on now?

Banish the Night is my working title for my novel, set for publication October 2013, about Heloise and Abelard, the famous 12^th-century Parisian couple whose love affair ended tragically. My book focuses on Heloise, her attempt to live life on her own terms at a time when misogyny was on the rise, and the tragic consequences for her. But, of course, she rose above her sorrows to become one of the most prominent abbesses in the world. My heroines rock, every one of them.

To learn more about Sherry Jones and her work, visit her website at www.authorsherryjones.com.

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Excerpt Thursday: FOUR SISTERS, ALL QUEENS by Sherry Jones

This week on Excerpt Thursday, we're welcoming best-selling historical fiction author, Sherry Jones. Her latest title, FOUR SISTERS, ALL QUEENS tells the history of four sisters in 13th-century Provence who became queens. Join us Sunday, when Sherry will be here to talk about the novel and offer a copy to a lucky winner. Here's the blurb:

Amid the lush valleys and fragrant wildflowers of Provence, Marguerite, Eléonore, Sanchia, and Beatrice have learned to charm, hunt, dance, and debate under the careful tutelage of their ambitious mother—and to abide by the countess’s motto: “Family comes first.”

With Provence under constant attack, their legacy and safety depend upon powerful alliances. Marguerite’s illustrious match with the young King Louis IX makes her Queen of France. Soon Eléonore—independent and daring—is betrothed to Henry III of England. In turn, shy, devout Sanchia and tempestuous Beatrice wed noblemen who will also make them queens.

Yet a crown is no guarantee of protection. Enemies are everywhere, from Marguerite’s duplicitous mother-in-law to vengeful lovers and land-hungry barons. Then there are the dangers that come from within, as loyalty succumbs to bitter sibling rivalry, and sister is pitted against sister for the prize each believes is rightfully hers—Provence itself.

From the treacherous courts of France and England, to the bloody tumult of the Crusades, Sherry Jones traces the extraordinary true story of four fascinating sisters whose passions, conquests, and progeny shaped the course of history.

Read an Excerpt from FOUR QUEENS, ALL SISTERS 

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Fashionable People of the Regency: Beau Brummell

 By Jennifer Deschanel

I don’t know what the runways would think of him today, but during the Regency George Byron “Beau” Brummell was the man to watch for fashion. While not of aristocratic birth, Brummell moved in circles envied by the socially minded Regency.

In his youth, his literary talent and wit brought him second place for the Newdegate prize, but the blow hit Brummell hard. As a result he developed an aversion to books and the literary minded, and chose instead not to exert himself in any manner. However, he did have the foresight to join the Tenth Hussars, a move which would launch him into the Prince Regent’s favor.

The Prince, impressed by Brummell’s influence over men while he served in the military, and his sharp wit, kept him in his favor even after his service ended.  Brummell quickly entered the Regent’s royal society where his elegant, understated, and simple manner of dress, an oddity to begin with, became a sensation. 

Brummell promoted the trouser over knee breeches and looked down on the bright colors, dusted wigs, and powdery make-up on men.  His colors were muted to blacks, dark grays, and shades in brown—much like we see in men’s fashion today. His morning toilette exerted such an influence on the ton that many began to follow suit. Brummell put a fastidious amount of attention into cleaning his teeth; he shaved often and bathed daily. The Prince Regent, enthralled by this, would spend hours in Brummell’s dressing room watching him complete his morning routine.

Brummell had a lot of admirers emulating his fashion sense, but not a lot of common sense financially.   His debts were high, but due to his association with the Prince, was still able to float a line of credit.  That changed when his arrogance got in his way.  Brummell often moved in circles not approved by the Prince. During a masquerade at Waiter’s  private club where he was a host with Lord Alvanley, Henry Mildmay and Pierrepoint, the Prince, who did not favor Brummell’s choice of company, openly cut Brummell. The Prince addressed Alvanley and Pierrepoint but cut Brummell and Mildmay which prompted Brummell’s famous comment of “Alvanley, who is your fat friend?”

Obviously this ended Brummell’s association with The Prince.

 However Brummell  was so popular with the aristocracy that his fashion sense and company was still sought. He had no need to control his popularity, but did have a need to control his debt—which he failed miserably at.  The credit he was once able to float ended when the Prince cut him, and Brummell, unable to pay off gambling debts immediately as debts of honor, fled to France to escape debtor’s prison. There, due to the influence of Lord Alvanley, he secured an appointment to the consulate at Caen and therefore a small annuity. Nothing like how he lived when he was the fashion mogul of the Regency.

Brummell died in 1840, penniless and insane from syphilis.

A great film, Beau Brummell: This Charming Man stars Hugh Bonneville (Downtown Abbey) as The Prince Regent. I recommend it for anyone curious about the life of Brummel and how he influenced the fashion of the Regency era.

Jennifer Deschanel's passion lies in crafting stories from forgotten pieces of history and setting them in locations outside the expected. She writes unusual heroines with unique challenges in the Regency and Victorian eras. Her other books, expanding Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera are written under Jennifer Linforth and are available now.  

Guest Blog: Erin O'Quinn

This week, we're welcoming historical romance author Erin O'Quinn. Her latest title, FIRE & SILK, is sent in ancient Ireland and made its debut this month. Erin is here to talk about the novel and offer a PDF copy to a lucky winner. Please leave a comment for your chance to win a copy. Here's the blurb:

Flann O'Conall, the gruff, redheaded son of a king in ancient Ireland, has for the past twenty years preferred the wilderness to the company of a woman. Then, one rainy night, he reluctantly opens his rainproof blanket to the innocent yet disdainful and taunting Mariana de la Castra del Oro.

What happens under his blanket? The encounter of his fire with her silk creates a maelstrom of conflict and raw passion that changes both their lives.

First, he teaches her some survival skills, while she tries to teach him the meaning of love. Finally, when Flann flees back to the security of his waterfall in the mountains, he is caught in a perilous trap and only Mariana can track him and save his life.

Flann is torn at last between the lonely but secure life on his chosen mountain—his symbolic mistress—and the torment of letting go of the willful, passionate Mariana.

**Q&A with Erin O'Quinn**

Welcome, Erin, and congratulations on the debut of your newest romance. Why are all your current novels set in the dark ages of Ireland?

True “history” did not begin in Ireland until the time scholars reckon that St. Patrick arrived, probably 432 AD. That is precisely when my romance novels begin. I postulate that a group of immigrants, led by a young woman named Caylith, followed Patrick to Ireland. With Patrick came pagan conversion, monastery schools, the learning of Latin and the preservation of ancient writings. In short, Patrick arrived--and Ireland's history literally began. Ironically, the history of Ireland began even as invasions by Saxons and others were destroying the scrolls and scriptures of antiquity on the mainland in the wake of the retreating Roman armies.

Why St. Patrick? Isn’t it a little edgy to include a saint in what is clearly a group of steamy romances?

My husband, a devoted fan of historical fantasy, pointed out to me one day that no fantasy writer has ever written about the time of St. Patrick. I did a little digging and found out that, as far as I could tell, no romance writer had ventured there either. So I began to write about the man I fancied he might have been; not too tall, but charismatic, with intense blue eyes, blond hair, chubby cheeks and a voice to enthrall a crowd and an entire nation. Soon my imagination had him becoming a friend and mentor to young, adventurous Caylith in Britannia before he was sent by the Pontiff to a ministry in Hibernia. And the adventures began.

Tell us about your romance novels and how actual history figures in them.

I now have a complete trilogy published by SirenBookstrand: Storm Maker, The Wakening Fire, and Captive Heart. These books take the reader from roughly September of 432 AD until December of 433 AD. The first one finds Caylith bound to a promise she had made earlier to Father Patrick--that she would keep her chastity until marriage. In addition to the tension created by an old enemy, the sexual tension mounts as she once again meets a passionate young clansman named Liam. In the second of the trilogy, Caylith and Liam begin to discover the mystery of their enemy, a man named Owen Sweeney. Their pursuit of the mystery leads them at last to the sacred Hill of Tara, where Patrick is bound to set his Easter fires in defiance of High King Leary’s own Beltane fires on May 1, 433 AD. As far as scholars can determine, those events actually happened. And Owen is a real historical figure, as I’ll discuss below. Finally, in Captive Heart, Caylith and Liam set their boot-tips to the rough northern seacoast of modern Donegal, then called Tyrconnell, where they have discovered that a group of women are being held as slaves to be sold. The history in this book is manipulated somewhat. I postulate that High King Leary has made it illegal to hold foreign captives as slaves. In truth, Ireland’s Brehon Law actually allows such bonding of people, although it certainly does not condone the kind of mistreatment these women undergo at the hands of their captives. The places in this novel--especially the desolate, dangerous island of Tory--are very real, and frightening even to this day.

Fire & Silk debuted this week. Tell us why you chose to feature that novel on Unusual Historicals.

The “old enemy” I referred to before--Owen Sweeney--turns out to be the bastard son of Ireland’s most famous high king, Niáll of the Nine Hostages. In truth, he was not born out of wedlock, nor was he a cripple. Those are liberties I have taken in creating the character. But it is true that Owen MacNeill conquered and gave his name to both Inishowen and Tyrone, and the excerpt tells that story.

Far beyond the tale of Owen, Fire & Silk is the story of two improbable lovers--a silent, dedicated bachelor named Flann O’Conall who loves only his precious mountains and rough sea; and a young virgin from Iberia named Mariana, who thinks that the man is a crude peasant who means to debauch her. In truth, Flann is the son of the king of Tyrconnell, Conall Gulban, and he is terrified of getting close to any woman. And she has held her virginity until she meets Flann, when she begins to feel a certain hollowness she cannot understand....and neither can he!

Thank you, Erin and best of luck with Fire & Silk, available now!

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Excerpt Thursday: FIRE & SILK by Erin O'Quinn

This week on Excerpt Thursday, we're welcoming historical romance author Erin O'Quinn. Her latest title, FIRE & SILK, is sent in ancient Ireland and made its debut this month. Join us Sunday, when Erin will be here to talk about the novel and offer a PDF copy to a lucky winner. Erin tells us a bit about the novel:

If you are familiar with northern Ireland, you know the name Inishowen, the northernmost promontory, part of Co. Donegal, that swells into the Sea of Éire. In the fifth century AD, it was called Inis-Owen, the Isle of Owen, after Owen MacNeill, one of the sons of the high king Niáll of the Nine Hostages. To the west lay Tyr-Conall, “the land of Conall,” named after Owen’s brother Conall Gulban and now called Donegal. And the land south of both was named Tyr-Owen, “the land of Owen.” Of course, this area is now Co. Tyrone. The following excerpt from Fire & Silk is a fictionalized account of how those lands got their name. Yet the derivations of the names are true and accurate.

Owen MacNeill is a character who has appeared in all my romance novels--a cripple, yet a man bigger than any around him, larger than life, a tragic figure who has just discovered his royal heritage. Here, the hero of the novel Flann O’Conall is taking his uncle Owen to see the brother he has never met. The hilltop where they stop is indeed called the Grianán, and it actually is the site of an ancient ring fort, as the narrative suggests. On the map, it is the narrow strip in yellow between the two large lakes.

**An Excerpt from Fire & Silk**

A curious procession moved south, beyond Snow Mountain. It bore slightly west, away from the worst of the foothills in the high pastureland. In front rode a quiet redheaded man on a black stallion. He turned his head often to gaze at the woman next to him, one whose long, dark hair lifted like wings around her face. 

He turned in the saddle to glance at his companions. Behind him, there rolled and rattled a vehicle borrowed from the poetry of the filí, bards of the kings. The man in the chariot was large and heavy browed, and he shouted out to a brace of strong horses as he guided the vehicle around a rocky outcropping or a small gully. Beside him sat a shapely little woman, her deeply black hair swept up with a large ivory bodkin, her eyes sometimes on the driver and sometimes gazing ahead.

Behind the chariot, three very large men sat astride horses, shouting and laughing, sometimes singing. And in the rear walked six packhorses. This was the caravan of Owen, King of Inishowen, who traveled to meet his own brother for the first time.

Above them, thin clouds, gray as dove feathers, flew south with the prevailing wind. Flann eyed the clouds from time to time, confident that the fair weather would continue for another day. It was important that when they reached the hilltop stone remnants, the Grianán, his Uncle Owen be afforded a clear view. 

This was the fifth day of their trek. This morning they had caught sight of the Swilly to the west, and Flann reckoned they would see the bird-shrouded island and the hill fort within the hour....

He turned Storm around and cantered alongside the chariot. Owen turned his eyes to the younger man in a silent question.

“There is a nearby hill,” Flann said. “A place I want ye to see. Can ye ride astride a horse?”

“I can, and I will,” Owen answered bluntly. 

“Then let us stop here. I give ye the stallion. And Moc, ye may have the dappled gelding.”

Flann signaled to his cousins, and the procession stopped. Murdoch dismounted and walked to the chariot. He and Flann stood a while talking, and then both men turned to Owen. Each of them grasped the brawny man by his shoulders and buttocks, and they lifted him from the chariot and set him high in the saddle. 

Mockingbird needed no help at all. She mounted Breac easily and waited for Owen. He grasped the pommel with one large hand and flicked the reins a little, urging the stallion onward.

Flann had stepped back, letting Owen and Moc lead the procession. The three MacOwen boys, now walking, were leading their own horses close to his flank, ready to catch their father if he should fall from the saddle. He and Mariana ... walked hand in hand behind all of them....

The hill was four or five hundred feet above the flat ground, and the incline was steep enough to force them into a slow, meandering path upward. Flann saw the first sign of the ancient ruined wall. He saw Owen point and say something to one of his attendant sons. In spite of the steepness, they all began to move faster, until finally, they stood on the crest of the sun-drenched hill.

He joined the others all grouped near and on the tumbled remains of the rock fortress. Everyone was looking down into the valley on the shining water of the Swilly and on a small island that seemed to lift and swell as the thousands of birds took off and landed on its surface.

Owen sat on the stallion, seeming to be frozen in place, his eyes more alive than Flann had seen them. “Tell me about this place,” he said without taking his eyes off the island.

“They call it the Grianán. I think the place itself used to be called the Kingdom of Aileach. Ye can see, I think, that it is several hundreds of years old. Here stood a fortress, Uncle Owen, I am sure of it.”

“I agree. Who destroyed it—and when? I think none will ever know.” He looked around the circumference of the stones. “Behold a tumulus—a burial mound, I think.” He urged Storm twenty feet beyond and sat looking at what to Flann seemed merely a small grassy hill on a hill. “Perhaps King Aileach himself lies under this mound.”

“If ye cast your eyes east, Uncle, ye may catch a glimmer of the River Foyle. About six or seven miles. There lies the bally of Derry.”

“Indeed?” Owen asked, a smile toying with his wide, narrow mouth. “Then this place where we stand lies between the Swilly and the Foyle, and the land south is unclaimed by any clan.”

“Ye’re right, Uncle. On the west stands the leg of your brother Conall. And on the east stands the leg of your brother Leary. The head is Inishowen—your head.”

“And the land south, nephew, must be my mighty groin, eh? I have often said I would capture my kingdom like a lover. And there she lies.”

He pulled the reins sideways, leading Storm to where Moc sat on the gelding, and he rode close enough to reach out and grasp her hand.

“Boys, cast your eyes on this place in the sun. It is well-named a grianán, like a summer house. D’ye think ye can have a new fortress built here?”

Fergus was clearly excited. “Yes, Father. After our visit with Uncle Conall, Echach and I can begin to gather men like milk cows and herd them to this high búaile. We will start to build right away.”

Owen looked at Flann. “Go raibh maith agat. My deepest thanks. You have awakened an old desire. This kingdom shall live again. We shall call it the Land of Owen, or Tyrone, from this day forward.”

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Fashionable People of the Regency --Time for a Re-assessment?

By Michelle Styles

It may seem odd on a blog devoted to Unusual time periods to  even mention the Regency but when I was researching my latest His Unsuitable Viscountess, I came across an interesting fact — there are no modern biographies of the women who ran the Ton (i.e. The Lady Patronesses of Almack’s) during the point when the Regency was at its height. When I started investigating the lives of these women  my views of fashionable women in the Regency were turned upside down upside down and my jaw was literally on the floor.

It would be tempting to take them at face value and consider them to be the Regency equivalent of Paris Hilton orany number of modern celebrities who were famous for being famous. I will admit to doing this prior to doing the research. After all I have read countless Regency romances and such women had to be there because of an accident of birth. And everyone knows that women could not vote et  etc. However the more I dug, the more interesting they became.  These are the women who single-handedly changed the nature of men’s fashionable evening dress  (Brummell is generally given the credit, but if the Lady Patronesses had taken against his attire, they would have not allowed in Almacks. Equally Dorothy Lady Nevill disputes it was Brummell in any case.) and introduced a variety of dances such as the quadrille, waltz and polka as well as a number of Scottish reels. Who were they really?  Fashionable for being fashionable? Women of privilege, certainly but they were also influential beyond mere fashion. I would argue they are ripe for more serious consideration.

The first quadrille at Almacks,
Lady Jersey 2nd left

Lady Jersey was the senior partner in one of the leading London banks, Childs which she had inherited from her grandfather. She served in this position from 1806 -1867 and therefore would have been privy to rumours about certain members’ financial situation. She was also an active political hostess and regularly held salons. She is credited with introducing the quadrille. If someone deserves a proper biography,  Lady Jersey certainly does.

Countess (later Princess) Lieven was the wife of the Russian ambassador and is credited with introducing the German waltz.. She was tireless in promoting Russia’s interests in the United Kingdom.  She was considered much more influential than her husband. Her salon was reputed to be the listening and observational post of Europe. She played a key role in the establishment of modern day Greece and Belgium. Again, there is no modern biography. In fact the whole role that Britain and Russia played in the establishment of Greece is an under researched area of 19^th century history.

Lady Castlereagh, the woman who famously shut the doors of Almack’s on Wellington was the wife of the British Foreign minister who was responsible for holding the coalition which ultimately defeated Napoleon together. She travelled everywhere with her husband and was a noted  political hostess. She was also related to most of the Irish aristocracy.

Princess Esterhazy was the wife of the Austro-Hungarian ambassador to London. Like Countess Lieven,  she did have political influence which went beyond her husband’s position. Also she had intimate knowledge of the Austro-Hungarian and middle European aristocracy.

Mrs Drummond-Burrell was a prominent member of  Scottish aristocracy. A number of Scottish reels bear her name.

Margaret Craven, Lady Shefton was the wife of the one of the founders of the infamous Four In Hand Club. Among other things, she sponsored Mrs  Fitzherbert  (George IV’s secret wife) in society. She was an intimate of the Prince Regent’s set.

Lady Cowper (nee Lamb) was a member of a prominent political family.  Her brother was Lord Melbourne, the prime minister and she had a long affair with and later married Lord Palmerston.

As you can see the women had extensive knowledge of the political  scene and were more than simply pretty faces. They were not fashionable simply because they had pretty faces, foreful personalities or knew how to manipulate the media. They had connections and were not afraid to use them to advance their various causes. It is through their influence, rather than in spite of it, that Almack’s was able to command such a place in Regency society. It is about time there were modern biographies of these women which re-assess their place in shaping modern British society.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance in a wide variety time periods from Roman and Viking to Regency and Victorian. Her latest, His Unsuitable Viscountess which features a successful Regency businesswoman whost make a marriage of convienence in order to safeguard the family bvuiness under the terms of her step-father's will is published in August by Harlequin Historical in the US and Mills and Boon in the UK. You can read more about Michelle's books on www.michellestyles.co.uk

THIEFTAKER Winner!

We have a winner of D.B. Jackson's THIEFTAKER. The lucky winner is: 


Rosa Lee Jude!


Contact Lisa with your information. The book must be claimed by next Sunday or another winner will be drawn. Please stop back later to let us know what you thought! Congratulations!

Fashionable Women of the Anglo-Norman Period

By Lisa J. Yarde

When the Normans crossed the Channel and invaded England in 1066, they brought a new culture, language, architectural style and legal codes to the conquered country. They also replaced at least ninety percent of the landed aristocracy with members of their own class. The new Norman nobility could afford to be fashionable with their increased lands and wealth. At first, they wore costumes that would have been familiar to their English counterparts, having encountered the Norman retinue of King Edward the Confessor prior to the Conquest. The types or colors of dyes used for fabric, the quality of the fabric, and embellishments including embroidery or colored, ornamented braid known as passements, indicated class distinctions. For instance, the nobility had access to fine linen, woolen cloth and later, silk, but the average person would have worn a homespun cloth of russet or coarse wool. Clothing styles for women often changed; the tight-fitting sleeves for women’s dresses in the late eleventh century became elongated during the reign of King Stephen, only to revert to the former fashion in the late twelfth century. The Crusades also influenced fashion, with the introduction of silk and the surcote, modeled on twelfth-century Persian garments. 

From 1066 through the 1130’s, the dress of a Norman noblewoman followed the example at the left, a representation of Queen Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror. In this representation of William’s diminutive queen, she wears a white robe as her outermost garment. Embroidery decorates the wrists and neckline of the robe. The bodice is form-fitting, while the skirt widens at the hips and falls in folds. Although not visible, it's likely she wears a camise / chemise next to the skin as an undergarment. The material for the undergarment would be chainsil, made from flax into a fine cloth. The girdle, which the Normans also introduced, drapes her hips with tasseled ends trailing almost to the floor. The blue mantle covering the robe also bears the same rich embroidery on its border. Mantles were a distinct mark of the nobility. Cords fastened them across the shoulders. A thin veil, the Norman couvrechef, covers her head. The Normans typically used white cambric or chainsil for the veils. A Norman noblewoman might have worn a circlet of silver or  gold to hold the veil in place. 

The costume of Queen Matilda's granddaughter and namesake from the late twelfth century is shown on the right. She was the daughter of Henry I and fought her cousin Stephen for the English crown during a period known as the Anarchy. Her outermost garment is the bliaut, fashioned from silk and dyed in varying colors. The most noticeable difference is the addition of voluminous sleeves, fitting closer at the shoulder before widening to the wrists. The bliaut also has a wider skirt with many folds. This one is also lined inside with a green material. A billowing red mantle falls around the shoulders and back. A sleeveless corsage over the bliaut seems to have gold or jewels on its surface.  Another change is the visible hair in an elaborate style of nearly floor-length braids bound in gold ribbon. The girdle of previous decades remains, but the veil is no longer strictly white. Fashionable Anglo-Norman women also enhanced their costumes with brooches, fastenings for their mantles and girdles ornamented with pearls,  gold and silver, precious gemstones and enamels. One standard remained the same no matter the decade. Women always wore long garments covering them from neck to ankles.

Lisa J. Yarde writes fiction inspired by real-life events. She is the author of historical novels set in medieval England and Normandy, The Burning Candle,based on the life of Isabel de Vermandois, and On Falcon's Wings, chronicling the star-crossed romance between Norman and Saxon lovers. Lisa has also written Sultana and Sultana’s Legacy, novels set during a turbulent period of thirteenth century Spain,where rivalries and ambitions threaten the fragile bonds between members of a powerful family. 

Guest Blog: D.B. Jackson

This week, we're welcoming historical fantasy author, D.B. Jackson. His title, THIEFTAKER, set in 18th-century Boston, is the first in the Thieftaker Chronicles. D.B. is be here to talk about the novel and offer a copy. Please leave your comment for a chance to win. Here's the blurb:

Boston, Province of Massachusetts Bay, August 26, 1765

A warm evening in colonial North America's leading city. Smoke drifts across the South End, and with it the sound of voices raised in anger, of shattering glass and splintering wood. A mob is rioting in the streets, enraged by the newest outrage from Parliament: a Stamp Tax . Houses are destroyed, royal officials are burned in effigy. And on a deserted lane, a young girl is murdered.

Ethan Kaille, a thieftaker of some notoriety, and a conjurer of some skill, is hired by the girl's father to find her killer. Soon he is swept up in a storm of intrigue and magic, politics and treachery. The murder has drawn the notice of the lovely and deadly Sephira Pryce, a rival thieftaker in Boston; of powerful men in the royal government; of leaders of the American rebels, including Samuel Adams; and of a mysterious sorcerer who wields magic the likes of which Ethan has never encountered before.

To learn the truth of what happened that fateful night, Ethan must recover a stolen gem and sound the depths of conjurings he barely understands, all while evading Sephira and her henchmen, holding the royals and rebels at bay, and defending himself and those he loves from the shadowy conjurer.

No problem. Provided he doesn't get himself killed in the process.

Thieftaker is the first volume in the Thieftaker Chronicles, the new historical fantasy from D.B. Jackson. Combining elements of traditional fantasy, urban fantasy, mystery and historical fiction, Thieftaker is sure to appeal to readers who enjoy intelligent fantasy and history with an attitude.

**Q&A with D.B. Jackson**

Can you tell us a bit about THIEFTAKER?

THIEFTAKER is what I call historical urban fantasy.  It is set in Colonial Boston in the 1760s, just as the unrest that will eventually lead to the American Revolution is starting to disrupt life in the city.  My lead character, Ethan Kaille, is a thieftaker, a sort of 18th century private investigator who, for a fee, retrieves stolen items and returns them to their rightful owner.  He is also a conjurer and a ex-convict with a dark past -- he is, in my opinion, the most interesting and complex protagonist I’ve ever written.

The novel begins on the night of the Stamp Act riots.  While a mob is rampaging through the city streets, a young woman, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is found murdered.  Some want to blame the mob for her death, but naturally our hero has other ideas, and soon he’s drawn into a web of intrigue that puts him at odds with representatives of the Crown, with leaders of the revolutionary movement, including Samuel Adams, with a rival thieftaker -- the beautiful and deadly Sephira Pryce -- and with a mysterious conjurer who is far more powerful than anyone Ethan has encountered before.  I won’t say more than that, because I don’t want to spoil any surprises.  But basically the book combines fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction in a way that I think turned out pretty well.

Is it part of a series, or is it a stand-alone novel?

Um . . . yes.  It’s actually both.  THIEFTAKER is the first book of the Thieftaker Chronicles which will be a series of stand alone mysteries built around a different historical event leading toward the rebellion against British rule.  So the mystery in this first book coincides with the Stamp Act crisis.  The mystery in the second book, THIEVES’ QUARRY, which will be out in the summer of 2013, takes place against the backdrop of the occupation of Boston in the fall of 1768.  And I have it in mind to write at least two more books in the Thieftaker “universe.”

I put a lot into my research for THIEFTAKER, and I love the setting, the characters, the concept -- so I wanted to make a series out of it.  I would like to keep writing about Ethan and Sephira and everyone else in their world for a while.  But I also wanted my readers to be able to pick up any book in the series and jump right in without worrying about which books came in which order.  So writing the books in this way -- as a series of stand-alones -- seemed to make sense.

  

Where did the idea for THIEFTAKER come from, and why did you choose this particular period in U.S. history?

The idea for THIEFTAKER actually started with a footnote that I read in Robert Hughes’ wonderful history of Australia, THE FATAL SHORE.  My wife and I were preparing for her Sabbatical during which we were going to live for a year Down Under -- that’s why I was reading the book.  I should probably mention here that I have a Ph.D. in U.S. history and am a refugee from academia.  I’m pretty much a nerd, which you probably knew the moment I said that I had been reading a footnote . . .  Anyway, the footnote mentioned England’s foremost thieftaker, a man named Jonathan Wild.  Wild was a brute and criminal who was responsible for nearly all the thefts that he “solved” as a thieftaker.  He or his henchmen would steal goods, and then those things that Wild couldn’t sell for great profit he would turn around and return for a fee.  He made a fortune, and all the while was hailed for his uncanny ability to recover stolen goods.  And I thought “What a great idea for a book character!”  I modeled my lead character’s nemesis, Sephira Pryce, after Wild.  It might be the first time I had a book idea present itself to me in the form of an antagonist rather than a protagonist.

In its first incarnation, THIEFTAKER was actually set in a world of my imagining. After discussing the concept with my editor, though, I agreed to consider rewriting it as a historical.  We thought about putting it in London, but then I suggested pre-Revolutionary America, and he loved the idea.  I have always been fascinated by the period leading up to the Revolution.  It is a time fraught with anxiety and uncertainty.  Most colonists in the 1760s still considered themselves loyal subjects of the British Empire, but they were also starting to perceive that there was something unique about their status as Americans.  For a character like Ethan Kaille, who is trying to find his way in the world after serving nearly fourteen years in prison, this added uncertainty seems a perfect complement to his personal struggles.  Finally, I chose Boston, because it was at the center of so many key events leading to the American Revolution.  Also, by the 1760s it had lost its status as North America’s leading city.  New York and Philadelphia were bigger, more prosperous.  Boston had fallen on hard times and grown rather seedy.  It was, in short, a mirror of my lead character.

  

You mentioned before that you have a Ph.D. in history.  Aside from the obvious benefits for writing historical fiction, what do you think that your educational background has done for your career?

Primarily, I think that getting my Ph.D. gave me the discipline I need to be a successful writer.  I know that there are lots of writers out there with as much talent as I have -- many of them have more.  But writing my dissertation, which was far, far less fun than writing my novels, trained me to write on demand, to put my butt in the chair even on those days when I wanted nothing at all to do with writing.  It also trained my mind, teaching me to find narrative in seemingly disparate and unrelated events.  That’s a valuable skill for an academic, but I think it’s also helpful for a fiction writer in that it has allowed me to tie together subplots in innovative and unexpected ways.

Writing under another name, David B. Coe, you are part of the Magical Words blogsite.  Can you tell us a bit about that? 

Of course.  Magical Words was founded by Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, and me.  We met at a writer’s conference, hit it off, and decided that we wanted to work together on some project or another.  And since we had spent the weekend teaching, we had the idea of creating a blog devoted entirely to the craft and business of writing.  Each weekday, we would have new content offering advice to aspiring writers.  We brought several other writers into the site as regular contributors -- our line-up currently includes C.E. Murphy, A.J. Hartley, and Kalayna Pryce, as well as occasional contributors Carrie Ryan, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Mindy Klasky, and Lucienne Diver -- and have maintained the site for four and a half years now.  We even have a book out called HOW TO WRITE MAGICAL WORDS: A WRITER’S COMPANION.  The site, with its extensive archive of old posts, is a great resource for writers looking for help with their craft or for advice on the market.

  

All right -- it seems appropriate then to finish by asking what single piece of writing advice you would offer to an aspiring writer.

There are so many possible answers, so many good tidbits that have been mentioned by people on the Magical Words site.  I guess my one bit of advice would be to finish what you start.  I hear from lots of aspiring writers who have novel fragments and story fragments on their hard drives that are not ready for the market. They have lots of ideas, but have yet to complete any of them.  They get bogged down in the plotting or character problems that invariably crop up during the preparation of a manuscript.  And I would say, fight through it.  Get something done.  Finishing a book or story gives a sense of accomplishment that really cannot be matched, but more to the point, it is easier to revise than it is to compose.  If you can make yourself finish your work-in-progress and THEN go back to fix its problems, you will have a much easier time making the book what you want it to be.  Finish what you start; don’t retreat into rewrites before the story is done.

Thank you, D.B., and best of luck with THIEFTAKER!

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