Mimi Matthews's Blog, page 11

A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty: Cover Reveal!

At long last, I can reveal the beautiful cover of my upcoming book A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty. It was designed by Jon Wilkinson at Pen and Sword Books (UK) and features one of my favorite historical paintings: Toilette by Jules James Rougeron, 1877. I hope you love it as much as I […]

The Truth About Reformed Rakes: Victorian Views on Marrying a Scoundrel

If you’ve ever read a historical romance novel, you’ll likely be familiar with the oft-quoted belief that “reformed rakes make the best husbands.” This matrimonial maxim did not, however, originate in the world of Regency and Victorian fiction. In fact, when it came to marriage, many a nineteenth century lady firmly believed that a reformed […]

A Brief History of Victorian Veils…for Babies

When taking a baby out of the house, many Victorian mothers first covered the baby’s face with a veil. These veils were believed to protect infants’ faces from extremes of weather, as well as from harmful pollutants which might mar their delicate skin or injure their eyes. By the 1870s and 1880s, baby veils had […]

The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter: Goodreads Giveaway

As many of you know, my next Victorian romance, The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter, will be released on January 23, 2018. Thus far, advance reviews have been fantastic. Kirkus Reviews says “…Matthews’ tale hits all the high notes of a great romance novel…Cue the satisfied sighs of romance readers everywhere.” And Readers’ Favorite Reviews calls it “A wonderful […]

The Pug Who Bit Napoleon eBook Worldwide Release Day!

It’s release day for the eBook version of my non-fiction animal history book The Pug Who Bit Napoleon: Animal Tales of the 18th and 19th Centuries! The eBook is available worldwide and can be purchased for Kindle, Nook, or other eBook reading device. The paperback version has, unfortunately, been delayed until early next month. The […]

A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Cleaning Dresses of Muslin, Silk, Velvet, and Lace

In the Victorian era, women’s clothing was just as likely to spot, stain, and soil as it is today. For fine fabrics, this posed a particular dilemma. Ladies couldn’t simply throw their printed muslin dresses into a washing machine or send their silk ball gowns to the dry cleaners. Instead, they relied on their lady’s […]

Important News about Pre-Orders & Availability of My Victorian Romances

  Dear Readers, I am in the painful process of changing distributors for the eBook versions of my historical romances. What does this mean for you? Unfortunately, if you have pre-ordered a copy of The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter, this means that your order will have been cancelled by my old distributor. Since pre-orders […]

The Victorian Case of the Turnip-Wielding Trick-Or-Treater

Today, if you don’t wish to hand out candy on Halloween, you can simply switch off your porch light to indicate that you are not at home to trick-or-treaters. Unfortunately, not all trick-or-treaters accept this withdrawal from the holiday with good grace. Some even retaliate by smashing pumpkins in your driveway or against your front […]

Victorian Hairspray: A Brief History of Gum Solutions and Bandoline

Long before the twentieth century invention of aerosol hairspray, Victorian women were using sticky hair products to fix their wayward locks stiffly into place. Of these, the most popular was a clear gum solution known as bandoline. Liquid bandoline could be purchased at most Victorian perfumers. It could also be made at home from ingredients […]

The Learned Dog, Lily: A Whist-Playing Victorian Canine

Recently, while researching Victorian pleasure gardens, I came across a listing of acts scheduled to appear at Cremorne Gardens in 1857. Among the humourists, contortionists, and tight-rope walkers were various animal attractions. Most notable of these was a little English spaniel billed as “The Learned Dog, Lily.” According to the 17 July edition of the […]