Mimi Matthews's Blog, page 6
July 16, 2019
Inside a Victorian Bathing Machine
During the Victorian era, ladies visiting the public beach couldn’t simply wade out into the water and enjoy an invigorating swim. To protect their modesty, most ladies on a seaside holiday utilized a bathing machine. Though the name puts one in mind of a mechanized device, a bathing machine was really nothing more than a […]
June 16, 2019
Strawberry Water, Lemon Cream, & Grape Lotion: A Victorian Sun Care Primer
Victorian women didn’t have our knowledge of ultraviolet rays and SPF, but like us, they had a healthy respect for the damage that too much sun could wreak on their complexions. A fair, unblemished countenance was one of the hallmarks of a lady. It helped to distinguish her from the lower classes. To signal that […]
June 10, 2019
The Work of Art Cover Reveal
Today, I’m thrilled to reveal the cover for my new historical romance novel, The Work of Art! This is one of my favorite book covers so far. It features a lovely lady (who looks very much like the heroine of my story), garbed in a Regency era dress and spencer, set against the backdrop of […]
May 1, 2019
A Modest Independence is a USA Today bestseller!
Dear Readers, My new Victorian romance novel A Modest Independence is a USA Today Bestseller! I’m so excited to have made the list again and so very grateful to all of you for your continued support. A Modest Independence is Book 2 in my Parish Orphans of Devon series. If you haven’t read it yet, you can […]
April 28, 2019
Have Carpet Bag – Will Travel
Victorian ladies have a reputation for tight-laced respectability, but not all women of the era were content with home and hearth. Some ladies traveled the world, living their lives in far off lands like Egypt or India. Getting to such places was an adventure in itself. For example, a journey from London to Darjeeling in […]
April 23, 2019
A Modest Independence Release Day!
It’s release day for A Modest Independence, Book 2 in my USA Today bestselling Parish Orphans of Devon series! To celebrate, the eBook price is reduced to just $2.99 for the entire week. I’ll also be embarking on a virtual book tour next week, complete with reviews, interviews, and a special giveaway. A Modest Independence follows the […]
March 24, 2019
A Cure for the Common Victorian Cold
“The abrupt violation of the decencies of social existence is one of the most annoying consequences of coughing and sneezing.” -Western Journal of Medicine and Surgery, 1844. The cold that’s going around this season is intense. As of today, I’ve had it for two weeks. Between the coughing, congestion, and laryngitis, it’s been difficult to […]
February 24, 2019
A Grave but Cordial Thank You: 19th Century Advice on Thanking Gentlemen Strangers
Victorians had plenty of advice on how and when a lady should offer a word of gratitude, especially when that gratitude was in response to a service rendered by a gentleman stranger. Some believed that it wasn’t fashionable for ladies to thank strange gentlemen for small courtesies—e.g., holding doors for them or giving up their seats […]
February 7, 2019
The Matrimonial Advertisement is now a USA Today Bestseller!
Dear Readers, My Victorian romance novel The Matrimonial Advertisement is now a USA Today Bestseller! It made the list this week at #81 out of 150 titles. I’m so excited to have made it and so very grateful to all of you for your support and encouragement. On an additional note, I want to thank […]
February 5, 2019
Tea and Sympathy: A Prescription for Nineteenth Century Invalids
A cup of tea is the cure for any ill. And, in times of shock, the more sugar the better. This maxim was as true in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as it is today. There was no illness, personal loss, or otherwise calamitous event to which tea could not be applied with sympathy—and […]
