Mimi Matthews's Blog, page 8

A Holiday By Gaslight: Exclusive Cover Reveal at USA Today!

Today, I’m thrilled to be over at USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog with Joyce Lamb for the exclusive cover reveal of my new Victorian Christmas novella A Holiday By Gaslight. This gorgeous cover was designed by James Egan, the same brilliant designer who created the cover for The Matrimonial Advertisement. To see it, you can click through […]

Teeth Whitening in the Victorian Era: From Charcoal Paste to Sulfuric Acid

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 […]

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 […]

On Elbows, Etiquette, and Evening Gloves

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

A Parisian Dog Arrested for Theft

In December of 1888, the Gloucester Citizen reported on the arrest of a Parisian dog thief. Mind you, this was not a human who dognapped canines. It was, in fact, a dog who regularly absconded with goods from the fashionable shops of Paris. This dog thief is described as “a big Newfoundland.” On the day […]

A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty eBook Release Day!

Today is the ebook release of my non-fiction fashion history book A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty! Complete with over 60 images, it provides an overview of fashionable women’s clothing, accessories, and beauty essentials from Queen Victoria’s ascent to the British throne in 1837 to her death in 1901. When writing this book, […]

An Informal Afternoon Tea: Etiquette, Fashion, and Excess in the Late 19th Century

During the late nineteenth century, an afternoon tea was one of the most informal entertainments to which a fashionable lady could invite her friends and acquaintances. The menu was simple, as were the dress requirements, and etiquette only required that a guest stay—at minimum—half an hour. It was an easy method of entertaining and one […]

The Forty-Year-Old Victorian Bride

By the end of the Victorian era, some women were beginning to recognize the advantages of marrying a little later in life, after one had gained a modicum of maturity and life experience. In fact, according to a report in the April 19, 1901 edition of the Islington Gazette, “a spinster bride of forty is […]