Kathleen Buckley's Blog, page 6
March 6, 2021
Review: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
I requested an ARC for my unbiased review of The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner because I enjoy historical fiction, and particularly the eighteenth century. Ms. Penner’s novel weaves the story of a modern-day woman whose marriage is in crisis and that of two women in late eighteenth century London with crises of their own. The problem is different for each one but at the same time, they are interrelated. The cuts back and forth between the centuries and the three women are done with skill and t...
Review: Learning to Waltz by Kerryn Reid
I read a lot of historical romance novels, partly for enjoyment and partly for market research. My preference is for books with some depth, good writing, and no silliness (unless it’s intentional).
Kerryn Reid’s Regency novel Learning to Waltz came my way recently via a free review copy, and what a delightful surprise it was. Learning to Waltz exceeded my expectations.
I won’t describe the story; if you’re reading a book review, you’ve probably already seen either the blurb or a review giving ...
October 4, 2020
A Drachm For What Ails You
We’ve all heard of the old medical procedure of bleeding a patient for…well, almost anything. Less well known are the remedies for various ailments and injuries. Many of them probably did no harm, though most probably required a strong stomach and no gag reflex. I haven't included any that used animal dung as an ingredient although various sorts, including that of peacocks, continued to be employed as medicaments in England until 1721. No, I don't know why they stopped in that year.
Don't try an...
September 25, 2020
The Romance of 18th Century Science: Smallpox!
"File:Portrait of Lady Mary Wortley Montague Wellcome M0006755.jpg" is licensed under
CC BY 4.0Smallpox was a dread disease in the eighteenth century. The fatality rate is estimated to have been between 20% and 60%, and higher still in infants. Those who survived were often scarred; some were blind.
Dr. Parkins pretty much sums up the value of the treatments available for smallpox (The English Physician, 1810): Alkanet root “…is as gallant a remedy to drive out the small pox and measles as any ...
September 18, 2020
The Romance of 18th Century Science: The Grotto of the Dogs
Ranelagh Gardens (Rijksmuseum): "File:Gezicht op de Rotunda in Ranelagh Gardens te Londen A view of the Rotundo, House, & Gardens, &c. at Ranelagh (titel op object) Ranelagh Gardens en Vauxhall Gardens (serietitel), RP-P-1932-434.jpg" by Rijksmuseum is marked with CC0 1.0Ah, the romance of the eighteenth century: beautiful clothing, formal manners, elegance. These are the characteristics we usually associate with that period[1]. All those things existed. We may also know of non-existent sewerage...
August 24, 2020
Chance to win free e-books
Open Internationally. Runs August 25 (2:00 a.m. East Coast time*) – 31, 2020. Winner will be drawn on September 7, 2020.
*Times in the schedule are East Coast time. You'll need to check what that is in your time zone.
And yes, a couple of my books (the first two) are on the schedule:
An Unsuitable Duchess 2:00 p.m. Wednesday...
July 21, 2020
An Agent of the Crown: a 3,200 word short story
Photography by Simon Berger, UnsplashAn Agent of the Crownby Kathleen Buckley
©2020 Kathleen Gail Buckley
The Scottish Lowlands, late May, 1746
Swithin Fowler leaned against his tired horse as it drank from the stream, feeling the reassuring weight of gold in the flat canvas belt inside his shirt. Money for travel, bribes, whatever he needed. It had purchased the tough little galloway mare, now worn thin from eight months with too little rest. He himself was less exhausted than sickened. All he wan...
July 11, 2020
Reviewed: The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne
[image error] In particular, Annique, the heroine, is so very French that at times I had to grin...
Reviewed: Katherine, When She Smiled by Joyce Harmon
For me, Georgette Heyer's novels (she invented the Regency/Georgian romance) is the gold standard. Joyce Harmon's delightful Regency romance, Katharine, When She Smiled, has all the elements of a Heyer novel: above average style, interesting characters, good plot, excellent dialog, and, well, an appropriately period "feel".
I'm not going to describe the plot, because if you're interested enough to shop for it, you'll end up reading the blurb either online or on the cover. For me, the essence of a...
May 30, 2020
An easier way to proofread
For a writer, proofreading and doing it thoroughly is essential, and the more efficiently, the better. I do not like to see typos in a book I’m reading, and I hate seeing them in my own work.
Proofreading your own work, particularly if it’s long, is a challenge. We know what we mean to say and so that’s what our eyes see. It helps to let the piece sit for a couple of weeks or a month but most of us are impatient to get it done and submitted. Someone told me that reading it backwards would catch...
