Regan Walker's Blog: Regan's Author Blog, page 12

Best Bodice Rippers!

Of all my "best lists", this is the longest. I think you'll understand when you see how many classics are on it, books you have long treasured. At least one of my Goodreads pals defines this subgenre as stories “containing an element of sexual peril.” Possibly that is so, as the ones on my list all have this. Let’s just say I know it when I see it.

These won’t appeal to all, but certainly they are all well done. All have been rated 4 or 5 stars by me. Some are keepers. If you like stories that feature an alpha male hero who begins demanding his way, but falls at the heroine’s feet in the end to beg forgiveness and confess his love, you’ll find them HERE.

Favorite Historical Romance Novel Covers

Readers have told me they miss the old covers. They had so much emotion in them. And they gave us a real sense of the hero and heroine.  I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorites from my best lists. See them all Here.

How We Got To Where We Are Today... Historical Romance by Decade

Sometimes, when I talk to fellow readers of historical romance or authors, and I mention a name from the past, an author who helped shape the genre, like Kathleen Woodiwiss or Rosemary Rogers, I get a blank stare in return. It occurred to me that as lovers of a genre it might be helpful to read some of the classics to see where we’ve come from and to enjoy the greats who have contributed so much to the craft. So I made this list by decade... Take a look HERE.

Best Irish Historical Romances... the new list!

I have a friend of Irish descent who loves Irish historical romances and asked me to recommend some. That was the origin of my Best Irish Historical Romances list. And since then I have updated this list each year as I have come to love these stories that feature Ireland, Irish heroes or heroines, and/or Irish immigrants. The books cover all time periods. Some transcend typical historical romance as they bring to life heartrending tales of the wonderful Irish people who survived much hardship to help make great their adoptive countries.

If you’re looking for stories of the Emerald Isle or handsome Irish hunks, or worthy Irish heroines, you will find them here.

A Reader’s Pet Peeves: The 10 That Set Me On Edge Every Time!

All readers have their pet peeves. It’s why we love some romances and hate others. After reviewing over 900 romance novels, the vast majority of them historical romances, I have developed a few pet peeves myself. So here are my top ten. In putting them down on paper, I wanted to speak for other readers whose reviews I see on the Internet (along with my own) and hopefully, this will help my fellow authors avoid some pitfalls. I’d love to know your pet peeves, so do comment.

See my list of "The Terrible 10" HERE.

Crow's Nests, Tops & Crosstrees... Clearing up the Mess

The crow’s nest was not a regular feature on merchant and privateer ships of the 19th century, as some authors would like to think. What they are—or should be referring to—are either “tops” or “crosstrees”, most likely the latter. See more.

Best Pirate, Privateer and High Seas Romances!

Who doesn’t love a good pirate or privateer story? All that capturing, swashbuckling and romancing on the high seas—oh yes! Gets my blood boiling just thinking about it. While there are lots of pirate and privateer romances out there, not all are great ones. Take a look at my list of those I have rated 4 or 5 stars. Some do not have pirates as such, but may have a swashbuckling sea captain or a privateer. In almost every case, part of the story takes place on the high seas. See it HERE.

The Port of London in the 18th Century... "a kettle of stew on the boil"

I’m writing Echo in the Wind now, book 2 in the Donet duology (To Tame the Wind was the first). Both are Georgian romances set in the 1780’s with ship captain heroes. In each of the stories, the captain must adroitly maneuver his ship (one is a schooner and one a brig-sloop) through the traffic on the Thames to moor in the Pool of London. That’s the area just downstream from London Bridge where London’s port was originally centered. And it was a very busy place because the Port of London was the busiest port in the world!

During the 18th century, both the city of London and its international trade went through a great expansion. The Thames became a huge traffic jam, or, as one of my characters in To Tame the Wind described it, “There are so many ships in port just now, the Thames is like a kettle of stew on the boil.” SEE MORE.

Victorian Valentines!

[image error] Though St. Valentine’s Day has been celebrated for a very long time, the Valentine’s Day cards we send today, and their romantic precursors with pictures, real lace and ribbons, didn’t really come into fashion until the mid 19th century with the Victorian era.

Valentine cards were cherished because of the sentimentality attached to them. Designing cards became a highly competitive market, with a vast array of motifs and verses. Suddenly, cards were being produced in tens of thousands, from whimsy and slightly vulgar, to truly sentimental, their designs included lace paper, embossed envelopes, glass or metal mirrors, ribbons, dried ferns and fake advertisements, bank notes and marriage licenses. See more.

Theater Choices for Valentine's Day in Regency London...

If you think we have a lot of theater choices for Valentine’s Day, you might be surprised at all the choices Londoners had in the Regency era. More than one theater had Letters Patent, and could, therefore, claim the name “Theatre-Royal.” In addition to those, there were more specialized theaters and smaller playhouses.  

From the variety of choices, it would seem that Londoners often enjoyed an evening at the theater with as many as 20,000 attending the theater on any given evening. One could see a drama, perhaps one of Shakespeare’s plays, a light comedy, or an opera, as well as ballet, pantomimes and skits—even a clown! And some of these might be combined into the entertainment for a single evening. Read more.