Regan Walker's Blog: Regan's Author Blog, page 8

Best Georgian & Regency Romances... the new list!

I have read many Georgian and Regency romances over the years, so it was inevitable that I should have a “best list” on my blog, Historical Romance Review, that would include those I've rated 4 and 5 stars.

The Georgian era covers the period from 1714 to 1830, with the sub-period of the Regency, 1811-1820, when George, Prince of Wales (‘the Prince Regent”) reigned during the mental illness of his father George III, so all these stories are set in that era. See the list HERE.

The Empress Josephine's Love of Roses...

Empress Josephine’s Love Affair with Roses

Many of us Regency authors and readers know that Napoleon’s wife, Empress Josephine contributed to establishing the slim, high-waisted, chemise dress as the dominant fashion in Regency England, but did you know that Josephine is also known for her passionate love of roses? 

She was born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie in 1763 on the Caribbean island of Martinique where her wealthy family owned a sugar plantation. The island is a lush, tropical paradise with beautiful flowering plants. Perhaps it was there she first developed a love for beautiful, fragrant plants, for she was to introduce many to France.

After she married Napoleon and became Empress of France, Josephine spent vast sums of money collecting new varieties of plants, including roses, from all over the world for her garden at Chateau Malmaison outside of Paris. See MORE.

British Spies in France During the French Revolution

Frederick West, the hero in my new novel, A Fierce Wind, wasn’t the only British spy in France during the French Revolution. There were many. Paris, of course, was a central target because of the centralization by the revolutionary government. The city became the French center of politics, power, intrigue, commerce and the army. The royalists and the British both established agents there. Money opened the doors to most of the ministries and government institutions, especially if one could pay in hard currency or gold as opposed to the rapidly deflating French assignats.
 
The most influential group of the period was the Paris Agency. Known as “La Manufacture” and “Les Amis de Paris”, it was created in 1791 by the Spanish ambassador to provide intelligence for the Spanish government. In 1793, the comte d’Antraigues used the information their letters contained to produce his own reports for his master Simon de Las Casas, the Spanish ambassador to Venice, which he also sent to the comte de Provence, who eventually returned to France as Louis XVIII.
 
The Paris Agency established a direct line of communication with the British government through Jean François Dutheil, the comte d’Artois’s representative in London. See MORE.

Release Day for A Fierce Wind!

It's Release Day for A Fierce Wind!

On Sale! To Tame the Wind, award-winning Georgian romance!

Get the award-winning Georgian romance that is both the prequel to the Agents of the Crown Regency series and book 1 in the Donet Trilogy of Georgian romances! 
 
It’s On Sale in the US and UK today through Friday in celebration of the release of A Fierce Wind, book 3 in the Donet Trilogy.
 
Amazon US and UK

A Fierce Wind is here!

A Fierce Wind, book 3 in the Donet trilogy is set in England and France during the French Revolution. It's an exciting story of love in time of war when loyalties are torn and love is tested and when the boy Zoé Donet knew as a child turns out to be the man of her dreams.

It's available for preorder for 99¢/99p until Release Day on August 23, 2018. Grab it on Amazon!

Best American Patriotic Historical Romances... the new list!

The month in which we Americans celebrate our Independence is a great time to read a story with a noble hero and a worthy heroine set in times when America’s future was on the line. Each July I post the updated list of those I've rated 4 and 5 stars. This is the list you’ll want to pick from—all good ones! See it HERE.

Albert Bierstadt – Painter of the American West

Since it's Western month on the blog, I thought to introduce you to one of my very favorite painters of the American West... Albert Bierstadt. So, from my archives, here's the painter and some of his stunningly beautiful art: See more.

Best Western Historical Romances... Love in the Old West!

I don't write Western historical romances but I do love to read them. I discovered the subgenre by reading those written by my favorite authors. Since then, I have become a true fan and find myself every now and then reaching for a good romance set in the Old West. I love those Indian and gun-slinging heroes, those slow talking cowboys. So, it seemed a “best” list was in order to share some of these wonderful stories with you.

I have a new list of those I’ve read rated 4 or 5 stars. I think you’ll like these! See the list.

How We Got to Where We Are Today: Modern Historical Romance Over the Last Several Decades, a Recommended Reading List for the Uninitiated

Sometimes when I talk to fellow readers of historical romance, or even 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.

I’m not going as far back as Ivanhoe or Jane Eyre. Except for four novels of note in earlier decades, I’m starting in the 1970s when the bedroom door was flung open never to close again. And while I may not have included your favorite author, by reading the romances on this list, you’ll have a good idea of our beginnings and what so many wonderful authors have done for the genre. Think of it as a Recommended Reading List for the Uninitiated in modern historical romance. See the list HERE.