Brooks Gentleman’s club, sale on A Trolling We Will Go and the writing life
History
This week another break from the Squares of London. My NaNoWriMo novel at the end of last year I have given a work title to of The Other Shoe. While working through it I did some research on Gentleman’s Clubs and thought why not delve into other parts of the Regency besides the Squares I have been reporting on. Many of the scenes of the heroes in our stories are set at their clubs.
Brooks Club
27 men, four of whom were Dukes, set up the club in 1764. It remains one of the most exclusive gentlemen’s clubs still. It was the meeting place for Whigs of the highest rung of the Ton.
Originally in Pall Mall, it was managed by William Almack who also ran the famed Assembly Rooms with his name. (Managing one place which was the domain of ladies that men were invited to visit, and a place where no ‘Lady’ was invited at all.)
The current building is on St. James Street and was managed by Brooks who survived its opening there in 1778 by only three years. It is across the street from Boodles, the club associated with the Tories.
When in London and needing a distraction, riding and hunting being unavailable, the children and the women making such a caterwauling that a lord could just not stand it, what better place to go to then to the club. Here you could meet friends. There was a kitchen that provided large meals, but not great ones. Waiters was thus founded in 1806 for a better dining experience.
Then the gaming rooms became a mainstay of the club. The Betting book at Brooks has many examples of eccentric bets. Some bets so outrageous and impossible for the time that they remain unresolved.
One of the most famous of all the clubs that exist in the Regency period is Brooks. Such notables who lived during the Regency and were members of the club were William Cavendish-Bentinck, the 3rd Duke of Portland who was Prime Minister twice.
William Cavendish,
the fifth duke of Devonshire, husband of the incomparable Georgiana
Charles James Fox, 
who was the grandson of the 2nd Duke of Richmond, himself a grandson of Charles the II. Fox was the counter to William Pitt the Younger.
who was the youngest Prime Minister of the United Kingdom first, and then the second time of Great Britain as the way the country was addressed changed its name. Also a member as was his friend, William Wilberforce who was a tireless advocate of the abolition of slavery.
. Yet perhaps the most famous of our members will be he whom we owe the Regency to, George or often referred to in our novels, as Prinny.
His brothers as well were members, the Duke of York 
and the Duke of Clarence 
who later became King William the IV. Last we should make note of one regular visitor to the Regency Novels we write. The Beau, Beau Brummell
The arbiter of good taste, leader of the Dandy club and known to sit with his friends in the window seat at White’s. He is worthy of his own posting.
So many major men of the Regency were members of Brooks that we have a place to when in London, our heroes will be drawn to for it is the magnet for them socially.
I released a new book, an omnibus of the three first Trolling stories. In honor of that I have made the first tale of Humphrey and Gwendolyn available for a limited time for $.99 
This introductory price is so those who have not discovered this fantasy work can delve into it for a very incentivised price and see if they like the series and continue on, either ordering the other two stories separately, or ordering all three in the Omnibus edition. There are still two more in the series for me to wrap up with edits and release. They have been written as those who follow my blog know. Just not yet gone through my final check protocols.
The Writing LIfe
I am not 78 pages (about 24000 words, into writing on The Crown Imposter. A fantasy that have had two different ideas about for the last few years. Neither was working by when I decided to combine them, all of sudden it worked and I wanted to write. Something I have been too exhausted to do these last few months
