Author: Cora Lee

Cora Lee is a National Bestselling author of Regency romance. She went on a twelve year expedition through the blackboard jungle as a high school math teacher before publishing Save the Last Dance for Me, the first book in the Maitland Maidens series. She then followed it up with six other novels and novellas ranging from sweet and traditional to spicy and suspenseful. When she’s not walking Rotten Row at the fashionable hour or attending the entertainments of the Season, you might find her participating in Regency Fiction Writers events, wading through her towering TBR pile, or eagerly awaiting the next Marvel movie release. If you’d like to find out more about Cora or her books you can sign up for her newsletter, or connect with her on Facebook, BlueSky, Bookbub, or Goodreads.
Books, Writing Life

Reading/Writing Fun: Quick 5

Cora Lee

I saw the reading version of this on Carol Cork’s blog and thought, since I am both a reader and a writer, that I’d adapt it a bit and do both activities. Here’s what I’m working on. What are you reading and/or writing?

Photo Credit: Johannes Jansson
Photo Credit: Johannes Jansson

Reading Fun

1. Which novel are you currently reading and the author? Undeniable Rogue by Annette Blair

2. What is the opening line of the book? By this time tomorrow, he would be wed.

3. What are the hero and heroine’s names? (on the remote chance you’re not reading a romance, give the name of the main character). The hero is Gideon St. Goddard, Duke of Stanthorpe. The heroine is Mrs. Sabrina Whitcomb.

4. What is the first sentence of the second paragraph of Chapter 9? Then he placed her hand on his arm and covered it, possessively, with his own.

5. What’s next on your TBR pile? Any one of about 400 books!

~~~

Writing Fun

1. Which novel are you currently writing? A second-chance Regency romance titled The Only Exception.

2. What is the opening line of the book? Kate Sedgley stood in the center of her uncle’s study, waiting for him to finish writing in the leather-bound ledger on his desk.

3. What are the hero and heroine’s names? (on the remote chance you’re not writing a romance, give the name of the main character). The hero is John Kendall, Earl of Wrexham. The heroine is Miss Katherine Sedgley, otherwise known as Kate.

4. What is the first sentence of the second paragraph of Chapter 9? I haven’t gotten to Chapter 9 yet 😀

5. What’s next on your TBW (To Be Written) pile? The untitled Christmas novella I started working on a few weeks ago (I’m working on it simultaneously with this one, actually).

Friday Favorites, Military

Friday Favorite: HMS Acasta Letters at the Jane Austen Festival

Cora Lee

Ever want to get involved in a historical reenactment but didn’t know how? Or think you didn’t have time for all the preparation? Afraid you’ll get stage fright and forget what to do?

Then here’s a simple opportunity to participate in the Jane Austen Festival in Kentucky without all the hassle or expense of travel–write a historical letter to a Royal Navy sailor!

historical letters

From the HMS Acasta website:

“Open Call to ALL Reenactors, Historians and Creative Writers!
The Royal Navy reenacting group that represents HMS Acasta will be attending the Jane Austen Festival in July of this year. One of the things that I’d like to be able to do is deliver a ‘mail packet’ full of letters to the various Acasta members. This is a project that I have undertaken in the past with other groups with awesome results.

This is where YOU come in!

Anyone who would like to submit a period correct letter to add to the packet is encouraged to do so! We’d love to have your contribution, however large or small! Anything added to the packet will help to enhance the historical experience for not only the Acastas who receive them, but for the public who will attend the Festival as well.”

There are ideas, links to examples of period-style letters, and specific sailors to write to on the Acasta website. Deadline is the end of June 2014.

Books

Cora’s TBR Challenge Check-In

Cora Lee

It’s March fellow readers! Has your TBR pile gotten any smaller?

IMG-20140218-00029I have to say, doing this challenge here on the blog where everyone can watch my progress has been motivating. I’m actively searching for more time to read to ensure I make my goal…sometimes to the detriment of my to-do lists!

One thing that’s helped me this month is finding books in different formats. I snap up little mass market paperbacks at my local library used book sales, but when I get home I have such a hard time reading that tiny print! The book goes in the TBR bin and ends up staying there. But I live in an area with a IMG-20140218-00030wonderful library system–what they don’t have, they can get. So I looked up my mass market paperbacks and found larger version that are much easier to read.

Presto! Two more books climbing out of the TBR bin!

Are you making progress with your commitment? If you missed the beginning of the challenge, it’s not too late to join in the fun! Check out my TBR Challenge Page for more details.

Society

Regency Customs: Using the Social Call to Change a Story Line

Cora Lee

Award-winning Regency romance author–and fellow teacher–Regina Jeffers talks about the etiquette of social calls, and how Jane Austen used them as a pivot point in her novels. 

callingcards

In the 1800s, morning calls or visiting upon a household developed a certain protocol, and those who broke protocol were often shunned. First a calling card was presented to the household’s servant. It was common for those who came to London for the Season to drive about with a footman in tow to present one’s cards to acquaintances. Do you recall Mrs. Jennings doing so in Sense and Sensibility? “The morning was chiefly spent in leaving cards at the houses of Mrs. Jennings’s acquaintance to inform them of her being in town.”

One would leave three cards with the servant: one from the lady for the house’s mistress; one from the caller’s husband for the house’s mistress and another for the house’s master. Displaying cards of those who had called was commonplace. It gave one social status to display cards from those of the nobility. In Persuasion, the Elliots took care to display “…the cards of the Dowager Viscountess Dalrymple and the Hon. Miss Carteret, to be arranged where they might be most visible.”

Read the rest of the article here.