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.
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.

Books, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorite: Adopt-a-Book

Cora Lee

What happens to rare manuscripts when they become old and begin to fall apart? They get restored! And now you can get in on the action.

From the Goodreads Voice article, 3/3/14:

With the Smithsonian Libraries, home to more than 50,000 rare books, you can select a specific book to “adopt” from the active list of books in need of restoration. Among the items currently up for adoption, you’ll find historic manuscripts from the 1700s and 1800s, and the list is always changing.

Across the pond you can help the Adopt-a-book program at the British Library preserve more than 1,800 works every year.

And Australian book lovers can support rare works in the University of Adelaide’s collection.

Many regional branches also offer adopt-a-book programs, so ask your local librarian for a suggestion!

Tattered Book

Contests & Giveaways, Writing Life

Character Names Revealed and Giveaway Winners

Cora Lee

Thanks so much to everyone who suggested names! I had a lot to mull over this past week–and one very obstinate character–but I think we have a good result 🙂

Let’s start with the contest winners:

  • Janice, for her suggestion of George
  • Ella, for her suggestion of Maitland
  • Natasha, for her suggestion of Honoria

Congratulations! E-mail me ladies and let me know which of the four prizes you’d prefer, and what would be your second choice if your first isn’t available.

spy-wore-blue-300winningabride-300Royal RenegadeThe Hanover Square Affair

 

 

 

 

 

And an honorable mention goes to Carol (my wonderful friend in Wales), for her suggestion of Lady Felicia!

~~~

The stubborn character was my hero, Mr. Archaeologist. He informed me during the week that he was no ordinary archaeologist, but that he was the male-line heir to his cousin’s title and estates.

And his cousin has already introduced himself in my other WIP.

So Mr. Archaeologist became Mr. Grey, and clung to his own preference for a given name…which took me several hours to uncover 🙂

That makes our cast of characters:

  • Bad Guy: the Earl of Grimsby
  • Bad Buy’s sweet sister: Lady Felicia
  • Hero’s parents: Lord and Lady George Grey
  • Hero’s cousin: the Marquess of Whitby
  • Heroine’s parents: Duke and Duchess of Alston
  • Hero’s cute little brother: the Marquis of Stonehaven
  • Heroine: Lady Honoria Maitland
  • Hero: Mr. Benedict Grey

What a group, eh? And they’re all whispering in my ear, so I’m off to write. All I need now is a title!

hot-cockles

Fashion, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorite: DeviantArt Regency Dress Up Doll

Cora Lee

A few months ago, I shared Isobel Carr’s article on Regency-era paper dolls. This week’s Favorite is the 21st Century version.

Created by Sarah Vaughn (aka savivi) for DeviantArt, Regency Dress Up Doll is basically an electronic version of the old paper doll. The outfits and their accessories are all inspired by Jane Austen’s novels and the moves they spawned. You can change facial features and hair styles, too!

And if you prefer Ken to Barbie, the same artist has a Regency Hero Dress Up Doll…with period accurate underclothing 😀

Regency Dress Up Doll