One of the beloved authors of Regency Romance, Jane Ashford, joins us today to chat about the Regency Romance in advance of her new release, THE BRIDE INSISTS, available March 4 from Sourcebooks. Welcome, Jane!
Some of my Favorite Things about the Regency Period
Prinny! The Prince Regent was a royal like no other – extravagant, petulant, charming, pathetic, artistic, unreliable. His outrageous behavior made its mark on society as a whole.
The language. Wit was highly valued. People wrote letters and kept diaries. The slang was colorful and diverse. All this makes for lively narration.
The manners. There was less swashbuckling than the eighteenth century perhaps. But a certain freedom and eccentricity were accepted. The more restrictive Victorian mores hadn’t taken hold. Society could be fun!
The clothes. The styles were far more free and easy than the elaborate toilettes of the previous generation or Victorian bustles and corsets to come. I find the empire waists and puffed sleeves very appealing. And so easily slipped out of!
The rules. Restrictive laws, particularly for women, create many opportunities for romantic complications.
The science. The Regency was pre-industrial, yet right on the cusp of gaslight and many other innovations. Explorers were visiting new parts of the world. Lots of material here for interesting plots.
The women. Regency females were reading more (those pesky novels) and starting to receive more education. They were writing books themselves (Austen!) in what Nathaniel Hawthorne called “a damned mob of scribbling women.” Many fascinating characters to be found among them.
The romance. This was the heyday of the Romantic Period in English literature. Byron, Shelley, Walter Scott, Wordsworth and Coleridge spoke of the romance of nature and love. Marriage began to be seen as a place for passion and fulfillment as well as legal status. So many love stories to tell!
Mahalo, Jane, for being my guest today. Indeed, we look forward to reading your love stories! Three of Jane’s beloved backlist titles are now back in print! Look for MAN OF HONOUR, THE THREE GRACES, and THE MARRIAGE WAGER in stores now!
For a chance to enter to win a prize package of all three of these wonderful backlist titles, leave us a comment below—tell us your favorite thing about the regency time period, or leave a question for Jane. Open to US and Canada only. Comments are open through Saturday, January 18, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 19.
Jane Ashford also has a BRAND NEW book coming out in March 2014: THE BRIDE INSISTS:
Sparks fly in this sexy, fast-paced Regency romance by acclaimed, bestselling author Jane Ashford
When governess Clare Greenough learns she’s inherited a fortune, the good news comes with a catch: it will be held by her cousin until Clare can find a husband. To stave off ruin, Jamie Boleigh, the seventh Baron of Trehearth, agrees to marry Clare under the condition that she controls the money, a provision he hopes to overturn. Their passionate relationship becomes a battle of wills. When the cousin tricks Jamie into betraying his wife, he’ll have to prove the truth or lose her forever.
To Preorder The Bride Insists:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Books-a-Million
Chapters/Indigo
IndieBound
iBooks
Sourcebooks
Discover a New Love
Join me on March 3 for my review of THE BRIDE INSISTS!
Mahalo,
Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City
To learn more about Jane and her books, check out her website at janeashford.com.
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| The Bride insisted on a Hawaiian wedding! |
I like the beautiful dresses and the elegant fashions of this particular era.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading these books and thanks for sharing :)
Lori
lorih824 at yahoo dot com
I really enjoy Jane books.....I love the fashions but not the rules of those days,
ReplyDeleteThanks, Danielle!
DeleteThe fashions always draw me... which is funny because I live in jeans & tee shirts..
ReplyDeleteI love reading about the parties and all the rules.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome giveaway! I'd love to win Jane's backlist.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of the Regency is strong smart women and Jane Auaten!!!
I love reading about the social structure and fashions of the Regency period.
ReplyDeleteI love everything about the Regency era. Times were so different back then, when ladies of the "ton" held their afternoon gatherings. The fashions were amazing, and I can't believe how many times they had to change attire during the day. Day dresses, walking dresses, riding attire, and of course, evening dresses. and ball gowns. Life seemed so much easier then, (for the ton), riding in Hyde Park, shopping in Bond Street, and of course, attending balls, and house parties. And, gentlemen treated ladies just like they're supposed to be treated.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance to win Jane's back list, they sound amazing.
I love reading about women taking a bit more of a stand in society. Their literature and being a bit more outspoken :) These books sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteI love how pretty the dresses look! I would love to wear them!
ReplyDeleteHonestly I don't have a favorite thing about that particular time period. I like all of the 19th century.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I enjoy about Regency set stories is the excitement of the characters attending the balls.
ReplyDeleteThe Regency dresses are really gorgeous, aren't they? I, too, rarely wear anything so fashionable. :)
ReplyDeleteThe Regency is romantic with the balls, the carriages, the house parties, candlelight, sparkling jewels - an age that we can only temporarily recreate or experience thru books.
ReplyDeleteI love everything about the Regency period. I am looking forward to reading these books.
ReplyDeleteJane, you are a new author for me. What made you decide to start writing and what was your first book? What did you do when you got the Call?
Hi Cathy,
DeleteI've always loved storytelling and have been writing almost all my life. My first published book was Gwendeline. It will be reissued down the road a ways. I think when I got the Call from the Warner Books editor, I hyperventilated for a while. : ) Thanks for asking!
The language! Any period that favors witticism is special! Good luck with the new book, Jane.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteOh, a little bit of everything - the clothes, the balls, the different classes, the way of life - all so different for most of us today lol.
ReplyDeleteI love the fashion of the period.
ReplyDeletelag110 at mchsi dot com
I like the dresses.
ReplyDeletethe fashion
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing about the Regency time period are the manners that the titled folk lived by and the mannerly way in which they spoke--even when they were "in their cups" or behaving like rogues or hoydens or rakes or mistresses. It makes today's so-called "titled" folk look absolutely unmannerly, rude and obnoxious. Even the courtships of Regency times took place with courtly manners and great conversation and wit. It is a most romantic era! jdh2690@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI love the balls and parties, the clothing, and the manners of the Regency.
ReplyDeleteI like reading about all the rules in society and how the characters get around these rules.
ReplyDeleteMarcy Shuler
The balls and house parties where people stay over for the night. Love reading those scenes.
ReplyDeleteI love the whole Regency era. Just the formality of going down to dinner, the dress code and the parties that lasted for weeks and the strict rules but I think what I truly love most are those delicious Rakes. Who always ended up making the best husbands. :)
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading these books.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
I love the clothes, the way that everyone is supposed to be "proper" and the parties that they throw! I really enjoy being swept up in all of it. :)
ReplyDeleteThe manners and the clothes are my favorites.
ReplyDelete