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Heather Moll's Blog
Excessively Diverted


Summer Holiday in Regency England
As those of us in the northern hemisphere prepare for summer break from school and start planning vacations, it made me think about the...
Jun 11, 2023


Annulments in Regency England
Regency romances often feature the threat of annulment or the fear of a partner asking for one. Sometimes the plot has an agreement to...
May 7, 2023


Book Review: Before Mrs. Beeton
I research the Georgian era and have even tackled a few 19th century recipes, so the name Hannah Glasse came up often. Imagine my...
Apr 30, 2023


Rectors, vicars, and curates in regency England
There are plenty of clergymen in Austen's novels, but what was a "living" and how did one get one? What's the difference between a rector...
Apr 9, 2023


Cleveland House and viewing art in the regency
The Stafford Gallery at Cleveland House, named after its owner the 2nd Marquess of Stafford, was the most celebrated collection of Old...
Apr 2, 2023


The King's Theatre and Mr. Darcy's Valentine
In so many regency stories set in London, the characters go to see a play or an opera. But concerts were just as popular. Aside from the...
Mar 26, 2023


Panorama: virtual reality in the nineteenth century
Today we can put on a virtual headset and float through the International Space Station or watch a video that takes us on a virtual tour...
Mar 12, 2023


Mr Darcy's Valentine Blog Tour
Happy Valentine’s Day friends! Welcome to my blog where today I’m talking about my new Pride and Prejudice variation Mr. Darcy’s...
Feb 14, 2023


Coral Jewelry in the Regency Era
Have you ever looked at nineteenth century portraits and noticed all of the coral jewelry? After you’ve looked through a few dozen...
Jan 29, 2023


Cats during the Regency
My son keeps a cat and when he asked me if people in Jane Austen's time kept cats as pets, I had to think about it. I know that dogs were...
Jan 15, 2023


Fireworks in the time of Jane Austen
Surely the idea of an evening out watching a fireworks display, possibly one set to music, is a modern notion, right? There is to be a...
Jan 1, 2023


Derbyshire well dressing
When I visited Derbyshire in the summer of 2019 I saw a local custom that I just had to incorporate into a story set at Pemberley. In An...
Dec 11, 2022


Book Review: Sister Novelists
Have you heard of Jane and Anna Maria Porter? Well, if you're a fan of nineteenth century fiction, you should. The Porters—contemporaries...
Nov 6, 2022


Handwriting in the Regency
"Oh!" cried Miss Bingley, "Charles writes in the most careless way imaginable. He leaves out half his words, and blots the rest." "My...
Oct 23, 2022


Ratafia Cakes
After my young helper didn't care for the last regency thing we baked (Georgian Chocolate Tart) because it wasn't sweet enough, I thought...
Aug 21, 2022


Regency Income: 500 versus 10,000 per year
Jane Austen always informs us about the financial status of her characters. It wasn't a taboo topic like it often is today. James Morland...
Jul 17, 2022


Someone call an apothecary
When you read a regency and someone falls ill and calls for an apothecary, do you wonder, “Why don’t they call a real doctor?” We modern...
Jun 26, 2022


Mourning Jewelry: creepy or cool?
I feature a piece of jewelry in every full-length Regency novel I write. Usually, jewelry is associated with glamor and wealth, or is a...
Jun 12, 2022


Single women in Georgian England
Elizabeth Elliot from Persuasion “had the consciousness of being nine-and-twenty to give her some regrets and some apprehensions: she was...
May 22, 2022


Carriage and Horse Accidents in An Affectionate Heart
As delightful as it might sound to us to ride in an open carriage, driving and riding in Georgian England wasn’t as carefree as you might...
May 15, 2022
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