A bicycle built for two plays a role in my new release, Sophia’s Leap-Year Courtship. Such bicycles are romantic–and they’re making a resurgence. I see them in romantic bridal photography, all over Pinterest, and the research for the book showed me just when they were originally “a thing” and how they could fit into this book. Come see!
Have you ever stumbled across a turn of phrase (hold your horses, for instance) in a western historical romance and wondered if it fit? Or if that phrase was too new to be accurate historically? I have. While writing my past few western historical romances, I’ve paused and taken the time to look up most of these phrases, but I probably missed some. I want to share a handful with you here (that appeared in Pleasance’s First Love, set in 1879), along with the history behind that common phrase (colloquialism), when it came to be, and how we know that origin.
Pleasance. That’s an unusual name for a heroine… even for a story set in 1879. Where did it come from? Did you make it up?
Were earrings popular and common within the nineteenth century? Or did they come into vogue (and acceptance) post 1900?
This article references period newspapers, catalogs, and vintage photographs. Also discloses an element of cover art for (Gus’s Story) The Marshal’s Surrender.
The Remembrance Nye Trilogy by Mary Jane Auch consists of three Y.A. titles suitable for readers of all ages. I enjoyed them and share my no-spoilers review of all three books. Whether you’re shopping for young readers (these are not “chapter books”; I recommend age 11 or so through great-grandparents) or interested in a clean read yourself, these books delve into accurate history. I only review and share books I personally enjoyed.
