I was asked what are some fun facts about this book! Since I am a research junkie, there are soooo many, but here’s a few:
1) Jane Austen and Bath are practically twinned, and I can see why. As I walked to cobbled streets and looked in the shops, watched the sun gleam on the honey-colored Bath stone, it just felt like an Austen novel. Like Catherine Morland was going to come out of the sweet shop at any moment! But Austen didn’t actually enjoy her years in Bath. Too much moving around, too much boring socializing, too much pressure to marry, probably too much rain. But it didn’t stop me daydreaming about her! (And loving my visit to her museum!)
2) There is also soooo much history there than just Austen, centuries of it! A Roman hoarde of coins from 30 BC to 274 AD was found hidden in 8 money bags under the Gainsborough House Spa. The Romans loved Bath for its hot springs, just as we do now
3) Jumping ahead a few years (ahem) was the Blitz. In 1942, air attacks hit several significant and beautiful sites of British historical interest, including Bath (called the “Baedeker raids”). The Assembly Rooms were gutted, and several homes in the gorgeous Royal Crescent destroyed, but have all been beautifully and seamlessly restored. (I once had the good luck to go on a Regency-theme tour that included an evening dance at the Assembly Rooms with period instruments and the Jane Austen Dancers, it was magical and such an inspiration for this story)
4) The planet Uranus was discovered by William Herschel in 1781, via a homemade telescope in his garden in King Street (now a delightful museum)
5) The first letter using a stamp was mailed from Bath in 1840!
6) As well as Austen, there are lots of other literary points of interest. Dickens visited many times (and used Bath in Pickwick Papers), and Mary Shelley finished Frankenstein at a house in Abbey Churchyard in 1816, after returning to England after the death of her husband.
I hope this might inspire you to visit Bath yourself! What are some places you’ve loved?
The one match
She doesn’t want to make…
The Earl of Fleetwood was Eleanor St. Aubin’s first love, but being a mere vicar’s daughter held her back from admitting her feelings. Now she's a successful matchmaker, and the prospect of finding Frederick the wealthy wife he needs to settle his inherited debts is a nightmare come true! But returning from war, Frederick’s facing nightmares of his own. Eleanor feels compelled to help him, but could she ever be his Cinderella countess?
Staring down at the sparkle of the glorious view before her, Eleanor stumbled a bit as she descended the carriage steps. Fred caught her before she could tumble down, lifting her high for an instant as she held tight to his shoulders, staring up in wonder at his familiar, unfamiliar, beautiful face.
He slowly, ever so slowly lowered her to the ground, a gentle slide, his gaze never leaving hers. Eleanor didn’t want to let him go, yet the chatter of Penelope and Mary as they made their way up the path, the chirping song of the birds, pulled her back into the real world again.
She stepped back, flustered. “Thank you. So clumsy of me.”
“The last thing you could ever be, Ella, is clumsy,” he said hoarsely. She noticed him running his damaged arm, as if he had wrenched it and didn’t want her to notice. She felt so shy and awful that he had to worry about such things now! Her strong, funny old friend.
They walked together behind Penelope and Mary and the footmen, toward a spot where they could spread out their picnic with the glorious view all around them. Eleanor lost herself in the chatter, the wine and laughter, and soon felt easy again, as if she was with the old Fred and she the old Eleanor, reading poetry in the Moulton Magna summerhouse.
But they were not those people still, not really, and there was a new, taut awareness she could not deny. He was at the other end of the blanket, far from her reach, yet Eleanor was achingly aware of him at every moment. As they finished their repast, and grew quiet and drowsy in the sunlight, he glanced toward her and smiled.
“Shall we walk a bit, Ella?” he asked, popping a last strawberry into his mouth. “I fear if I sit here any longer, I’ll quite go to sleep in this delightfully warm sun.”
She's never since used algebra, but her books (over 100 so far!) have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA Award, the Romantic Times BOOKReviews Reviewers' Choice Award, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion. She lives in Santa Fe with two rescue dogs, a wonderful husband, and a very and far too many books and royal memorabilia collections.
When not writing or reading, she loves taking dance classes, collecting cheesy travel souvenirs, and watching the Food Network--even though she doesn't cook.
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Amanda McCabe will award a prize pack containing selection of Regency DVDs, teas, and signed copies of her books to a randomly drawn winner.
Thank you so much for hosting today!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a fantastic read. Thanks for hosting and sharing.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy thus interview so much....
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