Interview with Regina Scott

Today I'm over at Regency Reflections, interviewing Regina Scott. Here's a snippet:

Was there any fun fact about the Regency period that you stumbled across in your research for this book that really fired up your imagination? Any little tidbit that prompted a plot point or a cool character moment?

I stumbled across an article written just after the Regency that laid out the specific rules for duels, contrasting them to those of the French. Because my hero, Vaughn Everard, has a reputation as a duelist, knowing some of the rules he could choose to keep or break really helped me write the main dueling scene in the book and keep it in his character. I learned to fence when I was in college, so I really wanted to get that scene right!

Go here to read the rest!

Links: all about education

I have a couple of posts up on education over at Regency Reflections:

Continuing Education:

I was lucky enough to get my part of my college education at a great books program – that is, a program based on the sort of education that’s been going over in England for centuries – back to the Regency time and beyond.

The big differences between what I did and what your average Regency gentleman did are:

1. I got to study the great works of Western literature in translation. Back in the day, you would have read Aristotle, Plato, Virgil and the rest in the original Greek and Latin.

2. I got to do it even though I’m a woman.

Mary Wollenstonecraft: Education for Women:

Though she’s considered one of the mothers of feminism, Wollenstonecraft’s feminism was very different from the feminism that makes headlines today. Instead of arguing for the right of woman to be just as raunchy as the guys, Wollenstonecraft was concerned with women’s virtue: she argued that it was impossible for women to make wise decisions if they’d never been taught how to think.

Click on over and leave a comment - if you've read the great books, what sort of an influence have they had on you? and what do you think of Wollenstonecraft's version of feminism? Love to hear your thoughts.

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Links: Hugos, Headcoverings, and Robotic Exoskeletons!

The 2012 Hugo Awards: It's Okay To Be A Fan - I enjoyed this analysis of the Hugos.

Eternity Veils - I don't personally practice headcovering, but these are so clever! (And pretty.) Makes me want to go visit a European cathedral so I'd have an excuse to wear one. :)

Paralympic Athlete Is The First Woman To Live At Home With A Robotic Exoskeleton: This is just . . . this is why science is good. I hope this works and works so well that they can make lots of them and the economics of scale make the price reasonable for every paraplegic. SO COOL.

What Do You Think? Checking in with Our Readers: Over at Regency Reflections, we're looking for feedback - come over and give us some!

Anne Eunson's Artistry - pretty, pretty, pretty!

-Jessica Snell

Holidays are Holy Days

. . . thinking “holy day” when I see “holiday” is a pedantic bit of geekery, I admit it. At least, it is on the surface. But when I look deeper, it gives me a hint about what really makes for a restful holiday or a good vacation . . . 

More here, at Regency Refections!

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

a brilliant, troubled wordsmith . . .

. . . head over here to read about a man whose mental illness couldn't conceal his wit and grace.

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Yarnalong: Faery Rebels and the Petals Wrap Cardigan

I managed to lose the cover of the book to our living room lamp (the perils of taking photos after dark), but at least you can see the lace!

It looks scrunchy because it hasn't been blocked yet, but that's what I have so far of my Petals Wrap Cardigan. See the skinny sleeves sticking out in the middle of it and looking ugly? They'll have trim too, eventually. Right where the ball of yarn sits in this picture is where I'm currently working, forming the deep trim around the body of the sweater. And right at the top edge of the book is the spot I'm working towards. I didn't realize when I started this project that the cardigan was almost half trim!

The book you can't see is "Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter" by R. J. Anderson. It's a pity, but I don't remember which blog pointed me towards it, because I'd like to thank whoever it was whose review prompted me to try it. It's quite good. I'm reading it to my daughter and we're both enjoying it. I'm only about halfway through, so I can't recommend it unreservedly (have to see how it ends!), but so far I'm impressed. It's got a lot of depth and the quality of the writing is high. Anderson paints a vivid world, but she does it without once being verbose or letting the story drag. In the background are all sorts of interesting questions about the nature of being, and ethical dilemmas abound, but front and center is a compelling plot, colorful world, and engaging characters. It's got all the miniaturized fascination of a doll house, but all the adventure of something from Grimm.

Anyway, if you've got a daughter who likes fairy stories, or if you're an adult who enjoys well-written fantasy regardless of the age it's aimed at, this is one that's worth checking out. I'll let you know what I think of the ending when we get there!

More yarn-y and literary goodness can be found at Small Things.

Also, today over at Regency Reflections, I have a review of Jane Austen Knits up - check it out!

Peace of Christ to you,

Jessica Snell

Imagine going on vacation to Paris . . .

. . . and being forced to stay for over a decade. Come on over to Regency Reflections, where I'm blogging about being Suprised by War.

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Christian Regency Romance Blog

I'm happy to announce the launch of Regency Reflections, a blog about Christian romance novels set in the Regency (think the time of Jane Austen, Napoleon, and Constable). This is a group blog, and I'm honored to be blogging alongside many talented authors, including Ruth Axtell Morren, Laurie Alice Eakes, and Naomi Rawlings.

What can you expect from the blog? Well, if you'll hop over and read Kristi Ann Hunter's exellent kick-off post, you'll see that it's going to be a mix of history, book reviews, author interviews, and devotional thoughts.

I'll be blogging there about twice a month, starting this Friday, when I'm going to share a bit about love, romance, and John Donne. (Because what's a good marriage without a bit of poetry?)  I hope you'll check it out!  And if it's intriguing to you, go ahead and add it to your feedreader, so you can enjoy some fun chatter about books, beaux, and blessings as we explore this fascinating era and all the fun stories that spring from it.

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell