Jane Austen Society of North America

Since Jane Austen's birthday is this month (December 16, 1775 to be exact), I've decided to hold a celebration and profile her works and life. If you're interested in learning more about Austen and perhaps in meeting with others who hold the same interest, you may want to check out the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA). With 4000 members and a number of regional groups, JASNA is the largest organization devoted to Austen and her works. If you click on their calendar of events, you'll find a comprehensive list of meetings and other events such as teas and country dance lessons. And, if you're still searching for a special gift for the Austen fan in your life, they offer a link entitled Merchandise, which will direct you to regional groups that sell Austen-related gifts. Teachers looking for additional material to add to discussions of Austen's novels will definitely want to explore the list of Austen-related links. Finally writers may want to check out the Jane Austen font, which Pia Frauss created and which JASNA advertises on their site.

The Austen family's coat of arms

Regency Research: A Regency Repository

When I first began researching the Regency era, I quickly discovered A Regency Repository, a comprehensive featuring information on the era's military, politics, fashion, and education. Although the fashion page doesn't feature images, it does offer a comprehensive list of sources for interested researchers, including a set of links. In fact, the entire website offers over 400 links to browse, and of special value is The Regency Romances page, which provides fans of the genre with links to information about their favorite authors. If you're new to the era, this website makes for a good starting point to learn basic information and interesting facts about Jane Austen's time.

Nancy Mayer: Regency Researcher

I just discovered this website today and am impressed by the wealth of material that it contains. Nancy Mayer: Regency Researcher offers a comprehensive array of information on the Regency era, with subjects spanning dance, education, law, marriage, medicine, Parliament & politics, period publications, peers & peerage, Regency fashion, and titles & names. Nancy Mayer has been a long-time contributor to the Writing Regency listserv, and she is considered an authority on the era. I was lucky enough to take an online class on the Regency era with Nancy a few years ago and can attest to her knowledgeable handling of a variety of topics concerning this era. If you can't find the material that you need, Nancy offers an "Ask Nancy" function that allows users to email Nancy with their questions. For the aspiring romance authors out there, I recommend checking out the "Marriage" section, which discusses issues such as common errors in novels and marital law. In addition, since many Regency romances incorporate scenes at balls, Nancy's page on "Dance" is informative and interesting, with images of popular dances and a bibliography at the bottom of the page.

Researching the Regency Era

To inaugurate a month of profiling the best Regency websites, I've decided to start with a popular site that has even earned kudos from the History Channel: Cathy Decker's Regency Fashion Page. If you're fascinated by Jane Austen's novels and have always wondered about the details of Regency dress, which Austen omits in her descriptions of her heroes and heroines, the Regency fashion page will provide insight into all the varieties of male and female fashion. By the time you finish browsing the numerous pages and images, you'll know the difference between spencers and pelisses and turbans and bandeaux, as well as have a working knowledge of the more important historical figures of the era.

In addition, Decker's work on Princess Charlotte's Wedding Page offers a unique glimpse at one of the lesser known figures of the Regency era. Since all of Austen's novels end with weddings, but leave out any descriptions of wedding finery, Decker's page allows the reader to have a better understanding of how this momentous occasion would really appear. Finally, the lovers of Regency literature will appreciate Decker's Portraits of Women Writers, which profiles lesser known authors such as Mary Brunton and Susan Ferrier alongside more popular authors such as Hannah More and Elizabeth Inchbald.

Wrap-Up: Moonlight & Magnolias Conference

In conclusion, I would highly recommend the GRW Conference to fellow writers. When you're constantly sitting at the keyboard, immersed in writing stories, it's easy to get caught up in the solitary writer's life. Attending a conference such as the Moonlight & Magnolias Conference reminds you that you're not alone in the journey toward publication. If you missed the conference, the Georgia Romance Writers have been kind enough to post the entire conference booklet online. Also, they're already gearing up for the 2009 conference, which will feature Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love, and Tami Cowden, the author of one of my favorite writing books, Heroes and Heroine: Sixteen Master Archetypes.

New Themes: November

In the interest of keeping things fresh here on the blog, I've decided to start having different themes each month. Because of my research and writing interests, I've decided to devote the month of November to profiling different websites focused on the Regency era. When I first began writing Regency romances, I had a difficult time narrowing my search results when I used Google. Now, every time I find a good website, whether from a friend's tip or Yahoo group suggestion, I bookmark it. In November, I'll be celebrating the best of these websites and providing links and profiles.

Moonlight & Magnolias Conference: Leanne Shawler

One of the most interesting sessions I attended was held by Leanne Shawler and entitled "Let's Get Physical." In this particular workshop, Shawler emphasized the importance of incorporating body language into our writing. Like other instructors, Shawler noted the importance of showing and not telling, and her best tip was to "replace adverbs with descriptive action tags."

Toward the end of the session, Shawler discussed and listed some helpful websites for writers who are interested in learning more about body language and how it can add emotional intensity to you writing. I've included two of the best websites below. If you're interested in finding out more about Shawler's work, please visit her website at http://www.leanneshawler.com.

Highlighted Websites:
Police Body Language: http://www.hodrw.com/cop2.htm
Sexual Tension & Intimacy: http://groups.msn.com/RomanceWritingTips/sexualtension1.msnw

Moonlight & Magnolias Conference: Teresa Medeiros

At the Moonlight & Magnolias Conference, I was excited to hear Teresa Medeiros speak at the luncheon on Saturday. She reminded all the writers in attendance that we participate in a business and should remember that when we approach our careers. For the unpublished writers, she urged them to take pleasure in creating and to remember that without a contract and its attendant responsibility, you can be fearless in what you write. For the published folks, she gave upbeat advice on dealing with critics; I especially liked her quotation from one of VH-1's One Hit wonders: "That's one more hit than you had." Most importantly, Medeiros emphasized to write for yourself, and not for your audience. I had never heard Medeiros speak before, and since she's one of my favorite authors, I'm happy I finally had the chance.

For more photos of Teresa Medeiros and her fellow authors at the conference, please visit her blog here.

Moonlight & Magnolias Conference

Recently, I attended the Moonlight & Magnolias Conference and was impressed by the lineup of authors and workshops. This is the second time I've attended the conference, and I highly recommend it to my fellow writers. Also, readers have an opportunity to meet their favorite authors in person, and I enjoyed hearing the speeches of authors such as Theresa Medeiros and Stephanie Bond. In fact, for writers who are looking for inspiration and/or motivation, I highly recommend visiting Bond's Writers' Pages, which feature articles available at Amazon Shorts (I especially like "Mind Your Own Writing Business, article series 2," which covers how to create a business plan for your writing career). Over the next few weeks, I'll post highlights from the conference.

Just Married!

Some exciting news- my wedding was this past Friday, August 15th. It was a small ceremony in my family's home, and my new husband and I are thrilled to be married. He's been the inspiration for my romance stories, and it's a treat to finally have our happily ever after. I have a lot to celebrate these days, and I anticipate this jubilance will be reflected in my stories and work.