Author Archives: Diane Gaston

About Diane Gaston

Diane Gaston is the RITA award-winning author of Historical Romance for Harlequin Historical and Mills and Boon, with books that feature the darker side of the Regency. Formerly a mental health social worker, she is happiest now when deep in the psyches of soldiers, rakes and women who don’t always act like ladies.

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen

Updated on December 14, 2013 by Diane Gaston

Today is Jane Austen’s 238th birthday and all this week Risky Regencies will be celebrating with special Jane Austen-themed blogs and giveaways. In fact, Myretta already started us off with a Jane Austen Gazetteer!

Today I’m giving away a set of Jane Austen notecards (shown right) to one lucky commenter, chosen at random. All you have to do is comment to this blog and answer this question: What birthday present would you give Jane Austen?

It can be something real, like a ream of writing paper and a lifetime supply of ink or something fanciful, like giving her her very own Darcy.

I tried to discover how Jane Austen might really have celebrated her birthday during her lifetime or even how her characters celebrated birthdays in her books. I could not find anything, except one blog by David W. Wilkin that basically said Austen never wrote about birthdays in her books or correspondence. Wilkin found only a few vague references to birthdays in Dickens.

I found references to music honoring the birthdays of royals, but not much else, so poor Jane probably did not have any birthday parties, like we celebrate birthdays in our families today. We need to really make it up to her. Let’s give her some really nice stuff.

And speaking of nice stuff, tomorrow is release day for A Marriage of Notoriety, book 2 in my Masquerade Club series. In fact, I’ll add a signed copy of A Marriage of Notoriety to the Jane Austen prize today. My little gift in honor of Jane’s birthday.

Don’t forget about the Harlequin Historical Authors Holiday Giveaway with daily prizes and a grand prize of a Kindle Fire HDX WiFi. Click HERE for the Advent calendar and HERE for how to enter my contest, which ends tomorrow night at midnight!

So…What would you give Jane Austen for her birthday?

Posted in Giveaways, Jane Austen | 45 Replies

Winter Wonderland

Updated on December 9, 2013 by Diane Gaston

Last week I discoursed (i.e. complained) about dipping temperatures and the arrival of winter weather. Lest you think Virginia has gone into another Little Ice Age, we had temperatures near 70 F last week. This past Sunday, though, winter returned.

Like most of the Midwest and MidAtlantic, we had a winter storm. Sunday we had snow and freezing rain. Today it has turned to rain. Here’s the view of our deck. Icicles on the bird feeders!

Luckily we don’t have to leave the house. I did what all good Virginians do when winter weather is forecast. I went to the grocery store and stocked up on milk, toilet paper, cat food and assorted snacks, so we are free to hibernate–at least until the cat food runs out.

In the Regency, that is what people did in winter weather. They stayed at home and stayed as dry and warm as they could. Of course, not everyone could do that. Coaches did get caught in storms.

There are some wonderful blogs about Regency winters in Jane Austen’s World, one of my go-to sites for great information:
1. Snow Sports and Winter Transportation in the Regency Era
2. Keeping Warm in the Regency Part One and Part Two

If you are snowbound today (or even if you aren’t!) come to the Harlequin.com’s Holiday Open House. Today the Historical Authors are hosting a Holiday Ball. Come and see what refreshments are offered and what heroes are waiting to ask you to dance. There’s a chance to win prizes, too!

And don’t forget. The Harlequin Historical Authors Holiday Giveaway is still progressing. Access the Advent calendar here and see how to enter my part of the contest here.

What is your favorite thing to do when winter weather shuts you in?

Posted in Giveaways, Regency | Tagged Harlequin.com, Jane Austen's World | 5 Replies

Cold Weather and the Regency

Updated on December 2, 2013 by Diane Gaston

Temperatures in Virginia dipped into the teens this past week necessitating winter clothes. I pulled out my warmest coat and thought about what a Regency lady would wear in winter.

The Regency occurred during the little ice age in Europe and winters were cold. In the early 1800s ladies succumbed to a flu epidemic in great numbers. It was called the “muslin disease,” because the fashions of the day were too flimsy for the cold weather, with their thin fabrics and minimal underclothes. Ladies were not protected from the cold. Fashion had to find some way for ladies to stay warm.

Shawls

Shawls were one popular fashion solution. They were made of long oblong pieces of fabric or were square and folded into a triangle. They could be fringed and embroidered or made of cashmere or woven into a paisley pattern.

Spencers

The spencer was a close-fitting, waist-length jacket. With the empire waists of the Regency dress, the spencers could be quite short. In winter the spencer could be fur-lined, covered by a fur cape called a pelerine, or a fur tippet (a fur scarf).

Pelisse

A pelisse was an even warmer choice for winter. It also could be fur-lined. A pelisse was a full length, fitted coat.

As you can see, winter wear also included hats and gloves as well.

What is your winter wear?

Don’t forget! The Harlequin Historical Authors Holiday Giveaway has begun. Look here for the Advent calendar and click on today’s date to enter. You can also enter my part of the contest right now. Go here.

Posted in Risky Regencies | 5 Replies

The Harlequin Historical Holiday Giveaway is Coming Soon!

Updated on November 25, 2013 by Diane Gaston

The Harlequin Historical Holiday Giveaway is coming soon. This will be our third giveaway and again the grand prize will be a Kindle Fire HD (or equivalent tablet depending on your location). Starting November 27, play every day for more chances to win. Each participating author will have an activity planned on their website for their special day. At the end of the month on December 23, one grand prize winner of the Kindle Fire will be randomly selected from all the days’ entrants. The more days you visit, the better your chances! Happy Holidays and we look forward to seeing you.

Check my website or Amanda’s on the 27th for the Advent Calendar and the rules for entry. My prize day will be December 17, but I’ll give you all the details on the 27th.

Here are the participating authors and their dates:
Cheryl St. John – November 27
Elizabeth Rolls – November 28
Michelle Willingham – November 29
Annie Burrows – December 2
Ann Lethbridge – December 3
Marguerite Kaye – December 4
Barbara Monajem – December 5
Amanda McCabe – December 6
Louise Allen – December 9
Blythe Gifford – December 10
Kate Bridges – December 11
Michelle Styles – December 12
Georgie Lee – December 13
Jeannie Lin – December 16
Diane Gaston – December 17
Terri Brisbin – December 18
Julia Justiss – December 19
Lynna Banning – December 20
Grand Prize Drawing – December 23

Be ready to enter and celebrate the holidays with us.

Posted in Giveaways | Tagged Harlequin Historical, Holiday Giveaway | Leave a reply

Battle of Krasnoi

Updated on November 18, 2013 by Diane Gaston

On November 15 to 18, 1812, Napoleon, in retreat, gathered his remaining ragged forces in Russia and faced the Russians in a series of skirmishes that are collectively known as the Battle of Krasnoi. Because Napoleon was able to preserve these forces in retreat, he had the nucleus of an army to build upon and to carry him through the rest of the war. Marshal Ney‘s resistance to the fierce Russian attack earned him the name “Bravest of the Brave.” The fact that the Russian general, Kutusov, did not totally destroy the French army by continuing to pursue and engage them enraged Tsar Alexander I.

Battle of Krasnoi resulted in French losses numbering as many as 13,000 killed and wounded and up to 26,000 taken prisoner. These numbers paled in comparison to the nearly half a million French soldiers killed or captured in the whole Russian campaign.

Half a million.

Military experts credit Napoleon’s Russian campaign as one of the most lethal in history and as a turning point in the Napoleonic war. After this decimation of the French army, Austria and Prussia broke their alliance with France and joined the UK and its allies, leading to the defeat of Napoleon and his exile to Elba.

Almost 130 years later, in 1941, Hitler also invaded Russia in a campaign that resulted in even more horrific losses and failed as well. The Russians lost 27 million soldiers and civilians; the Germans lost over 3 million soldiers.

So…now that I’ve cheered you up with stories of devastation, how is your Monday going for you?

Posted in History | Tagged Battle of Krasnoi, Napoleon, Napoleonic Wars | 3 Replies