Using random.com, Caroline Warfield has selected the winner of her giveaway from her visit with us on Sept 30. A-n-d the winner is: JUDY!! Caroline tells me Judy has already received her choice of either Dangerous Works or Dangerous Secrets, from Caroline’s “Dangerous”series. Congratulations, Judy!! Thanks for visiting us at Risky Regencies!
Doh! I forgot to post the winner of the Kyoto Fashion Book.
Jo’s Daughter
Email me yourfull mailing address and I will get the book into the mail for you. Though, realistically, not until after RWA.
Through the magic of Carolyn being in Charge, I give you three Layton books to choose from. All of them have Kindle versions. Vote for your choice in the comments
To Wed A Stranger
Is it possible? The breathtaking Lady Annabelle has actually agreed to marry, sight unseen, a gentleman of her father’s choosing — the self-proclaimed “exceptionally average” Miles Croft. The ton is aghast! After scandalously toying with so many hearts, why is the exquisite Annabelle chaining herself to the new Viscount Pelham, a complete — albeit most attractive — stranger? Could it be that her own heart has been irreparably shattered, and she wants nothing more to do with romance?Yet there is certainly nothing “average” about their wedding night! There is magic in Mile’s touch, and the smoldering ecstasy it ignites threatens to consume them both. Dare Annabelle dream this is the one passionate and enduring love she ached for in secret, but never dreamed she’d be worthy of? Might this tender, mysterious lover truly be the scarlet lady’s redemption — and could she be Mile’s as well?
The Devil’s Bargain
Katherine Corbet abhors injustice — and is happy to assist the disturbingly attractive Sir Alasdair St. Erth quash the brazen schemes of a marriage-minded opportunist. But appearing on the arm of the dark, dashing rogue at London balls as his interest will never be more than a sham — no matter how Katherine’s aching heart yearns for more.This naive country miss is ideal! With Katherine’s unsuspecting assistance, Alasdair can at long last take his revenge on an old, hated enemy — though it pains him to use such an innocent in this unscrupulous manner. Worse still is the longing she inspires within him, a passionate need to taste the sweetness of her lips. Alasdair knows his vengeful plan could destroy a fragile, blossoming love. And when he finally releases Katherine from his devil’s bargain, will he truly be able to let her go?
The Choice
There was no back blurb, so here’s a review descritpion:
One of romance’s most gifted authors, Layton (The Cad) here tells the story of the ethereally beautiful Gilly Giles, desired by many but deemed unmarriageable because she has neither fortune nor family (although she is, mysteriously, a nobleman’s ward). When the malevolent rake Dearborne, seeking vengeance because Gilly has spurned him, announces to a crowded ball that he has seen her in a strange man’s arms, Damon Ryder, newly returned from making his fortune in America, preserves Gilly’s fragile reputation. Thinking quickly, Damon claims that he and Gilly are engaged; they must maintain the farce at least through the social season. During this time, Damon falls in love, and Gilly blossoms into full womanhood. Alas, two other men complicate affairs. One is the nobleman whom Gilly thinks she loves, the other a libertine eager to take advantage of her confused emotions. This is a top-notch Regency, told with flair and fraught with sexual tension.
Catinbody, email me at carolyn AT carolynjewel.com with your name and at least an email address so I can get you the gift card. Not sure if I need your mailing address. I might.
My 1807 Brooke’s Gazeteer starts its listing of all places geographical in Michneresque fashion: with a discussion of the solar system.
Here are the Regency planets in the order listed:
The first 6 should be pretty familiar to you and doubtless you’ve noticed the list seems to be missing one or two planets along with a bonus mystery planet. There are 8 planets, as you probably know. 9 if you can’t bear to give up Pluto.
Number 7, The Georgian, is better known to us today as Uranus. From Brook’s Gazeteer:
The Georgian, the most remote planet in our system, had escaped the observation of every astronomer, as a planet, till the 13th of March 1781, when it was ascertained to be a planet by Mr. Herschel, at Bath, who gave it the name of Georgium Sidus, as a mark of respect to his present majesty. Foreign astronomers, however, in general, call it by the name of the discoverer . . . It shines with a faint steady light, somewhat paler and fainter than Jupiter; but its apparent diameter being only about four seconds, it can only be seen by the naked eye in a clear night, when the Moon is absent. Six satellites, attending upon it, have since been discovered.
A little additional Googling about reveals that on the 13th of March, 1781 Mr. Herschel was trying out a new telescope. I bet everyone called Herschel Gadget Boy. If they didn’t they should have. This is how you justify cool toys: But honey! I know you want a new butter mold, but lookit! A planet!
201 years later, Voyager 2 flew past The Georgian (in 1982) getting closest in 1986. Think about that. In 1781 they didn’t even have the internal combustion engine. 201 years later, we’re flying spacecraft. Holy heck.
Basically, everyone seemed to recognize that Georgium Sidus was a lame name for a planet and folks all over the place put forth various other names, some of them equally lame– Neptune Great Britain? Really? –but finally in 1850, the suggestion of Uranus stuck, leading, as we all know, to any number of schoolyard jokes about that name.
Perhaps the original name is not so surprising once you know that George III then gave Herschel a L200 per year stipend provided he move to Windsor and let the Royal family look through his telescope. You can read more about this at the Wikipedia article on Uranus minus my patented way with words of course.
What about Neptune? According to Wikipedia:
Neptune was mathematically predicted before it was directly observed. With a prediction by Urbain Le Verrier, telescopic observations confirming the existence of a major planet were made on the night of September 23, 1846, and into the early morning of the 24th, at the Berlin Observatory, by astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle (assisted by Heinrich Louis d’Arrest), working from Le Verrier’s calculations. It was a sensational moment of 19th century science and dramatic confirmation of Newtonian gravitational theory. In François Arago’s apt phrase, Le Verrier had discovered a planet “with the point of his pen.”
(My emphasis of the date)
Others had observed the wiggle in The Georgian’s orbit, but it took a while for someone to posit that the wiggle was caused by another planet. Score one for Newton and the scientific method. The Wikepedia article on Neptune and the section on all the people, going back to Gallileo, who may have observed it, but not realized it was a planet is fascinating reading. I highly recommend reading the Wikipedia entry.
Pluto, you ask? Well, Pluto isn’t a planet. Sorry.
Therefore, during the Regency, be careful of what planets people might discuss, how many they think there are and also what they called them. Not to mention what country they’re in or from when they’re showing off by naming the planets. Note that my Brook’s Gazeteer listed the Uranus as The Georgian and only in the description did it give the name Georgium Sidus.
Do you have a favorite planet? If so, which one? Where do you fall on the Pluto demotion?
The randomly selected winner of the Candice Hern book from this post is:
Through the magic of Random.org the winner is:
Lady Leigh
Email me at carolyn AT carolynjewel.com with your name and mailing address and I’ll get the information to Joanna.
Thanks so much for stopping by!