Happy New Year!

We can still hope.






















Image: World peace with liberty and prosperity--1919--Happy new year, courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Recent foreign editions

Having sent Scandal Wears Satin (2nd Dressmakers book) into production shortly before Christmas, and having spent a few days finding and gathering what remains of my brain, I'm happy to present the most recently arrived foreign editions.

 Last Night's Scandal-Italian edition

The Lion's Daughter-French edition

            

Everything I Know about Love, I Learned from Romance Novels

Sarah Wendell of Smart Bitches Trashy Books has written another funny, smart, insightful book about romance, Everything I Know about Love, I Learned from Romance Novels.

Some time ago, as she was working on the book, she asked me for my thoughts on romance novels.  I answered, at length...at great length, unsparing, as always, in my exploitation of the English language's massive vocabulary.  I assumed she'd somehow scrape a useful word or two from the flood of prose.

Well, no.  Sarah gave me a whole chapter, titled, "Loretta Chase Pretty Much Knows Everything."  This is kind of funny: When I tell family members the same exact thing, they just laugh.  Sometimes they make rude noises.

Here at her Smart Bitch Sarah page, you can learn more about the book and, since she's making a number of appearances, you may discover an opportunity to hear her fight the good fight for romance in person.

Color your own 1808 fashions

Loretta reports:

Since these two dresses came in black & white, I thought it was a good opportunity for my readers to get out their paintboxes, crayons, or colored pencils.  The color prints for October 1808 can be seen at Two Nerdy History Girls.

~~~

No. 3.—A Ball Dress.

A petticoat of fine clear white muslin, figured or plain. A peasant's jacket of white satin, with short full sleeve, in the Spanish form. The jacket and sleeves trimmed with silver beading, or cord. A Persian cap of Brussels’ lace, with a bunch of autumnal flowers in front. A composition brooch, representing the flower called the pheasant’s eye. Necklace and earrings of blossom coloured patent pearl. Gloves and shoes of pale blossom-colored kid.

No. 4.—Out-Door, or Carriage Costume

A round robe of white, or pale morone muslin over white cambric; made with long sleeves, and a high collar, edged with lace or beading, confined down the front with a row of small buttons in mother-of-pearl, and fastened round the waist with a correspondent cord and tassel pending from the right side. A Spanish mantle, and hat of morone sarsnet, shot with white (or what is commonly called a silver morone), the mantle edged, and the hat ornamented with white cord, or cut velvet. A full frill of reverse plaiting round the throat, confined towards the left shoulder with a suitable cord and tassel. Gloves of pale York-tan, and slippers of tan-coloured kid.

—La Belle assemblée, Volume 5, 1808.

Recent Foreign Editions

These editions of Last Night's Scandal recently arrived.

Turkish edition

Spanish edition

The English Witch is an Ebook, too

We're making progress with digitizing my older works.  The English Witch, my second book and a sequel to Isabella, is now available for your Kindle & Nook.  You'll notice that we're trying out a slightly different cover format, using a Regency fashion print.  I think this one conveys a bit more clearly its belonging to the traditional Regency, rather than Regency-era historical, genre.

Meanwhile, if you haven't already, please do take advantage of the special 99¢ price for Isabella.  The sweet deal ends after 10 October.

Isabella Ebook now available

A number of readers have emailed me over the years, asking if my traditional Regencies* will ever be returned to print.  I'm not sure about the print-as-in-paper, but I do have good news about Ebooks.   We are bringing out all of my out-of-print books, for Kindle and Nook first, and eventually, we hope, in all digital formats.

During the summer, Captives of the Night made its digital debut.

Now I'm delighted to report that my very first book ever, Isabella, is available for download.

Even better:  From 10 September to 10 October only, it's on sale for 99¢

*These are shorter than the historical romances I've been writing for quite a while, and the smoochies don't go any farther than kissing, although the kissing might be kind of steamy.