On a lighter note, here’s a tidbit about a Regency-era (1810) cat fight (from the 1810 Belle Assemblee):

A singular conflict lately took place in Cardiganshire. Two women, one eighty-eight years of age and the other eighty-six, who for nearly sixty years had been the most intimate friends, quarrelled respecting a hank of yarn, and after a war of words proceeded to blows: the anger of each, however, being greater than their strength, a drawn battle was agreed on in order that they might on the following day fight it out with sticks, and the bellman of the town was employed to announce the affray. After beating each other most unmercifully, the Magistrates interfered and put an end to the contest.

O, the wrath of a woman! But I find it fascinating that a hank of yarn could have caused such a violent break-up of a sixty-year friendship…

But then again, I have lost some friendships over silly things. Once, I was stupid and let a tiny secret slip (no one in the crowd “got it,” thank goodness), but the person whose secret it was never forgave me. I’ve always felt horrible about that one…sigh 🙁

Have you ever had a relationship break up for a silly reason? I’ll pick one poster to win 5 books of their choice from the swag I brought home from the RWA conference (and/or a mix of my own books). Your choice!

So much is going on. Thanks to all of you who have read Pleasures of a Tempted Lady, and thanks so much for your emails–I love hearing from readers. And I appreciate all of you so much!

I’ve turned in my next book, The Duchess Hunt–it’s the start of a new series, The House of Trent, and I’ve started to write book two, The Rogue’s Proposal! This is the story of the bad-boy younger brother of the Duke of Trent, and it’s going to be a blast writing his story!

I’m researching Bristol for the beginning of the book, because Bristol is where the heroine lives and where her father made his fortune. Today, I came across a sad little story from La Belle Assemblee in 1810:

An inquest was held on Monday March 20 at Worcester on the body of the son of Mr Harris, attorney of that city. It appears that this was on his return to school after having visited his parents. While on the road he wept, and said to the female who accompanied him that he would not go to school. She intreated him return home; this he also refused to do and when they arrived at a place called the Ketch, he said “Good bye”, and rushing down the steep plunged into River Severn and was drowned. The Jury found in their verdict that the deceased being under the age of discretion (twelve years old) and not knowing good from evil did in the passion of either grief or discontent cast himself into the Severn and was there drowned.

My goodness. The poor kid. I am dying to know why he did what he did… 🙁 My writerly mind wants to write a story about him, in which he crawls up on the other side of the bank, lives in seclusion for a while, then falls in love with the girl, and they marry and live until they’re 90 and have 10 children. Sigh…

Do you ever read stories in newspapers or elsewhere that pique your imagination like this? It seems like I do a lot, but I always want to twist them into happy endings.

I still have lots of books left from the RWA conference, so I’ll choose one poster to win 5 books of their choice from my list!

And the start of a new year–for my kids, at least. It’s such an exciting time of year for kids–a fresh start with a new teacher and new friends. My three have been in school for three days, and it’s going great! So far, so good! Fingers crossed for a great school year!

And now that the kids are back in school, it’s time for me to buckle down and get back to work. First up are edits on my next book, THE DUCHESS HUNT. It’s the first book of The House of Trent, a new series about a family embroiled in crazy levels of scandal. These stories are hot and romantic and tons of fun to write!



Also, I’m still celebrating the release of PLEASURES OF A TEMPTED LADY. I’m in the middle of a really fun blog tour–if you have the time, I hope you’ll stop by one of the sites!

Thursday, August 16 https://hangingwithbells.blogspot.com
Thursday, August 16 https://www.lovetoreadforfun.com
Thursday, August 16 https://book-spark.blogspot.com/
Thursday, August 16 https://maryinhb.blogspot.com
Friday, August 17 https://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com
Friday, August 17 https://paranormalromanticsuspensereviews.blogspot.com
Friday, August 17 https://www.sosaloha.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 19 https://www.cocktailsandbooks.com
Monday, August 20 https://novelreflections.net
Wednesday, August 22 https://brokenteepee.com
Thursday, August 23 https://www.cmashlovestoread.com
Thursday, August 23 https://bookslikebreathing.blogspot.com

What are your plans for this autumn? Mine have a lot to do with editing and writing. 🙂 One responder will win 5 books of her choice from the list of books I brought home from the RWA conference (about 50 of them!).

Well, Pleasures of a Tempted Lady, the final book in the Donovan Series, has been released. The Donovans were such fun for me to write, and now that I’ve written “the end” on the sisters’ happily ever afters, what’s next for me? A brand-new series to be released in 2013! I’m so excited about this series–it chock-full of drama, angst, hot sexual tension, and romance.

Summer is winding down–summer is my favorite time of year, so I’m sorry to say goodbye to it. The kids will be back in school next week, and for these last few days, we’re trying to fit in beach trips, going to the pool, visiting with friends, etc. Definitely, though, the highlight of our summer was the Alaska cruise we took in June. Just amazing!

What was the highlight of your summer?

One responder will win their choice of 5 books that I brought home from last month’s RWA conference (and I brought home a LOT!).

Well, I’m back from the RWA conference. It was inspiring and exhausting…and just so amazing to be surrounded by all that talent. It’s time to get back to work! I’ll be starting a new book in the next few days…an exciting time, but I realize I have tons of hard work in front of me! That’s what I’ll be doing this fall–I’ll be locked away in my writer’s cave (aka my office) writing away and watching the leaves fall.

The big news is that PLEASURES OF A TEMPTED LADY releases tomorrow! I’m so thrilled and I can’t wait to hear what readers think of Meg Donovan’s story!

Congratulations to JenniferK, comment #9, who won 5 of the books I brought home from the RWA conference. I’m going to do it again! To win five of the remaining books I brought home, just head on over to the quiz: WHICH DONOVAN SISTER ARE YOU? And let me know which Donovan sister you most resemble. Now, of course, Meg isn’t included in this quiz, because when I wrote it, who knew Meg was actually alive? 🙂

Hi everyone. I’m off to the Romance Writers of American yearly national conference. For us writers, it’s a great time to come out of our caves and meet with other like-minded souls who write romance as well as with our editors and agents. It’s fun, wild, exhausting…I’m guessing I’ll be getting very little sleep for the next several days!

One of the best parts about conference is that we get to pick up tons of romance books for our own reading and (in my case, anyway!) to pass along to other readers who love romance. I do so love giving stuff away…especially books!

It’s been a busy but fun summer for those of us in the Haymore household: Alaska cruise, summer camp for the kids, baseball, sailing, lots of pool time. What is your favorite summer activity, and have you been enjoying these warm summer days?

I’ll choose one responder to have first dibs on 5 of the books I bring home from the conference. (I’ll send you the list of books I collected, and you pick 5!).

Have a GREAT week, everyone!

Pleasures of a Temped Lady releases in two weeks!

This book was a special joy for me to write, because not only did it contain a long-overdue reunion for two characters I love, but it was great fun to research all the nautical adventures in the book. I love this book, and isn’t the cover beautiful?

In celebration of the release, keep an eye out here, on my Twitter and Facebook pages, and on my appearances page. I love giving stuff away, and I fully intend to have a blast with it during the festivities for the release!

Being a mom and a writer on deadline can be a crazy life sometimes. Especially when it’s the end of the school year and I have a book due on June 1! I feel like all I do is scramble from one thing to the next, like my life is a never-ending string of things “to do.”

I’m so excited about the book I’m finishing up, though. It’s a sweet Cinderella story (with no title yet!). It was so much fun creating a hero that could make every single one of my heroine’s dreams come true… Ahhh…I think THIS is why I’m a romance writer!

In any case, I have 10 days to clean up the book before I send it to my editor, so I’d better get busy. I hope everyone is having a fantastic spring! This is truly my favorite time of year.

Oh, while you’re at the site, don’t forget to sign up over at my contest page to enter to win a copy of CONFESSIONS OF AN IMPROPER BRIDE in audio. 😀

As I’m writing my next book (which really needs a title!), picture me in a room surrounded by virtual papers flying around: Ooh regency balls! Ball gowns in 1815! Drawing room furniture! Great Regency gardens! Palladian architecture! The etiquette of dancing! What’s for supper? The evolution of a duchess’s dress!

Etc. etc. And while all these virtual papers are flying about my office, distractions do arise. A particularly notable one happened this afternoon, when I was researching Regency-era ballrooms. I was reading along and clicking on link that looked interesting. Before I knew it, I was on a page about fevers…I guess I was interested because my poor daughter is suffering from an especially brutal fever right now.

Regency medicine fascinates me! It was so bad! Over at the Historical & Regency Romance UK blog, they quoted the treatment for yellow fever in 1801:

“The men on admission were conducted to a wash house containing warm and
cold baths. They were instantly bled to the quantity from 16 to 20
ounces. They were, on revival from fainting, which generally occurred,
plunged into a warm bath in numbers of 4 to 6 together and confined in by
blankets fastened over the machine till about suffocated. From hence they
were dashed into cold baths and confined until apparently lifeless.
Immediately after, a strong emetic was administered, they were carried to bed,
and a dose of calomel and James’s powder given as a purge, which occasioned a
train of distressing symptoms for the relief of which they were bled again and
blistered from head to foot. They were bled a fourth and fifth time in the
space of 30 hours, and usually lost 60 to 70 ounces of blood.”

You gotta be kidding me! Those poor men. Rest assured, my daughter will NOT be receiving this treatment for her fever…

To celebrate the release of SECRETS OF AN ACCIDENTAL DUCHESS, I did a fun little thing–I created an online quiz so you can see which Donovan sister you most resemble!

Are you…

SERENA?

Serena Donovan is the oldest Donovan sister and the leader of the family since her twin died years ago. Impulsive and rebellious when she was younger, she’s now more serious and somber, and it takes a lot to earn her trust. She will do anything for those she loves and is very loyal.

OLIVIA?

Olivia Donovan is the most quiet and reserved of the Donovan sisters-a definite introvert. She’s small, and slight, pale and blonde–not the most beautiful of the sisters but striking in an understated way. Although she might come off as a wallflower at times, she is self-composed and confident.

PHOEBE?

When Phoebe Donovan makes a decision, she goes after it, and there’s no turning back. Her family tends to think of her as wild and a bit uncontrollable. However, Phoebe’s not much of one for caring what others think about her. She’s her own woman, and will forge her path to happiness through determination and will.

OR JESSICA?

Jessica Donovan is the youngest Donovan sister. Also the most beautiful, she captures peoples’ attention wherever she goes…and she likes it. She’s outspoken, honest, and above all, loyal to a fault. Her family would say she’s impetuous, and they worry about her, but above all, they adore her. Jessica is alluring to just about everyone… to know her is to love her!

Click here to go to the quiz and find out which Donovan sister you are! Once you’ve found out, you can enter my contest–I’m giving away a $100 Victoria’s Gift card and other fun prizes!

Soooo…which Donovan sister are you? I’m Serena–I don’t think that’s a big shocker to anyone who knows me!