Tag: RFW roles

A New Era for the Quizzing Glass – Part 2!

Hello! I’m Maureen Mackey, one of the new chairs of the Quizzing Glass blog. As my co-chair Caroline Warfield explained in her introductory post last week, the two of us will be posting frequently in the coming weeks with news and information we hope you’ll find fun and interesting.

Caroline told you a little bit about me last week, and now it’s my pleasure to introduce you to her. Here’s a mini interview I did with this prolific author, with my questions and her replies:

When did you first get hooked (and what hooked you) on the Regency era?

When my children were small, I discovered the Signet and Zebra Regencies. They were a quick read for a frantic mom. They were my secret delight and I called them “bathtub books” because I could read them while hiding, er, soaking in the tub. Along the way, I fell in love with authors like Jo Beverly, Barbara Metzger, Carla Kelly, and Mary Balogh. By the time I went to work in a public library, I had read far more than my fair share of them, and the historical romance genre was expanding. We called some of the books coming out in that era, “bent-neck novels” due to all the purple covers with the heroine bent over backward. I was delighted to share my passion with the reading public.

What is your favorite thing about the Regency – what do you like to write about? 

I’m fascinated by the class structure. I find myself drawn increasingly to characters that are not of the peerage–physicians, military officers, merchants, vicars, and their families. A favorite trope is a cross-class mixed couple. In addition, as we learn more and more about historical diversity in England, I like to include that. My college degree is in history, and historical fiction–all subgenres–is my hobby horse. I like to include actual events and people in my books.

What is the weirdest or most interesting fact you’ve come across while researching a book?

I wrote a Regency novel set in Rome, just to prove to myself I could do it. It brought challenges and some interesting trivia along with them. Who was the law in Rome in 1820? (The Vatican). Did England have an ambassador? (No. They worked through Hanover’s delegation). The most amazing bit I discovered, however, was that the Jacobite heirs in 1820 (only 75 years after Culloden) were the members of the House of Savoy in Sardinia. England had reason for keeping eyes and ears in Italy.

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Caroline writes family-centered, sensual historical romance set in the Regency and Victorian eras. For more about her and her books, click on www.carolinewarfield.com

A New Era for The Quizzing Glass!

Effective April 2, Maureen Mackey and Caroline Warfield have stepped up as chairs of the RFW Quizzing Glass Committee. Watch for new content and more frequent posting in the coming weeks, member features as well as our traditional Regency content.  We welcome ideas, suggestions, and contributions from all our RFW members!

Caroline Warfield Introduces Maureen Mackey

How long have you been an RFW Member?

I’ve been an RFW member since November 2020.

What first interested you in the Georgian/Regency era?

became interested in the Georgian/Regency era when I was 15 and read Jane Austen for the first time. As an English major in college, I studied many 18th century literary figures, but my favorite was Dr. Samuel Johnson – I loved his acerbic critiques and thought it a little spooky when I discovered we shared a birthday. But what really cemented my love for the Regency era was discovering the novels of Georgette Heyer. I found the Regency period surprisingly modern compared to the 18th century and felt it really lent itself to romance.

What most interests you about the people of the Georgian/Regency era?

My favorite thing about the Georgian/Regency era is the wit and elegance that’s on display in much of the literature and letters of the time. I aim to approximate some of that wit in my writing, but mostly I like to write romantic stories that demonstrate the timeless quality of love.

What do you hope to see happen with the Quizzing Glass?

I hope the Quizzing Glass blog will inspire RFW members to enjoy writing stories with a Regency backdrop and keep learning about this fascinating period in history.
You can find more about Maureen here:
and here