Category: Leslie L. Diamond

A Sister’s Contribution: How Cassandra helped Jane write The History of England – A guest post by Olga Palagina

Today, Olga Palagina shares with us her amazing research on Jane Austen’s fun juvenilia The History of England, and the collaboration between Jane and her sister, Cassandra. Thank you so much, Olga, for sharing your time and knowledge with us!       At a first glance, ‘The History of England’ appears to be an …

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Jane Austen Regency Week 2016

If you follow me on my own blog and this one, you might get a little bit of repeat when covering my time at Jane Austen Regency week this year. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay for the entire week but I did try to pack my time with as much as I could when the weather …

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Happy Anniversary Jane Austen Variations!

To commemorate our second anniversary, we invite you, our loyal readers and friends, to join us this month at Austen Variations. We have grand plans! For February, we intend to share the endearing moments of Jane Austen’s beloved characters as they celebrate their own anniversaries.     Jane Austen Variations is two years old and …

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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Regency Theatre

The season in Regency England was not just balls and Almacks. The theatre in Regency times was an important place for those who spent the season in London, and those who ventured to the theatre did not attend to simply watch a play. They dressed to the nines and sat in long carriage lines to …

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Pass the Water…Umm…okay, Pass the Wine?

Did you know that in as late as Victorian times water was considered dangerous? In fact, one of the main causes of death in children was tainted water. Adults avoided a similar fate by mixing wine with their water—nothing like a little alcohol to kill the germs! So, if you eliminate plain water, what was …

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The 12 Days of a Jane Austen Christmas – The Christmas Wish

The parlour at Netherfield was bursting with cheer as my family enjoyed Jane and her Mr. Bingley’s first Christmas Eve celebration. The newly wed couple sat side-by-side on a sofa across from where I stood near the window and whispered to one another as they observed those around them. Jane’s countenance was blissful as was …

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What Sort of House Would Jane Build?

What if we suppose Jane Austen made her fortune from the publication of Pride and Prejudice, and she wanted to build a house of the latest architectural style? What would she build? It is a simple and yet rather complicated question when you look at it from a historical perspective. Jane Austen lived during the …

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The Lady’s Maid

Most Regency authors have, at the very least, referenced or mentioned a lady’s maid in a story, even if we haven’t made her a confidant or important servant in our heroine’s life. She is often a useful character, who can be used to impart information about the household gossip, mend gowns in a trice, and …

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Harriet Smith Went Where with Robert Martin?

For those of you who are fans of Emma, you might remember Mr. Knightly’s mention of Astley’s where Harriet Smith finally thrown back into the company of Robert Martin, which leads to his proposal and of course, her acceptance, however, Mr. Knightley never mentions what on earth Astley’s is! “It is a very simple story. …

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Release Day for The Earl’s Conquest!

Today, The Earl’s Conquest is available and it’s a rather unusual feeling. I’m happy to have it finished and I think that I’m proudest of this book to be honest. I will be curious to see how the readers feel once they’ve had a chance to read it! Now, I know those who have only …

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