Month: October 2011

How does the time go so fast?  Last week flew by, at the JASNA AGM in Ft. Worth, TX.  The weather was stunning, and Ft. Worth is a beautiful city. 

This is just one of my favorite buildings viewed on a walking tour, under the beautiful blue sky of Ft. Worth.   Sites we saw included the Tarrant County Court House, the Wells Fargo building, complete with antique stage coach, and the Sid Richardson Museum which houses a wonderful collection of western art.

There was so much to do at the Annual General Meeting-so many excellent speakers, entertaining workshops, interesting people from all over.   Numerous speakers gave interesting and informative programs about Jane Austen’s writings, her time and her life.  My favorites included a Special Interest Session by Victoria Hinshaw, titled “The Sensible Regency Wedding”, and the address by Dr. Joan Klingel Ray, titled “SENSE AND SENSIBILITY as Austen’s Problem Novel.”  (The theme of the event was the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY.)   A special guest was Andrew Davies, who adapted Jane Austen’s novels, who gave a delightful presentation.  I had the opportunity to present a breakout session, and can attest to the attention and kindness of the attendees present.

Saturday night, there was a wonderful banquet and a ball (of course!).  Both were wonderful events.   The ball following the banquet was a beautiful affair, with live music, wonderful Regency gowns, and (of course) dancing! 

Finally on Sunday morning, the Author Signing event took place.  A whole room full of authors had the opportunity to showcase their works, and to sign books for eager readers.  I was fortunate enough to bring HEYERWOOD: A Novel to that event:

It was such a treat to be able to spend time with others who share so many interests, whether Jane Austen, writing or reading!  I must confess that being allowed to sign my book was a very special thrill.  (Yes, I did manage to get a few authors’ signatures in books for myself as well!)

The entire conference was an amazing experience, one I will not forget.  I doubt that anyone who attended will argue with that!

The words of an old song are floating around in my head. This afternoon, I’m headed for Ft Worth, Texas, where I will be attending the Jane Austen Society of North America’s Annual General Meeting! This event is always special-lots of break-out sessions and workshops full of interesting information about Jane Austen, her books, and her times, combined with great people enjoying shared interests. This year is very special for me, as I will be presenting one of the break-out sessions, AND participating in a book-signing event with my novel, HEYERWOOD. It was such an honor to be selected as a speaker; being invited to participate in the book signing was completely unexpected. Then there are the sessions I plan to attend, the workshop, the ball…. The list just goes on and on. All things considered, I am totally excited!!! Watch this space…next week, I will fill you in on all the fun!

As I was browsing through the books in the entry at my Barnes & Noble, I stumbled across a jewel. Nestled with the others in the bargain shelf was THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ROYAL BRITAIN, by Charles Phillips (consultants: Dr. John Haywood and Professor Richard G. Wilson); 2009, 2011: Annes Publishing Ltd. This beautiful book is crammed with wonderful pictures of people, castles, and stately homes. It provides a directory of each monarch, with a synopsis of his (or her) reign and portraits of the monarch and significant people of each’s time. It also provides synopses of big events, crises, and triumphs. It goes on to describe castles and manor houses, with fantastic photos, discussions of style, and more. While it is not a comprehensive book by any means, this is a historical fiction author’s delight, chock-full of inspiration with magnificent pictures to get the creative juices flowing! Place names, information about the families who built the homes and the architects who designed or planned the renovations, all are grist for the mill…

This is also a useful work for the history buff or student. It is by no means comprehensive but provides a fantastic jumping-off place for further study. There is also a useful glossary of architectural terms.

I did not find a bibliography or list of sources, although there are acknowledgements regarding the illustrations. In my opinion, this could not be a stand-alone reference for serious research. However, it provides good information in a compact format, and is a great place to begin a project.

It is also enjoyable reading. I found the entries to be well-written, with enough substance to keep the attention without straying from the format.

All in all, a real find and a welcome addition to my library! I am certain that this will be a very useful tool.

By the way, please visit the English Historical Fiction Authors blog to see the post I wrote! Here’s the link: http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/

Please let me know what you think!