The BAM Festival on April 15, 2023 was a good day. We were set up in the courtyard between the Mandel Library and City Hall in downtown West Palm Beach. Between the Green Market and the festival itself, there was a lot of foot traffic. The weather was perfect. Although warm, I was in the shade, and caught a bit of a breeze from time to time. Music was in the air as various groups performed. Books, Art and Music worked their magic. Watch for it next year!
Filed under BAM Festival, Book festivals, Historical fiction, Lauren Gilbert, Writing
The Amelia Island Book Festival was a wonderful event. I’m very excited to be attending the BAM Festival in West Palm Beach, Florida tomorrow. This is my first time attending this festival and I’m sure it will be great. Books, Art, Music-what more can one ask? It will be outside in downtown West Palm Beach, rain or shine! Please visit their webside for more information. https://www.bamwpb.org/
The Sunshine State Book Festival will be held this weekend at Trinity United Methodist Church, 4000 NW 53rd Ave., Gainesville, FL. On Saturday, January 28, 150 authors, including me, will be there, ready to talk about their books. There will be events throughout the day, including storytelling for kids. It promises to be a really great time. Please visit the festival website for more information here: https://www.sunshinestatebookfestival.com/ I hope to see you there!
Coming up this weekend is the Sunshine State Book Festival. On Saturday, April 4th, I will be in space #42, with a lot of terrific authors. It promises to be a beautiful and fun weekend, so be sure to come by the Oaks Mall, check out all the authors with their books and say hello. You can visit the website https://sunshinestatebookfestival.com/2022AuPage/ssbf-authors.html for more information. I hope to see you there!
The Jane Austen Fest in Mt. Dora, Florida is coming up next month, on February 11-13, 2022. The action begins Friday, February 11, in the afternoon and goes on into Sunday afternoon. Speakers, workshops, a fashion show and, of course, tea! I have the honor of speaking on Saturday morning, February 12, at 9:00 am, and will be presenting “What’s Love Got To Do With It? Jane Austen and the Unmarried State.” There will be several speakers, including Elizabeth Paquette, who will be speaking at 3:00 pm on Saturday, on “Medicine in Jane’s Era: Doctors, Illnesses and ‘Cures'”. It promises to be a fun and informative weekend in a delightful town. For more information, visit the website here: https://janeaustenfest.com/events/schedule
Filed under Book festival, Entertainment, Jane Austen, Lauren Gilbert, Regency era, Regency society
UPDATE 1/13/2022: THIS EVENT IS POSTPONED! I will post an update when the new dates are available.
Happy New Year!
The Sunshine State Book Festival is just a few weeks away, and I’m looking forward to meeting fellow book lovers there! Not only will my book A RATIONAL ATTACHMENT be available for sale, but you’ll be able to find more great books from other local authors. This is a family-friendly event; you’ll be able to find books for readers of all ages, along with activities for the kiddos. Visit the Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/3131724010396396/
Hope to see you there!
Filed under Uncategorized
I’ve been reading old newspaper articles from the British Newspaper Archives set in 1813. I’m working on a non-fiction book about seven women who were powerhouses in Regency-era England, and have been looking for details about their various lives and activities. When writing anything set in Regency-era England, it is difficult to avoid the Season in London. Many of us read novels about the social activities of members of the highest level society, and try to imagine what it must have been like: glamorous, romantic, magical. The popularity of Jane Austen’s novels and their adaptations have fueled this interest. When I ran across several articles about balls and other social events, it gave me a different view of what holding a major ball actually entailed for the hosts.
On a winter night in early 1813, a ball was held in a mansion in Mayfair. The bare outlines of the events were these: approximately 500 guests starting arriving about 10:00 that evening, dancing commenced at 11:00, supper was held at 2:00 in the morning (Tuesday morning), after which dancing resumed until 5:00. The last guest departed at 6:00 in the morning. That is an 8-hour party. While one realizes that many of the guests probably came and went throughout the evening, one must presume that the host and hostess, at a minimum, were there all night long. This doesn’t take into account last minute activities earlier in the day: checking arrangements with staff, getting dressed, etc. Even with a full roster of servants at the ready, this must have been an incredibly long and exhausting event, as the host and hostess must have been constantly on the watch to be sure all went as it should: guests properly entertained and served, unexpected tensions smoothed, and indiscretions (or outright scandals) avoided. Somehow not quite the glamorous, care-free event one envisions…
Although the back-breaking labor of preparations and clean up was performed by servants, the host and hostess had the ultimate responsibility for the successful entertainment of their guests. No small endeavor, especially as social occasions of this nature were more than just fun. A ball of this nature advertised one’s status in the world not only for one’s self but one’s family in general. Its success (or otherwise) could affect reputations. Social events of this nature were also used for other matters, including discreet meetings of political colleagues, who were also frequently members of the same social set, and families considering judicious marital alliances to advance the respective families’ interests. Many issues and concerns simmered under the surface of what, at first glance, was an evening of entertainment. An event of this nature, then, became as much a serious business campaign as a social occasion.
On a completely different note, don’t forget that Books at the Beach is coming up in Clearwater, Florida from October 21-October 24. Lots of authors will be there, and it promises to be a fantastic book festival. Unfortunately, I will not be there, but recommend it highly. Visit Eventbrite for ticket information here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-at-the-beach-2021-tickets-131262115521?fbclid=IwAR2K_5BGTZLWCJDlHzZZMz1i3eVQnpOUpaMELX0NOMsfU4sRUjCqmUMzhjg
9/5/2021
The Orlando Reads Books Festival has come and gone. Useful information at the Industry Day Sessions, and the signing on Saturday was a success. Face masks and hand sanitizer were present, but nothing prevented readers from talking to authors and finding new reads. I really enjoyed it.
Filed under Book festivals, Historical fiction, Lauren Gilbert, Writing
The Tampa Indie Authors Book Convention was a lot of fun. There were a lot of great authors and readers who came. It was so nice to get out and talk to book people again!
So what’s next? Coming soon, next month in fact, is Orlando Reads Books from August 26-29, 2021. The author signing event will be held on Saturday, August 28, 2021. You can visit the web page here for more information: https://orlandoreadsbooks.com/. There is also a Facebook page you can visit: https://www.facebook.com/OrlandoReadsBooks I hope to see you there!
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Coming soon! Mark your calendars as the Tampa Indie Authors Book Convention will be held on Saturday, June 5 at the Doubletree by Hilton Rocky Point Tampa! (Address: ADDRESS3050 N. Rocky Point Dr. West, Tampa, Florida 33607-5800, USA) I will be there, and hope to see you!
More information is available on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/TampaIndieAuthorBookConvention
Filed under Book festivals
The World of HEYERWOOD 