I'm so excited to have a best-selling, award-winning author as my guest today! Erica Vetsch's historical fiction is always top-notch, and her latest novel is no exception. A Scheming in Parliament is a fantastic read!
Erica, welcome to my blog!
Thank you, Connie, for letting me come visit with your readers! I really appreciate it. (Connie was kind enough to join my launch team for my latest release, A Scheming in Parliament.)
ASiP as I call it for short, is set in England during the Regency Era. The Regency Era dates from 1810-1820, when King George III was deemed incapable of ruling due to health issues, and his son, the future King George IV, stepped in to be his Regent, ruling in his stead.
One of the most easily identifiable indicators of whether something is Regency or not is women’s fashions. Dress styles changed dramatically around the Regency. Gone were the stomachers, panniers, and high, powdered wigs. Instead, fashion followed a neo-classical path inspired by ancient Greek and Rome.
Women wore their hair naturally, with braids, clustered curls, and shorter bangs/fringes over the forehead.
Their gowns changed to include an Empire (or if you wanted to be high-toned you would use the French pronunciation of Ohm-peer) waistline and flowing skirts that elongated the body and hid the waist and hips.
The Empire waistline takes its name from Empress Josephine, of France, who first modeled the style. As with many fashions in Regency England, anything done in the French court quickly crossed the channel and became an absolute necessity for Regency women.
Regency fashions enjoyed an interesting period between early Georgian styles which were elaborate and unwieldly and those of the Victorian Era where it seemed the bigger your hoopskirts the better.
I have sewn two different Regency gowns, and they are very comfortable to wear. Would you like to see this style make a comeback?
When I was a teenager, I actually had a couple of Empire-style dresses. They weren't long gowns, but I remember how special those dresses made me feel!
I loved learning about the fashion during this period. Now let's talk about Philippa and Sir Bertrand!
ABOUT THE BOOK
"Vetsch keeps the stakes high and the plot twists frequent . . . Readers will have a hard time putting this down."
—Publishers Weekly
Evil is masquerading in the halls of Parliament, and Sir Bertrand Thorndike is tasked with investigating from the inside. With his new position as a member of the House of Commons, he has access to the power brokers of English government. His tactic is to listen and learn, careful not to reveal his true motives, and he’s quickly inducted into the mysterious Theban Club.
Miss Philippa Cashel's mission, the Princess Charlotte Eleos School for Women in Need, is thriving with donations, and the students are learning skills to help them earn their livings in honorable ways. But when a dear friend's past is revealed by blackmail, Philippa must wrestle with the question, Is it ever right to do the wrong thing?
Bertie's and Philippa's missions collide when Bertie uncovers a dangerous plot involving vulnerable women. He and Philippa join forces against the corruption threatening to topple England's government, all while navigating their outward reputations and inward feelings for each other.
ASIP can be purchased from AMAZON.
Thanks again for visiting my blog today! I can't wait to read the next book in your Of Cloaks & Daggers series!
My review of A Scheming in Parliament can be found HERE!
Thank you so much for having me on your blog!
ReplyDeleteErica