Word Wenches

What We're Reading in November!

by Mary Jo

The holiday season is a busy time, but the Wenches never stop reading!  Here are some books we've enjoyed recently.  

From Pat Rice:  

For over-the-top emotion and a well-written circus that would make a perfect Bollywood film, try A BOLLYWOOD AFFAIR by Sonali Dev. Strictly speaking, this is women’s fiction, but it’s also Bollywood, so you know among the tragedy and unrequited love is a happy ending.

We have the intrepid young woman from India, married at the age of five but never having met her husband after the wedding day, who fights all odds to gain a short grant to an American university in hopes that will impress and bring home her man. She’s been obedient, grateful, and hard-working as she’s been taught in her backwoods town. She probably would have remained so had she not met her husband’s brother—a rakehell Bollywood screenwriter and producer. He brings out the best and worst in her in a star-crossed romance if there ever was one. You’ll need a strong cup of coffee to go with the sugar, but it’s fun and entertaining and I’d love to see the scenes depicted.


Anne Gracie has struck chocolate!:

I've had a bit of a glom on Laura Florand's "Love & Chocolate" books. Set in modern day Paris,  each hero is a French chocolatier — a maker of exquisite boutique chocolate, and most of the heroines are American girls. I was particularly recommended the second book in the series, THE CHOCOLATE KISS, but I decided to start with the first one and work through the series. I found books 2, 3 and 4 especially yummy. Each book can be read independently, though there is some connection between them.

I also read Liane Moriaty's BIG LITTLE LIES, which I thought was wonderful -- clever and engaging -- it's a mystery of sorts, and the reader has to work out what's happening. And without spoilers, I have to say it ends well — and with a romance.

Finally I read Mary Balogh's latest, SOMEONE TO LOVE which I devoured in one sitting. The heroine is a teacher in the orphanage where she was raised and, like all orphans, she dreams of discovering her origins and finding a family. But when her dream comes true, it comes at a terrible cost. It's the first in a new series, and I can't wait for the next.

From Andrea/Cara

This has been a mystery month for me, as my favorite historical mystery writer had a new recent release. I’m a huge fan of Charles Finch and his Charles Lenox series, set in  Victorian England. THE INHERITANCE is no exception. An old school friend has learned he’s been left a fortune by a mysterious benefactor, but someone seems intent on killing him before the legalities are worked out. He appeals to Lenox for help, and then the plots twists which begin are worthy of a Wilkie Collins classic!  I find Lenox such an appealing hero. By all outward signs, he's a paragon of propriety. He’s done all the right things in life that an aristocratic younger son should do—Harrow, Oxford, a place in Parliament. He’s thoughtful, sensitive, and the very soul of honor, a man well-liked and well-respected by all his friends.

His only quirk is that he loves solving crimes. It bemuses him at times, as he considers himself a very orthodox fellow. And yet, he has a passion for it, and a very-unordinary talent for sussing out the truth. Finch writes in a very quiet, graceful style, yet his observations on human nature are so spot on. And the lovely cast of characters that have developed over the series are so engaging. If you’re looking to curl up on a winter evening with a ripping good yarn, beautiful writing and appealing characters, I highly recommend a Finch book. (The first in the series is A Beautiful Blue Death,)

Nicola here.

Whilst away in Wales for a week I have been catching up on some previous WWR recommendations. First up was Ammie Come Home by Barbara Michaels which had been mentioned as part of our Halloween reads in October. Whilst I found some of it "of its time," I appreciate that it was written in the 1960s and it is still a seriously spooky story. Reading it by candlelight in a cottage in Wales (the power had gone off in a storm!) was extremely atmospheric. I loved the characterisation and also the historical story behind the ghost story.

I also read Unmasking Miss Appleby by Emily Larkin, who was Anne's guest on the blog a few weeks ago. I adored this book and found it really hard to put down. I loved the way that Emily mixed the historical and paranormal details so easily and convincingly, plus it was a wonderful love story.

From Mary Jo:

I've loved Sharon Shinn's Elemental Blessings series, and the recently released fourth, UNQUIET LAND is no exception. Shinn's world building is wonderful and her kingdom of Welce is rich and fascinating.  All Welchins are attuned to one of five elements: water, fire, air, earth, and wood, and in the hours after their birth, three blessings are drawn for them by strangers.  These blessing resonate through their lives, though people also pull blessings for daily guidance.  Each of the elements has a prime who has great power over his or her element, and each book has a strong romance.  

In Unquiet Land, the heroine is Leah Frothen, who was an important secondary character in the previous book, Jeweled Fire.  A disastrous love affair drove her from Welce, leaving her baby daughter to be raised by relatives. Leah becomes a spy for her country and thinks she'll never return home, but at the end of Jeweled Fire, she was sailing back to Welce and hoping desperately that she can connect with the daughter she has always loved. 

Life back in Welce becomes complicated as she is recruited to spy on foreign visitors while she attempts to build a relationship with her daughter.  Most important of all, Leah must come to terms with the pain and errors of her past--and with falling in love. A great read.

For something completely different, try the Caught Dead in Wyoming mystery series by my friend Patricia McLinn/.  Pat and I were both long term members of the Washington Romance Writers so I've known her for years.  She has a degree in journalism from Northwestern and has had a long and successful career as a journalist, including many years at the Washington Post. 

She's now a full time writer and has branched out beyond romance, but her journalistic past is what makes this mystery series so convincing. I'll use her description of the premise: 

Elizabeth “E.M.” Danniher has been among TV journalism’s elite. Until she discovers divorcing her network exec husband ends not only her marriage but her career. She’s been banished to tiny KWMT-TV in Sherman, Wyoming, to finish out her contract as the underemployed consumer affairs reporter.

Now she’s trying to figure out what comes next – in her career, her life, and her relationships with family, friends, and those who’d like to be more than friends. 

And since this is a mystery series, dead bodies keep turning up.  <G>

I love the absolutely authentic feel of the newsroom and the journalists, plus Elizabeth's recognition that she's not in Kansas anymore. <G> The first book in the series, SIGN OFF,  is free, and that did its job because I bought book 2, Left Hanging, as soon as I finished book 1.  I'm looking forward to more books as Elizabeth searches for her new life, befriends a wary "ranch collie," and learns way more than she wanted to know about rope. <G>  I'd classify the series as "Western cozy," and they're great fun.

So--what have YOU been reading?

Mary Jo

That Winter in Wales

Susanna here, feeling nostalgic. It’s really the fault of our round up a while ago here of our various Christmas books. I’ve only written one: Named of the Dragon.

And whenever I think about that book it makes me think about the winter I spent writing it.

In 1996 I’d just turned 30, and for me it was a restless time.

Reading James Michener’s autobiography, The World Is My Home, had left me wishing I could do what he did—pull up stakes and move to where my next novel was set, and live there while I did the writing. It just sounded like the most wonderful thing for a writer to do.

And then, while I was wishing, I started to ask myself, “Well, why not?”

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie

Anne here, and no, you can relax — I'm not talking about a particularly mushy romance.  While a lot of readers are recovering from Thanksgiving celebrations, I'm thinking about beloved children's books — specifically books set in nature.

When I was a child growing up in Australia, most of the children's stories I knew came from other countries — from England and Europe and other lands — particularly English classics. I've blogged before about my love of AA Milne's tales of Winne the Pooh. And I loved Enid Blyton's tales of Cherry Tree Farm (and others) where I learned about red squirrels and Brock the badger and slow worms and many more wild animals — none of which I'd ever seen.

This was another favorite story book, a fat volume called Once Long Ago, containing seventy wonderful stories from almost as many lands. I still own it, but the dust jacket is in tatters. I thrilled to the story of Baba Yaga, loved the Native American tale of the Boy and the Wolves, the Chinese tale of the Fairy Wife -- and many more.

Happy Thanksgiving from the WordWenches

Wishing everyone, no matter where you live, a Happy Thanksgiving — because we all have something to be thankful for.

Here's the famous Norman Rockwell painting in the Freedom from Want series -- better known as "the Thanksgiving Painting."

With best wishes from all the Word Wenches.

Six Degrees of Historical Separation

Nicola here. I'm on a writing retreat in Wales at the moment so today, just for a bit of fun, I'm posting up a quiz. There’s a game that has been around for a few years that I absolutely love. It’s based on the idea of six degrees of separation; the theory that everyone in the world is a maximum of six steps away from each other so that a chain can be established to connect any two people. A while ago the BBC History magazine introduced a game called six degrees of historical separation – a challenge to see how broad a spectrum of historical characters you could connect in six steps. The connections between them can be anything - names, dates, places, whatever you like.  I’ve been playing it ever since and I challenge you to do the same!

Here’s one of my favourites:

1.William First Earl of Craven 1608 – 1697. Soldier, cavalier, secret second husband of Elizabeth of Bohemia and the hero of my timeslip book House of Shadows.

2.Elizabeth of Bohemia, 1596 – 1662, daughter of King James I, married Frederick the Elector Palatine, who was offered the throne of Bohemia in 1619.

3. Bedrich Smetana 1824 – 1884 A Czech composer whose music was inspired by Bohemian history and legends. His orchestral music includes the symphonic poem Richard III.

4. Richard III, King of England from 1483 – 1485, re-interred in Leicester Cathedral in 2015.

5. Thomas Cook 1808 – 1892, born in Melbourne Derbyshire, was also buried in Leicester. He founded the world’s first travel agency Thomas Cook and Sons in 1872 and offered “Grand Circular Tours of Europe” and trips to Egypt and the United States.

6. Dame Nellie Melba, 1861 – 1931 was an operatic soprano and one of the most famous singers of the Victorian era. She trained in Melbourne and took the pseudonym “Melba” from there.

Okay, so maybe I have too much time on my hands! But if you like historical research and obscure facts, have a go at creating your own six degrees of historical (or Regency!) separation with either real people or characters from books, and share them here! Alternatively, do you have your own six degrees of separation story, connecting you to unexpected people?

The Realm of Fairy Stories

Susan here, in the midst of a week that’s turned so busy (moving furniture, painting, family coming soon, and a book in need of writing!) –- and no doubt you all are busier than normal too -- that today I’m trotting out a Goldie Oldie, aka a Wench Classic. And in the current climate of stressful news and some crazy things out there, what better than to take a break and think about fairy tales? Ahh, there, now I feel better …

“The realm of fairy-story is wide and deep and high and filled with many things: all manner of beasts and birds are found there; shoreless seas and stars uncounted; beauty that is an enchantment, and an ever-present peril; both joy and sorrow as sharp as swords.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, "On Fairy-Stories" 

I've been thinking about fairy tales lately. My bookshelves are crammed full, like the bookshelves of every Wench author and our blog readers too. A few of my shelves are devoted to legends, myths--and fairy tales. Old, tattered, beloved childhood copies; antique fairy tale books; anthologies and academic studies of fairy tale themes--these books don't gather much dust at my house. I still read them, ponder over them. I still love them.  

“I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.” --Mae West

I have some familiar favorites, like an old copy of the complete tales of The Brothers Grimm (the real ones -- not fancied or scrubbed up, these!), the tales of Hans Christian Anderson, Charles Perrault, and of course Andrew Lang—The Blue Fairy Book, The Red Fairy Book, the Green Fairy Book (and The Yellow, Pink, Grey, Violet, Crimson, Scarlet, Orange, Olive and Lilac Books). One of my favorite Little Golden Books was The Twelve Dancing Princesses, exquisitely illustrated by Sheilah Beckett. When I was very little, I treasured an old copy of The Tall Book of Fairy Tales by Eleanor Graham Vance. Not sure where it came from, but once I got my sticky little hands on it, it was mine, mine. Another favorite is a gift book in my college days, a beautiful reprint of Steel’s English Fairy Tales, illustrated by Arthur Rackham. And then there are the Joseph Jacobs Celtic Fairy Tales, and Irish fairy tales collected by W.B. Yeats … and so many others, old and new.

That’s just the stories. I enjoy academic studies of fairy tales, such as my dog-eared, well-read copy of Bruno Bettelheim’s The Uses of Enchantment and Marina Warner’s fabulous From the Beast to the Blonde. I love fresh spins on fairy tale themes, such as stories by Jack Zipes--and there's a long list of romances and other novels based on fairy tale arcs.

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” --Albert Einstein 

Winter Delights

Joanna here:

It’s always seemed to me that cold needs snow in it. Cold without snow is like ham without eggs, Jekyll without Hyde, clotted cream without scones -- which is to say, sad and pointless.

My favorite winter activity, in fact, is building a snowman. I like this because it’s ephemeral and my art is much improved if it doesn’t last too long. Snow is a medium that does not encourage a quest for perfection. One must accept the limits of the whole snowman realism thing. And it’s childish. I like to be free and deliberately childish once in a while. Making snowmen is, I’m sure, an ancient human activity. I connect to my presocietal ancestors.

Also, you end up with a snowman which is kinda a lucky thing to have about the place.

So I asked the other Wench what was their favorite activity in the winter, assuming I’d get back responses like, “sitting in coffee shops, doing edits” or “drinking hot chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps.”

Here is what they have to say:

Anne -- you know she’s in Australia so she’s turned around from the rest of us --

We're coming into spring here, but I live in a city famed -- infamed? ;) -- for its changeable weather, so it's teasing us with glimpses of spring and then reverting back to cold, wet and gloomy, which is our usual winter weather. We almost never get snow and when it does hit (about once in a decade) we all get wildly excited and take photos and make miniature snowmen -- miniature because there's never enough snow for anything more than about a foot high -- and that's pushing it -- and the snow only ever lasts a few hours. So, failing the excitement of snow, winter for me is curling up somewhere warm and cosy with a good book, preferably beside a crackling open fire.

Andrea is an expert in snow:

Growing up, I loved skiing. But the icy trails of New England no longer hold quite the same appeal, and as I don’t often get out to the powdery slopes of Colorado or Utah, these days I find oth er means of locomotion when the snow falls. I’ve unbuckled my downhill boots and tend to lace up my hiking boots in winter. I love walking down by the harbor near where I live and enjoying the subtle play of light on the water, both on cold, clear days and in stormy weather. There’s an austere beauty to the limited palette of winter colors and the always changing patterns of shadow and waves. I always go home to my writing desk feeling rechanged by the wonders of Nature. 

Pat takes a California view:

My favorite winter activity is to run away from winter. We've spent our lives living in snow country, spent a week without electricity and running water, lived on kerosene heaters, the whole rigamarole. Now we live in Southern California and we go whale sailing, take long scenic walks on the beach, and travel. If it qualifies as an outside activity--I sit on the patio and read and write! It took a long time to shake the snow off our boots, but we're enjoying the sand!

Susan is another old winter veteran:

Spending my childhood in a small town in Upstate New York, I grew up doing plenty of winter activities - skiing at Lake Placid, sledding and ice skating in the local park (and my dad would flood the backyard, which froze into a perfect skating rink for us all winter). We built snow-people and forts and had epic neighborhood snowball fights. Truly a winter wonderland up there. Fast forward to my high school years, when we moved south to Maryland -- where the opportunities for months of snowy winter fun were not so much. Scraping a few inches of dirty snow for a snowball to pelt a sister or a friend - nah. Now and then, though, the Mid-Atlantic does produce some very respectable snow. Years later, I was as eager as my kids to get my coat and boots on to help build snow-people, snow forts and go sledding down our nice steep hill, but good snow just wasn't reliable each year. Nowadays, I still very much love snow and snowstorms. But I'm more likely to be shoveling the driveway (though my husband does get the occasional surprise snowball - I'm cautious about this, as his return volleys are not near as gentle as mine!). I do love to go for a walk in the snow, especially when it's drifting peacefully and beautifully out of the sky. 

Then I stomp the snow off my boots, go inside, make some hot tea and curl up with a good book!   

Nicola says:

Nicola here. My favourite outdoor winter activity is taking the dogs out for a walk in the snow on a cold, crispy day with a blue sky overhead and the wind on my face. I find it refreshing and reinvigorating and the dogs go completely mad with excitement. It’s great fun watching them! I think maybe everything smells sharper to them on a snowy day. They also love the texture of the snow, jumping in it and running through it.  Ethel saw snow at the beginning of this year as a tiny puppy but if we get any this winter she will be able to go out and play in it. Angus loves it almost as much as going to the seaside! The picture is of Monty, our old Labrador, helpfully fetching my hat from out of a snowdrift.

Of course being so weather-dependent, this isn’t an outdoor activity you can guarantee and there have been plenty of years when all we have had is grey rain and dull skies. It’s difficult to whip up the same enthusiasm for a dog walk under those circumstances! The forecast this year is for a hard winter so we will wrap up warm and get out there.

And finally,

Mary Jo here.  I can't honestly think of any outdoor winter activity that matches up to curling up inside with a good book and a cat on the lap!  But I admit that after a fresh snow, I enjoy a gentle stroll to appreciate the beauty of pristine winter. 

But I have much more enthusiasm for that winter activity known as a visit to the Caribbean!  Appreciated all the more because of what we've left behind. <G>

What about you?

As November swings past Thanksgiving and into December, what do you look forward to doing outside? What did you used to do that stays with you still in memory.

One lucky commenter will win a copy of my novella, Gideon and the Den of Thieves.

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Sailing Back in History with Guest Amanda McCabe

Andrea/Cara here, Today I'm welcoming long-time friend and honorary Word Wench Amanda McCabe as my guest. Many of you know Amanda for her wonderful Regencies, but she also writes marvelous Elizabethan romances, and she here to tell us a little about the inspiration for her latest release, The Queen’s Christmas Summons. Not only does it have a holiday theme, but it also features swashbuckling action on the high seas as the British navy clashes with the Spanish Armada. So batten down the hatches and set sail to a fascinating time in history, as Amanda  gives us some intriguing background on one of the biggest sea battles ever fought:

I’m so happy to be back at the Word Wenches today! I’m also so excited to have the chance to talk a bit about the history behind the book for my new release The Queen’s Christmas Summons. This story has been brewing in my mind for a long time, ever since I was a little girl and my grandmother (who was very proud to be Irish, and have the famous “black Irish” looks of dark hair, olive skin, and bright blue eyes) told me she was descended from a shipwrecked Spanish soldier who landed on Ireland’s coast in a storm and married a Galway woman. This story, while fantastic, is almost certainly a family legend, but it made me wonder—what would really happen if two such people met??? That’s how John (an English spy planted with the Armada) and his love Alys came to be. She saves his life on the Irish shore—and they meet up later at the queen’s own court for Christmas.

 

The history behind strange sayings

Nicola here, talking about odd historical phrases and sayings. The topic came to mind this week because I was reading an article about how the UK is awash with peculiar sayings and I’m sure that other countries and other languages are exactly the same. In fact many families share special phrases that have meaning only for them. Many of these have their roots in historical events. In our family, for instance, there are several sayings with Scots origins, reflecting my husband’s Scots roots. "Save your breath to cool your porridge" is one and, “There were bigger losses at Sheriffmuir” is my all time favourite. This is trotted out frequently when things go wrong in an effort to gain a sense of perspective.

Sherrifmuir was an engagement in the 1715 Jacobite rebellion. It took place on 13^th November so we are almost at the anniversary of it. It was an inconclusive fight between the Jacobite army and the British government forces and in fact losses were relatively small compared with Culloden, for instance. In total there were just under 1000 men killed, wounded or captured but the bigger loss was the failure of the 1715 Jacobite rising. My mother-in-law went to school near Sherrifmuir and I wonder whether this was a local phrase. The famous poet Robert Burns, a favourite in our family, wrote a song in honour of the Battle of Sherrifmuir. “Mony a huntit, poor Red-coat / For fear amaist did swarf, man." Indeed.

The Case for Courtship

Susanna here, sorry to be posting so late in the day, and with a recycled post, yet—one I wrote several years ago over at The Heroine Addicts, but one that still strikes a strong chord with me, and leaves me curious to know your thoughts on the subject…

Back at the beginning of 2012, Jane at Dear Author wrote a wish list of Things She’d Like to See from the Romance Genre, and her #5 wish was More Courtship.

"I am not sure whether it is paranormals and the fated mates that have led to the slow devolution of the courtship, but whatever is the reason, we need to put a stop to it," Jane wrote. "I love the courtship. Dating is so rife with opportunity and conflict. Where is the slow build of attraction?"

Now, don't get me wrong, I believe in the concept of instant attraction and people who simply belong with each other, but watching while two people start to become more aware of each other is wonderful, too, and Jane's post got me thinking how much I love those films and novels in which the main characters actually go out on dates, get to know one another, prolong the suspense for us. Will they or won't they? The almost-kiss can be as sexy to me (sometimes sexier) than sex itself.

Meet Emily Larkin

Anne here, and today it's my pleasure to welcome Emily Larkin to the Word Wenches.

I first met Emily at a romance writers' conference in Australia — she's a New Zealander, and she was writing Regency Historical romance (under the name of Emily May for Harlequin Historicals) so of course, because I'm always interested in new Regency writers, I read her first book. And immediately bought the next two.

She's the kind of Regency writer who Gets Things Right — I suspect she was raised on Georgette Heyer.  She also writes darker fantasy novels as Emily Gee — in fact in 2008 her book, Thief With No Shadow finalled in two sections of the RITA — Best First Book and Best Mainstream with Romantic Elements — as well as being shortlisted for the prestigious Sir Julius Vogel award (NZ). And since I also read fantasy, I bought and thoroughly enjoyed those books, too.  

But today, she's here as Emily Larkin, and is launching a new series combining Regency with a touch of magic. I've read the first one and it's a cracker of a tale — a Cinderella with a twist story.    (Photo © 2016 Tim Cuff)

Anne: Emily, tell us about Unmasking Miss Appleby.

Emily: Hi Anne! Thanks for the intro. I was indeed raised on Georgette Heyer, and I do try very hard to Get Things Right! I’m so glad you enjoyed Unmasking Miss Appleby. ☺ It’s the book I’ve been wanting to write for years. It takes everything that I love about writing Regency romances and adds a little bit of what I like about writing fantasy novels. It’s Jane Austen plus a dash of magic, and was a lot of fun to write.

Here’s the blurb:  On her 25th birthday, Charlotte Appleby receives a most unusual gift from the Faerie godmother she never knew she had: the ability to change shape.

Penniless and orphaned, she sets off for London to make her fortune as a man. But a position as secretary to Lord Cosgrove proves unexpectedly challenging. Someone is trying to destroy Cosgrove and his life is increasingly in jeopardy.  

As Charlotte plunges into London’s backstreets and brothels at Cosgrove’s side, hunting his persecutor, she finds herself fighting for her life—and falling in love…  

Anne: Historical readers are used to the "chick-in-pants" story — but this is a very different take on it. Care to explain?

Adventure in Breakfasting

by Mary Jo

I was doing some research reading and came across a sentence saying that in days long gone, the typical breakfast for most people was was cooked grain mixtures.  I looked at that and thought, "Hello, oatmeal!  And its cousin, corn flakes!"  Which led me into reflecting on how some things travel down through the centuries, maybe with variations but the underlying food is the same.  (Picture below is a German breakfast buffet from Wikipedia by Torsten Seiler from Cologne, Germany)

Breakfast means literally to "break our fast"--eating after the hours of sleep.  In places where people do hard physical labor, breakfasts tend to be hearty.  In modern times, some people are breakfast people, some are not, and we tend to figure which sort we are fairly early in life.  Some folks can't face food until the body kicks into gear, others need the food in order to get those gears moving in the first place.

I am solidly in the pro-breakfast camp, which may be related to the fact that I am not a  morning person so I need to a solid breakfast to get moving.  When I was a kid, my mother would cook hot cereal for us, usually oatmeal or Cream of Wheat.  Amply garnished with milk and sugar, often I'd be gulping down the last of the my bowl as the school bus rumbled toward our house.  (As noted above, I'm not a morning person. <G>)

When I moved to England years ago, I went into a little shop to buy some oatmeal and was proud of myself for asking with that fine English term, porridge.  The shopkeeper looked puzzled.  Discussion ensued.  The light dawned when she said, "Oh, Quaker Oats!" and she whipped out a box that looked just like the kind I bought at home.  <G>

The best oatmeal I've ever had was at a B&B in Ireland. Sadly, it was the Mayhem Consultant who ordered it--I almost mugged him after I got a taste.  Smooth Irish oats, interesting things added, and a milk so rich that it was halfway to being cream.  Delicious!  

I still have oatmeal for breakfast sometimes, using one of the faster cooking versions of Irish steel cut oats, topped with milk augmented with some half and half, a handful of raisins, maybe chopped walnuts or granola for texture, and honey for sweetness.  

But my basic breakfast for decades has been a poached egg on whole grain toast with orange juice (fresh squeezed if I can get it) and a cup of coffee to follow.  This is because I like the protein and can poach an egg more or less in my sleep, see "not a morning person," above. <G>  

I've had fun discovering different breakfasts 'round the world.  My first trip to Europe when I was in college and hitchhiking around with my roommate introduced me to the wonder that was the full English breakfast: There would always be cold cereal on offer (which I ignored.)  Fried eggs, fried bread, several forms of pig meat (English bacon is cured differently from American and doesn't get crisp, is more ham-like, plus sausage was usually on offer), grilled tomato, fried mushrooms, tea, toast, and marmalade.  And, baked beans, which was not something I wanted to eat for breakfast.  At that time tea was universal, but now coffee shares equal breakfast honors.

English toast is a class unto itself.  It's served in a toast rack that carefully separates each piece from its fellows, guaranteeing they'll all be cold.  I'm told that's because English homes are often chilly and stacking hot toast would cause condensation and sogginess which makes sense, but I missed hot toast.

As a corollary, years ago the Mayhem Consultant and I were traveling in the English West Country and stopped at a country inn for the night.  The room we were given was damply chilly, but the landlord turned on an oil heater and assured us that soon the room would be "warm as toast."  When we returned after a nice dinner downstairs, the room was still shiveringly cold, at which point I remember that English toast was NEVER warm!

Also on that first visit to Europe, in Paris I discovered the joy of a warm, flaky croissant and café au lait--strong coffee with hot milk.  My roommate and I were staying in a five story walk up student hotel, but we descended in the mornings to bliss.  The picture here is a more recent Continental breakfast in Venice, complete with a fruit filled pastry and a heart drawn by the barista on the cappuccino.  

In Northern Europe, I learned that the Dutch and Germans like sliced meats and cheeses and Scandinavians favored open faced sandwiches.  These days, a good European hotel breakfast buffet will have some of everything, including fresh fruits and lots of breads and pastries.  In Hawaii and Down Under, there will be Asian rice based dishes and noodles and seaweed.  People eat the foods around them--in Jamaica, ackee (a kind of fruit) and saltfish are common.   Looks like scrambled eggs, but it isn't.  Tasty, though.  (Picture on the left.)

Given the scope of the British Empire, it's not surprising that variations of the full British breakfast are found around the world--the classic American breakfast of eggs and bacon and toast is a direct descendant, though I think we may have led the charge to add hash browns or home fries.  Here's a picture of a recent South African breakfast, with eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon, and a choice of lamb, beef, or pork sausage.  Robust!

As you might have gathered, I love breakfast in its many variations, though maybe not the seaweed. And I haven't even touched on waffles and pancakes and other cooked grain cakes, or the Mexican magnificence of huevos rancheros.  (Eggs with tomato chili sauce, tortillas, and maybe refried beans and/or guacamole.)

Are you a breakfast eater, or does the thought of so much food in the morning make you shudder?  What are your favorite breakfast dishes?  And what interesting ones have you met along the way?

Mary Jo, adding a picture of a fine B&B breakfast in Virginia with egg, ham, and a very fine crepe with orange slices.  

Heartwarming Reads for the Holidays

Andrea/Cara here, Ho-Ho-Ho! Now that we spooked you with scary reads on Monday, we’re following up with a sleighful of good cheer. November signals the start (earlier and earlier it seems!) of the end-of-year holiday. And while all the celebrating with family and friends is wonderful, there are times when one simply wants to escape from the hustle and bustle and enjoy a few hours of quiet reading. With that in mind, we decided to showcase the Wenchly Christmas-themed books to spark smiles and good cheer. So get ready to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and plate of cookies . . .

Pat:
Incomparable Lord Meath (A Novella)

Christmas in Ireland
Penniless spinster Honora Hoyt has carved a safe niche in London society as her noble uncle’s hostess —until an old flame re-enters her life, threatening her hard-earned security.

Evan, Lord Meath, abandoned his pampered life—and Honora—after a reckless gamble left him lame and disillusioned. Now he’s hoping to perform a good deed for once—but here’s Honora again, desirable, maddening, and in the way. It looks like he’s about to wreck his good intentions, and Honora’s too. Again.

In the season of peace, can they resolve their conflicts and find the joy and love that each secretly craves?
Original Novella Rebellious Sons prequel $2.99
 
Christmas Enchantment anthology

Three heartwarming Regency holiday romances in one joyful book.
Christmas Angel: 
Marian had no intention of starting something new. Taking care of family and helping a once prosperous town survive was all she had in mind after the tragic death of her fiancé. Then a stranger with a heavy heart from America unexpectedly arrived. Maybe this will be the Christmas they both need - with a gift that lasts forever.

Christmas Goose
: The spoiled child of a rich baron, Rebecca left that world for love. But, her husband died in the war. Now she finds herself taking care of his young sisters, removed from the grace of her prosperous father. Simon feels his life is a failure. The war took his soul and he longs for a new beginning. Even the battles of war haven't prepared him for the battle for the hand of the feisty woman he's come to love.

Tin Angel
: Jeffrey fought the good fight in the halls of government but comes home exasperated at life, law, family and love. Much to his dismay, the visit from a guardian angel (in whom he does not believe) leads him to question his sanity. Mary’s bright humor and sarcastic jabs give him something he’s never experienced - a way to look beyond himself and into the world again. Could she be the key that opens that last door at Christmas?
(Anthology of stories originally contained in Signet Regency Christmas collections $4.99)