Do you see RED? Color, fashion in historicals and accuracy! Talking Regency Reds!

This charming number is dated approximately 1810
 and sits in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London

Creating fashion in our novels, we authors like to give stunning visuals. Sometimes, those require more research than we’d hope!

Recently on the Beau Monde RWA writers loop, we discussed the color red, the dyes and fabrics that could have existed at the time.

Here from one of my large references on fashion (let that read TOME), I thought it fun to list for you the very limited number of shades of red for that period! Note, too, that many come from the latter part of the period which is not officially the Regency, but indeed the late reign of George IV, once that notorious man, the Prince of Wales.

So this table reads as: the title of the color, the year the term was first used, the modern color description/name as per the British Color Council! (In alpha order!)

Aurora, 1809. Chilli.

Aurora, 1829.  Shell-Pink.

Eminence, 1829.  Crushed Strawberry.

Japanese Rose, 1826.  Crushed Strawberry.

Marsh Mallow, 1829. Crocus or Old Rose.

Morone, 1811. Peony Red.

Naccarat, 1800. Tangerine.

Terre D’Egypt, 1824. Brick Red.

What does this imply? That blood red, ruby red, cherry red and many more were not possible in this period. So when you read that your heroine wears a bright red gown to the ball, beware, she may not have been at all!

One Creative Approach to Writer's Block by Suz deMello

I recently blogged about what I do when I’m blocked, which is practically all the time these days. Below is one of my approaches:

Paradoxically: stop trying. Yes, I actually mean stop writing. Instead, do something else that exercises your creativity. My favorite is refinishing old furniture. I recently moved back into my condo, where a tenant’s been living while I cared for my elderly mother. She’s with my brother now, so I can resume my life, and I love being back in my home. But there were a lot of built-ins in my mom's house, including a huge dresser, where about a third of my clothes have been residing. And I gave my now ex-boyfriend the storage I’d been using—which itself had been a rescue-and-refinish item. So I get to do the same thing all over again. Yay!

I love the process of finding the right piece, deciding what colors to paint it, discovering the perfect drawer pulls. But you have to have the temperament for this. You have to love wandering around thrift shops and hardware stores. I happen to, so I’m good.

On a lark, a friend and I stopped by a Goodwill furniture store on Memorial Day, and spotted a solid maple dresser for only $90:

I instantly knew that I had spotted a great deal, so I bought it. And at checkout, I discovered that the deal was even better than I’d thought—Memorial Day was half-off day at Goodwill! So YES! I got this treasure for only $45!

I called a Lyft and got it home, where (as you can see) I put it on my lawn. Why, you ask?

Most paint should be used in places with excellent ventilation. I also knew I’d be sanding, and didn’t want to breathe in the dust. Plus, I’m clumsy and guaranteed to get paint all over the place despite how careful I might be. So the lawn is perfect. So the grass gets paint on it—so what? It grows out and gets cut.

Stage one: taking out drawers, sanding and applying the first coat.

I chose a chalk paint on the advice of a gal at my local hardware store, who seemed well versed in the Shabby Chic school of furniture refinishing, and that’s a look I love. So I tried it.

After sanding, I got a beautiful distressed look (above). However, that paint was not going to stay on and look beautiful. It flaked off when scratched with a fingernail. So I opted for a more conventional look—used primer and an acrylic based paint, topped by a spray varnish.

In the middle of the process, it unexpectedly rained:

But I was undeterred. Because of the rain and generally odd weather (anyone doubt global climate change? I don’t. It’s not supposed to rain so much in June in SacTown, and this year it rained a lot.) I moved everything undercover:

As you can see, I chose white with the drawer fronts in pale grey. I decided upon this color scheme for a few reasons—my default color for almost everything is white. I like my home to be light and bright. As for the grey, that was about the drawer pulls. This dresser has a bizarre number of drawer pulls—twenty. No, you didn’t misread that. There are twenty drawer pulls on a dresser with nine drawers. On top of that they are in two different sizes.

The ones that came with the dresser were hideous faux early American. Clearly intolerable. When I went to a hardware store to choose new pulls, only one type came in two sizes, the cup style ones I chose. They came in brushed silver, so I chose grey drawer fronts in hope that they would sort of blend together and the finished piece wouldn’t look so busy.

I also decided against the distressed look...after I had painted the thing with multiple coats of primer and paint, and then sprayed it with polyurethane finish, it was really hard to sand through all that to get the beat-up look. So I opted for letting it be.

And here it is, in place in my bedroom:

What do you think?

From @kayelleallen Meet the bad guys from For Women Only #SciFi #Romance

There's a reason one reviewer said this book had "complex, scary and slightly disturbing bad guy sidekicks." In this scene, the immortal Dessy (Empress Rheyn Destoiya) had been planning a pleasant evening when her twin brother, Pietas, instigates a riot among her Praetorian Guard and takes her assistant hostage. After she settles everyone down and is alone with him, she lets Pietas know she is not the least bit pleased. Their interaction takes place in her palace office.

   "Why the drama, Pietas?"

   "Your assistant wouldn't let me see you without an appointment."

   "You insufferable..." She palmed the weapon fastened beneath her desk, then withdrew it and aimed at his head.

   Pietas laughed, but he raised his hands. "I should've known you'd be armed."

   With her other hand, she picked up his gun and aimed it at him. "Ambidextrous, remember?"

   He started to put his hands down and she thumbed his weapon to full. His hands went back up. "Fine, Dessy. But I had to see you, and he wouldn't let me in. You know how I hate waiting."

   "For that, you made my favorite your hostage and instigated a riot among my Praetorian?"

  He shrugged.

   She sighed and clicked the safety into place on both weapons. "What do you want?"

   "I haven't seen you in twenty years and that's all you have to say to me?"

   "It's been eleven years, and according to the rules of Peril, I shouldn't have seen you for at least ten more. And you had no right to interfere with anyone I claim as mine. Don't you ever touch Alitus again. If you do, I'll kill you in every way you hate." She tapped the desk. "And I know them all, my dear brother. Is that clear?"

   He twisted his mouth. "Fine. I won't touch your pet."

   "Or allow anyone within your control or influence to do so. So help me, Pietas, promise me or I'll--"

   "Yes, yes. I promise. Don't be tedious. I get the point." He dropped his huge frame into a wingback chair and hung one leg over an arm of it. "Besides, you're impossibly nasty when anyone touches your pets."

   She snorted and slid his gun toward him. "Fine. Now tell me what you want."

For Women Only - Antonello Brothers 2

Publisher Romance Lives Forever Books
Genre science fiction romance, space opera, military science fiction, sweet romance

When Mehfawni Ruh, a Kin ambassador, visits the capitol planet of the empire, she meets security expert Khyff Antonello, a human. A death in her family forces Fawni to return home, but she can't bear to part with Khyff and takes him along. Her family demands she cast out the human, or abdicate her future rule.
When Fawni searches for an alternative, she stumbles upon Khyff’s secret. The cover-up, if exposed, will betray her world to its enemies and bare her family to open shame. Her duty is clear. Yet how can she leave Khyff to suffer in the darkness that binds his heart?
His secret truth is her people's darkest lie.

Amazon https://amzn.to/1f7Ge0P
Amazon (print) https://amzn.to/2eFKee5
In print from Romance Lives Forever Books https://bit.ly/bro-womenprint-kl
The prequel for this book is At the Mercy of Her Pleasure.
Bro is a free short story set before this book opens. Download it here. https://kayelleallen.com/bro/
Grab both At the Mercy of Her Pleasure and For Women Only plus a third book all in one boxed set.
Dessy and Pietas are in multiple books, including Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas.

The books are free on Kindle Unlimited

Kayelle Allen

Kayelle is a best-selling American author. Her unstoppable heroes and heroines include contemporary every day folk, role-playing immortal gamers, futuristic covert agents, and warriors who purr.

Homeworld/Blog https://kayelleallen.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/kayelleallen
Facebook https://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author
Amazon Author page https://amazon.com/author/kayelleallen
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Druidrey and the Beast

I am currently working on The Bear and The Druidess and plan to finish the first draft this month. It is set in the Celtic Iron Age and the heroine is a druidess named Bronwen of the Durotriges tribe. The hero is the God Artaois, a Celtic god whose animal form is a bear. And the story is set during the Winter Solstice festival. It will be the third book in the Druidry and the Beast series.

Each Druidry and the Beast story is set in Britain in the Celtic Iron Age. The heroine in each book is a druidess and the hero in each book is a Celtic God who shape shifters into one of their animal forms, and each one is set at a Celtic festival.

The first book in the series is TheWolf and the Druidess. The druidess is named Seren and the hero is God Gwydian, who shape shifts into a wolf. The tale is set during the Samhain festival (Halloween).

Blurb:

A Celtic Tryst With A Shape Shifter Twist

In days of old, deep in the dark woods, Druidess Seren discovers a wolf shape shifting into the bare, muscular Celtic God, Gwydion. Seren's mind turns from the Samhain feast to wicked thoughts of Gwydion's gorgeous body.

Is the love Gwydion and Seren share strong enough to overcome barriers between an immortal god and a mortal woman? Or will a warning of danger from beyond the grave destroy the sensual magic brewing between the wolf and the druidess?

The second book in the series is The Dragon and the Druidess. The druidess is named Nona and the hero is God Dewey, who shape shifts into a dragon. The tale is set during the Beltaine festival (May Day).

Blurb:

To a passionate man...all women are goddesses.

With spring, icy streams have thawed, Druidess Nona's tribe is building a pair of roaring bonfires and she's seeking a lover for the Beltane rite. Without warning, a fierce red dragon swoops down before her. Not just any dragon...it's God Dewey in wild, beastly form. Hot, in a rage, blowing smoke and flames... because Nona's tribesmen snatched gold from the earth without the gods' consent.

Captivated by Nona's beauty and bravery, sparks fly and ablaze with desire for Nona, Dewi flies away... only to land nearby and shape shifts to human form. In the guise of a visiting warrior needing the Druidesses hospitality, Dewi returns to the village. But, he discovers he has a rival for Nona's affection, a chief who will stop at nothing to have her for his own.

The moment Nona sees the warrior Dewi, her passion ignites, she envisions them coupling together in the Beltane mating rite... unleashing powerful, magic. Little does she know, the handsome warrior is really the mighty Dragon god. What will happen when Dewi's secret is revealed? And what evil might the jealous chief unleash on the druidess and the dragon god?

The  forth book will be The Unicorn and the Druidess

And the fifth will be The Lynx and the Druidess

The Wolf and the Druids and the Dragon and the Druids are available now for at Amazon, Barnes and Nobles on line, and iTunes.

.

New Cover! New Release! Only .99!

KISSES FROM LILLITH is a recent release and has a new cover!
Only .99 or FREE from Kindle Unlimited!

About the Book:

Hunter and his girlfriend Rosa receive an intriguing invitation to attend a Cave Party in a distant Pennsylvania town. Though their relationship is heading for a break-up, they accept. When the couple arrives for the festivities, their fragile bond is tested to its limits when the powers of love and trust become their only weapons against dark forces waiting inside the cavern.

Buy the Book!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWZV69D

“Adele Downs has presented something fresh and new.” 5 Stars! ~Readers’ Favorite

“Wow! For a short story, this was a long, thrilling ride.” 5 Stars! ~Will Work For Books

“Kisses From Lillith…has everything you want in a paranormal romance. I found myself on the edge of my seat. Adele Downs…has a way of bringing a story to life…she always leaves you wanting more.” 5 Stars! ~Girl With Pen

About the Author:

Adele Downs is the award-winning author of more than 20 romance titles, including those written under another pen name, and a former journalist with hundreds of articles to her credit. When not writing in her home office in rural Pennsylvania, she can be found reading a book on a Delaware beach, taking photographs, or riding in her convertible.

Find books by Adele Downs on Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Adele-Downs/e/B00G1RRS60 
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Coming August 1st Rule Breaker Black Ops: Project R.O.O.T

Good morning everyone!

I have been super busy this summer, but it's totally worth it. Sometimes, a little pressure doesn't hurt anything, right? And, right now, I've got myself under deadlines and waiting for more edits. ;) Today, I would like to share with you something Michele and I wrote. It's called Rule Breaker. It's the first book in our Black Ops series, and I hope you all enjoy it. We're thinking it should be about 250 pages--give or take a few.

Quick overview. Asher Rainer is the commander of R.O.O.T he takes all the jobs no one wants or when the government suspect foul play, they send in his team to uncover what they're missing. They're kind of like a CSI team crossed with detectives. All of the information along with evidence they collect during their missions, is turned over the Senate Arms committee for a thorough investigation.

In Rule Breaker, what should be a simple observation and report mission, goes horribly wrong. There are two witnesses and one person Asher can't trust but also can't not trust. Michele and I hope you enjoy the story. Here is a sneak peek of what's in store for you.

Asher Rainer, a tough as nails commander, leads an undercover black ops group: Project R.O.O.T. sanctioned by the U.S. government. What should have been a routine mission to obtain reconnaissance, devolves into a mass casualty situation. The whys of which are unknown. His only eyewitnesses to the crimes committed by the rogue mercenary unit are Dr. Rae Kenzie and one of Barclay’s own members, Joseph Franks.

Rae Kenzie, a physician with Doctors Without Borders, is currently on rotation in South American. What should have been a routine inspection by the local guerilla army, turns into a bloodbath.

Without any thought to her wellbeing, Rae rushes to protect the village children in the clinic from certain death—unwittingly thrusting herself and them into the middle an ongoing power struggle. Rae has to trust someone with what she knows, but it doesn’t mean she has to like them—even if she finds Commander Asher Rainer devilishly handsome.

Asher has no time for love. His dedication is to his team, his country, and protecting the innocent. But, when the heart desires what he shouldn’t be lusting after, will one night with Rae be enough to satisfy his baser needs? Or will he be the one to break all the rules?

Excerpt:

“Well, would you look at that.” She pointed to the area where the break had knitted together. “Almost healed. I think we can do a soft cast now. No more plaster.” She guided Isabella back to her room, then went to the storage area and grabbed a soft cast. A couple more weeks and she'd be good to go.

As she opened the door, the rev of jeep engines sounded in front of the office. She closed her eyes. Not now. Today isn't the day for this bullshit. The patient room door behind her opened and the twins' father stepped out.

“Always come. You hide. Kids.” He patted her arm. “We fix.”

“I can't let you do—”

“We fix.” He hurried her to the room. He spoke to his wife who handed over their daughter while Maria gathered up their son. “Go.”

“Get Juan.” She went back to grab Isabella and her mother while Maria went for the other little boy then hurried to their safe place.

The slamming of doors accompanied shouts. Her heart pounded. She had no protection here expect for the police, and she realized quickly they were as corrupt as the guerillas supposedly protecting the jungle around them. More like the cocoa fields. Rae placed her finger to her mouth as she grabbed Isabella by the hand and hurried to the back near the X-ray machine.

The voices grew louder. Anger laced their words. The kids were looking to her for help and she had no idea what to do. In the six months they'd been there, they'd never been subject to anything like this. The only reason she knew about the guerillas was because a couple kids who’d gotten into the cocoa plants appeared at her door sicker than shit, puking their guts up. Those who weren’t sick had been shot or stabbed. Maria had to explain it to her.

Crack! The first shot rang out, followed by another. The screams of frightened children along with the adults rent the air. She hurried to get them to the safe room below ground. “Hurry.” She glanced over her shoulder and watched through the window as the men began shooting each other, which made no sense at all. When standing at the door to hurry more people into the clinic, she saw more men coming down out of the hills in front of them, their uniforms the same as those the guerillas wore. The baby in her arms squealed and cried out, drawing the attention of one of the men.

His eyes narrowed as a slow, devious grin twisted his features. He raised his gun, pointing it at her. Her heart lodged in her throat. She couldn't move. She stared down the barrel of his long rifle, her death becoming an inevitable situation.

None of the stuff people say in the movies happened. Her life didn't flash in front of her eyes. She didn't have a chance to lament about not talking to her mother last weekend when she said she'd call home, but overslept.

Thwack! The man's body fell forward. She expected to see another person behind him, however, no one was there. She muffled her relieved cry and hustled Isabella to the back room. After opening the trap door in the floor, she climbed in with the children. “Stay in the darkness.”


Buy Links:

#amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073VHV1TY/
#amazonUk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073VHV1TY/
#amazonCa: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B073VHV1TY/
#amazonAu: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B073VHV1TY/