Her Second-Chance Duchess Releases!

I'm delighted to report that the latest book in my The Darling Duchesses series is now out!

Sweet-natured Georgina, Dowager Duchess of Tyneham, was blessed to fall in love twice, once with an impoverished clergyman who chose career over her and once to her late husband, the duke. Better to hide her broken heart behind good works and a well placed lace-edged handkerchief. That is, until the new duke appoints a vicar to the village church, and Georgie comes face to face with her former love.

Raised in a London orphanage and risen to his current position by the kindness of patrons, Hugh Caddington knew long ago he had little to offer the pretty Georgie. Now she’s a duchess, with everything she might want at her fingertips. What’s a poor country vicar to do except show her every kindness and courtesy even as their former love rekindles?

As a thief plagues the little village, loyalties are tested, but nothing stands in the way of the duke and his matchmaking servants. Can Hugh turn Georgie’s mourning into dancing, at their own wedding?

Three young, widowed duchesses, each with a reason not to marry again. One duke, honor bound to give them a happy-ever-after so he can find his own. Let the matchmaking begin!

Available at fine online retailers in ebook and print:
Directly from me
D2D Universal Link
Smashwords
Amazon, affiliate link
Barnes and Noble
Apple Books
Kobo
Bookshop.org, paperback Bookshop.org, ebook
Books-A-Million

Enjoy!

Hideaway Frontier Bride--Out Now!

I'm delighted to have the third book in my Frontier Brides series out today, October 6, 2025. It's a lot of fun to get to write about the history in my own backyard!

What’s a gal on the run to do when a handsome stranger proposes?

When whimsical Sadie Brandywine went into hiding to evade her manipulative stepfather, she hardly expected the chivalrous cowboy who discovered her to propose marriage to protect her reputation. All she’s ever wanted was a proper home and family. Could this be her chance?

Jacob Willets has one dream: to start the first school in his remote area of Washington Territory. The most scholarly cowboy on his family’s ranch, he’s more comfortable with his books than the ladies, so he’s shocked when Sadie accepts his proposal. But he quickly learns that nothing about Sadie is as simple as yes or no.

Between his boisterous matchmaking family and the danger stalking Sadie, Jacob’s dreams begin to change. Now he just has to find a way to convince Sadie to turn their marriage of convenience into a true love match.

“This is a beautifully crafted story. I found myself smiling several times as I read it. If you enjoy Historical Romance, then reading novels by Regina Scott is a MUST!” Huntress Reviews

Available

Directly from me https://payhip.com/b/J3sPN

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1725863

Amazon https://amzn.to/3Gjj4qH

Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hideaway-frontier-bride-regina-scott/1147116954?ean=2940184364247

Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/hideaway-frontier-bride-a-sweet-clean-western-romance/id6743096339

Kobo  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hideaway-frontier-bride

Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/hideaway-frontier-bride/10c3335dc38718ac?ean=9798232387792&next=t

Books-A-Million https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Hideaway-Frontier-Bride/Regina-Scott/9798232387792

Frontier Brides, taming the West one cowboy at a time.

New Series, First Release--Back to the Regency!

I've been doing lots of other things the last year and a half abouts (frontier romances, another Regency steampunk novella, and fantasy romance!), but I'm delighted to report that I've released my next Regency!

Three young, widowed duchesses, each with a reason not to marry again. One duke, honor bound to give them a happy-ever-after so he can find his own. Let the matchmaking begin!

Since Claudia, Dowager Duchess of Tyneham, became a widow, she’s had to manage two feckless dukes, all their holdings, and the ill-chosen staff they left behind, all to protect the loyal staff and two other dowagers who call Tyneham Manor home. So when the new Duke of Tyneham in his august wisdom sends an architect out of the blue to remodel the manor, she’s ready for another fight. But she certainly isn’t ready for a winsome smile and a charming address to cut through all her defenses.

Remodeling an architectural treasure like Tyneham Manor could make widowed Ben Warden’s career and help him support his young son, if he can convince Claudia to trust him with the house she considers her home. Yet even as he and Claudia draw closer, it becomes apparent that everyone from the new duke to Her Grace’s lady’s maid is conspiring to give her a well-deserved happily-ever after, with Ben! What could a rising architect possibly offer a woman who has position, prestige, and wealth?

As secrets come to light and scandals unfold, can Ben convince his extraordinary duchess to take the most extraordinary chance of all—falling in love?

Available

Directly from me https://payhip.com/b/17Fkf

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1737166

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/His-Extraordinary-Duchess-Regency-Romance-ebook/dp/B0F2QLJLCZ

Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-extraordinary-duchess-regina-scott/1147201431?ean=2940184729824

Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/his-extraordinary-duchess/id6743880725

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/his-extraordinary-duchess

Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/his-extraordinary-duchess/ba0dd5f1c2f07092?ean=9798231825608

Universal Link https://books2read.com/u/mdx6ER

Happy reading!

Leftovers, Anyone? New Western Frontier Romance Out!

Happy (almost) spring! Just popping in to celebrate the launch of Leftover Mail-Order Bride, the second book in my Frontier Brides series, set in the 1870s in Washington Territory.

What’s a mail-order bride to do when she’s left at the altar?

Victoria Milford had spent much of her life caring for ailing relatives, so it wasn’t a stretch to agree to marry a near-stranger in Washington Territory for a chance at a life of her own. But the man who had proposed marriage wed another while she was enroute. The local minister’s wife assures her that bachelors abound on the frontier. Surely it isn’t too much to ask that one might prefer Victoria?

The leader of the family ranch, Jack Willets is determined not to let his parents’ insistence on finding true love sway him. What he needs in a bride is a lady who can work beside him. When the local minister’s wife introduces him to Victoria, he’s immediately drawn to her sweet nature. But can a city girl ever really feel comfortable in the country?

Between a boisterous, matchmaking family and dozens of other suitors chasing after Victoria, she and Jack may have their hands full as they discover being leftover just means the perfect love can come along.

"A delightful love at first sight romance set in the late 1800’s Pacific Northwest." Melissa's Bookshelf

Available

Directly from me 

Smashwords 

Amazon (affiliate link)

Barnes and Noble 

Apple Books 

Kobo  

Bookshop.org, benefitting independent bookstores

Books-A-Million

And Suddenly, We Have a Mail-Order Bride!

Hello, my dears! I’m delighted to report that the first book in my new Frontier Brides series is out! This series is set close to my home, on Hawks Prairie outside of Olympia, Washington, in the mid-1800s. It’s been so much fun to write about places I can go see and walk around! And having a large family in the picture is even more fun!

The charming Jeremy Willets thought writing away for a mail-order bride a wise decision. He just had to find a way to break it to his family. They valued true love, after all. True love wasn’t so easy to find in a frontier territory where men outnumbered the women eight to one. He never expected the woman with whom he was corresponding to show up at the door of his family’s ranch, unannounced and ready for a wedding.

Spunky Caroline Cadhill staked everything on finding a groom as far away from Cincinnati as possible. The letters Jeremy sent her seemed heartfelt and witty. Yet he hadn’t made a commitment. With danger threatening and her brother vanished, her only choice had been to run, right into Jeremy’s arms. Now she isn’t sure which is more dangerous, the men chasing her or the smile of her cowboy would-be groom.

Between a boisterous matchmaking family and a threat from her past, Caroline and Jeremy will have their hands full. But if they persevere, they may find their sudden romance turning into a forever love.

You can find it at fine retailers online as an ebook:

Directly from me 

Smashwords 

Amazon (affiliate link)

Barnes and Noble 

Apple Books 

Kobo  

You can find it in print on Amazon and Barnes and Noble as well as the following:

Bookshop.org 

Books-A-Million 

Or at your local library via Overdrive. Don’t see it at your library? Ask them to order it!

Enjoy!

Twenty-Four Characters for Twelfth Night

I was doing research (lovely, lovely research!) and came across a picture I just have to share with you.

We’ve talked about Twelfth Night several times, and a masquerade to celebrate it is included in The Aeronaut’s Heart in My Fair Regency. January 6 marks the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas and the end of the Christmas season in general. In England, it might be commemorated with parties and a special cake. I am a bit late for this year’s celebration, but I offer you the following to get you thinking for next year. (Fingers crossed that if you click on the picture, you can see a larger version.)

These cards were designed and published by Thomas Rowlandson in 1811 and depict the various “characters” you might play during a Twelfth Night party. Your hostess might hand you a role to play when you arrived, or she might have sent you the card in advance so you could come in character and in costume.

And oh, the plot possibilities!

• A shy young lady aghast at being asked to play Lady Racket.
• A mismatched couple; say the gentleman is asked to play Captain Dash but the lady is stuck with Lady Careless.
• Your rival insisting that you play Miss Gadabout.
• A studly fellow being assigned Lord Flutter while a bookworm is assigned Major Matchless.
• The grumpiest chaperone being given Mrs. Friendly!

What do you think? See one you’d like to play? Or one you wouldn’t?

Wishing you a very happy new year, with many wonderful characters to discover in books you love!

Holding Out for a Hero

I’ve written many heroes over the years, but Stephen Roth may be unique. How many Regency gentlemen not only fought Napoleon for his country but also served as bodyguard to a royal house? Roth is the last of my Batavarian Imperial Guards to marry, and his story, Never Hire a Hero, is the finale of my Fortune’s Brides series.

A former elite soldier, Stephen Roth was trained to be ruthless as he served as bodyguard for kings and princes. So why would his English patroness, Lady Belfort, and her cat, Fortune, arrange for him to take a position as the tutor to the heir of Alldene Castle and the boy’s siblings? And why does the children’s mother, Lady Alldene, look at him with shining eyes, as if he could be some sort of hero? This was not the sort of challenge he bargained for!

A peer in her own right, Thea, Countess of Alldene, was raised in Alldene Castle and taught how to rule over it. But nothing prepared her for the death of her husband and the villainy of the man he appointed as guardian for her children. If a tutor with a razor-sharp gaze will prevent that man from taking her sons away from her, she’s willing to put up with Roth’s rough-shod ways.

But the castle holds a secret that may prove Thea’s undoing. When danger threatens, she turns to the one man who might be able to keep them all safe. Could a marriage of convenience over Christmas prove that heroes can turn up in the least likely places?

“I fell in love with Never Hire a Hero on the first pages. My heart immediately went out to a family trying to overcome their past and not shirk their responsibilities or let the bullies rule. Thea is a wonderful mother trying to do too much with too little and she needs help. Luckily, she’s found a friend. If you love your sweet romance to have substance, you can’t go wrong with a book by Ms. Scott!” Gina Hott, Hott Book Reviews

Available in paperback and ebook from fine online retailers (and you can order at a bookstore near you), such as

Directly from me 

Smashwords 

Amazon (Affiliate Link)

Barnes and Noble 

Apple Books 

Kobo 

And if you want to learn more about the entire fourteen-book series, see my website.

Nineteenth Century Christmas Wish List, 2023 Edition

I hope those of you in the states had a lovely Thanksgiving. The day after, my thoughts always turn to Christmas. So, as I have in years past, I thought I’d share some goodies you might want to put on the gift list for yourself or anyone else who loves the nineteenth century!

An Etsy shop with the intriguing name of Neurons Not Included has a delightful beveled glass ornament showing the spines of Jane Austen’s beloved books.

And if you want to be certain your books are returned to you, you might turn to Pickled Stamps on Etsy for embosser stamps declaring the book’s ownership.

Perhaps you intend to do some entertaining over the holidays. Café Press has some lovely notecards designed to look like an invitation to the Pemberly ball. Who wouldn’t want to attend that! 

And if you need coffee while penning those invites, you might find this mug just the thing to keep you warm. As the temperature of the mug changes with its contents, so does the finery of the ladies on it. 

 

Then again, what lady would despise reproduction jewelry pieces? Lady Detalle on Etsy has a number of Victorian and Regency reproduction jewelry pieces.  As does Dames Alamode on eBay, although those tend more to the Georgian. 

And I simply have to mention our own Marissa’s Ladies of Almacks magnets and 2024 calendar. I ordered several sets of the magnets this year, as I keep thinking of friends who would love her unique blend of history, fashion sense, and snark.

Remember, if you want to keep up with what Marissa and I are doing, be sure to sign up for our newsletters, which give you access to all kinds of lovely free stories. You can find mine here and hers here.

May all your shopping be hassle-free, and your thoughtful gifts greatly appreciated!

Retro Blast: Happy Thanksgiving!!

I can’t say it any better than I did back in 2011—Regina and I wish our American readers the very happiest of Thanksgivings. I’m still making that cranberry ginger sauce as posted below (which I’ll have to go do as soon as I post this—it does best if it has a day or two in the fridge before serving) as well as another family favorite Thanksgiving side dish—garlic and rosemary marinated mushrooms.

And speaking of recipes, Book View Café’s BVC Eats: Recipes from the Authors of Book View Café is now available in print as well as in e-book form from all the usual suspects, as well as directly from Book View Cafe.

* * * * *

Although Thanksgiving was not a holiday that would have been celebrated by the 19th century British young ladies of our books, Regina and I certainly celebrate it…and one of the things we’re most thankful for is you, our readers. You’re truly what keeps us blogging every week…so thank you!

Now, just because Thanksgiving isn’t a 19th century British holiday doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate it in our own way…so Regina and I would like to offer you some recipes with a 19th century flavor that might do well at your own Thanksgiving feast.

This first one is from Beeton’s Book of Household Management, first published in England in 1861 by Mrs. Isabella Beeton. Remember that name…you’ll be hearing more about her in the coming weeks. This sounds like a terrific way to use up leftover Thanksgiving mashed potatoes:

Potato Rissoles

Mashed potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Minced parsley
Egg (number depends on how much mashed potatoes is available)
Bread crumbs (likewise)

Beat the egg in a shallow dish. Set bread crumbs aside in another shallowdish or plate. Add a seasoning of pepper and salt and a little minced parsley to the mashed potatoes. Roll the potatoes into small balls, dip them into the egg and then cover them in bread crumbs. Fry in hot oil or butter for about 10 minutes. Drain and dish them on a napkin, then serve. Note.-The flavour of these rissoles may be very much increased by adding finely-minced tongue or ham, or even chopped onions, when these are liked.

And here’s a recipe from Queen Victoria’s chief chef, Charles Francatelli:

French Beans with fine herbs

Pick over, trim, and wash string beans, and boil in lightly salted water until tender. Put two pats of butter into a stewpan with a tablespoonful of chopped parsley and also two shallots finely chopped, a little nutmeg, mignionette pepper [a mix of black and white pepper and coriander] and salt, and the juice of a lemon; simmer this over a stove-fire until melted, and then add the beans, tossing the whole together, and serve.

This last recipe isn’t 19th century, but it makes its appearance every year on my Thanksgiving table:

Pickled Ginger Cranberry Sauce (from Cooks Country Magazine, October/November 2008)

Pulse one 16 ounce can cranberry sauce (I prefer whole berry myself—gives a better texture), 2 tablespoons drained pickled ginger, and 1 teaspoon wasabi powder or dry mustard in foor processor until combined. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Have a pleasant Thanksgiving, full of good food and good company!

Return to the Frontier with The Schoolmarm’s Convenient Marriage

I’m delighted to report that the fourth book in my Frontier Matches series, The Schoolmarm’s Convenient Marriage, is out in the world!

Once the darling of her Boston-area community, Alice Dennison has travelled across the entire country to start life over as a schoolteacher in the tiny settlement of Wallin Landing, north of frontier Seattle. No one there knows the humiliation and hurt hidden in her heart. Perhaps she can finally be herself. Then a storm forces her to seek shelter with a handsome logger for the night, and suddenly she’s facing marriage or scandal! Again!

One look, and shy Jesse Willets knew the pretty, proper schoolmarm wasn’t the woman for him. He saw the love between his mother and father, a love built on common values, shared experiences. He has nothing in common with Alice, except maybe a desire to make the world a little better.

The community comes together to help this unlikely couple find their way in a marriage of convenience, and Jesse and Alice begin to discover that they have more in common than they thought. When Alice’s past intrudes, revealing secrets, they must work together for their chance at happiness. In doing so, they may discover that true love is not so distant after all.

“This is a wonderful, sweet love story that I highly recommend for those who enjoy marriages of convenience or with an interest in the history of Washington state. There are many details that help ground the reader in the time and place, and I really love how this town has become almost a character in itself. This one should not be missed!” Lynda’s Reviews

Available at fine online retailers including

Directly from me 

Smashwords 

Amazon 

Barnes and Noble 

Apple Books 

Kobo  

Looking for print? Try Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Now We're Cookin'!

We certainly are! I’m delighted to announce that Book View Café’s first cookbook, BVC Eats: Recipes from the Authors of Book View Café, which I co-edited with fellow BVC author Shannon Page, is out today.

So why did a bunch of fantasy and science fiction and mystery and romance writers decide to publish a cookbook? Several reason, actually...the main one being that most of us love to cook. After all, cooking is as much a creative endeavor as writing is, and writers tend to have an itch to create more than just stories: we knit, sew, quilt, carve, paint, draw…and cook. Over the years we’ve published dozens of recipes on our blog, and as a way to commemorate our fifteenth year in business, a cookbook seemed like a fun way to celebrate.

The fun part is that this isn’t just a collection of recipes. Each contributor has prefaced their recipes by an origin story, the inspiration for the recipe, or a memorable occasion at which they served it. It’s as enjoyable to read as it is to cook from, whether you wish to make cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a Sunday brunch, an elegant dinner, a pig roast, or what's being served on Mars at a well-known girls’ school.

BVC Eats is releasing exclusively from Book View Café until November 20, when it will be available from all the usual online bookstores and in print. We hope you’ll check it out, because in this case, good eating is also good eating.

Posts That Go Bump in the Night

We’ve not had very much to say about Halloween on NineteenTeen, mostly because it wasn’t all that much of a “holiday” to the 19th century misses we often write about....though I can't imagine that they wouldn't have enjoyed parts of it as celebrated in the 21st century.

But that doesn’t mean that our 19th century misses didn’t enjoy a shiver or two, whatever day the calendar said it was … and those shivers could generally be found in a circulating library. Spooky stories had become to come into their own in the second half of the 18th century, and authors such as Horace Walpole, Ann Radcliffe, and Matthew Lewis wrote hugely popular "horrid" fiction—stories that would eventually be gently lampooned by Jane Austen. Later in the century and up to this day, tales of ghosts and the supernatural were more likely to be popular in Britain around a different holiday; authors like M.R. James wrote ghost stories for the Christmas season that still raise goosebumps on readers today.

And, after all, maybe Halloween was not widely observed because unexplained phenomena—ghosts and other echoes of the past—are so common in Britain. When unexplained footsteps and cold drafts happen every day, who needs a special spooky holiday?

Hmm. Then again, if Reece's Peanut Butter Cups are involved, I just may have to raise my hand...

 

Have a sweet, shivery evening, everyone!

Not a Slippery Slope

 

Here’s a bit of a riddle to introduce today’s topic: can you guess what it is?

• Jane Austen wrote her books on one.
• The daughters of George III had them for their voluminous correspondence and artwork.
• You can order one on-line right this minute, from a multitude of places.

What is it?

It is one of these: writing slopes!

Writing slopes are elegant little boxes (generally twelve to fourteen inches wide and ten to twelve inches deep.) They’re called slopes because they open like so, providing an angled surface (generally around twenty-five or thirty degrees), usually covered with fabric (blue velvet is a favorite) that provides an absorbent surface on which to write—in short, a portable desk.

The interiors are divided into small compart- ments in which one could keep writing paper, pens, ink, penknives, sealing wax, and all the other appurtenances of writing. The tiny ink bottles just slay me!

 

They could be relatively plain, like this one:

 

 

Or elaborately inlaid with decorative woods, bone, mother of pearl, and metal. They often had locks, so that one could store private correspondence in them; some even had secret compartments.

The world is fortunate that Jane Austen's writing slope, a gift from her father in the 1790s, has been preserved—along with are purported to be some of her spectacles! It is in the collections of the British Library; go here to see a couple of really cool 3-D manipulative images of it.

And as for writing slopes today, physical therapists, teachers, and orthopedists have found that using a slanted surface to write, read, or draw at, which is why slanted surfaces are readily available today. However, I’ve yet to see one as pretty as those from the 19th century!

* * * * *

Speaking of slopes…slide your mind back to March 2022, when NineteenTeen welcomed guest blogger Katie Kennedy to talk about which president she would most prefer to go bathing suit shopping with (among other things!) I’m happy to report that Katie’s The Presidents Decoded: A Guide to the Leaders Who Shaped Our Nation is out today!  You can find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your favorite independent bookstore.

Why Celebrate One Regency Holiday When You Can Celebrate Six?

We’ve talked about a number of Regency holidays over the years such as Christmas and Easter. I’m delighted to report that I have a Regency steampunk story, in the Regent’s Devices universe, out this Thursday. Like the other stories, which are more-traditional Regencies, it centers around a Regency holidays. We cover from May Day to Twelfth Night, featuring some of your favorite tropes—enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance, forbidden love, friends-to-lovers, and more! The collection includes the following stories:

May Day Mayhem by Ann Chaney—Intrigue, death, and love come to Horsham-Upon-the-Thames as the small English village anticipates their May Day celebration. Home Office agents the Duke of Doncaster and governess Helen Stokes join forces to uncover a missing list of French agents before an enemy discovers it. Mired in May Day preparations while chasing hoodlums and gentry, Helen and Doncaster try to fight their mutual attraction in a romantic farce worthy of Covent Garden.

My Favorite Mistake by Courtney McCaskill—Sixteen years ago, lady’s maid Fanny Price was swept off her feet by a handsome horse trainer named Nick Cradduck. The very next day, he shattered her heart. But now, at the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake, who should Fanny encounter but the man she crossed all of England to avoid… A second-chance love story featuring Fanny, the scene-stealing lady’s maid from How to Train Your Viscount!

His Damsel by Charlotte Russell—During her annual visit to Bartholomew Fair, Eliza Cranstoun is mistaken for a lady in distress when in fact she was attempting to avenge the honor of her cousin. Now, she insists Anthony Ripley, her savior, help her bring down a lordly scoundrel. Amidst the scheming however, the independent Eliza and the confirmed bachelor Anthony, discover that love finds even those who choose not to seek it.

When I Fall In Love by Cora Lee—The Harvest Festival is a chance for reunions and love, but perhaps not for childhood friends Sylvie Devereaux and Kit Mathison. When Kit returns to renovate the home he inherited, Sylvie’s financial burdens prompt Kit to propose a marriage of convenience. But Sylvie has always wanted to marry for love, and they don't love each other…do they?

Remember by Shannon Donnelly—Over the years, Beatrice Foxton keeps meeting up with Andrew Cliffs on Guy Fawkes Night, but these two friends are separated by her family’s expectations for her to marry a well-born lord and his family’s background in trade. And, yet, they can’t stay away from each other...

The Aeronaut’s Heart by Regina Scott—Josephine Aventure was on her way to earning a place in England’s Aeronautical Corps until the dashing smuggler she’d once loved showed up. Etienne Delaguard risked much to help England win the war against France. Over a Twelfth Night masquerade, can a gentleman of the sea win the heart of a lady of the air?

You can find all the links to your favorite online retailers here.

Time to celebrate!