The Regency Fiction Writers 2023 Virtual Conference is coming!

Regina and I thought you might like to know about this. Early Bird pricing ends on June 1st, so if you're interested, now's the time to sign up!

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The RFW Board of Directors is pleased to announce our 3rd annual Regency Fiction Writers conference, June 13-15, 2023. Our three-day conference will be held live via Zoom.

Keynote Speakers

We have two amazing keynote speakers lined up for the conference, ladies who are legends in the Regency storytelling world: Julia Quinn, the NY Times bestselling author and creator of the Bridgerton series, and RFW member Cathy Maxwell, a multi-award winner and NY Times and USA Today bestselling author.

Schedule

Day 1, Thursday, July 13: Industry Workshops and the Business of Writing, with presenters Kathryn Leveque, Cathy Maxwell, Eloise James and Erica Ridley, and Sabrina Jeffries.

Day 2, Friday, July 14:  Historical, Marketing, and Writing Craft Workshops, with presenters Cecelia Melton, Serita Stephens, Kate Bateman, T. Taylor, and keynote by Cathy Maxwell

Day 3, Saturday, July 15: More Historical, Marketing, and Writing Craft Workshops, with presenters Katie Stein, Jessica Hale, Merry Farmer, Anabelle Anders and Tammy Andresen, and keynote by Julia Quinn, followed by the RFW annual soiree with a presentation on Regency Dress and a Silent Auction.

Registration

Registration is as follows:
• Early Bird – Saturday, April 1^st through Thursday, June 1^st
• Regular – Friday, June 2^nd through Friday, July 7^th
There will be no late registrations.

Early Bird Registrants only: Do you have a question you’ve been dying to ask Julia Quinn? Maybe you’ve wondered how she came up with her character names? Or who her favorite actor was in the Bridgerton series on Netflix? Or how her story process has changed over time? Well, here’s your chance to ask! Register before the Early Bird deadline and you can submit your questions for the Julia Quinn Keynote Q&A!

Of course, we can’t guarantee to ask her every question that gets submitted, but we will do our best to give you a shout-out if we select your question for the Q&A. Just be sure to register before the Early Bird deadline, because we won’t be taking any questions after that

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Want to know more? Then go to https://thebeaumonde.com/main/events/conference/ for details and sign-up instructions. Regina and I will see you there!

 

Can't Live Without Cant?

Marissa has shared some delightful posts on colorful language used in the early nineteenth century in her Such Language series.  (In case you missed them, I’ve provided all the links below).  Now author Stephen Hart has taken matters one step further by creating an online database of 18th century and Regency thieves’ cant. 

Thieves’ cant was slang developed among the criminal element, generally in the larger cities like London or Bristol. Some of it may have arisen to keep nosy types and the law from discovering what was what.  But, let’s face it, every trade has its own jargon, and the thieves were no different.  Jargon serves as shorthand, making conversation quicker.  It also tells us who is inside the group, and who isn’t. If you were a thief or someone who had to hang about with some, you needed to be able to talk like them or at least understand what they were saying. Surprisingly, the gentlemen of the upper orders were fascinated with the language and loved to throw in the slang among themselves as well.

Hart pulled language from several dictionaries or memoirs published between 1737 and 1819, including the Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, with which Marissa is so amused.  He made various entries available online but also created a searchable database of terms.  Be warned, it can be addicting!  The left navigation bar on his site includes other databases from his research, such as London directories and clubs and taverns.

But if you’d like some of the most witty entries online about the so-called vulgar tongue, do check out Marissa’s posts.  I’ll be nuts upon myself if you don’t find it a great frisk.

Such Language, 1917 Style 

Such Language, Part 13 

Such Language, Part 12 

Such Language, Part 11 

Such Language, Part 10 

Such Language, Part 9 

Such Language, Part 8 

Such Language, Part 7 

Such Language, Part 6 

Such Language, Part 5 

Such Language, Part 4 

Such Language, Part 3 

Such Language, Part 2 

Such Language, Part 1

Online Resource: Kristen Koster’s Regency Fashion Primers

Reticule, pelisse, spencer, fichu--how on earth can a modern reader determine what a young lady was wearing in the early nineteenth century when we don’t even use those words anymore?  Kristen Koster, a wonderful writer and Vice President for Media and Communications of the Romance Writers of America’s Beau Monde Chapter (Regency), has put together a fantastic post that walks you through the basic terminology, and needs, of a young lady on the ton.   She covers the essence of dress, undress, and half dress, and points out some important facts about various types of clothing.  Very helpful, whether you’re reading about the nineteenth century or writing about it.  

Wondering about a gentleman instead?  What exactly are Hessians and when was it permissible to wear them?  Why would a fellow want a banyan?  And why would a man possessed of a good set of teeth require a set of braces? (Hint--they are not for your mouth).  For answers to these questions and more, Kristen has you covered.  

And speaking of covers, thank you to Emily W and Donna Hatch for speaking up last week about the cover for my March release, Would-Be Wilderness Wife.  Emily was quite right--I had Kate Hudson in mind for the physical characteristics of my heroine and Chris Hemsworth for my hero.  Can’t you just see him as a strapping lumberjack, raising his younger brothers and sister in the wilderness?  If you can’t now, hopefully you will when you read the book. J

And speaking of books, Emily W is our winner!  Emily, if you e-mail your physical address to reginascott@owt.com, I will send you an early copy.  Thank you and Donna for commenting!