The Truth About the 2nd Duke

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Proserpine 1882. this is one of several versions of the painting Rossetti painted. You can read more about it here.

I’ve been hearing from readers asking where they can find Book # 2 of the Difficult Dukes series.

Unfortunately, it can’t be found yet, because I’m still working on it. Glancing over some of the blog posts here, you’ll have some idea why. The Duke of Ashmont’s story has proved to be an unusually difficult one, for reasons I’m unable to ascertain. This has happened before, but not, I’m happy to say, for a very long time. I’m a slow writer, but not that slow, usually.

However, some readers are under the impression that Ten Things I Hate About the Duke has actually been published. This is because I failed to meet some deadlines, including one that would have allowed for the book’s release early this year.

My fault. Publishing works on a schedule, and a great deal happens before the author has completed the manuscript. And so the information went into catalogs and somehow ended up in the series listings. While my extremely patient publisher has been so kind as to allow me a delayed publication date, this information didn’t get on the various lists before the earlier information leaked out.

Here is the current reality: Ten Things I Hate About the Duke is scheduled for late this year. All I have to do is finish it in time.

The above painting was one of the visual inspirations for the story’s heroine.

The Singing Bird Pistols

Readers familiar with my short story, “Lord Lovedon’s Duel,” (recently reissued in the Royal Bridesmaids anthology and one of the two stories in the Royally Ever After duet) will remember the Singing Bird Pistols. In case anybody was wondering, yes, they’re real.

Some years ago, reader Ammie sent me a link she believed a Nerdy History Girl like me would enjoy. I was wowed, and the pistols became part of the inspiration for the novella.

This link will take you to the video I watched over and over: The Only Known Pair of Matching Singing Bird Pistols – Attributed to Frères Rochat | Christie's.

I and others did wonder how the pistols had survived, let alone survived in pristine condition. Apparently, they weren’t pristine. This video, which another reader, Kafryn W Lieder, was so good as to send me, tells the impressive story of their restoration.

Since not everybody’s screen of choice works quite the same, and some people who receive the blog via email see only a square, rectangle, or blank where the video ought to be, below are the respective links to the videos with their YouTube titles.

The Only Known Pair of Matching Singing Bird Pistols – Attributed to Frères Rochat | Christie's
Parmigiani Fleurier - Restoration "The Pistol and its Songbird"

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine card, “Yours For Ever,” by Esther Howland (Worcester, Massachusetts, ca. 1860-1880). Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts.

Valentine’s Day greeting cards did exist before Esther Howland came into the picture, and it was an important holiday in England in the time of my stories. In fact, according to this article, an English Valentine Ms. Howland received was the impetus for what soon became a highly successful business. I love women’s success stories, and I especially like Esther’s because it seems she was actually a good boss. I also like her because she came from Worcester, Massachusetts, my hometown.

You can find out a great deal more about Esther Howland here at Wikipedia.

Happy Valentine’s Day. I hope it brings you something beautiful. Chocolate isn’t so bad, either.

Note: If you click on the link in the picture caption, you can enlarge the card and see all the glorious details.

Love,

Loretta