tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8395255497867458182024-03-14T05:05:27.246+00:00Catherine CurzonOld Hollywood and even older royals from the quill of Catherine CurzonCatherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.comBlogger1140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-53846752327422922922024-02-23T08:29:00.001+00:002024-02-23T08:29:10.402+00:00Willi Willy Harry Stee...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqMh8tJK5_A3LrOTniJJ2EIVCXr378TxtiRZDv9qAszWejbCl6ar-zAfX8ZrSLtE55xqVm1CypvW0g5kDPcYG4ojo5Wcr6AzAxo2g3StX-VrkS_Uc3eAKNket6b7FH_qIsIg6Jb-TJqqxg4mmqAvVNoVadlcPi8RzCZOfUVRFM11i04Bly2KoePVcMOJE9" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqMh8tJK5_A3LrOTniJJ2EIVCXr378TxtiRZDv9qAszWejbCl6ar-zAfX8ZrSLtE55xqVm1CypvW0g5kDPcYG4ojo5Wcr6AzAxo2g3StX-VrkS_Uc3eAKNket6b7FH_qIsIg6Jb-TJqqxg4mmqAvVNoVadlcPi8RzCZOfUVRFM11i04Bly2KoePVcMOJE9" width="240" /></a></div><br />I was so excited to join Charlie Higson to discuss the reign of George I; from the South Sea Bubble to locking your wife up for thirty years, it's all here!<p></p><p>Listen to "Willy Willy Harry Stee" at the link below, or find it on your favourite podcast platform!</p><p><a href="https://shows.acast.com/willy-willy-harry-stee">https://shows.acast.com/willy-willy-harry-stee</a></p><p><br /></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-27169330013077232132024-01-06T00:00:00.000+00:002024-01-06T12:32:31.582+00:00The Spitfire Girl - 99p Deal!<p> </p><header class="entry-header" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 40px; text-align: center;"><h1 class="entry-title" style="clear: both; color: #111111; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 2.5rem; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px;">The Spitfire Girl</h1></header><div class="entry-content" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; counter-reset: footnotes 0; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13598" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="540" sizes="(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" src="https://elliecurzon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/The-Spitfire-Girl-small.jpg" srcset="https://elliecurzon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/The-Spitfire-Girl-small.jpg 540w, https://elliecurzon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/The-Spitfire-Girl-small-300x300.jpg 300w, https://elliecurzon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/The-Spitfire-Girl-small-150x150.jpg 150w" style="border-style: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 1.6em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="540" /></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;"><a href="https://geni.us/B0CDQQTP5Qauthor" rel="noopener" style="color: #a62425; transition: background-color 0.2s ease-in-out, border-color 0.2s ease-in-out, color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">The Spitfire Girl:</a> published 27th September 2023 by Bookouture, is just 99p for a limited time. Available in ebook, paperback and on Audible. <a href="https://geni.us/B0CDQQTP5Qsocial">Buy it here.</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;"><strong>England, 1941. ‘I’m sorry. Freddy’s plane went down.’ Her knees buckle. ‘No,’ she whispers. But the next words break through her despair. ‘There is a chance we can rescue him. And you are the only one who can.’ She didn’t wait to answer. She would do anything to get Freddy home.</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;"><span class="a-text-bold">Sally</span> has always been happiest flying her stunt plane, thrilling audiences across the world, with her oldest friend and dearest love <span class="a-text-bold">Freddy</span>. Until the war tears everything apart.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">When she is approached by the Ministry of Defence, Sally jumps at the chance to be part of a classified project. Seeing the new, improved Spitfire plane, her jaw drops. She’s been chosen to run test flights and get it battle ready.<span class="a-text-bold"> This could turn the tide of war.</span> <span class="a-text-bold">But she can’t tell a soul, not even Freddy.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">Even though she’s making sure the plane is safe for Royal Air Force pilots like her darling Freddy, her heart breaks as the secret weighs on their relationship. And as she tries to close the distance between them, disaster strikes. <span class="a-text-bold">Freddy has been lost over Nazi-occupied France. And he was in the top-secret Spitfire.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">Stunned, Sally can’t believe he took the plane on its first mission. But with Nazis on the hunt, time is running out. Sally must risk everything to stop the plane from falling into enemy hands and rescue her beloved Freddy. <span class="a-text-bold">Will she find Freddy and bring him safely back to Bramble Heath, or will they be parted forever?</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;"><span class="a-text-bold">A totally unputdownable and emotional historical novel, perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe, Nadine Dorries and Rosie Clarke.</span></p><h2 style="clear: both; color: #111111; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 1.75rem; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 2em;">What readers are saying about Ellie Curzon</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘<span class="a-text-bold">Must-read</span>… <span class="a-text-bold">Wow and wow</span>… The twists and turns in the story will come as a surprise and <span class="a-text-bold">keep you hooked</span>… <span class="a-text-bold">Loved it</span>.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘Writing at its<span class="a-text-bold"> absolute best</span>. A thoroughly enjoyable read…<span class="a-text-bold"> Beautiful</span>… A lovely romance and an<span class="a-text-bold"> amazing </span>ending –<span class="a-text-bold"> what’s not to love</span>… It was so good and I wanted it to go on forever. <span class="a-text-bold">5 stars? Worth so many more</span>.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘A <span class="a-text-bold">rip-roaringly good</span> read… I thoroughly enjoyed it… I’d <span class="a-text-bold">love to see this as a film or TV drama</span>… <span class="a-text-bold">Absolutely spiffing</span>. Highly recommended.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘“Awwww” moments that<span class="a-text-bold"> hit me with the “feels”</span>… I would <span class="a-text-bold">hugely recommend </span>this.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘<span class="a-text-bold">Brilliant </span>read… Marvellous… <span class="a-text-bold">Couldn’t put the book down!</span>’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘I<span class="a-text-bold"> read this in two sittings</span>. A great insight into what life was like during those dark days of the war… <span class="a-text-bold">Warmed my heart</span>.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘A <span class="a-text-bold">page-turner</span>. I<span class="a-text-bold"> found it hard to put down</span>… Was sorry it had to end.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘I was <span class="a-text-bold">hooked from page one</span>… A <span class="a-text-bold">can’t-put-down book</span>… I’d highly recommend.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘<span class="a-text-bold">Brilliant</span>… A lovely <span class="a-text-bold">heart-warming saga</span>.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer</strong></p></div>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-59788516946267669262023-11-13T13:43:00.004+00:002023-11-13T13:43:54.729+00:00The Wartime Vet<p> </p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-13640 size-full" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="586" sizes="(max-width: 382px) 100vw, 382px" src="https://elliecurzon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/the-wartime-vet-cover-small.png" srcset="https://elliecurzon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/the-wartime-vet-cover-small.png 382w, https://elliecurzon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/the-wartime-vet-cover-small-196x300.png 196w" style="border-style: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 1.6em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="382" /></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">We’re so excited to share the cover of our next WW2 saga with you – meet Laura, The Wartime Vet! You can <a href="https://geni.us/B0CLYN5DQXauthor" rel="noopener" style="color: #a62425; text-decoration-skip: objects; transition: background-color 0.2s ease-in-out, border-color 0.2s ease-in-out, color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">pre-order her story now on Amazon</a>. The Wartime Vet is published on 4th April 2024!</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">England, 1941. Dedicated local vet Laura cares for the farm animals of the little village of Bramble Heath. But falling bombs aren’t the only danger as the war hits close to home…</span></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">Despite everyone telling her it’s not a suitable career for a woman, Laura has worked hard to become a successful livestock vet. And she’s not afraid to serve her country in the village of Bramble Heath, where she and the land girls care for animals and protect the crops everyone relies on during the darkest days of the war. But, just when the country is most in need of food, the farms of the village come under attack…</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">Desperate to figure out who among the villagers could be doing such terrible things even while German bombs rain down, Laura is relieved when the Ministry respond to her requests for help. But the man they send isn’t what she expects. Commander Alastair Seaton is quiet, with a soft, kind smile. And she can’t help but be drawn to his shining brown eyes.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;"><span id="more-13642"></span></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">But as they start to open up to each other about past heartbreak, disaster strikes. A farm has been set alight. While Laura hurriedly gathers water to fight the flames, Alistair rushes into the burning barn to make sure no one is trapped inside. Will Alistair make it out alive? And can Laura figure out who is behind these attacks before they threaten the outcome of the war?</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">An utterly unputdownable and emotional historical wartime novel, perfect for fans of Martha Hall Kelly, Diney Costeloe, and Before We Were Yours.</p><h2 style="clear: both; color: #111111; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 1.75rem; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 2em;">What readers are saying about Ellie Curzon</h2><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘Wow wow wow!!!! I read this book in less than 24 hours. So gripping, it had me hooked and unable to put it down until I finished the last page!!!… Love love loved everything about this.’ @DianeLikesToRead</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘Wonderful… I took this one completely to my heart from the very beginning… You won’t want to put down… Brought a tear to my eyes.’ @leona.omahony</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘WOW… Needs more than 5 stars… Incredible story of love, courage, survival and bravery… Unforgettable… Loved it.’ Goodreads reviewer, <img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘Wow! I loved it… This book will make your heart pound and your palms sweat.’ Goodreads reviewer, <img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘Wonderful… Kept me on the edge of my seat, heart drumming… Left me breathless.’ I’m Hooked on Books, <img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘I flew through this… One of the best World War 2 saga books I’ve ever read.’ Goodreads reviewer, <img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘Kept me on the edge of my seat! I loved it… I was sad to have it end!’ NetGalley reviewer, <img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /><img alt="⭐" class="emoji" draggable="false" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2b50.svg" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-7595410595617062212023-07-25T00:11:00.001+01:002023-07-25T00:11:05.750+01:00The Ration Book Baby<p> </p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13561" decoding="async" height="600" sizes="(max-width: 391px) 100vw, 391px" src="https://elliecurzon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Ration-Book-Baby-small-min.jpg" srcset="https://elliecurzon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Ration-Book-Baby-small-min.jpg 391w, https://elliecurzon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Ration-Book-Baby-small-min-196x300.jpg 196w" style="border-style: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 1.6em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="391" /></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">Available in ebook and on Audible. Buy it now at <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0C69ND1H1?tag=bookouture-cover-reveal-21&geniuslink=true" rel="noopener" style="color: #a62425; transition: background-color 0.2s ease-in-out, border-color 0.2s ease-in-out, color 0.2s ease-in-out, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Amazon</a> – published 25th July 2023 by Bookouture!</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;"><strong><span class="a-text-bold">England, 1940. </span><span class="a-text-bold">Opening the box with trembling hands, she couldn’t believe it – a tiny baby lay inside. She gently lifted the newborn as it started to cry. Cradling the little one to her chest, she searched the darkness for any sign of whoever left it here. And as she rocked the child, something fluttered to the ground… a ration book.</span></strong></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">Nurse<span class="a-text-bold"> <strong>Annie Russell</strong></span><strong> </strong>anxiously listens to the terrifying sounds of planes and gunfire overhead, worried about what the morning will bring for the patients in her care. The boys from the local airfield fly up in the skies each night, risking their lives to protect the people of Bramble Heath village, but they can’t stop every bombshell. Until a knock at the door makes her jump.</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">Awaiting Annie on the doorstep is a hatbox. Peeking under the lid, she gasps – inside is a whimpering newborn, round cheeks glistening with tears. The poor little thing may be all alone, but someone must truly love the baby… Tucked into a hand-knitted blanket, there’s a precious ration book, vital for food supplies in these darkest of days.</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">Her heart breaking, Anniedoes everything she can to care for her tiny charge. But, without a ration book, she knows that the frightened young mother could also be in dire need of help too. Then social services bring devastating news. <strong>If Annie can’t find the helpless child’s family soon, the authorities will have to take the little one away.</strong></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">As the Nazi threat grows, more and more of the brave pilots at the local airbase don’t come home. Is one of the fallen the child’s father? And with her only clue leading nowhere, <span class="a-text-bold">can Annie find the answers she needs, and reunite the innocent baby with its parents before it is too late?</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;"><strong><span class="a-text-bold">A totally unputdownable and emotional historical novel that will have you reading late into the night. Perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe, Martha Hall Kelly and </span><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic">Before We Were Yours</span><span class="a-text-bold">.</span></strong></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;"><strong>What readers are saying about Ellie Curzon</strong></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘<span class="a-text-bold">Must-read</span>… <span class="a-text-bold">Wow and wow</span>… The twist and turns in the story will come as a surprise and <span class="a-text-bold">keep you hooked</span>… <span class="a-text-bold">Loved it</span>.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘Writing at its<span class="a-text-bold"> absolute best</span>. A thoroughly enjoyable read…<span class="a-text-bold"> Beautiful</span>… A lovely romance and an<span class="a-text-bold"> amazing </span>ending –<span class="a-text-bold"> what’s not to love</span>… It was so good and I wanted it to go on forever. <span class="a-text-bold">5 stars? Worth so many more</span>.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘A <span class="a-text-bold">rip-roaringly good</span> read… I thoroughly enjoyed it… I’d <span class="a-text-bold">love to see this as a film or TV drama</span>… <span class="a-text-bold">Absolutely spiffing</span>. Highly recommended. <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘“Awwww” moments that<span class="a-text-bold"> hit me with the “feels”</span>… I would <span class="a-text-bold">hugely recommend </span>this.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘<span class="a-text-bold">Brilliant </span>read… Marvellous… <span class="a-text-bold">Couldn’t put the book down!</span>’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘I<span class="a-text-bold"> read this in two sittings</span>. A great insight into what life was like during those dark days of the war… <span class="a-text-bold">Warmed my heart</span>.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer</strong></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘A <span class="a-text-bold">page-turner</span>. I<span class="a-text-bold"> found it hard to put down</span>… Was sorry it had to end.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘I was <span class="a-text-bold">hooked from page one</span>… A <span class="a-text-bold">can’t-put-down book</span>… I’d highly recommend.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars</strong></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em;">‘<span class="a-text-bold">Brilliant</span>… A lovely <span class="a-text-bold">heart-warming saga</span>.’ <strong>Goodreads reviewer</strong></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-8947280964747147152023-07-03T01:00:00.001+01:002023-07-03T01:00:00.127+01:00<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm delighted to welcome Michael Ramscar, for a story George III...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">---oOo---</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><u><span style="line-height: 25.68000030517578px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">‘George III’s Illnesses and His Doctors’, by Michael Ramscar</span></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The profile of Queen Charlotte has been raised in the last year by the popularity of both <i>Bridgerton</i> and the eponymous Netflix series, but while these are immensely enjoyable historical fiction accounts, the real story of Queen Charlotte and George III was a moving one of romance, and ultimately of tragedy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The marriage was an arranged one, with George choosing his bride from a ‘shopping list’ of German princesses. Ironically, Charlotte wasn’t even his first choice, yet the union became a love match and a highly successful partnership, which only began to fray at the edges in 1788/9 when the king first suffered from mental illness. The nature of their relationship is shown in Gillray’s cartoon ‘The Constant Couple’ of 1786 which is an affectionate and gentle satire which emphasises the closeness of the relationship and illustrates how the couple had essentially become the embodiment of the nation.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftCgSqZwAH2BtVFIPWj2UijUNGGYML5YXyWzwLFRvQvGOi570YYldD007qZeQsqobNXxBzoySUexDCpFlJiEW_3wYk0AVqbGBGOpdQyzFe1BK7-7hoJ1EpkAyWxS24Z03J0Y02gbY09YqXYBxE6XWnVKdKUCjDYXnrkuDclCSk1GtLe7_GECTkUeYWBB8/s962/Picture%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="962" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftCgSqZwAH2BtVFIPWj2UijUNGGYML5YXyWzwLFRvQvGOi570YYldD007qZeQsqobNXxBzoySUexDCpFlJiEW_3wYk0AVqbGBGOpdQyzFe1BK7-7hoJ1EpkAyWxS24Z03J0Y02gbY09YqXYBxE6XWnVKdKUCjDYXnrkuDclCSk1GtLe7_GECTkUeYWBB8/w400-h258/Picture%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the recently published book ‘<i>George III’s Illnesses and His Doctors’</i>, the impact of the King’s illness on his family and on the wider society of the UK is traced. Queen Charlotte was understandably distressed by the illness, and by some of the ‘treatment’ which the King received at the hands of his doctors, treatment which was brutal and inhumane but which was the norm at the time for those diagnosed to be insane. Eventually, in desperation, she gave consent for two of the king’s sons to turn to a ‘quack’ practitioner called James Lucett, who claimed to have a ‘cure’ for insanity which did not rely upon the endless round of restraint and isolation, purging and bleeding practised by the ‘specialist’ doctors who were treating him. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The book follows the relationship of the royals with Lucett, and the setting up of expe</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">riments to test his claims, which was in effect the first therapeutic trial in the history of psychiatry. Unfortunately for both Lucett and for the poor king, the ‘cure’ proved to be only temporary, although it did give immediate relief to some very difficult patients, and in the end it was not used on George. He continued to suffer the ministrations of his doctors and eventually languished in strict isolation in Windsor Castle for his final years, losing his grip on any kind of reality and unable to recognise even his beloved wife Charlotte.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">‘<i>George III’s Illnesses and His Doctors’</i> is based on contemporary archive material and sets out the story of this human tragedy and the very profound effect that the king’s illness and Lucett’s subsequent career had on the development of modern psychiatry. Simply because of fact that he was the king, George’s illness drove a re-think about what was acceptable treatment for the insane; he could not simply be locked up in Bedlam and ignored as so many other poor lunatics were. Lucett was undoubtedly a scoundrel and a quack, with no formal medical qualifications to his name, but in his subsequent career he pioneered a much more humane treatment of the insane. He set up private asylums where the patients, free from chains or straightjackets, were treated with dignity and occupations such as gardening were encouraged to help them to recover their sanity. He had some success in these ventures and patients did recover their reason under this humane regime free from the cruelty and degradation of the orthodox practice of trying to intimidate patients back to health. Lucett was an extraordinary person to have been in the forefront of psychiatric reform – he spent time in a debtor’s prison and his chequered career involved some hair-raising episodes of fraud and corruption - but he was ultimately a force for good.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The parallel accounts of George III and of Lucett provide a fascinating story of what happened to the king, how it affected his relationship with Queen Charlotte, and the impact that it subsequently had upon the treatment of mental illness. This account may not have quite the popular appeal of a gorgeously costumed TV series, but it tells of the profound effect that these two men had on an incredibly important part of medicine which is highlighted in our current preoccupation with our mental health.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCESEGZJKqUK1ZaQptm7LQxiQE2gUDEAc4P6HN5DIycFSIFmFdtWvK90TqvELqxSbxlAUiq443l4ZrIf_kJgVvUtDqjwZUtC5yLQR9_aLyhzxZRS6RcqIcxF1fE_TK7CYPuhWSbP_F1lBHUbpmwnCBGaXrR5LlmWHm4AVEQWtvKGYvaoxZ9gnsPXPEN2Yt/s928/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="928" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCESEGZJKqUK1ZaQptm7LQxiQE2gUDEAc4P6HN5DIycFSIFmFdtWvK90TqvELqxSbxlAUiq443l4ZrIf_kJgVvUtDqjwZUtC5yLQR9_aLyhzxZRS6RcqIcxF1fE_TK7CYPuhWSbP_F1lBHUbpmwnCBGaXrR5LlmWHm4AVEQWtvKGYvaoxZ9gnsPXPEN2Yt/w400-h249/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Dr Alexander Morison’s bath for treating the insane. Available in his <i>book Cases of Mental Disease, with Practical Observations on the Medical Treatment. </i>1828. Although no picture of the equipment which Lucett and Dr Tardy used to treat Mr Morgan exists this illustration matches the description given by Tardy to the Medical and Physical Journal in July 1813. The fact that Morison was the medical inspector of Lucett’s private asylum in 1815 provides an ironic linkage as well as demonstrating that Lucett’s way of treating insane patients had been taken up by one eminent and qualified practitioner 15 years later. (Image courtesy of the Wellcome Trust Collection. Public Domain Mark).</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdM3WuYpkQyq5RT0CWP-sniINc53yqw252BlBJyVg6TxS6nmDbuL4YGf-ic5RWcGCMz7zw8FEX_6By8NiM-rMC7VKPsxRGUUmP2-7Hm-5xtBKbI7bXlMW1Axcnmb-9hNZw_SFBRN_4mqpZgI1bEUVzBypo-swvvgcEaPWxslBR24egZkRWBViBJtR_f6s/s1337/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="1337" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdM3WuYpkQyq5RT0CWP-sniINc53yqw252BlBJyVg6TxS6nmDbuL4YGf-ic5RWcGCMz7zw8FEX_6By8NiM-rMC7VKPsxRGUUmP2-7Hm-5xtBKbI7bXlMW1Axcnmb-9hNZw_SFBRN_4mqpZgI1bEUVzBypo-swvvgcEaPWxslBR24egZkRWBViBJtR_f6s/w400-h301/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A picture of Dr William Hallaran’s spinning chair. It was used to treat the insane and similar equipment was suggested for use on George III. Its purpose was to disrupt manic episodes in the hope that this would aid recovery. In practice it induced violent vomiting and evacuations which had little useful therapeutic value. Picture available in Hallaran’s book on <i>Cure for Insanity </i>of 1810<i>.</i> (Wellcome Trust Collection. Public Domain Mark).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1C66s1t-CfbhD_QBzwTFGyFuQzB6n2TODWWnkYLM5QwxyUnFMV_wqrcmRFYG87sx2qOwW2MeP8_eN4FI9G9kclSmAANZqUE7YCa6S85p7bR4nwZM0DlVAQuxp563Qi5rSdtEpdhE4zhXEkuTkV3zcIXO0hYFKgmxkybjg65LcmI0LatF6PVqdZi411xvT/s736/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="495" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1C66s1t-CfbhD_QBzwTFGyFuQzB6n2TODWWnkYLM5QwxyUnFMV_wqrcmRFYG87sx2qOwW2MeP8_eN4FI9G9kclSmAANZqUE7YCa6S85p7bR4nwZM0DlVAQuxp563Qi5rSdtEpdhE4zhXEkuTkV3zcIXO0hYFKgmxkybjg65LcmI0LatF6PVqdZi411xvT/s320/4.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">George III’s Illnesses and His Doctors: A Study In Early Psychiatry</span></b><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">, by Michael Ramscar. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Available now from Pen & Sword Books.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><div><br /></div>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-20274331069985618812023-04-24T10:32:00.000+01:002023-04-24T10:32:08.000+01:00The Real Bridgerton is OUT NOW<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RoLJRJO7dRJn3V8hyEQEYivLDjWSA7M-W6CgGLA_RjxLfYfDwrEJ3h7wQFnEEC19LzsGCP2pLZfeAoxADqR3ReffXXQzIMNVQNWkPOG63UbOMcGCG3UrWu0srpJJiRqfSyqAube52jo3brQkXoJ79eX8Cd0JmSakuEqeCvn8soY0WaSeBwKvk8Nhqg/s601/25054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="404" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RoLJRJO7dRJn3V8hyEQEYivLDjWSA7M-W6CgGLA_RjxLfYfDwrEJ3h7wQFnEEC19LzsGCP2pLZfeAoxADqR3ReffXXQzIMNVQNWkPOG63UbOMcGCG3UrWu0srpJJiRqfSyqAube52jo3brQkXoJ79eX8Cd0JmSakuEqeCvn8soY0WaSeBwKvk8Nhqg/w269-h400/25054.jpg" width="269" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm absiolutely thrilled to announce that my new book, <i>The Real Bridgerton</i>, is out now. It's available online and in bookstores, and will be released in the US and for ebooks on 3rd June. <a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Real-Bridgerton-Hardback/p/23199">Find out more and buy it here</a>, or wherever you get your books!<br /></span><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">As millions of viewers across the globe thrill to the assembly room exploits of the Bridgerton family and wait with bated breath for Lady Whistledown’s latest despatch from Almack’s, scandal has never been so delicious. In a world where appearances were everything and gossip was currency, everyone had their price.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">From a divorce case that hinged on a public demonstration of masturbation to the irresistible exploits of the New Female Coterie, via the Prince Regent’s dropped drawers and Lady Hamilton’s diaphanous unmentionables, The Real Bridgerton pulls back the sheets on the eighteenth century’s most outrageous scandals. Within these pages Lord Byron meets his match, the richest commoner in England falls for a swindler with a heart of stone, and forbidden love between half-siblings leaves a wife and her children reeling.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Behind the headlines and the breathless whispers in Regency ballrooms were real people living real lives in a tumultuous, unforgiving era. The fall from the very pinnacle of society to the gutter could be as quick as it was brutal. If you thought that Bridgerton was as shocking as the Georgians got, it’s time to think again.</span><br /></span><br /></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-64866845147473140102023-03-02T11:13:00.000+00:002023-03-02T11:13:01.174+00:00Inside the World of Bridgerton is OUT NOW!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXzzUtAoDl9ruBLSYfqDSWNWnufUDJ-2XTUyw1NJAxJkqD2VTnMVgqcXclnn-Iq8-og5svZ5o8syUZgG-t_LeHnt3aoQ1JJpgvxmQSBFtp1NZdQMzvox5-2iwI6xSUmbXfVMs7mJep6KwixL16AEGRHdubpAy41HY0TsXDpr-KNqIi57PkXzreWVnZdA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="422" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXzzUtAoDl9ruBLSYfqDSWNWnufUDJ-2XTUyw1NJAxJkqD2VTnMVgqcXclnn-Iq8-og5svZ5o8syUZgG-t_LeHnt3aoQ1JJpgvxmQSBFtp1NZdQMzvox5-2iwI6xSUmbXfVMs7mJep6KwixL16AEGRHdubpAy41HY0TsXDpr-KNqIi57PkXzreWVnZdA=w260-h400" width="260" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Discover the true Regency history behind the TV phenomenon. <a href="https://www.mombooks.com/book/the-real-world-of-bridgerton/">Find out more here!</a></b><br /><br /><i>Inside the World of Bridgerton</i> explores the <b>historical inspirations</b> behind the hit series, and illuminates the fascinating details of real life in Regency high society.<br /><br />This<b> revealing guide</b> covers everything from class and the crucial role played by <b>marriage</b> to the <b>stunning fashion</b>, culture and social events of the time that have enchanted audiences and history fanatics worldwide. With further chapters dedicated to <b>sex</b>, <b>race</b>, <b>the media</b> and more, this is a window into the real history that has helped make <i>Bridgerton</i> into a <b>global phenomenon</b>.<br /><br />With advice on what to – and what not to – wear, how to see and be seen, the reality of ‘coming out’ in public, and decoding the real-life <b>scandal sheets</b> on which<i> </i>the beloved TV show is largely based, <i>Inside the World of Bridgerton </i>highlights how the <b>real ladies and gentlemen</b> of Regency England lived and loved.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.mombooks.com/book/the-real-world-of-bridgerton/">Buy the book</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><p></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-49932685905557937292023-03-01T08:56:00.003+00:002023-03-01T09:00:49.035+00:00Betwixt the Sheets<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">From sex to dentures to stinky princesses and everything in between, I am thrilled to be visiting <i>Betwixt</i> <i>the</i> <i>Sheets</i> with Kate Lister, to pull back the bedclothes and reveal the real <i>Bridgerton</i>! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-real-bridgerton/id1612090432?i=1000601980070">Click here to listen</a></span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUbAccyUIfwHlPK0-L6915C2GtsegeeRcz7pOOqU3t3J0L02udw4ExYjsJDtFrleNa2cZd33ykZASXoweauNuKs-DiboQGIWYLiVFSjKK-L5DUKmrdvtuztNGSt6tmcL-qi4KnYJw43IlKuAdV0H0Ltav89IWuUETb2FaNyW3JDwN9PsLEmme5mqYRg/s345/Regency%20dancing%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="345" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUbAccyUIfwHlPK0-L6915C2GtsegeeRcz7pOOqU3t3J0L02udw4ExYjsJDtFrleNa2cZd33ykZASXoweauNuKs-DiboQGIWYLiVFSjKK-L5DUKmrdvtuztNGSt6tmcL-qi4KnYJw43IlKuAdV0H0Ltav89IWuUETb2FaNyW3JDwN9PsLEmme5mqYRg/s320/Regency%20dancing%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-27989350377165786762023-02-20T11:27:00.007+00:002023-02-20T11:27:34.749+00:00My BBC Radio 4 Debut<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXCReoYPBv4HKx76w5UpZVAFDyxmAueezDn9HdSDBv7aeirgwdH9_Ul4gshJfFDQ5eG2O7Hr2Sblqc3eA9snFrR4m6pAEmbzGK4IzUkZUSTLCFQQXo-m3qfbI4pnQF1fw_IjBchSJjpoDLw2x7sqp6szDxkKR3eQSJv5QIIcyvivDQpQEegMQ_p_T2pg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXCReoYPBv4HKx76w5UpZVAFDyxmAueezDn9HdSDBv7aeirgwdH9_Ul4gshJfFDQ5eG2O7Hr2Sblqc3eA9snFrR4m6pAEmbzGK4IzUkZUSTLCFQQXo-m3qfbI4pnQF1fw_IjBchSJjpoDLw2x7sqp6szDxkKR3eQSJv5QIIcyvivDQpQEegMQ_p_T2pg=w320-h400" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I was absolutely thrilled to be invited along to <i>PM</i> on BBC Radio 4 this weekend to chat about the BBC's new adaptation of <i>Great Expectations </i>and the lure of the costume drama. You can catch the chat at the link below.</span><p></p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001jbzy" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">PM on BBC Radio 4</span></a><br /></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-91008136577440179862022-12-31T11:01:00.003+00:002022-12-31T11:01:21.029+00:00Past Matters Podcast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4qY_pHtOF0npPUN_ABexG8BmNGkp-74XZ03JbBUpkxDiZnLZpaJHxV7iHShHPalJoT4Q80R-FKZwZmhU94YMEM0y5Sf9PNrBvJDNQyt3Af0BxAqScNaTVTonSYDBbf7vP-Rgpn41KgGeFHC3UIo1u6B7fZdb0n-919cDNd1ar5a01Xkg3Zri7MvcfQ/s3233/3DCB9794-9703-471B-A733-466A978FF92E.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3233" data-original-width="2433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4qY_pHtOF0npPUN_ABexG8BmNGkp-74XZ03JbBUpkxDiZnLZpaJHxV7iHShHPalJoT4Q80R-FKZwZmhU94YMEM0y5Sf9PNrBvJDNQyt3Af0BxAqScNaTVTonSYDBbf7vP-Rgpn41KgGeFHC3UIo1u6B7fZdb0n-919cDNd1ar5a01Xkg3Zri7MvcfQ/s320/3DCB9794-9703-471B-A733-466A978FF92E.jpeg" width="241" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I’m thrilled to be a guest on Past Matters Podcast, telling the story of Sophia Dorothea, the wife whom George I locked away for 30 years... click below to listen to a tale of intrigue, murder and weird predictions! </span></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/1460624302/episode/002053ffbf32a80efeccdc56ed3b7c8b94264fdb/view"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Listen now</span></a><br /></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-33212888082721284842022-11-03T13:07:00.006+00:002022-11-03T13:07:45.891+00:00Exciting Ellie Curzon News!<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm chuffed to bits to announce that I've signed a brand new four book deal with Bookouture, writing as Ellie Curzon! Helen and I are so excited to share our World War II sagas with you; look for the first, <i>The Ration Book Baby</i>, in 2023.</span></p><div><a href="https://www.bookouture.com/2022/11/03/ellie-curzon-moves-to-bookouture/">Read more here!</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_HHah-mCpMmJ8izUAgk984a7zeqTx4p67_CDZLXBJMAGWvtH147Yh1arOpABcIclegPGJrrMmyzLUv9SRwtCrumb3PVywPH-r92OvUB95q7pxuq-BhoVnacxeKV_4CSNGO6ROjeM620SWeFj1EohEQi6OMxs0avf2kiVhqhTGzKjgWuBM3lzIpZRrxg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1231" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_HHah-mCpMmJ8izUAgk984a7zeqTx4p67_CDZLXBJMAGWvtH147Yh1arOpABcIclegPGJrrMmyzLUv9SRwtCrumb3PVywPH-r92OvUB95q7pxuq-BhoVnacxeKV_4CSNGO6ROjeM620SWeFj1EohEQi6OMxs0avf2kiVhqhTGzKjgWuBM3lzIpZRrxg=w400-h234" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-71545776171407512122022-08-25T17:00:00.006+01:002022-08-25T17:00:51.431+01:00The Real Queen Charlotte: Inside the Real Bridgerton Court<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlmo7POmoaXZji5DkmtqzDDUJ2sujjIUkR2OorGjtILfvkmNHZHvKL8odhoEy5UyeYajKavq2B2jlRo0GJIto5_WApl-my1lINxh5xNeLBvhAG2cJgb-k7b3s9dvLzo9-6AsvLcdjWmzahDpkNOBu1zwP0pZyCHXRO9BcQlPNIkaBM1zSVoqk5ezKYw/s607/23244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="404" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlmo7POmoaXZji5DkmtqzDDUJ2sujjIUkR2OorGjtILfvkmNHZHvKL8odhoEy5UyeYajKavq2B2jlRo0GJIto5_WApl-my1lINxh5xNeLBvhAG2cJgb-k7b3s9dvLzo9-6AsvLcdjWmzahDpkNOBu1zwP0pZyCHXRO9BcQlPNIkaBM1zSVoqk5ezKYw/w266-h400/23244.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm thrilled to report that my new book, <i>The Real Queen Charlotte: Inside the Real Bridgerton Court</i>, is out now from Pen & Sword Books. It's available from </span><a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Real-Queen-Charlotte-Hardback/p/21481?fbclid=IwAR1iyeh0kryPM9K11SSEvjaEgvZZASfQiKxQZq-85PvG-OQiX70WkR2M8lI" style="font-family: georgia;">this link</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">, or your favourite bookshop!</span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Known to millions as the imperious matriarch of <i>Bridgerton</i>’s court, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was still a teenager when she was chosen to be the bride of King George III. Shy, innocent, and sheltered, the orphaned princess and her youthful groom carried the hopes of a nation on their shoulders.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The placid and unassuming young couple symbolised a new beginning, but soon those hopes began to sour. Charlotte and George’s marriage lasted for nearly 60 years and produced more than a dozen children, but it was beset by unrest at home, war in the colonies, and the king’s encroaching madness.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As the royal couple battled against their critics, their political opponents, and sometimes even their own family, Charlotte learned what it really meant to be queen. Locked in a bitter struggle with her eldest son for the king’s future and with her daughters for their freedom, the timid young girl grew into an insular and domineering woman that few dared to cross.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Shouldering the burden of family disputes, ambitious courtiers, and the care of the man she adored, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz presided over one of the most tumultuous eras that the monarchy has ever seen. As tragic as it was glittering, this is the story of her extraordinary life.</span></p><p><br /></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-54541223078017671452022-06-13T21:10:00.003+01:002022-06-13T21:11:26.215+01:00Vanity Fair Article<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDDSxcY5Mm7qc7w9w2tNFh3-syt9ysB_wAnqwbT1YRZqwE_vnWwPWU0OXzPxi5UVstCdwIAIB9hU24wgtjtSYcE6gTXbatOXSEVB2sdssZeOlWlocskJKqswnlGRGPUF0sa5JdM6jOWfLQbwbvBkhD_iocwpAMcFgiLLCD6Ag5qzlRT0pZzP-Zs3d4g/s1136/326222BA-A0AD-4460-A6E4-795101B8CA2F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="1136" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDDSxcY5Mm7qc7w9w2tNFh3-syt9ysB_wAnqwbT1YRZqwE_vnWwPWU0OXzPxi5UVstCdwIAIB9hU24wgtjtSYcE6gTXbatOXSEVB2sdssZeOlWlocskJKqswnlGRGPUF0sa5JdM6jOWfLQbwbvBkhD_iocwpAMcFgiLLCD6Ag5qzlRT0pZzP-Zs3d4g/s320/326222BA-A0AD-4460-A6E4-795101B8CA2F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I’m absolutely thrilled to have been featured in <i>Vanity Fair</i>’s recent article, <i>A Brief History of Royals in Disgrace. </i>To read the full article, visit the link below... I couldn’t be more chuffed!</p><p><i><a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/06/a-brief-history-of-royals-in-disgrace" target="_blank">Vanity Fair: A Brief History of Royals in Disgrace</a></i></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-67660532466717559202022-05-11T00:00:00.000+01:002022-05-11T00:00:00.168+01:00Fatal Fashion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BMxcbRyzw3c/XwSXw2iFdwI/AAAAAAAAP0Q/cFg1FP161xokZDUdTXFnsDfKkGUXd7GkQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BMxcbRyzw3c/XwSXw2iFdwI/AAAAAAAAP0Q/cFg1FP161xokZDUdTXFnsDfKkGUXd7GkQCK4BGAYYCw/s640/image.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #14171a; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3125; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">A lady discovers that fashion can be deadly... literally. “A cutting wind or the fatal effects of tight-lacing”, c.1820, courtesy of the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">See more <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gloriousgeorgians?src=hashtag_click"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">#gloriousGeorgians</span></a> on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/madamegilflurt"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Twitter</span></a>!</span>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-46186538305902595142022-04-27T00:00:00.000+01:002022-04-27T00:00:00.161+01:00The Bum-Bailiff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uIHnPY4zVms/XwSZyDkkpyI/AAAAAAAAP20/fOY-fc5G17MpIyPphELvd5QWt0vza3BYACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uIHnPY4zVms/XwSZyDkkpyI/AAAAAAAAP20/fOY-fc5G17MpIyPphELvd5QWt0vza3BYACK4BGAYYCw/s640/image.png" width="452" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #14171a; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3125; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><i>The Bum-Bailiff</i> is outwitted by a canny lady who abandons her scaffolded frock to make good her escape! </span><span class="r-18u37iz" style="color: #14171a; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1n1174f r-1loqt21 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" data-focusable="true" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gloriousGeorgians?src=hashtag_click" role="link" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1b95e0; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: 1.3125; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration: none; white-space: inherit; word-wrap: break-word;">#GloriousGeorgians</a></span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #14171a; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3125; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"> of 1786 via the British Museum.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">See more <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gloriousgeorgians?src=hashtag_click"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">#gloriousGeorgians</span></a> on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/madamegilflurt"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Twitter</span></a>!</span>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-24028526042350417322022-04-13T00:00:00.001+01:002022-04-13T00:00:00.165+01:00A Photorealistic Portrait<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B3GN2UYXNEo/XwSXaSLWMzI/AAAAAAAAPy8/stzNf7-2h7sMpzWEJrRRZpJ5hR83P73bQCK4BGAYYCw/s640/image.png" width="424" /></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #14171a; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3125; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">This remarkably realistic <i>Portrait of an Old Woman</i> by Christian Seybold dates from 1749. It could almost be a photograph - everything about this image just feels so incredibly real, as it she might be about to speak.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #14171a; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3125; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #14171a; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3125; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">Via</span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #14171a; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3125; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"> Harvard Art Museums.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">See more <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gloriousgeorgians?src=hashtag_click"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">#gloriousGeorgians</span></a> on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/madamegilflurt"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Twitter</span></a>!</span>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-38978609254180251982022-03-24T12:01:00.005+00:002022-03-24T12:01:54.201+00:00Book Deal News!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipy_CZ4S6QiWnyHfegE1VLEtmYIhLbPmAlXbda6q3WUL-JrLE5v9PBqSGWxN4X23LTiuBhYGmVAczP_bycCHDMGDq_Jqa2YngoImw7w9juXBFIOcDzHPEqusvTBzKUPXwqE1R2x235pK7BWS-GfbD9qLQ6g-fUvURI1xBuoYyVQuatfIkIDkudQ48PFw/s1200/be4f3540665d8f3d4170fef829e8a416-Xw4EN8.tmp_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="1200" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipy_CZ4S6QiWnyHfegE1VLEtmYIhLbPmAlXbda6q3WUL-JrLE5v9PBqSGWxN4X23LTiuBhYGmVAczP_bycCHDMGDq_Jqa2YngoImw7w9juXBFIOcDzHPEqusvTBzKUPXwqE1R2x235pK7BWS-GfbD9qLQ6g-fUvURI1xBuoYyVQuatfIkIDkudQ48PFw/s320/be4f3540665d8f3d4170fef829e8a416-Xw4EN8.tmp_.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm thrilled to announce that Eleanor and I have signed a brand new four book deal with Orion, writing as Ellie Curzon. We'll be bringing you four fresh WWII sagas, and we can't wait to get started! It's some of the best news we've received, and we'd like to extend our thanks not only to the team at Orion, but to all of our readers too - we couldn't do it without you.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the meantime, our first Ellie Curzon releases, the bestselling <i>Under a Spitfire Sky </i>and <i>The Codebreaker Girls</i>, are available now in paperback, eBook and audio!</span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-75236381740241222172022-03-04T08:39:00.001+00:002022-03-04T08:39:26.700+00:00A Trip to Shondaland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitXa-CBMEkroeCQhNE3LHxEvabe0LfaFsMV0IYbITRu5Mv2i1PuWtqSQ4vxOl8vshLl_tCnhL27TYibsupqaSuh7-AZG8XI-4Q0tb2duROWL46S5C5Jdm4oIB08TOcMscWRxVe_Bq_rgD7RRZyhHfvm7KMLdpaTwMVs6KsTIu3U3ize7S6hcioLO5aEw=s500" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitXa-CBMEkroeCQhNE3LHxEvabe0LfaFsMV0IYbITRu5Mv2i1PuWtqSQ4vxOl8vshLl_tCnhL27TYibsupqaSuh7-AZG8XI-4Q0tb2duROWL46S5C5Jdm4oIB08TOcMscWRxVe_Bq_rgD7RRZyhHfvm7KMLdpaTwMVs6KsTIu3U3ize7S6hcioLO5aEw=s320" width="209" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I'm very lucky to be one half of Ellie Curzon, the pen name under which Eleanor Harkstead and I write bestselling WW2 sagas for Orion. If you'd like to know how we make a shared pen name work, <a href="https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/shondaland-bridgerton-behind-the-scenes/a39296237/whats-in-a-pen-name/">click here</a> to pop over to Shondaland - home of <i>Bridgerton</i> - to find out our secrets!</span><p></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-53904411159556838662022-01-05T00:00:00.000+00:002022-01-05T00:00:00.182+00:00The Trouble with Rain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0lQcPZoHaOM/XwSQwC0gLEI/AAAAAAAAPtc/cAjjVwwRAm86VXa9O5_9HZYbYXp2f8kxgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="483" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0lQcPZoHaOM/XwSQwC0gLEI/AAAAAAAAPtc/cAjjVwwRAm86VXa9O5_9HZYbYXp2f8kxgCK4BGAYYCw/s640/image.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="color: #0000e9; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-kerning: none;"></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #0000e9; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #0000e9; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A fashion mishap for these intrepid #gloriousGeorgians! <i>Chemise a la rain. Or an excellent shift for bad weather!!!</i>, 1805, via the British Museum.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #0000e9; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">See more <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gloriousgeorgians?src=hashtag_click"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">#gloriousGeorgians</span></a> on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/madamegilflurt"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Twitter</span></a>!</span>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-51561932817870630412021-12-23T00:00:00.001+00:002021-12-23T00:00:00.204+00:00Merry Christmas!<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Today the salon doors close for a Christmas break as we devote ourselves to festivities. </span><br />
<span><span><br /></span><span>I hope you have a wonderfully merry Christmas, however you choose to spend it. I shall see you for more glorious Georgian tales in the New Year!</span></span><br />
<u><span><br /></span></u>
<br />
</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a5duOc2RjE0/VIsPRZAOKnI/AAAAAAAAEEI/UnqwBEpNduU/s1600/3d78fbc040de688cee460d381bd6d763.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="Christmas Eve by William Allan" border="0" height="263" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a5duOc2RjE0/VIsPRZAOKnI/AAAAAAAAEEI/UnqwBEpNduU/s1600/3d78fbc040de688cee460d381bd6d763.jpg" title="" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">Christmas Eve by William Allan</span></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />
</span><div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-75083969525032953192021-12-16T10:57:00.004+00:002021-12-16T11:06:53.911+00:00The Codebreaker Girls: Out Today for 99p<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-63-Ffqq6yHM/Ybsbbg7VgWI/AAAAAAAAQfs/JIEh90ELA7IFO9dlYG-OM8AxuWYkwqhJwCNcBGAsYHQ/IMG_6386.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2031" data-original-width="1332" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-63-Ffqq6yHM/Ybsbbg7VgWI/AAAAAAAAQfs/JIEh90ELA7IFO9dlYG-OM8AxuWYkwqhJwCNcBGAsYHQ/w262-h400/IMG_6386.jpeg" width="262" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm thrilled to announce that our new WW2 saga, </span><i style="font-family: georgia;">The Codebreaker Girls, </i><span style="font-family: georgia;">is out in </span><a href="https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/ellie-curzon/the-codebreaker-girls/9781398702943/" style="font-family: georgia;">eBook</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> and </span><a href="https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Codebreaker-Girls-Audiobook/B09MG1W9CG?qid=1639652001&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=c6e316b8-14da-418d-8f91-b3cad83c5183&pf_rd_r=0P8GDN90EFS8KBK6MZVF" style="font-family: georgia;">audiobook</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> today. For a limited time only, the eBook is just 99p! </span><p></p><p><b style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);"><span style="font-family: georgia;">‘Saga lovers will really enjoy this book and i look forward to more’ NetGalley reviewer</span></b></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);">‘What a fantastic read. This book pulled me in from the get go, so naturally was finished in one sitting’ NetGalley reviewer</b><br style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);" /><b style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);"></b><b style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);"><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" /></b><span style="caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);">1944. Rosie Sinclair is full of pride to be doing her bit for the war effort as a driver at Cottisbourne Park – the secret heart of Britain’s fight against Germany, where a team of brilliant and eccentric codebreakers are battling to save the country.</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);" /><br style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);">But when she’s given a new mission to drive Major-General ‘Bluff’ Kingsley-Flynn down to Cottisbourne, Rosie finds herself on the frontline of a new battle – to uncover a possible spy at the Park who is jeopardising their vital work, and to resist her own growing attraction to the dashing Bluff himself…</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);" /><br style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);" /><span style="caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);">As the threat to her fellow codebreaker girls grows ever stronger, Rosie realises her country needs her more than ever. Can she save the day without losing her heart?</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);" /><br style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);" /><b style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(109, 108, 108);">A heartwarming, funny and utterly charming World War II saga, perfect for fans of Kate Hewitt, Jenny Holmes and Annie Murray.</b></span>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-7260849769450650332021-12-08T12:05:00.004+00:002021-12-08T12:05:48.802+00:00Queen Charlotte's Christmas Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9V-9afdrYyp4vBHdIFjE2ITdCdaEu25OLVoO7fXDtR-8vdMvoMpIuokJdYqn6ajvalxTY0-mbTijBs1Ed8NYFBD_etV-jiK0QiomL6N-NF0GfFtRk8VnV0FXld_Erncm6jec8I06Rhzi2iWGMjPOVgWNZO_ffE3ZrrkPAOWqmWPFiCBiK5q1ObGgHUA=s1236" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9V-9afdrYyp4vBHdIFjE2ITdCdaEu25OLVoO7fXDtR-8vdMvoMpIuokJdYqn6ajvalxTY0-mbTijBs1Ed8NYFBD_etV-jiK0QiomL6N-NF0GfFtRk8VnV0FXld_Erncm6jec8I06Rhzi2iWGMjPOVgWNZO_ffE3ZrrkPAOWqmWPFiCBiK5q1ObGgHUA=w259-h400" width="259" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Most people believe that we have Prince Albert and Queen Victoria to thank for the tradition of Christmas trees in England, but that isn’t actually the case. In fact, for that particular tradition we should look thank and Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Charlotte put up the first known English tree at her home at the Queen’s Lodge, Windsor, in December, 1800. It was a tradition that she brought with her from Germany, where trees were a popular bit of festive decor. Legend has it that they were popularised by Martin Luther in 1536 who was strolling in a pine forest in Wittenberg one night when he glanced up through the canopy at the stars twinkling above him. Inspired, he hurried home and brought a fir red into his house, which he lit with candles. Luther hoped that this would remind his children of the heavens and, by extension, God. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Throughout the 17th century, trees of various types that were illuminated by candlelight became popular across Southern Germany whilst in Charlotte’s homeland of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a single, mighty yew branch being decorated rather than a whole tree. Samuel Taylor Coleridge visited the country in 1799 and wrote of the traditions there. Among them, he noted, was the Yew branch.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"There is a Christmas custom here which pleased and interested me. The children make little presents to their parents, and to each other; and the parents to the children. For three or four months before Christmas the girls are all busy; and the boys save up their pocket money, to make or purchase these presents. What the present is to be is cautiously kept secret, and the girls have a world of contrivances to conceal it -- such as working when they are out on visits, and the others are not with them; getting up in the morning before daylight; and the like. then, on the evening before Christmas day, one of the parlours is lighted up by the children, into which the parents must not go. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A great yew bough is fastened on the table at a little distance from the wall, a multitude of little tapers are fastened in the bough, but so as not to catch it till they are nearly burnt out, and coloured paper hangs and flutters from the twings. Under this bough, the children lay out in great order the presents they mean for their parents, still concealing in their pockets what they intend for each other. Then the parents are introduced, and each presents his little gift, and then bring out the rest one by one from their pockets, and present them with kisses and embraces. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Where I witnessed this scene there were eight or nine children, and the eldest daughter and the mother wept aloud for joy and tenderness; and the tears ran down the face of the father, and he clasped all his children so tight to his breast, it seemed as if he did it to stifle the sob that was rising within him. I was very much affected. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The shadow of the bough and its appendages on the wall, and arching over on the ceiling, made a pretty picture, and then the raptures of the very little ones, when at last the twings and their needles began to take fire and snap! -- Oh, it was a delight for them! On the next day, in the great parlour, the parents lay out on the table the presents for the children; a scene of more sober joy success, as on this day, after an old custom, the mother says privately to each of her daughters, and the father to his sons, that which he has observed most praiseworthy, and that which was most faulty in their conduct. <br /><br />Formerly, and still in all the smaller towns and villages throughout North Germany, these presents were sent by all the parents to some one fellow, who in high buskins, a white robe, a mask, and an enormous flax wig, personate Knecht Rupert, the servant Rupert. On Christmas night he goes round to every house, and says that Jesus christ his master sent him thither, the parents and elder children receive him with great pomp of reverence, while the little ones are most terribly frightened. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">He then inquires for the children, and, according to the character which he hears from the parent, he gives them the intended presents, as if they came out of heaven from Jesus Christ. Or, if they should have been bad children, he gives the parents a rod, and in the name of his master recommends them to use it frequently. About seven or eight years old the children are let into the secret, and it is curious to observe how faithfully they keep it."</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Charlotte was devoted to her homeland and when she came to England as a bride, she brought many traditions with her. Among them was the traditional Christmas yew branch and Charlotte used the tradition as a way to bring the royal household. She and her ladies-in-waiting positioned and decorated the bough in the centre of the Queen’s House’s largest room. As evening fell and the tapers were lit, the court assembled around the yew and sang carols. Then, by the light of the tree, they exchanged opulent gifts to celebrate Christmas.<br /><br />This was the first, but not the last notable Christmas foliage of the Georgian era.<br /><br />In 1800, Queen Charlotte was planning a Christmas Day party for the children of the most important and wealthy families in Windsor - I should say that the poor weren't forgotten either, and the 60 poorest families were given an enormous Christmas lunch too. This time, however, there would be no yew bow, but a whole tree. From it were hung the traditional decorations as well as small gifts for the children from the royal family. The children were enchanted by the sight before them, for they had never seen anything like it before. It glittered with glass and crystal and the scent of fruit and spice filled the drawing room, capturing the heart and imagination of all who saw it. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Dr John Watkins, one of the adults present, wrote:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Sixty poor families had a substantial dinner given them and in the evening the children of the principal families in the neighbourhood were invited to an entertainment at the Lodge. Here, among other amusing objects for the gratification of the juvenile visitors, in the middle of the room stood an immense tub with a yew tree placed in it, from the branches of which hung bunches of sweetmeats, almonds and raisins in papers, fruits and toys most tastefully arranged and the whole illuminated by small wax candles. After the company had walked round and admired the tree, each child obtained a portion of the sweets which it bore together with a toy, and then all returned home quite delighted."</span></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thanks to the queen, the fashionable world raced to put up their Christmas trees and no one who fancied themselves anyone went without. Across high society trees were soon glittering in the most opulent drawing rooms in Britain. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">So, when the adoring Prince Albert first put up his tree, he really was following in the footsteps of the glorious Georgians. Far from being first to the show, he was actually one of the last!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-12430414303135854602021-12-02T11:08:00.002+00:002021-12-02T11:08:15.536+00:00The Wives of George IV: Out Now<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4c2y2SYzBe8/Yaio-B5lC3I/AAAAAAAAQeQ/A5pX8wdTTuwBKKdYKGXA5N-SEnTwcwFpgCNcBGAsYHQ/s602/21797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="404" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4c2y2SYzBe8/Yaio-B5lC3I/AAAAAAAAQeQ/A5pX8wdTTuwBKKdYKGXA5N-SEnTwcwFpgCNcBGAsYHQ/w269-h400/21797.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm thrilled to report that my new book, <i>The Wives of George IV: The Secret Bride & the Scorned Princess</i>, is out now from Pen & Sword Books. It's available from </span><a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Wives-of-George-IV-Hardback/p/20127" style="font-family: georgia;">this link</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">, or your favourite bookshop!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In Georgian England, few men were more fashionable or more eligible than George, Prince of Wales. Wild, glamorous, and with a penchant for beautiful women, the heir to George III’s throne was a very good catch – or so it seemed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The two women who married him might beg to differ. Maria Fitzherbert was a twice-widowed Roman Catholic with a natural aversion to trouble. When she married the prince in a secret ceremony conducted in her Mayfair sitting room, she opened the door on three decades of heartbreak. Cast aside by her husband one minute, pursued tirelessly by him the next, Maria’s clandestine marriage was anything but blissful. It was also the worst kept secret in England.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Caroline of Brunswick was George’s official bride. Little did she know that her husband was marrying for money and when she reached her new home in England, she found him so drunk that he couldn’t even walk to the altar. Caroline might not have her husband’s love, but the public adored her. In a world where radicalism was stirring, it was a recipe for disaster.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In <i>The Wives of George IV: The Secret Bride & the Scorned Princess</i>, Maria and Caroline navigate the choppy waters of marriage to a capricious, womanising king-in-waiting. With a queen on trial for adultery and the succession itself in the balance, Britain had never seen scandal like it.</span></p><p><br /></p>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-19233584886139668062021-12-01T00:00:00.000+00:002021-12-01T00:00:00.280+00:00The Devil Visits WalesOn 24th June 1815, the Lancaster Gazetteer reported a warning to those who might fancy the odd bit of sport on a Sunday...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AElr5E14OcA/V44SUExAu3I/AAAAAAAAIdE/9ekkyUKAroM0d6Y3Nw0LCrsiSkZxzqBSgCK4B/s1600/Codex_Gigas_devil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Devil Visits Wales" border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AElr5E14OcA/V44SUExAu3I/AAAAAAAAIdE/9ekkyUKAroM0d6Y3Nw0LCrsiSkZxzqBSgCK4B/s320/Codex_Gigas_devil.jpg" title="" width="201" /></a><br />
A MONITORY NOTICE,<br />
<br />
On a Stone, placed in the Church-yard of Llanfair, in Wales.<br />
<br />
Who Ever hear on son day<br />
Will practise playing At Ball.<br />
it May Be be Fore munday<br />
The devil Will Have you All.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WLpySZErte0/V44SYuxmOqI/AAAAAAAAIdM/EqOrCQJWWOAo7bfg6L51ivYt0T-nriwbgCK4B/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-07-19%2Bat%2B12.37.08.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Devil Visits Wales" border="0" height="140" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WLpySZErte0/V44SYuxmOqI/AAAAAAAAIdM/EqOrCQJWWOAo7bfg6L51ivYt0T-nriwbgCK4B/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-07-19%2Bat%2B12.37.08.png" title="" width="320" /></a>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-839525549786745818.post-5071719107463468192021-11-24T00:00:00.000+00:002021-11-24T00:00:00.173+00:00La brillante toillete de la Déesse du Gout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6llWFhFpa3I/XwSZp4RhcgI/AAAAAAAAP2M/p8SO1R0Fwywn89eKaHiRBVRJftDllom3ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6llWFhFpa3I/XwSZp4RhcgI/AAAAAAAAP2M/p8SO1R0Fwywn89eKaHiRBVRJftDllom3ACK4BGAYYCw/s640/image.png" width="394" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #14171a; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3125; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">“I don’t wear wigs, this is my hair.” In <i>La brillante toillete de la Déesse du Gout</i>, c.1775, a fashionable lady models a towering wig for her adoring macaroni as her maid prepares another! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #14171a; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3125; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #14171a; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3125; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">V</span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #14171a; display: inline; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3125; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">ia the British Museum.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">See more <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gloriousgeorgians?src=hashtag_click"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">#gloriousGeorgians</span></a> on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/madamegilflurt"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Twitter</span></a>!</span>Catherine Curzonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05763562687608837832noreply@blogger.com0