Christmas Romance Anthology - Holiday Kisses #1

 

Hello Friends,

This week, a surprise appeared on fb, and it’s worth sharing. It’s revealing. I mean, book cover revealing. Yay! Gumnut Press has released the book cover for their Holiday Kisses Anthology.

Early November 2022 is when the collection of Christmas stories is planned to launch. The book will be a sweet romance read for the holidays, or before, or for whenever you want to indulge the heart-warming feelings of the festive season.

More details to come over the next months.

Take care,

stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

Regency Romance from the bookshelf to TV streaming

 

Hello Friends,

Historical romance stories never completely disappear from the bookshelf. During the last decade, hearsay was that when the world is in crisis, or there’s war, violence and unpleasant stuff going on, the real world can become overwhelming for some. Romance readers reach for their historical novels as a means of escaping reality.

However, in recent years, the world continues to be in crisis and regency romances are becoming shining stars. Perhaps people are enjoying the entertainment of regency romances as they flourish on television like the mega-hit, ‘Bridgerton’, and the latest retelling of ‘Persuasion’ which is Jane Austen’s story from 1817.

It’s easy to see the visual appeal of watching regency romance on the small screen. Such as the good-looking people, the fashion, the social worlds of pleasure, the intrigue in the gossip, the gardens and sweeping country landscapes.

I read an article on the CNN website which took a deeper dive into the attraction of historical romance. Read it here, Why Regency romance still reigns, two hundred years after Jane Austen.  

 

The article said, the heart of a regency romance is a love story. Love is something worth fighting for. The challenges faced by the heroines as they find their love matches are still relatable and readers can indulge in the stories set in fantasy yesteryears to see how the love unfolds in a fertile, and perhaps less painful place than the present world.

 

Oh yes, I’ve enjoyed watching the complications that love brings to the TV couples and their happy-for-nows. How about you?

 
Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

 

Photo Credit: Hannah Busing on Unsplash.com

The Author Didn’t Lie

 

Hello Friends,

 

Before the social media world came to life, traditionally published book authors had limited ways in which they could communicate with their readers.

 

I recently read an article set in this quieter, online age about the experience of author, Tara Moss. A journalist didn’t believe she had written her own book. It was challenging for her to have a direct voice to the public so she could answer the rumors.

 

Twenty years ago, Tara Moss was judged on her model looks, as if being blonde and beautiful, made it doubtful she had the brains to write crime fiction stories.

How did the Canadian-Australian woman of many talents prove she was the legit author of her own book?

A journalist invited her to take a lie detector test, and she said yes.

She passed the test with flying colors and up to the present has written fourteen best-selling books.

The ‘is she lying’ test seems ridiculous now.

 

Follow the link here to read more about her experience or to listen to the Mamamia.com.au interview with Tara Moss.

 

Her latest book, ‘The Ghosts of Paris’, is a gripping story of secrets and intrigue set in postwar London and Paris and is available now.

 

Tara Moss is also a UNICEF Australia Goodwill Ambassador, and an advocate for human rights, and the rights of women, children, and people with disabilities. A truly remarkable woman.

 

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

 

Photo Credit: Noah Silliman on Unsplash.com

Talking Corsets - Part Two

 

Hello Friends,

 

Sarah Bendall has hand-sewn many corsets from 400-year-old patterns and made reconstructions of historical clothing that has survived. She wore the corsets she made and observed other women wearing them for her lessons in the wearing. Sarah came to understand how corsets impacted women. Based on her research, she says,

 

“There are very few sources from the 16^th and 17^th centuries where women themselves describe what it was like to wear corsets and hooped skirts at the time.”

 

Traditional writing about corsets is missing the lived experiences of these women and myths persist up to modern times.

 

Historically, it seems the people who wrote negatively about women’s corsets were mostly not corset wearers themselves. Nor would they have a need or a social obligation to wear a corset. But in past centuries, some men did wear corsets, discreetly, and for the same reason as women—fashion. Men also wore corsets for medical purposes such as a weakened back caused by Tuberculosis. The corset has endured over the years for men as well as women. Some modern men wear underbust corsets to flatter their masculine shape.

 

Corsets were once popular among women and not just for vanity or beauty reasons. Read more about Sarah’s corset research in the article here.

 

 

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

 

Photo Credit: Nancy K on Unsplash.com

Talking Corsets - Part One

 

Hello Friends,

 

In 2020, Netflix’s first season of Regency-era romances starring the Bridgerton family inspired fresh conversations about historical clothing and corsets. In 2021, with my state isolating from the rest of Australia because of the virus, I tried to buy on-line, a dress-makers mannequin and sewing patterns for corsets. Nope, no luck. Everything was sold out with no sign of when supplies would be back in stock.

 

In the twenty-first century, why would women want to wear corset underwear or corset tops on the outside anyway? Had Bridgerton set a fashion trend that would surely fade? On TV, the corsets looked like torture devices designed to give the regency ladies a desirable figure but stealing their breath. It’s worth noting, there is forensic evidence that suggests slowly over a lifetime, tightly laced corsets could rearrange women’s organs and deform their skeletons.

 

So why did I want to sew a corset during the Bridgerton-inspired renaissance? Well, two large-chested ladies in the family who have ongoing bra problems wanted to know if corsets could improve their sense of well-being. A custom-made corset, sewn to fit their bodies sounded like a new kind of heaven. They find it hard to buy large-sized bras that fit properly. They’re uncomfortable to wear. The straps dig into shoulders. Back ache is a common, daily occurrence.

 

Corsets from yesteryears were invented in France in the 1500s and worn by women for the next four centuries. There is plenty of commentary about how corsets altered the female shape. But aside from fashion, working women also wore corsets, and they didn’t necessarily pull the laces tight and gasp. Corsets were worn for practical reasons like comfort and support. Instead of hoisting the weight of a heavy chest onto the shoulders, the corset distributed the weight more evenly around the upper body. This relief from pain is what the ladies in my family wanted to try.

 

So, the modern woman can try the benefits of the corset without the TV torture effect. She can wear a corset to support the bust and back. Maybe she will have better posture and not rounded shoulders. Or her figure will have a flattering shape like the ladies in history. And lastly, the corset has endured throughout the centuries without the attention of Bridgerton as lingerie for weddings, sexy times, or to be feminine and beautiful, or….whatever you like.

 

Next week, I’ll be writing about a woman who has hand sewn historical corsets from old patterns and she says, don’t believe everything you’ve read about corsets.

  

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

 

Photo Credit: Tengy Art on Unsplash.com

Attraction

 

Hello Friends,

 

Have you heard these two common sayings about how people can be attracted to each other?

 1.    Opposites attracts (the human magnet effect).

 2.    Like attracts like (the not human magnet effect because like and like coming together                                                     repel each other).

 

Hmm…it seems attraction can work in different ways for people.

 

Attraction can be interpersonal or personal. Interpersonal attraction can involve having good thoughts or feelings about another person. A platonic type of reaction. While the personal ways people feel attraction can include physical, mental, emotional, or even spiritual, for example, a soul mate connection.

 

So, taking an interest in someone is not straight forward at all. That’s life!

What happens when you resist the attraction you have for another? Watch Bridgerton Season 2 for a fictional view of how that works. We see the drama play out where Viscount Anthony Bridgerton has a mental connection with Edwina Sharma caused by his sense of family duty. He convinces himself he’s found the right woman to wed and preserve the family line of aristocrats and their fortune.

Then we get spoiled by the super wonderful drama of his slow burn attraction for Kate Sharma, and hers for him. Anthony has so many different physical encounters, thoughts, and feelings for Kate. He spends most of the season burying them deep inside. Eventually, his heart speaks louder than his head. Kate also finally surrenders to the desires of her heart for him too. I couldn’t help crying during the final episode of the love story. That’s TV life!

Take care,

stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

 

Photo Credit: Unsplash.com

1.     Shawn Pang

2.     Z. Graphica

100K Blog Views

 

Hello Friends,

Wow and woo-hoo! I’m delighted to write that this week is a celebration of all the readers around the world who helped this blog site reach 100,000 views. Thank you everyone.

I started this blog about romance, history, and mystery back in 2015 when blogging was a common thing for authors to do. Gosh, hasn’t the social media landscape changed since then. Blogging and long form writing was predicted to be replaced by video format, and then video was predicted to be replaced by short videos of one minute or less.

Yet today, after an unpredictable history, this blog is going stronger than ever. I have no words to explain it. But I feel gratitude toward the people who’ve stopped by and read the posts.

So, let’s get the celebration started with a little romance.

Words can weave a story that doesn’t include anything from the worldwide news. In the softer reality of romance, we can believe in love, feel good and anticipate a happy story ending.

             “Romance means leaving things out: where life grunts and shuffles,

romance only sighs.”

--Margaret Atwood (Goodreads)

 

“Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life

into a golden haze.”

--Elinor Glyn (Goodreads)

Sometimes, I write about interesting curios from the past or knowledge long buried in history. History is another story where we can find our own place to explore. Indigenous cultures, Celts, the Roman Empire and the ancient Egyptian civilization are some of my favourite topics to dive deeper into. These old cultures helped shape the world we live in today.

             “Imagination governs the world”.

--Napoleon Bonaparte (Goodreads)

 

In this week’s history making news, NASA successfully launched its first rocket in 25 years on Australian soil. The southern hemisphere location was necessary because the science phenomena to be studied can only be seen from down south.

The rocket was launched from the new Arnhem Space Centre located in the Northern Territory. The launch happened with permission, and on the lands of the Yolngu people who are the traditional owners. The most fascinating aspect of this story is – the partnership between the oldest living culture on earth with the futuristic science of space. Amazing, and a rumbling boom was heard like nothing before in the Yolgnu communities and homelands.

Mysteries have an attraction that catches our attention. They can be about something strange, or which can’t be solved. Or enigmas that can’t be understood. The mind can’t resist searching for answers even if the path leads into the darkness.

 

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.”

--Albert Einstein (Goodreads)

Mysteries steer us away from the routine of everyday life to maps and mazes of the mind.

 

“When I left my body on a distant shore.”

--T.S. Eliot (Goodreads)

Enjoy your week. May life bring you happy days and delight with the people you love.

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

 

Photo Credits:       Unsplash.com

1.     Amy Shemblen

2.     Vicky Vladynets

3.     Girl with Red Hat

4.     Naeim Jafari

An Angel in The Clouds

 

Hello Friends, 

Last week, life took an unexpected turn for me. I caught the c-virus. My life came to a stop as I went into 7 days of mandatory isolation. The symptoms I experienced were like a head-cold and at the end, I had an upset stomach.

I’m thankful I didn’t feel any sicker than having a winter cold or flu. During one of the long days, I was sitting in the backyard and catching some sun to feel better. I looked up at the sky and did a double-take. Was I seeing an angel in the clouds that was watching over me? In the moment, I felt like I would recover from the c-virus and everything was going to be all right.

  

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

 

Photo Credit: Ashlyn Brady

Mysterious Uluru - Part Two

 

Hello Friends,

Australia is an ancient land with the big red rock in its desert center. Uluru is sacred and culturally significant to the traditional owners, the Anangu People. In recent years, messages have been sent out from Uluru which is located inside the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

In 2017, the board of the National Park agreed to ban climbing on the rock because of it's spiritual significance as a resting place for past spirits and ancestors. Environmental and safety reasons were also considered. Climbers were using the rock as a toilet and leaving rubbish behind. 37 rock climbers had died which greatly upset the traditional owners.

In 2017, the Uluru Statement From The Heart was issued to the Australian people with a call for Voice, Treaty and Truth. The First Nation people’s convention at Uluru called for a constitutionally entrenched voice to Parliament and a commission to oversee treaty-making and truth-telling.

The Uluru Statement From The Heart was rejected by the government of the day.

In October 2019, climbing Uluru was officially closed forever.

In May 2022, there was a change of Government in Australia. On the evening of his victory speech, the new Prime Minister reconfirmed his acceptance of the Uluru Statement From The Heart.

The call to change has come from mysterious Uluru. Australia can’t truly be a multi-cultural nation without including the sovereign culture of the First Australians. People are listening now. A new beginning is rising above the sunny horizon.

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

Photo Credits: Danny Lau and Photoholgic on unsplash.com

Mysterious Uluru - Part One

 

Hello Friends,

This week I’m writing about Uluru, which is a large, beautiful red sandstone rock formation located in the middle of Australia. It's also called the heart of the red center. Uluru has been in the news recently and for this Part One post I’ll talk about the rains.

Uluru, the mysterious monolith rises above a desert plain. It’s been around for a long time like 600 million years. The traditional owners are the Anangu people.

The color of the rock formation changes with the passing sun.
Uluru is thought of as mystical, sacred and magical by first nations people and regarded as a special place by Australians.

In early June, the big rock was covered in cloud and took on an eerie, translucent appearance as rain fell in the red desert center. Uluru has caves, water holes and canyons and the rains made the waterfalls flow on the eastern side. People who saw the rare event say the noise and sights were a unique experience of Uluru. Watch the video of the rain fed waterfalls.

In my next post, Part Two, I’ll write about the developments in recent years that have happened in the red heart of Australia. Uluru is a living, cultural landscape and messages are being sent out to beyond, if we can hear them. I hope you can join me again.

 

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

 

Photo Credit: Connor Smith on unsplash.com

2 Bridal Fashions

 

Hello Friends,

This week, I’m writing about 2 bridal fashions that caught my eye.

The first fashion is from Japan and it's called ‘The Solo Wedding’. BBC news call it “a unique option for single women to celebrate their independence”. The wedding doesn’t have a groom, and these types of weddings have been going on for several years now. The bride-to-be undergoes a glamour transformation and poses for photographs in her wedding dress. Marrying yourself is called ‘Sologamy’. Watch the video here .     

The ‘naked’ dress is the second bridal fashion which comes from the catwalks. Tradition encouraged brides to look their best in their wedding dresses. Social media influencers and celebrities have taken a new direction by being photographed wearing lacy, sheer and see-through gowns. Very daring! You can read more about it here.

 
Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

Photo Credit: Sereja Ris on unsplash.com

Christmas Romance Anthology

 

Hello Friends,

I have good news to share this week.

My romance story has been accepted for publishing in a Christmas anthology by Gumnut Press, an independent publishing company based in Perth, Western Australia.

The anthology is called “Holiday Kisses.”
I can’t wait to share more details as the publishing date draws closer.

If you’d like to check out the romance books available at Gumnut Press, here’s the LINK

The books are also available on Amazon.
I’ve read two romantic suspense stories from Gumnut Press. “A Nose For Trouble” and “An Ear To The Ground” written by D.D. Line from her Trinket Bay series.

Take care,

stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

More HOLIDAY KISSES Book Posts

Christmas Romance Anthology - Holiday Kisses #1

This week, a surprise appeared on fb, and it’s worth sharing. It’s revealing. I mean, book cover revealing….

 

Christmas Romance Anthology – Holiday Kisses #2

The year is speeding on toward Christmas. The excitement is building as Holiday Kisses, the Christmas Romance Anthology gets ready to launch in early November 2022…

Christmas Romance Anthology – Holiday Kisses #3

This week I’m delighted to tell you about my romance story which is featured in the Holiday Kisses anthology being published 4 November 2022…

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The Right Match

 

Hello Friends,

I recently watched a YouTube video talking about what qualities people find attractive when searching for a partner. I expected to hear the usual things such as good looks, physical chemistry, and a sense of humor. So, I was surprised when the discussion strayed away from the norms.

The top of the list was STABILITY.

RESPECT was another sought-after trait.

We know the world changed in the last two years because of the spread of the virus. Perhaps for some people, expectations in relationships shifted to a deeper level as well.

Stability was about a person being stable and balanced in a financial, mental, and emotional sense. When they are stable, they can be present and accept others. True connection is possible.

Respect acknowledged that we are all individuals. Different people and not cookie cut-outs of stereotypes. There’s trust that each of us is doing our best. Respect lets each person be their real selves.

In a changing world, stability and respect could build the foundations for a love affair. What do you think?

 

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

 

Photo Credit: Design Ecologist on unsplash.com

Romance Writing Intensely

 

Hello Friends,

This week while I was searching for a couple of more hours of writing time, I read about Danielle Steel’s grueling writing schedule. Some days, the famous romance novelist can spend 22 hours writing. According to an article from The Guardian (link here ), if she starts a new book, she might not stop typing until the first draft of the story is complete.

Her enormous writing efforts means she can publish several books a year. From Wikipedia, Danielle Steel is the highest selling, living author with over 800 million books sold. Throughout her 50-year career, and still to this day, she types her stories on a typewriter. Somehow, she fit her romance writing around several children, husbands and good works.

That’s intense!

  

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

Photo Credit: Flavio Gasperini on unsplash.com

2022 Happy Mother's Day

 

Hello Friends,

It’s been a serious and tough couple of years that have passed, and the mothers around the world helped us get through the challenges.

Thank you to the mothers who took care of people, pets and the rest.
To the special mothers, thanks for your love.
Have a happy day and know how much we love you too. 

Take care,
stay well,

♥ Ashlyn

 

Photo Credit: Bernard Hermant on unsplash.com

 

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Would you like to read some older posts about Mother’s Day?

2018 link

The 2018 Mother's Day post is about adventurous, superhero mothers and has links to other posts from 2017, 2016, 2015 and a post about Truth Bomb Mom & Toilet Trauma.  Enjoy!