Category Archives: Research Rabbit Holes

Inspiring A Writer: The Wreck of the Merchant Royal

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One of the joys–and trials–of writing historical fiction, even historical fantasy, is the historical part. Especially in historical fantasy, nailing the historical details makes the world so much richer that it is easier to suspend disbelief when the dragons saunter in and take over. I’ve written about how the dragon myths of Britain helped inspire the Blue Order and the characters and situations of Elizabeth and Darcy, In the latest dragon book, I found myself … Continue reading →

The rare 18th century Ice Bell

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So what is an Ice Bell and what does it (or doesn’t it) have to do with ice cream? The answer is at the bottom of the Research Rabbit Hole. So, most of you have been chillingly aware (ok, I know low  hanging fruit and I’m sorry but I couldn’t help myself) that I have been researching ice cream in the Georgian era over the past couple months. It was utterly inevitable that I end up in … Continue reading →

Ice Cream Cups are not Teacups

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Luxury foods demand the luxury treatment! Take a look at the ice cream cups and other special serving vessels for ice cream. If you’ve been reading Random Bits of Fascination for a while, then you may remember talking about specialized china for luxury dishes before. If not, you might want to check out these posts on Chocolate Pots vs. Coffee Pots, and Chocolate cups vs. Tea cups.  Since ice cream was (during Austen’s day) a … Continue reading →

Inspiring A Writer—Jane Austen’s Dragons! part 2

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What goes into inspiring a writer? You might be surprised how much research it takes to come up with mythical creatures! As I mentioned last week pondering Uther Pendragon’s story gave me inspiration for the Blue Order, the group of humans and dragons who oversee the peace treaty and the affairs of British dragons and their Keepers. But who were these dragons that inhabited Britain? A good time to dive back into mythology! If you … Continue reading →

Inspiring A Writer—Jane Austen’s Dragons! part 1

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What goes into inspiring a writer? Take a down that long, unusual road with me. True confessions time here. While I don’t watch a great deal of television, I do like competition shows. Chopped, Forged in Fire, Project Runway and Face Off are some of my favorites. Although it may hurt your brain to think about it, the shows have some strong similarities (Chopped  was actually the inspiration for Forged in Fire but that’s another … Continue reading →