The Art of the Fan

Ladies of fashion have been using fans for generations as an essential fashion accessory.  As Joseph Addison said, in The Spectator, "Women are armed with Fans as Men with Swords, and sometimes do more Execution with them."

Robert Schumann
"At the Opera"

Mr. Addison describes the following encounter with an attractive lady and her fan at a Sunday church service:

She displayed the most beautiful Bosom imaginable, which heaved and fell with some Fervour, while a delicate well-shaped Arm held a Fan over her Face. It was not in Nature to command ones Eyes from this Object; I could not avoid taking notice also of her Fan, which had on it various Figures, very improper to behold on that Occasion. There lay in the Body of the Piece a Venus, under a Purple Canopy furled with curious Wreaths of Drapery, half naked, attended with a Train of Cupids, who were busied in Fanning her as she slept. Behind her was drawn a Satyr peeping over the silken Fence, and threatening to break through it.

Wadysaw Bakaowicz

Frederico Andreotti

I think Mr. Addison might have drawn on his own experience when he wrote:

There is an infinite Variety of Motions to be made use of in the Flutter of a Fan. There is the angry Flutter, the modest Flutter, the timorous Flutter, the confused Flutter, the merry Flutter, and the amorous Flutter. Not to be tedious, there is scarce any Emotion in the Mind does not produce a suitable Agitation in the Fan.

Thomas Benjamin Kennington

In Georgette Heyer's The Masqueraders, Robin Tremaine disguises himself as a woman and makes great comic use of a fan to flirt with Sir Anthony Fanshawe.


Gaetano Bellei

You can read more about the history of the lady's fan here at Victoriana.

My Regency romance, A Scandalous Season, is now available for free on Amazon Kindle.

Headstrong Lady Eleanor Chilton is determined to marry a country gentleman of her own choosing. But when her father insists that she have a London Season, she resolves to be so disagreeable, no man will even dance with her. Her icy demeanor and unpleasant words soon repel every dandy who makes her acquaintance – Including Sir Andrew de Ardescote, London’s most sought-after bachelor.

Sir Andrew is not used to being snubbed, and he doesn’t take to it kindly, even though the contrary young lady is quite the loveliest creature he’s ever met. He’ll have his revenge: A simple wager with friends that he will be the first to melt the icy young maiden’s heart with a kiss.
As he sets about charm Lady Eleanor to fall in love with him, it isn’t long before Sir Andrew realizes he’s the one in danger of losing his heart.

"A light-hearted drawing room comedy to brighten your day." - Romantic Times
"Pretty entertaining, I must say!" – Goodreads

Click here to read A Scandalous Season.

One Dance with You

My Regency short story, One Dance with You, is now available for Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook! I enjoyed writing this story of a young woman who gives up on love, only to discover it again in the most unexpected place.

A Compliment, Indeed!

A wonderful reader posted a review of my book, Once Upon A Christmas, on the Barnes and Noble website, which said:

"This reads along the same lines of a Georgette Heyer story and almost as good!"

What a tremendous compliment! There's no higher praise a writer of Regency romance can get than to be compared to (the incomparable) Ms. Heyer. Thank you!

Soldiering On In A Regency-less World

In the months (6 to be exact) since my last post, I've been hard at work on a number of writing projects, including a couple of Regencies that have shaped up nicely. I'm pleased with the results of my labors; and now that my new Regencies are essentially in final form and ready to be sent off to the publisher, the question must be asked: "What publisher?"

We all know the major romance publishers dropped dedicated Regency lines some years ago, leaving traditional Regency authors and readers with essentially two options:

1. Adapt to the Historical Romance lines. There's a definite market for historical romances set in the Regency period. But let's face it: historical romances set in the Regency period are not the same as traditional Regency romances. Historicals concentrate less on the manners and cultural elements of the Regency era. And traditional Regencies focus more on the romance of two people falling in love than the passionate expliciteness demanded of historical romances.
2. Find a niche publisher. There are opportunities to publish in formats that are dedicated to a specific reading population. For instance, ebook publishers have given life to new and reprint Regencies . . . and the Christian fiction market has provided a home for traditional Regencies that project a message of inspiration. But anytime you write for a specific niche market, you automatically exclude a wider audience and limit your readership.

As a writer, I always want my work to be easily read by the audience I write for.* Today's market makes that a little harder than it used to be . . . but it's not impossible. I'm ready to take on the challenge of seeing my next book in published form with all the elements of a traditional Regency romance safely intact. Wish me luck!

* Yes, I know. The sentence should read, "I always want my work to be easily read by the audience for whom I write."

Read Reviews of Nancy's Regency Romances

I work hard on all the books I write, so when word gets back to me that someone read one of my stories and liked it . . . well, it puts the Devonshire cream on my tea-cake. Here is a sampling of some of the generous and kind feedback I've received from readers and reviewers:

A Scandalous Season: "A light-hearted drawing room comedy to brighten your day" - Romantic Times

A Noble Rogue: "A pleasing tale of love in Regency England."
- Romantic Times

Miss Hamilton's Hero: "A well-written and enjoyable book!"
- Amazon.com

An Intimate Arrangement: "A pleasing romance of two lonely hearts in search of a home." - Romantic Times

"A very enjoyable afternoon's read. One of the better Regencies I've come across recently." - Amazon.com

5 Stars! "Be sure to read this one, it's sure to win over your heart as well!" - Affaire de Coeur

"A sweet and romantic love story . . . Light and fun reading." - Amazon.com

All Dressed In White: "I love anthologies and this one is great." - Amazon.com

A Mother's Love: "I recommend this book, but especially for the story called Sweet Companion." - Amazon.com

A Sequestered Nook

I come by my love of romances honestly, starting at a relatively young age. My three sisters and I cut our romance teeth on Barbara Cartland. When we were in high school, a friend at church introduced us to Georgette Heyer; and by the time the oldest of us hit college age, we were deeply immersed in every book ever written by Jane Austen.

That's when we tried our hands at writing romances of our own, weaving stories of high drama and delicious romance that we happily read to each other as we sat at our kitchen table.

Looking back, I recall that our stories were short, deeply romantic, and preposteriously plotted. But at the time, my sisters and I were hugely entertained. And isn't that the purpose of a good story -- to entertain?

Since those early teenage years of scribbling stories with my sisters, my writing style has changed, evolved, and improved (at least, I think it's improved!). But no matter how much I've changed as a person or as an author, I still cherish a soft spot in my heart and mind for a traditional Regency romance.

I love to read them . . . and I still love to write them. The world of the Regency Romance is a world of harmony, good manners, sparkling conversation, gallant gentlemen, lovely heroines, and -- above all -- true love. It's romance at its finest!

Join me in a Regency romance, won't you?