Fort George, Ontario, in the Eyes of a Regency-Era Writer

To celebrate that I am now a dot-com, I thought would share some pics from my recent trip to Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada.

Of course Mr. Liasson wanted to see the fort. "It's Regency period," he said in a tempting voice. Well, I succumbed, and it was great! Okay, it's not London, but look at what we saw... 


Here is the Union Jack flying atop the fort (well, you're only supposed to call it that when it's at sea, so I suppose I should say Union Flag.)

A British Canadian soldier twirling his musket. It weighs 9 pounds, 10 with the bayonet. I got to hold it--it was heavy!

Playing the fife.

Tunnel made of stone.

British officer uniform for the Canadian army is on the left. A New York State Militia Officer's coat is on the right. Both are circa 1812.

A musket, pistols, and a sword artfully displayed on a mantel. I LOVED THIS! Who says army guys aren't artsy!

No trip to Ontario area is complete without a visit to Niagara Falls. This is my artistic effort to capture the power and the intense drop off. (How would you like to be the person whose job it is to pick up that Coke can???)

A fun trip was had by all. (Mr. and Mrs. Liasson, after a happy weekend away :)

The Reluctant Debutante by Becky Lower

Love historical romance but are yearning for something unique and different? Give Becky Lower's debut a try! It's fantastic!
It's also on the top of the list of Surprising Good Books on Goodreads (see here for details).
See my Goodreads review below...
Oh, and Becky will be featured on the USA Today blog on their Happy Ever After page on Sept 11.
Way to go, Becky!



The Reluctant Debutante, Book One in the Cotillion Ball Series by Becky Lower
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book--Lower's debut--takes you from high society of 1850's New York City to St. Louis and the burgeoning West. Feisty red-haired Ginger Fitzpatrick, the oldest of nine siblings, prefers to be friends with Elizabeth Blackwell and Amelia Bloomer than empty-headed debutantes, and would rather work in her father's bank than attend the Cotillion Ball. Joseph Lafontaine, her brother's friend, is half-French Canadian, half Ojibwa Indian. He is upstanding, brave, and understands that his Indian blood prevents him from ever having Ginger. This story encompasses duty to family, the difficulties of sibling relationships, and the changing roles of women, all interwoven in the grip of a love that cannot be denied. Lower grabs you by the ankles and holds onto you tightly until you reach the page-turning climax based on the real Gasconade Bridge Disaster of 1855. This story will have you laughing, crying and begging to know what happens to Ginger and the rest of her eight brothers and sisters. Stay tuned for more from this talented new author!