Research-Napoleonic Wars

Smuggler's Captain takes place in December 1796, with Her Captain's Honor taking place one month later in January 1797. So what was happening in the world during that time?

The War of the First Coalition was more a series of wars than a prolonged war that we think of like WWII. There were allies. Sorta. English, Portuguese, Dutch, parts of what is now Italy,  (Spain for a bit), and Austrian against the French and some remnants of the Polish lands (they'd been torn apart by Austria, Russia, and Prussia), and Spain from 1796.

This, by later scholars, was considered a true World War. 

War of the First Coalition | Military Wiki | Fandom

War of the First Coalition - Wikipedia

• In December 1796, The British government begins work on a 40-acre site at Norman Cross, becoming the first ever prisoner of war camp that was made specifically for POWs. 
• December 18, 1796 British Navy ship HMS Courageux is wrecked on the Barbary Coase, 464 of the 593 onboard were lost.
• January 3, 1797 – The Treaty of Tripoli, a peace treaty between the United States and Ottoman Tripolitania, is signed at Algiers (see also 1796).
• January 7, 1797 – The parliament of the Cisalpine Republic adopts the Italian green-white-red tricolour as the official flag (this is considered the birth of the flag of Italy).
• January 13, 1797 – Action of 13 January 1797, part of the War of the First Coalition: Two British Royal Navy frigates, HMS Indefatigable and HMS Amazon, drive the French 74-gun ship of the line Droits de l'Homme aground on the coast of Brittany, with over 900 deaths.
• January 14, 1797 – Battle of Rivoli during the War of the First Coalition: French forces under General Napoleon Bonaparte defeat an Austrian army of 28,000 men, under Feldzeugmeister József Alvinczi, near Rivoli (modern-day Italy), ending Austria's fourth and final attempt to relieve the fortress city of Mantua.
• January 26, 1797 – The Treaty of the Third Partition of Poland is signed in St. Petersburg by the Russian Empire, Austria and the Kingdom of Prussia.

Tidbit Tuesday-Breakfast

 Before my normal 9-5 job, I usually ate breakfast when I was hungry. Normally around 10-ish. But with my working hours starting at 8:30, I had to adapt. I couldn't eat my breakfast at work (that's definitely frowned upon!) but even after 20+ years, I'm still not happy with this new routine.

Apparently, I was meant to eat during Regency times.

Regency breakfast image from Pinterest.

According to a Jane Austen letter as well as a snippet from Pride and Prejudice, breakfast in the country was at 9 or 10 am. I can definitely get behind that! Breakfast was also a social affair, with everyone dining together. I'm sure that was more for the food's sake than sociality, but I'm not sure.

Breakfast in London was much later, because they kept later hours.

Regency History: Breakfast in the Regency

Breakfast in the Regency Era and their Definition of Morning | Jane Austen's World (janeaustensworld.com)

Regency Dish: Breakfast – Regency Reader (regrom.com)

Self Care Monday-Walking Away

 Contrary to popular belief, walking away is not quitting. It's taking care of yourself. That whole saying about doing what's best for you? That includes walking away from something that's not in your best interest. 

Recently a longtime co-worker got married and quit. Do we miss her? Hell yes. Are we jealous? HELL YES! But what she said to me when she was debating how long to stay was "I don't want them to win." (It's a long sordid tale about layoffs, potential layoffs, and toxicity.) 

What I told her I want everyone to understand. Staying in a horrible work environment (or relationship of any kind) isn't sticking it to someone. it's not letting them win. It's draining and hard and not worth it in the end. So if you have to walk away, walk away! 

Do what's best for you. Sure, there are always extenuating circumstances, but really think about what's important and what's best for you. 

Walking away isn't quitting. It's winning.

Christmas with You-Cover Reveal!

Isn't it amazing! I love it! Graziana made it from GM Book Covers Design. She's amazing to work with and so lovely.

Available July 3, 2022, Christmas with You! This is a quick, 10,000-word Christmas story set immediately after One Day with You. It's a Christmas in July celebration! Not part of my VIP-ers? It's free and easy to register, and you get some fun freebies like my Louise and Malcolm series. 

 

Another Word Search!

I created another word search because I love them so much. They're my favorite sort of word games. I'm not very good at crossword puzzles, but finding something? Like those hidden object games or word searches--those are my thing. 

This one is based on Sins of a Rogue. I hope you enjoy!

Once again, I'm 99% certain I embedded this correctly. Let me know if you have a problem!

Self Care Monday-Negativity

 If you spent more than 30 seconds with any self-help idea, you'll hear about pattern interrupt. But I learned something the other day that really changed how I think about myself. This wasn't even from a self-help site, but it really struck home.

"Stop."

That's all he said. 😎

When he found himself being negative, mostly to himself but also just in general, he said that aloud. Literally interrupted his thinking with a verbal command. According to him, it took a month or so to really stop thinking so negatively, but it worked.

The moral of the story? Stop talking down to yourself and if you have to yell at yourself to stop doing so then do it! Why? Because you're worth it.😍

My Socials

Where can you find me? Usually petting my pup, who insists on laying as close to me as possible, laptop be damned. Otherwise? I have several social media accounts where I try to post daily (working on that!) and new and exciting writing-and-pup related things.

 I'm now on TikTok! If that's your thing, please give me a follow. But I also try to cross post to Instagram and Twitter. 

See what I mean by right there? She's watching me! Probably judging, too.