I am excited to welcome Maria back to my blog! Her new release, Mistaking Her Character, just hit stores last month! She is an Austenesque writer and this is an alternate universe, so to speak, where the Bennets are employed by Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Lizzy’s father is a physician hired to take care of Anne de Bourgh. It is here that Elizabeth and Darcy meet and fall in love.

If you remember, I had Theo Darcy on my blog a few months back. That was a lot of fun and it was one of the characters from her last book, The Darcy Brothers. I also Faced-Off with Maria and totally lost…

Check them out! Great reads 🙂

A little bio on Maria, just in case you aren’t familiar: “Though Maria Grace has been writing fiction since she was ten years old, those early efforts happily reside in a file drawer and are unlikely to see the light of day again, for which many are grateful. After penning five file-drawer novels in high school, she took a break from writing to pursue college and earn her doctorate in Educational Psychology. After 16 years of university teaching, she returned to her first love, fiction writing.

She has one husband, two graduate degrees and two black belts, three sons, four undergraduate majors, five nieces, six more novels in draft form, waiting for editing, seven published novels, sewn eight Regency era costumes, shared her life with nine cats through the years and tries to run at least ten miles a week.”

Now, if you don’t mind, let’s have a chat with Maria, shall we?

Charity – What drew you to the Regency Era?

Maria – I have to blame Jane Austen for that. The more I read of her books, the more I had to learn about the era in which she lived and wrote.

Charity – Do you know why it was called that?

Maria – King George III was no longer fit to rule and his son, the Prince of Wales was set up as his proxy.

Charity – Nice! For my readers, in English History, every era was named after the king or queen that ruled. Thus, the Victorian, Edwardian, etc… The king was not fit to rule do to a mental illness, so his son ruled in his place from 1812-1820. He was called the Prince Regent. Thus, the Regency Era.

Ok, who is your favorite Regency author?

Maria – Jane Austen! Though I’m starting to read Georgette Heyer who wrote about the Regency as well.

Charity – Oh! She’s great. I love her books. I also love Jude Morgan!

What Regency character do you relate to the most?

Maria – Jane Austen’s Anne Elliot is my alter ego.

Charity – She is so sweet! I can totally see that. I am a mix of Marianne and Emma.

How many books have you written? Are they all from that time period?

Maria – I have published six novels and one nonfiction of my own, one group project novel, and I have features in two published anthologies. I have a book of short stories set to release in September,  plus two move novel manuscripts to be edited for publication. So how many do you want to count that as? LOL. They are all from the Regency period. I have collected so many thousands of pages of period references, I kinda hate to leave it!

Charity – WOW! That’s impressive. I don’t blame you at all!!

Ok, I read The Darcy Brothers and was wondering who would you have liked more? Fitzwilliam or Theo Darcy?

Maria – Theo, from the Darcy Brothers would be fun to hang out with, but Fitzwilliam Darcy is the spit and image of the man I married. So I guess I’d have to say Fitzwilliam.

Charity – Aw! Every girl’s dream!!

Does your husband read your books?

Maria – Yes he does! He is truly the most supportive person in the world. He’s read everything I’ve written and is always encouraging me in my next project.

Charity – I love that! So awesome. Kind husbands ROCK!!

Alright. Enough of these questions! Let’s play a fun game!! Are you up for a Regency Dictionary Challenge? I will give you some obscure words or phrases that were used in the Regency Time Period and you have to try to use them in a sentence correctly. For example:

Twiddle Poop–An effeminate looking fellow.

You would need to use Twiddle Poop in a sentence.

Maria – I am such a language nerd! I’ve done a lot of research on Regency slang so it sounds like a total blast! I love the idea!

Charity – Awesome! Let’s try it…

Maria – Ohhhh fun time!

Charity – A Crush

Maria – A Crush: We were caught up in such a crush at the Pump Rooms! La, I have never seen so many finely dressed people all together at once!

Charity – haha! Nicely done!!! The answer:

A Crush–A very successful party where there is no room to circulate.

Ok, next phrase: To Sham Abram

Maria – Mama wants me to assist he with the marketing today, but I intend to sham Abram and stay home. She always has sympathy for my poor weak stomach.

Charity – Did she get it? Let’s see:

To Sham Abram–To pretend sickness.

Two in a row!! Bravo!

Next: Agog

Maria – All the young ladies in the neighborhood are agog for news of our new neighbor. Is he really rich, handsome and unmarried?

Charity – Oh man! You are on fire!!

Agog, All-a-gog–Anxious, eager, impatient: from the Italian Agogare, to desire eagerly.

Next: Bacon-Brained

Maria – What a bacon-brained thing to do. One simply did not mislay an invitation to a ball!

Charity – haha!!

Bacon-Brained–Foolish, stupid.

Girl! This is ridiculous!!

Ok: Bang Up

Maria – He just bought a bang up hunter, a real prime article. Don’t know how he’s going to afford it though.

Charity – Man!!!

Bang Up–(Whip.) Quite the thing, hellish fine–Well done–Compleat–Dashing–In a handsome stile–A bang up cove; a dashing fellow who spends his money freely–To bang up prime: to bring your horses up in a dashing or fine style: as the swell’s rattler and prads are bang up prime; the gentleman sports an elegant carriage and fine horses.

I’ll get you yet 😉

Try: Catch Fart

Maria – Catch Fart: The butler got his nephew a position as a fart catcher for the mistress. It was easy enough work for a young man with no real aspirations. Just follow the old lady around and carry her packages when she shopped.

Charity – AHH!! That’s fabulous!

Catch Fart–A footboy; so called from such servants commonly following close behind their master or mistress.

How about: Taradiddle

Maria – La! So I told mama a wee taradiddle when I shammed Abram. She will be none the wiser!

Charity – That sentence was AMAZING! ahhhh!! haha. I am rolling here!!!

Taradiddle–A fib, or falsity, falsehood or lie.

Wow. I don’t think I am going to stump you!! Try: Hobbledygee

Maria – See that you do not run, it is most unladylike. A good hobbledygee is as fast as you should go.

Charity – Oh man. I wish we still used these words!

Hobbledygee–A pace between a walk and a run, a dog-trot.

How in the world do you know all of these words?!?! Muzzle

Maria – Did you see the muzzle he is sporting? I expect he is too poor these days to afford to pay the barber for a proper shave.

Charity – I thought FOR SURE that had to mean something about a gun.

Muzzle–A beard.

Ok: Nob

Maria – My dear, you are quite dicked in the nob if you believe he will choose you over the girl with a fortune of ten thousand pounds.

Charity – AHAHA! That’s the best! Dicked in the nob.

Nob–The head.

Dicked In The Nob–Crazy.

Try: Perriwinkle

Maria – What an old fashioned periwinkle he wore! He just might be quite bald beneath it.

Charity – I am sure you are right. Let me check…

Perriwinkle–A wig.

Of course. Ok, only a couple more. This is so entertaining: Cad

Maria – Ok, I think this is a trick question, I’ll offer a three part answer just to cover all the bases.

In 1730 I’d say: Call a cad to do that for you. That is, after all, why our hired those youths.

In 1835 I’d say: Ignore those cads! They are jealous they do not wear scholar’s robs as we do.

And in 1838 I’d say: He was so cold to me, pretending that we had never met. I declare him quite a cad.

Charity – Nicely done! And, it totally wasn’t. I had no idea it could be used three ways. I’ve only heard it referring to a scoundrel of a guy.

Last one: To Shove the Tumbler

Maria – To Shove the Tumbler: The young fart catchers was sentenced to shove the tumbler for stealing his mistress’s muff and tippet. His uncle could not bear to watch, though. Floggings always turned his stomach sour.

So, Charity, how’d I do?

Charity – :-O

To Shove the Tumbler–To be whipped at the cart’s tail.

I am BEYOND IMPRESSED! You got every single one right!!!! I have no idea how you could do that. Insane. INSANE!

If you guys would like to look up some fun words, check out this site.

Thank you, Maria! This was such a blast!!!!!!!!

This awesome lady has agreed to give away an Ebook of her new release. THAT MEANS IT IS AN INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY!!!! So exciting!!!

Just head on over to a Rafflecopter giveaway and start entering!! Good luck!

*Open to rez EVERYWHERE!

Lady Catherine de Bourgh is prepared to be very generous when it comes to medical care for her sickly daughter, Anne – generous enough to lure noted physician Dr. Thomas Bennet to give up his London practice and move his family to Rosings Park. But his good income comes with a price: complete dependence on his demanding patroness’s every whim.  

Now the Bennet family is trapped, reliant on Lady Catherine for their survival. Their patroness controls every aspect of the Bennet household, from the shelves in the closet to the selection of suitors for the five Bennet daughters. Now she has chosen a husband for headstrong Elizabeth Bennet– Mr. George Wickham. 

But Lady Catherine’s nephew, Fitzwilliam Darcy, is not so sure about his aunt’s choice. He is fascinated by the compassionate Elizabeth who seems to effortlessly understand everyone around her, including him. Lady Catherine has other plans for Darcy, though, and she forbids Elizabeth to even speak to him.

As Anne’s health takes a turn for the worse, Darcy and Elizabeth are thrown together as Dr. Bennet struggles to save Anne’s life. Darcy can no longer deny the truth – he is in love with Elizabeth Bennet. But Lady Catherine will do anything to stop Darcy from marrying her – even if it means Elizabeth will lose everything she loves.