Anne here. Recently I've been discovering some of the older style historical romances. Not rediscovering — discovering them for the first time. I came to romance novels later in life, and many of the US romances simply weren't available here in Australia, so I know I've missed out on some that are regarded by many romance readers as "classics of romance." 
Some time back, on the wenches private loop, Jo Beverley mentioned Maggie Osborne's The Promise of Jenny Jones and out of curiosity I went looking for it. I bought it on line, read it and loved it. So fresh and original and good.
Jenny Jones is a rough, tough, fiercely independent Annie Oakley kind of western gal. When the story opens, she's been sentenced to death, but a desperate mother takes Jenny Jones' place in front of a firing squad in exchange for Jenny's promise to see her daughter safely to California. Jenny mightn't look like much, she mightn't have much, but she takes her honor seriously, and any promise she gives is solid gold.
Jenny and the six-year-old Graciela are chalk and cheese — or maybe burlap and satin. The battle of wills between her and the spoiled and indulged yet vulnerable Graciela are wonderful. A bunch of Graciela's cousins are in hot pursuit — for evil or for good, Jenny isn't sure— but add in handsome cowboy Ty Sanders, and you've got all the ingredients for a wonderful romance. But for my money, it's the relationship between Jenny Jones and Graciela that steals the show.
I love western historicals, and I loved The Promise of Jenny Jones so much, I started hunting down Maggie Osborne's backlist. So far I've read I Do, I Do, I Do, Silver Linings, Shotgun Wedding, Foxfire Bride, The Wives of Bowie Stone, and The Bride of Willow Creek and I've enjoyed every one of them. I have a few more coming in the mail, but a lot of her books are out of print and not yet available in e-books. I hope that changes. (I've put amazon links in for some of these books so you can see them, but most of them are only available used.)
Silver Linings is a heartbreaker. The heroine, known to all as Low Down, is another tough, independent western heroine who looks more like a man than a woman. When the story opens she's a ghastly situation—the sole female in a gold mining encampment, nursing a bunch of men alone, through a frightful epidemic, dealing with vomit, pus, blood and death.
After the epidemic is over, the surviving men vote to give her whatever her heart desires, and in her exhausted state she blurts out that all she wants is a baby. So there's a lottery for a husband, and a preacher to performs the ceremony then and there. Only Max McCord, the "winner" of the lottery doesn't want her—he's already got a sweet, pretty fiancee back home. But they're stuck with each other. A wonderful story and Low Down is a brilliant heroine.
In Shotgun Wedding the respectable but modern and independent-thinking (for those times) young heroine finds herself pregnant to an outlaw, and though he's willing to marry her, he won't change his robbing ways, and she realizes she can't and won't live like that. 
So she's single and pregnant — and the consequences are horrible; her friends shun her, her parents are bitterly shamed and angry — she's ruined their lives — and she has to either give the baby up or live alone with it in a horrid little house in the poor part of town, cut off from everyone she's known and loved. Heartbreaking stuff.
When I was reading Shotgun Wedding, I was thinking that some of today's historical writers would do well to read it. It's widely accepted today that single women today can have children without damaging social consequences, and that attitude has crept into romance novels. Even historicals. As well, most of us have grown up with very efficient birth control, easily and widely available, so for most of us, accidental pregnancy is not a daily risk.
I can't help thinking that a historical romance heroine who blithely and happily bonks a man without considering the consequences— as so many do these days in historical romances — is either incredibly naive or foolish. Or unreal.
Maggie Osborne's heroine was both naive and foolish at the start, but also very believable. She wasn't an assertive "kick-ass" heroine either; she was an ordinary, nice girl who grew in strength and character as the story developed.
For me, it was refreshing to read something that rang so true. I felt for that girl's anguish, I admired her courage in refusing to marry the father of her child — because it would only compromise her integrity further. And I ached for her as she faced righteous and relentless social ostracism from friends and family.
I know the market wants very sexy books, but I also think readers want convincing characterization. And convincing historical attitudes.
What do you think?
Have you read Maggie Osborne? (That's her above left.) Do you like Western Historicals?
And who else do you consider a "classic of historical romance" that I ought to read?
Anne, I love Maggie Osborne’s books. I have all those you mention on a keeper shelf plus A Stranger’s Wife and The Seduction of Samantha Kincade and several of her category novels written as Margaret St. George, including Dear Santa, a marriage-in-trouble tale, and American Pie, set in 1890s New York with a Polish heroine and an Irish hero. The latter was part of Harlequin’s 1990-1991 Century of American Romance. I wish more of her books were available in digital format.
Anne, I love Maggie Osborne’s books. I have all those you mention on a keeper shelf plus A Stranger’s Wife and The Seduction of Samantha Kincade and several of her category novels written as Margaret St. George, including Dear Santa, a marriage-in-trouble tale, and American Pie, set in 1890s New York with a Polish heroine and an Irish hero. The latter was part of Harlequin’s 1990-1991 Century of American Romance. I wish more of her books were available in digital format.
Anne, I love Maggie Osborne’s books. I have all those you mention on a keeper shelf plus A Stranger’s Wife and The Seduction of Samantha Kincade and several of her category novels written as Margaret St. George, including Dear Santa, a marriage-in-trouble tale, and American Pie, set in 1890s New York with a Polish heroine and an Irish hero. The latter was part of Harlequin’s 1990-1991 Century of American Romance. I wish more of her books were available in digital format.
Anne, I love Maggie Osborne’s books. I have all those you mention on a keeper shelf plus A Stranger’s Wife and The Seduction of Samantha Kincade and several of her category novels written as Margaret St. George, including Dear Santa, a marriage-in-trouble tale, and American Pie, set in 1890s New York with a Polish heroine and an Irish hero. The latter was part of Harlequin’s 1990-1991 Century of American Romance. I wish more of her books were available in digital format.
Anne, I love Maggie Osborne’s books. I have all those you mention on a keeper shelf plus A Stranger’s Wife and The Seduction of Samantha Kincade and several of her category novels written as Margaret St. George, including Dear Santa, a marriage-in-trouble tale, and American Pie, set in 1890s New York with a Polish heroine and an Irish hero. The latter was part of Harlequin’s 1990-1991 Century of American Romance. I wish more of her books were available in digital format.
Anne, I agree. I have read and loved many of Osborne’s books.
Also, one of my pet peeves is exactly what you said here. the consequences of an unwed pregnancy were huge for both the woman and her child. It’s one thing to anticipate the wedding vows with a fiance, but to casually go to bed with a random man with no commitment…no, just no. What’s even worse, to my mind, is when the unmarried pregnant heroine refuses to marry the guy just because he fails to say the magic “L” word. I think real women were more realistic about their options or lack thereof than what we find in many romance novels.
Anne, I agree. I have read and loved many of Osborne’s books.
Also, one of my pet peeves is exactly what you said here. the consequences of an unwed pregnancy were huge for both the woman and her child. It’s one thing to anticipate the wedding vows with a fiance, but to casually go to bed with a random man with no commitment…no, just no. What’s even worse, to my mind, is when the unmarried pregnant heroine refuses to marry the guy just because he fails to say the magic “L” word. I think real women were more realistic about their options or lack thereof than what we find in many romance novels.
Anne, I agree. I have read and loved many of Osborne’s books.
Also, one of my pet peeves is exactly what you said here. the consequences of an unwed pregnancy were huge for both the woman and her child. It’s one thing to anticipate the wedding vows with a fiance, but to casually go to bed with a random man with no commitment…no, just no. What’s even worse, to my mind, is when the unmarried pregnant heroine refuses to marry the guy just because he fails to say the magic “L” word. I think real women were more realistic about their options or lack thereof than what we find in many romance novels.
Anne, I agree. I have read and loved many of Osborne’s books.
Also, one of my pet peeves is exactly what you said here. the consequences of an unwed pregnancy were huge for both the woman and her child. It’s one thing to anticipate the wedding vows with a fiance, but to casually go to bed with a random man with no commitment…no, just no. What’s even worse, to my mind, is when the unmarried pregnant heroine refuses to marry the guy just because he fails to say the magic “L” word. I think real women were more realistic about their options or lack thereof than what we find in many romance novels.
Anne, I agree. I have read and loved many of Osborne’s books.
Also, one of my pet peeves is exactly what you said here. the consequences of an unwed pregnancy were huge for both the woman and her child. It’s one thing to anticipate the wedding vows with a fiance, but to casually go to bed with a random man with no commitment…no, just no. What’s even worse, to my mind, is when the unmarried pregnant heroine refuses to marry the guy just because he fails to say the magic “L” word. I think real women were more realistic about their options or lack thereof than what we find in many romance novels.
Anne–
I SO agree with random boinking in historicals! I’m old enough to remember when unwed sex and pregnancy were spoken of in hushed whispers, and it was much, much worse further back in the past.
I also with Elaine–when a twit historial heroine in deep trouble refuses a husband who can and will support her because he doesn’t “love” her, it’s a real eye-roller for me.
We need to do a Maggie Osborne campaign to coax her books out into e-form!
Anne–
I SO agree with random boinking in historicals! I’m old enough to remember when unwed sex and pregnancy were spoken of in hushed whispers, and it was much, much worse further back in the past.
I also with Elaine–when a twit historial heroine in deep trouble refuses a husband who can and will support her because he doesn’t “love” her, it’s a real eye-roller for me.
We need to do a Maggie Osborne campaign to coax her books out into e-form!
Anne–
I SO agree with random boinking in historicals! I’m old enough to remember when unwed sex and pregnancy were spoken of in hushed whispers, and it was much, much worse further back in the past.
I also with Elaine–when a twit historial heroine in deep trouble refuses a husband who can and will support her because he doesn’t “love” her, it’s a real eye-roller for me.
We need to do a Maggie Osborne campaign to coax her books out into e-form!
Anne–
I SO agree with random boinking in historicals! I’m old enough to remember when unwed sex and pregnancy were spoken of in hushed whispers, and it was much, much worse further back in the past.
I also with Elaine–when a twit historial heroine in deep trouble refuses a husband who can and will support her because he doesn’t “love” her, it’s a real eye-roller for me.
We need to do a Maggie Osborne campaign to coax her books out into e-form!
Anne–
I SO agree with random boinking in historicals! I’m old enough to remember when unwed sex and pregnancy were spoken of in hushed whispers, and it was much, much worse further back in the past.
I also with Elaine–when a twit historial heroine in deep trouble refuses a husband who can and will support her because he doesn’t “love” her, it’s a real eye-roller for me.
We need to do a Maggie Osborne campaign to coax her books out into e-form!
Western historicals for me are hit and miss. I grew up in Idaho quite a ways from a town and a long way from a city. Too many authors fail to capture how hard life is on a ranch or a farm. A great deal of time is spent cleaning up after animals and moving that waste to gardens and fields. Not romantic at all. There just isn’t a lot of time during the growing and harvesting season, and not a lot of daytime in the slower winter. And because stories need to move forward, there’s little sense of how long it takes to get from one place to another. I cannot count how many hours of my life were spent in cars and pick-ups getting to things. We thought nothing about driving 2 hours to a football games and 2 hours back, doing the same thing for debate on Saturday, and then the obligatory trip to town for Sunday school and church. Life is slow in the country for the most part, but that doesn’t make for exciting stories.
I will have to check out Maggie Osborn. I do like authors who bring characters to life. I am craving character driven stories right now after reading a couple of lust-into-love stories.
Right now, I’m reading Carla Kelly’s re-releases of her back list. She does have some silly boinking (at least in the current book), but she captures the dangers and despair of the Spanish battlefields during the Napoleonic Wars in several others.
Western historicals for me are hit and miss. I grew up in Idaho quite a ways from a town and a long way from a city. Too many authors fail to capture how hard life is on a ranch or a farm. A great deal of time is spent cleaning up after animals and moving that waste to gardens and fields. Not romantic at all. There just isn’t a lot of time during the growing and harvesting season, and not a lot of daytime in the slower winter. And because stories need to move forward, there’s little sense of how long it takes to get from one place to another. I cannot count how many hours of my life were spent in cars and pick-ups getting to things. We thought nothing about driving 2 hours to a football games and 2 hours back, doing the same thing for debate on Saturday, and then the obligatory trip to town for Sunday school and church. Life is slow in the country for the most part, but that doesn’t make for exciting stories.
I will have to check out Maggie Osborn. I do like authors who bring characters to life. I am craving character driven stories right now after reading a couple of lust-into-love stories.
Right now, I’m reading Carla Kelly’s re-releases of her back list. She does have some silly boinking (at least in the current book), but she captures the dangers and despair of the Spanish battlefields during the Napoleonic Wars in several others.
Western historicals for me are hit and miss. I grew up in Idaho quite a ways from a town and a long way from a city. Too many authors fail to capture how hard life is on a ranch or a farm. A great deal of time is spent cleaning up after animals and moving that waste to gardens and fields. Not romantic at all. There just isn’t a lot of time during the growing and harvesting season, and not a lot of daytime in the slower winter. And because stories need to move forward, there’s little sense of how long it takes to get from one place to another. I cannot count how many hours of my life were spent in cars and pick-ups getting to things. We thought nothing about driving 2 hours to a football games and 2 hours back, doing the same thing for debate on Saturday, and then the obligatory trip to town for Sunday school and church. Life is slow in the country for the most part, but that doesn’t make for exciting stories.
I will have to check out Maggie Osborn. I do like authors who bring characters to life. I am craving character driven stories right now after reading a couple of lust-into-love stories.
Right now, I’m reading Carla Kelly’s re-releases of her back list. She does have some silly boinking (at least in the current book), but she captures the dangers and despair of the Spanish battlefields during the Napoleonic Wars in several others.
Western historicals for me are hit and miss. I grew up in Idaho quite a ways from a town and a long way from a city. Too many authors fail to capture how hard life is on a ranch or a farm. A great deal of time is spent cleaning up after animals and moving that waste to gardens and fields. Not romantic at all. There just isn’t a lot of time during the growing and harvesting season, and not a lot of daytime in the slower winter. And because stories need to move forward, there’s little sense of how long it takes to get from one place to another. I cannot count how many hours of my life were spent in cars and pick-ups getting to things. We thought nothing about driving 2 hours to a football games and 2 hours back, doing the same thing for debate on Saturday, and then the obligatory trip to town for Sunday school and church. Life is slow in the country for the most part, but that doesn’t make for exciting stories.
I will have to check out Maggie Osborn. I do like authors who bring characters to life. I am craving character driven stories right now after reading a couple of lust-into-love stories.
Right now, I’m reading Carla Kelly’s re-releases of her back list. She does have some silly boinking (at least in the current book), but she captures the dangers and despair of the Spanish battlefields during the Napoleonic Wars in several others.
Western historicals for me are hit and miss. I grew up in Idaho quite a ways from a town and a long way from a city. Too many authors fail to capture how hard life is on a ranch or a farm. A great deal of time is spent cleaning up after animals and moving that waste to gardens and fields. Not romantic at all. There just isn’t a lot of time during the growing and harvesting season, and not a lot of daytime in the slower winter. And because stories need to move forward, there’s little sense of how long it takes to get from one place to another. I cannot count how many hours of my life were spent in cars and pick-ups getting to things. We thought nothing about driving 2 hours to a football games and 2 hours back, doing the same thing for debate on Saturday, and then the obligatory trip to town for Sunday school and church. Life is slow in the country for the most part, but that doesn’t make for exciting stories.
I will have to check out Maggie Osborn. I do like authors who bring characters to life. I am craving character driven stories right now after reading a couple of lust-into-love stories.
Right now, I’m reading Carla Kelly’s re-releases of her back list. She does have some silly boinking (at least in the current book), but she captures the dangers and despair of the Spanish battlefields during the Napoleonic Wars in several others.
I feel stupid. I read boinking as a heroine hitting a hero without consequences not indiscriminate joining. This heroine–a nobody–hits a marquess without any consequences. I am now going to eat dinner and see if I can do better tomorrow with 8 hours. (Yes, I did stay up too late reading.)
I feel stupid. I read boinking as a heroine hitting a hero without consequences not indiscriminate joining. This heroine–a nobody–hits a marquess without any consequences. I am now going to eat dinner and see if I can do better tomorrow with 8 hours. (Yes, I did stay up too late reading.)
I feel stupid. I read boinking as a heroine hitting a hero without consequences not indiscriminate joining. This heroine–a nobody–hits a marquess without any consequences. I am now going to eat dinner and see if I can do better tomorrow with 8 hours. (Yes, I did stay up too late reading.)
I feel stupid. I read boinking as a heroine hitting a hero without consequences not indiscriminate joining. This heroine–a nobody–hits a marquess without any consequences. I am now going to eat dinner and see if I can do better tomorrow with 8 hours. (Yes, I did stay up too late reading.)
I feel stupid. I read boinking as a heroine hitting a hero without consequences not indiscriminate joining. This heroine–a nobody–hits a marquess without any consequences. I am now going to eat dinner and see if I can do better tomorrow with 8 hours. (Yes, I did stay up too late reading.)
Shannon–
I grew up on a farm–in the east, not the west, like you. And it’s why on the whole, I have zero interest in Westerns, I think one has to be a city person to find the life romantic. Give me lords and ladies and indoor plumbing!
Shannon–
I grew up on a farm–in the east, not the west, like you. And it’s why on the whole, I have zero interest in Westerns, I think one has to be a city person to find the life romantic. Give me lords and ladies and indoor plumbing!
Shannon–
I grew up on a farm–in the east, not the west, like you. And it’s why on the whole, I have zero interest in Westerns, I think one has to be a city person to find the life romantic. Give me lords and ladies and indoor plumbing!
Shannon–
I grew up on a farm–in the east, not the west, like you. And it’s why on the whole, I have zero interest in Westerns, I think one has to be a city person to find the life romantic. Give me lords and ladies and indoor plumbing!
Shannon–
I grew up on a farm–in the east, not the west, like you. And it’s why on the whole, I have zero interest in Westerns, I think one has to be a city person to find the life romantic. Give me lords and ladies and indoor plumbing!
Thanks, Janga, I'm thinking we should start a campaign to have Maggie Osborne's books reissued in e-form.
I have The Seduction of Samantha Kincade on order – from a used bookshop somewhere in the US — but I didn't know she also wrote as Margaret St. George. Guess who'll be hunting for those books too, now? *g* I always find it interesting to compare an author's work when they write different kinds of books or under different names.
Thanks, Janga, I'm thinking we should start a campaign to have Maggie Osborne's books reissued in e-form.
I have The Seduction of Samantha Kincade on order – from a used bookshop somewhere in the US — but I didn't know she also wrote as Margaret St. George. Guess who'll be hunting for those books too, now? *g* I always find it interesting to compare an author's work when they write different kinds of books or under different names.
Thanks, Janga, I'm thinking we should start a campaign to have Maggie Osborne's books reissued in e-form.
I have The Seduction of Samantha Kincade on order – from a used bookshop somewhere in the US — but I didn't know she also wrote as Margaret St. George. Guess who'll be hunting for those books too, now? *g* I always find it interesting to compare an author's work when they write different kinds of books or under different names.
Thanks, Janga, I'm thinking we should start a campaign to have Maggie Osborne's books reissued in e-form.
I have The Seduction of Samantha Kincade on order – from a used bookshop somewhere in the US — but I didn't know she also wrote as Margaret St. George. Guess who'll be hunting for those books too, now? *g* I always find it interesting to compare an author's work when they write different kinds of books or under different names.
Thanks, Janga, I'm thinking we should start a campaign to have Maggie Osborne's books reissued in e-form.
I have The Seduction of Samantha Kincade on order – from a used bookshop somewhere in the US — but I didn't know she also wrote as Margaret St. George. Guess who'll be hunting for those books too, now? *g* I always find it interesting to compare an author's work when they write different kinds of books or under different names.
Eileen, yes, that's so true. " I think real women were more realistic about their options or lack thereof than what we find in many romance novels."
I also think a lot of people fell in love after marriage. It's one of the reasons I like the Marriage of Convenience trope. I actually know quite a few people who barely knew their husbands before they were married, but who have had long and happy marriages. Whether or not they ever had that intense falling in love experience though, I don't really know.
As always, in writing historicals, there is the problem of respecting the mores of the day, and keeping the fantasy relevant to modern readers. They (we) do want that "I love you" declaration from the hero, don't we?
Eileen, yes, that's so true. " I think real women were more realistic about their options or lack thereof than what we find in many romance novels."
I also think a lot of people fell in love after marriage. It's one of the reasons I like the Marriage of Convenience trope. I actually know quite a few people who barely knew their husbands before they were married, but who have had long and happy marriages. Whether or not they ever had that intense falling in love experience though, I don't really know.
As always, in writing historicals, there is the problem of respecting the mores of the day, and keeping the fantasy relevant to modern readers. They (we) do want that "I love you" declaration from the hero, don't we?
Eileen, yes, that's so true. " I think real women were more realistic about their options or lack thereof than what we find in many romance novels."
I also think a lot of people fell in love after marriage. It's one of the reasons I like the Marriage of Convenience trope. I actually know quite a few people who barely knew their husbands before they were married, but who have had long and happy marriages. Whether or not they ever had that intense falling in love experience though, I don't really know.
As always, in writing historicals, there is the problem of respecting the mores of the day, and keeping the fantasy relevant to modern readers. They (we) do want that "I love you" declaration from the hero, don't we?
Eileen, yes, that's so true. " I think real women were more realistic about their options or lack thereof than what we find in many romance novels."
I also think a lot of people fell in love after marriage. It's one of the reasons I like the Marriage of Convenience trope. I actually know quite a few people who barely knew their husbands before they were married, but who have had long and happy marriages. Whether or not they ever had that intense falling in love experience though, I don't really know.
As always, in writing historicals, there is the problem of respecting the mores of the day, and keeping the fantasy relevant to modern readers. They (we) do want that "I love you" declaration from the hero, don't we?
Eileen, yes, that's so true. " I think real women were more realistic about their options or lack thereof than what we find in many romance novels."
I also think a lot of people fell in love after marriage. It's one of the reasons I like the Marriage of Convenience trope. I actually know quite a few people who barely knew their husbands before they were married, but who have had long and happy marriages. Whether or not they ever had that intense falling in love experience though, I don't really know.
As always, in writing historicals, there is the problem of respecting the mores of the day, and keeping the fantasy relevant to modern readers. They (we) do want that "I love you" declaration from the hero, don't we?
I'm also with Elaine–when a twit historial heroine in deep trouble refuses a husband who can and will support her because he doesn't "love" her, it's a real eye-roller for me.
Yes, especially when it's pretty obvious he does love her — it's only the words he hasn't said.
Of course, the words ARE important, but not at the expense of a girl's reputation/ societal standing/future is at stake.
We need to do a Maggie Osborne campaign to coax her books out into e-form!
Yes indeed, Mary Jo.
I think they'd do really well. Other readers, I'm sure, would do as I've done and hunt her books down — and it would be SO much easier if it was a matter of a click on an e-reader.
I'm also with Elaine–when a twit historial heroine in deep trouble refuses a husband who can and will support her because he doesn't "love" her, it's a real eye-roller for me.
Yes, especially when it's pretty obvious he does love her — it's only the words he hasn't said.
Of course, the words ARE important, but not at the expense of a girl's reputation/ societal standing/future is at stake.
We need to do a Maggie Osborne campaign to coax her books out into e-form!
Yes indeed, Mary Jo.
I think they'd do really well. Other readers, I'm sure, would do as I've done and hunt her books down — and it would be SO much easier if it was a matter of a click on an e-reader.
I'm also with Elaine–when a twit historial heroine in deep trouble refuses a husband who can and will support her because he doesn't "love" her, it's a real eye-roller for me.
Yes, especially when it's pretty obvious he does love her — it's only the words he hasn't said.
Of course, the words ARE important, but not at the expense of a girl's reputation/ societal standing/future is at stake.
We need to do a Maggie Osborne campaign to coax her books out into e-form!
Yes indeed, Mary Jo.
I think they'd do really well. Other readers, I'm sure, would do as I've done and hunt her books down — and it would be SO much easier if it was a matter of a click on an e-reader.
I'm also with Elaine–when a twit historial heroine in deep trouble refuses a husband who can and will support her because he doesn't "love" her, it's a real eye-roller for me.
Yes, especially when it's pretty obvious he does love her — it's only the words he hasn't said.
Of course, the words ARE important, but not at the expense of a girl's reputation/ societal standing/future is at stake.
We need to do a Maggie Osborne campaign to coax her books out into e-form!
Yes indeed, Mary Jo.
I think they'd do really well. Other readers, I'm sure, would do as I've done and hunt her books down — and it would be SO much easier if it was a matter of a click on an e-reader.
I'm also with Elaine–when a twit historial heroine in deep trouble refuses a husband who can and will support her because he doesn't "love" her, it's a real eye-roller for me.
Yes, especially when it's pretty obvious he does love her — it's only the words he hasn't said.
Of course, the words ARE important, but not at the expense of a girl's reputation/ societal standing/future is at stake.
We need to do a Maggie Osborne campaign to coax her books out into e-form!
Yes indeed, Mary Jo.
I think they'd do really well. Other readers, I'm sure, would do as I've done and hunt her books down — and it would be SO much easier if it was a matter of a click on an e-reader.
Shannon, I love Carla Kelly's books. She's an honorary WordWench — did you know? I interviewed her once.
http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2009/12/carla-kelly.html
"Too many authors fail to capture how hard life is on a ranch or a farm. A great deal of time is spent cleaning up after animals and moving that waste to gardens and fields. Not romantic at all."
LOL — as someone whose first paid job involved picking up cat and dog poop in a boarding kennels, I do understand. And though I didn't grow up on a farm, my family background was on the land, and I remember some of my father's stories from when he was a boy. Backbreaking work and, in the end, for my paternal grandparents at least, heartbreaking. But the best writers still manage to convey the hard work and still spin the romance alive. It's always a balance between reality and fantasy.
"And because stories need to move forward, there's little sense of how long it takes to get from one place to another. I cannot count how many hours of my life were spent in cars and pick-ups getting to things. We thought nothing about driving 2 hours to a football games and 2 hours back, doing the same thing for debate on Saturday, and then the obligatory trip to town for Sunday school and church. Life is slow in the country for the most part, but that doesn't make for exciting stories."
Ah, but that's the joy of fiction — we can skip those bits, saying, "The journey took ten days and by the end of it Shannon wondered if any of her bones were still attached, such was the incessant jolting of the wagon" or whatever.
Shannon, I love Carla Kelly's books. She's an honorary WordWench — did you know? I interviewed her once.
http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2009/12/carla-kelly.html
"Too many authors fail to capture how hard life is on a ranch or a farm. A great deal of time is spent cleaning up after animals and moving that waste to gardens and fields. Not romantic at all."
LOL — as someone whose first paid job involved picking up cat and dog poop in a boarding kennels, I do understand. And though I didn't grow up on a farm, my family background was on the land, and I remember some of my father's stories from when he was a boy. Backbreaking work and, in the end, for my paternal grandparents at least, heartbreaking. But the best writers still manage to convey the hard work and still spin the romance alive. It's always a balance between reality and fantasy.
"And because stories need to move forward, there's little sense of how long it takes to get from one place to another. I cannot count how many hours of my life were spent in cars and pick-ups getting to things. We thought nothing about driving 2 hours to a football games and 2 hours back, doing the same thing for debate on Saturday, and then the obligatory trip to town for Sunday school and church. Life is slow in the country for the most part, but that doesn't make for exciting stories."
Ah, but that's the joy of fiction — we can skip those bits, saying, "The journey took ten days and by the end of it Shannon wondered if any of her bones were still attached, such was the incessant jolting of the wagon" or whatever.
Shannon, I love Carla Kelly's books. She's an honorary WordWench — did you know? I interviewed her once.
http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2009/12/carla-kelly.html
"Too many authors fail to capture how hard life is on a ranch or a farm. A great deal of time is spent cleaning up after animals and moving that waste to gardens and fields. Not romantic at all."
LOL — as someone whose first paid job involved picking up cat and dog poop in a boarding kennels, I do understand. And though I didn't grow up on a farm, my family background was on the land, and I remember some of my father's stories from when he was a boy. Backbreaking work and, in the end, for my paternal grandparents at least, heartbreaking. But the best writers still manage to convey the hard work and still spin the romance alive. It's always a balance between reality and fantasy.
"And because stories need to move forward, there's little sense of how long it takes to get from one place to another. I cannot count how many hours of my life were spent in cars and pick-ups getting to things. We thought nothing about driving 2 hours to a football games and 2 hours back, doing the same thing for debate on Saturday, and then the obligatory trip to town for Sunday school and church. Life is slow in the country for the most part, but that doesn't make for exciting stories."
Ah, but that's the joy of fiction — we can skip those bits, saying, "The journey took ten days and by the end of it Shannon wondered if any of her bones were still attached, such was the incessant jolting of the wagon" or whatever.
Shannon, I love Carla Kelly's books. She's an honorary WordWench — did you know? I interviewed her once.
http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2009/12/carla-kelly.html
"Too many authors fail to capture how hard life is on a ranch or a farm. A great deal of time is spent cleaning up after animals and moving that waste to gardens and fields. Not romantic at all."
LOL — as someone whose first paid job involved picking up cat and dog poop in a boarding kennels, I do understand. And though I didn't grow up on a farm, my family background was on the land, and I remember some of my father's stories from when he was a boy. Backbreaking work and, in the end, for my paternal grandparents at least, heartbreaking. But the best writers still manage to convey the hard work and still spin the romance alive. It's always a balance between reality and fantasy.
"And because stories need to move forward, there's little sense of how long it takes to get from one place to another. I cannot count how many hours of my life were spent in cars and pick-ups getting to things. We thought nothing about driving 2 hours to a football games and 2 hours back, doing the same thing for debate on Saturday, and then the obligatory trip to town for Sunday school and church. Life is slow in the country for the most part, but that doesn't make for exciting stories."
Ah, but that's the joy of fiction — we can skip those bits, saying, "The journey took ten days and by the end of it Shannon wondered if any of her bones were still attached, such was the incessant jolting of the wagon" or whatever.
Shannon, I love Carla Kelly's books. She's an honorary WordWench — did you know? I interviewed her once.
http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2009/12/carla-kelly.html
"Too many authors fail to capture how hard life is on a ranch or a farm. A great deal of time is spent cleaning up after animals and moving that waste to gardens and fields. Not romantic at all."
LOL — as someone whose first paid job involved picking up cat and dog poop in a boarding kennels, I do understand. And though I didn't grow up on a farm, my family background was on the land, and I remember some of my father's stories from when he was a boy. Backbreaking work and, in the end, for my paternal grandparents at least, heartbreaking. But the best writers still manage to convey the hard work and still spin the romance alive. It's always a balance between reality and fantasy.
"And because stories need to move forward, there's little sense of how long it takes to get from one place to another. I cannot count how many hours of my life were spent in cars and pick-ups getting to things. We thought nothing about driving 2 hours to a football games and 2 hours back, doing the same thing for debate on Saturday, and then the obligatory trip to town for Sunday school and church. Life is slow in the country for the most part, but that doesn't make for exciting stories."
Ah, but that's the joy of fiction — we can skip those bits, saying, "The journey took ten days and by the end of it Shannon wondered if any of her bones were still attached, such was the incessant jolting of the wagon" or whatever.
Give me lords and ladies and indoor plumbing!
You and a million lovers of regencies and similar settings. But for those of us who grew up in small towns and cities, the western is a joy.
Give me lords and ladies and indoor plumbing!
You and a million lovers of regencies and similar settings. But for those of us who grew up in small towns and cities, the western is a joy.
Give me lords and ladies and indoor plumbing!
You and a million lovers of regencies and similar settings. But for those of us who grew up in small towns and cities, the western is a joy.
Give me lords and ladies and indoor plumbing!
You and a million lovers of regencies and similar settings. But for those of us who grew up in small towns and cities, the western is a joy.
Give me lords and ladies and indoor plumbing!
You and a million lovers of regencies and similar settings. But for those of us who grew up in small towns and cities, the western is a joy.
Sorry, Shannon — "bonking" is a term that's quite commonly understood in the UK and Australia, so I assumed it would be familiar to North Americans, too.
But we also say "She bonked him over the head," making the context clear.
So, what should I say that's not rude? *g*
Sorry, Shannon — "bonking" is a term that's quite commonly understood in the UK and Australia, so I assumed it would be familiar to North Americans, too.
But we also say "She bonked him over the head," making the context clear.
So, what should I say that's not rude? *g*
Sorry, Shannon — "bonking" is a term that's quite commonly understood in the UK and Australia, so I assumed it would be familiar to North Americans, too.
But we also say "She bonked him over the head," making the context clear.
So, what should I say that's not rude? *g*
Sorry, Shannon — "bonking" is a term that's quite commonly understood in the UK and Australia, so I assumed it would be familiar to North Americans, too.
But we also say "She bonked him over the head," making the context clear.
So, what should I say that's not rude? *g*
Sorry, Shannon — "bonking" is a term that's quite commonly understood in the UK and Australia, so I assumed it would be familiar to North Americans, too.
But we also say "She bonked him over the head," making the context clear.
So, what should I say that's not rude? *g*
I understand what ‘boinking’ is — I just thought you might have spelled ‘bonking’ wrong 🙂 So I had a bit of trouble following the comments 🙂
I wouldn’t say ‘boinking’ is a rude term; it carries a sense of having sex that is for entertainment only, without relationship, without consequences, without responsibility, with a sense of some disrespect on the part of the speaker for the casualness of it. It’s a useful word.
‘Bonking’ is hitting someone on the head, again with the sense that nothing important will come of it. Like in the cartoons.
As if 🙂
I understand what ‘boinking’ is — I just thought you might have spelled ‘bonking’ wrong 🙂 So I had a bit of trouble following the comments 🙂
I wouldn’t say ‘boinking’ is a rude term; it carries a sense of having sex that is for entertainment only, without relationship, without consequences, without responsibility, with a sense of some disrespect on the part of the speaker for the casualness of it. It’s a useful word.
‘Bonking’ is hitting someone on the head, again with the sense that nothing important will come of it. Like in the cartoons.
As if 🙂
I understand what ‘boinking’ is — I just thought you might have spelled ‘bonking’ wrong 🙂 So I had a bit of trouble following the comments 🙂
I wouldn’t say ‘boinking’ is a rude term; it carries a sense of having sex that is for entertainment only, without relationship, without consequences, without responsibility, with a sense of some disrespect on the part of the speaker for the casualness of it. It’s a useful word.
‘Bonking’ is hitting someone on the head, again with the sense that nothing important will come of it. Like in the cartoons.
As if 🙂
I understand what ‘boinking’ is — I just thought you might have spelled ‘bonking’ wrong 🙂 So I had a bit of trouble following the comments 🙂
I wouldn’t say ‘boinking’ is a rude term; it carries a sense of having sex that is for entertainment only, without relationship, without consequences, without responsibility, with a sense of some disrespect on the part of the speaker for the casualness of it. It’s a useful word.
‘Bonking’ is hitting someone on the head, again with the sense that nothing important will come of it. Like in the cartoons.
As if 🙂
I understand what ‘boinking’ is — I just thought you might have spelled ‘bonking’ wrong 🙂 So I had a bit of trouble following the comments 🙂
I wouldn’t say ‘boinking’ is a rude term; it carries a sense of having sex that is for entertainment only, without relationship, without consequences, without responsibility, with a sense of some disrespect on the part of the speaker for the casualness of it. It’s a useful word.
‘Bonking’ is hitting someone on the head, again with the sense that nothing important will come of it. Like in the cartoons.
As if 🙂
Must be another aussie/US thing — we say bonking meaning sex (not boinking) and we also use it for bonking someone over the head.
Must be another aussie/US thing — we say bonking meaning sex (not boinking) and we also use it for bonking someone over the head.
Must be another aussie/US thing — we say bonking meaning sex (not boinking) and we also use it for bonking someone over the head.
Must be another aussie/US thing — we say bonking meaning sex (not boinking) and we also use it for bonking someone over the head.
Must be another aussie/US thing — we say bonking meaning sex (not boinking) and we also use it for bonking someone over the head.
Janice, I just googled boinking, to see where it’s used and this came up:
I do think it’s one of those tomahto/tomayto things.
bonk/bɒŋk/
verb
hit (someone or something).
have sexual intercourse.
(of a cyclist or runner) reach a point of exhaustion that makes it impossible to go further.
Janice, I just googled boinking, to see where it’s used and this came up:
I do think it’s one of those tomahto/tomayto things.
bonk/bɒŋk/
verb
hit (someone or something).
have sexual intercourse.
(of a cyclist or runner) reach a point of exhaustion that makes it impossible to go further.
Janice, I just googled boinking, to see where it’s used and this came up:
I do think it’s one of those tomahto/tomayto things.
bonk/bɒŋk/
verb
hit (someone or something).
have sexual intercourse.
(of a cyclist or runner) reach a point of exhaustion that makes it impossible to go further.
Janice, I just googled boinking, to see where it’s used and this came up:
I do think it’s one of those tomahto/tomayto things.
bonk/bɒŋk/
verb
hit (someone or something).
have sexual intercourse.
(of a cyclist or runner) reach a point of exhaustion that makes it impossible to go further.
Janice, I just googled boinking, to see where it’s used and this came up:
I do think it’s one of those tomahto/tomayto things.
bonk/bɒŋk/
verb
hit (someone or something).
have sexual intercourse.
(of a cyclist or runner) reach a point of exhaustion that makes it impossible to go further.
Anne, thank you for this! How is it that I’ve never read Maggie Osborne???? That will quickly be rectified. BTW, I just went to check Amazon, and have to say, The Wives of Bowie Stone looks amazing.
Anne, thank you for this! How is it that I’ve never read Maggie Osborne???? That will quickly be rectified. BTW, I just went to check Amazon, and have to say, The Wives of Bowie Stone looks amazing.
Anne, thank you for this! How is it that I’ve never read Maggie Osborne???? That will quickly be rectified. BTW, I just went to check Amazon, and have to say, The Wives of Bowie Stone looks amazing.
Anne, thank you for this! How is it that I’ve never read Maggie Osborne???? That will quickly be rectified. BTW, I just went to check Amazon, and have to say, The Wives of Bowie Stone looks amazing.
Anne, thank you for this! How is it that I’ve never read Maggie Osborne???? That will quickly be rectified. BTW, I just went to check Amazon, and have to say, The Wives of Bowie Stone looks amazing.
Back to bonking/boinking for one moment: despite being what my husband calls a “rabid Anglophile”, I’d never heard the term until I first saw “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, in which Scarlet has a discussion about boyfriends with the flower girl under a table at the first wedding reception. The flower girl admits that she likes her boyfriend because he has table tennis, and asks Scarlet if she has a boyfriend. Scarlet says no, that most of the boys she likes just bonk her and leave. when the the flower girl asks what bonking is, Scarlet says, “It’s like table tennis, only with smaller balls.” Naughty, yes, but I immediately knew what bonking meant!
when I was growing up in the 50s/60s, I devoured my mother’s Elswyth Thane historical romances, which ranged in time from pre-revolutionary U.S. to WWII in England, following characters from several connected families. My favorite titles were Yankee Stranger, Ever After, and Queen’s Gift. I now have my mother’s hardcover copies, which I cherish. I believe they’re still in print, but no idea if widely read.
Back to bonking/boinking for one moment: despite being what my husband calls a “rabid Anglophile”, I’d never heard the term until I first saw “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, in which Scarlet has a discussion about boyfriends with the flower girl under a table at the first wedding reception. The flower girl admits that she likes her boyfriend because he has table tennis, and asks Scarlet if she has a boyfriend. Scarlet says no, that most of the boys she likes just bonk her and leave. when the the flower girl asks what bonking is, Scarlet says, “It’s like table tennis, only with smaller balls.” Naughty, yes, but I immediately knew what bonking meant!
when I was growing up in the 50s/60s, I devoured my mother’s Elswyth Thane historical romances, which ranged in time from pre-revolutionary U.S. to WWII in England, following characters from several connected families. My favorite titles were Yankee Stranger, Ever After, and Queen’s Gift. I now have my mother’s hardcover copies, which I cherish. I believe they’re still in print, but no idea if widely read.
Back to bonking/boinking for one moment: despite being what my husband calls a “rabid Anglophile”, I’d never heard the term until I first saw “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, in which Scarlet has a discussion about boyfriends with the flower girl under a table at the first wedding reception. The flower girl admits that she likes her boyfriend because he has table tennis, and asks Scarlet if she has a boyfriend. Scarlet says no, that most of the boys she likes just bonk her and leave. when the the flower girl asks what bonking is, Scarlet says, “It’s like table tennis, only with smaller balls.” Naughty, yes, but I immediately knew what bonking meant!
when I was growing up in the 50s/60s, I devoured my mother’s Elswyth Thane historical romances, which ranged in time from pre-revolutionary U.S. to WWII in England, following characters from several connected families. My favorite titles were Yankee Stranger, Ever After, and Queen’s Gift. I now have my mother’s hardcover copies, which I cherish. I believe they’re still in print, but no idea if widely read.
Back to bonking/boinking for one moment: despite being what my husband calls a “rabid Anglophile”, I’d never heard the term until I first saw “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, in which Scarlet has a discussion about boyfriends with the flower girl under a table at the first wedding reception. The flower girl admits that she likes her boyfriend because he has table tennis, and asks Scarlet if she has a boyfriend. Scarlet says no, that most of the boys she likes just bonk her and leave. when the the flower girl asks what bonking is, Scarlet says, “It’s like table tennis, only with smaller balls.” Naughty, yes, but I immediately knew what bonking meant!
when I was growing up in the 50s/60s, I devoured my mother’s Elswyth Thane historical romances, which ranged in time from pre-revolutionary U.S. to WWII in England, following characters from several connected families. My favorite titles were Yankee Stranger, Ever After, and Queen’s Gift. I now have my mother’s hardcover copies, which I cherish. I believe they’re still in print, but no idea if widely read.
Back to bonking/boinking for one moment: despite being what my husband calls a “rabid Anglophile”, I’d never heard the term until I first saw “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, in which Scarlet has a discussion about boyfriends with the flower girl under a table at the first wedding reception. The flower girl admits that she likes her boyfriend because he has table tennis, and asks Scarlet if she has a boyfriend. Scarlet says no, that most of the boys she likes just bonk her and leave. when the the flower girl asks what bonking is, Scarlet says, “It’s like table tennis, only with smaller balls.” Naughty, yes, but I immediately knew what bonking meant!
when I was growing up in the 50s/60s, I devoured my mother’s Elswyth Thane historical romances, which ranged in time from pre-revolutionary U.S. to WWII in England, following characters from several connected families. My favorite titles were Yankee Stranger, Ever After, and Queen’s Gift. I now have my mother’s hardcover copies, which I cherish. I believe they’re still in print, but no idea if widely read.
I have never been into Westerns so although have heard of Maggie Osborne, didn’t feel any interest in checking out her books until came across your review, Anne. So thank you for introducing me to this author.
Re your question: And who else do you consider a “classic of historical romance” that I ought to read? Have you read any Judith McNaught? I loved her back in the 90s but I recently tried to re-read and the majority of her books didn’t keep my interest. I think some authors you can only read and identify with when at a certain age – as you get older, reading tastes change.
I have never been into Westerns so although have heard of Maggie Osborne, didn’t feel any interest in checking out her books until came across your review, Anne. So thank you for introducing me to this author.
Re your question: And who else do you consider a “classic of historical romance” that I ought to read? Have you read any Judith McNaught? I loved her back in the 90s but I recently tried to re-read and the majority of her books didn’t keep my interest. I think some authors you can only read and identify with when at a certain age – as you get older, reading tastes change.
I have never been into Westerns so although have heard of Maggie Osborne, didn’t feel any interest in checking out her books until came across your review, Anne. So thank you for introducing me to this author.
Re your question: And who else do you consider a “classic of historical romance” that I ought to read? Have you read any Judith McNaught? I loved her back in the 90s but I recently tried to re-read and the majority of her books didn’t keep my interest. I think some authors you can only read and identify with when at a certain age – as you get older, reading tastes change.
I have never been into Westerns so although have heard of Maggie Osborne, didn’t feel any interest in checking out her books until came across your review, Anne. So thank you for introducing me to this author.
Re your question: And who else do you consider a “classic of historical romance” that I ought to read? Have you read any Judith McNaught? I loved her back in the 90s but I recently tried to re-read and the majority of her books didn’t keep my interest. I think some authors you can only read and identify with when at a certain age – as you get older, reading tastes change.
I have never been into Westerns so although have heard of Maggie Osborne, didn’t feel any interest in checking out her books until came across your review, Anne. So thank you for introducing me to this author.
Re your question: And who else do you consider a “classic of historical romance” that I ought to read? Have you read any Judith McNaught? I loved her back in the 90s but I recently tried to re-read and the majority of her books didn’t keep my interest. I think some authors you can only read and identify with when at a certain age – as you get older, reading tastes change.
That's a great scene, isn't it, Constance? I do like that movie.
Thank you for the Elswyth Thayne recommendation — what a lovely old-fashioned name that is. I haven't heard of her, but I'll certainly look her up.
That's a great scene, isn't it, Constance? I do like that movie.
Thank you for the Elswyth Thayne recommendation — what a lovely old-fashioned name that is. I haven't heard of her, but I'll certainly look her up.
That's a great scene, isn't it, Constance? I do like that movie.
Thank you for the Elswyth Thayne recommendation — what a lovely old-fashioned name that is. I haven't heard of her, but I'll certainly look her up.
That's a great scene, isn't it, Constance? I do like that movie.
Thank you for the Elswyth Thayne recommendation — what a lovely old-fashioned name that is. I haven't heard of her, but I'll certainly look her up.
That's a great scene, isn't it, Constance? I do like that movie.
Thank you for the Elswyth Thayne recommendation — what a lovely old-fashioned name that is. I haven't heard of her, but I'll certainly look her up.
Kanch, that's very true. Tastes and attitudes change as you mature. I think I did try one Judith McNaught book, but I can't remember which one it was, and it mustn't have caught my fancy because I don't have any of her books on my shelves (and I have a lot of shelves.) Usually when I glom an author I buy and keep the books, because I like to reread. For me, favorite books are like old friends. There are a few authors from the 90's that I glommed when I first discovered US romance novels (and learned the word 'glommed') and I'm planning to reread some of them. We'll see how they look to me now.
Kanch, that's very true. Tastes and attitudes change as you mature. I think I did try one Judith McNaught book, but I can't remember which one it was, and it mustn't have caught my fancy because I don't have any of her books on my shelves (and I have a lot of shelves.) Usually when I glom an author I buy and keep the books, because I like to reread. For me, favorite books are like old friends. There are a few authors from the 90's that I glommed when I first discovered US romance novels (and learned the word 'glommed') and I'm planning to reread some of them. We'll see how they look to me now.
Kanch, that's very true. Tastes and attitudes change as you mature. I think I did try one Judith McNaught book, but I can't remember which one it was, and it mustn't have caught my fancy because I don't have any of her books on my shelves (and I have a lot of shelves.) Usually when I glom an author I buy and keep the books, because I like to reread. For me, favorite books are like old friends. There are a few authors from the 90's that I glommed when I first discovered US romance novels (and learned the word 'glommed') and I'm planning to reread some of them. We'll see how they look to me now.
Kanch, that's very true. Tastes and attitudes change as you mature. I think I did try one Judith McNaught book, but I can't remember which one it was, and it mustn't have caught my fancy because I don't have any of her books on my shelves (and I have a lot of shelves.) Usually when I glom an author I buy and keep the books, because I like to reread. For me, favorite books are like old friends. There are a few authors from the 90's that I glommed when I first discovered US romance novels (and learned the word 'glommed') and I'm planning to reread some of them. We'll see how they look to me now.
Kanch, that's very true. Tastes and attitudes change as you mature. I think I did try one Judith McNaught book, but I can't remember which one it was, and it mustn't have caught my fancy because I don't have any of her books on my shelves (and I have a lot of shelves.) Usually when I glom an author I buy and keep the books, because I like to reread. For me, favorite books are like old friends. There are a few authors from the 90's that I glommed when I first discovered US romance novels (and learned the word 'glommed') and I'm planning to reread some of them. We'll see how they look to me now.
Elswyth Thane’s books (the Williamsburg series) are indeed wonderful and have stood the test of time for me. I’m slowly acquiring them as I run across them here and there – book sales, paperback swap club, etc. Most of the time when I find them, they are more expensive than I want to pay. They do make great Christmas/Birthday gifts though!
I did find one on eBay at a reasonable price. Maybe I should look again and see what they have.
Elswyth Thane’s books (the Williamsburg series) are indeed wonderful and have stood the test of time for me. I’m slowly acquiring them as I run across them here and there – book sales, paperback swap club, etc. Most of the time when I find them, they are more expensive than I want to pay. They do make great Christmas/Birthday gifts though!
I did find one on eBay at a reasonable price. Maybe I should look again and see what they have.
Elswyth Thane’s books (the Williamsburg series) are indeed wonderful and have stood the test of time for me. I’m slowly acquiring them as I run across them here and there – book sales, paperback swap club, etc. Most of the time when I find them, they are more expensive than I want to pay. They do make great Christmas/Birthday gifts though!
I did find one on eBay at a reasonable price. Maybe I should look again and see what they have.
Elswyth Thane’s books (the Williamsburg series) are indeed wonderful and have stood the test of time for me. I’m slowly acquiring them as I run across them here and there – book sales, paperback swap club, etc. Most of the time when I find them, they are more expensive than I want to pay. They do make great Christmas/Birthday gifts though!
I did find one on eBay at a reasonable price. Maybe I should look again and see what they have.
Elswyth Thane’s books (the Williamsburg series) are indeed wonderful and have stood the test of time for me. I’m slowly acquiring them as I run across them here and there – book sales, paperback swap club, etc. Most of the time when I find them, they are more expensive than I want to pay. They do make great Christmas/Birthday gifts though!
I did find one on eBay at a reasonable price. Maybe I should look again and see what they have.
Thanks for this, Vicki. I'll keep an eye out for Elswyth Thane's Williamsburg series
Thanks for this, Vicki. I'll keep an eye out for Elswyth Thane's Williamsburg series
Thanks for this, Vicki. I'll keep an eye out for Elswyth Thane's Williamsburg series
Thanks for this, Vicki. I'll keep an eye out for Elswyth Thane's Williamsburg series
Thanks for this, Vicki. I'll keep an eye out for Elswyth Thane's Williamsburg series
Good news: It looks like several of Maggie Osborne’s books are available as ebooks through Barnes and Noble in the U.S. (maybe they’ll become more widely available.) I’m another enthusiastic fan of Carla Kelly’s works, and I reread some of her short stories every holiday season. Like Constance and Vicki, I discovered Elswyth Thane’s historicals some time ago, and just reread the Williamsburg novels last year. She has a good feel for various periods in history.
Good news: It looks like several of Maggie Osborne’s books are available as ebooks through Barnes and Noble in the U.S. (maybe they’ll become more widely available.) I’m another enthusiastic fan of Carla Kelly’s works, and I reread some of her short stories every holiday season. Like Constance and Vicki, I discovered Elswyth Thane’s historicals some time ago, and just reread the Williamsburg novels last year. She has a good feel for various periods in history.
Good news: It looks like several of Maggie Osborne’s books are available as ebooks through Barnes and Noble in the U.S. (maybe they’ll become more widely available.) I’m another enthusiastic fan of Carla Kelly’s works, and I reread some of her short stories every holiday season. Like Constance and Vicki, I discovered Elswyth Thane’s historicals some time ago, and just reread the Williamsburg novels last year. She has a good feel for various periods in history.
Good news: It looks like several of Maggie Osborne’s books are available as ebooks through Barnes and Noble in the U.S. (maybe they’ll become more widely available.) I’m another enthusiastic fan of Carla Kelly’s works, and I reread some of her short stories every holiday season. Like Constance and Vicki, I discovered Elswyth Thane’s historicals some time ago, and just reread the Williamsburg novels last year. She has a good feel for various periods in history.
Good news: It looks like several of Maggie Osborne’s books are available as ebooks through Barnes and Noble in the U.S. (maybe they’ll become more widely available.) I’m another enthusiastic fan of Carla Kelly’s works, and I reread some of her short stories every holiday season. Like Constance and Vicki, I discovered Elswyth Thane’s historicals some time ago, and just reread the Williamsburg novels last year. She has a good feel for various periods in history.
Thanks, Marianne
Nice that some of the books are available in e-form.
It would be lovely if someone tracked down Maggie Osborne (or her publishers) and encouraged them to get them all put up in e.
Thanks, Marianne
Nice that some of the books are available in e-form.
It would be lovely if someone tracked down Maggie Osborne (or her publishers) and encouraged them to get them all put up in e.
Thanks, Marianne
Nice that some of the books are available in e-form.
It would be lovely if someone tracked down Maggie Osborne (or her publishers) and encouraged them to get them all put up in e.
Thanks, Marianne
Nice that some of the books are available in e-form.
It would be lovely if someone tracked down Maggie Osborne (or her publishers) and encouraged them to get them all put up in e.
Thanks, Marianne
Nice that some of the books are available in e-form.
It would be lovely if someone tracked down Maggie Osborne (or her publishers) and encouraged them to get them all put up in e.
Ah, but who made the entry and where did they live? Or perhaps usage has shifted as it often does in slang such that the two terms are now conflated and interchangeable. I hear bonk as in hitting but I don’t remember when I last heard boink (or bonk, for that matter) for sex. They use the F word now.
Ah, but who made the entry and where did they live? Or perhaps usage has shifted as it often does in slang such that the two terms are now conflated and interchangeable. I hear bonk as in hitting but I don’t remember when I last heard boink (or bonk, for that matter) for sex. They use the F word now.
Ah, but who made the entry and where did they live? Or perhaps usage has shifted as it often does in slang such that the two terms are now conflated and interchangeable. I hear bonk as in hitting but I don’t remember when I last heard boink (or bonk, for that matter) for sex. They use the F word now.
Ah, but who made the entry and where did they live? Or perhaps usage has shifted as it often does in slang such that the two terms are now conflated and interchangeable. I hear bonk as in hitting but I don’t remember when I last heard boink (or bonk, for that matter) for sex. They use the F word now.
Ah, but who made the entry and where did they live? Or perhaps usage has shifted as it often does in slang such that the two terms are now conflated and interchangeable. I hear bonk as in hitting but I don’t remember when I last heard boink (or bonk, for that matter) for sex. They use the F word now.
" I hear bonk as in hitting but I don't remember when I last heard boink (or bonk, for that matter) for sex. They use the F word now."
No, but that's what I'm saying. I think "bonk" in the sexual sense is commonly used and understood in the UK and Australia, though probably not in the USA.
I'd never heard or seen "boink" until Mary Jo used it.
" I hear bonk as in hitting but I don't remember when I last heard boink (or bonk, for that matter) for sex. They use the F word now."
No, but that's what I'm saying. I think "bonk" in the sexual sense is commonly used and understood in the UK and Australia, though probably not in the USA.
I'd never heard or seen "boink" until Mary Jo used it.
" I hear bonk as in hitting but I don't remember when I last heard boink (or bonk, for that matter) for sex. They use the F word now."
No, but that's what I'm saying. I think "bonk" in the sexual sense is commonly used and understood in the UK and Australia, though probably not in the USA.
I'd never heard or seen "boink" until Mary Jo used it.
" I hear bonk as in hitting but I don't remember when I last heard boink (or bonk, for that matter) for sex. They use the F word now."
No, but that's what I'm saying. I think "bonk" in the sexual sense is commonly used and understood in the UK and Australia, though probably not in the USA.
I'd never heard or seen "boink" until Mary Jo used it.
" I hear bonk as in hitting but I don't remember when I last heard boink (or bonk, for that matter) for sex. They use the F word now."
No, but that's what I'm saying. I think "bonk" in the sexual sense is commonly used and understood in the UK and Australia, though probably not in the USA.
I'd never heard or seen "boink" until Mary Jo used it.
Anne (and all),
I feel like a proud mom whose oft overlooked child just hit one out of the park. *smile* Maggie Osborne is my favorite writer–and that’s among Stars. I’m so pleased you’ve discovered her! My top 3 are: ‘The Wives of Bowie Stone’, ‘Silver Lining’, and ‘I Do, I Do, I Do’.
This conversation had me wondering if you and your readers had ever gotten lost in the whimsical romances by Lyverle Spencer. ‘Morning Glory’, ‘The Gamble’, and ‘Hummingbird’ are 3 favs.
One last recommendation: ‘The Rock Creek Six’, a set of 6 Western Historicals by Linda Winstead Jones and Lori Handeland. Fab!
Thanks!
Anne (and all),
I feel like a proud mom whose oft overlooked child just hit one out of the park. *smile* Maggie Osborne is my favorite writer–and that’s among Stars. I’m so pleased you’ve discovered her! My top 3 are: ‘The Wives of Bowie Stone’, ‘Silver Lining’, and ‘I Do, I Do, I Do’.
This conversation had me wondering if you and your readers had ever gotten lost in the whimsical romances by Lyverle Spencer. ‘Morning Glory’, ‘The Gamble’, and ‘Hummingbird’ are 3 favs.
One last recommendation: ‘The Rock Creek Six’, a set of 6 Western Historicals by Linda Winstead Jones and Lori Handeland. Fab!
Thanks!
Anne (and all),
I feel like a proud mom whose oft overlooked child just hit one out of the park. *smile* Maggie Osborne is my favorite writer–and that’s among Stars. I’m so pleased you’ve discovered her! My top 3 are: ‘The Wives of Bowie Stone’, ‘Silver Lining’, and ‘I Do, I Do, I Do’.
This conversation had me wondering if you and your readers had ever gotten lost in the whimsical romances by Lyverle Spencer. ‘Morning Glory’, ‘The Gamble’, and ‘Hummingbird’ are 3 favs.
One last recommendation: ‘The Rock Creek Six’, a set of 6 Western Historicals by Linda Winstead Jones and Lori Handeland. Fab!
Thanks!
Anne (and all),
I feel like a proud mom whose oft overlooked child just hit one out of the park. *smile* Maggie Osborne is my favorite writer–and that’s among Stars. I’m so pleased you’ve discovered her! My top 3 are: ‘The Wives of Bowie Stone’, ‘Silver Lining’, and ‘I Do, I Do, I Do’.
This conversation had me wondering if you and your readers had ever gotten lost in the whimsical romances by Lyverle Spencer. ‘Morning Glory’, ‘The Gamble’, and ‘Hummingbird’ are 3 favs.
One last recommendation: ‘The Rock Creek Six’, a set of 6 Western Historicals by Linda Winstead Jones and Lori Handeland. Fab!
Thanks!
Anne (and all),
I feel like a proud mom whose oft overlooked child just hit one out of the park. *smile* Maggie Osborne is my favorite writer–and that’s among Stars. I’m so pleased you’ve discovered her! My top 3 are: ‘The Wives of Bowie Stone’, ‘Silver Lining’, and ‘I Do, I Do, I Do’.
This conversation had me wondering if you and your readers had ever gotten lost in the whimsical romances by Lyverle Spencer. ‘Morning Glory’, ‘The Gamble’, and ‘Hummingbird’ are 3 favs.
One last recommendation: ‘The Rock Creek Six’, a set of 6 Western Historicals by Linda Winstead Jones and Lori Handeland. Fab!
Thanks!
Robyn, thanks for dropping by. I'm wishing now more of Maggie Osborne's books were available as e-books, so more people could read them. As fpr LaVyrle Spencer, yes, indeed I have read her books. I think they were among the earliest of the US romances I discovered. I found her first in the library, and then, because I knew I'd want to have them, I tracked them down in bookshops.I think Morning Glory was the first one I read, and Hummingbird was another favorite. I'm not sure if I've read The Gamble. Might have to track it down. Thanks also for the recommendation of The Rock Creek Six — not one I know, but I'm off now to look for it. Much appreciated.
Robyn, thanks for dropping by. I'm wishing now more of Maggie Osborne's books were available as e-books, so more people could read them. As fpr LaVyrle Spencer, yes, indeed I have read her books. I think they were among the earliest of the US romances I discovered. I found her first in the library, and then, because I knew I'd want to have them, I tracked them down in bookshops.I think Morning Glory was the first one I read, and Hummingbird was another favorite. I'm not sure if I've read The Gamble. Might have to track it down. Thanks also for the recommendation of The Rock Creek Six — not one I know, but I'm off now to look for it. Much appreciated.
Robyn, thanks for dropping by. I'm wishing now more of Maggie Osborne's books were available as e-books, so more people could read them. As fpr LaVyrle Spencer, yes, indeed I have read her books. I think they were among the earliest of the US romances I discovered. I found her first in the library, and then, because I knew I'd want to have them, I tracked them down in bookshops.I think Morning Glory was the first one I read, and Hummingbird was another favorite. I'm not sure if I've read The Gamble. Might have to track it down. Thanks also for the recommendation of The Rock Creek Six — not one I know, but I'm off now to look for it. Much appreciated.
Robyn, thanks for dropping by. I'm wishing now more of Maggie Osborne's books were available as e-books, so more people could read them. As fpr LaVyrle Spencer, yes, indeed I have read her books. I think they were among the earliest of the US romances I discovered. I found her first in the library, and then, because I knew I'd want to have them, I tracked them down in bookshops.I think Morning Glory was the first one I read, and Hummingbird was another favorite. I'm not sure if I've read The Gamble. Might have to track it down. Thanks also for the recommendation of The Rock Creek Six — not one I know, but I'm off now to look for it. Much appreciated.
Robyn, thanks for dropping by. I'm wishing now more of Maggie Osborne's books were available as e-books, so more people could read them. As fpr LaVyrle Spencer, yes, indeed I have read her books. I think they were among the earliest of the US romances I discovered. I found her first in the library, and then, because I knew I'd want to have them, I tracked them down in bookshops.I think Morning Glory was the first one I read, and Hummingbird was another favorite. I'm not sure if I've read The Gamble. Might have to track it down. Thanks also for the recommendation of The Rock Creek Six — not one I know, but I'm off now to look for it. Much appreciated.