suburbanbeatnik

[suburbanbeatnik]

FIRST COMES MARRIAGE, Jackie Barbosa's marriage-of-convenience between a radical reformist MP (who's also a virgin) and the pregnant former mistress of his political rival, is out today in audio at Everand. Check it out!

Catriona Fergusson never expected to wind up in a London workhouse, but then, she never expected to be disowned by her family or to become a married man’s mistress. Falling pregnant when her protector believes he cannot father children is simply the latest calamity to strike her. Turned out of her home and stripped of funds, she has few choices and fewer friends. Recently elected to the House of Commons, Noel Langston is on a mission to reform England’s cruel treatment of the poor, especially women and children. So when he stumbles upon the pregnant mistress of his bitterest political rival during a visit to a workhouse, he sees an opportunity to fulfill his goals…and to ruffle the feathers of her former protector. First comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage. Can love come last? The frontispiece for the brand NEW book by Jackie Barbosa in the House of Uncommons series!

Amazon Kindle

Kobo

Google Play

Nook

Apple

#art #jackie barbosa #first comes marriage #house of uncommons #1830s #romance art #victorian #regency romance #painting #red hair #illustration #audio book #everand

[suburbanbeatnik]

I wanted to announce that I have not only moved, but I have adopted two new kitties— black cat Sunny and dilute calico Angel! They are so sweet and adorable and they love everyone. I’m so happy with them.

My new place is cheaper and closer to work, and it looks like it’s more healthful too. The old cottage had black mold on the walls of the kitchen (which I discovered when I moved my furniture). I’m very glad to be gone.

Also, kitties! Yay!

#cats #cats of tumblr #life update

[suburbanbeatnik]

Thank you for taking the time for answering my question! It's a time travel story just to let you know. It'll take a while until I have time to work on the sequel, but I'm glad to know what resources are available.

Hi there! I've really enjoyed your blog-- there's a lot of good information on it. In fact, I just wrote a novel set in ancient Thebes, set in 335 BCE, right before Alexander's attack. However, I'm a little scared to write the sequel, because Alex is going to show up in it as a major character. He is SO famous, and there's so many books about him, that I hardly know where to begin.

So, do you have any specific books you recommend, like any good starter bios or anything else that would be good for this specific setting? (Specifically against the destruction of Thebes and right before the invasion of Persia.)

Thank you so much!

Some Useful Bibliography on Alexander (and Thebes)

Thank you! And sorry for the delay. The queries in my inbox tend to be feast or famine. LOL

In terms of information on Alexander, I would start with the brand new Cambridge Companion to Alexander the Great, edited by Daniel Ogden. It has many of the leading scholars. On Alexander and the Greeks in particular, see my dear friend Borja Antela’s chapter. This is now what I’d consider the best intro resource on Alexander for the interested non-specialist, especially as it’s reasonably priced. The bibliography will help a lot. For Macedonia itself, Carol Thomas has Alexander and His World (which I’ve used teaching) and Carol King has Ancient Macedonia. Both are good, one-book introductions.

If you’ve not already, you’ll want to consult Mark Munn’s chapter “Thebes and Central Greece” in The Greek World in the Fourth Century, Larry Tritle, ed. Paul Cartledge also has a book Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece, but he’s a Spartan specialist. Lately, publishers have had him write on other subjects—not always to good effect, as per his book on Alexander, imo. But I’ve not read this one so can’t comment. I think Thebes is closer to his usual bailiwick.

James Romm did a book The Sacred Band., although like Cartledge Romm is all over the place. Same cautions apply. And I’ll also offer the counter-proposal that the band was not pairs of lovers, by David Leitao, "The Legend of the Sacred Band," in The Sleep of Reason by Martha Nussbaum and Juha Sihvola, eds. His view is not a homophobic diss; it’s a source problem. Plutarch is our sole source for the lovers bit, and he’s notoriously unreliable on some facts, especially when he has an ulterior message.

The more I study Plutarch, the less I trust him. LOL

Last, another friend and colleague, Jenn Finn has written a bang-up chapter on the destructions of both Thebes and Persepolis, for the upcoming collection I edited, so I got a preview. “Urbicide, Memory Sanctions, and the Perso-Macedonian Dynasty.” I’m not sure when the collection will be out, but certainly not before late 2024, and more likely 2025. She might be willing to share the draft, however, if you need it immediately. She’s at Loyola U. in Chicago. As always, Jenn does fantastic work.

#actaeon wip #asks #alexander the great #thebes #thebes greece #ancient greece

[suburbanbeatnik]

Benjamin Bathurst

(admin note: even if you don't vote for him, his mysterious disappearance is a fun rabbit hole)

Propaganda: “have you SEEN him? glorious regency-dandy perfection -- that hair, that nose, those lusciously thick sideburns! he was a spy as well, and we all know that spies are magnificently fuckable… and also he disappeared mysteriously, leaving behind only a fur coat and an exciting legend! what's sexier than that!!”

Napoleon I

Propaganda:

a. “It’s the Napoleonic wars! He’s the main guy here!” b. “Everything. Just, everything.” c. “He has something wrong with him (affectionate)” d. “I don’t know how to write propaganda, so I’ll just say this: Napoleon was a cutie, a world soul, a revolutionary emperor, and a great social and legal reformer. On the subject of physical appearance and attractiveness: He could pull off any look. Whether he was wearing a general’s uniform while riding a galloping white horse or wearing a laurel wreath in the Notre-Dame Cathedral or cuddling up in a large grey coat, he was cute af. He was a short king (above average height for the time). People fainted in his presence (I’m not even kidding, this did actually happen). He went so hard they declared war on him. And that’s pretty neat. He had beautiful hands. For some reason, there are multiple sources commenting on how pretty and gorgeous his hands were. And that’s a weird but cool trait to have. He was beautiful. His eyes were very pretty. Described as both crystal-like and fiery during different instances. His smile (which you can’t really see in any painting) was supposed to be one of his most charming features. His voice was described as “musical and deep” (from the diary of Bertie Greatheed). Personally, I think he looks like a fluffy panda or a baby seal. As a person, he was a very sweet, affectionate and unusually forgiving (maybe even naively so). He was also a funny and witty person. He enjoyed telling ghost stories, singing along to opera (badly), reading reports (for fun), taking baths, gossiping with his wife, and going to the library.”

#tumblr polls #polls #napoleon bonaparte #napoleon #napoleonic sexyman tournament #I've done so much art over the years for naps #and people have paid me too! #art #illustration #napoleonic propaganda

[suburbanbeatnik]

Benjamin Bathurst

(admin note: even if you don't vote for him, his mysterious disappearance is a fun rabbit hole)

Propaganda: “have you SEEN him? glorious regency-dandy perfection -- that hair, that nose, those lusciously thick sideburns! he was a spy as well, and we all know that spies are magnificently fuckable… and also he disappeared mysteriously, leaving behind only a fur coat and an exciting legend! what's sexier than that!!”

Napoleon I

Propaganda:

a. “It’s the Napoleonic wars! He’s the main guy here!” b. “Everything. Just, everything.” c. “He has something wrong with him (affectionate)” d. “I don’t know how to write propaganda, so I’ll just say this: Napoleon was a cutie, a world soul, a revolutionary emperor, and a great social and legal reformer. On the subject of physical appearance and attractiveness: He could pull off any look. Whether he was wearing a general’s uniform while riding a galloping white horse or wearing a laurel wreath in the Notre-Dame Cathedral or cuddling up in a large grey coat, he was cute af. He was a short king (above average height for the time). People fainted in his presence (I’m not even kidding, this did actually happen). He went so hard they declared war on him. And that’s pretty neat. He had beautiful hands. For some reason, there are multiple sources commenting on how pretty and gorgeous his hands were. And that’s a weird but cool trait to have. He was beautiful. His eyes were very pretty. Described as both crystal-like and fiery during different instances. His smile (which you can’t really see in any painting) was supposed to be one of his most charming features. His voice was described as “musical and deep” (from the diary of Bertie Greatheed). Personally, I think he looks like a fluffy panda or a baby seal. As a person, he was a very sweet, affectionate and unusually forgiving (maybe even naively so). He was also a funny and witty person. He enjoyed telling ghost stories, singing along to opera (badly), reading reports (for fun), taking baths, gossiping with his wife, and going to the library.”

#napoleonic sexyman tournament #napoleon #napoleon bonaparte #benjamin bathurst #tumblr polls #polls #the anti Napoleonic propaganda in the tags is off the charts #please read The Secret War Against Napoleon by Tim Clayton #Britain was called Perfidious Albion for a reason #I love Bathurst but I'm going to vote for Naps here

[suburbanbeatnik]

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!

I have a new League of Rogues painting for bestselling romance author Lauren Smith, for The Earl of Zennor, a Regency romance retelling of My Fair Lady. This is at the ball with the hero Trystan and the heroine Bridget, who has just been transformed into a lady.

If you like this piece, please support me on Ko-Fi!

#lauren smith #earl of zennor #the earl of zennor #art #illustration #regency #regency romance #historical romance #league of rogues #regency era #regency england #bridgerton #1810s #historical #books

[suburbanbeatnik]

What are you favourite historical couples?

Ooh, probably Justinian and Theodora. They're probably the only example of "famous lovers" who had long happy lives together and didn't die horrible, tragic deaths (like Antony and Cleopatra, Abelard and Heloise, Paolo and Francesca). I am also fond of Napoleon and Marie Walewska, though their ends were also suitably tragic. Nero and Poppaea had a pretty notable romance (a ancient, beautiful and swoon-worthy poem about Nero and Poppaea, written on Egyptian papyrus, was translated recently), even though she most likely died in childbirth and he was forced to commit suicide.

#justinian #empress theodora #justinian and theodora #napoleon #napoleon bonaparte #marie walewska #napoleon and marie walewska #nero #nero caesar #poppaea #poppaea sabina #nero and poppaea #asks

[suburbanbeatnik]

Sylvia Baumgarten (aka Sylvia Halliday, Louisa Rawlings and Ena Halliday), 1933-2024

My friend Sylvia Baumgarten died on the morning of February 1rst. Our friendship began in the 1990s, when I wrote her a fan letter about one of her early Harlequin historicals, Wicked Stranger, and she wrote back a long type-written letter about her influences and research and sent me a copy of Stranger in My Arms as well. I interviewed her for my old blog in 2011-- sadly, that interview has been lost. But we also met in 2016 for dinner, and she sent me her collection of books about the French Revolution. She was a great talent, as well as witty, opinionated and immensely generous. I will miss her very much.

She graduated from Brown University in 1955, and from 1982 to 2015 wrote for a variety of publishers, including Pocket Books, Kensington Publishing Corp., Harlequin, and Diversion Books. She was also a President of the Romance Writers of America/ New York City Chapter, and her books were nominated for multiple awards. Forever Wild was a finalist for the RWA/Golden Medallion award, Best Historical Romance (1986). Stolen Spring (which I reviewed for Dear Author) received a Romantic Times nomination as Best French Historical (1988), while Promise of Summer [archive.org link] received the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award as the Best Historical Romance set in France (1989). Wicked Stranger had also been nominated for a Rita Award by the Romance Writers of America.

Baumgarten's papers are available in the Manuscripts Division of Brown University, and include press kits, book reviews, news clippings, public relations material (including photographs), interviews, correspondence about her books, and the manuscripts of Stolen Spring and Dreams So Fleeting.

She also blogged extensively about her observations and experiences selling wedding dresses at Macy's in New York.

#sylvia halliday #louisa rawlings #ena halliday #obituary post #historical romance #romancelandia #romance fiction #romance genre #brown university

[suburbanbeatnik]

I have a bunch of favorite Roman/Byzantine couples, ranging from Factual to Probable to Crackship. Which do you like best? (There’s no other option. You Must Choose)

#my polls #tumblr polls #polls #cicero #clodia pulchra #clodia metelli #nero caesar #nero #gaius petronius #Petronius arbiter #poppaea #poppaea Sabina #Aurelian #queen zenobia #justinian #empress theodora #theodora #belisarius #antonina #ancient rome #byzantium

[suburbanbeatnik]

I did this way back in 2009, when I was still doing educational work. It’s a depiction of ancient Greek ships and marketing (in this case, amphorae). I was going for a sunny Mediterranean Alma-Tadema sort of look. 

#ancient greece #illustration #art #ships #trireme #interesting to see how my art has improved since way back in the day

[suburbanbeatnik]

Awww thanks!!

Hades and Persephone, requested by @margaretkart! This was inspired by Roberta Gellis's masterful Greek mythological romance, Dazzling Brightness, which Margaret reviewed here. (If you haven't read it, you're in for a real treat!) I depicted the characters much as Gellis portrays them in her novel, in Mycenaean fashion.

#greek mythology #greek myth art #ancient greek myths #hades #persephone #hades x persephone #sketch #art #drawing #artists on tumblr #ancient greek mythology #roberta gellis #dazzling brightness

[suburbanbeatnik]

Hades and Persephone, requested by @margaretkart! This was inspired by Roberta Gellis's masterful Greek mythological romance, Dazzling Brightness, which Margaret reviewed here. (If you haven't read it, you're in for a real treat!) I depicted the characters much as Gellis portrays them in her novel, in Mycenaean fashion.

#illustration #art #sketchbook #Hades #Persephone #hades x persephone #greek mythology #greek myths #greek gods #ancient greek mythology #sketch #drawing #romance art #mycenaean costume #mycenaean dress #mycenaean #dazzling brightness #roberta gellis #ancient greece

[suburbanbeatnik]

Next in my Byzantine sketch series-- the famous general Belisarius and his wife Antonina! There are fewer sources than there were for Justinian and Theodora, so I just went by the San Vitale mosaics.

#illustration #art #sketchbook #belisarius #antonina #belisarius and antonina #byzantine empire #byzantine #byzantium #sketch #drawing #ancient Rome

[suburbanbeatnik]

Catriona Fergusson never expected to wind up in a London workhouse, but then, she never expected to be disowned by her family or to become a married man’s mistress. Falling pregnant when her protector believes he cannot father children is simply the latest calamity to strike her. Turned out of her home and stripped of funds, she has few choices and fewer friends. Recently elected to the House of Commons, Noel Langston is on a mission to reform England’s cruel treatment of the poor, especially women and children. So when he stumbles upon the pregnant mistress of his bitterest political rival during a visit to a workhouse, he sees an opportunity to fulfill his goals…and to ruffle the feathers of her former protector. First comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage. Can love come last? The frontispiece for the brand NEW book by Jackie Barbosa in the House of Uncommons series!

Amazon Kindle

Kobo

Google Play

Nook

Apple

[suburbanbeatnik]

My next long-awaited update for @mimicofmodes's Dandies & Dandyzettes! Drinking, debauchery and revelry was a way of life at Vauxhall pleasure gardens (brawling too). You may recognize some faces from the class portraits.

#illustration #art #sketch #dandies & dandyzettes #dandies and dandyzettes #regency #vauxhall #vauxhall pleasure gardens #ttrpg #rpg #regency england #drawing #19th century #1810s

[suburbanbeatnik]

Dionysus and Ariadne for @margaretkart! She's wearing the famous Minoan priestess outfit with belt, apron and flounces, with a pose inspired by classic romance comic artist Nell Brinkley.

#illustration #art #sketchbook #dionysus #ariadne #dionysus x ariadne #greek mythology #greek myths #greek gods #ancient greek mythology #sketch #drawing #romance art #minoan costume #minoan dress #minoan #minoan woman #ancient greece

[suburbanbeatnik]

Catriona Fergusson never expected to wind up in a London workhouse, but then, she never expected to be disowned by her family or to become a married man’s mistress. Falling pregnant when her protector believes he cannot father children is simply the latest calamity to strike her. Turned out of her home and stripped of funds, she has few choices and fewer friends. Recently elected to the House of Commons, Noel Langston is on a mission to reform England’s cruel treatment of the poor, especially women and children. So when he stumbles upon the pregnant mistress of his bitterest political rival during a visit to a workhouse, he sees an opportunity to fulfill his goals…and to ruffle the feathers of her former protector. First comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage. Can love come last? The frontispiece for the brand NEW book by Jackie Barbosa in the House of Uncommons series!

Amazon Kindle

Kobo

Google Play

Nook

Apple

#illustration #art #jackie barbosa #first comes marriage #house of uncommons #romance art #1830s #victorian #regency romance #painting #red hair