Hello,
I am historical
romance author Killarney Sheffield. I am delighted to be here today! As a
historical romance author I share something in common with all of you. I love
corsets! Corsets are a big part of history and historical romances, after all,
all Regency, Victorian and Georgian ladies wore them. In addition to wearing
them, getting in and out of them often proved exasperating, and a whole lot of
fun to write about as an author.
Corsets come is all
shapes and sizes, colors and materials. I recently saw an amazing hand
embroidered one of mint green silk with pink panels and tiny fuchsia flowers
sewn on it. I also came across one in black patterned with bright red roses, so
well sewn that the pattern matched up perfectly when fastened. And don’t get me
started on the lacings! I even discovered there is a right and a wrong way to
tie the laces. Go figure!
Something that really
surprised me during my research was the fact that women in the Regency,
Georgian and Victorian era often wore a pregnancy corset. Women tried to hide
their pregnancies as long as possible back then to avoid having to ‘lay in’, in
other words retire to the country and not be seen in public until after the
baby was born. The thought of compressing ones stomach like that with a growing
fetus inside was horrifying.
I myself have worn a
corset on exactly two occasions, my wedding day and at a large book award
ceremony a few years ago. Being a farm gal I don’t have much call for a corset
I suppose, it would be awfully uncomfortable to try and feed the horses and
cattle in one I am thinking. However, because I write about periods in history
where all women wore them they are something I have gotten a chance to admire
on many occasion, especially now with the upcoming release of my 19th
historical romance called, ‘Corseting The Earl’. An Earl in a corset you say?
Highly unlikely and very unconventional I know, but trust me, I had a blast
putting him in one! A little womanly payback to the male species is always fun,
am I right?
Blurb:
Pippa Nickle is a merchant’s daughter who has made a grave mistake. When the
chance to leave her little town to help with a cousin’s nuptials arises, Pippa
hops on a mail coach grateful the trip will buy her some time to figure out
what to do about her predicament. That is until she ends up seated across from
a Mrs. Percephany Doyale who is not exactly what she appears.
Lord Heath Sedgewick
has been put in charge of finding the ringleader to the corrupt faction willing
to kill to put Queen Charlotte on the throne. When he meets Miss Pippa Nickle
he is hard pressed to decide if she is a friend, or a foe. Either way, falling
for the doe eyed girl is not part of his mission.
Can Pippa be trusted to keep Heath’s
secret? Or will falling in love expose them both?
Excerpt:
“Could
we please not talk about it?” Pippa held up a corset of black satin, whalebone
and threaded with bright yellow ribbon. “I would rather forget it all
happened.”
“That
will be mighty hard in a few months’ time.”
“Be
that as it may, I refuse to think any more on the subject, or discuss it with
the likes of you.” She thrust the corset into his hands. “Put this around your
middle.”
He
eyed the contraption in his hands as if it were going to bite. “You are not
serious?”
“You
can never hope to fit into your gowns without a corset. They are made for a
woman after all and you…” She swallowed, her cheeks heating. “do not have any,
ah, curves.”
Holding
the material betwixt his thumb and index finger he lay it against his flat
stomach. “Man was not designed to have curves,” he groused.
Pippa
snickered. “Be a big boy now.” She made quick work of the lacings and braced
her foot in the small of his back. “Now exhale.” When he let out a whoosh of
breath she pulled as hard as she could on the laces and cinched them up tight.
“Dear
God,” Heath grunted. “No wonder women… are always fainting. How does one…
breathe… in this thing?”
“With
great difficulty,” she snapped, tossing the gown over his head.
Heath
adjusted the two rolls of cloth supposed to resemble breasts in the chemise
before tugging the high neckline of the dress in place. “Do you think these
breasts are too small?”
Pippa
snorted. “I am sure I would not have an appropriate opinion on the subject,
Sir.”
He
gave her a quizzical look. “Why not? You are a woman after all.”
Her
face heated. “Do you go around ogling other men’s, ah, attributes?”
Drawing
himself up tall he shot her a wounded look. “Certainly not! What do you take me
for? One of those reprobates who like young boys?”
“Well
you are wearing a dress, Sir.” She
snickered.
He
let out a huff of air. “Well, that aside, no I have never leered over another
man.”
“Good
for you.” Shaking her head she fastened the buttons down the back of the dress.
“And in answer to your absurd question, the size of one’s breasts are neither
here, nor there a consideration. After all I am afraid us women are stuck with
what the good Lord gave us.”
“Hum…
‘Tis truly a shame the good Lord is so generous with some and meager with
others. I myself think these need be a little larger. I mean to draw the eye
from my face.” Heath turned sideways in the mirror, studying his profile with a
thoughtful expression.
“I
do believe you have crossed into inappropriate subject matter again, Sir. I
must say it is beginning to be an awful habit, and more than a little
disconcerting.” Pippa looked away and busied herself tidying up the room.
“Well,
I am only trying to be a convincing specimen of the female persuasion. How can
I hope to cajole any useful information out of a man without a tempting
distraction now?”
Pippa
made a face at him in the mirror. “You could try using your brain; most women
have those, I hear.”
About Author Killarney Sheffield:
Killarney is a Canadian prairie farm gal.
Corseting The Earl is her 19th published historical romance novel.
In addition to penning romances she breeds Appendix Quarter Horses, raises a
family of 5 kids, rescues horses and is often found wrangling the cats and
reading.refuse to think any more on the
subject, or discuss it with the likes of you.” She thrust the corset into his
hands. “Put this around your middle.”
He eyed the contraption in his hands as if it were going to bite. “You are not
serious?”
“You can never hope to fit into your gowns without a corset. They are made for
a woman after all and you…” She swallowed, her cheeks heating. “do not have
any, ah, curves.”
Holding the material betwixt his thumb and index finger he lay it against his
flat stomach. “Man was not designed to have curves,” he groused.
Pippa snickered. “Be a big boy now.” She made quick work of the lacings and
braced her foot in the small of his back. “Now exhale.” When he let out a
whoosh of breath she pulled as hard as she could on the laces and cinched them
up tight.
“Dear God,” Heath grunted. “No wonder women… are always fainting. How does one…
breathe… in this thing?”
“With great difficulty,” she snapped, tossing the gown over his head.
Heath adjusted the two rolls of cloth supposed to resemble breasts in the
chemise before tugging the high neckline of the dress in place. “Do you think
these breasts are too small?”
Pippa snorted. “I am sure I would not have an appropriate opinion on the
subject, Sir.”
He gave her a quizzical look. “Why not? You are a woman after all.”
Her face heated. “Do you go around ogling other men’s, ah, attributes?”
Drawing himself up tall he shot her a wounded look. “Certainly not! What do you
take me for? One of those reprobates who like young boys?”
“Well you are wearing a dress, Sir.” She snickered.
He let out a huff of air. “Well, that aside, no I have never leered over
another man.”
“Good for you.” Shaking her head she fastened the buttons down the back of the
dress. “And in answer to your absurd question, the size of one’s breasts are
neither here, nor there a consideration. After all I am afraid us women are
stuck with what the good Lord gave us.”
Anyway, if you love
corsets and historical romance feel free to check out my new release Corseting
The Earl.
Thank you for having
me,
Historical romance
author Killarney Sheffield.
Facebook: Killarney’s
Kozy Book Korner
Twitter:
@authorkillarney
Books available online
Amazon, Itunes, B&N, and anywhere ebooks and paperbacks are sold and in paperback
at your local Chapters, Coles and Indigo stores.
