Above painting: Louis Jean Francois - Mars and Venus an Allegory of Peace

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Tuesday, July 26, 2016

GROUNDBREAKING AMERICAN JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS ~ Part ONE by Tara Kingston

Welcome back to History Undressed, one of our regular Tuesday bloggers, Tara Kingston!!!

Bold...Brilliant...Brave...Heroines Throughout History

GROUNDBREAKING AMERICAN JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS ~ Part ONE

by Tara Kingston


Greetings! I’m Tara Kingston, historical romance author and lover of all things Victorian. I’m fascinated by history through the ages, especially the bold, brilliant women who helped shape our world, and I’m delighted to be a monthly contributor to History Undressed. I’ll be sharing facts about daring women through history—some famous, some not so well-known, but all remarkable with their own unique contributions.

Today’s post takes a look at several Victorian women whose accomplishments paved the way for female journalists and editors. In an era where women still didn’t have the right to vote, these American women smashed barriers in journalism.



Sarah Josepha Hale ~ The editor of America’s first women’s magazine, Boston Lady’s Magazine, Sarah Josepha Hale became the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book in 1837, a position she would hold for four decades. During Hale’s years as editor, the popular publication featured topics such as women’s education and women’s employment in addition to engravings and fashion plates. In addition to her achievements as an editor, Mrs. Hale was the author of the children’s poem, Mary Had a Little Lamb, and her letter to Abraham Lincoln influenced the creation of Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863.


Sara Payton Willis Parton ~ Using the pen name Fanny Fern, Parton published columns in a variety of publications. By 1855, she was the highest-paid columnist in the United States, earning $100 a week for her publication in the New York Ledger. She also published books, including two novels, and was a co-founder of Sorosis, a New York City club for female artists and writers.


Margaret Fuller ~ A prominent literary critic at the New York Tribune in the 1840s, Margaret Fuller became America’s first female foreign war correspondent in 1848.


Amelia Bloomer ~ An advocate for dress reform, women’s rights, and temperance, Amelia Bloomer launched her own newspaper, The Lily, in 1849.


Ida B. Wells-Barnett ~ African-American journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett, became co-owner of the Memphis Free Speech in 1892. Later, she became a co-founder of the NAACP.


Jane Cunningham Croly ~ Using the pen name Jennie June, Jane Cunningham Croly wrote columns for publications including the New York World, and later became a magazine editor. In an era when women left their careers after marriage, Mrs. Croly continued to work even after she became mother to five children.

Next month, I’ll be taking a look at investigative journalists such as Nellie Bly and Ida Tarbell. Nellie Bly’s adventures provided inspiration for the heroine of my soon-to-be released historical romantic thriller, When A Lady Deceives. I can’t wait to share more about that story and the life of the real-life investigative reporter whose daring exploits made her a pioneer in journalism.

Enjoying some summer reading time? Check out my Secrets & Spies series. The three books in the series are available for Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Here’s a link to the first book in the series: Secrets, Spies & Sweet Little Lies on Kindle

Here’s a little about the story:

A heart's destiny cannot be denied when a daring Union spy abducts a beautiful runaway bride he suspects of being a traitor.

Emma Davenport was a model senator’s daughter: prim, proper, but hell-bent on escaping the dreaded fate of spinsterhood that awaited her under wartime Washington’s all-too watchful eye. She was going to be a bride, and no one was going to stop her. Not even the daring renegade who steals her from a train transporting her to a forbidden marriage. Her heart tells her this mysterious desperado is a dangerous man, but the pleasure of his touch is a more potent threat than any weapon.

Union Army Major Cole Travis is a highly trained operative, as skilled with deception as he is with a gun. Keeping a beautiful traitor from her rendezvous with a treacherous scoundrel shouldn’t be a challenge for the battle-seasoned spy—but he’s not the only one after his tempting captive. Emma Davenport must be kept out of enemy hands at all costs. Drawn to this woman whose innocent allure may be just another weapon in her arsenal, Cole risks his neck to shield her. Soon, however, protecting her from his own heart’s desire becomes another story entirely.

To Read More About these pioneering female journalists and editors:

All photographs are in the public domain.

About The Author:

Award-winning author Tara Kingston writes historical romance laced with intrigue, danger, and adventures of the heart. A Southern belle-out-of-water in a quaint Pennsylvania town, she lives her own love story with her real-life hero in a cozy Victorian. The mother of two sons, Tara's a former librarian whose love of books is evident in her popping-at-the-seams bookcases. It goes without saying that Tara's husband is thankful for the invention of digital books, thereby eliminating the need for yet another set of shelves. When she's not writing, reading, or burning dinner, Tara enjoys cycling, hiking, and cheering on her favorite football team.

In a world where a man’s loyalty doesn’t depend on the color of a uniform, danger, intrigue, and passion are facts of life for the men and women of Tara’s Secrets & Spies series, historical romances set against the backdrop of the Civil War. 



Friday, July 22, 2016

Summer of History Giveaway!

Summer of History (1)


A couple of things I love to do is introduce my readers to other great books in the genre. So what's better than having a chance at winning one of my books this summer? How about a chance to win books and prizes from 18 other top writers of historical fiction today? Best of all, it's just in time for you to kick back, put your feet up, and enjoy the warm weather with a great book. Pick five books that you'd like to win!

If you haven't yet had a chance to read my book, PRISONER OF THE QUEEEN, now is your chance to enter to win a free copy!


Kindhearted Katherine Grey knows well the peril of being born with royal blood. As Henry VIII’s grandniece and one of the heirs to the English throne, her noble birth has doomed her to live among the schemers and seducers of the king’s court—barring her from the peaceful life that she truly desires.


After her sister fails to keep the throne, and a new queen rises to power, Katherine finds herself surrounded by adversaries. Since Queen Elizabeth sees her as a threat, and court conspirators see her as an ally, Katherine is forced to play a game she knows she cannot win. And when she reunites with the man she truly loves, Katherine has even more at stake. With treachery at every turn and the life she dreams of within reach, Katherine must make an impossible choice: Will she submit to the queen’s authority, or will she pursue love no matter the cost?

Thursday, July 21, 2016

NEW RELEASE! Ever My Love: The Lore of the Lucius Ring

I'm thrilled to announce the release of EVER MY LOVE, and so excited to be a part of this collection! 

An infamous pirate... A revered Captain... A dangerous heist... A sizzling proposition...

Meet Captain Titus Graves and Lady Antónia Burke in BREATH FROM THE SEA, the Tudor segment!

I’ve always been fascinated by female pirates, and being of Irish heritage, I was so thrilled to finally bring one to life! In Breath from the Sea, my heroine, Antónia, is the granddaughter of Grace O’Malley (Granuaille), one of the most infamous female pirates in history. She was Irish, and did in fact meet with Queen Elizabeth I, gaining a pardon for her son, Viscount Mayo, along with a stipend! She played both sides of the coin in the Irish rebellion. Her daughter did marry the Demon of Corraun, who is my heroine’s father (though there is no record of his children, convenient for me!).

I do hope you enjoy this story, and how a bit of history has been weaved in with our legend of Theodosia and Lucius!


The heart of a legend. The only chance for love. 
The hope that the Fates will be kind before time runs out.

The long-awaited sequel to the original multi-genre USA TODAY bestselling collection, With Dreams Only Of You: The Legend of the Theodosia Sword, has finally arrived. Welcome to EVER MY LOVE: THE LORE OF THE LUCIUS RING, a multi-genre new material collection unlike any other romance collection available today.

Six of the top authors in their genres bring you this powerhouse collection based upon the common thread of a cursed ring, passed down through the female line descended from Theodosia herself. Only a woman may bear the burden of the ring said to curse she who wears it. When the owner of the ring finds love, the stone remains crimson and assures her life-long happiness. But if she does not find love by her twenty-fifth birthday, the ring will turn dark and she will be forever cursed with loneliness.

Join the descendants of Theodosia as they grapple with a family legend that follows them through centuries of hope, heartache, adventure, and romance in seven amazing segments:

In ancient Rome - The ring, and its curse, begin with the beautiful Theodosia.

Medieval England - The ring finds its way into a notorious outlaw's possession only to curse the woman he loves.

The Scottish Highlands - The ring escapes with a little girl... and the curse follows.

Tudor England - The ring once again becomes the prize for the lawless when an infamous female pirate tries to steal it from a Queen’s Naval Captain.

Georgian Era - Twin sisters vie for the ring - and for the Duke of Axminster.

Regency England - The ring enters the proud and proper Regency set where the curse finds new life.

Modern Times - Mistaken identity, soul mates, and the last chance for the ring to fulfill its destiny.

Seven unique and powerful brand-new stories take the legend of the Lucius Ring through the ages. Discover how each woman finds her own love, peace, and happiness. The ring that can tear them apart is also the one that binds them.


The heart of a legend. The only hope for love... will each lady find her destiny before time runs out?

Read it!