All About Romance Annual Reader Poll

I’ve just received word that Dukes Prefer Blondes has been nominated in the Favorite Funny Romance and Best Romance Heroine categories in all About Romance’s 2016 Annual Reader Poll. They had so many entries, they had to have a runoff.

This is a good chance, not only to vote for your favorites, but to discover books you might have missed. 

Categories:
Best Romance, Favorite Funny Romance, Favorite Tear-Jerker Romance, Most Luscious Love Story, Best Erotica/Romantica Romance, Most Tortured Romance Hero, Best Kick-Ass Heroine, Best Romance Hero, Best Romance Heroine, Best Romance Couple, Best Paranormal Romance, Best Fantasy Romance, Best Science Fiction Romance, Best Historical Romance set in the U.K., Best Historical Romance set outside the U.K., Best contemporary Romance, Best Category Romance Book, Best Romantic Suspense, Best LGBT+ Romance, Best Debuting Romance Author, Best Young Adult Romance, Best New Adult Romance, Best Romance Novella or Short Story, and Best Novel (non-romance) with strong romantic elements.

Information about the runoff is here.  Ballot is here. 
 

 

The Grecian Style Bed & the Cupid Clock

Grecian style bed

Part 4 of my guide to Dukes Prefer Blondes*—

“The bed was a modern one in the Grecian style, with bare-breasted females supporting the bedposts. Apt enough. Lady Clara ought to have a pair of caryatids at the foot of the bed, guarding the goddess’s temple. Other Grecian-style articles looked on from the mantelpiece. An elaborate urn clock dominated the center. Cupid stood on its pedestal, pointing to the time on the revolving band encircling the urn.”

This bed in Ackermann’s Repository for October 1828 was my inspiration.


As to the clock: I was looking through Eric Bruton’s fascinating History of Clocks & Watches** when I came upon the lovely time-keeper below right, made in the later 1700s. According to the book, it’s in the Museum of Decorative Arts, Prague—unfortunately, closed, from what I could ascertain during my online search for a better image.

I found some other annular urn clocks online, most from a later period.

c.1900 French Miniature Figured Green Marble and Gilt-Bronze Annular Urn Clock with Cherub.

French 19th Century Louis Xvi St. Marble And Ormolu Annular Clock.

Leroy & Cie Louis XVI-Style Annular Clock.

Gubelin Alabaster & Bronze Annular Clock.

*A version of this post has appeared at the Two Nerdy History Girls blog.

**The book has provided inspiration for other watches and clocks in my stories, most notably the naughty pocket watch in Lord of Scoundrels.

Clicking on the image will enlarge it.  Clicking on the caption will take you to the source, where you can learn more and enlarge images as needed.