​Guilty as Framed
An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 11
Genre: Cozy Mystery
 
When an elderly man shows up at the home of reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack, she’s drawn into the unsolved mystery of the greatest art heist in history.
 
Boston mob boss Cormac Murphy has recently been released from prison. He doesn’t believe Anastasia’s assertion that the man he’s looking for doesn’t live at her address and attempts to muscle his way into her home. His efforts are thwarted by Anastasia’s fiancé Zack Barnes.
 
A week later, a stolen SUV containing a dead body appears in Anastasia’s driveway. Anastasia believes Murphy is sending her a message. It’s only the first in a series of alarming incidents, including a mugging, a break-in, another murder, and the discovery of a cache of jewelry and an etching from the largest museum burglary in history.
 
But will Anastasia solve the mystery behind these shocking events before she falls victim to a couple of desperate thugs who will stop at nothing to get what they want?
 
Buy Links:
 
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3QLEYU5
Hardcover: https://amzn.to/3Ans5s6
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3tLnT3d
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/guilty-as-framed
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/guilty-as-framed/id6442846272
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/guilty-as-framed-lois-winston/1141500980?ean=2940185728703

At a time when the British monarchy has taken up so much of the recent news feeds, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the royal family today compared to George IV’s Regency period (1811-1820). In some ways they faced familiar issues with a war on the continent, financial concerns at home, and controversy surrounding the royal family.

•      How did the current Constitutional Monarchy evolve?

England’s original monarchy was overthrown by its people in 1649 and the king was executed. After years lacking clarity of leadership, the monarchy was restored in 1660, but King Charles was constantly at war with Parliament, and his successor, his Roman Catholic brother James, was overthrown in favor of Protestants William and Mary in 1688. That crisis led to the formation of what we call the constitutional monarchy, limiting the powers of the sovereign, who remained the head of state, but had no power to pass laws.

• ​       Monarchy in the 21st Century

​Elizabeth II attained the throne upon the death of her father, and she strove to operate within the imposed limitations, including as stated on the royal website: the sovereign "has to remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters." Her duties included bestowing honors, appointing the Prime Minister in a non-political manner, and serving as head of the British Armed Forces. The royal family recognized its duty to provide a visible head of state through attendance at various international meetings, public addresses, and public good works. The Royals have not been without controversy, but it rarely involved the late Queen. She set the tone for dignity in her personal and public life, was beloved at home, and was respected throughout the world.

•  *      Monarchy under George IV, Price Regent

In contrast, George, Prince of Wales, who was later to be George IV, became Prince Regent in 1811 due to the permanent madness of his father King George III. England was at war with France, on the verge of war with America, and a large split existed between the wealth of the upper classes and the abject poverty of those less privileged. “Prinny” had the capacity to ignore it all unless pressed by his ministers. He brought little respect or dignity to the office—although he loved the pageantry—and was more interested in lavish dinners, parties, and fashion than he was in governing. He built and decorated with abandon, running up huge debts both government and personal that he expected Parliament to pay, had scandalous love affairs, and was only a willing participant in government affairs that were in his interests or to the advantage of his "favorites," a circle of cronies who were similarly inclined to an indulgent lifestyle.
When forced to marry, he banished his wife as soon as she produced a child, and he openly flaunted his mistresses—of which there were many—producing an unknown number of illegitimate children (at least two with his favorite mistress, Maria Fitzherbert). He was a colorful and controversial figure -  popular with some for his affable personality, his taste for culture - and equally despised for his flamboyant lifestyle and indulgent spending.
Despite his flaws, there were great strides during his reign, especially in fashion and the cultural arts which prospered from his fiscal extravagance, but governing the British countries primarily fell to the efforts of the Prime Minister and Parliament. 

• What were their effects on the longevity of the monarchy?

During the Regency, Prinny was not beloved by the masses. His extravagances frequently led to rumbles of violent revolution, talk of overthrowing the monarchy again, but when those voices got too loud, they were suppressed or persecuted by his privileged supporters, who, like Prinny, rarely gave a thought to the law- they were above it. The monarchy survived George IV but perhaps not on its merits.
With the recent death of Queen Elizabeth II, voices once again are asking if England needs a monarchy, if it has any relevancy in the modern world. But those voices are not proposing a violent uprising or an execution of the monarch. Nor are those voices being threatened or thrown into jail. Whatever happens to the monarchy appears rooted in fiscal concerns—not outrage with the sovereign—and its future will be decided by a nation that is guided by the rule of law.
I can’t help but wonder how today’s United Kingdom would have dealt with the likes of the spoilt and extravagant George, Prince Regent.

Dead in the Alley
Genre: traditional mystery/second chance romance
Rating: PG-13
 
When Bay Bishop’s husband was found in the alley behind their Northern Michigan restaurant, she lost not only the partner in her dreams of establishing the best fine-dining establishment in the area but the man she thought was the love of her life.

Now she’s a suspect.

The detective who shows up on her doorstep turns out to be the high-school boyfriend who broke her heart. Faced with uncomfortable truths and new beginnings, Bay must chart a course to prove her innocence and create a new future.



Trailer link: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFJr0w76Pc/aA6B5CGu07A_oXWf3mqXuw/watch?utm_content=DAFJr0w76Pc&utm_campaign=share_your_design&utm_medium=link&utm_source=shareyourdesignpanel
 
Podcast about Dead in the Alley: https://tgwolffcom.wordpress.com/2022/08/07/dead-in-the-alley-chapter-1-and-review/
 
Buy links:
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Alley-Sharon-Michalove/dp/1736918753/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Sharon+Michalove&qid=1660859452&sr=8-1
​
Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Alley-Sharon-Michalove-ebook/dp/B09P8QWC31/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1660859452&sr=8-1

About the Author:
Sharon grew up in suburban Chicago but after spending most of her life in a medium-sized university town she moved back to Chicago in 2017. She loves music, theater, travel, hockey, and cats, and less elevated activities like eating doughnuts and sampling gins and single malts. 
 
Besides writing mysteries, she is the author of the romantic suspense series, Global Security Unlimited, and several short stories.
 
Something unique/unusual about me: “Two of my specialties as a historian are the history of polar exploration—I will be traveling to Antarctica in 2023—and food history. Readers say that my books make them hungry.”
 
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.sharonmichalove.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sdmichaloveauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sdmichalove
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100073761707861
Amazon author page: http://amazon.com/author/sdm_romance_and_more
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2128144.Sharon_D_Michalove?from_search=true&from_srp=true
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sharon-michalove

​I'm away from the blog this week! Won't you visit me on Anatasia Pollack's Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog? We talked about every thing from pet peeves to writing techniques.  Join the fun by following this link:  anastasiapollack.blogspot.com/2022/08/an-interview-with-historicalregency.html
​If you leave a comment, I promise to get back to you! :)

​Fascination with the Regency-era in England (officially 1811-1820) isn't new - just ask the fans of Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer - but shows like Bridgerton have certainly increased the interest. For those who cannot get enough of the era through film or books, the number of societies dedicated to all things Regency have enjoyed a growth spurt, including those dedicated to providing fans with their own Regency experiences.
I was curious where like-minded people might mingle and what events were out there. After I spent some time wandering around the web, the following is just a small sample of what I found.

If live events are on your wish list, check out the websites below:

• RegencyDances.org - Join a society that teaches Regency-era dances: https://www.regencydances.org/societies.php
• Check out the next Regency Ball near you: https://www.regencydances.org/events.php
• Nothing to wear for the big dance?  You might want to start by looking at the gowns and patterns on many of the Pinterest sites: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/326581410459574048/
• Once you have an idea what you want, learn how to make your own ball gown at https://janeausten.co.uk/blogs/fashion-to-make/sew-a-regency-gown
• No time to make your own? A Google search can show you many sites where you can peruse period costumes already made (I found this one via a search - https://recollections.biz/clothing/Regency.html - and know nothing about it. Fun just to look.)  
• Still need shoes? You'll find them on Esty.com (https://www.etsy.com/search?q=Regency%20shoes) along with any other accessories you - or a male companion - might need.

Even if you aren't interested in your own historical clothes or attending live events, wandering around the various websites is not only informative but a fascinating way to spend a few minutes...or hours back in the early 1800s!