Hello, my fellow procrastinators! I’d like to invite you over to History Hoydens, where one of my favorite authors, Tasha Alexander, kindly consented to take over my blog for the day.

Tasha is an author of many talents. (And I’m not just saying this because she relieved me of having to do my post for the day!). The bulk of her books, And Only to Deceive, A Poisoned Season, and A Fatal Waltz, follow the adventures of the freshly widowed Lady Emily Ashton through the drawing rooms of late Victorian London, Paris, and Vienna. Critics have compared the Lady Emily books to Elizabeth Peters and Georgette Heyer. I’d add in Deanna Raybourn and Carole Nelson Douglas (if anyone else has read Douglas’ Irene Adler books, you’ll know what I mean). At the same time, Tasha has also written the book version of Elizabeth:the Golden Age, and today, on History Hoydens, she’s tackled a topic near and dear to my heart: the immortal allure of Mr. Darcy.