ASTOR PLACE VINTAGE was my fifth novel, but my first with a historical setting. I like to joke that when starting out, I figured the research would just involve Googling a few details and I’d be good to go. Okay, I wasn’t really that naïve, but still, I never would’ve imagined how much research would be involved. And I never would’ve guessed how much I’d enjoy doing it. Gathering information is nice and passive...

10 Great Authors, 10 Unforgettable Adventures   With every Today’s Adventure post between August 1 and August 13, you can register to win the featured book and the grand prize of all 10 books. We’ll announce winners on August 14. You may enter today’s giveaway and the grand prize at T.J.’s blog. You’ll find links to all the authors below–follow any of them to keep up with the latest adventures. And now, T.J....

Tomorrow night I’ll be doing a presentation on the rise of the Department Store — not just a place to shop, the grand emporiums helped usher in a new independence for women at the turn of the 20th century. Hope you can stop by if you’re in the area! Elm Street Books at New Canaan Public Library 151 Main Street New Canaan, Connecticut 06840 7:00 PM

(21) He could not ride a bicycle, and…

(26) He never bought a sewing machine for his wife and he never saw his mother or sister use one.

In my novel, ASTOR PLACE VINTAGE, the story hinges on a journal that is found sewn inside the lining of a fur muff. So it seems only right to present some background about fur muff fashion. Muffs were mentioned in text from the 1400s, and one of the earliest images of one is in an engraving from 1588. In the 1600s both men and women used muffs. Since fur was not as easily attainable, they were more typically made out of silk or satin and might...