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Hi - nice to have you stop by! K.B. Owen, Historical Mystery Author …Chasing the Cozy Thrill If you're here, I'm assuming you want to know a little more about me. I have a Ph.D. in 19th century British literature and used to teach college lit and writing courses. These days, I'm a historical mystery writer, and just finished the first two books in a series that I'm really excited about. The series is set in a nineteenth-century women’s college in Hartford, Connecticut - world filled with quirky and beguiling characters and mischief mixed with murder. Why Hartford? I fell in love with Hartford and its history while I was at Uconn (one of the top 7 party schools at the time – I got some work done, really!) Why a women's college in the 19th century? Well, you know what they say: go with what you know (and like!). My years teaching college literature and writing provided some interesting classroom experiences. Who can resist such good material? Thankfully, unlike my main character, Professor Concordia Wells, I didn’t have to lecture in a bustle and full skirts. Besides writing and blogging, I read as much as I have the time for (especially mysteries, my first love), and share a house with a husband, three sons, and an assortment of small, furry pets. Chat with me on Twitter! @kbowenwriter

   
Welcome to Day 3 of the quote-a-day countdown giveaway, to celebrate the November 1st release of Beloved and Unseemly. To learn more about the contest and prizes, along with what the lady professor is up to in book #5, click here: Okie dokie then, here’s today’s quote! Hope your weekend is going well, and thanks for…

   
Welcome to Day 2 of the quote-a-day countdown giveaway, to celebrate the November 1st release of Beloved and Unseemly. To learn more about the contest and prizes, along with what the lady professor is up to in book #5, click here: So here you go, the Day 2 quote from Beloved and Unseemly:   Happy Weekend, everyone,…

   
Only twelve more days until Beloved and Unseemly, book 5 of the Concordia Wells Mysteries, is released!   A stolen blueprint, a dead body, and wedding bells…. Change is in the air at Hartford Women’s College in the fall of 1898. Renowned inventor Peter Sanbourne—working on Project Blue Arrow for the Navy—heads the school’s new engineering…

   
In writing about the world of Concordia Wells, I have to make sure the lady professor and her colleagues are always suitably attired in the style of the day. I use a variety of sources for descriptions and sketches of what these ladies wore during the Progressive Era. Two of my favorite books for research…

   
Okay, so it’s a made-up holiday (sponsored by the National Confectioners Association), but what’s not to love about celebrating that iconic summer treat, toasted marshmallows? The history of the marshmallow is pretty cool, too. Marshmallows were originally made from the root of the Marshmallow herb, also known as Althaea officinalis. The Egyptians made candy/cakes from it,…

   
Olympic fever is going strong right now, with the Summer Games in full swing in Rio. There’s something wonderfully ironic about lounging on a sofa, chowing down on Cheetos, and staying up past one’s bedtime (making the next-day’s early-morning walk unlikely) in order to watch dedicated athletes strain every muscle and sinew to earn the…