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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

   
In the house… Last Tuesday, we left our dear domestic goddesses – Isabella Beeton, 19th century author of the wildly popular Book of Household Management, and Martha Stewart, creator of every other commercial household venture – intensely debating the fine points of fine dining.  To read their last head-to-head, click here. Now I’ll continue with my…

   
Welcome to Tuesday Terrific, where we celebrate getting over the Monday bump and picking up speed for the rest of the week. During these long winter months, a lot of folks enjoy getting together for meals and entertainment.  So, for this Tuesday Terrific, we will look at:   Fine Dining And this isn’t just your ordinary…

   
I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying “March comes in like a lion, and out like a lamb.”  Around here, our mild winter hasn’t been very lion-like in terms of making its presence felt.  (Not that I’m complaining, mind you).  Still, we’re all looking forward to spring, and seeing colors other than brown and gray…

   
Today’s flashback looks at a popular phenomenon of the late-19th and early-20th centuries, the “Gibson Girl.” She was the creation of artist Charles Dana Gibson (for a detailed biography, click here), and she was everywhere:  in the magazines of Life, Collier’s Weekly, Harper’s, and Scribner’s, to name the major ones. Her look was iconic, and quickly…

   
Welcome to Tuesday Terrific, where we celebrate getting over the Monday bump and picking up speed for the rest of the week. In the “old days,” when the average joe had epigram-ish words of wisdom to share publicly in written form, options were a bit limited:         These days, however, Twitter, web logs,…