The deadly disease smallpox had been feared by man for thousands of years by the 1800s, and rightly so. It was highly contagious, incurable and killed a third of those unlucky enough to catch it. Those who survived it were rarely left unscathed. Aside from the inevitable permanent scarring, it could leave victims blind and doomed to spend the rest of their days battling lung or joint problems. The disease also did not discriminate between the rich or poor. Several royals and world leaders contracted it. Queen Elizabeth I, George Washington and Joseph Stalin all had pock-marked faces which they were at great pains to disguise in pictures. The 18th century fashion for wearing patches stemmed f
I think every girl dreams of Prince Charming. The idea that one day the perfect guy for you will sweep you off your feet and you will both live happily ever after is certainly not new. Neither is a Cinderella story. I doubt many other stories have been re-spun and retold quite so many times, yet still I was drawn to the idea for my latest book. I love the idea of the downtrodden and ill-used heroine being transformed into a princess after meeting her Prince Charming- but I wanted to do it a bit differently. Cinderella with a twist. I called it Miss Bradshaw's Bought Betrothal. You see, its Prince Charming I have always taken issue with. He was always so one-dimensional. Vanilla. Meh. Or as a
