Tales of Historical Romance Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jo Beverley

Although I have enjoyed many of Jo Beverley's books, my absolute favorite has to be the "Company of Rogues" series, which is set during the Regency Period in English history. George III was considered to be too ill to rule and his son, the future George IV, rules in his place.

A group of school boys who attend Harrow School unite in an attempt to serve as champions for those being bullied and oppressed. The first book in the series, "An Unwilling Bride" (1991), introduces Nicholas Delaney, the leader of the group, who is now an adult and still trying to make the world right.

As the stories unfold we are introduced to all the members of the group who continue to come to the aid of each other. Meticulous research went into these books, and an explanation of what else was going on at the time was always included. My favorite part was that once each story was told, the characters continued to develop in other stories. "To Rescue a Rogue" (2006) features the story of Darius Debenham, who was believed by his friends to have been a casualty at the Battle of Waterloo, and his return to England as a very ill man with an addiction to opium.

Answer: Linda Howard

Before discussing "Son of the Morning" (1997), I must say that Linda Howard's books are about a wide variety of people, and are always well researched. Whether her main character is a CIA operative, as in "All the Queen's Men" (1999) or a reincarnated warrior as in "Lake of Dreams" (1995), her facts about their lives and times are spot-on! "Son of the Morning" (1997) is really about two stories in one; the heroine, a specialist in ancient manuscripts, finds the secret to the treasure of the Knights Templar and time travel.

She has to battle the modern evil people who seek to possess the treasure, and must travel back to fourteenth-century Scotland to find the warrior who is bound by his promise to protect the treasure and convince him to help her. How has this book NOT been made into a movie?

Answer: Glynnis Campbell

So why is Glynnis Campbell one of my favorite writers? She writes historic fiction about English knights and Scottish lords - that is why! My first glimpse of her work was "My Champion" (2000), which began the saga of the brothers de Ware; when I realized that it was part of a trilogy, that was all the better! The stories deal with medieval chivalry, as well as attempt to give a depiction of what life was like for the common people then.

While Campbell's "Warrior Maiden of Rivenloch" series might be a bit far-fetched as far as the skills and status of Scottish medieval women, they are fun to read. I did enjoy "The Handfasting"(2015) which merged her two main story lines together, having one of the de Ware knights marrying one of the Rivenloch women, albeit not the one to whom he was actually betrothed.

Answer: Lynn Kurland

Not only has Lynn Kurland written historically accurate books about England and Scotland, she has also made the idea of time traveling and ghosts, well, almost feasible! Almost, I said! Her books about the lives of the MacLeod, McKinnon, and de Piaget families - both past and present - are just awesome. Who doesn't love medieval castles, knights, and romance? As with most of my favorite authors, I first came into contact with Kurland while reading an anthology called "A Knight's Vow" (2001); in fact, I met Glynnis Campbell there too! Kurland's short story, "The Traveller", made me to want to know more about the de Piaget family.

After reading "Stardust of Yesterday" (1996), the first in the series, I was totally hooked. A modern woman, Genevieve Buchanan, inherits a castle with a ghost. That's all I am going to tell you - you must read the rest for yourself. My favorite part of each Kurland book is that she includes an extensive family tree for both her main families, detailing who was featured in each book and its title.

Answer: Linda Lael Miller

Linda Lael Miller is a self-professed cowgirl, having been raised by a town marshal father in the state of Washington, who also participated on the rodeo circuit. Who doesn't love cowgirls? Most of her books are set in some time period of the Old West - and that is fine - write about what you know I always say.

She has even stated that they are her favorite: "I love westerns best of all. To me, the cowboy is the great North American myth, the ideal of honor, courage and persistence we need to live up to".

She has left her comfort zone a few times, writing medieval romance under the pen name of Lael St. James, and even has a series about vampires! One of the first books I read of her very large collection (more than 100) was "Knights" (1996), which not only had a medieval theme, but was also about time travel! Megan, who is an unwanted, unhappy child in the modern day, finds a gate that leads her on an adventure to the Middle Ages. Again, you must read the rest for yourself!

Answer: Hannah Howell

Hannah Howell has written stores with several historical settings. There is a series of stories about vampires, including "The Eternal Highlander" (2004). Another series, which is set in the Georgian Era, is about the Wherlocke family ("If He's Wicked" 2009), who possess special powers.

There are also stories about the Old West ("A Taste of Fire" 1988). What I am trying to say is that Howell is well versed in the history of many different places. My favorite, however, is the set of over twenty books about the Murray family that are set in medieval Scotland. "Highland Destiny" (1998), also known as "The Murrays Book 1", begins the saga of Maldie and Balfour and introduces other family members whose stories are continued in other books. Reading Howell's books helped me to understand the typical Scottish lingo that is found in historical fiction, such as "cannae" for "cannot", "verra" for "very", and "ken" for "understand".

Answer: Jillian Hunter

I first found Jillian Hunter in an anthology called "Under the Boardwalk" (1999), which I had picked up because it contained a story by Linda Howard. I fell in love, however, with her Boscastle series, set during Regency England with all its lords and ladies, and, of course, the Prince Regent.

The first book, "The Seduction of an English Scoundrel" (2005), introduces the oldest Boscastle, Grayson, and tells the story about how he and his wife, Jane, meet at a wedding where she was supposed to be the bride of his cousin. Again, one of my favorite aspects of any series is that it continues to weave a story about characters who have already been introduced, and Hunter does a very good job of developing characters' stories throughout her series. I came upon an interview where she talked about the research she completes before writing each book and how much she enjoys making a story about of historical events.

She commented, however, that she had to be careful to limit herself to two months of research before each novel (so that research does not become an excuse not to write!), and the inevitable return to research that might become necessary as the story progresses.

Answer: Jude Devereaux

Jude Deveraux has written many novels with many different settings, but I first came into contact with her work in her "Velvet Series", which tells the individual stories of four Montgomery brothers that are entwined and brought together in the last book, "Velvet Angel" (1983).

The story, however, that really grabbed my attention was "A Knight in Shining Armor " (1990). What is better than time travel and 16th century England? In the story of Douglass Montgomery and Nicholas Stafford, Deveraux gives a very accurate insight into everyday life in medieval England.

Answer: Sabrina Jeffries

My first Sabrina Jeffries read was actually a trilogy of books called "The Royal Brotherhood" (2004-05) that included "One Night with a Prince" (2005). I was already a fan of Regency England, but these books presented the future George IV in a way I had never really considered - and yes, led me to do some extra reading. I found out that he was quite the womanizer, had many mistresses, and, consequently, many rumored illegitimate children. Consequently, I also found her "School for Heiresses" series (2006), first released in a novella of the same name tied into "The Royal Brotherhood" characters, which was interesting as well. Jeffries typically has a note at the end of her book that gives insight into her research and the twists and turns of her story.

Answer: Susan King

I was lucky enough to find "The Stone Maiden" (2000), Susan King's first book in her "Celtic Nights Trilogy" (2000-01), first! What made me want to read more was that fact that she so expertly combined details about Celtic mythology, the way of life in 12th century Scotland, and how the Norman invasion of England affected clans and alliances there.

The story isn't just about a woman who carved stone; it is also about a woman's spirit that was trapped in a granite pillar for hundreds of years - and the legends that surround it. King's books do quite a bit of teaching about history, as well as providing entertainment.

She also has a series of books called, "The Victorian Trilogy" (2003) that are quite enjoyable if you like Victorian Scotland.