With the end of the War of 1812 and the Napoleonic wars in 1814, an unprecedented wave of piracy swept the American seaboard and the Caribbean when some of the hundreds of captains who were privateers in the wars began preying upon the growing numbers of merchant vessels. Although some of these pirates, like Jean Laffite, were American, the majority came from farther south and Latin America.

Roberto Cofresi was one of them. Born on June 17, 1791 in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico as Roberto Cofresí y Ramírez de Arellano, he became Puerto Rico’s most famous pirate, better known as “El Pirata Cofresí.” Cofresí’s father is believed to have been Austrian and changed his surname to Cofresí when he moved his family to Puerto Rico because it was easier for the people to pronounce.

Just as I have portrayed him in my latest novel, Wind Raven, Cofresi was tall, blond and blue-eyed and wore dangling silver and diamond earrings any woman would covet. See more of the post HERE. And comment to win a free copy of the book!

As some of you know, I've been writing a medieval set in England in 1068, two years after the Conquest. Titled THE RED WOLF'S PRIZE, it tells the story of a Norman knight to whom William I gives the lands of a dead English thegn. Here's the short description:

When William the Conqueror awards her lands and her body to a fierce Norman knight, a determined English maiden disguises herself as a servant while plotting to one day reclaim all she has lost.

I thought you might like to see my Pinterest story board of pictures that go along with my research and writing of the story. The hero is Sir Renaud de Pierrepont and the heroine is Serena of Talisand. Now you can "see" what I see. Just click on the Pinterest icon to see the pictures!

I first discovered Western romances by reading those written by my favorite authors who also wrote in other subgenres (when I was gobbling up their backlists). Since then, I have become a true fan of the subgenre and find myself every now and then reaching for a good romance from the Old West. Love those Indian and gun-slinging heroes. So, it seemed a “best” list was in order to share some of these wonderful stories with you. You can see the list HERE.

I love the sea and the ships that sail upon it. I also love a good pirate story. So, when I decided to set Wind Raven, the third book in my Agents of the Crown trilogy, a pirate Regency, on a schooner (well, among other places), it seemed like a grand adventure.

I had no idea.

Since I’m committed to making my stories historically accurate, I dove into all the ship terminology, pouring over my new 4-inch thick Sailor’s Word Book until late at night. But I realized just having the vocabulary was not enough. I wanted to be able to describe a storm at sea as huge waves crashed onto the deck and a battle that had shot bringing the sails down around the characters. And get all the ship parts right while doing it. So, I did gobs of research and studied diagrams of schooners and sail configurations until I was seeing them in my dreams.

But even that was not enough. I had to get the feel of the ship. I decided it was essential to take a ride on an actual schooner. See MORE.

Sometimes when I talk to fellow readers of historical romance, or even authors, and I mention a name from the past, an author who helped shape the genre, like Kathleen Woodiwiss or Rosemary Rogers, I get a blank stare in return. It occurred to me that as lovers of a genre it might be helpful to read some of the classics to see where we’ve come from and to enjoy the greats who have contributed so much to the craft.

I’m not going as far back as Ivanhoe or Jane Eyre. I’m not even reaching back to the seminal novels of Georgette Heyer in the early 20th century. Except for two novels of note in earlier decades, I’m starting in the 1970s when the bedroom door was flung open never to close again. And while I may not have included your favorite author, by reading the romances on this list, you’ll have a good idea of our beginnings and what so many wonderful authors have done for the genre. Think of it as an education in modern historical romance.

So, here’s the list of the historical romances I recommend you read. See more.