Boas & Tiaras has come a long way since its humble (yet fabulous) beginning. What began in 2002 as a group of 6 readers enjoying tea in Duncanville has evolved into an annual event that draws readers and authors from all over the country. On June 10, more than 50 book-loving ladies gathered at the historic Adolphus hotel in downtown Dallas to celebrate Fresh Fiction’s 15th annual Boas & Tiaras tea! Glistening chandeliers, fine china, and sparkling tiaras made everyone feel like a queen—and better yet, lively conversation and abundant laughter made everyone feel like family. For any of you who were not able to join us (and for those of you who attended and want to re-live the fun), read on for a taste of the Boas experience! Before tea was served, guests perused a selection of 15 raffle baskets, proceeds benefitting Genesis Women’s Shelter, and delighted in the gift bags provided by our host authors. Every table was surrounded by ladies dressed to the nines, ready to chat about all things bookish. Tea was served course by course, elegantly plated and attentively brought by waiters in crisp suits. Sandwiches arrived first, dazzling us with flavors like orange zested…

Boas & Tiaras has come a long way since its humble (yet fabulous) beginning. What began in 2002 as a group of 6 readers enjoying tea in Duncanville has evolved into an annual event that draws readers and authors from all over the country. On June 10, more than 50 book-loving ladies gathered at the historic Adolphus hotel in downtown Dallas to celebrate Fresh Fiction’s 15th annual Boas & Tiaras tea! Glistening chandeliers, fine china, and sparkling tiaras made everyone feel like a queen—and better yet, lively conversation and abundant laughter made everyone feel like family. For any of you who were not able to join us (and for those of you who attended and want to re-live the fun), read on for a taste of the Boas experience! Before tea was served, guests perused a selection of 15 raffle baskets, proceeds benefiting Genesis Women’s Shelter, and delighted in the gift bags provided by our host authors. Every table was surrounded by ladies dressed to the nines, ready to chat about all things bookish. Tea was served course by course, elegantly plated and attentively brought by waiters in crisp suits. Sandwiches arrived first, dazzling us with flavors like orange zested…

For many historical fiction fans, one of the draws of the genre is watching woman of past confront challenges and restrictions to open up new opportunities for themselves.  In honor of the recent birthdays of some extraordinary women—my mother-in-law, my stepmother and my daughter—this month I showcase a group of enterprising women who dare to dream of doing something more than filling a woman’s conventional place in society. We begin chronologically with THE DARING LADIES OF LOWELL by Kate Alcott.  Searching for independence and a better future, in 1832 farm girl Alice Barrow moves to Lowell to become one of the “mill girls.”  Though the hours are long and the work grueling, she finds a new best friend in outspoken, feisty Lovey Cornell, camaraderie with the other mill girls, and intellectual stimulation in attending lectures at the Lyceum and working on the mill’s literary magazine—where she catches the attention of mill owner’s son Samuel Fiske.  As working conditions become more dangerous and the workers protest, Samuel invites Alice to represent the other mill girls at a meeting with his family.  But when her friend Lovey is found strangled and she suspects the Fiske family of withholding information about the crime,…