Today we’re going to talk about the kinds of magic possible in the fantastic version of Regency England of The Solitary Rose. Magical abilities in this fantasy ‘verse are hereditary, though they can skip a generation, and not all members of a family will have magic. Most people in this world do not have any magical abilities.

The most common form of magic is wizardy or witchcraft. Wizards and witches work spells, charms, or potions using magical ingredients. These ingredients typically include plants (such as herbs) or minerals (such as crystals). Common substances like salt or water can also be ingredients in some spells. Some magicians work magic using blood or other parts of animals, but this is considered unsavory at best and at worst may be illegal. Elwood Ainsworth (“Uncle Elwood”) of The Solitary Rose is a professional wizard who specializes in warding spells.

Sorcery is the second most common form of magic. Sorcerers do not need ingredients like herbs or crystals to work their spells: they just use words or gestures. Henry Dawson, the male lead of The Solitary Rose, is a sorcerer. He can summon a light or unlock a door with a few words and a snap of his fingers. It’s a handy gift to have, because it means he doesn’t need to carry magical ingredients around with him.

Magecraft is the rarest form of magic. Mages work magic using only their minds, without adding ingredients or chanting spells. Most mages are limited in what they can do. For example, a mage might be confined to healing magic. Magecraft could also include the ability to see magic, predict the future (precognition), sense weather changes, or read people’s auras.

Empathy and telepathy are both forms of magecraft. Emma Ainsworth, the female lead of The Solitary Rose, is a very sensitive empath. She feels other people’s emotions and sensations (such as pain, pleasure, or fatigue). Unlike some empaths, she lacks the ability to block out other people’s emotions, and being around other people can overwhelm or exhaust her. Basically, she experiences a magical form of sensory overload.

Now you know the different types of magic, do you want to find out what kind of magic you’d have if you lived in this world? Click on this link to spin the wheel and see what magical gift you’d get! Then share your results in the comments below. Your comment enters you to win a copy of The Solitary Rose.

My debut romance, THE SOLITARY ROSE, launches on August 14! For the next week, I’m hosting an online launch party here on my blog.

For today’s activity, you get to pick a “Regency name” using the name generator on The Regency Reader. I sometimes use this name generator when brainstorming names for characters. It’s particularly helpful for last names, since I struggle with them.

Click here for the Regency female name generator, or here for the Regency male name generator.

Then, share your new name in the comments! I got “Eliza Hunt,” which is actually a perfectly reasonable name— not nearly as ridiculous as many of the names I’ve generated in the past.

Giveaway Alert! Post your Regency name in the comments to enter this week’s giveaway. You can win either a paperback copy of The Solitary Rose (US residents) or a digital copy (international residents). Winners will be announced on August 13.

I’ve shared character art, buy links, and the cover image for THE SOLITARY ROSE, but you know what I haven’t shared? An excerpt from the book! Here is the official teaser: a scrap of dialogue between impoverished sorcerer Henry Dawson and wealthy recluse Emma Ainsworth.

This argument maddened him. He wanted to bury his head under a pillow and forget it had ever happened. “I am not engaged to you, I am not married to you, and I will not sell my virtue. You will have to find someone else to experiment on. The only woman I am planning on bedding is my wife. You don’t want to marry me, do you? Then this conversation is over.”

Miss Ainsworth narrowed her eyes. She lifted one arm so she could rest her chin on her hand as she looked at Henry. Henry grew nervous. He could not imagine what she was going to try next, but from the look on her face, she was not ready to throw down her arms. He felt even more certain of that when a slow smile crossed her bewitching lips. Something about that smile made the hairs on his arms stand up straight.

“Very well, Mr. Dawson,” she said. “You win.”

Henry blinked. If he had won, why was she smiling like the proverbial cat who had stolen the cream? “What have I won?” he asked cautiously.

“My hand in marriage, of course,” she replied. “I accept your proposal. We are betrothed now.”