Tuesday's Child - Traditional Regency Romance & Back Story

My new novel is Tuesday's Child, a traditional Regency Romance, by which I mean I don't open wide the hero and heroine's bedroom door.  It is a follow on novel from Sunday's Child and Monday's Child, which will be published in spring, 2016. It is a stand alone novel but because the heroine was a minor character who played an important part in Sunday's Child the back story is crucial. Back story is always tricky. I think I've solved the problem by the heroine observing a scene and reflecting on the effects of past events effects on her present and introducing conflict.

P is for Pace

Instead of telling a reader about an event it would be more interesting in dialogue.

e.g. Jane remembered the day on which her dog ran away and is glad to get him back.

e.g. Tears filled Jane's eyes as she hugged Rover. "Thank you, thank you for returning him. I've been out of my mind with worry since he ran away."

Involve the five senses to show the reader characters. Allow them to bring back memories of the past. For example, a whiff of a particular perfume brings my mother to mind. A snatch of Indian music reminds me of a performance of a dancer's amazing performance as a peacock. Your characters will have their own memories which lead into the present.

Involve the protagonist instead of relying on description. Instead of, for example, describing a character's new gown, allow her to admire it, smooth it and tweak it into place. Let your reader see her.

Show a scene through a character's eyes, what does he or she like or dislike about it? Show the character touching things. If he or she is outside on a rainy, windy day show how they react perhaps by struggling with an umbrella, perhaps wishing he or she had worn a raincoat.

Conflict increases the pace and so does danger. To heighten them, use short sharp sentences. However, don't rush the pace throughout the novel, alternate tense scenes with calm ones.