State of Romance: Let's visit the First State of romance

On this day in 1777, during the Battle of Cooch's Bridge in Newark, Delaware, the U.S. flag was flown for the first time during the American Revolutionary War. Delaware adopted the nickname The First State since it was the first of the original 13 colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787. It is a romantic notion to be the first state to embrace democracy …

Delaware Native V.K. Forrest uses her home state for the Clare Point series where the shipwrecked vampire clan came ashore centuries ago. Their modern-day descendants intermingle with locals and even find love until their existence is challenged in Eternal, Undying, Immortal, Ravenous and Voracious.

Her alter ego, Hunter Morgan, thrills readers with her Albany Beach series with She'll Never Tell, She'll never Know and She'll Never Live.

Barbara Bretton penned The Reluctant Bride along Delaware's seaside to bring together Molly, the woman who dreams of restoring the Pemberton Arms, and Nicholas, the English gentleman who inherited the ramshackle building.

Anne McCaffrey departs from her trademark science-fiction fantasy with The Year of the Lucy, a contemporary fiction novel where a neglected wife, Mirelle, finds solace in her sculptures with the encouragement of friend Lucy.

Delaware offers a special treat for fans of Downton Abbey — the Winterthur Estate is hosting the costumes of Downton Abbey in its museum. Built in the early 20th century by the Dupont family near Brandywine Creek, the Winterthur Museum houses an impressive collection of European antiques. Fans can enjoy high tea in the historic house and walk through the manicured gardens to complete their Edwardian experience. Learn more about the Winterthur Museum and the Downton Abbey exhibition at www.winterthur.org.

Have you read any novels set in Delaware? Use #stateofromance on Twitter to add to our list from the First State. Next week we visit Ohio, the Buckeye State.

Kim Lowe is an Air Force veteran, Air Force spouse and romance book blogger at SOS Aloha. You can reach her at sos.aloha@yahoo.com.