Patricia Meredith's Blog, page 9

Learning From History

“You can either run from it or learn from it.”

Rafiki in The Lion King

History is a tricky beast. Some say we should just forget it, hakuna matata, and all that. Others say that if we simply ignore it, we’ll never learn from it.

As an historical fiction author, I land firmly in that second camp. I believe history is made up of some of the most important stories we can ever tell our children.

Historical fiction in particular gives us the opportunity of examining history while reminding ourselves that these were real people experiencing the same things we do today. Their clothes may look different, they may have used slightly different language, but in the end, they were breathing, living human beings just like we are, and suffered from the same worries, fears, and wonderings as we do.

As Connie Willis writes in To Say Nothing of the Dog: “It is a temporal universal that people never appreciate their own time, especially transportation. Twentieth-century contemps complained about cancelled flights and gasoline prices, eighteenth-century contemps complained about muddy roads and highwaymen. No doubt Professor Peddick’s Greeks complained about recalcitrant horses and chariot wheels falling off.”

This is one of my favorite quotes from my favorite book. (To hear more, check out my interview with Jayne on the Tales with De Sales podcast, where we discussed this topic at length.)

I believe one of the beauties of historical fiction is that, because it’s history retold as a story, we often see themes and lessons we wouldn’t see in a story set in our own time period because we take for granted our current day. And because history is full of cycles, and there is nothing new under the sun, we can learn from the past.

As August Wilhelm von Schlegel said, “Historians are prophets looking backward.”

The musical Hamilton I think is an excellent example of the power of historical fiction. Because Lin-Manuel Miranda was not afraid to take an historical fiction look at the rather tempestuous events that made up Alexander Hamilton’s life, the man has become almost as well-known as Washington to modern audiences. Through Miranda’s songs and script, we are reminded that history is made up of different perspectives.

One of my favorite songs is “Satisfied,” where they literally rewind the events we’ve just witnessed and retell them from another person’s perspective. The entire musical is about exactly this. That history’s import lies in its varied perspectives, which means we should never be satisfied with the way we’ve learned it.

Dave Barry says, “After you’ve heard two eyewitness accounts of an accident, it makes you wonder about history.”

History is made up of stories, and part of what that means is that it’s going to be biased, no matter what. Stories are biased, and history, as Jim Butcher once put it, “is like a big, long soap opera that they needed a better writer for.”

I am that writer. I am one of many.

Historical fiction allows for a new perspective, one that takes us on a journey. Our perception of the past impacts our future. How we think of history changes how we think the pendulum of the future should swing.

We can learn from history. Why don’t we?

Be sure to search my website to learn more about my writing and how history inspires my books. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Goodreads—while you’re over there, be sure to follow my author profile and add Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker to your Want to Read List. Following an author ensures you’ll be the first to hear when a new book is released or a giveaway is happening!

Sign up for my newsletter to receive my newest blogs delivered straight to your inbox. You’ll receive my latest short story, “Murder for a Jar of Red Rum,” for free for signing up!

Thank you so much for reading!

The post Learning From History appeared first on Patricia Meredith, Author.

Manito Park Tour

When writing Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, I knew I had to take my characters to Manito Park, but it wasn’t until I began researching that I learned that the park known today as “Manito Park” was originally named “Montrose Park.”

Francis Cook, the owner of the land, named it “Montrose” because of the wide variety of wild roses. Although today there are numerous gardens within Manito—Duncan Gardens, Japanese Gardens, and Lilac Gardens, to name a few—the park would first pass through many phases, including being home to a zoo from 1905-1932.

In the picture below you can see what remains of the bear exhibit from when the park was a zoo! Whenever I go with my kids, they have to climb up on the ledge and growl like a bear!

What is today known as “the duck pond” was called “Mirror Lake,” and was large enough people would ice skate across the shallow surface in winter. If you ask folks who lived in Spokane in the 60s-70s, they’ll often tell you they remember doing just that!

The Japanese garden at Miss Mitchell’s estate in Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker was inspired by the one you can visit at Manito today. It is a beautifully quiet oasis in the middle of a bustling city.

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One of my favorite things to do in Spokane is to take a walk around Manito Park, snapping photographs (just like Marian in Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker!) of the flora and the fauna. So come join me on a walk through Manito…

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As you can see, Manito has so much to offer! If you’re ever in Spokane, I hope you’ll take a walk through to see what’s blooming!

To read more about Montrose Park, pick up a copy of Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker today! Available in print, ebook, and audiobook, you can also request it through your local library!

Be sure to search my website to learn more about my writing, and how Spokane and local research have inspired my books. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Goodreads—while you’re over there, be sure to follow my author profile and add Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker to your Want to Read List. Following an author ensures you’ll be the first to hear when a new book is released (coming soon!) or a giveaway is happening!

Sign up for my newsletter to receive my newest blogs delivered straight to your inbox. You’ll receive my latest short story, “Murder for a Jar of Red Rum,” for free for signing up!

Thank you so much for reading!

The post Manito Park Tour appeared first on Patricia Meredith, Author.

Tales with De Sales Podcast Interview

I had the extreme honor of joining Jayne De Sales for an interview on her marvelous podcast, Tales with De Sales. This is a podcast “exploring fiction that cultivates the good, the true, and the beautiful.”

We talked about Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker, historical fiction, living in Spokane, and why history itself is so important.

We kicked it all off by discussing my favorite book of all time, To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis.

“It is a temporal universal that people never appreciate their own time, especially transportation. Twentieth-Century contemps complained about cancelled flights and gasoline prices, Eighteenth-Century contemps complained about muddy roads and highwaymen. No doubt Professor Peddick’s Greeks complained about recalcitrant horses and chariot wheels falling off.”

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

“‘History is no longer a chronicle of mere events. It is science.’ ‘Mere events!’ I said. ‘Do you consider the Greeks’ defeat of the Persian fleet a mere event? It shaped the course of history for hundreds of years!’ Overforce waved his hand as if to dismiss them. ‘Events are irrelevant ot the theory of history.’ ‘Do you consider the Battle of Agincourt irrelevant?’ I said. ‘Or the Crimean War? Or the execution of Mary Queen of Scots?'”…

As a matter of fact, they had. As Lady Schrapnell is so fond of saying, “God is in the details.” …

“The action of the individual, that’s the force driving history… ‘The history of the world is but the biography of great men,’ Carlyle writes, and so it is. Copernicus’s genius, Cincinnatus’s ambition, St. Francis of Assisi’s faith. It is character that shapes history.”

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

We also discussed Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson.

“Tolkien and Lewis held the fabric of Narnia or Middle-earth in one hand and clutched ours in the other, building a bridge so we could set out for perilous realms and return safely with some of the beauty we found there.… The stories that awaken us are meant to awaken us not only to the reality to come but to this world and its expectant glory.”

Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson

We even dove sideways into GK Chesterton’s Father Brown mysteries!

“The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists, as the mother can love the unborn child.”

GK Chesterton

You can listen to the full interview here!

Be sure to search my website to learn more about my writing and how my reading inspires my books. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Goodreads—while you’re over there, be sure to follow my author profile and add Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker to your Want to Read List. Following an author ensures you’ll be the first to hear when a new book is released or a giveaway is happening!

Sign up for my newsletter to receive my newest blogs delivered straight to your inbox. You’ll receive my latest short story, “Murder for a Jar of Red Rum,” for free for signing up!

Thank you so much for reading!

The post Tales with De Sales Podcast Interview appeared first on Patricia Meredith, Author.

The Symbiotic Relationship of Authors and Readers

Do you wish your favorite authors would write more books?

I’ll let you in on a secret: there are many ways, other than buying the book, to encourage and support an author. And by doing so, you’ll also be letting others know they should check out the book.  

Word of mouth is still the best way to sell a book!

Authors love readers and readers love authors! It’s a symbiotic relationship: you can’t have one without the other. 

So if you LOVE certain books, I mean, as in you can’t help recommending them to your friends as soon as you finish reading them, here are a few ways you can let others know about your favorite authors’ books.

Recommend the book to your book club.

Are you a member of a book club? Suggest you read the book together! This is the ultimate way to share your favorite books with others. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the author, too, to let them know. Maybe they’d be interested in a Q&A with you when you’re finished? (I know I would be! Learn more here.)

Request their books through your local library.

Does your library carry the book? In all formats? Most libraries won’t get a book until it’s been requested by a patron. Find out how your library prefers to receive book requests. Even if it’s available in one format, you can always request it in another to make sure it’s out there for everyone to enjoy. Check out my blog to learn more about how libraries are awesome for authors.

Write and like reviews on Goodreads.

Goodreads is amazing for both authors and readers! Goodreads is a place to track your own reading and to find recommendations from friends and authors.

If you have the time, a good review on Goodreads can do wonders for an author. 3-5 stars are great! If you don’t have time to write your own review, going in and liking positive reviews is also helpful to the author in that it raises those reviews to the top of the pile so they’ll be noticed first by other readers.

While you’re over there, be sure to follow my author profile and add Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker to your Want to Read List. Following an author ensures you’ll be the first to hear when a new book is released or a giveaway is happening!

Write reviews on Amazon.

Reviews are one of the main reasons Amazon has taken over our buying. I know lots of people who, even if they don’t shop on Amazon, still check out the reviews on a product there before buying it elsewhere. This is certainly true of books, so be sure to leave a review of Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker while you’re there!

Like, share, follow.

I saved this one for last because you probably knew about it already. If there’s an author you enjoy, find them on whatever social media you subscribe to. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube! You can also sign up for my newsletter to be the first to hear when a new blog is posted and receive my latest short story, “Murder for a Jar of Red Rum.”

Like I said, authors need readers! We couldn’t do this without you! Thank you for reading, liking, sharing, following, and reviewing!

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I Want to Come to Your Book Club

What’s cooler than having the author join you for your discussion?!

I had the extreme honor recently of attending a local Spokane book club and joining their discussion of my historical mystery, Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker! We had so much fun!

I brought several of the books I used for research and we passed those around while I answered their questions. The favorite was the 1902 Sears Roebuck Catalog—there are plenty of amazing and odd things in there!

We discussed everything from how I picture some of my characters to my plans for the next two books in the series to all the historical research behind the books! Some of my favorite questions included:

Which characters will we get to see more of in the next book?How long did it take you to write this book? How many hours of research?How much do you know about each of the characters? How do you picture them? Do you have a favorite?Where can I find a map of Spokane to go with your book? (I have an interactive one right here!)Why a blind blacksmith? Is his tongue-clicking technique a real thing?How did you learn so much about clockworks?What local historical event is going to take place in the sequel?Is this your first book? (Click the Books tab in the menu to learn more about all my projects, including my short stories and poems!)You have twelve books planned for the series, does that mean you know what’s going to happen in each one?Do you have any other book series in the works?

Want to know the answers to some of these questions? You just have to ask!

Has your book club read Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker? I would love to meet with you and answer all your questions about the research, writing process, and character development that went into the writing of the book!

Please reach out on Facebook or Instagram or email me at author(at)patricia-meredith.com.

I am available for both in-person (in the Spokane area) and virtual events (anywhere in the world!). I can’t wait to hear from you!

Goodreads: Ask the Author

Not a member of a book club? Did you know you can ask your favorite authors anything you’d like over on Goodreads? If you head over to my author profile, there’s a box where you can ask the author questions. I’d love to answer yours!

Be sure to follow me there to receive updates when I publish a new book or offer a giveaway!

Thank you for reading! I look forward to hearing your questions!

Check out my YouTube channel to find answers to some of your questions right now! Be sure to like and subscribe while you’re there!

The post I Want to Come to Your Book Club appeared first on Patricia Meredith, Author.

Christmas Cookies from early 1900s

Join me as I try out Christmas recipes circa 1900! 

This third recipe is for Christmas Cookies from a personal notebook belonging to my great-great-great-grandmother. It’s also vegan—no eggs or butter! 

Don’t forget to subscribe while you’re over there!Christmas Cookies3/4 c honey1/2 c sugar3 1/4 c flour1 1/2 tsp baking soda1 tsp salt1/2 tsp nutmeg1/4 tsp cinnamondash of allspice1 tsp orange flavoringcandied orange peelalmond slivers

Heat the honey and sugar together until sugar melts. Cool. Sift and measure flour, spices, salt, and baking soda. Add cooled honey mixture, stirring well. May need to add a dash of water to help dough combine. May also need to knead the dough toward the end. Press into small baking molds or roll into balls then press flat. Decorate with almond slivers and orange peel. Bake at 350 for 10-15 min.

Enjoy!Want to learn more about cookbooks circa 1900?

Cookbooks from this era were incredibly influential in many scenes and characters in the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries. I shared more about it in these three blogs:

CookingCleaningHome Health

Be sure to check out my Christmas sale right here!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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Delicate Cake Recipe from 1890

Join me as I try out Christmas recipes circa 1900!

This second recipe is for Delicate Cake from an 1890 cookbook.

Don’t forget to subscribe while you’re over there!Delicate Cake3 cups flour2 cups sugar3/4 c sweet milk (evaporated or whole milk)6 egg whites1/2 c butter1 tsp cream of tartar1/2 tsp baking soda~1 tsp lemon flavoring (or could also use orange or almond)

Cream butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Add egg whites and milk to butter mixture, then flour mixture. Mix until creamy. Add flavoring. Butter and flour your cake tin before pouring in mixture. Bake at 350 for 30-50 minutes.

Enjoy!Want to learn more about cookbooks circa 1900?

Cookbooks from this era were incredibly influential in many scenes and characters in the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries. I shared more about it in these three blogs:

CookingCleaningHome Health

Be sure to check out my Christmas sale right here!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The post Delicate Cake Recipe from 1890 appeared first on Patricia Meredith, Author.

Gingerbread Recipe from 1905

Join me as I try out Christmas recipes circa 1900!

This first recipe is for Soft Gingerbread from a cookbook published by Pillsbury in 1905.

Don’t forget to subscribe while you’re there!Soft Gingerbread3/4 c molasses1 c brown sugar1/2 c butter1 c sour milk (buttermilk)3 eggs3 c flour1 Tbsp ginger1 tsp cinnamon1 tsp baking soda

Cream the butter and sugar, and add the molasses. Then add the eggs, one at a time, and beat thoroughly. Melt the soda in the sour milk, mixing well. Sift the flour and spices and add to the other mixture, alternating with the milk. Bake either in gem pans or in a ginger cake tin. This will make twenty-four gems or one large cake. Bake at 350 for 10-20 min.

Enjoy!Want to learn more about cookbooks circa 1900?

Cookbooks from this era were incredibly influential in many scenes and characters in the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries. I shared more about it in these three blogs:

CookingCleaningHome HealthBe sure to check out my Christmas sale right here! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The post Gingerbread Recipe from 1905 appeared first on Patricia Meredith, Author.

Christmas Sale

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I’m offering a special deal for your Christmas shopping through my website!

For a limited time (until I run out of books!) you can purchase for just $24.99 both Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker—my historical mystery—AND Christmas Fiction Off the Beaten Path—a Christmas anthology featuring a short story I wrote entitled “Mary, Did You Know” alongside five other beautiful tales by several wonderful authors! And that includes shipping!

Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker

“A vivid and intense historical thriller featuring murder and mystery, mayhem and madness in 1901 Spokane.” 

— New York Times bestselling author William H Keith

This first book in the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries is a Murdoch Mysteries meets Agatha Christie historical mystery with a cast of rich, quirky characters from inventors to thieves that must work together to solve a murder. Misdirection and slight-of-hand will keep the reader guessing whodunnit until the very end.

Archie Prescot has traveled across the country to design the now-iconic Spokane clock tower for the new Great Northern Railroad Depot. When his talent for creating unique clock chimes connects him with a local patroness, he is thrilled, until she is discovered dead in the workshop of his new colleague. Her grand home on the South Hill provides ample suspects, as Archie works with his landlords, Detective Carew and his twin brother, to prove his fellow inventor, a blind Japanese man, and himself innocent of the crime. While on the hunt for the murderer, romance crops up when a young lady crosses his path with a mysterious past of her own. Six intersecting storylines create a cohesive look at a convoluted murder that will require all points of view to discover the truth…

Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Taker is the first in the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries set in Gilded Age Spokane.

[image error]Christmas Fiction Off the Beaten Path“Mary, Did You Know?”

Inspired by the song of the same title, this short story shares a mother’s memories of events leading up to and following that one holy night, revealing there’s really nothing new under the sun when it comes to motherhood.

Published by Mt. Zion Ridge Press in their Christmas anthology, Christmas Fiction Off the Beaten Path.

Be sure to check out my interviews with each of the authors included in this anthology:

Ronnell Kay Gibson— “Those Who Stayed”

JPC Allen— “A Rose From the Ashes”

Sandra Merville Hart— “Not This Year”

Laurie Lucking— “Return to Callidora”

Michelle L. Levigne— “Crystal Christmas”

Patricia Meredith (myself!)— “Mary, Did You Know”

Excerpt:You can find readings from both books on my YouTube channel!

If you’re looking for something more to go with the books, be sure to check out my Zazzle shop for more great gifts that support my writing!

This offer is only available here on my website. Just click the image above or the link here to purchase your copies!

Thank you for reading and your support! Merry Christmas!

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Thanksgiving in 1901 Spokane

One of the best resources I discovered for describing life in Spokane in 1901 was the Dear Mother collection of letters. Marinus Crommelin of Amsterdam wrote home during his visit to Spokane 1901-1902. His letters were compiled and translated by a relative into Dear Mother.

Marinus Crommelin circa 1901

This week I wanted to highlight some of Marinus’s impressions of Thanksgiving, a holiday they didn’t celebrate in his homeland.

“Next Thursday it is Thanksgiving day…a statutory holiday which appears to be celebrated with good food and dancing as well as by the stores with all kinds of auctions. However, this is something which happens all the time, an American only buys during sales.”

Seems nothing has changed!

Later he writes,

“Thursday it was ‘Thanks Giving Day’ I could not find out why they say thanks, everyone I asked had a different version about it, I came to the conclusion that they don’t know very well themselves. The day is celebrated with football games everywhere in the country and eating turkey and other delicacies.”

I find it interesting that even in 1901 people weren’t really certain why we celebrated the holiday. All that mattered was the food, football, and sales! Though it’s technically been around since 1789, the idea of a harvest celebration naturally spurs from the story of the Pilgrims sharing their table with the Native American Indians.

Of course, no Thanksgiving would be complete without football! Unfortunately, Marinus doesn’t seem to get a taste for the game that he cares for. When he goes to see a game of football, he says,

“I have never before seen games like that, you see nothing but the two teams sprawling in the mud or who knock each other down, tackling each other, etc. Thereby they are clad in the most funny costumes, padded legs, shoulders and ears, a rubber mask on their head and nose and only the eyes free. The result of that exertion was a broken arm and a serious case of bruising. It was revolting! All of Spokane was watching it, dressed in the colors of the teams, shouting and screaming, blowing horns, a noise like the announcement of a judgment, by gentlemen as well as by women.”

I love to hear that even in 1901 there were women who enjoyed sports. Scrap that image of the refined Victorian lady and replace it with a woman screaming alongside her gentleman for her team!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these quotes from Thanksgivings past. May your holiday this week be truly blessed!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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