Juliane Weber's Blog
April 28, 2023
Mummy unwrapping parties
Have you ever heard of mummy unwrapping parties? No? Well, I'm here to tell you these bizarre 19th century gatherings did exist! I just knew when I first read about them that I had to add something about mummy unwrapping parties to one of my books. And so I did, and I'm happy to send you that excerpt from Book Three (as yet unnamed) of the Irish Fortune Series today.
Read on to find out about some of the strange practices of days gone by...
“You were where?” Quin looked at his father, sure he must have misunderstood.
“At a mummy unwrapping party,” the baron said patiently, sinking into a chair in the drawing room, where they’d retired after supper.
“A mummy…”
“Oh, I’ve heard of those,” Alannah put in, making Quin gape at her instead.
“You mean…those actually exist?”
“Oh yes,” Alannah said as Quin finally dropped onto the seat he’d been hovering over. “My tutor, Mr Henderson, told me all about them. The mummy is slowly unwrapped before an audience, revealing myriad treasures buried within the bindings, not to mention the mummy itself.—But you were there, Wilfred, tell us about it!” She looked eagerly at the baron, who turned toward Quin.
“Such parties were very popular in the 30s, Quinton, with large assemblies gathering to witness the mummy’s unwrapping. But I suppose you wouldn’t have paid much attention to such things then.”
Quin nodded absently, thinking back to his youth, which was filled with dreams of military glory rather than the Egyptomania that had taken root in Europe since Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt. While the idea of mummified bodies and long-lost treasure was certainly appealing to an adolescent boy, Quin hadn’t been nearly as obsessed with the topic as some and had always assumed much of what he’d heard must be exaggerated.
“I’d never had opportunity to attend such an event before,” the baron went on, “and not much interest either, even when the practice became a little more subdued over the years. But when I received a personal invite to Lord Featherston’s private parlour to witness what he called…the unrolling of a mummy from Thebes at half-past two…well, my curiosity was piqued after all.”
“And?” Alannah leaned forward in her seat.
“Hm. It’s certainly something I’ll never forget. Featherston had Thomas Pettigrew himself perform the unwrapping.—He’s the surgeon and antiquarian who introduced such parties to the world,” the baron explained for Quin’s benefit. “The man quite lived up to his moniker, Mummy Pettigrew, and I dare say he took great pleasure in ruthlessly tearing off each layer of encrusted bandages to reveal the shrunken body beneath. Poor Mr Ackland was quite overcome by what he deemed the undignified treatment of human remains and stormed off, looking rather green.” He shrugged. “I’m not sure what else he would have expected at the unwrapping of a mummy but either way, his departure didn’t distract Pettigrew in the least.”
“What did the mummy look like?” Quin asked, not sure if he should be fascinated or horrified.
“Quite unlike any body I’d ever seen. Desiccated and gaunt…but clearly human, nonetheless. It did give me a strange feeling to gaze upon a face that hadn’t seen the light of day in thousands of years.” The baron was quiet for a moment before continuing. “Pettigrew was thrilled at the mummy’s excellent condition, as he called it, having informed us beforehand that such a thing could never be guaranteed.”
“And were there any hidden treasures?” Alannah asked.
“Several amulets—meant to protect the deceased and ensure their safe passage to the afterlife, or so Pettigrew told us. But some of the linens the mummy was wrapped in were adorned with a great number of mysterious symbols that had the man quite beside himself with excitement.”
“Hieroglyphs?” Quin found he was rather engrossed in the topic himself by now.
His father nodded. “He said they were spells from the Book of the Dead, which were supposed to aid the deceased on their journey.”
“He was able to decipher the symbols?”
“Oh yes, Pettigrew quite prided himself on his abilities.”
“Did he tell you how the symbols were decoded in the first place?” Alannah asked, eyes bright with excitement.
“He did but I shall leave it to you to enlighten the ignorant among us.” The baron’s lips twitched into an amused smile, making Alannah’s cheeks turn pink.
“A stone was discovered several years ago,” she said to Quin, “inscribed with what turned out to be the same text in hieroglyphs, Greek and a third language, which was used to interpret the meaning of the Egyptian symbols—or at least a number of them.”
“Precisely,” the baron said. “Pettigrew told us the pharaohs who were descended from the Greek-speaking conquerors of Egypt still used the Greek language at the time, while hieroglyphs had become reserved for priests and temples by then. That turned out to be rather a stroke of luck as it meant the decree issued by the pharaoh was inscribed in both hieroglyphs and Greek, allowing for the hieroglyph’s translation.”
“What about the third language?” Quin asked, intrigued.
“Pettigrew said there was some speculation that the third language may be the written form of the time’s common tongue.”
“How fascinating.”
“It certainly was an enlightening afternoon,” the baron agreed.
“Fascinating and enlightening no doubt,” Alannah said, “but I’m not sure I’d want to be unwrapped in front of an audience if I were the mummy in question.”
Quin grinned. “No, I suppose not.”
“Neither would I,” the baron said. “Then again, being unwrapped in front of an audience is a far better fate than some other mummies have had to endure. Just think, being ground up into questionable medicine or ending up on an artist’s palette as a pigment of mummy brown. So much for resting in peace!”
If you want to read more I'm afraid you'll still have to wait a while until I've finished writing Book Three. In the meantime, though, if you haven't read Book Two yet, find out here how you can get your free electronic copy of Beneath the Darkening Clouds.
by Juliane Weber (@Writer_JW) 28 April 2023 [subscribe on the main page]
About Juliane WeberJuliane is a scientist turned historical fiction writer, and author of the Irish Fortune Series. Her stories take readers on action-packed romantic adventures amid the captivating scenery and folklore of 19th century Ireland.
Visit Juliane’s website to find out more.
A sweeping love story in a troubled land
Escape to 19th century Ireland in
January 2, 2023
A bronze medal for Book Two
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you've had as good a slide into 2023 as I have, with Book Two in the Irish Fortune Series being awarded a bronze medal in The Historical Fiction Company 2022 Book of the Year Contest!
Check out all the winners here .
It's very rewarding to see that my second book is being as well received as my first. In fact, both Beneath the Darkening Clouds and Under the Emerald Sky recently found themselves on top of not one, but two Amazon best-seller lists during my December giveaway. Not only did I have tons of downloads, but since then I've also had an increase in sales and a huge increase in kindle unlimited page reads, not to mention more reviews and ratings for both books.
It seems my efforts are slowly paying off...
Thank you to those of you who've been championing me along the (frequently frustrating) way, who have read and reviewed my book(s), and who regularly share my social media posts. I greatly appreciate it!
May you have a wonderful year ahead!
by Juliane Weber (@Writer_JW) 2 January 2023 [subscribe on the main page]
About Juliane WeberJuliane is a scientist turned historical fiction writer, and author of the Irish Fortune Series. Her stories take readers on action-packed romantic adventures amid the captivating scenery and folklore of 19th century Ireland.
Visit Juliane’s website to find out more.
A sweeping love story in a troubled land.
Escape to 19th century Ireland in
December 15, 2022
Christmas in 19th century Ireland
I love Christmas! From decorating the house to preparing delicious Christmas treats, wrapping presents and spending time with family, I love the festive season. Which is why it's no surprise that I like to include Christmas scenes in my books - and what fun it is to research the topic too! For a glimpse into what it may have been like celebrating Christmas in 19th century Ireland, here's an excerpt from Book Two in the Irish Fortune Series. In this scene, Alannah is talking to young Benjamin, a former street urchin who has come to live at Glaslearg and is experiencing Christmas for the first time...
[I placed] a hand on Benjamin’s arm. “What has been your favourite part so far?”
His eyes went wide at the question. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly say, mum. But maybe…” He skipped towards the staircase and pointed at the greenery adorning the banister. “Makin’ everythin’ look nice, I think!” He nodded madly before being distracted by the delicious smell of roasting meat. “Or maybe the food.” He smacked his lips and took a few quick steps in the direction of the kitchen. “Yes, the food, definitely the food!”
Following his nose across the entrance hall, he passed a small table set in an alcove, which sported a miniature nativity scene made of straw and wood, surrounded by candles of varying sizes. “Oh, but the candles,” he exclaimed, dashing back towards me with gleaming eyes. “I never saw nothin’ like it. All the candles in the windows on the way t’ mass. It was like all the stars had fallen from the sky.” His face was filled with wonder in remembrance, making me smile.
It had been a sight to behold, indeed. With most poorer households relying on turf fires for light and warmth, the Irish countryside was usually black as pitch on a winter’s night. But with candles burning in every window on Christmas Eve, the scenery was transformed into something magical. Benjamin was not the only one to have been enchanted as he made his way to the church in the dark.
“And did ye know all the candles are lit by a girl called Mary?” he asked, wriggling his brows as he bounced up and down. “Mrs O’Sullivan told me so. Only if there’s no Mary, the youngest child gets t’ light them.—But there’s usually a Mary,” he assured me in a tone echoing exactly that of our cook.
I laughed. “It is a very common name.”
“D’ye think it’s because o’ the Blessed Virgin Mary?”
“I expect so.”
He nodded gravely. “And will we get a Mary t’ light these later?” he asked, rushing back to the small table and waving a hand over the unlit candles, almost causing one to topple.
He gave me a guilty look, making me lift one brow. “We might,” I said, “unless you would like to light them for us?—Carefully, of course.”
He puffed out his chest. “Could I really?” Not waiting for an answer, he darted towards the door to the drawing room, which sported an evergreen garland hanging across the top of the frame. “Then I can tell everyone I lit the candles and made this…” He touched the garland, causing it to swing lightly. “And did this…” He raced up the stairs to a decorated table on the landing. “And this…” He flew back down to a tall pottery vase containing spruce sprigs hung with ornaments. “And…argh…”
In his excitement he had bumped into the vase, barely managing to catch it before it shattered on the floor. Several ornaments flew across the entrance hall, scattering biscuit crumbs and berries across the tiles.
Still holding the vase at an angle, Benjamin stared at the mess with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open.
To read the rest of the section, get Beneath the Darkening Clouds now - the perfect time do so as both books in the Irish Fortune Series are available for FREE until 19 December! So download your copy of Under the Emerald Sky and Beneath the Darkening Clouds today!
Happy reading and have a wonderful festive season!
by Juliane Weber (@Writer_JW) 15 December 2022 [subscribe on the main page]
About Juliane WeberJuliane is a scientist turned historical fiction writer, and author of the Irish Fortune Series. Her stories take readers on action-packed romantic adventures amid the captivating scenery and folklore of 19th century Ireland.
Visit Juliane’s website to find out more.
A sweeping love story in a troubled land.
Escape to 19th century Ireland in
October 23, 2022
Beneath the Darkening Clouds out now
I'm thrilled to announce that Book 2 in the Irish Fortune Series is out today! Get the eBook here, on sale for 99c until the end of November.
In a land on the brink of ruin, their past can’t be outrun.
They’ve overcome obstacles and endured heartache, but their biggest challenge is yet to come.
It’s 1845 and Ireland is plagued with unrest when the unthinkable happens — the potato harvest on which most Irish peasants depend fails, leaving thousands desperate for food. Unease and fear ripple across the land, along with hunger and disease. With the government’s response inadequate, it’s up to Quin and Alannah to save the people living on their estate.
But all the while, danger lurks from other quarters, as Quin delves into mysteries
from his past, incurring the wrath of powerful enemies.
Amid the hardships of the Irish Famine, Beneath the Darkening Clouds sweeps the reader on a heart-wrenching journey of love and loyalty in a myth-shrouded land.
The paperback will be released next week.
Happy reading! And when you're done, please be kind enough to post a review.
by Juliane Weber (@Writer_JW) 23 October 2022 [subscribe on the main page]
About Juliane WeberJuliane is a scientist turned historical fiction writer, and author of the Irish Fortune Series. Her stories take readers on action-packed romantic adventures amid the captivating scenery and folklore of 19th century Ireland.
Visit Juliane’s website to find out more.
A sweeping love story in a troubled land.
Escape to 19th century Ireland in
October 8, 2022
Five stars for Beneath the Darkening Clouds from the HFC!
Beneath the Darkening Clouds has received five stars and the Highly Recommended Award from The Historical Fiction Company! Here are a few excerpts from the review:
[...] Juliane Weber has delivered a very strong second book in the Irish Fortune Series. [The] book is a clever mix of love story, suspense, and Gaelic lore, in which Irish history plays an important role. [...] From the first line, Weber captivates the reader. [...] With a skillful pen, [she] portrays the characters and settings with historical accuracy for the era. [...] And if there is any anticipatory work to be done, it is the desire that Juliane Weber quickly write the follow-up.
Read the full review ,here.
I'm thrilled that the second book in the Irish Fortune Series has received such high praise before it's even published! Speaking of which, you won't have to wait much longer until you can read it yourself, with publication only a few weeks away. Look out for Beneath the Darkening Clouds on 25 October 2022 to continue Quin and Alannah's journey.
And as the launch of the second book in the Irish Fortune Series nears, the first book continues to receive its own awards. Just recently, Under the Emerald Sky won a bronze medal in The Coffee Pot Book Club 2022 Book of the Year Contest! To celebrate, the eBook is available for free until 11 October.
So, if you don't have your copy yet, download it here now! And be sure to invite your friends to do the same.
Happy reading!
by Juliane Weber (@Writer_JW) 8 October 2022 [subscribe on the main page]
About Juliane WeberJuliane is a scientist turned historical fiction writer, and author of the Irish Fortune Series. Her stories take readers on action-packed romantic adventures amid the captivating scenery and folklore of 19th century Ireland.
Visit Juliane’s website to find out more.
A sweeping love story in a troubled land.
Escape to 19th century Ireland in
May 18, 2022
Cover reveal for Beneath the Darkening Clouds
I am very excited to reveal the cover for the second book in the Irish Fortune Series today. It was designed by White Rabbit Arts over at The Historical Fiction Company, and I think they did a fantastic job! I love how the second cover ties together the first two books of the series and the way the dramatic background sets the mood. It fits the title perfectly and reflects the dark cloud hovering over Alannah and Quin in this book - the start of the Great Famine. And I just love the red dress!
What do you think? I'd love to hear from you!
And for those of you anxiously awaiting the continuation of Quin and Alannah's story, I'm delighted to tell you that Beneath the Darkening Clouds will be published in the autumn. I can't wait for you all to read it!
by Juliane Weber (@Writer_JW) 18 May 2022 [subscribe on the main page]
About Juliane WeberJuliane is a scientist, turned medical writer, turned novelist. Her debut historical novel, Under the Emerald Sky, is the first book in The Irish Fortune Series, which is set in 19th century Ireland around the time of the Great Famine.
Buy the book here, or visit Juliane’s website to find out more.
He's come to Ireland to escape his past. She's trying to run from her future.
March 24, 2022
Reading, writing and all things books
I haven't been in touch for a while and I thought I'd post something a little different today. Having published a book myself, I know how difficult it can be for authors to get anyone to read their work! So I thought I'd share with you some books I've recently read and enjoyed from authors who deserve to be noticed. Perhaps you'll pick up some of these books and enjoy them as much as I did. I'm hoping to make this a regular feature, so stay tuned...
Scroll down for my recommendations this week.
As far as my own writing is concerned, I'm slogging away at Book 2 in the Irish Fortune Series and am still on track to releasing Beneath the Darkening Clouds later this year (I hope!). The first book in the series, Under the Emerald Sky, has just been on tour with the Coffee Pot Book Club, with the book featured on some fantastic blogs along the way. If you haven't checked out the various tour stops, take a look here. Author interviews, guest features and book spotlights await - and you may just learn a few new things about me!
And if you haven't yet seen the beautiful bronze medal that Under the Emerald Sky was awarded at the end of last year by the Historical Fiction Company, I'll just leave it here for you to admire.
For the full list of winners in the Historical Fiction Company 2021 Book of the Year Contest, click here .
Recommended reading
The Woman at the Gates by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger is a gripping World War II novel set in the Ukraine, with much of the story based on the experiences of the author's own family. The book provides some fascinating insight into the history of the Ukraine, making it a pertinent read in current times.
Get the book here.
To escape it all, look no further than No Stone Unturned, the first of The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries by Pam Lecky. Set in Victorian London, the book is a rollicking adventure that continues into the second book of the series. The third installment has just come out and I can't wait to read it!
Get the book here.
If you enjoy the classics, check out An Unexpected Treasure by Celia Martin. You'll feel like you've stepped into the 17th century!
Get the book here.
Happy reading! And don't forget to post a review when you're done!
by Juliane Weber (@Writer_JW) 24 March 2022 [subscribe on the main page]
About Juliane WeberJuliane is a scientist, turned medical writer, turned novelist. Her debut historical novel, Under the Emerald Sky, is the first book in The Irish Fortune Series, which is set in 19th century Ireland around the time of the Great Famine.
Buy the book here, or visit Juliane’s website to find out more.
He's come to Ireland to escape his past. She's trying to run from her future.
December 16, 2021
Five stars and the Highly Recommended Award from The Historical Fiction Company!
I'm thrilled to announce that Under the Emerald Sky has received five stars and the Highly Recommended Award from The Historical Fiction Company! Here's some of what the reviewer had to say about the book:
"[...F]rom the first line to the last line, this is a book which excites and intrigues in the way a classic Historical Romance novel should do. [...] There are so many great things to say about this novel - the layers are so perfectly entwined, yet the story opens up like a blossoming rose as Ms Weber takes you by the hand and leads you through the travails of living during this turbulent time in Irish history - a time when the politics of the nobility held sway, where only a smattering of the Irish actually owned their own land, and how so many suffered from lack of decent food and housing. [...] The characters are SO believable, and the emotions, both intimate and public, are incredibly relatable; so much so that Under the Emerald Sky reaches another level in storytelling - the kind where the characters remain with you long after you have closed the book, and you are longing to know what happens next for them. [...]"
To read the full review, click here .
Reviews like this mean so much to me - and to all authors, no doubt. Knowing that my writing can have such an impact on someone is incredibly rewarding. And of course, as with my Readers' Favorite 5-star rating (read more about that here), I do enjoy the perk of having another badge with which to decorate my website and social media content!
If you've read Under the Emerald Sky and enjoyed it, please be kind enough to leave a short review on Amazon or Goodreads - nothing fancy, just a few words will do. And if you haven't read it yet, get your copy now for only 99c/p! Check out the book trailer here to see what it's about.
by Juliane Weber (@Writer_JW) 16 December 2021 [subscribe on the main page]
About Juliane WeberJuliane is a scientist, turned medical writer, turned novelist. Her debut historical novel, Under the Emerald Sky, is the first book in The Irish Fortune Series, which is set in 19th century Ireland around the time of the Great Famine.
Buy the book here, or visit Juliane’s website to find out more.
He's come to Ireland to escape his past. She's trying to run from her future.
October 20, 2021
Under the Emerald Sky is going on tour!
I'm very excited to tell you that Under the Emerald Sky will soon be going on its first blog tour. What is a blog tour, you may ask? Well, a blog tour is the modern equivalent of a book tour, where authors travel to book stores, libraries and various other locations to promote their books. These traditional book tours do still occur of course (although somewhat less these days due to the ongoing pandemic), but going virtual is all the rage. Doing zoom interviews and readings is becoming more and more popular, as are blog tours - which is a good thing too for someone like me, who's living in Germany trying to promote an English book!
How does it work?During a blog tour, the book is featured on numerous popular blogs over the course of several days. Posts may comprise interviews or articles by the author, excerpts from the featured book and book spotlights, with exposure across numerous social media platforms. Blog hosts may also choose to read and review the featured book, and include their review in the post.
My blog tour is being organized by The Coffee Pot Book Club ,
one of the most popular blogs for readers and writers of historical fiction.
Visit them and browse through the array of fantastic historical novels on offer!
Plus, take a look at my tour schedule .
If you love historical fiction and love winning books (who doesn't?) make sure to
take part in the SHINE with Paper Lantern Writers Fall Giveaway.
Follow them here on Facebook and look out for the giveaway
posts on 21 and 22 October 2021 for your chance to enter and win.
Good luck!
by Juliane Weber (@Writer_JW) 20 October 2021 [subscribe on the main page]
PS. If you haven't visited my website in a while, why not have a look? What do you think of the changes I've made?
About Juliane WeberJuliane is a scientist, turned medical writer, turned novelist. Her debut historical novel, Under the Emerald Sky, is the first book in The Irish Fortune Series, which is set in 19th century Ireland around the time of the Great Famine.
Buy the book here, or visit Juliane’s website to find out more.
He's come to Ireland to escape his past. She's trying to run from her future.
September 23, 2021
What's new? A few things actually...
While I haven't posted an update in a few weeks, this doesn't mean that I haven't been busy! For one thing, I've been doing a good bit of writing on the second book in the Irish Fortune Series, Beneath the Darkening Clouds. It turns out that having an office to write in is quite inspiring to actually get some writing done. While I used to sit on the couch (or the bed) with my laptop (and this did work quite well for a time), I now sit at a proper desk on a chair, which seems to have the immediate effect of me being more prolific at this stage of my writing career.
And while I've been busy writing Book 2, Book 1 has had a makeover, in the form of a brand new cover. It was a difficult choice for me to change the cover of Under the Emerald Sky, as the previous one was designed by my sister and was therefore close to my heart. However, I had been advised that the book cover needed to say a bit more about the book, including the genre and in this case, the historical setting, so that potential readers would be more likely to have a closer look. I decided to listen to the experts and contacted the wonderful team of graphic designers at White Rabbit Arts, who created a beautiful new cover based on my wishes and their expertise.
What do you think? I hope you love it as much as I do!
Find White Rabbit Arts at ,The Historical Fiction Company , where you can also browse through a fantastic selection
of historical fiction books,
as well as read fascinating articles to do with all things historical.
But the news doesn't end there. Besides getting a new look, Under the Emerald Sky has also received a 5-star rating from Readers' Favorite! Great reviews and ratings are very much appreciated by authors, especially if those reviews will potentially be read by hundreds of prospective readers. Check out the review ,here. Naturally, I was quite thrilled with my 5-star rating, particularly so as it comes with the perk of using the Readers' Favorite 5-star badge in any way I choose.
You'll find that I've liberally sprinkled my website and social media posts with
the 5-star badge. And why not, I say?
If you've read a book and loved it, but haven't rated it or posted a review, do it now! You'll make that author happy and help others find their next great read. And if you've read a great book, tell me about it. I'd love to hear from you!
by Juliane Weber (@Writer_JW) 24 September 2021 [subscribe on the main page]
About Juliane WeberJuliane is a scientist, turned medical writer, turned novelist. Her debut historical novel, Under the Emerald Sky, is the first book in The Irish Fortune Series, which is set in 19th century Ireland around the time of the Great Famine.
Buy the book here, or visit Juliane’s website to find out more.
He's come to Ireland to escape his past. She's trying to run from her future.
