Beth Trissel's Blog, page 124
February 9, 2010
Gardening Tips On This Wintry Day
*My garden in a sunbeam, picture by daughter Elise. Ah gardening, so dear to my heart. I come from a long line of plant lovers and inherited the gardening gene. I've passed it on to my younger daughter, Elise, my right arm in the garden, but all of my children are fans to some degree. And now, the little people, the grandbabies are our new crop of apprentices. My five yr old grandson is of some actual help. The same cannot be said of the two yr olds. (*Pic of grandbaby by Elise)My main...
February 8, 2010
Snippets From Reviewers (To Hearten Myself)
I'm also listening to sustaining songs as I forge ahead with my next book (s). Anyone else like Celtic Women? The Lord of the Rings sound track is rousing…Confession time, I tend to say to myself, OK, so that last novel/story was good but no way can you write the next, and so forth. Somehow I've made it through half a dozen+ pubbed or soon to be pubbed works, but the doubts still nag and drag me down. Creativity must be free to soar! If I did it before, then by heaven, I can do it...
February 7, 2010
Flower Thoughts On This Snowy Day
I'm thinking springtime thoughts amid the winter drear. Have a day warmed with hope and imbued with new life.
"The Earth Laughs in Flowers" (and I miss them) ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Never a daisy grows, but a mystery guideth the growing." ~ Richard Realf
I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ~Ruth Stout
"T...
February 6, 2010
An Interview I Did With A Local Student Writing Club
How did you write a decent description without boring your readers?
My cardinal rule since the onset of this writing journey has been, Never bore the reader. I write adventure, mystery, and suspense and make my descriptions pretty gripping while adding enough detail for readers to feel they're 'there.'
Why did you decide to write historical romance? How did you start to write books?
I've always been fascinated with the past and love books with historical settings. Period movies are also my...
February 5, 2010
Ghost Story
This fascinating story is taken from the book I've been featuring lately, Shenandoah Voices, Folklore, Legends and Traditions of the Valley by late author-historian John Heatwole.
Brock's Gap:
"Up in the Brock's Gap region (*of the Shenandoah Valley)the old resident's referred to the rest of the world as "out." It was not uncommon to hear the phrase, "people would come along from out."
In the old days, the rest of the country was well served by the Valley Pike and other well maintained...
February 3, 2010
(More) Superstitions and Tales from The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia
These sayings and stories are taken from
Shenandoah Voices: Folklore, Legends, and Traditions of the Valley
by late Valley historian and author John Heatwole. I've found his accounts fascinating and very useful information for some of my American historicals.Many early valley settlers, my ancestors among them, were Scots-Irish. People from the British Isles tended to be superstitious. Also prevalent here were Germans bringing with them the influence of the superstitious Pennsylvania-Dutch...
February 1, 2010
Sayings and Superstitions from The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia
These sayings are taken from Shenandoah Voices: Folklore, Legends, and Traditions of the Valley by late Shenandoah Valley historian and author John Heatwole.
Many early valley settlers were Scots-Irish, my ancestors among them. People from the British Isles tended to be superstitious. Also prevalent in the valley were Germans bringing the influence of the Pennsylvania-Dutch, another superstitious group. To quote Michael Scott, boss from NBC's hit show, The Office, "I'm not superstitious...
January 31, 2010
Upcoming Releases
Somewhere My Lass~
Neil Mackenzie's well ordered life turns to chaos when Mora Campbell shows up claiming he's her fiance from 1602 Scotland. Her avowal that she was chased to the future by clan chieftain, Red MacDonald, is utter nonsense, and Neil must convince her that she is just addled from a blow to her head–or so he believes until the MacDonald himself shows up wanting blood.
Mora knows the Neil of the future is truly her beloved Niall who disappeared from the past. Although, her...
January 30, 2010
Illustrated Excerpt from Historical Fantasy Daughter of the Wind
Blurb: Autumn, 1784: A tragic secret from Karin McNeal's past haunts the young Scots-Irish woman who longs to know more of her mother's death and the mysterious father no one will name. The elusive voices she hears in the wind hint at the dramatic changes soon to unfold in her life among the Scot's settled in the mist-shrouded Alleghenies.
Jack McCray, a wounded stranger who staggers through the door on the eve of her twentieth birthday and anniversary of her mother's death, holds the key to...
January 28, 2010
For Historical/Light Paranormal Romance Daughter of the Wind
"I loved the plot of this story, oh and the setting was wonderful. I just can't believe how much detail the author went into without being boring about it. Ms. Trissel is great at creating believable and loveable characters. She's also great at giving us a happily ever after…kind of a bittersweet ending." ~ Reviewer Ruby Lee at Mistress Bella Reviews
"I found this book fascinating. The descriptions of the settlement made it easy to imagine, and the characters were believable and well...
