Eliza Knight's Blog, page 26

May 4th thru May 10th

What Happened This Week in History?
May 4, 1910- Tel Aviv foundedMay 5, 1891- Music Hall was dedicated in New York City.  It was later renamed Carnegie HallMay 6, 2002- Spider-Man is first movie to top $100 million in opening weekendMay 7, 1930- The first steel columns were set for the Empire State BuildingMay 8, 1952- Mad Magazine debutsMay 9, 1960- FDA approved first pill for contraceptive use in birth controlMay 10, 1988- Prince's 10th album released entitled "Lovesexy"

Why I Write Romance by Kathleen Bittner Roth

Welcome back to History Undressed our monthly author and blogger, Kathleen Bittner Roth! Today she's giving us some insight into the genre she writes--and I'm so glad she pens such riveting romantic tales!

WHY I WRITE ROMANCESociety rewards us for practiced thinking by handing us diplomas to tack on our walls. But what of our important feeling nature?
Thinking is what brings about clarity and objectivity in our lives, but only feeling can bring a sense of value and worth to a person. Our self-esteem comes not from what we think of ourselves, but how we "feel" about ourselves. Feeling is the sublime aspect of a man or woman that brings warmth, gentleness, relatedness and perception to a relationship. Feeling is the sublime art of having a value structure and a sense of meaning and belonging. It is the magnetic part of us that attracts love.
We’ve paid a high price for the precise, scientific world we live in where romance novels are often scorned as unrealistic fluff (yet murder mysteries where people are hacked to death or buried alive are considered acceptable, thrilling reading). We’ve ended up with nations of wounded beings where men and women suffer their wounds differently. Typically, men drink or overwork. Women eat and overwork. Men war and abuse. Women retreat and isolate. Research indicates that scientifically-oriented countries are more likely to break out in ecstatic disorientation if the people do not balance their lives with ecstasy through their feeling natures via such endeavors as poetry, music, creativity and romance.
Oops, did I just use that nebulous word romance again? 
The first romantic notions of love in western society originated in 12th century France when a new religious movement anointed a female as a religious godhead. The religious observance of the goddess was suppressed and forced underground. Eventually, the movement resurfaced in the courts of kings and queens, where evidence of it could be found in the chivalric reverence for women. Those chivalrous knights of old often fell in love with their queen or princesses, but this romantic love was never consummated because it was considered the myth of love. 
Romance had its purpose—it became the first step of the evolution of the spirit of man to truly understand the energy of divine love. Romance in relationships allows us to touch the face of God. Romance and ecstasy mixed, allows us to touch the face of God in stereo!
What mentally healthy person isn’t attracted to love? It is the grand intangible. Romance, ecstasy and love, are so powerful a human drive that they have kindled wars, created works of art, consoled the dying, driven kings mad and bankrupted nations. Love is the vital, pulse-beating feeling nature within us that gives us creativity and a sense of joy. Ultimately, love is the most important aspect of our lives.
My late husband held a double PhD in political science and economics. He spoke six languages. He was quite the intellectual, but he was also an artist and thus, more open to his feeling nature than a lot of men. I asked him to read a romance novel (Joanna Bourne’s The Forbidden Rose). He thought it well written. He said that if men would include these kinds of novels in their reading material, they would understand what women want and how to please them. Yes!
One of the greatest joys a man can experience is honoring a woman by escorting her out of her head, her thinking nature, and into her body, her feeling nature, so that he can pleasure her. One of the many differences between men and women is that a woman needs to feel good to do good while a man needs to do good to feel good (think about that for a while). 
Years ago, I founded a successful wellbeing center where I created seminars and retreats to help people live more satisfying, self-empowered lives. I thought that when I finally got around to transferring my works onto the written page that they would take the shape of tutorial-style textbooks, hopefully spiced with a bit of humor. What a surprise when I was finally able to focus on writing, only to dream an entire historical novel one night. What an incredible experience! I realized then that what I really wanted to do was write humorous, sad, sensuous, romantic, ecstatic stories (The Seduction of Sarah Marks, the book I dreamed in its entirety, became my first published novel).
When I began to write historical romance, I discovered that I had unknowingly laid out all that I had been teaching in my wellbeing center about heightened senses, the purpose of our lives, destiny, self-empowerment, and the act of loving ourselves and others. Writing romance gives me the perfect venue for expressing the full spectrum of the human condition. 


Kathleen Bittner Roth thrives on creating passionate stories featuring characters who are forced to draw on their strength of spirit to overcome adversity and find unending love. Her own fairy tale wedding in a Scottish castle led her to her current residence in Budapest, Hungary, considered one of Europe’s most romantic cities. However, she still keeps one boot firmly in Texas and the other in her home state of Minnesota. A member of Romance Writers of America®, she was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart® contest. Find Kathleen on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest and www.kathleenbittnerroth.com.Check out Kathleen's list of books on Amazon!

Words in History

Words in History bullythen:  a good fellow or a darlingnow:  someone who harms those who are weakerbravethen:  showy or gaudynow:  courageousartificialthen:  artful and skillfully constructednow:  false or pretendwenchthen:  female childnow: wanton womangirlthen:  young person of either sexnow: female

April 27th thru May 3rd

What Happened This Week in History?April 27, 1981-  First female soccer official is hired by NASLApril 28, 2003- Apple Computer Inc. launched the iTunes storeApril 29, 1429- Joan of Arc leads Orleans, France to victory over EnglishApril 30, 1808- First practical typewriter finished by Italian Pellegrini TurriMay 1, 1971- Amtrak Railroad begins operationMay 2, 1536- King Henry VIII accused Anne Boleyn of adultery, incest, and treasonMay 3, 1965- "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs was released

Words in History

Then & Now:  Word Definitions backlogthen:  the biggest log in the fire during colonial timesnow:  pile of work that you are behind onrubberthen:  boots that slip-on to cover shoesnow:  slang for condomsfantasticthen:  existing only in one's imaginationnow:  something really amazingsick then:  not feeling good, illnow:  slang for something astonishingawfulthen:  something that inspired awenow:  means something bad  

April 20th thru April 26th

  What Happened This Week in History? April 20, 1996- Chicago Bulls win record 72 games in a seasonApril 21, 1509- Henry VIII ascends to the throne of England on the death of his father, Henry VIIApril 22, 1970- First Earth Day held internationally to conserve natural resourcesApril 23, 1348- First English order of knighthood founded named Order of GarterApril 24, 1907- Hershey Park, founded by Milton S. Hershey for the exclusive use of his employeesApril 25, 1928- A seeing eye dog was used for the first timeApril 26, 1977- Studio 54 opened in New York

Words in History

Then & Now:  Word Definitions spamthen:  compressed mystery meat in a tin cannow:  unsolicited message via emailstreamthen:  body of water with a current that's confined within a bednow:  constant flow of updates, photos, images, on social networking sitestrollthen:  to circulate or move aroundnow:  someone who intentionally provokes others into an emotional tizzystumblethen:  to lurch, walk unsteadilynow:  to discover, recommend, and rate Web pagesfeedthen:  to give someone foodnow:  place where everyone you've ever met posts pictures of their food, babies, and vacations  

April 13th thru April 19th

What Happened This Week in History?  April 13, 1796- First known elephant arrives in the United States from Bengal, IndiaApril 14, 1939- "The Grapes of Wrath" novel by John Steinbeck is publishedApril 15, 1983- Disneyland in Tokyo is openedApril 16, 1999- Shania Twain became first woman to be named as songwriter/artist of the year by the Nashville Songwriter Association InternationalApril 17, 1937- Cartoon characters Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and Petunia Pig debutApril 18, 1775- "The British are Coming!"  Paul Revere rode from Charlestown to Lexington to proclaim this famous saying during the American RevolutionApril 19, 1927- Mae West is sentenced to ten days in jail for obscenity for her play Sex 

Historical Book Review: Blood of a Stone by Jeanne Gassman

I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of Jeanne Gassman's debut novel, Blood of a Stone, and I was thoroughly impressed with this new author's grasp on the era and her compelling characters! A wonderful book!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Set in the first century on the edges of the Roman Empire and the Jesus movement, Blood of a Stone is a sweeping story of murder, betrayal, love, and the search for redemption.
Faced with the brutality of slavery, Demetrios confronts his master and flees by the blood of a stone. Determined to escape his past, he struggles to create a new life and a new identity with his friend and fellow escaped slave, Elazar.

However, freedom has its price. Secrets cannot remain secret forever. A chance for love is lost. Elazar betrays Demetrios to a so-called prophet named Jesus of Nazareth. Fearing the Roman authorities and Jesus, Demetrios risks everything to silence those who would enslave him again. His quest leads him to startling discoveries and dire choices. Demetrios must answer the question we all ask: Can we ever be free of our past?
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MY REVIEW
BLOOD OF A STONE by Jeanne Gassman is an enthralling, introspective historical tale that studies the human spirit in all its various forms: the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. The novel is touching, wonderfully written and has a stunning story line that will stay with me for a long time. 
We are first introduced to Demetrios, a gentile, as a child being sold into slavery by his ruthless father. He is treated awfully by his slave owner as well which pushes him to grab hold of a stone and commit a heinous crime. He has to escape of face certain death. Along with a former slave, Elazar, a Jew, they start a new life as caravan drivers.
Demetrios has his first taste of love, but it is quickly ripped away. He also struggles with a sense of self and with how he is perceived by others. His paranoia regarding his past is a constant badge he wears and causes him to struggle nearly every day and in every interaction. Just when it seems like for him may be taking a turn for the better, Elazar deserts him, pursuing his own spiritual path as of Jesus's followers.
Demetrios is heart broken that his long-time friend and business partner would desert him, but he is even more hurt when he finds out that Elazar has betrayed his trust and confided in Jesus all of Demetrios's past crimes. Unsure of what to do, he seeks out a Sorceress of Galilee, hoping for her to give him a solution to his problem. But what she tasks him with would cause his own death if he were caught--but the alternative is that he risks being caught anyway.
With his new mission in mind, Demetrios plans to find Jesus on his path to Jerusalem with his caravan. But in the end, he gets and loses a lot more than he bargained for.  A harrowing and emotional journey that will test the limits of Demetrios's resolve and will.
This book was well researched and presented. The details really made the scenery come alive, and the characters were compelling. The novel is deeply moving. Highly recommend!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JEANNE LYET GASSMAN lives in Arizona where the desert landscape inspires much of her fiction. She holds an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has received fellowships from Ragdale and the Arizona Commission on the Arts. In addition to writing, Jeanne teaches creative writing workshops in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area. Her work has appeared in Hermeneutic Chaos Literary Journal, Red Savina Review, The Museum of Americana, Assisi: An Online Journal of Arts & Letters, Switchback, Literary Mama, and Barrelhouse, among many others. Blood of a Stone is her debut novel. Visit her website!

Historical Book Review: Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist

I had the extreme pleasure to read an advance copy of Deeanne Gist's new book, Tiffany Girl. Mark your calendars, because it releases in just a few weeks! It was a fascinating read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

ABOUT THE BOOK
As preparations for the 1893 World’s Fair set Chicago and the nation on fire, Louis Tiffany—heir to the exclusive Fifth Avenue jewelry empire—is left without a staff when glassworkers go on strike just months before the unveiling of Tiffany’s hyped mosaic chapel at the Fair’s grand opening. Desperate and without another option, Tiffany turns to a group of female art students to finish the job. Flossie Jayne answers the call, moving into a New York City boardinghouse with high hopes of making a name for herself as an artist and defying those who say the work can't be completed in time—least of all by a set of young, inexperienced women. As she flouts polite society’s restrictions on females and becomes a Tiffany Girl, her ambitions are threatened from an unexpected quarter: her own heart. Who will claim victory? Her dreams or the captivating boarder next door?
Tiffany Girl (Howard Books, May 5, 2015, ISBN 978-1-4516-9244-0), by international bestselling author Deeanne Gist, is the heartwarming story of the impetuous Flossie Jayne, whose parents are scandalized that their daughter will not only be employed but living and working in a man’s world.With visions of her paintings hanging one day in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Flossie cheerfully sets out to impress the enterprising Tiffany with the exceptional talent she has always been told she possesses. Bringing her characteristic charm and enthusiasm to the task, she also dedicates her significant energy and unflagging optimism into reshaping her boardinghouse into a cozy respite from the harsh realities outside its doors, and into transforming its boarders into one big happy family.
Reeve Wilder, a cynical journalist from the school of hard knocks, scoffs at Flossie’s efforts and warns her that he and the other residents aren’t and never will be her family. Determined that she will prevail, Flossie embraces her new life and the colorful residents with vigor, but soon learns that the world is less welcoming than she had anticipated. New Women are groped, propositioned and scorned.
Against his better judgment, Reeve finds himself wanting to protect her from danger, and even from herself. For he sees what she can’t: Her talent is average, and there’s bound to be heartache ahead for her as a Tiffany Girl.

As challenges mount, her ambitions are threatened from yet another quarter: her growing attraction to Reeve. There is no future for her with him, for married women are not allowed in the workforce. A traditional life with Reeve would dash not only her life as a New Woman, but her lifelong dreams of becoming a renowned artist.
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MY REVIEWGist's newest novel, Tiffany Girl, is eye-opening and heart-warming tale regarding women's rights in the late nineteenth century, and the struggles for women's independence, self-discovery and love.

Flossie, aka Florence Rachel Jayne, is a young unmarried gal, (twenty-one I believe), who lives at home with her parents. She's been attending art school while helping her mother run her seamstress business. But it occurs to her, that she's working awfully hard and not getting to keep any of the money she's earned. After suggesting to her mother that instead of giving all their hard earned money to her father (who is squandering it--but he's not a bad guy, I promise!), she and her mother get into a disagreement, which sets Flossie's goals in motion. She wants to be able to work, earn her money and keep it. But, this is an entirely unacceptable concept for the times. In fact, unmarried women who live and work on their own are considered scandalous. They are titled New Women which comes with a lot of stigma, most of it not good.

But, when an opportunity strikes for Flossie to work for Mr. Tiffany on his stained glass chapel that will be featured at the World's Fair, she grasps it and rushes headlong into her life as a New Woman--despite her parents reservations. She has a very strong character and a determination that is refreshing. From the first page, I was rooting for her. When she arrives are her new boarding house, we get to see her from an outside perspective--one of her new housemates, Reeve Wilder, a cynical journalist. And guess what he writes about??? NEW WOMEN! He is entirely against the idea of the New Woman, and having Flossie, full of life, breeze into his life is extremely annoying to him.

She does make some bad choices, and sometimes her thinking is very naive. But because we're in her head, we don't always see it until its too late! Or, we're worried while she's thinking and doing something, or we see it from Reeve's perspective (which is hilarious).

The antics that ensue!!! Let me just say, I laughed, I cheered, I gasped in horror, I gasped in surprised, I speculated, I worried, I hoped. I loved. At one point about 6/8 of the way through the book, I was certain everything was going to hell in a hand basket and that it wasn't a heart-warming tale after all, but one meant to inflict pain...on me. All this, because I was so emotionally invested in the characters and they were having some serious conflicts. Needless to say, I was completely emotionally involved in the story. A test of a truly amazing author--when they can elicit that kind of emotion from their readers!

I've always been fascinated with life in the late nineteenth century New York and how the working class lived (and the poor). My family actually came from Ireland to NY in 1898 (a few years after this book takes place), so I was fascinated by the way she showed "real life", not all the glitz and glam. It literarily was history coming to life. The amount of research that went into the creation of this novel is impressive. The imagery and feel for society and nineteenth century American culture leapt from each page. I could see the glass. I could see the street cars. I was in the boarding house. I could see every painting. But anyways, back to my review...

One of the things I loved so much about this book is that we see huge transformations as individuals with Flossie, her parents, and Reeve. And then we also see how their character transformations change the way they view and interact with each other. I loved the journey and it led to a very satisfactory ending.

Gist has a gift for writing and for engaging the reader. The characters in Tiffany Girl are compelling and lovable. They are flawed, they are perfect. Her prose is surrepticioulsy fast-paced--and what I mean by that is, that 100 pages will go by without you realizing it.

I thoroughly enjoyed Tiffany Girl and was left with that truly wonderful satisfying feeling you have after reading an amazing book about life, love, hope, change. I highly recommend it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deeanne Gist has rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere with her very original, very fun historicals.  Add to this four RITA nominations, two consecutive Christy Awards, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.
With three-quarters of a million trade books sold, her awards include National Readers’ Choice, Book Buyers’ Best, Golden Quill, Books*A*Million Pick of the Month, Romantic Times Pick of the Month, Award of Excellence, and Laurel Wreath.
She has a very active online community on her blog, on Facebook, Pinterest, and on her YouTube channel.

Gist lives in Texas with her husband of thirty-one years and their border collie. They have four grown children.
Visit her website!