Eliza Knight's Blog, page 28

March 14th thru March 20th

What Happened This Week in History?
March 14, 1950- FBI's "10 Most Wanted Fugitives" program beginsMarch 15, 1937- First blood bank forms in Chicago, IllinoisMarch 16, 1963- "Puff the Magic Dragon" was released by Peter, Paul, and MaryMarch 17, 0461- Bishop Patrick, St. Patrick died.  Ireland celebrates this day in his honorMarch 18, 1931- Schick, Inc. displayed the first electric shaverMarch 19, 1953- The Academy Awards aired on television for the first timeMarch 20, 1891- The first computing scale company was incorporated in Dayton, Ohio

Moon Magic by Eliza Knight

I love poetry, always have. It was one of my favorite subjects in school. I don't profess to be a poet myself, but I do dabble from time to time. When writing HIGHLANDER'S TOUCH, I decided that I wanted try writing a little prelude to the story as a poem. It as a challenge, especially when I chose to do it in Haiku.
But here it is! And I'm pretty proud of it :)



When thunder crashesAnd lightning illuminatesMagic comes to pass.
Thistles sway, dancingPurple petals and green stemsSo very lovely.
Rain falls in crystal torrentsSparkling drops on fingertipsLiquid Sustenance.
Black clouds shield the sunBlankets the world in darknessTakes away our sight.
The castle climbs highBattlements touching the skyStriking fear below.
Warriors come nowTheir weapons shined and sharpenedPrepared for vengeance.
We will survive thisSurge of ruthless crueltyFor we are strong, wise.
Loneliness touchesUs all and can break heartsLeaving us wretched.
Massaging the soulFlexing your capacityTo accept love’s hold.
Flames burst destroyingEverything in its pathLeaving all tainted.
The evils of menDevastate the innocentLeaving destruction.
Do not surrenderTo one who strips you, attemptsTo watch you bleed dry.
Fear paralyzesOnly those who allow itBe strong, be steady.
Afraid of being Broken leaves one hopeless andThe future stark, bleak.
When hope does soar highSo too does joy and pleasureFostering courage.
Brave and courageousForge ahead leaving the pastAnd tumbling forward.
Beneath moon magicLovers gentle strokes bring blissAnd sweet surrender.
A precious endingA love that shan’t be brokenBy the bonds of time.


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Sneak Peek at HIGHLANDER'S TOUCH!

I'm so excited today for the release of HIGHLANDER'S TOUCH! The 4th book in the Highland Bound series! I fell in love with Emma and Logan from the first three books, but there was another character who kept speaking to me. He wanted a story of his own--to find love and romance and himself.

Meet Ewan Fraser, sexy Scottish warrior and second in command to Laird Logan Grant at Gealach Castle. And introducing Shona our feisty, independent healer heroine!


Ewan is a bad boy. A naughty warrior with a healthy appetite for lassies and battles. He's got a few demons lurking inside that seem to be tamed when he falls under the care of Shona.

But Shona has a secret, a secret she's not even fully privy to. Ewan makes her dream of things she didn't think she'd ever have, including his steamy kisses.

Here's a little excerpt... A first kiss. My favorite!
Finally finished caring for his wounds, Shona cleaned up the extra linens and medicinal salves. She glanced at her patient and was startled to find that his heavily-lidded blue gaze was fixed upon her.“Ye’re beautiful.” A genuine smile curled his lips.“Thank ye,” Shona murmured, heat filling her face.Goodness, but was the warrior going to flirt with her while he lay injured upon her bed?“Where am I?”She flicked her gaze back to him again, noting that he was attempting to sit up, his brow wrinkled and lips turned down. Hands outstretched, she rushed forward and gently pressed him back onto the bed, trying to ignore the strength in his shoulders, despite his current condition.“Do not move. Ye are safe here,” she soothed.“Is this your home?” He coughed then grimaced, the movement obviously causing him pain.“Aye.” She brushed his hair from his forehead. “Ye should lay still else your bandages come unraveled.”“What is your name?” He touched the bandage wrapped around his forehead and then the ones on his chest.She watched him, prepared to swipe his hands away if he tried to undo the bindings. “Shona. Yours?”“Ewan.” His voice was stronger when he said his name.Confident he’d not try to sit up again. Shona fixed him a soothing tea that would help ease his pain, keep fever at bay and make him sleep. She carried the cup forward and spooned drops into his mouth slowly so that he didn’t choke. He parted his full lips, taking in the drink she offered.“I’m not a bairn, I can drink on my own,” he grumbled after the fact.“Aye, I know ye can, Ewan,” she said in a mollifying tone, then guided his hands to grip the cup, though she stayed close in case he needed her help.As she’d noticed with some of her past charges, they didn’t like to feel as though they’d completely lost all their faculties. What harm would it do allowing him to feel he had some strength left?She studied him while he drank. His skin was pale, his lips white. He’d lost a lot of blood and the only thing that would bring it back was sleep, her herbal tisanes, and, when he was strong enough, some food.“Rest well, warrior,” she whispered, taking the cup from him.But as she backed away from him, he gripped her arm and tugged her forward, his fingers sending a sizzle of something exciting rippling through her.The cup fell from her hands hitting the floor and she gasped as he pulled harder, making her sprawl over his chest. Lucky for him, at the last minute, she was able to brace herself on either side of his arms so she wouldn’t injure him further. Daft man!Intent darkening his roving stare, a wicked tendril of heat shot through her, hitting every part of her body that she yearned for him to touch: lips, neck, breasts, thighs… slick sex.“I’ll rest better once ye kiss me,” he rasped.Her gaze met his cloudy one. The man was feverish. Mad from his wounds.“We canna. Ye’re hurt,” she tried to argue, even as she leaned closer.“What will a kiss do?” he asked.But Shona wasn’t sure if he, or evenshe, really understood the depth and breadth of that question. What would a kiss do? So very much.Shona pressed her lips together, prepared to tell him nay, that they would never kiss, but he didn’t wait for her to respond.Warm lips brushed over hers. Soft and sweet. And even in their softness, something intense flared inside her. She gasped, and that moment when her mouth opened, he slid his tongue along the seam of her lips and then inside to tease the tip of her own.“Ewan,” she murmured. “We—”But the stubborn man didn’t let her finish. His hand threaded through the hair at the back of her head, holding her prisoner as he deepened the kiss, tangling their tongues and not allowing her to speak.It was beautiful, delicious, so wanton. And she loved every single wicked stroke. She would have kissed him all night into the next morning if she could.

READ THE BOOK!  
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Happy St. Patrick's Day! And a bit of history...

Top 'o the morning to ye! And a very happy St. Patrick's Day!
Today, I've been featured on USA Today's HEA Blog where I'm talking a bit about the history behind St. Patrick's Day.

Please join me!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2015/03/16/eliza-knight-highlanders-touch-saint-patricks-day/24855621/

March 7th thru March 13th

What Happened This Week In History? March 7, 1857- Baseball decides 9 innings constitutes an official gameMarch 8, 1817- The New York Stock Exchange is foundedMarch 9, 1562- Kissing in public is banned in Naples and is punishable by deathMarch 10, 1964- The First Ford Mustang is manufacturedMarch 11, 1953- The First Woman Army doctor is commissionedMarch 12, 1994- Church of England ordains the first 33 women priestsMarch 13, 1984- MTV premiered its weekly "Top 20 Video Countdown" show

February 28th thru March 6th

What Happened this Week in History? February 28, 1759- Pope Clement XIII allows Bible to be translated into various languagesMarch 1, 1941- Nashville, Tennessee becomes the home of the very first FM radio station in the countryMarch 2, 1867- US Congress created the Department of EducationMarch 3, 1923- Time magazine is published for the first timeMarch 4, 1950- Walt Disney's "Cinderella" was released across the United StatesMarch 5, 1960- Elvis Presley was honorably discharged from the ArmyMarch 6, 1899- Aspirin was patented by German researchers Felix Hoffman and Herman Dreser

Female Spies During the Civil War by Kathleen Bittner Roth

Belle Boyd, a Civil War spy. Welcome back to History Undressed, guest author and blogger, Kathleen Bittner Roth. She'll be posting here with us every first Tuesday of the month, and I couldn't be more thrilled! 

Female Spies During the Civil War
Female spies have been known throughout the centuries in royal court, eavesdropping on conversations held at balls and in corridors, but did you know that the use of women as spies was commonplace in both England and America during the 19th century? In England, the brunt of spying took place in industry, while in America, the greatest use of female spies took place during the Civil War.I find this particularly interesting because the Civil War occurred during the morally repressive Victorian era. Every action, dress codes, even education for women were so constricted that even the language back then became repressive – one must never have referred to a table leg or piano leg. Instead, they were called table limbs, or a piano’s limb. Every action a woman took was governed by the repressed Victorian mores, yet this era became a high season for female spies.While some women took over teaching jobs, farming, and managing shops in the absence of their men gone off to war, some women moved close to the troops in the form of nursing, or raising supplies for the troops. But there were women who supported their country in a far more dangerous manner—they became spies. Many of these brave souls baked messages in bread or pies, and carried them across enemy lines with nary a blink of an eye. All of them carried weapons or spying devices of one kind or another. Had they been caught, they’d have been hanged by the neck until dead.

Belle Boyd was one of these bold spies. She would often show up at her father’s hotel and eavesdrop on Union officers registered there. Bold as they came, she would deliver her information to General Stonewall Jackson himself, moving through Union lines, so close to battle that it’s been said she’d returned more than once with bullet holes in her skirts.  Scandalous was not even the word for what these women were doing. If found out, they were considered no better than a common prostitute. Some of these women who performed a great service to their country were born into wealthy families, yet after the war, they were shunned by polite society, despite their heroism. Some of the spy paraphernalia these valiant women carried was quite clever—as shown below:
Victorian spy camera hidden inside a pocket watch
A ring gun with extra bullets carried in a bullet necklace


A one-shot pocket watch pistol

Take a look at the daggers in this ladies fan!
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!

February 21st thru February 27th

What Happened this Week in History? February 21, 1842- The sewing machine was patented by John J. GreenoughFebruary 22, 1751- Edward Willet displayed the first trained monkey act in the USFebruary 23, 1896- The Tootsie Roll was inventedFebruary 24, 1821- Mexico gains independence from SpainFebruary 25, 1859- First use of "insanity plea" to prove innocenceFebruary 26, 1977- The Eagles' "Hotel California" was releasedFebruary 27, 1908- Star #46 was added to the US flag for Oklahoma 

Medieval Douching and Fumigation by Karen Harris

Welcome again to History Undressed, guest authors, Karen Harris and Lori Caskey-Sigety! Here is another great article that Harris and Caskey-Sigety have recently penned from their new non-fiction book, The Medieval Vagina: An Hysterical and Historical Look at All Things Vaginal During the Middle Ages, now available on Amazon. Please enjoy another one of their fascinating articles--guaranteed to entertain!
Medieval-Style Douching
We have textual evidence that tells us women have douched since ancient times. This we must balance with the idea that women in medieval times bathed infrequently…very infrequently! Does that tell us that medieval maidens were concerned about the not-so-fresh feeling in their nether regions? Did they want to please their lovers with perfumed vaginas, while turning a blind eye (or nose) to sweat, body odor, and stinky breath? Probably not. Women in the middle ages douched, but they did it for different reasons than women today. And, of course, they used whatever douching agent was handy, rather than douching with store-bought, pre-packaged, applicator-included products.
First, we will tackle the “why” questions. Ancient medical texts tell us that women were advised to douche to cure vaginal infections. But folk remedies and word-of-mouth medical advice handed down by wiser, older women told us that they douched to wash away their lovers’ pus in hopes of preventing sexually transmitted diseases, which we know ran rampant in the pre-antibiotic Middle Ages. Medieval prostitutes and women of loose morals were even advised to douche after sex to “wash away” the semen and prevent pregnancy…sort of an early version of the morning-after pill.
Next, the “what”.  Ancient Egyptian scrolls revealed that women used a mixture of garlic and wine to douche. Of course, the old standby of vinegar and water was used as well. It was discovered early on that any type of mildly acidic liquid could be an effective douching agent. Olive oil, pomegranate pulp, tobacco juice, ginger water, acacia could all double as a douching agent. As could honey, lemon or lime juice, cedar oil, and frankincense.
Lastly, the “wow” factor. En vogue in the Middle Ages was vaginal fumigation. This treatment was often medically prescribed and assumed to be a means of curing yeast infections, cervical cancer, urinary tract infections, and menstrual cramps. Water mixed with herbs was boiled in a special vessel with a long tube protruding from it. The hot steam was forced through the tube which was inserted into the vagina of the patient. Vaginal fumigation is a perfect example of the cure being worse than the disease. Women no doubt suffered from burns and damage to the delicate skin of their vaginas, which could easily lead to more infections. And when we remember that medical instruments like vaginal fumigators were not sterilized between each use, we can see how easily infections might spread.
            To sum up, medieval women personally (and professionally, if you were a prostitute) went to various lengths, ranging from home remedies in the kitchen to prescribed vaginal fumigation, in futile attempts to cure venereal diseases and prevent pregnancy. These “cures” were all ancient and medieval women had to rely on before cleanliness and personal hygiene came into being.


Author Bios:
Karen Harris is a college instructor by day and a writer by night. Writing offers Karen a chance to dabble in her other areas of interest, including history and science. She has written numerous freelance articles and feature stories for publication. She is a hobby farmer, environmental volunteer, and advocate for volunteer firefighters. 

Lori Caskey-Sigety started writing in 1991. She hasn’t stopped. Her writing includes blogs, book reviews, essays, lyrics, plays, poems, and puppet shows. Lori has authored two poetry books, and her other works have appeared in Wildfire Magazine, Orlo, Indiana Libraries, and Public Libraries. She is an artist, college instructor, librarian, and musician.

Book Description:
In the Middle Ages much like today, the vagina conjured fear and repulsion, yet it held an undeniable allure. In the Medieval Vagina, the authors explore this paradox while unearthing medieval myths, attitudes and contradictions surrounding this uniquely feminine and deeply mysterious organ.
What euphemisms did medieval people have for the vagina? Did medieval women use birth control? How was rape viewed in the Middle Ages? How was the vagina incorporated into literature, poetry, music, and art? How did medieval women cope with menstruation? The Medieval Vagina delves into these topics, and others, while introducing the reader to a collection of fascinating medieval women – Pope Joan, Lady Frances Howard, Margery Kempe, Sister Benedetta Carlini, and Chaucer’s Wife of Bath – who all shaped our view of the medieval vagina. 

The Medieval Vagina takes a quick-paced, humorous peek into the medieval world; a time when religious authority combined with newly emerging science and medicine, classic literature, and folklore to form a deeply patriarchal society. It may have been a man’s world, but the vagina triumphed over oppression and misogyny.

Website: snarkpublishing.weebly.com

Teaser Tour: The New Novel by Susanna Kearsley

Teaser Tour: RITA-Award Winner Susanna Kearsley's New Novel, A Desperate Fortune!   CONTEST:
Sourcebooks is offering 10 readers the chance to attend a LIVE online event with Susanna Kearsley. To enter, find the excerpt below and break the code: 16.13. Email the correct word to publicity@sourcebooks.com . Winners will be announced on March 20th. 
Excerpt from A Desperate Fortune:

Her hands would not stop shaking.It was left to Madame Roy to tie the tapes of Mary’s petticoat and fit the second gown over the one she wore already. They’d been told in no uncertain terms they could bring nothing with them but the little they could carry in their hands, or wear, and having been allotted but five minutes to prepare themselves they’d had to work at speed, a thing that Mary was incapable of doing in her current state.

“He killed a man,” she said again. She’d said it twice already but Madame Roy only nodded as she’d done before, with patience.“Yes, I know, dear. Put your gloves on.”

“He” was in the chamber next to theirs, with Jacques. No, Mr. Thomson. Mary found the change of names confusing, and her brain was having difficulty holding to the details. Mr. Thomson. And the man in gray was Mac…MacSomething. He was Scottish, then. Her father had been Scottish, though this hard man’s voice was nothing like her memory of her father’s voice. Her father’s had been pleasant, even soothing, but this man’s was—“Are ye finished?” He was standing in the doorway.

Madame Roy spoke back to him in English, only Mary was surprised to hear her accent and her intonations sounded much like his. “We’re nearly done, aye.”

“Where’s your book?” he asked, and Mary stared at him uncomprehending until he repeated with more emphasis, “Your book. The one ye write in.”When she still could not reply he muttered something that she took to be a curse and crossing to the bed began to shift the bolster and the pillows. Frisque, who until now had been content to sit amidst the blankets and observe the bustle and confusion, rose to bark a protest. The Scotsman swung his gaze towards the little dog, and Mary found her voice.

“Do not harm him!”Madame Roy had finished with the fastening of Mary’s cloak and let her hands drop lightly onto Mary’s shoulders as if she would hold her back from interfering, but the potent rush of terror and protectiveness would not let Mary hold her tongue. “The book is in the clothespress.”

It was underneath the linens but the Scotsman found it easily and slipped it with the penner into one of his coat pockets before turning once again towards the bed, where Frisque was barking still. “The dog,” he said to Mary, “cannot come.”
“I will not leave him.” She could feel her chin lift even though she was afraid, and for a moment they stood staring at each other.He was not a handsome man. His face was formed of stubborn angles, none of which was even, and his mouth at one end slanted up and downward at the other, and his eyes held not a hint of warmth. They measured her impatiently. He said, “It will be trouble.”

She did not back down. “You said that we could bring what we could carry,” was her argument. “And I can carry him.”With a frown the man reached down and scooped the barking dog into his one large hand with no apparent effort. Frisque, whether from prudence or his love of being held, wisely fell silent, though his feathered tail began to wag. The Scotsman exhaled tightly in what could not quite be called a sigh, and turning from the bed closed the small distance between him and Mary, thrusting Frisque into her hands. “But nothing else,” he said. “And we go now.”

Description: A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley

9781492602026 * $16.99/TP * ON-SALE: April 7, 2015 For nearly three hundred years, the cryptic journal of Mary Dundas has lain unread. Now, amateur code breaker Sara Thomas has been sent to Paris to crack the cipher.

 Jacobite exile Mary Dundas is filled with longing—for freedom, for adventure, for the family she lost. When fate opens the door, Mary dares to set her foot on a path far more surprising and dangerous than she ever could have dreamed. As Mary’s gripping tale is revealed, Sara is faced with challenges that will require letting go of everything she thought she knew—about herself, about loyalty, and especially about love. Though divided by centuries, these two women will be united in a quest to discover the limits of trust and the coincidences of fate.

  Author Bio: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Susanna Kearsley is known for her meticulous research and exotic settings from Russia to Italy to Cornwall, which not only entertain her readers but give her a great reason to travel. Her lush writing has been compared to Mary Stewart, Daphne du Maurier, and Diana Gabaldon. She hit the bestseller lists in the U.S. with The Firebird (a RITA winner) as well as, The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden (both RITA finalists and winners of RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards). Other honors include National Readers' Choice Awards, the prestigious Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize, and finaling for the UK's Romantic Novel of the Year Award. Her popular and critically acclaimed books are available in translation in more than 20 countries and as audiobooks. She lives in Canada, near the shores of Lake Ontario.