Eliza Knight's Blog, page 55

Video of the Week: Horrible Histories - Plague Song

The black death aka the plague that hit Europe in the middle ages was devastating to the population, wiping out nearly half of the people. But here's a little ditty that makes it sound cheerful :)

Castle of the Week: The Tower of London

I look forward to the day I can visit the Tower of London. In my two completed historical fiction novels (currently unpublished), the Tower plays a major roll in my character's lives. They've either been arrested and placed in prison there, had a family member imprisoned, there or it housed a member of their family who was crowned king or queen.

The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in the late 11th century after his Battle of Hastings victory. The Tower is situated along the River Thames, and can be accessed by boat through Traitor's Gate. The castle consists of the White Tower, an imposing building. Tall, solid, thick with four towers. All who've looked upon this great fortress have felt overwhelmed by its sheer power and what it stood for. There are numerous outbuildings, thick outer walls, and perhaps most daunting--Tower Green. Some of the more famous executions on Tower Green were: William Hastings, Queen Anne Boleyn, Queen Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey (the nine days queen). Tower Green was for private executions--still observed by many notable witnesses. Tower Hill was a public execution spot that could be seen by anyone who pleased. William Wallace was executed on Tower Hill as was Guy Fawkes.

The Tower has served as a prison, a house, a fortress, home for the crown jewels, the royal mint, the treasury, the royal menagerie, and home to many scandals. Every heard of the two princes of the Tower? The young princes entered the fortress and were never seen or heard from again, their remains never found. It is said once you're locked in, there is no escaping--although a few notables have in fact done just that.

Want to escape the Tower yourself? There's an ap for that! Not kidding... I just found it, looks awesome!

Some pictures...


The White Tower
St. John's Chapel inside the Tower
The Tower of London outer wall
Traitor's Gate

Less Like Shane, More Like Mr. Darcy By Celia Hayes

Welcome back to History Undressed, guest author Celia Hayes! If you missed her two wonderful previous posts they are located here:  True to the Union & Goliad--The Other Alamo. Today she has another great post written for us! Enjoy!


Less Like Shane, More Like Mr. Darcy
I think very fondly of re-enactors when I am working up a book. I consider them as open-air historians. What better way is there to get an idea of how something was accomplished; starting a fire from flint and steel, to learn the heft and feel of an 1836 Colt Paterson revolver and the method of loading it with lead ball and black powder, or how a gentleman of the 1830s on the Texas frontier might have combined the height of fashion with local accessories. Re-enactors do exacting research about every finicky detail, and the results can be viewed in detail and in three dimensions.  Movies and television are a less than satisfactory substitute. This is because of the dimension thing, and often because the movie costumer doesn’t take nearly enough care to be faithful to a specific period. Visualizing the clothing worn on the American frontier may be an especial challenge, since nearly 70 years’ worth of genre movie westerns have fixed a certain image in the imagination – that of the cowboy, who was really only peculiar only to a very limited part and for a relatively short period of time.


Thinking ‘old west’ and most readers and movie goers have the image of form and fashion set in the last quarter of the 19th century, never realizing sartorially speaking, it wasn’t all John Wayne and Shane. Quite often, it was rather more like Mr. Darcy. No cowboy hats or boots, no jeans, nothing like what people are used to think of as "western" dress, which reflects a much later, post-Civil War and industrial era. A movie costumer could fit out a movie set on the early 19th century frontier with costumes taken from a Jane Austen or Charles Dickens movie, and it would be perfectly authentic … but with certain allowances given. Far west outposts like Texas were not entirely cut off from communication and fashion - from Europe or anywhere else - but local influences, economic necessity and custom did add certain rustic touches.

The Anglo-American gentlemen of early Texas and the far west wore the same fashionable tail-coats, neck-cloth, starched shirt-collar and tall top-hats or billed caps as anywhere else in America, Britain and Europe. They indulged in the same ornate waistcoats with the obligatory watch, watch-chain and fob, depending on taste or income. Sometimes they varied the wardrobe with wide straw planter’s hats, or a sash of vividly colored silk around the waist – but that was a very male bit of a splash and most often worn for best. It was also common for work and every-day to assume a hunting coat made of heavy canvas or buckskin, trimmed with fringe. This was a loose-fitting, A-line and wrap-around garment, often secured with a belt or sash at the waist. Such every-day wear was often accessorized with a huge hunting knife, boots and fancy spurs with Mexican-influenced jingle-bobs on them. (Yes, their spurs did go jingle-jangle.) The taste for large hunting knives was also a frontier influence – especially the Kentucky or Bowie knife, which could be almost as large as a small sword. Routinely carrying a single pistol or a pair of them on a belt holster was something which came at a later date, with the invention and widespread popularity of a practical repeating pistol, rather than a single-shot weapon.

Sometimes a gentleman preferred shoes, or brogans, rather than boots, worn with leather leggings – and when shoes were unavailable or an existing pair gone beyond repair, then Indian-style moccasins or buckskin leather served as footwear. There were a small minority of gentlemen – usually fur-trappers and others who spent much of their lives beyond the farthest frontier – who did go all the way toward wearing Indian-style buckskin shirts and leggings, for comfort and utility. But in the main and with the exceptions noted, the gentlemen of the frontier dressed very much in the same style as their contemporaries elsewhere.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Celia Hayes lives in San Antonio, Texas, and is the author of six novels set on the American frontier: To Truckee’s Trail – an account of the first wagon train to cross the Sierra Nevada, the Adelsverein Trilogy – which tells the story of the German settlements in the Texas Hill Country, and Daughter of Texas, and Deep in the Heart, a two-part account of a woman’s life during the years of the Republic of Texas. Visit Celia at www.celiahayes.com

Video of the Week: The French Revolution ("Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga)

In light of my post on Versailles yesterday, and because I LOVE LOVE LOVE history set to modern music, this week's video is on the French Revolution--a parody of Bad Romance by Lady Gaga! Awesome!

The Palace of Versailles

I've always been fascinated by history. I can still remember watching Ben Hur and various documentaries with my father growing up. We were (I am still) museum junkies. I visited my first castle when I was eight. I do research for fun. On Mother's Day I sat and watched a two-hour long documentary on the plague.

That being said... I'm going to start a castle series on this blog! Today's the start, and I'm going to introduce you to the very first castle I was ever introduced to, the Palace of Versailles. Versailles is a magical place. Its beauty, grandeur, architecture, history, all of it combined pull you into an enchanted world. Gold and marble drip from every facet. Paintings grace the domed ceilings. Graceful and lifelike statues dot the premises, and the lines of the gardens are so precise!

Versailles is located in...Versaille, France--a suburb of Paris. The village of Versailles has been noted as far back as the 11th century, however Louis XIII didn't build a home there--a hunting lodge---until 1624. His successor Louis XIV expanded it into a palace. The palace remained the seat of the French royals until the French Revolution, when the people stormed the palace, pillaging and destroying many relics. You might recall the two famous royals at the time: Queen Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI. Both were eventually executed.

Of course, when Napoleon came to power, he too had to live in the magnificence that is Versailles.

Here are some pictures/portraits of Versailles...

The inner courtyard.

Map of the Gardens and Palace in 1746 Painting of the palace and gardens

Bassin de Latone -- a fountain. See the canal in the background?
When I was a child and visited Versailles, they had the fountain running. It was glorious.
The orangerie in the gardens of Versailles. 
My favorite place in the palace--the hall of mirrors! I would have loved to dance here!
My heroine in A LADY'S CHARADE, spent time in France as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Isabeau. While the time period wasn't quite right for me to include Versailles, I made sure to put a tiny bit of my love of the French culture into my heroine.

From across a field of battle, English knight, Alexander, Lord Hardwyck, spots the object of his desire—and his conquest, Scottish traitor Lady Chloe. 

Her lies could be her undoing…

Abandoned across the border and disguised for her safety, Chloe realizes the man who besieged her home in Scotland has now become her savior in England. Her life in danger, she vows to keep her identity secret, lest she suffer his wrath, for he wants her dead. 

Or love could claim them both and unravel two countries in the process…

Alexander suspects Chloe is not who she says she is and has declared war on the angelic vixen who's laid claim to his heart. A fierce battle of the minds it will be, for once the truth is revealed they will both have to choose between love and duty.


Available at Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Apple I-Books / Smashwords

Right now there is a contest giveaway for a printed signed copy of A LADY'S CHARADE at Goodreads!

Don't forget to check back next week for another castle installment!

Cheers,
Eliza

All Around the World with Jane Austen!

A fun contest from Sourcebooks!!!
In the June memoir,  All Roads Lead to Austen  the author Amy Elizabeth Smith took Jane Austen’s works along with her as she traveled to foreign countries. Her goal was to see if the magic of Jane Austen could hold its power across borders, languages and cultures.
Amy took Jane to far off countries – and we need your help to take her even further! We are holding a contest called All Around the World with Jane! Join us on our Austen love fest by printing out our Jane Austen “flat Stanley.” Take pictures of yourself with Jane in your hometown or on your vacation, and submit it from April 30th – June 30th!
We will award the following prizes to the individuals with the most creative picture:
1 Grand Prize Winner will receive:An E-reader with all of our available Austen sequels/continuations downloaded on to itA signed copy of All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Elizabeth SmithA Skype session with Amy Elizabeth Smith3 Second Place Winner will receive:A signed copy of All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Elizabeth SmithA choice of 5 Jane Austen sequels/continuations from Sourcebooks5 Third Place Winners will receive:A signed copy of All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Elizabeth Smith
You can then submit your pictures on the All Around the World with Jane Facebook page or email your submission to landmark@sourcebookspr.com.
Below are some examples of where Jane has been already (Times Square, The Jane Austen Centre in Bath, and the Sourcebooks offices!) along with the flat Stanley that you can print off (also available on the Facebook page). 
One more thing! Barnes & Noble will be offering this title as a NOOK early exclusive and will be offering the eBook at $6.99 starting Monday April 30th for a limited time!

Video of the Week: Tony Robinson on Fact or Fiction: Braveheart

I've been doing some research the past couple weeks on William Wallace and the time period he lived because it plays a part in a book I'm working on. I came across this video and thought I'd share with you all.

Enjoy!

The Good Medieval Wife

Happy Monday!

Today, I'm blogging at History Ink on medieval culture and one of my favorite research books, The Good Wife's Guide.

Stop by to see if you're a good wife!

I'm also giving away a signed print copy of   A LADY'S CHARADE , so be sure to enter a comment for your chance to win!

Cheers,
Eliza

Historical Romance Review: Sweet Enemy by Heather Snow

[image error] SWEET ENEMY by Heather Snow--a must read!!!
KATHLEEN'S REVIEW...
Debut Author Heather Snow hit a home run her first time at bat with SWEET ENEMY. Liliana and Geoffrey are two very smart, snappy characters who invite you into their colorful world at first glance. Ms. Snow, a chemist in her own right, chose the perfect profession for her heroine—the detail the author injects into the story is so captivating, it makes you want to go back to school. Who would have thought chemistry would have been an interesting subject in a romance novel.
Where Liliana grabs your heart in the prologue, Geoffrey jumps off the page in the first two paragraphs of chapter one. You will definitely want to know these two. The author takes you inside even the least significant of sub-characters with such graceful ease, before you realize it, you’re lost not only in a well-crafted story, but you’ll want to highlight both the clever repartee between hero and heroine and the lovely prose so you can revisit long after you’ve turned the last page. I had to go back and read the part where they first met over again the scene was so delightfully unique, not to mention funny and steamy at the same time.
Well done, Ms. Snow.
Here’s an author who’ll be on my “must read” list for a very long time. I suspect she’ll be on yours as well. Her debut is the first in a series called Veiled Seduction, and this reviewer cannot wait for book two.
ABOUT THE BOOK...
A Veiled Seduction Novel ~ Book One
Geoffrey Wentworth,  a war hero and rising political star, never wanted to be the Earl, but when his brother dies, he knows his duty—take up the responsibility for his family’s estates.  His mother’s definition of duty differs from his, however, and can be summed up in one word—heirs.  When Geoffrey rushes home to answer her urgent summons, he finds himself host to a house full of women, all vying to become the next Countess of Stratford.  But his love is Parliament, where he wields his influence and reputation to better the lives of ex-soldiers, until a tempting houseguest and a secret from his past threaten his freedom…and his heart.
Liliana Claremont , a brilliant chemist, doesn’t want to be any man’s wife, much less a Countess.  If she had tuppence for every time she’d been told her place was filling the nursery, not experimenting in the laboratory, she could buy the Tower Bridge.  However, when she receives a coveted invitation to the Earl’s house party, she trades in her beakers for ball gowns and gladly takes on the guise of husband hunter—for the chance to uncover what the Earl had to do with the murder of her father.
Liliana believes the best way to get the answers she needs is to keep her enemy close, though romance is not part of her formula.  But it only takes one kiss to start a reaction she can't control...

DOWN AND DIRTY: THE LIFE OF A LAUNDRESS by Jennifer Jakes

Welcome back to History Undressed, guest author Jennifer Jakes! If you didn't visit her previous posts, you should: Miss Kitty Lied (Prostitutes) & They Did What??? (Historical Vibrators). Today she is enthralling us yet again with the life of a laundress. Fascinating!


DOWN AND DIRTY: THE LIFE OF A LAUNDRESS
by Jennifer Jakes
Oh, I know what you’re thinking. Naughty, naughty. *insert Tsk here* And while I will touch upon some of the “horizontal” work a Laundress could do to earn a little extra money, the main part of this post deals with the long hours of the world’s other oldest profession: Scrubbing clothes.
As a Civil War Re-enactor, I chose the Army Laundress as my portrayal. When I found this historical photo of a woman, her husband and three children, I focused on recreating her look and the look of her camp for mine. (My husband is a Corp. in a small artillery unit and two our daughters re-enact with us.) So I wanted to share some of the information I discovered while researching this Army occupation. Yep, you read that right. The Army Laundress was employed by the Union Army. (The Confederate Army quite possibly did the same, but my research was for the Union.) All info from: Civil War Times, Aug. 1999 - including historic photo - and Laundry Handbook by Virginia Mescher
*Appointed by the captain of the company, the first thing he assigned the laundress was her letter of good character. She was the only woman granted official status in the army camp. All others – including officers’ wives – were considered Camp Followers. *She was usually married to or related to one of the lower ranking soldiers. Her tent was set apart from the men – and if she was married to a soldier, he normally stayed with her on Suds Row.*While most laundresses seemed respectable enough, there were a few who made “lots of money nature’s way. One of them had a bill today against a soldier for forty dollars.” –  Quote from a private, 2nd Minnesota Infantry. (Wow! That’s a lot of scrubbing up and down on. . .  something! Bet it wasn’t his socks. *wink* ) Such improper behavior was grounds for dismissal UNLESS the company captain chose to look the other way.*One such “energetic” washer woman could make upwards of $40 per month. A true laundress who actually washed clothing, made about $7- $12. per month. Combined with her husband’s pay of about $13 per month, the couple could earn a good amount for that day.*The washer woman received a tent, daily rations of food and services of the surgeon. (These must have been the perks of the job. Unless you were the woman who made……..nevermind.)
Laundry was not a one day event for women of this time. It could take up to three days to complete all the steps. Here they are in order:Mending– Yes, dirty clothesSortingStain RemovalSoaking– Which would mean this and all of the above steps would be done on (example) Monday and left overnight to soak.Washing(read Scrubbing) and/or Boiling – 1 wash, 1 boil, 1 rinse meant at least 50 gallons of water. (Hope they camped near a creek.)Rinsing– 3 rinses were customary (think of wringing each piece – esp. those wool uniforms – by hand! Yes, some laundresses did have wringer (a clothes squeezer), but most outside of hospital workers did not.)Bluing– This was used for whites. Bluing does not bleach the clothes, but once added to the final rinse, gave the illusion of “white”.Bleaching–If the Bluing did not make the white items as white as desired, they could either be laid in the sun to sun-bleach or a chemical bleach could be used. A common chemical used was Ammonia. The most common source of ammonia was STALE URINE! (Bet those clothes smelled nice and freshly laundered. Not!)Starching– Starch helped keep dirt from being ground into the material. Remember, these men or women did not change clothes daily. Sometimes, not even weekly.Drying– Hopefully the laundress had a place to string a clothes line. Otherwise, clothes would be spread on the ground or on top of shrubs. (This ended Day 2 of washing.)Sprinkling– After the clothes were dry, the starched items were sprinkled with water, rolled up and allowed to absorb the water so they were damp. This softened the starch and made clothes easier to iron. Ironing– Flat or Sad irons (sad meant heavy) and it took 1 ½ hrs to heat a 6 pound iron. Laundresses kept several “irons in the fire” as she couldn’t wait 1 ½ each time an iron cooled. (I suspect this is where the saying too many irons in the fire came from.) They didn’t really put the iron in the fire though as that would have meant streaking soot over clean clothes so they used upside down frying pans set on the fire grate. I suppose the women might have brought their own Trivit from home. Anyway, ironing costs a soldier about 3 cents per shirt.Airing– This was an important step as the clothes were still damp after ironing and they were folded damp, they would crease and if the weather was warm, mildew.Folding– Even women doing laundry at home folded as most “poor to middle class” didn’t have closets.  OK, I could go on and on with interesting facts but for now……….Go kiss your washing machine and dryer!

After trying several careers—everything from a beautician to a dump truck driver—Jennifer finally returned to her first love, writing. Maybe it was all those Clint Eastwood movies she watched growing up, but in her opinion there is no better read than a steamy western historical.
Married to her very own hero, she lives on fifteen acres along with two beautiful daughters, three spoiled cats, three hyper dogs and one fat rabbit.
During the summer she does Civil War re-enacting and has found it a great research tool, not to mention she has continued appreciation for her microwave and hot water heater.Her debut novel, RAFE’S REDEMPTION, was a RWA Golden Heart Finalist and Won BEST ROMANCE 2011 at DITHR.
Visit Jennifer Jakes at www.jenniferjakes.com

Jennifer's book, RAFE'S REDEMPTION is up for June iBook Buzz (read and discuss book of the month)!  Leave a comment to win an ecopy and you can participate in the discussion!



RAFE'S REDEMPTION
He rode into town to buy supplies, not a woman.
For hunted recluse Rafe McBride, the raven-haired beauty on the auction block  is exactly what he doesn't need. A dependent woman will be another clue his vengeful stepbrother can use to find and kill him. But Rafe's conscience won't let him leave another innocent's virginity to the riff-raff bidding. He buys her, promising to return her to St. Louis untouched. He only prays the impending blizzard holds off before her sultry beauty breaks his willpower.
She wanted freedom, not a lover.
Whisked to the auction block by her devious, gambling cousin, and then sold into the arms of a gorgeous stranger, outspoken artist Maggie Monroe isn't about to go meekly. Especially when the rugged mountain man looks like sin and danger rolled into one. But a blizzard and temptation thrust them together, and Maggie yearns to explore her smoldering passion for Rafe.
But when the snow clears, will the danger and secrets that surround Rafe and Maggie tear them apart?
 TWICE IN A LIFETIME



Be Careful What You Wish For. . .
No-nonsense stuntwoman Isabella Douglas will do anything to stop an unwanted divorce and reclaim the happy life she had, even allow her old friend to concoct a magical spell to turn back time. But when the spell goes awry, Izzy finds herself trapped aboard a 1768 Caribbean pirate ship with a captain who’s a dead ringer for her sexy as sin husband, Ian. Convinced he’s playing a cruel joke, she’s furious – until she realizes he doesn’t know her or believe they’re married.
Captain Ian Douglas does not have time to deal with an insane woman who claims to be his wife; he has to save his kidnapped sister. But as Izzy haunts his dreams and fills him with erotic memories he can’t explain, he’s forced to admit he feels more than lust.
Trapped in a vicious cycle of past mirroring present, Izzy knows they only have days to find Ian’s sister and prevent disaster from striking a second time. If she doesn’t, their marriage will be destroyed again – along with the man she loves.