Pat Bertram's Blog, page 314

Language of the Fan Decoded

Once upon a time, women (were they called women back then, or were they ladies?) carried fans, and they used the fans to communicate silently with their lovers. Of course, since everyone knew the language of the fan, the maessage wasn't exactly a secret. Still, the language has its uses, most particularly for writers of historical romance. So, for your edification, here it is:

With the handle to the lips:  Kiss me

Carrying in the right hand:  Desirous of making acquaintance

Carrying in the...

Way Cool Review!

I made a new friend on Facebook yesterday — Patty Andersen.  Turns out she's a fan, someone who bought Daughter Am I because it had been recommended to her. Wow! My fame is spreading! Okay, one recommendation isn't fame, but it's a beginning, especially considering the wonderful review Patty Andersen wrote:

This was an awesome book. At age 23 Mary Stuart finds out that she has inherited a farm from her grandparents. Her father had told her that her grandparents were dead, so the inheritance...

A Spark of Heavenly Fire Outtake #6

A Spark of Heavenly Fire takes place during the month of December. To celebrate, I am posting outtakes from the book. Like movie outtakes, these are scenes that were deleted from the final version.  Posting them is not as easy as it sounds. Since the original version is no longer in my computer, I have to retype the pages from my handwritten draft copy.  Still, it's fun being able to revisit some of my original scenes. Hope you enjoy this look at my characters. Oh, and if you'd like to see a...

MY WEBSITE IS DECORATED FOR CHRISTMAS!

I realize the tree isn't as awesome as the Ashland University Christmas Card that's making the rounds, but it's more than I planned to do to celebrate. Even better, fellow Second Wind author JJ Dare (False Positive and False World) made it for me. Click on the photo and it will take you to my site where the tree is live. It's similar to an advent tree, but you get to click on all the ornaments now. (Mine is the lilac  one sort of in the center.)

Tagged: Ashland University Christmas Card...

Ugly Book Cover

A recent reviewer of More Deaths Than One liked the book well enough, but thought the cover was SO UGLY. (The capital letters were the reviewer's.) Perhaps it is. The printed version is not what I had envisioned. It was supposed to be an eerie night-vision-goggle-green painting with purple lettering (as you see on the right sidebar) and it turned out to be emerald and raspberry sherbet pink. The painting also lost much of its detail. However, whatever the vagaries of the printing process...

A Spark of Heavenly Fire Outtake #5

A Spark of Heavenly Fire takes place during the month of December. To celebrate, I am posting outtakes from the book. Like movie outtakes, these are scenes that were deleted from the final version.  Posting them is not as easy as it sounds. Since the original version is no longer in my computer, I have to retype the pages from my handwritten draft copy.  Still, it's fun being able to revisit some of my original scenes. Hope you enjoy this look at my characters. Oh, and if you'd like to see a...

A Spark of Heavenly Fire Outtake #4

A Spark of Heavenly Fire takes place during the month of December. To celebrate, I am posting outtakes from the book. Like movie outtakes, these are scenes that were deleted from the final version.  Posting them is not as easy as it sounds. Since the original version is no longer in my computer, I have to retype the pages from my handwritten draft copy.  Still, it's fun being able to revisit some of my original scenes. Hope you enjoy this look at my characters. Oh, and if you'd like to see a...

Books Make Good Christmas Gifts

Of course books make good Christmas gifts. You know that. Here's a list of books you may not have heard of by relatively unknown writers — at least they are relatively unknown at the moment. I wouldn't be surprised if one or two or even all of the authors are household names by this time next year. 

The Medicine People by Lazarus Barnhill is a deceptively lighthearted mystery with great characterization and surprising twists and turns.  Why has triple murder suspect and fugitive Ben...

The Place is More Than Scenery

I am pleased to welcome Malcolm R. Campbell as a guest on this blog. Not only has he left myriad thoughtful comments on my posts, he has written one of my favorite books, a delightful mystery called Jock Stewart and the Missing Sea of Fire. Though Jock Stewart is a throwback to the Hollywood's film noir reporters, Campbell's delight in words and wordplay shows through the hardbitten shell, and the novel has a gleeful undertone. If you are searching for a Christmas gift for a booklover, look...

A Spark of Heavenly Fire Outtake #3

A Spark of Heavenly Fire takes place during the month of December. To celebrate, I am posting outtakes from the book. Like movie outtakes, these are scenes that were deleted from the final version.  Posting them is not as easy as it sounds. Since the original version is no longer in my computer, I have to retype the pages from my handwritten draft copy.  Still, it's fun being able to revisit some of my original scenes. Hope you enjoy this look at my characters. Oh, and if you'd like to see a...