Meredith Allard's Blog, page 18
November 25, 2019
Posts on Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
It’s Thanksgiving week here in the U.S., with the official holiday this Thursday. To celebrate, I thought I’d share the links to my posts on life in Colonial Massachusetts. True, the Salem Witch Trials occurred in 1692, while the settlers we celebrate on Thanksgiving arrived earlier that century. True, most of what we know about “the first Thanksgiving” isn’t correct. Even so, the day can be meaningful if we take time away from the insanity to focus on what we have to be thankful for.
Enjoy the posts. Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends.
[image error]Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash
Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Clothing in Colonial Massachusetts
Cooking in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Daily Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Food in Colonial Massachusetts
Goodwives in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
November 18, 2019
News and Updates
Greetings! I just wanted to share a few quick updates.
1. Down Salem Way
is getting great reviews.
The reviews are still coming in, but so far the feedback for Down Salem Way has been amazing. New five-star reviews are popping up every day. When I put Down Salem Way out into the world, I hoped readers would love this new insight into James and Elizabeth’s time in Salem during the witch hunts. So far, the answer is yes, they do. Thank you.
2. Down Salem Way
is on sale for 99 cents.
To celebrate the holiday season, Down Salem Way is currently on sale for 99 cents on Amazon and other online retailers. See the Buy My Books page for purchase links.
3. My World War I and Woman’s Suffrage Movement novel, Victory Garden, is back on sale.
Victory Garden is back on sale at Amazon for $2.99. The novel will be available on KDP Select through February 17, 2020. It’s funny to say the story is a good read for fans of Downton Abbey because that’s the same tag line used for When It Rained at Hembry Castle, but Victory Garden is a good read for fans of Downton Abbey. In my defense, I wrote Victory Garden 15 years ago, before Downton Abbey aired. Victory Garden takes place from 1917-1921 and follows Rose Scofield as she navigates life during World War I and the Woman’s Suffrage Movement.
If you’d like a review copy of Victory Garden, I’m happy to provide one. Please get in touch through the Contact Me link above.
November 5, 2019
Interview With Supernatural Central
Here’s my Short and Quick interview with Supernatural Central. You can see it on their site here, but since the words on the website are dark for some reason I posted the interview here for you to enjoy.
1. Tell me a little bit about your main character of this book.
The main character of Down Salem Way is James Wentworth, a
young man who left England with his father, John, in 1690 in hopes of
furthering John’s prosperous mercantile business in the American colonies. They
settle in Salem in the Massachusetts Bay Colony where James falls in love with
Elizabeth Jones, a farmer’s daughter. James wants to be a dutiful son and he
stays in Salem helping John with his business, but he’s torn because he wants
to return to England to his studies at Cambridge. Suddenly, the Salem Witch
Trials rear their ugly heads and James and Elizabeth find themselves caught up
in the madness. Really, it’s James’ love for Elizabeth that drives this story.
Down Salem Way is written as James’ diary as he and Elizabeth experience the
witch hunt hysteria in Salem.
2. Do you believe in the paranormal and if so, do you have an experience you can share?
I’ve had a lot of questions about whether or not I believe
in the supernatural elements of the Loving Husband books. I don’t believe that
vampires or werewolves actually exist. I don’t think it’s so much about
believing in Wiccans because they’re really there. There are many all over the
world who consider themselves Wiccan. Do they have magic powers like Miriam and
the other witches in the Loving Husband books? I know Wiccans cast spells, and
I’m not one to judge whether or not their spells work!
I believe that human beings are composed of body, mind, and
spirit. I believe we’re more than our earthly experiences and five senses show
us. I do believe our souls go on after our human bodies die, and I think it’s
possible that those souls go on to be reincarnated. Down Salem Way and The Loving
Husband Trilogy are fiction, and the reason I love writing fiction above
all else is because it allows me to explore the possibilities. Paranormal
events may or may not happen—I don’t know for sure one way or the other—but writing
these books was my way of wondering aloud what the paranormal world (and
vampires and witches) might look like if it was real.
3. What titles are you working on now that you can tell us about?
My next novel is going to be a Christmas book from my Hembry
Castle series. When It Rained at Hembry Castle is based on my love for Charles
Dickens and Downton Abbey, and it’s a sweet Victorian romance. Christmas at
Hembry Castle will be released Winter 2020. You can visit me online at
www.meredithallard.com to learn more about Down Salem Way, the Loving Husband
Trilogy, and When It Rained at Hembry Castle, and my future books as well.
November 4, 2019
Down Salem Way is on Tour!
Hooray! Down Salem Way starts its blog tour today. Please do stop by the blogs for interviews, guest posts, and reviews of Down Salem Way.
November 4 Other Worlds of Romance (Guest Blog)
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Paranormal Romances
http://lindamooney.blogspot.com/
November 5 Supernatural Central (Interview)
http://supernaturalcentral.blogspot.com
November 6 Boundless Book Reviews
http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com
November 7 Authors’ Secrets (Interview)
https://www.tenastetler.com/category/authors-secrets-blog/
November 8 Fang-tastic Books (Guest Blog)
http://fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
November 11 Paranormalists
https://paranormalists.blogspot.com/
November 11 Roxanne’s Realm
http://www.roxannerhoads.com/
November 12 The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom (Guest Blog)
http://creativelygreen.blogspot.com/
November 13 Jazzy Book Reviews
http://bookreviewsbyjasmine.blogspot.com/
November 14 Sapphyria’s Books
https://saphsbooks.blogspot.com/
November 15 JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder
https://jbbookworms.blogspot.com
November 18 SImply Kelina
http://simplykelina.blogspot.com
November 19 Booklikes
http://roxannerhoads.booklikes.com
November 20 Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
http://mommasaystoreadornottoread.blogspot.com/
November 21 Books 4 Book Nerds
https://booknerdbooks.wordpress.com
November 22 The Book Junkie Reads (Guest Blog)
https://thebookjunkiereadspromos.blogspot.com/
November 25 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, and Sissy, Too!
http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com
November 26 T’s Stuff (Interview)
http://www.tsstuff.net
November 27 Don’t Judge, Read
http://dontjudgeread.blogspot.ca
November 29 Ogitchida Kwe’s Book Blog
http://ogitchidabookblog.blogspot.com
December 2 Lisa’s World of Books
http://www.lisasworldofbooks.net/
December 2 Exclusive Excerpt
https://www.bewitchingbooktours.biz/
[image error]
October 21, 2019
Goodwives in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Those familiar with The Crucible, the Salem Witch Trials, or even life in Colonial America have heard the term Goody, short for Goodwife. The term Goody was meant in a similar way as Mrs. today since Goody indicated a married woman. In Salem in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Goody didn’t refer to every married woman; instead, it was a way to distinguish social classes. If a woman was Goody Whateverherlastnamewas, she was from the lower classes, perhaps a farmer’s wife. The wives of more prominent men were known as Mistress. Farmers were known as Goodman and merchants, lawyers, and others of the wealthier classes were known as Mister.
As I researched Down Salem Way, I became fascinated by the daily lives of women in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. What I discovered, which is what one often discovers when researching history, is that there is no simple answer to what life was like at any point in time. A woman’s lifestyle in seventeenth-century Colonial America was influenced by many factors, from the family she was born into, to the man she married, to whether or not she married, to how much money she had, or to her social status.
The ideal of how colonial women lived is often at odds with the reality of what really happened. We have this present-day idea that women only started working recently, growing in numbers and opportunities mainly since World War II. The truth is, women have always worked—working-class women, at least. Yes, it’s true, wealthier women didn’t work, as though their husband’s social status could be confirmed by how little his wife had to do.
The title “goodwife” shouts the importance of marriage for seventeenth-century women. Colonial society expected women to marry, raise children, and manage a household while being model wives, obedient to their menfolk. According to Abramovitz (2017), “…to be proper helpmeets, women each had to acquire a husband and a family and had to take up homemaking in her own home” (p. 40). Women were dependent on men for financial support. Widowed and divorced women were expected to remarry, and bachelors and spinsters were expected to live in an established household—one run by a married couple (Abramovitz, 2017). As Abramovitz said, “Unmarried women, in addition, faced social disapproval as dependent girls and incomplete women…newspapers and town gossips often characterized single females as unattractive, disagreeable ‘old virgins’ who were unable to catch a man” (p. 41).
Scholars such as Karlsen (1998) argue that it was the number of unmarried women in Salem in 1692 that lit the flame that spread the madness of the witch accusations. While some of the accusers, such as Elizabeth Putnam, were middle-aged, others such as Abigail Williams and Mary Warren were young women in their late teens or early twenties who, according to colonial society, should have already had establishments of their own. Since these young women were still single, working as servants for others, and possibly frustrated with their lives, the witch accusations gave them an excuse to begin acting out. Instead of being seen as old virgins who couldn’t catch a man, they were listened to and respected by the magistrates who believed their cries of invisible specters harming them in the night. While such a theory can never be proven, it’s an interesting one to consider.
In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, women had no religious rights and no legal rights, which were one and the same in a Puritan society. Women’s legal identities were taken over by their husbands when they married. Married women couldn’t enter into legal contracts by themselves. Wives handed over control of their property or anything else they brought to the marriage as their dowries to their husbands (Meyers, 2003).
Men didn’t believe that women were capable of handling their own matters. Women’s smaller statures were believed to be the result of frailer constitutions. Women’s smaller heads were believed to be the result of a less developed brain. Emotional outbursts from women were signs of a moral weakness that might prove problematic for any men under their spell (Meyers, 2003).
Men believed that women must be watched, and closely. Women must be under a man’s control since women were sinful by nature—hadn’t the Bible told them so? Puritan and other Christian theologians argued that Eve caused the Fall. She couldn’t avoid temptation from one measly snake, after all. Women were more susceptible to poor choices and blinding passions, so merely by proximity, they endangered their men’s very souls (Meyers, 2003). According to Meyers, such ideas about the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of women, the thought that women could not resist evil, played an important role in fueling the witchcraft hysteria in Europe and Colonial America. Women were the majority of those called out as witches since it was believed that women were more corruptible by the Devil (Barstow, 1994).
Women were believed to be weak creatures, so they weren’t supposed to speak out on their own behalf. During the Salem witch hunts, if a woman wanted to accuse someone of witchcraft, she had to send a man to do so on her behalf. A poor example, perhaps, but it is an interesting one. While the women’s accusations were believed by the magistrates and their word accepted as evidence, the women’s accusations were not heard until a man went to the court to register the complaint.
In colonial days the less wealthy women who didn’t have servants to do their every bidding, had plenty to do, mainly tending to chores around the house with cooking, cleaning, sewing, and mending, as well as birthing and caring for the children (Smith, 2008).
A goodwife was “expected to provide her mate with material, spiritual, emotional, and sexual comforts. She was expected to obey her husband, but…affection and mutual respect tempered obedience into support” (Volo & Volo, 2006, p. 178). Strict guidelines existed about “men’s work” and “women’s work,” but there were times when women helped their husbands in their trade (Volo & Volo, 2006). It would not have been unusual to find a woman serving patrons in her husband’s public house, especially if her husband were ill, away, or otherwise unable to work. Farmer’s wives might work the fields during planting or harvesting seasons. According to Volo & Volo (2006), Salem court records show wives farming corn, branding steers, and tending cattle whenever necessary.
According to Smith (2008):
Despite restrictions and prohibitions, some women did step outside of their usual roles to publish their work, to express religious beliefs, and to initiate court suits. Yet within their typical roles as wives and mothers, women were also important, as the early Chesapeake settlers found when there were few women in the settlement to cook, mend, and do laundry. The phrase ‘‘women’s roles’’ is somewhat misleading because it implies fixed positions and responsibilities for women, when, in fact, women’s roles in the seventeenth century were fluid and overlapping (p. 24).
Anne Bradstreet is one example of a woman in the Massachusetts Bay Colony who stepped outside her usual role to publish her work. Bradstreet’s poetry is still taught in American literature classes today. Fans of the Loving Husband Trilogy know how much I admire Bradstreet. I found the title for Her Dear & Loving Husband from one of Bradstreet’s poems. She stays true to her Puritan faith while still admitting to her earthly love for her husband and children. She is spiritual in her love for God and personal in her love for her family. For more information about Anne Bradstreet, read this post.
Yes, women in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, as throughout
the American Colonies, as throughout Europe, had many restrictions on their
lives based on false beliefs about women’s abilities. Despite the difficulties,
women in Colonial America helped to create a society that, while far from
perfect, did prosper.
References
Abramovitz, M. (2017). Regulating the Lives of Women: Social Welfare Policy From Colonial Times to the Present. New York, NY: Routledge.
Barstow, A. L. (1994). Witchcraze: A New History of the European Witch Hunts. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Karlsen, C. F. (1998). The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: The Witch in Seventeenth-Century New England. New York, NY: Norton.
Meyers, D. A. (2003). Common Whores, Vertuous Women, and Loveing Wives: Free Will Christian Women in Colonial Maryland. Indiana: Indiana University Press.
Smith, M. D. (2008). Women’s Roles in Seventeenth-Century America. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.
Volo, J. M. & Volo, D. D. (2006). Family Life in 17th-and 18th-Century America. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
* * * * *
Down Salem Way, the prequel to the Loving Husband Trilogy, is set during the Salem Witch Trials.
[image error]
[image error]
How would you deal with the madness of the Salem witch hunts?
In 1690, James Wentworth arrives in Salem in the Massachusetts Bay Colony with his father, John, hoping to continue the success of John’s mercantile business. While in Salem, James falls in love with Elizabeth Jones, a farmer’s daughter. Though they are virtually strangers when they marry, the love between James and Elizabeth grows quickly into a passion that will transcend time.
But something evil lurks down Salem way. Soon many in Salem, town and village, are accused of practicing witchcraft and sending their shapes to harm others. Despite the madness surrounding them, James and Elizabeth are determined to continue the peaceful, loving life they have created together. Will their love for one another carry them through the most difficult challenge of all?
October 14, 2019
Spooktacular Giveaway 2019
[image error]
You already know what I’m going to say…
It’s that time of year again!
I’m even more excited about the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop this year because I can share Down Salem Way with the winners. Whether you’re a James and Sarah/ Elizabeth superfan or a new reader who loves historical fiction and/or paranormal fantasy, I think you’ll enjoy this story set in Salem in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1692.
To celebrate the newest edition to the Loving Husband Trilogy series, I’m giving away 10 copies of Down Salem Way in your choice of ebook or paperback. Fill out the simple form below to enter. That’s it. There’s nothing more to do. Winners will be announced on November 2, 2019.
Best of luck to everyone who enters. If you’d like to see what other great bookish gifts are being given away, click on any of the links below and follow along with the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop.
1.
BookHounds
2.
BookHounds YA
3.
Stuck In Books
4.
StoreyBook Reviews
5.
Jean BookNerd
6.
Mina Burrows
7.
Readeropolis
8.
Sapphyria’s Books (US)
9.
All the Ups and Downs (INT)
10.
Maureen’s Musings
11.
Angela Christina Archer~Historical Romance Author
12.
Literary Rambles (INT)
13.
More Than a Review reviews w/content ratings (US)
14.
The Kids Did It
15.
The Mommy Island
16.
Mysteries and My Musings – US
17.
Craves the Angst Book Blog
18.
Author ML Hamilton
19.
Author McKenna Grey (US)
20.
Savings in Seconds
21.
Glistering: Bs Blog
22.
Life Within The Pages
23.
Author Tricia Schneider
24.
Love is a Lifestyle
25.
Win Book Money
26.
icefairy’s Treasure Chest (INTL)
27.
Kristis Book Nook
28.
Angel’s Guilty Pleasures (USA) ~
29.
When Is Dinner
30.
Why Not? Because I Said So!
31.
Rockin’ Book Reviews
32.
Meredith Allard
33.
Books In Bloom
34.
Sunny Buzzy Books (INT)
35.
Says Me Says Mom
36.
A Bookish Escape (INT)
37.
Lili Lost in a Book (INT)
38.
HOT LISTENS (Int)
39.
Nanny to Mommy
40.
Nicolie-Olies Meanderings (US) ~
41.
Christy’s Cozy Corners
42.
Nancy Gideon
[contact-form]
October 4, 2019
What I’m Reading
Here’s a bit of what I’ve been reading lately.
Bad Feminist
I’ve heard much about Roxane Gay, mainly because, like me, she’s an academic who writes for a more general population. Bad Feminist is the first book I’ve read from Gay, and I’m glad I finally took the plunge. According to Gay’s definition, I would probably be categorized as a bad feminist as well. Not all of Gay’s essays are specifically about feminism, but they’re still engaging, and I love her easy, conversational style and her sense of humor. I already have her memoir, Hunger, downloaded onto my Kindle.
Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So
So here’s the funny part…it didn’t even occur to me that Mark Vonnegut, M.D. was Kurt Vonnegut’s son when I saw his name on the cover. A friend recommended the book to me so I decided to read it from word of mouth. This memoir is Mark Vonnegut’s sometimes meandering account of his life with his famous dad, his life with mental illness, and his life as a pediatrician who still struggles with mental illness. For anyone dealing with mental illness who thinks mental illness has to be the sole defining aspect of their lives, this memoir may help you think otherwise.
The Story of the Jews–Part I
I freely admit that I adore Simon Schama. I love his books. I love the documentaries he hosts. I love that he loves art. Simon Schama is one cool dude as far as I’m concerned. I’ve read several of his previous books, so perhaps it’s odd that this Jewish person (me) hadn’t yet read his history of the Jewish people. Since my mother is Jewish, we’re more cultural Jews than religious (in case you didn’t know, Jewish people trace their lineage through their mother. You know how it goes. You always know who your mother is. Your father, not so much…). While I’ve learned bits and pieces about the religious side of Judaism over the years, Schama’s well-researched tome helped me connect the dots about my heritage. And I love that you can hear Schama’s voice come through the pages. I haven’t yet seen the documentary that goes along with The Story of the Jews, but I’ll definitely be watching.
Small Victories
Sometimes, I need to read something inspirational. Sometimes, I need someone to admit, you know what, life is hard, people drool, but we suck it up and do the best we can anyway because we’re capable of doing better than we are. When I need that kick in the pants, I read Anne Lamott. Her book Small Victories was just what I needed when I needed it. After a tough summer that I still haven’t emotionally recovered from, Lamott reminds me that it’s okay to feel bad when things go wrong but keep going anyway because small victories matter in the long run.
September 16, 2019
Charles Dickens Meets Downton Abbey
With the release of the new Downton Abbey movie this week, I thought I’d repost the interview I did with Many Books about my experience writing When It Rained at Hembry Castle, a sweet Victorian romance inspired by my love for Downton Abbey. Enjoy!
* * * * *
Meredith Allard fell in love with Charles Dickens’ work when she was in college and after watching every Downton Abbey episode multiple times, she decided to create a work inspired by her favorite author and TV show. When it Rained at Hembry Castle is the perfect marriage between the humor and mystery of Dickens’ work and the upstairs/downstairs world of the English aristocrats. Allard tells us more about what made her want to write a book set in the Victorian era, how she makes her characters come to life and how Hembry Castle has been brewing in her mind for 20 years.
Please give us a short introduction to When it Rained at Hembry Castle
When It Rained at Hembry Castle is set in Victorian England in 1870. It’s the story of American Daphne Meriwether, the granddaughter of the Earl of Staton. When the Earl dies, Daphne and her father Frederick return to England. It’s a challenge for Daphne, learning to live in the upstairs/downstairs world of her father’s family. And she may fall in love with the aspiring writer Edward Ellis while she’s there. Of course, obstacles get in their way. Hembry Castle is a love story at heart, though it has an interesting cast of characters who make life interesting for Edward and Daphne.
Why Victorian England? What fascinates you about this time period?
I fell in love with the novels of Charles Dickens and the Victorian era when I was in college and I always wanted to write a book set during this time. The Victorian era is interesting because it’s a time that is both historical and yet in some ways it feels modern. I love learning about history, and writing historical fiction is a great way for me to do that.
Did it require a lot of research to keep your novel historically correct? Which part of the research did you find the most interesting?
This was one historical novel that I didn’t have to do a ton of research for because I already had a lot of knowledge about the Victorian period from reading Dickens and other books about the era. I did double check everything I wrote, but since I knew where to look for the information that made it a shorter process than usual for me. I was able to travel to London twice as part of my research, and I absolutely loved that. London is a great city. In fact, I’ve walked many of Edward’s walks through the city. I think being able to visit and see the places for myself make the story much more realistic.
What, would you say, makes the English aristocrats so interesting to read about?
When It Rained at Hembry Castle was partially inspired by Downton Abbey, and the popularity of Downton Abbey is largely based on the curiosity people have about the upstairs/downstairs world of English aristocrats. In America, the upstairs/downstairs world is not part of our culture the way it is in Britain, and I think that accounts for the fascination about that lifestyle. It’s an introduction to a world we knew nothing about.
Privilege and class division are recurring themes in When it Rained at Hembry Castle. Why?
Since Downton Abbey was such a big influence on Hembry Castle, it seemed appropriate that privilege and class division should play a part in the story. My love for all things Dickens also inspired the novel, and privilege and class division are often themes in his stories. While I love watching Downton Abbey and am fascinated by the lifestyle of the upper classes, I can’t imagine ever having to live according to such arbitrary rules and regulations. Daphne represents the way I would look at that lifestyle if I were thrust into that world—with a sense of detachment and maybe some humor about it all. The fact that Daphne falls in love with the butler’s grandson when her grandmother means for her to marry a duke allowed me to probe a bit deeper into class division.
How did you manage to describe England’s countryside and other locations in your book so vividly?
Partially it was through reading, partially it was through photographs on Pinterest, but mainly it was my imagination. I was able to picture the scenery in my mind’s eye and I did my best to describe what I saw. And watching every episode of Downton Abbey many times helped!
Which classic author do you admire the most?
Charles Dickens, if you haven’t already figured that out. I read Dickens for the first time in college and knew that that’s what I wanted to do—write stories that were entire worlds unto themselves. I love his sense of humor, his spot-on observations, his way of pointing out things that were wrong in his world, many of which are still wrong in our world today. He’s the smartest, funniest writer I’ve ever read. Dickens has been the biggest influence in my own writing.
When it Rained at Hembry Castle contains many hilarious scenes. Why do you find it important to use humor in your writing?
This goes back to my love for Dickens. Dickens was a hilarious writer, and from him I learned that if you’re going to write truthfully about people then you have to include the light as well as the dark. People are funny. We do and say funny things all the time (sometimes without meaning to do so—which makes it even funnier). And besides, a sense of humor goes a long way in making a story fun to read.
Your book has a very Downton Abbey feel to it. Was that intentional? Are you a Downton Abbey fan yourself?
I love Downton Abbey and it was absolutely intentional to include the upstairs/downstairs feel of the show. In fact, Downton Abbey gave me an angle from which to tell the story. I came up with the original idea for Hembry Castle about 20 years ago (no joke) when I decided I wanted to write a story set in Victorian England about a writer who would be loosely based on a young Charles Dickens. I went on to write other novels and kept the Victorian story on the back burner for years. After I fell in love with Downton Abbey I realized that I could take elements from that TV show and use it to bring my Victorian story to life.
What are some tricks you use to create such believable characters?
Mainly, I use my imagination. It took me longer to write Hembry Castle than I thought it would because it took me some time to get to know all the characters. I can’t write about a character until I get a sense of his or her personality. Hembry Castle has a larger cast of characters than I usually write about, and it took me some time to get them all straight in my head. Really, it’s about not thinking too much during the first draft, allowing the characters to materialize in front of me, and then writing down what I see. Sometimes I’ll put a favorite actor in the “part” of that character and imagine that actor acting out the scenes. That helps me get a sense of cadence when the character speaks, the types of movements the character might do, and so on. But really, it all boils down to allowing my imagination freedom.
Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?
Writing is my most obvious superpower, but when I’m not writing I love to read. I also love to cook, and I just started art journaling, which I really enjoy.
Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?
The best place to find me online is my website, www.meredithallard.com. I’m also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authormeredithallard/. My favorite social media is Pinterest, and you can find me at https://www.pinterest.com/meredithallard/. I could stay on that all day!
[image error]
Missing Downton Abbey? A lush historical novel set in Victorian England, When It Rained at Hembry Castle is the story of an aristocratic family, secrets that dare not be told, and the wonder of falling in love.
[image error] Now $2.99 at Amazon
August 22, 2019
Down Salem Way Free on Amazon
If you’ve been wanting to read Down Salem Way, it’s available for free on Amazon today, 8/22, and tomorrow, 8/23.
Since we’re at it, the Loving Husband Trilogy and When It Rained at Hembry Castle are also free today and tomorrow. If you’ve been wanting to read any of my books but don’t have Kindle Unlimited, now is your chance to read them for free.
Also, Down Salem Way is available on NetGalley for the next month, so if you have a NetGalley account you can access it there as well.
August 19, 2019
Down Salem Way FAQ
I’ve been getting a lot of questions and comments about Down Salem Way through email at meredithallardauthor(at)gmail(dot)com and the Contact form on this website. Here are my answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. Keep the questions coming. I love them!
Was it hard to write in James’ voice?
No, it really wasn’t. Remember, the Loving Husband Trilogy was written from both James and Sarah/Elizabeth’s perspectives so I’ve been using James’ voice all along. In the Loving Husband Trilogy, it was third-person narration, but each chapter was still told from either James or Sarah/Elizabeth’s point of view, which made it easy to step into James’ shoes for Down Salem Way. Granted, Down Salem Way is James’ diary, so it’s all James all the time, and he’s a much younger man here (he’s 30 instead of 300+ pretending to be 30), but I enjoyed the opportunity to delve more deeply into his thoughts and feelings during the Salem Witch Trials.
About the whole woman writing from a man’s point of view debate, between friends, I couldn’t care less. The reason I write fiction is because it allows me to let my imagination run wild. That whole “write what you know” advice is hooey. Or, to paraphrase Natalie Goldberg, I know James because I say I know James. Of all the characters I’ve written, he’s the one I most closely identify with, so why not write from his point of view? Any writing advice that tells you to stifle your imagination and creativity needs to go back down the narrow-minded hole it came from. You’re never going to please everyone, so you might as well write your story the way you feel it needs to be written.
Why the delay between Her Loving Husband’s Return and Down Salem Way ?
After Her Loving Husband’s Return was finished, I thought that was the end of the Wentworths’ story. I hadn’t planned on writing anything else in the James and Sarah/Elizabeth world. Then I wrote When It Rained at Hembry Castle, set in a completely different Victorian-era world inspired by Downton Abbey and Charles Dickens, and then I did this little thing called a Ph.D. Completing my Ph.D. in four years took just about everything I had (including most of my brain cells) out of me, but I did come up with the final idea for Down Salem Way during that time. A couple of months after I finished my dissertation, I turned my focus onto Down Salem Way. At that point, it took about a year to complete. I’ve never been what you’d call a fast writer. I need to live with an idea and kick it around a bit before I can do any story justice.
Down Salem Way was hard for me to finish because it has such a sad ending. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to push through.
I know this isn’t a question, but I’ve been getting this a lot from readers so I thought I’d share it here. I know. Trust me, I know. I shed a lot of tears writing this book. Fans of the Loving Husband Trilogy shouldn’t be surprised by the ending. Still, it’s much more difficult reading what happened to Elizabeth in exacting detail, especially since it’s so heartbreaking the way it played out. It’s not an exaggeration to say I was shattered writing this book. But like I said in the notes at the end of Down Salem Way, the bitterness is alleviated by the sweetness of what we know is coming in Her Dear and Loving Husband. I’d say Down Salem Way is even more heartbreaking than Her Loving Husband’s Curse, and that was a tough one. Remember, this is a novel about the Wentworths’ experiences during the Salem Witch Trials. It couldn’t end any other way, especially since Elizabeth’s story was established in Her Dear and Loving Husband. But I agree…this is a tough one. Get your box of tissues ready!
That is Geoffrey, right?
Yes, that is Geoffrey lurking in the shadows in Down Salem Way. Poor James didn’t know what he was in for when he went off alone with Geoffrey that night, but he’ll come to know Geoffrey much better throughout the trilogy. Miriam also makes an appearance–several appearances, in fact, along with her sisters. If you haven’t read Her Loving Husband’s Curse yet, you’ll meet Miriam more closely and see how she stays connected to James throughout the stories–and the years.
Will there be more Loving Husband Trilogy books?
Yes, there will more James and Sarah books. I have an idea to take my original plot for Down Salem Way and turn it into another Loving Husband story. I also have an idea for a magical realism story about Grace, James and Sarah’s daughter. How long will it take for me to write these books? I can never answer that question with any accuracy so it’s always better for me to just say stay tuned. Follow me here or on any of my social media accounts for the latest news on my books. Next up on my agenda is the new Hembry Castle story and I’m excited to visit with Edward and Daphne again.
