Allison Bruning's Blog, page 41

Happy Birthday #GirlScouts

Juliette Gordon Low pins a Girl Scout

March 12
Girl Scout Day







Today is a very special day for Girl Scouting. On this day in 1912, Juliette Gordon Low gathered twelve girls and started the Girl Scout troop in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia.
Juliette Gordon Low had always had an active lifestyle. She was born on October 31, 1860 in Savannah, Georgia. Her family nicknamed her Daisy. Daisy developed a lifetime interests in the arts during her childhood. She wrote poems, wrote and acted in play, sketched, and later became a skilled painter and sculptor. She also blacksmith as a young adult. 
Daisy was very athletic as well. She loved to play basketball. She had been an avid swimmer since her childhood. She was the captain of a rowing team in her youth and learned how to canoe as an adult. Every year on her birthday she would stand on her head just to prove she could still do it. Juliette Gordon Low was not your typical upper class 19th century woman. 
Daisy married William Mackay Low, a wealthy Englishman, on December 21, 1886 in Savannah, Georgie. Before the wedding, she had suffered from chronic ear infections for most of her life and had lost most of her hearing in one of her ears due to improper treatment of her condition. As she and her beloved passed through the crowd of well wishers a grain of rice became lodged in her ear.  It punctured her eardrum and she lost the ability to hear in that ear. Daisy and her husband moved to England after the wedding but she continued to maintain ties to her family by travelling numerous times between the British Isles and the United States during her marriage. 
The Spanish American War broke out between Spain and the United States on April 25, 1898. Daisy returned to Savannah where she aided her mother in organizing a convalescent hospital for soldiers who had returned from Cub. Daisy's father, who had served as a Confederate captain during the Civil War, was commissioned a general by the United States Army and served on the Puerto Rican Peace Commission eight months later where the Treaty of Paris was signed, effectively ending the Spanish War. After the war, Daisy returned to her home in England where she found her marriage had already begun to crumble. When her husband died in 1905 the couple had already been separated. 
Juliette Gordon Low (center) with two Girl Scouts
US Public DomainDaisy was looking for something to do with her life after the death of her husband. Her search ended when she met Sir Robert Baden-Powell in 1911. He had just founded an organization known as the Boy Scouts. Daisy loved the idea. The English Baron felt girls would benefit from a troop as well but with their own organization. His sister, Agnes Baden-Powell organized the Girl Guides, which was the female equivalent of the Boy Scouts. Soon after learning of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, Daisy began her own Girl Guide troop in Scotland. She taught them many skills she had learned from her grandmother. Although she enjoyed her Girl Guide troop in Scotland, Daisy wanted to bring the same idea to the United States. She approached Sir Robert Baden-Powell with the idea and he fully supported her. 
Daisy returned to the states where on she called her distant cousin and announced, "I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight!" Daisy gathered 18 girls from all walks of life and registered them as the first American Girl Guides troop on March 12, 1912. The first registered girl was her niece Margaret "Daisy Doots" Gordon. ( I had the pleasure of meeting her when I was child. She was an amazing woman who had loved her aunt dearly.) 
The American Girl Guides officially changed their name to Girls Scouts a year later. 
You can learn more about the history of Girl Scouting by visiting these pages.
http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/history/low_biography/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliette_Gordon_Low

Celebrate Saint Patrick's Day with A #FREE BOOK

St. Patrick's Day 2007
By: Out.of.Focus
@http://www.flickr.com/photos/11513812...
March 11
Hear ye! Hear ye!
You don't want to miss this news. 
I may not be Irish Catholic but Saint Patrick's Day is one of the most important holidays of the year for me. My maternal grandmother was of Appalachian Irish descent. Grandma Carr was one of the most amazing women I have ever known. She taught me to honor my parents, love God, never forget my Irish heritage and to never stop writing. She had recognized my creative writing skills when I was in Kindergarten and encouraged me to explore that creativity throughout my life. 
My grandmother was always there when I needed her the most. She had four children, ten grandchildren and eleven great children yet she always made each of feel as if we her most cherished person in the world. My grandmother loved children. She was always adopting others as her grandchildren. She could play any musical instrument and learn any song by ear. Staying true to her Appalachian Irish roots, she valued her faith, family and music. 
I lost my Grandmother Carr in 2006 and poured my grief into a poem titled "Grandma". "Grandma" is included in my latest book Reflections: Poems and Essays. 
I have decided to honor my Grandma Carr and her heritage this year with a three day giveaway of my ebook Reflections: Poems and Essays starting Friday, March 15 and ending on St. Patrick's Day, Sunday, March 17th. You don't want to miss this. 




You can download your free copy of Reflections: Poems and Essays this weekend at
http://amzn.to/XGyiog

#Paranormal Legacy

March 10
Paranormal Legacy
I'm taking a break from our Tudor Troubles series today to introduce to you author, Caitlin Hensley. Caitlin's book, Paranormal Legacy, is book one of the Inhuman Chronicles and is for young adult readers.

Welcome to my blog today, Caitlin.

Thank you.

Can you tell us what your book is about?

After moving to a rural Pennsylvania town, cynical teen Haily Long soon discovers that the next-door neighbors are paranormal creatures of darkness. Despite this little quirk, the Knight family seems friendly enough, especially handsome Nathan. Nathan is well-mannered and polite, your typical boy next door . . . except for the fact that he turns into something else once a month. In a matter of days, Haily is drawn deep into a shadowed world of danger and deceit, and learns startling truths about her own past. When sinister strangers come sniffing around town for Nathan, and Haily gets pulled into the resulting chaos, she must discover how to unlock her true heritage if she wants to survive.

Sounds very interesting. May we read an excerpt from your book?

Yes.


There’s a noise behind me, a floorboard groaning under a cautious foot. I start to turn, but a sweaty hand clamps over my mouth, forcing my lips shut.My attacker shoves me down onto the bed, and I bounce twice on the mattress, smacking my head against the headboard.I squint up at the figure looming over me, standing beside my bed. It takes a moment for the blur that’s his face to snap into focus, then I recognize him. It’s the guy from the coffee shop.“What the . . . what are you doing in my room?”


Who or what inspired you to become an author?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, so I’m not sure what initially set me off. I used to sit down and fill up notebooks with lines of messy writing, then I called my little sister into the room and read her my stories right there on the spot. What really inspired me to polish up my craft was a combination of a great book on writing that I checked out from the library, and my first ever writing class.

How many books have you written?

Nine, I think. Right now numbers 10-14 are in various stages of being written.

Who is your favorite character in Paranormal Legacy?

Jake West, probably. He’s a sarcastic hawk shifter, and he was so much fun to write.

Are any of the characters in your book based on people you know?

Not really. Though occasionally I steal people’s first and last names and blend them together to create character names.

When you read, what is your favorite genre?

I read just about anything in the way of YA fiction. I’m not terribly picky. :)

Have any new authors grasped your interest?

I just finished a book by Trish Marie Dawson, and it was fantastic!

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve Googled?

Recently, I’ve Googled things like “all about embalming process,” “how to crawl through a ventilation shaft,” and “what can happen to someone has too much blood drawn.” And those are nothing compared to some of the things I’ve Googled over the years. If the police ever looked at my computer search history, I think they’d be pretty suspicious of me. lol

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

I think it would be cool to turn invisible. Or maybe fly.


Thank you for you time.  

Who is Caitlin Hensley?

Caitlin Hensley has been telling stories since she learned to hold a pen, and is pretty much obsessed with writing. She’s the author of The Inhuman Chronicles, as well as the novelette Together Alone. When not typing frantically on her laptop, she’s usually dancing, catching up on reruns of her favorite TV shows, or getting lost in a great book. She lives in rural Oklahoma with her family and a slightly nutty Chihuahua.


Links:BlogFacebook pageGoodreadsAmazon author profile

#TudorTroubles: Anne Boleyn and Henry Percy

Anne Boleyn
Public Domain



March 9
Tudor Troubles:Marriage for Anne Boleyn?Part 2




Anne Boleyn had attract the attention from potential suitors as soon as she arrived at the English Court due to her French customs, dress and physical attributes. She is best described by American historian Retha M. Warnicke as "the perfect woman courtier... her carriage was graceful and her French clothes were pleasing and stylish; she danced with ease, had a pleasant singing voice, played the lute and several other musical instruments well, and spoke French fluently... A remarkable, intelligent, quick-witted young noblewoman... that first drew people into conversation with her and then amused and entertained them. In short, her energy and vitality made her the center of attention in any social gathering."
Courtship It was long before Anne had began courting even though she had been promised to her Irish cousin, James Butler. Her position as a lady-in-waiting for Queen Catherine of Aragon granted her full access to the queen's inner chambers. Queen Catherine of Aragon was a devote  Catholic who was visited by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey frequently. Cardinal Wosley was very close to the royal family during this time. Anne probably caught the attention of Cardinal Wosley's aide, Henry Percy, while the Roman Catholic Cardinal was visiting Queen Catherine of Aragon. Henry's father was Henry Algernon Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland. The handsome man was around Anne's own age and was the heir to one of the largest earldoms in England. She accepted his advances and the two started to secretly court. The couple had done well to keep their courtship a secret until rumors began to float around Hampton Court that they were secretly engaged. These rumors would later play an important role in Anne Boleyn's downfall and had contributed to the dissolution of her marital arrangements to James Butler.
When King Henry and Cardinal Wosley learned of the relationship they were greatly displeased with the couple. They didn't feel the couple were a good match for each other even though the couple were in love. Cardinal Wosley confronted Henry Percy in front of the servants saying,
 "'I am amazed at your foolishness in getting entangled, even engaged, to this silly girl at court - I mean Anne Boleyn.  Have you not considered your position?  After the death of your noble father you stand to inherit one of the greatest earldoms in the country.  It would thus have been more proper if you had sought the consent of your father in this affair and to have made his highness the king privy to it, requesting his royal blessing.  Had you done so, he was not only have welcomed your request but would, I can assure you, have promoted you to a position more suited to your noble estate.  And thence you might have gained the king's favor by your conduct and wise council and and thus risen further still in his estimation.
'But now look what you have done by your thoughtlessness.  You have not only offended your own father but also your sovereign and pledged yourself to someone whom neither would agree to be suitable.  And do not doubt that I shall send for your father and when he comes he will break off this engagement or disinherit you forever.  The king himself will make a complaint to your father and demand no less an action than I have suggested.  Indeed, I happen to know that the king has already promised this lady to someone else and that though she is not yet aware of it, the arrangements are already far advanced.  The king however, being a man of great prudence and diplomacy, is confident that, once she is aware of the situation, she will agree to the union gladly.'
Henry Percy tried to persuade his father to allow the relationship between him and Anne Boleyn but found the Cardinal's words to be true. Henry's father threatened to disown him if he continued forth with his plans to marry Anne Boleyn. Henry Percy only had one choice. He couldn't risk upsetting his king, father and the cardinal. He broke Anne's heart and married Mary Talbot soon afterwards. His father had arranged for him to marry Mary Talbot several years before Henry and Anne had met. His father forbid him from ever contacting or communicating with Anne Boleyn.
Anne Boleyn was infuriated with Cardinal Wosley and vowed to seek revenge upon him. She openly expressed her anger towards the King's most trusted aide. Her inappropriate behavior towards the Cardinal lead to her dismissal from the queen's service and she was forced to leave the court. Her father sent her to live at her childhood home, Hever Castle. It was here she would catch the attention of a famous poet who some say fell madly in love with the future queen. 
You can read a first person account of Henry Percy's encounter with Cardinal Wosley here http://englishhistory.net/tudor/ab-percy.html

Let Her Voice Be Heard.

Woman working on an airplane motorat North American Aviation, Inc., plant in California
US Public Domain








March 8
International Woman's Day
Women have been the backbone of every nation in the world. We are mothers, daughters, sisters and wives. We have been transforming the world through our homes since the beginning of time yet for most of history we have not achieved equality with men. Today, I would like to take a break from Tudor Troubles to write about a very important international holiday - International Woman's Day. The goal of International Woman's Day is to honor the achievements of women throughout the world, remember the struggles we have overcome and look forward to a brighter future for women everywhere. 
International Woman's Day was first celebrated in the United States on February 28, 1909. It was founded during the suffrage moment to bring awareness to women's rights. The United States was founded under the belief that all men were created equal. Our founding fathers did not include women's rights because at that time women were considered to be the property of their husband or their fathers. They believed God had created women to be the weaker sex. As such, a woman's judgement could not be trusted. They could not inherit property, vote, file a police report nor hold office. Women were at the mercy of their fathers or husbands.

Everything changed after the American Civil War. The children of the soliders who fought in the Civil War wanted to ensure the bloody battle never happened again. It just so happened that they were adults when the 20th century began. Many saw the new century as an opportunity for change. They abandoned their parent's philosophy and embraced new ideals and new technologies. One of these movements was Women and Children's rights. The 15th amendment ratified on February 3, 1870 granted former slaves the right to vote but women still were not allowed to voice their opinion in the vote. Women were granted the right to vote in 1920. You can read more about the Women's Suffrage Movement at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_suffrage. Although American women have the right to vote, hold office, and inherit property we are still fighting for equal rights. The right to be compensated for our work with the same pay as men.



Women's Day became an international holiday when the Socialist International held an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen. Over 100 women from 17 countries, including the first three women elected to the Finnish Parliament, attended the conference.  Clara Zetkin ,Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in German, proposed that an International Women's Day be held every year. Everyone agreed to the proposal. 
You can read more about history of International Women's Day at: 
http://internationalwomensday.com/about.asp#.UTtP6qXbC0s
and
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd/history.html

#Tudor Troubles: Anne Boleyn and Henry Percy

Anne Boleyn
Public Domain


March 8
Tudor Troubles:Marriage for Anne Boleyn?Part 2




Anne Boleyn had attract the attention from potential suitors as soon as she arrived at the English Court due to her French customs, dress and physical attributes. She is best described by American historian Retha M. Warnicke as "the perfect woman courtier... her carriage was graceful and her French clothes were pleasing and stylish; she danced with ease, had a pleasant singing voice, played the lute and several other musical instruments well, and spoke French fluently... A remarkable, intelligent, quick-witted young noblewoman... that first drew people into conversation with her and then amused and entertained them. In short, her energy and vitality made her the center of attention in any social gathering."
Courtship It was long before Anne had began courting even though she had been promised to her Irish cousin, James Butler. Her position as a lady-in-waiting for Queen Catherine of Aragon granted her full access to the queen's inner chambers. Queen Catherine of Aragon was a devote  Catholic who was visited by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey frequently. Cardinal Wosley was very close to the royal family during this time. Anne probably caught the attention of Cardinal Wosley's aide, Henry Percy, while the Roman Catholic Cardinal was visiting Queen Catherine of Aragon. Henry's father was Henry Algernon Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland. The handsome man was around Anne's own age and was the heir to one of the largest earldoms in England. She accepted his advances and the two started to secretly court. The couple had done well to keep their courtship a secret until rumors began to float around Hampton Court that they were secretly engaged. These rumors would later play an important role in Anne Boleyn's downfall and had contributed to the dissolution of her marital arrangements to James Butler.
When King Henry and Cardinal Wosley learned of the relationship they were greatly displeased with the couple. They didn't feel the couple were a good match for each other even though the couple were in love. Cardinal Wosley confronted Henry Percy in front of the servants saying,
 "'I am amazed at your foolishness in getting entangled, even engaged, to this silly girl at court - I mean Anne Boleyn.  Have you not considered your position?  After the death of your noble father you stand to inherit one of the greatest earldoms in the country.  It would thus have been more proper if you had sought the consent of your father in this affair and to have made his highness the king privy to it, requesting his royal blessing.  Had you done so, he was not only have welcomed your request but would, I can assure you, have promoted you to a position more suited to your noble estate.  And thence you might have gained the king's favor by your conduct and wise council and and thus risen further still in his estimation.
'But now look what you have done by your thoughtlessness.  You have not only offended your own father but also your sovereign and pledged yourself to someone whom neither would agree to be suitable.  And do not doubt that I shall send for your father and when he comes he will break off this engagement or disinherit you forever.  The king himself will make a complaint to your father and demand no less an action than I have suggested.  Indeed, I happen to know that the king has already promised this lady to someone else and that though she is not yet aware of it, the arrangements are already far advanced.  The king however, being a man of great prudence and diplomacy, is confident that, once she is aware of the situation, she will agree to the union gladly.'
Henry Percy tried to persuade his father to allow the relationship between him and Anne Boleyn but found the Cardinal's words to be true. Henry's father threatened to disown him if he continued forth with his plans to marry Anne Boleyn. Henry Percy only had one choice. He couldn't risk upsetting his king, father and the cardinal. He broke Anne's heart and married Mary Talbot soon afterwards. His father had arranged for him to marry Mary Talbot several years before Henry and Anne had met. His father forbid him from ever contacting or communicating with Anne Boleyn.
Anne Boleyn was infuriated with Cardinal Wosley and vowed to seek revenge upon him. She openly expressed her anger towards the King's most trusted aide. Her inappropriate behavior towards the Cardinal lead to her dismissal from the queen's service and she was forced to leave the court. Her father sent her to live at her childhood home, Hever Castle. It was here she would catch the attention of a famous poet who some say fell madly in love with the future queen. 
You can read a first person account of Henry Percy's encounter with Cardinal Wosley here http://englishhistory.net/tudor/ab-percy.html

#Tudor Troubles: #Marriage for Anne Boleyn? Pt. 1

Anne Boleyn
Public Domain




March 7

Tudor Troubles:Marriage for Anne Boleyn?Part 1





A few days ago I introduced you to two sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn, who had been raised in the French courts and whose father had fully supported the Tudors. Whenever the name Anne Boleyn is heard people instantly think she was either a witch, whore and a troublemaker. Yet we tend to forget that it was her older sister, Mary, who had that reputation in France. It wasn't uncommon for European kings to be unfaithful to their queens. King Henry VIII had more restraint than most kings of his time in that he had fewer affairs. The English king had loved his queen yet by the time the Boleyn girls arrived to England his marriage had already begun to fall apart. 
Return to England Anne had returned to England sometime in 1521 while Mary's relationship with King Henry VIII was drawing to a close. Anne did not return to England to seduce the English king. On the contrary, King Henry VIII had been involved in arranging Anne's marriage to James Butler, the ninth Earl of Ormond, while he was in a relationship with her sister. 
Henry VIII had written to Thomas Boleyn and Thomas Howard in September of 1520 to determine whether of not the Earl of Ormond would be willing to marry his son to Anne Boleyn. The king had been wanting to use the marriage to unify the two families and end their troubles. Troubles? What troubles was the king talking about? And how could a marriage between Anne Boleyn and James Butler, the ninth Earl of Ormond, ever cease those problems?
It's All About Politics Thomas Howard's father had served four kings in his lifetime as was loyal to monarchy. You remember when I had mentioned a couple of posts back that Thomas Boleyn had married into nobility? His wife, Elizabeth, was Thomas Howard's younger sister. It was through that connection that Thomas Boleyn was able to maintain and build upon his royal connections. 
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk
Painted 1563
Public DomainThomas Howard had served as a member of the king's council before 1516. His father had been granted the title Duke of Norfolk on February 1, 1514 on the same day Thomas was granted Earl of Surrey. Thomas gained more prominence at court and on March 10, 1520, King Henry VIII granted promoted him as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Thomas Howard's roles now included as the representative of the King (the "viceroy") in Ireland;the head of the executive in Ireland;a member of the English or British Cabinet;the font of mercy, justice and patronage;commander-in-chief in Ireland.Grand Master of the Order of St. PatrickHe moved to his official residence in Dublin, Ireland where he came into conflict with Gerard FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare. Gerald was upset with Thomas' new position because the English crown had always allowed his father to rule over Ireland in the name of the crown as Lord Deputy of Ireland. He had inherited his father's titled and position as Lord Deputy of Ireland. Some of Gerald's enemies had told King Henry VIII, Gerald was misusing his title and the king responded by replacing him with Thomas Howard. Gerald did not take his fall from power very lightly. He began to meet secretly with the other Irish nobles to plot Thomas Howard's downfall. Word came to Thomas Howard about the disposed deputy's schemes. He sent word to King Henry VIII.

Irish Connections Thomas Boleyn was Irish. His mother was Lady Margaret Butler. Margaret's father had been Thomas Butler, the 7th Earl of Ormond. Thomas Butler died on August 3, 1515 without any male heirs and as such he left his entire estate to the male heir of his daughters, Margaret (the Boleyn family)  and Anne (St. Legers family). King Henry VIII had been instrumental in Thomas Butler's decision to leave half his estate to the Boleyn family. The problem with the Irish inheritance was that Thomas Butler's cousin, Percy Butler, had already assumed the estate would go to him since he was Thomas Butler's closest male kin. Percy had begun to address himself as Earl of Ormond even though a hearing in November of 1516 had proven the Boleyn and St. Leger families were the rightful heirs. The problem was the Irish nobles refused to recognize the ruling and were backing Pierce Butler's claim to the estate. 
The only way to solve the problem, in King Henry VIII's eyes, was through the marriage of Pierce Butler's son to Thomas Boleyn's daughter. Thomas Howard and the Council of Ireland agreed with the English king.
Anne was summoned back to England to serve as on of Queen Catherine of Aragon's ladies in waiting while her marital arrangements were being made. Her first recorded appearance in the English courts was on March 1, 1522 at a masque ball. Her marital arrangements to James Butler fell through and she once again she found herself unspoken for. 
Yet she won't be lonely for long. 


  

#Tudor Troubles: #Marriage for Anne Boleyn?

Anne Boleyn
Public Domain




March 7

Tudor Troubles:Marriage for Anne Boleyn?






A few days ago I introduced you to two sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn, who had been raised in the French courts and whose father had fully supported the Tudors. Whenever the name Anne Boleyn is heard people instantly think she was either a witch, whore and a troublemaker. Yet we tend to forget that it was her older sister, Mary, who had that reputation in France. It wasn't uncommon for European kings to be unfaithful to their queens. King Henry VIII had more restraint than most kings of his time in that he had fewer affairs. The English king had loved his queen yet by the time the Boleyn girls arrived to England his marriage had already begun to fall apart. 
Return to England Anne had returned to England sometime in 1521 while Mary's relationship with King Henry VIII was drawing to a close. Anne did not return to England to seduce the English king. On the contrary, King Henry VIII had been involved in arranging Anne's marriage to James Butler, the ninth Earl of Ormond, while he was in a relationship with her sister. 
Henry VIII had written to Thomas Boleyn and Thomas Howard in September of 1520 to determine whether of not the Earl of Ormond would be willing to marry his son to Anne Boleyn. The king had been wanting to use the marriage to unify the two families and end their troubles. Troubles? What troubles was the king talking about? And how could a marriage between Anne Boleyn and James Butler, the ninth Earl of Ormond, ever cease those problems?
It's All About Politics Thomas Howard's father had served four kings in his lifetime as was loyal to monarchy. You remember when I had mentioned a couple of posts back that Thomas Boleyn had married into nobility? His wife, Elizabeth, was Thomas Howard's younger sister. It was through that connection that Thomas Boleyn was able to maintain and build upon his royal connections. 
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk
Painted 1563
Public Domain
Thomas Howard had served as a member of the king's council before 1516. His father had been granted the title Duke of Norfolk on February 1, 1514 on the same day Thomas was granted Earl of Surrey. Thomas gained more prominence at court and on March 10, 1520, King Henry VIII granted promoted him as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Thomas Howard's roles now included as the representative of the King (the "viceroy") in Ireland;the head of the executive in Ireland;a member of the English or British Cabinet;the font of mercy, justice and patronage;commander-in-chief in Ireland.Grand Master of the Order of St. PatrickHe moved to his official residence in Dublin, Ireland where he came into conflict with Gerard FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare. Gerald was upset with Thomas' new position because the English crown had always allowed his father to rule over Ireland in the name of the crown as Lord Deputy of Ireland. He had inherited his father's titled and position as Lord Deputy of Ireland. Some of Gerald's enemies had told King Henry VIII, Gerald was misusing his title and the king responded by replacing him with Thomas Howard. Gerald did not take his fall from power very lightly. He began to meet secretly with the other Irish nobles to plot Thomas Howard's downfall. Word came to Thomas Howard about the disposed deputy's schemes. He sent word to King Henry VIII.

Irish Connections Thomas Boleyn was Irish. His mother was Lady Margaret Butler. Margaret's father had been Thomas Butler, the 7th Earl of Ormond. Thomas Butler died on August 3, 1515 without any male heirs and as such he left his entire estate to the male heir of his daughters, Margaret (the Boleyn family)  and Anne (St. Legers family). King Henry VIII had been instrumental in Thomas Butler's decision to leave half his estate to the Boleyn family. The problem with the Irish inheritance was that Thomas Butler's cousin, Percy Butler, had already assumed the estate would go to him since he was Thomas Butler's closest male kin. Percy had begun to address himself as Earl of Ormond even though a hearing in November of 1516 had proven the Boleyn and St. Leger families were the rightful heirs. The problem was the Irish nobles refused to recognize the ruling and were backing Pierce Butler's claim to the estate. 
The only way to solve the problem, in King Henry VIII's eyes, was through the marriage of Pierce Butler's son to Thomas Boleyn's daughter. Thomas Howard and the Council of Ireland agreed with the English king.
Anne was summoned back to England to serve as on of Queen Catherine of Aragon's ladies in waiting while her marital arrangements were being made. Her first recorded appearance in the English courts was on March 1, 1522 at a masque ball. Her marital arrangements to James Butler fell through and she once again she found herself unspoken for. 
Yet she won't be lonely for long. 


  

Surviving #CampNaNo

March 6 Surviving Camp NaNo
It's the first week of March but my eyes are set on next month. Last year was my first Camp NaNo and NaNo writing experience. I have no idea how I went through my writing career without every participating in these events. They are a dream for any writer needing that extra push to get their first draft completed. 
 Camp NaNo is held twice a year and NaNo is always held in November. The goal is to complete your first draft in 50,000 words by the end of April. That means you need to write approximately 1,700 words a day. It sounds like alot but you can do it. The secret to completing that many words or more per day is to have a support group. You need the interaction with other NaNo writers to keep you going. Last summer, I tried Camp NaNo without any support and failed to complete my novel. My husband and I moved to Louisville in October where I joined the local NaNo writing group the following month. With the support of my new friends and a daily writing habit I was able to complete the 50,000 word challenge. 
Camp NaNo Rules
1) You must start with a blank page. This means you cannot work on an already existing story. It has to be something new. 
2) Don't edit while you are writing. It will only slow you down. 
3) Keep track of you daily total then report then on your NaNo page. Do not report your total book word count. It will mess the NaNo Counter up. 
4)  Have fun!
You can join Camp NaNo at http://campnanowrimo.org


Tips and Tricks to Camp NaNo
1) Register with the site. 
You want to create your camper profile. Your camper profile will not disappear after Camp NaNo ends. This means you will not have to create a new one every time you participate. The camper profile is used by other campers so they can get to know you better. You can see mine at http://campnanowrimo.org/campers/allison-bruning
You will also want to create a novel profile for the book you are going to write during Camp NaNo. This will not disappear after the event. Every time you participate in Camp NaNo you will have to add a new novel. Camp NaNo will keep your novels stats on that novel's page. 
2) Keep Up With Your Daily Totals
After you have written for the day you will want to report your totals to Camp NaNo. When you sign into Camp NaNo you will see a big blue tent on the right hand side like this except it will say add your daily word count. When you are ready to report you daily progress you will want to place the DAILY number of words in the blue tent then press the green button. I would suggest you do this at the very end of the day because sometimes you will have writing spurts after you have written for the day and you will want to report that. 
Camp NaNo will keep track of your daily progress on a bar graph that you can access from your novel info page. There is a silver button on the side of that page that takes you to your stats page when you press it. Your novel's stat page will look like this. Camp NaNo will automatically compare your results to the entire cabin you are placed in (we'll talk about that next).


Camp NaNo also gives you a bullseye at the top of your site where you can see how much progress you have made towards your writing goal. This is linked to your novel's stats. 
3) Write With Your Friends
If you want to be successful with Camp NaNo then you cannot do this adventure on your own. Camp NaNo understand this. Every registered camper is placed in a cabin with other participants. When you register you will have to set up your cabin settings. You can chose to be placed in a cabin or not participate. I would suggest you chose to participate in the cabin. The cabin is a small group of writers who encourage each other while they are at Camp NaNo. You can request to be placed in a cabin with specific campers or let the Camp NaNo staff surprise you. 
Another resource you can use during camp is to join a Facebook group of other Camp NaNo participants. These groups are great because they encourage you to write. The admins of these groups organize games such as Word Wars and Sprints. 
Word Wars are occur when participants are given a set amount of time to write as much as they can. When the time is over everyone counts how many words they wrote then report it to the group. The person with the most words wins the contest. 
Sprints operate much like Word Wars except after you report your word count you also report your favorite passage or lines. There is no winner. 
Here is one group you can join https://www.facebook.com/groups/MSHNANO/
4) Develop A Daily Routine
You are also going to need to develop some discipline if you want to succeed. Chose a time in your day where you can sit and write without any disruptions. Some writers listen to music while they write while other don't. Personally, I only use the music if I'm stuck somewhere or need encouragement. There will be those days when you don't feel like writing. Don't give into those thoughts. Just write. It doesn't have to be pretty or make sense. Just write. 
5) Reward Yourself
Don't forget to reward yourself when you have met your daily total. This could be something as simple as a small snack. Save the medium rewards for when you reach the 25%, 50% and 75% mark on the bullseye. Once the bullseye hits 100% give yourself a BIG treat for a job well done. 
Camp NaNo will reward you if you complete your writing project with winner's goodies. You will only receive these once they verify you have completed your novel. After you complete your novel you will upload your manuscript to their site where they will count the words. They will let you know if you have achieved the proper word count via your camp mail. If you were successful they will send you a link where you can collect your goodies. 
6) Pay Attention To Camp Mail
You will want to read every message that Camp NaNo sends to you via your camper email box. They will send you letters of encouragement and sometimes they will have famous authors email you.  The letters have wonderful advice for any level of writer. 
Camp NaNo also allows campers to interact with one another by using Camp Mail. You don't have to be in a cabin with someone in order to send/receive email. 
7) Let the World Know You Are a Camper
If you have a blog or Facebook account you can let everyone know you are participating in Camp NaNo this year by placing one of their badges on your blog or wall. You can access these via http://campnanowrimo.org/badges
8) Plan You Novel Before Camp
I cannot stress this enough. I know there are some writers out there that write by the seat of their pants. I use to be one of them. You will want to outline your story and intimately know your character before you start Camp NaNo. Don't worry if your story changes during the event. It happens. Just keep writing. If you know where your story is going then it will make it all the easier to write without having to worry about what will happen next to your character. 
Another great tool is Scrivener. Scrivener is wonderful because it allows you to write your story in scenes. You can also keep track of your daily writing totals easier because the word count is per scene written. I use one scene a day while I'm writing in NaNo. After the scene is over I take that total at the bottom of the page then report that to Camp NaNo. My scenes tends to be complete chapters. Scrivener also allows me the opportunity to see images, my research and the note card for that chapter while I am writing. The outline is written in note cards that I can manipulate if I need to change the order of something. You can find Scrivener on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scrivener/126134826351

#Tudor Troubles: Mary and #AnneBoleyn

Anne Boleyn, Second Wife of Henry VIII,
Waxwork at Warwick Castle
 Photo By: Lisby
@http://www.flickr.com/photos/60861613
@N00/5999664976/in/set-72157615695933178/


March 5
Tudor Troubles:Mary and Anne Boleyn










The Boleyn family had been involved with King Henry VIII's family long before Anne ever came to court. Anne Bolyen was born in 1507 to Thomas Boleyn and Lady Elizabeth Howard, daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk. Anne was the second of five children, three of whom survived to adulthood. Anne's fate would be closely tied to her sister, Mary and her brother, George. Her father, Thomas Boleyn had escorted Mary Tudor, King Henry VIII's sister, to Scotland for her marriage to King James VI. He became a member of the Knights of Bath at King Henry's coronation in 1509. Thomas was an ambitious politician without noble blood. His wife, Lady Elizabeth Howard, had been a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth of York and Queen Catherine of Aragon. Thomas married Elizabeth while she was a lady in waiting to King Henry VIII's mother in either 1499 or 1500. Thomas had gained access to the royal family through his marriage. 
Anne and Mary were educated as proper women but they needed to finish their education in the court of a noble.  Thomas was determined to find a place for his daughters. In 1512, while serving as one of three official envoys to the Netherlands, he secured a position for Anne within the Archduchess Margaret of Austria and Regent of the Netherlands household. 
Two years later, Mary Boleyn was sent with Mary Tudor (King Henry's sister) to France where she served as one of Mary Tudor's lady-in-waiting.  The English princess married King Louis XII of France on October 9, 1514 becoming Queen of France. The fifty-two year old king had no heirs and had hoped his eighteen year old bride would procure one for him. Sometime after the wedding Margaret of Austria transferred Anne Boleyn into the service of Queen Mary Tudor thus reuniting the Boleyn girls. The king died three months later from exertion in the bedroom with Mary's womb still empty. The French throne passed to his cousin Francis, who was from  the Angoulême Francis I had planned to arrange another marriage for Mary Tudor. It was during this time that Mary established for herself a scandalous reputation as the king's mistress. King Francis I often called her his "English mare".  Mary Boleyn returned to the England sometime before 1519 where she served as one of Queen Catherine of Aragon's ladies-of-honor. She was King Henry VIII's mistress from 1519 - 1521. She lost the king's favor and was married off to a gentleman of the king's Privy Chamber, William Carey. As his wife, she was allowed to participate in all the royal occurrences, had lodgings in the castle and was privy to royal information. Her royal connections ensured her family's security and would help Anne. 
Anne returned to England later in the year where she caught the eye of King Henry VIII.