Merry Farmer's Blog, page 18
January 19, 2015
The Irish Potato Famine – Background
An Irish farm, likely abandoned during The Great Famine. Maybe it’s occupants came to America?
courtesy of Wikicommons
So before you know it, the fourth book in my Hot on the Trail series, Trail of Dreams, will be out! This story follows Katie Boyle and Aiden Murphy as they make their journey west to a new life. But before you get to their story, before their story even gets to America, there’s a huge piece of history that you need to know. Because part of the reason why Katie and Aiden and their families left Ireland to begin with (as did about a million other Irishmen) was because of the Great Famine.
The Great Famine in Ireland, sometimes referred to as the Irish Potato Famine, happened from around 1845 to 1852. During that time, nearly a million poor Irishmen and women starved to death. If that wasn’t horrible enough, they starved to death in a country that was fertile and bountiful, where approximately thirty to fifty shiploads of produce and foodstuffs were being exported to Britain every day. That was more than enough to feed the dying population. So why did so many people die and why were so many people forced to flee for a new life overseas?
The answer has more to do with politics and governance than it does with a shortage of food. And to understand that, you have to go way, WAY back to the Tudor and Stuart dynasties. Because even though the English had attempted to conquer, conquered, and reconquered Ireland several times, it wasn’t until the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I that they managed to get a serious foothold and to stick around. How did they do this? By sending Protestant lords to seize and govern largely Catholic lands. Yep, remember that whole mess with the Catholics and Protestants? Well, triple that for Ireland.
Fast forward to the dawn of the 19th century. In 1801, under the Act of Union, Ireland was governed directly by British appointees from abroad. By this time, the vast majority of the landowners and aristocracy in Ireland were Protestant, British, or Anglo-Irish families without a long hereditary claim to the land. The majority of the working population of Ireland were the Catholic Irish. To make matters worse most of those British landowners lived in Britain, not in Ireland at all. They relied on middlemen to collect rents and manage their properties, and the middlemen were notoriously crooked.
Depiction of a food riot in Ireland in 1846. That block at the top of the stick is a loaf of bread!
Courtesy of Wikicommons
So the situation that existed in Ireland in the 1840s (to oversimplify a bit) was that landowners with no personal ties to the land they owned, with no sense of obligation to their tenants, who had a different religion, different priorities, and no sense of loyalty or responsibility were more focused on exploiting the resources of their land to gain the most cash value that they could from it. The Catholic Irish who actually lived there had very few rights or control over their own land and were oppressed and controlled by foreigners. Over two-thirds of the population depended on potatoes for their sustenance, because everything else that was grown on the land went straight to market for the benefit of the absentee landlords. So when a common potato blight hit the land, wiping out the one crop that sustained millions, even though the rest of the land remained fertile, the population was devastated.
Worse still, the majority of those absentee landlords did nothing about it. They didn’t value the lives of their tenants enough to divert their considerable profits to save these people. In fact, historians are now engaged in a major debate about whether this era can be referred to as a famine, or if it should be classified as genocide. It’s clear that vast loss of life could have been prevented if the resources and output of the land had been put to use and distributed among the Irish instead of being exported so a few people could get rich.
Tragic. Completely and utterly tragic. It’s no wonder the Irish rebellions at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries were so vitriolic! And it’s no wonder the Irish people are so passionate. It also explains why so many of them pulled up roots and came here, to America.
Ah, but this plays into another aspect of my upcoming book, Trail of Dreams. Katie and Aiden’s lives were directly, adversely impacted by the destructive influence of a foreign power invading their land and crushing them in the name of progress, production, and advancement for a few. Without giving away too much of the plot of Trail of Dreams, in an ironic twist, they find themselves smack in the middle of another people whose lives have been shattered by foreigners marching in and claiming their land. The similarity was striking enough to me as I was writing to influence the attitude that both Katie and Aiden have to their Cheyenne neighbors. It seems to me, given the history of the Irish, that the way they would view what was happening to the Native Americans would strike a chord with my characters.
I don’t want to say too much more, though. I just invite you to think about the devastation that occurs when people think more about their bottom line than they do about the lives of the people who support that bottom line. It’s what makes history so alive to me.
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January 5, 2015
Trail of Longing – Release Day!
It’s here! At long last, Trail of Longing is here! And here’s where you can get it….
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RQOJA9K
Amazon UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00RQOJA9K
B&N – http://bit.ly/1BsLNg1
Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/505145
iBooks – http://bit.ly/179sz64
Kobo – http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/trail-of-longing
How about a little excerpt to whet your appetite?
Emma was busy rinsing tin plates and packing them in a crate for the day’s walk. Her eyes were fixed on her work, but she couldn’t hide the tremor in her lips as she fought not to smile.
“I’m glad to hear it.” Dean nodded. He checked in with Mrs. Sutton. Her color was high, the same as Emma’s but her eyes shone with eagerness instead of Emma’s timidity. “I’m pleased to see that yesterday’s upset hasn’t dented anyone’s spirits.”
He deliberately darted a look to Emma so that her mother could see it. His gamble paid off.
“Oh dear, where are my manners.” Mrs. Sutton burst into action. She left the food she was storing for some later meal and crossed the small camp to the back of the wagon where Emma worked. “Dr. Meyers has been so kind to inquire after our well-being. The least we could do is provide him with a touch of polite company for the day’s walk. Emma, I’ll take care of that. Why don’t you walk with dear Dr. Meyers once we get started.”
“Oh!” Emma squeaked when her mother plucked a plate right out of her hands. Her cheeks were as bright as roses. Her gaze met Dean’s for half a heartbeat before her lashes fluttered down. “I… I suppose… if you’re sure you don’t need me…. That is to say, I usually—”
“Go!” Mrs. Sutton snapped. She covered her order with a light laugh. “I mean, young people shouldn’t spend all of their time in chores and duties. Go and enjoy each other’s company.” She patted Emma’s arm, then put her hand on the small of Emma’s back and pushed her toward Dean.
Dean covered his urge to laugh at Mrs. Sutton’s antics by rubbing his chin and smoothing his hair. “I’d be delighted to walk with you, Miss Emma,” he said. “If that’s what you want.”
Emma pressed a hand to her chest as though she was having trouble breathing, then lay her hand on her cheek. “I would. That is to say, I would be pleased… I… if you really want to…. I mean….” She let out her breath, the slightest frown creasing her brow for a moment as she pursed her lips. Dean had never known anyone to struggle so hard to be so charming. At last she drew in a breath and with great effort said. “Yes.”
I hope you enjoy this latest installment of the Hot on the Trail series! Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for book 4, Trail of Dreams, coming February 16th!
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December 31, 2014
Excerpt Wednesday – Trail of Longing – First Kiss
It’s the last Wednesday of 2014 and the last Excerpt Wednesday before Trail of Longing comes out on Monday! So I thought I’d treat you to a delicious first kiss scene. Here goes…
Emma glanced up as they turned toward the back of the shack. Her mother was watching them from several yards away. As soon as she was caught spying, she turned her back and marched off across the prairie as though she was on a mission.
Dean chuckled. “Would it surprise you if I told you I liked her?” he asked.
“Mother?” Emma replied with far more shock than she intended.
“Yes,” Dean laughed. “She’s determined, she’s adventurous, and she’s not afraid to take a risk. Just like her daughter.”
If it was possible, Emma was even more startled. “I am as far from adventurous as a lady can be,” she insisted.
Dean shook his head. “You are holding your own on the Oregon Trail. I’ve watched you caring for your sister, and even your mother. You got up out of that bed, even though I know your mother didn’t want you to. And here you are, walking alone with a man in broad daylight.”
She wanted to laugh. He was right, even if his logic was skewed. The thought made her burst into a genuine smile. “I never thought of myself as bold. Not at all.”
“No?” He stopped after they had turned another corner and stood on the far side of the shack. “You are bold, though.”
She arched a dubious eyebrow at him.
“I can prove it,” he went on.
“How?” she asked.
He pivoted to stand facing her, sliding his arm around her waist and tugging her close. Without hesitation, he brought his mouth slanting down over hers.
Too startled to breathe, Emma let him kiss her. His lips were soft and hard at once, insistent and tender together. He teased his tongue against the seam of her lips, pressing her closer. The scent of him filled her, like home and peace. The insistence of his kiss broke through any resistance she could have offered, so she didn’t bother. She wanted more.
With a sigh, she relaxed into him. She slipped her arms around his waist and spread her hands across his back. Her lips parted where his tongue teased, and she let him invade her. Her tongue met his, sliding and exploring, and she opened herself more deeply to him. His taste was rich and deep and entirely unexpected. She kissed him with her whole heart, as if she knew what she was doing. In her heart, in the deepest part of her soul, she did know. She was letting the man she loved know that she loved him, free of the words she was so helpless at forming.
After what felt like a long, happy lifetime and no time at all, he leaned back and took a breath. His eyes shone with emotion as he looked into hers, as if he’d discovered a long lost treasure. Her lips were hot and swollen and ready for more.
“I knew there was more to you than you show the world,” he whispered, a smile growing in his eyes and on his delicious, tempting lips.
“Is there?” she asked, breathless, her heart racing. She felt as though there might be. There was a whole world waiting to be explored, and it was right there in her arms. She pressed her fingertips into Dean’s back.
He nodded and leaned into her once more, recapturing her mouth with his. His first kiss had been a dare—gentle, but within limits. This one had no limits. He adjusted his hold on her, molding her against the heat of his body while his mouth ravished hers. It was no simple kiss, but a deep, probing promise of everything else that could be between a man and a woman. One of his hands inched up her side toward the pulsing swell of her breast. Her skin tingled and her body cried out for the forbidden fruit it knew was waiting just within her grasp. Her heart leapt to realize that beneath the kind, professional manner Dean presented was a vibrant, unapologetic lover.
“Oh!” Her mother’s startled exclamation brought Emma crashing back down to earth. “Oh, oh dear.”
Dean tensed and pulled quickly back, leaving Emma off-balance and light-headed. He cleared his throat and spun to stand by her side where he could still support her. “Mrs. Sutton, I’m terribly sorry.”
So get ready for Monday!
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Like what you’ve read? I love the fact that you read it! I’ve got more for you too. Sign up for my newsletter to receive special content, sneak-peeks, and treats that only subscribers are privy to. And thank you!
December 29, 2014
2014 – The Year In Books
One of my favorite parts of the end of the year is all of the retrospective lists that people make about the year that was. Yeah, I know, I know, but I am such a sucker for that kind of stuff! I like to do one myself when it comes to the books I read during any given year. And this year I ended up reading a LOT of books!
Now, the first half of my year was mostly taken up reading books as a judge for contests. I’d never judged contests before, but I have to say, I really enjoyed it! Not only did I get to read some really good books, I felt as though I was giving back to my writer community. That’s as good as any books I could read. And it also pushed me to read outside of my comfort zone. I discovered some gems by doing that. So for 2015, I recommend that you volunteer to judge a contest. Good stuff.
The summer was marked by those dangerous little words whispering in my head, “Hey, why don’t you read George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire?” Oh man! I got SO hooked on that series, SO fast! Those books are pretty much amazing. They’re long, they’re epic, and I’ll probably end up reading the entire series again at some point. I also started watching the series, which is also super good, but not the same story as the books. Books are always better than the movie or tv show.
The last part of the year was all about catching up on the books that I’d been given or that have been on my TBR pile for a long time. I read some great books by authors that I’m proud to call my friends. Everybody needs talented author friends! I have to admit, though, my reading volume slowed down a lot at the end of the year as my writing output increased.
But I’m going to combat that next year by upping my Reading Challenge book number on Goodreads, and by attempting to complete the 2015 Reading Challenge from PopSugar, that I’ll post below. And I’ll be judging contests again.
So here’s the ultimate breakdown:
Total books read in 2014: 48
5+++ stars: 1 (A Storm of Swords, by George R.R. Martin)
5-stars: 6
4.5-stars: 2
4-stars: 14
3.5-stars: 6
3-stars: 9
2.5-stars: 2
2-stars: 2
1-star: 1
CNF: 3
Not too bad! And now, here’s what’s on tap for 2015. The way I’m playing it, more than one book can satisfy a category on the list below. For example, I’m going to read The Far Pavilions, by M. M. Kaye at some point. That counts as “A Book Your Mom Loves,” “A Book By An Author You’ve Never Read Before,” “A Book With More Than 500 Pages,” and “A Book Set Somewhere You’ve Always Wanted To Visit”. And a lot more categories too, but I’m going to keep the cross-overs to a minimum. Who’s in it with me?
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Like what you’ve read? I love the fact that you read it! I’ve got more for you too. Sign up for my newsletter to receive special content, sneak-peeks, and treats that only subscribers are privy to. And thank you!
December 23, 2014
Excerpt Wednesday – Trail of Longing
Merry Christmas Eve one and all! And because it’s Excerpt Wednesday in spite of being a holiday, it’s time for another sneak peek of Trail of Longing, the third book in the Hot on the Trail series! This one is about Emma Sutton and Dr. Dean Meyers. Think they’ll be able to get together with all of the road blocks in their way? Let’s take a peek….
(Shh! Pretend you’re not seeing this yet!)
“What’s the matter?” Kathleen’s sharp question forced Dean to drag his eyes away from the curiosity of Emma and her mother. “Don’t you like lemonade?”
Dean had completely forgotten he was holding the jug and tart. “Oh, yes, of course.” He took another long draught and another bite of the tart.
“Then why aren’t you eating more?” Helen asked.
Across from where Dean sat, Pete was shaking with laughter. “Now ladies, you can’t expect poor Dr. Meyers to devour a feast when so many lovely ladies are serving it up.”
Dean nearly choked on tart. At least he had the lemonade to keep him from coughing. “You’re too kind,” he croaked to Helen and Kathleen.
Across the wagons, Mrs. Sutton thrust a long spoon into Emma’s hand. Emma was still trying to argue, but Mrs. Sutton was having none of it. She turned and pointed directly to Dean… and the girls standing on either side of him. Then she gestured to the simmering pot.
Emma’s shoulders heaved in a sigh. She peeked at him. Their eyes met. Dean couldn’t help but smile, mouth full of raisins and pastry. Emma turned bright pink and snapped away.
“Kathleen, why are you bothering the doctor?” The voice of an older woman interrupted the already ludicrous scene. Dean twisted to see Kathleen’s mother striding toward his camp. “Can’t you see he’s busy with Mr. Evans?”
“Oh, don’t mind me, ma’am,” Pete chuckled. “I’m just enjoying the show.”
Dean sent him a short scowl. He was enjoying it a little too much.
“Oh mother. I couldn’t help myself. I saw Dr. Meyers sitting here looking so parched. I just had to bring him some of our lovely, sweet, homemade lemonade.” The way Kathleen delivered the line was practiced in every way.
So was her mother’s reply. “How kind of you, dear. But that’s my Kathleen for you. She is the soul of kindness, and so thoughtful too. Wouldn’t you agree, Dr. Meyers?”
“I’m kind,” Helen growled. “And thoughtful, and I’m a good cook.”
“Yes, and I can sew and keep house.” Kathleen stepped behind Dean’s back to stand toe-to-toe with Helen.
“I can keep house and I make quilts,” Helen said.
Kathleen’s mother’s proud smile slipped at the unexpected contest. “Oh, well, girls, perhaps we really should leave Dr. Meyers to his lunch.”
“Yes, well you might quilt, but my strawberry jam won the Allegheny County blue ribbon every Fourth of July for the last three years!” Kathleen argued.
“Kathleen.” Her mother laughed and grabbed her daughter’s arm. “Maybe now isn’t such a good time to—”
“I believe you,” Helen cut her off, eyes narrowed at Kathleen. “I can tell by your figure that you enjoy a lot of that strawberry jam.”
Kathleen yelped. Her mother yanked her away. Pete roared outright with laughter.
Dean hardly heard a word of it. What did Emma think she was doing? She couldn’t possibly cook over an open flame in a skirt like that. Every time she attempted to lean closer to the steaming pot, the silk of her dress brushed too close to the embers. She caught it and held it back, but that left her standing at an awkward angle as she stirred whatever was in the pot. Steam curled up into her face, causing the tendrils of hair at her neck to go limp and slip out of their elaborate style almost before his eyes. He couldn’t let her go on like that.
“Excuse me, ladies.” He stood and handed the jug of lemonade to Helen—who had a fist raised and aimed at Kathleen—and the rest of the raisin tart to Kathleen as her mother yanked her away from Helen.
He left the turmoil behind him to stride down the line of wagons to where he was truly needed.
Uh oh. Trouble on the trail! Trail of Longing will be available wherever eBooks are sold on January 5th!
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Like what you’ve read? I love the fact that you read it! I’ve got more for you too. Sign up for my newsletter to receive special content, sneak-peeks, and treats that only subscribers are privy to. And thank you!
December 22, 2014
All Things New
Hey! Welcome to my newly redesigned website! Isn’t it cool? I still have a lot of work to do to get all of the pages up to scratch, but in the meantime….
So Christmas is in just a few days, and once we get the celebration over with, we move on to New Year’s. I’ve always liked New Year’s. It’s a great time to sit back and reflect and take a look at what the past year meant to you. I’m sure I’ll be doing a 2014 retrospective at some point, but in the meantime, in light of the new website design, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you to go do something new!
In life, we often get stuck in a rut. Whether it’s settling for the same old routine every day or holding on to the same unhealthy relationships, it’s easy to get used to the way things are. Maybe that way worked at some point in your life, but eventually there comes a point where in order to move forward, you have to try something new.
Trying new things has helped me to move beyond a few personal roadblocks in 2014. Being open to new friendships and new collaborations has done wonders for me personally and professionally. I think it’s fitting that I’m ending the year with a whole new look for this site.
But I encourage you to take this push toward newness and trying out in your personal life. It can be as simple as choosing a different kind of cookie at the office Christmas party or driving a different route to the grocery store. It doesn’t have to be something big, just a little tweak, a little change. Christmas itself might be the perfect way to help with the newness factor. Maybe you’ll be given a new outfit or a new pair of socks on Thursday. Try it on, wiggle your toes, and see how it makes you feel.
Because at the end of the day, newness restores our soul. It helps us to break old patterns that are worn out and unhelpful. One new thing can lead to another, and soon you’ll be making changes that will make the big things in life that much better. It’s funny how life works out like that.
So here’s my new website! Now what new thing are you going to do today?
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Like what you’ve read? I love the fact that you read it! I’ve got more for you too. Sign up for my newsletter to receive special content, sneak-peeks, and treats that only subscribers are privy to. And thank you!
December 15, 2014
An Illuminating History of Electric Christmas Lights
December 10, 2014
Excerpt Wednesday – Trail of Longing – First Look
December 8, 2014
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
December 3, 2014
Excerpt Wednesday – Our Little Secrets gets another look
