L.B. Joramo's Blog, page 2
April 8, 2015
Vicki Batman and Why She Writes
Hi, everyone! Today, I have romantic comedy writer Vicky Batman sharing with us how she started writing. I just love her, and I love how she calls her husband, Handsome! Here’s some music for you to enjoy while reading through. And now here’s Vicky!
Why write about love? Why write?
I write because I want to. In school, I’d been assigned essays, poems, research papers, etc. to write. And although I made good grades, I never had anyone say I should consider writing.
At age nine, I wrote my first poem for extra credit:
The universe is like a dream.
Someday it will seem
The sky will go.
And no one will know.
The teacher looked at me and asked, “You wrote this?” I nodded for I had. She gave me the extra credit, and my interest in writing more poetry continued on.
When my #1 son was still in diapers and a stroller, Handsome and I visited a Half Price Bookstore. I told him I was looking for more Dick Francis mysteries for I had gobbled them up like good chocolate. He gave me an odd look and asked why I liked them so? A confession spewed from my depths, “Because I wish I could write like him.”
It took me a long time to try, and I have, thanks to a push from a good friend.
I write romantic comedy and romantic comedy mysteries. I like the interplay between a hero and heroine and want them to overcome obstacles and find a happy-ever-after. An HEA satisfies the reader’s soul. Can’t you picture someone as they close a book’s back cover and sigh in pleasure? I’ve done it, and I’m betting many others have. This kind of book releases us from the everyday humdrum for just a while and whisks us to a good place.
Here’s a little dialogue between my heroine, Hattie Cooks, and the hero, Allan Wellborn. Hattie is pondering whether or not to let the cop who wrote her a citation in her apartment:
No frisking and no arrests were–so far, in my book–a good thing. As Sarah Anne’s older brother, I found it easy to eliminate him from the stalker, murderer, and rapist categories. The something in the truck line sounded similar to approaches used in past dating experiences. For instance:
“Want to come up and look at my etchings?”
Translated: A roll in the hay.
Or the ever popular “Would you like to meet Mr. Lizard?”
Translated: Mr. Wiggly Worm.
“How about coming to my place for a drink?”
Translated: To ply me with multiple drinks and the requisite roll in the hay.
I hadn’t fallen for those then and wasn’t going to be a sucker now.
He stuck his hands on his hip and said, “I know what you’re thinking. I’m not a stalker, murderer, or rapist.”
Apparently, he could read minds.
“Just a minute.” I closed the door partially to release the chain, then opened it. “Why can’t you just tell me whatever it is?”
“No. I want to show you—”
“Not a Picasso?” I asked.
“No.”
“Not an iguana?”
A perplexed expression crossed his face. “A what?”
“Not your pet worm?”
“What pet worm?”
“Not—”
“Look, I don’t know what you’re thinking. The only worms I know about are for fishing.”
Did you laugh or give a giggle? I hope so! When I wrote this, I remembered a guy from college telling me about lines boys used on girls, you know, want to see my etchings, my hamster, my trophies, etc. LOL. So I put a fun twist on it.
Do you like to read books that make you laugh? Do you sigh with a good Happy-Ever-After?
You can find more about Hattie and Allan by clicking on the cover below.
Award-winning author, Vicki Batman, has sold many romantic comedy works to the True 
magazines, several publishers, and most recently, a romantic comedy mystery to The Wild Rose Press. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and several writing groups. An avid Jazzerciser. Handbag lover. Mahjong player. Yoga practioner. Movie fan. Book devourer. Cat fancier. Best Mom ever. And adores Handsome Hubby.
Most days begin with her hands set to the keyboard and thinking “What if??”
Links for Vicki Batman
Find Vicki at:
Website: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1ipdLkv
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VickiBatman
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickibatman
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4814608.Vicki_Batman
Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/author/vickibatman
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=116288777&trk=hb_tab_pro_top
Google+: bit.ly/1zUggDF
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi...
Plotting Princesses: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com
Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/o1515093723
Email: vlmbatman@hotmail.com
April 1, 2015
Sheila Currie and Scottish Banshees
I am so honored to have Sheila Currie here on my blog. I’ve known her for the last few years as a serious Scottish researcher, and now I’m so excited to talk a bit about her research and her coming book! Whoo-hoo! Here’s some music to enjoy while you’re reading. And now, here’s Sheila!
The Banshee of Castle Muirn
The English word ‘fairy’ does not translate sìth at all well. You know that old expression ‘lost in translation’? Well ‘fairy’ is the ultimate understatement. The sìthaich have awesome powers and should be treated with great respect.
Particularly the ban-sìth or banshee as she is called in English. 
Ban-sìth in Gaelic means ‘fairy woman’. They’ve have had a bad reputation in English stories; they screech and howl and scare folk. But, in a lament to a MacCrimmon piper, a banshee is said to ‘sing a sad lament’–sheinn a’ bhean-shìth a torman mulaid. So much for screeching.
But here is the interesting bit. According to Gaelic folklore in Scotland and Ireland, only Gaelic families are worthy of a banshee. Worthy! In the seventeenth century in particular the banshee is seen as a protectress of the people who rightfully hold the land. People believed in the banshee in the Scottish Highlands as well. A friend whose people came from the Hebrides said he had heard the banshee lament in a close, a hallway in a block of flats in Glasgow. This in the modern era!
My novel is about a woman who can become a banshee. So what does a banshee do that is valuable? A banshee is a death-messenger. Horrors! How can a banshee be a sympathetic heroine and death messenger you might ask? In Gaelic tradition a warning of death is a good thing. With her lamenting, she told people close to the dying person that the time had come to prepare a funeral; she cried early enough for people far away to give them a chance to go home and prepare for a proper funeral. See? Banshees are considerate, but so much more.
In my story, The Banshee of Castle Muirn, the village wise woman, a banshee in reality, requires an apprentice to take over her duties. She is getting too old for the business. The wise woman is feared and shunned just for being a healer; yet her services are eagerly sought. They have no idea why she is such as good healer. They suspect magic of some sort of course. They have no idea she is a banshee.
The only possible candidate for training is Shona Campbell, the daughter of a Campbell chieftain. She agrees to train as a healer as some knowledge of that art is expected of a good wife. The wise woman mixes a little banshee training in with the healing. But Shona wants nothing but to marry a good man who is acceptable to her clan: a distant cousin perhaps, a Campbell man. Then she finds out that she is expected to marry a particularly nasty Lowlander. Her father far away in Edinburgh is in grave danger. Can she protect her family as a banshee? 
The Banshee of Castle Muirn will be published in 2016.
Sheila Currie lives on the west coast of Canada, but is a native of the east coast where she learned to love Gaelic folklore and traditions. The Banshee of Castle Muirn is her first novel.
March 25, 2015
Elaine Cougler and Land Grants, Governor Simcoe and the Peace Bridge
Hello! Today I have historical fiction writer Elaine Cougler talking about how her research met with fantastic results! Through her research for her books, she found some of her ancestors and where they had lived. Amazing. Here’s a little music for you to enjoy while perusing through her post.* And now, here’s Elaine!
Land Grants, Governor Simcoe and the Peace Bridge
Peace Bridge
Research is such fun for me when I’m working on a novel because I absolutely love to find new nuggets, especially when they relate to my novels. The Loyalist trilogy focuses on the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the forging of my province and country after those events.
Did you know that paper was so scarce in the Niagara area when Loyalists flooded across the border at present-day Niagara-on-the-Lake that no proper land deeds could be written? Instead new owners got a simple playing card with their lot numbers on them. Some of these survive today.
I lived a mile north of the Governor’s Road for all my growing up years so that Governor Simcoe’s name was very familiar to me. His wife’s was not. I bought her diary (Mrs. Simcoe’s Diary) and used it for research, all the while loving the abundance of information on just what my part of the country was like two hundred years ago.
But the treasure I found which most stunned me was learning that my ancestor actually owned Lot 1, Concession 1 of Bertie Township right where the Peace Bridge at Fort Erie crosses to Buffalo. This fact and a few others have found their way into The Loyalist’s Luck. You won’t recognize them in the story, probably, but knowing some of my history is in the book is a secret source of delight for me.
Check out Elaine’s latest release . . .
When the Revolutionary War turns in favor of the Americans, John and Lucy flee across the Niagara River with almost nothing. They begin again in Butlersburg, a badly supplied British outpost surrounded by endless trees and rivers, and the mighty roar of the giant falls nearby. He is off on a secret mission for Colonel Butler and she is left behind with her young son and pregnant once again. In the camp full of distrust, hunger, and poverty, word has seeped out that John has gone over to the American side and only two people will associate with Lucy—her friend, Nellie, who delights in telling her all the current gossip, and Sergeant Crawford, who refuses to set the record straight and clear John’s name. To make matters worse, the sergeant has made improper advances toward Lucy.
With vivid scenes of heartbreak and betrayal, heroism and shattered hopes, Elaine Cougler takes us into the hearts and homes of Loyalists still fighting for their beliefs, and draws poignant scenes of families split by political borders. The Loyalist’s Luck shows us the courage of ordinary people who, in perilous times, become extraordinary.
BUY THE BOOK LINKS
Book 1: The Loyalist’s Wife on Amazon http://amzn.to/1wNWN94
Book 2: The Loyalist’s Luck on Amazon http://amzn.to/1tm6x6D
GOODREADS BUTTON
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7142385.Elaine_Cougler
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A lifelong reader and high school teacher, Elaine found her passion for writing once her family was grown. She loves to read history for the stories of real people reacting to their world. Bringing to life the tales of Loyalists in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 is very natural as Elaine’s personal roots are in those struggles, out of which arose both Canada and the United States.
February 4, 2015
James Mc Intyre discusses Thomas Paine, a Revolutionary War Correspondent
Hello, everyone! Today I have historian James Mc Intyre and his research regarding Thomas Paine. James and I share a mutual admiration for Paine, so I’m thrilled to have him here with this post. Here’s some music for you to enjoy while perusing. And now here’s James!
Thomas Paine: War Correspondent
By
James R. Mc Intyre
Thomas Paine (1737-1809) is rightly seen as one for the key propagandists of the American Revolution, the person behind the argument that influenced many Americans onto the course of declaring independence in his pamphlet Common Sense. Likewise, he sparked that deep determination to persevere through the “times that try men’s souls”, with his American Crisis Pt. 1. He later penned the Preamble to the French Constitution, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. Clearly he authored some of the most significant political tracts of the late eighteenth century and he is rightly recognized for his skill with the pen. As one biographer summarized, “no individual has a better claim to be the world’s first international revolutionary.”
What is often overlooked in connection with Paine’s writing is his role as sometime informant to the other founders. This area of Paine’s activity serves to illuminate, at least to some degree, his relationships with some of those same individuals. One example in particular of Thomas Paine’s role as informant will serve as the focus of the following, his letters to Benjamin Franklin. The one that will be highlighted the following essay was written to Benjamin Franklin late in 1777. At this time, Franklin was in France negotiating an alliance between the fledgling United States and the court at Versailles. Paine’s letters thus served as a vital means of keeping Franklin abreast of developments at home.
Prior to discussing his letter to Franklin, it is necessary to establish Thomas Paine’s within the context of the American Revolution. Paine’s connections to the various other leaders of the Revolution have received a great deal attention from historians. Benjamin Franklin was definitely his patron, and he enjoyed close associations with John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington as well. At first, however, Paine stood as an outsider. He was not born in the colonies, and in fact had only very recently immigrated to North America. He left Britain in October 1774 and only arrived in Philadelphia at the suggestion of Benjamin Franklin on November 30 of the same year. In many ways, this makes his sudden rise among the leaders of the Revolution all the more impressive. His life prior to this point certainly gave no indication of the heights to which he would rise.
Thomas Paine was born in Thetford in Norfolk on January 29, 1737 to a Quaker father who worked as a small farmer and supplemented his income by making stays for women’s dresses. Paine’s mother was hot-tempered and abusive towards her son and as a result Thomas did not enjoy a very happy childhood. He did receive some basic education, including the ability to read, and most significantly, to write.
The first years of Thomas Paine’s working life were far from successful. At fifteen, his father took him on as an apprentice in his stay making business. Apparently, the craft did not appeal to the young Thomas, who a year later ran away and signed aboard the privateer Terrible, at the time commanded by one Captain Death. He returned to England in 1759 and apparently had earned some profit from the venture, as he was capable of establishing himself as a staymaker in Sandwich. While residing in the area, Paine married a Miss Mary Lambert that same year. She died the following year, and Paine’s business in Sandwich collapsed so he moved to Margate. In 1761, he was hired as a collector of the Excise at Thetford with a salary of 50 L a year. In 1762, he was transferred to Grantham and two years later to Alford. Things seemed to be improving for the young man. However, in 1765, Paine was dismissed from the Excise as he had been caught making false entries into his books. He returned to the staymaking trade briefly, then in 1766, he worked as an usher in Godman’s Fields and in Kensington. From 1737 to 1774, he tried numerous other endeavors, none of which were very successful. As Robert Middlekauff observed of Thomas Paine at the time he met Franklin, “He was thirty-nine years old and he had failed at everything he had ever tried.” The meeting between these two men rocketed Paine to the global stage and transformed his life from one that would likely have vanished into obscurity into one covered in every modern American history textbook.
As is well-known, soon after setting foot in North America, Thomas Paine authored the tract that established his reputation as a major contributor to the independence movement, Common Sense, though there is some controversy as to how much of the work actually derived solely from Paine’s imagination. Still, John Adams was not a fan of the work, making the criticism in a letter to his wife, Abigail, that Paine “has a better hand at pulling down than building.” Paine did served briefly in the Continental Army, his service providing the inspiration for the first in a series of works that became a regular part of stoking the flames of motivation for the army, The Crisis. 1777 saw him back in the Philadelphia area and, among other endeavors, serving as an unofficial source of information to his benefactor, Benjamin Franklin.
During the 1777 campaign, Ben Franklin was living in France, negotiating with the court at Versailles, in order to gain greater aid for the American cause, and most sought after, an open alliance with the French court. During this period, Paine was one of his prime informants concerning the actions of the British forces in their bid to capture the new nation’s capital at Philadelphia. Paine was ideally situated to fulfill this role as he served on the staff of Major General Nathanael Greene, himself one of Washington’s most trusted lieutenants.
British forces under the command of General William Howe and his brother Admiral Sir Robert Howe had left New York City in July 1777. Their goal, again, was to secure the American capital Philadelphia. Much controversy continues to revolve around William Howe’s choice of the capital as his objective, and it has received significant attention in the secondary literature. The main focus of the controversy involved William Howe’s motivation to attack Philadelphia as it all but precluded any active support of General John Burgoyne’s campaign though the Mohawk Valley in New York. In later July, Admiral Richard Howe’s ships entered the Delaware Bay, and the Admiral and General held a conference with Captain Andrew Snape Hammond of the HMS Roebuck, a British warship on patrol in the lower Delaware. Based on Hammond’s intelligence concerning the defenses erected by the Americans in the lower Delaware, the Howe brothers opted to turn back out to sea and make their way to the Chesapeake.
On August 25, they made landfall at the Head of Elk (modern Elkton) in Maryland. Thus, late in the campaign season, the British initiated their campaign to seize the rebel capital, and in so doing, it was hoped, end the rebellion. The British march on Philadelphia resulted in several major engagements as the Continental Army under George Washington, sought to retain control of the capital. The most important of these occurred on September 11, 1777 at Brandywine Creek.
In the fighting, Howe dispatched his second in command, the Hessian General von Knyphausen, with a force of troops to launch a frontal assault on the American position. The attack, however, stood as merely a feint. It covered William Howe’s movements as he proceeded with the main British Army in a wide flanking maneuver designed to surround Washington’s army. Howe successfully executed his maneuver but instead of caving in or fleeing as they had the previous year at Long Island, the Americans reacted to the new threat and were able to retire from the field in a relatively orderly fashion. Howe opened the road to Philadelphia, conversely, he had failed to destroy the Continental Army.
The following days witnessed both armies jockeying for position. The British seeking to get into Philadelphia, and the Continentals working to block their advance. These maneuvers resulted in several subsequent engagements, the most interesting of which is the so-called battle of the Clouds, fought on September 16. Essentially, as both forces prepared to fight outside of Philadelphia, a sudden cloudburst drenched the cartridges of both sides. Rather than close with the bayonet, the two armies broke off their attack.
Several days later, another skirmish occurred as British troops under Brigadier General James Grey (subsequently dubbed “No-Flint” Grey) launched an extremely successful night attack on American troops under the command of brigadier general Anthony Wayne of Pennsylvania. Grey earned the nomme de guerre from this engagement due to his orders that the flints be removed from the muskets of the troops under his command so as to preserve the element of surprise. This attack was subsequently christened the “Paoli Massacre” by the Americans.
Soon thereafter, on September 26, General Earl Charles Cornwallis led the vanguard of the British Army into Philadelphia with the local Loyalist leader Joseph Galloway riding alongside him. The British quickly set about establishing a defensive perimeter around the town, as well as bivouacking their troops at important points.
Hoping to dislodge the British from the capital, Washington launched a bold counter-attack on the morning of October 4 against a British outpost located at Germantown. While initially successful, several factors combined to derail the American attack. First, there was the fact that the four American columns were traveling along different roads to arrive at the point of attack. Some of the American forces actually became lost in the night. Likewise, heavy morning fog complicated the attack, and up led to some incidences of friendly fire among the Americans. Third, a number of British soldiers held up in the house of Benjamin Chew, and on Henry Knox advice, Washington expended a significant amount of effort attempting, unsuccessfully to dislodge the men. (Bullet marks are still visible today on the stones of the house.) Taking all the above factors into consideration the American plan for the attack has often been criticized as too complicated for the human material Washington had to work with.
In the event, the Americans broke off the attack, but left the field in good order. Now, the British ability to maintain their hold on Philadelphia depended upon how quickly they could clear the Delaware River of American troops established in several forts along its banks. William Howe’s troops would likewise have to remove sunken obstructions, known as chevaux-de-frise, which the Americans had used to block the waterway. Opening the Delaware was essential for the simple fact that the British forces needed access to the river in order to bring up the supplies form their shipping, much of which was still moored of Head of Elk. The overland journey was too long, and Washington’s forces were spread across the countryside, interdicting British movements and preventing local farmers from selling their produce to the British as well. The American commander had gone so far as to have the heavy millstones removed from all of the gristmills in the areas surrounding the patriot capital to prevent local farmers from grinding their wheat into flour to sell to the British.
If the Delaware River could not be opened to British shipping, William Howe faced the prospect of a long and uncomfortable winter, both for his own troops, and for the thousands of residents of the city who remained when the British occupied it.
It was in this context that Paine wrote his letter to Franklin. Published in the nineteenth century, it describes in stark detail the fighting along the Delaware River, and the spirited defense of the American fortresses there. As will be shown, it possesses an almost journalist quality as it relates the maneuvers of the opposing forces along the banks of the Delaware River.
The contest for control of the Delaware opened when on October 1, a detachment composed for troops of the British 10th, 42nd and 71st regiments, under the command of Colonel Thomas Stirling seized the American post at Billingsport, New Jersey. In the aftermath of the battle of Germantown, William Howe developed a plan to open the Delaware to his brother’s ships. It encompassed a simultaneous assault on another American post at Red Bank in New Jersey with a naval bombardment to reduce the American fortifications on Mud Island. With these posts out of the way, the British could then focus on removing the sunken obstructions in the river.
The contest for control of the river hit an important juncture when on October 23, 1777 American artillery set fire to the British ship of the line HMS Augusta. The Augusta, along with other British vessels, had been bombarding Fort Mifflin on the Delaware in order to reduce it. The fort was constructed on a low-lying island near the Pennsylvania shore of the river and its destruction of this post would allow the British navy to remove the obstacles placed in the river by the Americans and thereby open the river to their shipping.
The cannon was then less frequent, but on the road between Germantown and Whitemarsh we were stunned with a report as loud as a peal from a hundred cannon at once, and turning round I saw a thick smoke rising like a pillar and spreading from the top like a tree. This was the blowing up of the Augusta. I did not hear the explosion of the Merlin. After this I returned to Colonel Kirkbridge’s and set off again for camp.
Figure 1 Manuscript Map of Delaware River by Loyalist George Spencer from Huntington Library. It shows the locations of the various key points along the Delaware River south of Philadelphia. Property of the Huntington Library.
Paine set his location as well inland, on the road to Germantown, and therefore out of sight of the explosion. Still, he describes the sound of the explosion, usually believed to be the ships powder magazine, as “the peal of a hundred cannon at once.” This is not surprising, as it was reported at the time that the explosion was heard in Reading, Pennsylvania, some fifty miles away.
The other ship Paine refers to in the above excerpt is the HMS Merlin. The Merlin came in to aid the survivors of the Augusta, and became mired in the mud of the river bank. As a stationary target, she attracted intense fire form the guns of the American fort, as well as the ships of the small Pennsylvania Navy. Damaged, and unable to be refloated, the British abandoned and burned her in order to prevent her stores from falling into the hands of the Americans.
The fighting on the Delaware River occupied much of October into the middle of November 1777. It culminated in the siege and defense of Fort Mifflin. Paine provides a very detailed account of the last day of the siege, something which he apparently enjoyed a very close view of “An East Indiaman, whom the enemy had cut down so as to draw but little water, came up without guns, while we were on foot on Carpenter’s Island, joining to Province Island.” The ship Paine refers to here was the HMS Vigilant, and she was stripped down in this manner in order to get into a channel that ran between Mud Island and the Pennsylvania mainland. Then, “Her guns were brought up in the evening in a flat.” The channel was so shallow that the Vigilant could not occupy it while still carrying her full compliment of cannon. According to come accounts, she only mounted cannon on the side facing the fort.
In this state, “She got in the rear of the fort, where few or no guns could bear upon her, and the next morning played upon it incessantly.” The positioning of the Vigilant allowed her to rake the entire inside of Fort Mifflin. British Marine were placed in the vessel’s masts and fired down into the fort at anyone daring or foolish enough tot break cover.
The fire from the Vigilant combined with that from the other British vessels south of the fort in the river, and various batteries established on the Pennsylvania side. Nothing could withstand such a heavy bombardment for long and “The night following the fort was evacuated…”
Paine sums up the American defense,
the obstruction the enemy met with form those forts, and from the chevaux-de-frise was extraordinary, and had it not been that the western channel, deepened by the current, being somewhat obstructed by the chevaux-de-frise in the main river, which enabled them to bring the light Indiaman’s battery, it is a doubt whether they would have succeeded at last.
This is of major importance, as it demonstrates the contemporary view of the goal of the campaign. Denial of river access to Philadelphia would have made the occupation of the city untenable. In the event, the forts held out long enough to deprive the William Howe of any hope of launching a subsequent campaign from the city to try and eradicate the Continental Army. As the active operations along the Delaware came to an end, both sides looked to go into winter quarters. Thomas Paine began to consider relocating for the coming months as well,
I began to think of preparing for Yorktown, which, however, I was willing to delay, hoping that the ice would afford opportunity for new maneuvers, but the season passed very balmy away.
Here Paine is describing his desire to remain in the hopes of witnessing further military action in conflict with his own common sense, which was telling him to move on to York, Pennsylvania, which had become the temporary home of the Continental Congress.
Paine’s descriptions of the events he took part in and observed form a valuable source from someone situated at the center of the action during the 1777 campaign. They provide valuable insights from a contemporary observer, who, while essentially a civilian, had access to the top leadership on the American side. At the same time, they served as a valuable source of war news for Benjamin Franklin and the other Americans working towards French recognition and aid. While his political writings have earned him the distinction of being the “world’s first international revolutionary,” his more mundane contributions should not be overlooked.
Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, Common Sense, and other Political Writings Mark Philip, ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995), vii.
Harold Nicolson, The Age of Reason 1700-1789 (London: Constable, 1960), 413.
Ibid, 414.
Ibid.
Ibid, 413.
Middlekauff, Glorious Cause, 317.
David McCullough, John Adams, 97 suggests that the Philadelphia native Benjamin Rush encouraged Paine to write the pamphlet ad even provided the title.
John Adams to Abigail Adams, Philadelphia, quoted in Ibid.
On Nathanael Greene and his relationship to George Washington, see
On this point, see Ira D. Gruber, The Howe Brothers and the American Revolution (New York, Athenaeum: 1972), John W. Jackson, With the British Army in Philadelphia 1777-1778 (San Rafael, CA: Presidio Press, 1979), Michael C. Harris, Brandywine: A Military History of the Battle that Lost Philadelphia but Saved America, September 11. 1775 (El Dorado Hills, CA: Savas Beatie, 2014), John S. Pancake, 1777: The Year of the Hangman (University, AL : University of Alabama Press, 1977), John F. Reed, Campaign to Valley Forge, July 1, 1777-December 19, 1777 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1965), and Stephen R. Taaffe, The Philadelphia Campaign, 1777-1778 (Lawrence: University of Kansas Press, 2003).
Andrew S. Hamond, The Autobiography of Captain Sir Andrew Snape Hamond, 1738-1828. W. Hugh Moomaw, ed. (MA thesis, University of Virginia, 1947), 73. On the Delaware River defenses, see Worthington C. Ford, ed. Defenses of Philadelphia in 1777 (Brooklyn: Historical Printing Club, 1897. Reprint, De Capo Press, 1971). John W. Jackson, The Pennsylvania Navy 1775-1781: the Defense of the Delaware (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1974). John W. Jackson, The Delaware Bay and River Defenses of Philadelphia (Philadelphia: Philadelphia Maritime Museum, 1977).
On the battle of the Clouds, see Thomas J. McGuire, The Philadelphia Campaign. vol.1. (Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2006): 290-91.
On the battle of Paoli, the most recent book-length treatment is Thomas McGuire, The Battle of Paoli (Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2000).
The full article may be found as Thomas, Paine, “Military Operations near Philadelphia in the Campaign of 1777-8,” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, 2, no. 3 (1878): 283-296.
On the fighting along the river in particular, see Gregory M. Browne, “Fort Mercer and Fort Mifflin: The Battle for the Delaware River and the Importance of American Riverine Defenses during Washington’s Siege of Philadelphia.” (MA Thesis: Western Illinois University, 1996); Henry C. Kain, The Military and Naval Operations on the Delaware in 1777(Philadelphia: The City History Society of Philadelphia, 1910); Mark E. Lender, The River War. (Trenton, NJ: New Jersey Historical Commission, 1979); Samuel S. Smith, Fight for the Delaware, 1777. (Philip Freneau Press, 1970).
Paine, “Military Operations,” 291-92.
McGuire, Philadelphia Campaign, 172-174
Paine, “Military Operations,” 292
Ibid.
Ibid.
On the role of the Vigilant in the reduction of Fort Mifflin, see David Syrett, “H.M. Armed Ship Vigilant, 1777-1780.”in The Mariner’s Mirror. 64,1 (1978):57-62.
Paine, “Military Operations,” 292.
Ibid, 292.
Ibid, 292.
Philip in Paine, Rights of Man, vii.
**music composed by BrunuhVille. I hope you’ll bear with me as I go through my Celtic obsession, which includes music too. I’m buried deep in Scottish history, hence the obsession. Isn’t this composer amazing?
January 28, 2015
Barbara Bettis and Medieval Winter Doldrums
Hello, everyone! I’m so happy to have historical romance author Barb on my blog again! Yay! After reading her post, I almost wrote to Amazon for their Prime Pantry, which I used quite a bit this winter when I snowed in my driveway. Although my little car couldn’t get out, my FedEx guy could make it in with a huge package of food! Sorry for sounding like a commercial there, but I’m very grateful for modern conveniences, especially so after reading Barb’s post. Please click here to enjoy some music while you enjoy reading through! And now, here’s Barb!
Here were are, almost into February and facing the winter ‘doldrums’ (well, most of us anyway, unless we live in the southwest or southeast, where the sun is bright. 
)
In the 12th or 13th Century, we might also be facing winter doldrums, but for entirely different reasons. Work. This time of year we would have no fields to tend, but oh, my, we had repairs to make. 
If we lived in the village, February would see us begin to ready the fields, but January? We’rerepairing things—outside, we’re repairing fences, plowing, other implements we’ll have to use soon to do the planting. Those winter winds have played havoc with our thatched roofs; we need to get those fixed again. And that last storm loosened the sides of our wattle and daub cottage, so we have to gather wood and mud to stop up those wind-holes.
Up at the castle, some of the same activities would be going on, although the lady wouldn’t be doing the repairing. Except…Weaving and sewing occupied much of the time. Weaving, especially. Most of us couldn’t run to the nearby department or even fabric store to pick up something. Even if we were wealthy enough to afford imported fabric, or fabric made by someone else, we had to make the garments. But usually, we had to make even the cloth ourselves.
That means the wool or the flax had to be spun into thread, woven into the fabric, then cut and sewn for use. In some medieval villages, the peasant women did weaving as well. However, in many holdings, that weaving was done at the castle, under supervision of the lady or her representative.
Food? Well, we’re not too far away from the butchering season and many of our vegetables are dried but edible, so we’re not too hungry just yet. If we’re smart, though, we’re watching our rations. Real hunger may come later in the year, before the harvest is ready. Our course, the lord and his men are out hunting for game that we, unfortunately as peasants, can’t have. If we’re lucky, we’ll nab a rabbit or squirrel here or there.
So in our 21st Century, when we dash to the department store or make that supermarket run, we really ought to be happy we have the leisure to be bored into those doldrums.
Keep warm, keep safe.
The Heart of the Phoenix
Some call him a ruthless mercenary; she calls him the knight of her heart.
Blurb:
Memories
Lady Evelynn’s childhood hero is home—bitter, hard, tempting as sin. And haunted by secrets. A now-grown Evie offers friendship, but Sir Stephen’s cruel rejection crushes her, and she resolves to forget him. Yet when an unexpected war throws them together, she finds love isn’t so easy to dismiss. If only the king hadn’t betrothed her to another.
Can Be Cruel
Sir Stephen lives a double life while he seeks the treacherous outlaws who murdered his friends. Driven by revenge he thinks his heart is closed to love. His childhood shadow, Lady Evie, unexpectedly challenges that belief. He rebuffs her, but he can’t forget her, although he knows she’s to wed the king’s favorite.
And Deadly
When his drive for vengeance leads to Evie’s kidnapping, Stephen must choose between retribution and the love he’s denied too long. Surely King John will see reason. Convict the murderers; convince the king. Simple. Until a startling revelation threatens everything.
Exerpt:
(Sir Stephen has brought a tray of food to Lady Evelynn’s room in an inn where they’re staying until they can cross the Narrow Sea (English Channel). A recent storm has forced most of the vessels away from port. Their trip, to this point, has been a mixture of bickering and recognition of the feelings growing between them. )
“You were able to find a ship?” Evie asked.
“Yes.” Stephen gestured with the empty wooden spoon. “We won’t be alone. An emissary for King John bespoke it, but he agreed to share quarters with us.”
Her head tilted to one side. “How did you manage that? I can’t imagine a knight with such authority condescending to share anything with strangers.”
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
“I told him your brother had ordered you home and would be furious if you delayed. You and the maid will share a small cabin, while the lord occupies the captain’s quarters. I have no idea how large your chamber will be, but we’ll make the best of it.”
“We?” She didn’t look up as she took another bite.
Damn her, what did she find amusing in what he’d just said, for there was no mistaking the humor in her voice. She looked up as he stalked toward the bed. Yes, a mischievous light glimmered in her eyes. He loomed above her and slowly leaned in.
“You’d best try to appear the anxious maiden, in fear of her brother,” he warned. “Or questions might arise that none of us want to answer.”
The amusement faded. “What questions?” Her breath caressed his cheek.
He reared back. “Just behave yourself during the passage.”
“This is the second time you’ve warned me about my conduct. Do you fear I will ride off with one of the guards?”
He clenched his teeth to hold back a retort. Let her have her say. She’d be easier to deal with on the morrow if all her complaints were aired.
“We both know my behavior has been perfectly appropriate. And I’ve accepted each of your edicts calmly.” Her gaze flicked away, as if she knew that statement stretched the truth.
“But that’s not the problem, is it?” she added, her voice low, intent. “Why are you really on this journey, Stephen? We both know it’s not to protect me.”
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**music composed by Adrian von Ziegler
January 21, 2015
Favorite Historical Romance Novels
I’m so excited to start a new feature here on my blog! I don’t think it’s any secret how much I love history and historical books, especially historical romance novels! So today I’m parading out a few historical romance novels. Usually I have authors and historians posting a little something about history. However, for this piece, I’m showing off a few releases from friends of mine. Please scroll over the covers and click to link you to a bookstore. Here’s some fun music for you to enjoy while you read about these novels. And I’d love to have a discussion about historical romance novels! Please feel free to share with me your favorite era for your historical romance novels, so the next time I feature just books I might show off your favorite novel! Thank you!
~~~~~***~~~~~
Ganius the gladiator can be freed by Aurelia, his Roman mistress, if he takes her with him. If he does, it’ll mean his death, but to leave her will destroy her. He must choose—and this is a fight the 
champion of the sands might lose…
***
Rome 100 CE
Conquered, beaten, sentenced to die in the Colosseum, Ganius escapes his execution only to find himself enslaved as a gladiator. His rise to champion ensures his life but does nothing to lessen his desire for vengeance against the Roman soldiers who destroyed all he knew.
Locked into a repugnant betrothal, the beautiful Roman Aurelia turns to her brother’s champion gladiator for help. Promising him his freedom if he helps her escape, Aurelia soon discovers she wants not only Ganius’s help, but to capture his heart as he’s captured hers.
In love with his sworn enemy, Ganius realizes Aurelia is the key to his freedom. To take her with him would risk both their lives, yet leaving her behind to be a pawn in her brother’s machinations is a wretched alternative. Ganius must choose—love of a Roman or freedom to make the Romans pay. This is a fight the champion gladiator might lose…
~~~~***~~~~
Victorian England c. 1870
Operating as a British spy, Tristan St.James, the new Marquis of Wrenworth, barely escapes Afghanistan with his life in the spring of 1869. He plans to seek vengeance against the traitor who exposed him and for the agent he’s forced to kill. Returning to England, as a lord, he must marry. Haunted by guilt from the horrors of war, he avoids love at all costs, but finds himself drawn to the only woman who is disinterested in him.
Lady Evelyn Hurstine has waited over two years for the return of her love, a man who left for war in the East. But during that time, she suffered a brutal assault, resulting in a child and fear of any man touching her except for the man she once knew. The pursuit by the marquis scares her but her excuses against his proposal dwindle.
Their marriage strengthens into love until she discovers her husband isn’t the safety she believed but the one who killed the man she once loved. Caught in a world of intrigue and mayhem, Tristan must prove his love to her before the traitor destroys them both.
~~~~***~~~
Kingdom of Wessex, southern England, 882.
Golden-haired Saxon maiden Lissa of Yriclea is the sole survivor of a brutal assault against her village. After the attack, she is taken as thrall by a vikingr with the disconcerting ability to slip past all the defenses of her heart. Grieving the loss of home, friends and freedom, she must cope with the deprivations of travel across England in the company of the powerful Viking she both fears, and cannot resist.
A bizarre turn of events strands vikingr Brandr Óttarrson in hostile Saxon territory during a raid gone very wrong. Getting back home will take all his courage, strength and wits. Complicating the journey is the lovely woman he desires but cannot have; some troublesome, unexpected companions; and a love-struck Saxon warrior relentless in his determination to rescue the lady he sees as his.
In this ancient time of darkness – and mystical beauty – when adversity, hardship and sudden death are the norm, a courageous woman and a single-minded warrior struggle to overcome perils, cultural taboo, and the ambivalence of their own hearts to win a coveted prize: enduring love.
***music composed by Derek & Brandon Fletcher***
January 14, 2015
Lynda K. Scott and Altered History
Hello, everyone! I’m so excited to have science fantasy romance author, Lynda K. Scott, with me talking about altered history. I know in graduate school, we would often ask each other what would happen is something would change? What if France won the Seven Years’ War? Would we all speak French now? (By the way I can swear like a hockey player in French but that’s about it.) Or what if Rome never fell? Would we not only speak Italian, but how much pasta would I need to eat to be considered patriotic? Lynda will get you thinking with this post! Click here for some music to enjoy while reading through her post. Enjoy!
Deja Vu or Alternate Reality?
By
Lynda K. Scott
A few years ago, I was putting groceries in the trunk of my car when a man called out, “Hi, how are you? Wow, I haven’t seen you around in a long time!”
He was a nice enough fellow, not bad looking, definitely friendly, but he hadn’t seen me around…ever. This has happened to me before. I have one of ‘those faces’ I guess so I just smiled and asked, “Who do you think I am?”
For a moment he looked puzzled. You could almost see the wheels turning in his brain. It was at that point that he realized his mistake and apologized, adding that I looked exactly like the woman he obviously thought I was. I assured him no harm was done. He ducked into the store, leaving me thinking about what had just happened.
I’m no beauty and my looks won’t stop a clock. I’m maybe a teensy bit above plain. I’m sure there are many auburn haired women with blue eyes who are just a teensy bit above plain so it’s easy to understand a momentary mistake. But this fellow had the light of recognition in his eyes and voice…as if he was speaking to someone he’d known for a long time.
Hours later, my writer’s mind kicked into gear. What if…he’d stepped out of another time line? In that one, he knew me. I was a close acquaintance. Or maybe a friend. In this time line, I was a stranger, a person he knew nothing about. In his original time line, I could have been a doctor or nurse or teacher. In this one, I could be a thief, a scammer or, worse, a politician! And that made me wonder what could cause a different time line where I could be something totally different from what I am.
My favorite theory is that alternate time lines occur from yes-no type decisions. But that would give rise to an infinite number of time lines for each individual or being from the moment they got out of bed every morning. The universe is infinite but that’s too much for my very finite mind to comprehend. I realized then that the Yes-No decisions had to be significant decisions, not ones based on what pair of shoes I’d wear or what kind of cereal I’d put in my breakfast bowl. True, these things might be important to me but in the sweep of the universe, I’m really pretty insignificant.
So maybe the Yes-No decisions have to be significant decisions for a large group of people. These would be decisions that would have the most effect on the most people. For example…Imagine the American Revolution failing. We’d still be part of Great Britain. Or imagine the Mongols sweeping Europe and maintaining dominion over the entire continent. Or imagine what would happen to our world if alien intelligence had arrived, not today, but several hundred years ago. What kind of world would any of these create?
My choice of breakfast cereal or whether I’d wear a blue shirt or purple shirt with my jeans kind of pales in comparison to that. (For the record, I’d probably go with my favorite color, the purple.)
Being a Science Fantasy Romance author, I naturally gravitated toward the arrival of alien intelligence for an instigating event for my novel, Altered Destiny. Well, sort of. In the alternate time line, the Qui’arel arrived, safely, at about the same time as the Jacobite Rebellion. But in this time line, they didn’t arrive until our current time and they didn’t arrive safely. The ship in our time had a malfunction (which is why it was so late) and slammed into our moon.
The resulting explosion catapults our heroine, Liane Gautier-MacGregor, newly divorced and disappointed with her life, right into a world filled with castle-dominated communities called Reaches, dragons wandering around the North American continent, humans in subjugation to aliens who look like Elves…and straight into the arms of her ex-husband.
But is he? He looks exactly like Devyn Alistair MacGregor…except for the kilt and the eyeglasses, things her ex wouldn’t be caught dead wearing. Neither would her ex have a slight brogue. Or act like a decent and honorable man. No, her ex would do none of those things.
Understandably, Liane is confused and puzzled and downright terrified of what’s happened to her. She can’t live in a world where humans can be enslaved on the whim of the alien overlords. The more she learns about this new world, the more she wants to go home. And the more she learns about this new Devyn James MacGregor, the more she realizes he’s worthy of her respect…and love. Can she find a way home or will she accept an Altered Destiny?
So, yes, Altered Destiny came about because of an accidental encounter in a parking lot and a face that looks like many others. It’s a kind of strange way to get an idea but it worked and I love the story 
Hopefully, you will too.
But it also required a lot of research since my Scots were derived directly from what would have happened if they’d won their rebellion with the help of the aliens. And I had to intertwine these facts with the fictional story. I loved doing that. I discovered customs and sayings and foods which help show a culture. And for Liane, who is an engineer, I had to find out a historical method to build a cement style wall…to keep the dragons out.
Altered Destiny
by Lynda K Scott
Science Fantasy Romance
Stranded on an alternate Earth, architect and Jill-of-all-trades, Liane Gautier-MacGregor must find her way back to her homeworld before she’s enslaved…or falls in love with a man who is the exact duplicate of her ex-husband.
Devyn MacGregor’s alter ego as the Reiver Lord is the only way he can fight the Qui’arel and their nefarious Bride Bounty, a tax paid with human females…until he meets the oddly familiar woman who claims he is her husband. And who sets in motion the rebellion that will either free his countrymen or destroy them.
Available at . . .
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Destiny-ebook/dp/B00579FKFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308920443&sr=8-1
Nook http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Altered-Destiny/Lynda-K-Scott/e/2940012882417
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/79552
An excerpt of Altered Destiny
It took a certain amount of courage to leave a safe and comfortable life, to leap into the void, and risk failure. Liane Gautier-MacGregor sighed–one sigh was all she would allow–then faced the slow, even swells of the Atlantic. Normally, she loved the solitude of the narrow beach but, tonight, it echoed with loneliness.
Dreams, lies, broken trust. She shrugged; they were all the same. Take her ex-husband. Please, she added with a snarky smile. For a long time, she’d thought Devyn was the man of her dreams. “Which just goes to show,” she said, shrugging.
Far out to sea, a pale line of fog rose out of the ocean depths. High above the fog, a star pulsed in the indigo sky.
“Star light, star bright,” Liane began, then paused, unsure what to wish for. A blast of cold air shoved her backward. Pulling her jacket together, she braced herself against the wind. What did ex-husbands and the weather have in common? Can’t count on either of them. Glancing at the star again, she muttered, “It’s probably a satellite anyway.”
From atop the bluff, the dull thump of her ex-husband’s car door, followed by the BMW’s throaty growl echoed off the trees and cottage walls. She turned to see the top landing of the sea stairs. Twin beams of light speared the darkness then angled away.
She was alone. In the dark. On a deserted beach.
Liane shivered. Gautiers were never afraid. At least, that’s what her father had always said. She drew in a breath of salt-laden air, then turned to carefully retrace her footsteps. She could see them clearly in the moonlight and for a moment wished she could as easily retrace her life’s footsteps. Go back to a time before her marriage, before she’d become such a huge disappointment to her parents. To herself.
A wave lapped over her left foot, filling her shoe with icy water. She jumped sideways before the next wave hit. Waves shouldn’t reach this high on the little beach. She puzzled over it for a moment. Maybe a storm was coming? But the sky was clear, filled with stars and a brilliant full moon.
In fact, her wishing star, or satellite, twinkled even more brightly. “Star light, star bright. First star I see tonight.”
She chuckled. Well, it was the first star she’d noticed that night at any rate. “May I have, may I wish–”
She paused again, and thought. “What I wish tonight.”
The BMW’s engine noise faded in the distance. She shivered at the sudden stillness. “I wish for a new beginning.”
Okay, so that was going to happen anyway now that her divorce was final. “I wish for a good new beginning.”
Vague, that was too vague, she decided. Maybe– “I wish that I’m brave enough to succeed at a new beginning.”
Fear of failure, fear of success…it didn’t matter what you called it. The fact was, she was a coward in so many different aspects of her life. And so much would be different if she had been a tenth as brave as her mother or father. Her head lowered as grief rolled over her. Her chest tightened, constricting her breath. But, her head jerked sideways in a negating gesture, she wasn’t brave and her parents were dead because of her cowardice. Because she’d let her father drive when he wasn’t familiar with icy roads. She cast a sad, longing look at the star.
Her wishing star jinked sideways, then elongated. Was it a comet? So much for wishes. “Should have wished for a telescope.”
As she watched the comet-star, a buzzing, tickling sensation swept over her. Her scalp tingled, her hair lifted. She looked around uneasily as the wind died. Even the waves, so restless moments ago, hesitated, stuck in mid-curl.
Her gaze, drawn to the sky, settled on the not-star as it sped toward the moon. Liane’s throat filled with dread as, with a flash of blinding whiteness and an utter lack of sound, the moon exploded.
She gasped in terrified awe as fragments whirled silently through the sky. Get inside! screamed the primitive part of her mind, inside, inside, inside.
Obeying the silent command, she sped toward the sea stairs but the wind came at her like a battering ram. She stumbled, fell back, and caught herself as her shoes filled with cold ocean water. The tide surged, slammed into her knees.
With a supreme effort, Liane dragged herself forward then–
The sea, the beach, the moon and stars–all spun in rapid circles around her. A queer, sideways slide, a wrenching shift, threw her off-balance.
From somewhere came her ex-husband’s startled yell followed by the deep mechanical growl of his BMW.
She flailed as a kaleidoscope of color burned across her eyes and drummed through her skull. Swept up, she clawed empty air. Tiny zaps, electrically charged, sizzled over her, around her, through her. Then, as if a giant hand reached out to snatch her from the maelstrom–
Liane reeled in broad daylight, the sun beating over the waves and blinding her with its brilliance.
About Lynda: In her family of Kentucky ‘ridge runners’, oral tales were a tradition that even the children participated in. She spent many nights with her brother, cousins and friends telling tall tales to excite the imagination. Now she creates award winning science fantasy romance filled with despair, hope, love and courage.
Contact:
Website http://www.lyndakscott.com
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Blog http://www.lyndakscott.blogspot.com
Blog http://www.star-crossedromance.blogspot.com
Email Lynda@LyndaKScott.com
Thanks for having me! And, if you like Speculative Fiction Romance, keep an eye out for my RIDING THE ODDS which will debut on Feb 2.
January 7, 2015
Kayelle Allen and the days of Christmas
Hello, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I sure did. Today I have Kayelle Allen sharing with us her holiday release, A Romance for Christmas. I know, I know. Christmas is long gone. Or is it? (Click here for music to enjoy while reading.)
Historically speaking, the day of Christmas itself was a rather reverent day, a day to go to church. It was while waiting for the Twelve Days of Christmas to pass where the real partying occurred. You see, the Twelve Days began Christmas day and ended on January 5, the day before Epiphany Day. A party trick, back in the day, was to try to outwit each other by playing a memory game. According to TheTwelveDaysofChristmas.com, people would play a
“memory-and-forfeits” game in which the leader recited a verse, each of the players repeated the verse, the leader added another verse, and so on until one of the players made a mistake, with the player who erred having to pay a penalty, such as a offering up a kiss or a sweet.
Hence, from this game, we have our “Twelve Days of Christmas” song. Yes, I love learning things like this, but can you just imagine playing this memory game when completely sloshed on brandy eggnog and/or mulled wine? And by the way, most Victorian-era Christmas party planners would anticipate each party goer to have at least seven cups of alcoholic beverages. Seven! And ditto for Regency Christmas parties. I’m telling you, by drink two, I couldn’t remember my name. How about for you?
Although those Twelve Days have passed, why not still celebrate? Here’s a bit about Kayelle Allen’s book:
Title: A Romance for Christmas
Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Author: Kayelle Allen
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG13
A cop at the door on Christmas Eve brings an unexpected gift.
A sweet holiday romance showcasing love, loss, and the spirit of giving.
It’s Christmas Eve, and the end of a year in which everything Dara loves has been lost. Everything but her little girl and a fierce determination to survive. When a cop brings Christmas to her door, he brings another gift she never expected to get.
Buy This Book
Publisher Romance Lives Forever Books
Amazon http://amzn.to/1wpW8qE
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Website http://kayelleallen.com
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Amazon Author page http://amazon.com/author/kayelleallen
December 17, 2014
Gina Danna and the Roman marriage
Happy Holidays, everyone! I’m so pleased to have fictional historical author Gina Danna sharing with us her research pertaining to Roman marriages. Very interesting information! Oh, and just so you know, the next two weeks I will be on vacation! Yay! So no blog. But I do hope everyone has a fantastic holiday!!!! And now here’s Gina and some music for you to enjoy while reading.
Marriage in Ancient Rome
We are familiar with the idea of marrying for love. In the world of Romance stories, historically speaking, we find that is rarely the case. We’ve been exposed to arranged marriages, elevating one of the families’ status or to settle a vendetta or to join two warring sides for peace. Marriage is usually a religious affair, involving banns being read, licenses bought, priests officiating the ceremony plus so much more. And divorce? Another beast, usually so heavy with legal protocol along with it not working in a historical romance story, it is ignored.
So it was the same in 100 C.E., under the might of the Roman Empire – right?
Marriage then involved much of this plus a twist. Let me explain.
Romans could marry for love. But elevation of status ruled high. Thus families could arrange a betrothal. Agreed upon with honor, neither side would back out. Money was often involved in the way of dowries.
When it came time for the ceremony, where would you marry? The Temple to Jupiter? No. Marriage during the time of the Roman Empire was not a religious affair but more civil. If one of the parties, or both, requested a priest to officiate the ceremony and the bride wanted to wear the saffron-colored stola (their version of the white wedding dress), all was good. Yet in reality, the civil recognition was the only one needed and required.
The fascinating point about Roman marriage was that, in the society run by paterfamilias, or father (the patriarch) ruled families, the marriage was based more on what the bride’s father wanted or gave. He could give her truly to her husband, releasing her from the bonds of her family OR he’d retain her legally under his rule.
What does this mean, keeping her under his rule? Why wouldn’t he let the bride and groom go and start their lives? Why would he retain her under his paterfamilias?
In many ways, Roman marriages were politics on a big scale. The higher socially you went, the worst it could be. If the paterfamilias didn’t release her, it didn’t mean she stayed home and her husband lived with her there or not at all. No, generally it meant that they could be a married couple and live wherever they wanted BUT if her father wanted or needed her home, he could invoke that right, calling her home to family. And, if he wanted, terminate the marriage. This divorce was not considered bad for the wife or husband because it was not their power doing this. 
Now civil divorce could be had and it was simpler than the marriage, just by one of the spouses setting the other free. But what of love? What of a child? If love was involved, always bad but a child had other connation’s attached. Procreation for the family name was always a top priority, meaning the father could keep the child over the ruling we’re used to of a child was better with the mother.
All this wraps up into the wicked story of Love & Reckoning. Check it out! Scroll over the cover and it will take you to a bookstore.
Love & Reckoning . . .
Rome 100 CE
Conquered, beaten, sentenced to die in the Colosseum, Ganius of Gaul escapes his execution only to find himself enslaved as a gladiator. His rise to champion ensures his life, but does nothing to lessen his desire for vengeance against the Roman soldiers who destroyed all he knew.
Locked into a repugnant betrothal, the beautiful Roman Aurelia turns to her brother’s champion gladiator for help. Promising him his freedom if he helps her escape, Aurelia soon discovers she wants not only Ganius’s help, but to capture his heart as he’s captured hers.
In love with his sworn enemy, Ganius realizes Aurelia is the key to his freedom. But to take her with him would risk both their lives, yet leaving her behind to be a pawn in her brother’s machinations is a wretched alternative. Ganius must choose – love of a Roman or freedom to make the Romans pay. This is a fight the champion gladiator might lose…
December 10, 2014
E. E. Burke and the Scribbling Women
Hello, everyone! Ugh, I’ve been stuck in editing mode for two years, it feels. So I’m VERY delighted to share with you historical fiction author, E. E. Burke’s research regarding Scribbling Women. Oh, this is such a good one! Here’s some music for you to enjoy while reading through! I’m in love with this composition, because it’s both Western and Celtic sounding. And now here’s E. E!
“Scribbling women” and Romance Heroines
In my latest historical romance, A Dangerous Passion, the heroine Lucy Forbes sets out to discover 
the kind of romantic adventures she’s only read about. What you might ask was she reading? The same type of literature read by the majority of women in her day.
Sentimental fiction.
Before the romance novel, there was sentimental fiction (also referred to as domestic fiction). These stories were serialized in popular magazines as well as produced as novels, and eagerly consumed by a growing population of female readers in the later half of the 19th century.
The basic plot of sentimental fiction involves a young girl deprived of the support she’d depended on to sustain her, who must win her own way in the world. In the process, she finds an inner strength and develops a strong conviction of self worth.
It was a theme that resonated powerfully with women of this era, most of whom were under the control of men and rarely given credit for being intelligent or capable outside of the home. 
The first big seller in this genre was Susan Warner’s The Wide, Wide World (1850). Maria Susanna Cummins is credited with setting the trend on fire with The Lamplighter (1854). It sold 40,000 copies in two months. She’d be considered a bestseller these days, but back then it was nothing short of astounding.
As beloved as these authors were among their faithful readers, they were ridiculed by male counterparts. Nathanial Hawthorne, in a letter written to his publisher in 1855, says this about them:
America is now wholly given over to a damned mob of scribbling women, and I should have no chance of success while the public taste is occupied with their trash… 
Regardless of Hawthorne’s disdain, the “scribbling women” had a huge following. One of the most popular (my heroine’s favorite author) was Mrs. Southworth. During the last half of the 19th century, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth (she signed her name, “E.D.E.N.”) was probably the single most widely read American novelist.
She began writing in 1844 to support herself and her children after her husband deserted them. Most of her more than 60 novels appeared in Robert Bonner’s popular story newspaper, The New York Ledger, which reached about a million readers. Her best-known work, The Hidden Hand, was reprinted twice in serialized form and later issued as a novel.
The narrative would seem melodramatic and her characters stereotyped to most of today’s readers, but it appealed to a generation who secretly longed to throw off cultural confinement and experience adventures, if only through reading a book.
My heroine Lucy refers to The Hidden Hand several times and identifies strongly with the feisty main character Capitola, who playfully pokes at conventional traditions.
Here’s a snippet from the book, when Capitola is warned not to go out alone because of a fearsome highwayman.
“What do you think of this outlaw, young lady?” asked the peddler, turning to Capitola.
“Why I like him!” said Cap.
“You do?”
“Yes, I do! I like men whose very names strike terror into the hearts of commonplace people!”
“Oh, Miss Black!” exclaimed Miss Condiment.
“Yes, I do, ma’am. And if Black Donald were only as honest as he is brave, I should quite adore him! So there! And if there is one person in the world I long to see it is Black Donald.”
From The Hidden Hand by E.D.E.N. Southworth
At one point Lucy compares Henry to the black-hearted villain that pursues Capitola. Like the plucky heroine, Lucy declares she prefers villains. But she just as a quickly points out that’s just in stories.
During the time these books were popular, the United States was beginning a period of extreme change with regard to women’s roles in society; the suffrage movement was just starting to rumble, Westward expansion had begun. At a time when women were told they were fragile, emotional, childlike creatures, their own experience proved otherwise.
Like the plucky heroine in The Hidden Hand, Lucy is determined to be her own woman. However, when we meet her, she’s willingly put her life on hold to provide emotional support for her widowed father. She expects to marry, as most women did at that time, but she also wants to pursue her own dreams. She struggles to balance her desire for self-determination with a yearning for love, commitment, and a sense of belonging. This is a theme that’s echoed down through our times.
By the end of the 19th century, the sentimental novel had fallen out of favor. Later in the 20th century, what evolved from this early form of commercial fiction is the genre we call Romance.
We Romance writers (and readers) owe much to those scribbling women.
Can a hero lurk in the heart of a villain?
Life in a small New England village is too quiet, too ordinary for a free spirit like Lucy Forbes. When her father lands a job out West, she packs her books and her dreams and eagerly sets off to pursue the kind of grand adventures she longs to experience and write about. Yet the moment she steps off the train, she’s thrust into the gritty reality of an untamed frontier—and into the arms of a scoundrel.
Henry Stevens, the ruthless railroad executive her father has been sent to investigate, is as passionate as he is ambitious. Brave and charming, as well as clever, and possessed of a sharp wit. He is, in fact, the most fascinating man Lucy has ever met. However, his opponents are vanishing, and strangers are shooting at him. Fearing for her father’s life, Lucy resolves to unmask the secretive Mr. Stevens and expose a villain. What she doesn’t expect to find is a hero.
E.E. Burke writes romance from the heart, woven with history the way it really happened. Her latest American historical romance series, Steam! Romance and Rails, includes Passion’s Prize, Her Bodyguard and A Dangerous Passion. Her writing has earned accolades in regional and national contests, including the prestigious Golden Heart®.
Over the years, she’s been a disc jockey, a journalist and an advertising executive, before finally getting around to pursuing her dream of writing novels. She lives in Kansas City with her husband and three daughters, the greatest inspiration of all.
You can find out more at her website, www.eeburke.com, or on the following social media:
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Enter E.E. Burke’s Twelve Days of Christmas drawing for your chance to win books in the series Steam! Romance and Rails, including A Dangerous Passion. Click HERE to enter!
