Elizabeth Ellen Carter's Blog, page 27

The Most Important Meal of The Day

You gotta to be gruel to be kind, in the right measure…

Today, we describe it as the most important meal of the day – breakfast.

As the name suggests, the first meal of the morning was to ‘break fast’ – the period of hours between the evening meal and the morning. But in medieval times, unless there was a particular reason – a battle, for instance – morning nosh up after getting out of bed wasn’t really the done thing.

In fact, it’s important to understand the medieval day to appreciate how the meals fit in. Prior to widespread access to inexpensive night lighting, most people ended their day soon after dark – not surprisingly, making the most of every hour of usable daylight became a vital part of day-to-day life.

And the evening meal became the last major gathering point for a household for the day. But they didn’t just tuck themselves into bed and sleep through until morning. It became quite the custom to sleep ‘twice’ in the night.

An English doctor wrote, for example, that the ideal time for study and contemplation was between “first sleep” and “second sleep.” Chaucer tells of a character in the Canterbury Tales that goes to bed following her “firste sleep.” And, explaining the reason why working class conceived more children, a doctor from the 1500s reported that they typically had sex after their first sleep.

Stand aside before I run you through with my trusty skillet.
I said ‘trusty skillet’ not ‘rusty skill set!’

The breakfast, after the second sleep, if anything was eaten at all, was a very light meal often consisting very little but a thin soup (a sop) and some bread.

The first significant meal of the morning was about 9am or 10am and it was a significant brunch – not surprising considering that, in summer time at least the household would have been awake for between five and six hours.

Full early, ere daylight, the folk rose up; the guests who would depart called their grooms and they made them ready, and saddled the steeds, tightened up the girths, and trussed up their mails. The knights, all arrayed for riding, leapt up lightly, and took their bridles, and each rode his way as pleased him best.

The lord of the land was not the last. Ready for the chase, with many of his men, he ate a sop hastily when he had heard Mass, and then with blast of the bugle fared forth to the field. He and his nobles were to horse ere daylight glimmered upon the earth.

Forget the sugar-laden cereals and pop tarts for breakfast. A medieval breakfast, if one was a working man, would have consisted of easily prepared food. A traditional English breakfast featuring kippers harks back to a medieval past because it a protein easily preserved through smoking and therefore, more or less readily available.

“The earliest breakfast was undoubtedly just a chunk of bread and a mug of watered wine. Then we have evidence of anchovies and fillets of other fish being consumed, these like the famous British breakfast of kippered herring being always in a preserved state ready for eating at any time. The fatter fish, such as herring (and its small relative, the anchovy), salmon and trout lent themselves to particularly well preservation by smoking, and came to be appreciated in certain circles as a tasty means to hold off hunger pangs

A Scotsman sows his wild oats. Or something.

The Scottish favourite of porridge emerged out of the Middle Ages because oats suited the country’s short wet growing period better than other grains. I had porridge for breakfast this morning. Delicious with organic honey or with frozen berries or (and this is seriously yum, brown sugar and cinnamon).

Join me here on Sunday for a medieval treat – Sambocade Cheesecake – I’ll be sharing the recipe right here!

In the meantime, enjoy this traditional Scottish Oatcake Recipe. This oatcake recipe was the basis of our Aussie favourite ANZAC Biscuits:

225g oats
60g wholewheat flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
60g butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
60-80ml hot water






Pre-heat the oven to 190C.
Mix together the oats, flour, salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda.
Add the butter and rub together until everything is mixed and has the consistency of large bread crumbs.
Add the water (from a recently boiled kettle) bit by bit and combine until you have a somewhat thick dough. The amount of water varies; depending on the oats.
Sprinkle some extra flour and oats on a work surface and roll out the dough to approx. 1/2cm thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes (the final number of oatcakes depends – of course – on the size of cutter you use. In a wonderfully Scottish twist/coincidence I found that using an upturned whisky glass makes the perfect size
Place the oat cakes on a baking tray and bake for appprox. 20-30mins. or until slightly golden brown.

Meet the characters of

Warrior’s Surrender

and WIN!

Visit my post on this page – http://eecarter.com/index.php/meet-the-characters-of-warriors-surrender-and-win/

And share my Warrior’s Surrender e-cards – or any of my Medieval-themed blog posts and you go in the running to win a certified organic Botanical perfume, Brave – the perfect scent for a heroine like Alfreya of Tyrswick.

Don’t forget to tag me, so I can track your entries!








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Hit & Myth 1 – The Flat Earth Theory

That’s one heck of a compass God’s using

One of the questions I got asked when I started writing Warrior’s Surrender is why Medieval? Weren’t they just a bunch of ignorant, superstitious peasants who lost their way between the glories of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance?

Each Thursday I’ll be talking about a common place myth about the medieval period and we’ll start with my favourite:

In Medieval times, people thought the world was flat

Actually that was the myth that had me researching this period in history in depth.

People in the medieval period didn’t think the earth was Flat. In fact no educated person after 200BC believed the Earth was flat. That was plainly evident in the fact that standing on a mountain with a good panorama, you can see the curve of the planet.

Richard II

Furthermore those waiting for ships to arrive would be able to see them emerge over the horizon. And this is not to forget solar and lunar eclipses where the shadow of the Earth or the Moon in its circular shape obscure the heavenly bodies, although such events were considered by all cultures around the world as being inauspicious.

Take a look at these two medieval paintings on the right hand side. You’ll notice King Richard II is holding an orb with a cross on it. It is symbolic of Christ’s dominion over the Earth, which is not only round – it’s spherical.

The second picture is one that I just love. It is called God the Geometer and it’s author is unknown although the illustration shows up in the Bible moralisse a set of illuminated Bibles commissioned by the French Crown.

It depicts God as creator and more than that God the mathematician, the master architect and, what do you notice in the round universe he is holding, there’s the Earth and the Sun and they are… well, spherical.

Medieval people not only understand the shape of Earth; some of them came extremely close to estimating its circumference. One school worked on refining Eratosthenes’ figure of 250,000 stades, which was within 15% of the modern figure of 40,074 kilometers. The other school worked on refining Ptolemy’s figure of 180,000 stades. Eratosthenes’ view dominated.

So where did the myth come from – well you can thank two people for that. A very dogmatic anti-Catholic French academic, Antoinne-Jean Letronne and an American popular fiction writer, Washington Irving – you might know him as the author of the Legend of Sleep Hollow and the story of Rip Van Winkle.

In a 1991 book, “Inventing the Flat Earth,” retired University of California professor Jeffrey Burton Russell explains how the myth was perpetuated in the 1800s by writers including Washington Irving and Antoinne-Jean Letronne.

In 1828, Irving wrote “The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus,” which sounds like a biography but is mostly fiction. It says that Europeans learned from Columbus’s trips to the New World that the planet was round.

Letronne insisted that early Christian writers thought the Earth was flat. Though they did not, he was widely quoted for many years.

Others, too, helped perpetuate the myth.

And perpetuated it was, with the myth being taught as fact in children’s text books for over 100 years.

So, flat Earth?

It’s a bust

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Going Medieval

I think I’ve mentioned here before that when I told my husband, to whom Warrior’s Surrender is dedicated, that my second book was going to be set in middle of the medieval period, he confessed to being unsure.

“I get Regency, I get Roman but Medieval seems so… uncivilised.”

Well, yes if one’s knowledge of the period before the Renaissance was coloured by Monty Python, it would be understandable to think so.

Over the next month, I’m looking forward to introducing you a side of medieval history that you may never have been taught at school.

In preparation for the launch of Warrior’s Surrender on November 7 we’re going to be having fun with:

Hits & Myths – exploding some of the fallacies about the Medieval period, Mythbusters style
Recipes – It wasn’t just raw meat and gruel, you know.
Games! – Popular games and sports of the period
Medieval News – The life and types of people who lived in England, particularly, between the years 500AD – the fall of the Western Roman Empire and 1500AD the start of the Renaissance

I can’t wait for you to join me!

But Wait There’s More!

I’ll be making guest appearances on other blogs over the next couple of months, so check back regularly for destinations and dates.

If you have a blog, I’d love to come and visit – just put a message in the box below.

Throughout October, I’ll be giving away prizes and the festivities will culminate on Friday, November 7 with a special Facebook party for the release of Warrior’s Surrender.

So, Let’s Party Like It’s 1077!
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Introducing Cross Keys by Ally Shields

I’m privileged to be ‘housemates’ with some terrific authors at Etopia Press. If you love action, adventure, romance and a bit of paranormal fun, then Cross Keys is just the title for you. It’s available for pre-order now on Amazon ahead of its release date on October 3.

 

Conspiracy, murder, and magic…and the death of all they hold dear.

Ally Shields sensational new novel, out October 3

When the first wanderer—a common elf who isn’t authorized to use the portal—is spotted on the streets of New Orleans, the king assigns Kameo Ryndel to assist in the elf’s capture. But before she can intervene, humans with guns shoot the wanderer and steal his body. When Seth Lormarc, an Elite elf from a rival guild, appears at the scene, Kam suspects he is involved.

Seth Lormarc is in New Orleans to find out who was behind the portal breach, and his best lead is the intriguing Kam Ryndel. When he stakes out her apartment and finds her sneaking out in the middle of the night, dressed in black and leaping to the top of the nearest building, he knows there’s something unique about the beautiful elf. That kind of feat requires magic. Ancient magic.

As their paths cross during their investigations, they develop an irresistible attraction, although there’s little time for romance. The portal breach is tied to an illegal smuggling operation that has come to the attention of the human CIA. But the stakes are raised when Kam and Seth discover a band of conspirators and a rebellion deep in Elvenrude that promises nothing except destruction of their world.

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Introducing Cross Keys by Allie Shields

I’m privileged to be ‘housemates’ with some terrific authors at Etopia Press. If you love action, adventure, romance and a bit of paranormal fun, then Cross Keys is just the title for you. It’s available for pre-order now on Amazon ahead of its release date on October 3.

 

Conspiracy, murder, and magic…and the death of all they hold dear.

Ally Shields sensational new novel, out October 3

When the first wanderer—a common elf who isn’t authorized to use the portal—is spotted on the streets of New Orleans, the king assigns Kameo Ryndel to assist in the elf’s capture. But before she can intervene, humans with guns shoot the wanderer and steal his body. When Seth Lormarc, an Elite elf from a rival guild, appears at the scene, Kam suspects he is involved.

Seth Lormarc is in New Orleans to find out who was behind the portal breach, and his best lead is the intriguing Kam Ryndel. When he stakes out her apartment and finds her sneaking out in the middle of the night, dressed in black and leaping to the top of the nearest building, he knows there’s something unique about the beautiful elf. That kind of feat requires magic. Ancient magic.

As their paths cross during their investigations, they develop an irresistible attraction, although there’s little time for romance. The portal breach is tied to an illegal smuggling operation that has come to the attention of the human CIA. But the stakes are raised when Kam and Seth discover a band of conspirators and a rebellion deep in Elvenrude that promises nothing except destruction of their world.

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Warrior’s Surrender Preview Book Trailer!

My incredibly talented, wonderful, sexy and creative husband made me this wonderful book trailer for Warrior’s Surrender!

What do you think?

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What TV Watching Taught Me About Writing

You might get bored with the TV offerings but you do not get square eyes. (Just a little myopic…)

There’s a little bit of a discussion going on about prologues, among other things – love ‘em, hate ‘em, ignore ‘em… it seems everyone has an opinion about them.

I spent nearly 10 years as a film and TV reviewer. I have watched a lot of television, which has also made be aware of cinematic structure and it is something that is a subconscious part of my writing.

Personally I love prologues – as long as they serve a purpose. In the case of Moonstone Obsession, a seemingly unrelated incident – the wreck of The Pandora – serves as the catalyst for all of the action which takes place after. It is the narrative drive.

The best way to think of it is the opening of your favourite TV detective series. You see the crime take place and nothing of your hero and heroine, the rest of the 40 minutes or so centres on walking alongside the detective putting together the pieces which solves the puzzle.

I know romance is a little bit different, in that the main focus is on the developing relationship between the hero and the heroine but a wider story arc provides the reader with the opportunity to see how our couple will react to circumstances beyond their control. How will that affect their relationship? What depth will it add?

The second type of prologue is one I have used in Warrior’s Surrender and in Moonstone Conspiracy, where it is a flashback to a past incident.

The prologue is integral to the beginning of Star Wars

In Warrior’s Surrender, the incident provides context for the major narrative driver. This time the hero and heroine appear but at a much earlier time of their lives, but reader can see in ‘real time’ how that pivotal moment colours their perceptions and actions in the present.

Moonstone Conspiracy is a little different and can be considered like opening of a drama – you know the type: ‘Last time on Revenge…‘ in which a reader is reminded of action from a previous story or a new reader gets enough of the back story to make sense of what is to come.

Prologues should plunge the reader into action – even if it leaves them a little confused at first.

After that, TV dramas typically follow the three act structure. And, if you’re interested, I have a post on it here.

Julie and Julia epilogue wraps up things nicely for the viewer

Then there is the epilogue, where everything is wrapped up neatly. My favourite retro TV series FBI and Dragnet used it quite consciously, in both series we find out what happened to the villains – usually lengthy jail sentences and it gave us a sense of closure.

In TV land, it was only about 5 minutes in length before the closing credits and, if you’re lucky, a preview of next week’s episode.

For me, an epilogue in a romance, particularly in a historical romance is the opportunity to say one last good bye to the characters and the location you’ve fallen in love with. It’s a final reassurance that those two crazy, mixed up kids are gonna do all right.

So, where does that leave us:

Prologue

opening credits
commercial break


Act 1

commercial break


Act 2

commercial break


Act 3

commercial break


Epilogue

closing credits

It’s a common dramatic structure which has stood the test of time. While a series can work just fine without  an epilogue and a prologue – and indeed the comparison between a TV series and a book is not an exact one – it is further proof that there is only one rule that needs to be followed: tell a good story and pace it well.

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Meet the characters of Warrior’s Surrender and WIN!

Win a limited edition

certified organic botanical perfume -

Miessence’s Brave.

“There! That’s the beauty and bravery he fell in love with that night all those years ago. His own spirits lifted. A flicker of delighted malice flittered across Drefan’s face before his features settled into a practiced neutrality.”

Entering is easy!

Between now and November 7 share any one of the character and promotional cards below on your favourite social media platform.

Then tag me:

@Elizabeth Ellen Carter – Author on Facebook
@EECarterAuthor on Twitter
+ElizabethEllenCarter on Google+

Every share earns you an entry and the winner will be announced at the Warrior’s Surrender Facebook party on November 7.

Do hang around for more prizes and fun as we have a Medieval Month during October with prizes, recipes, games and fun!

Warrior’s Surrender Social Media Cards

 

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A Gem of a Tale

The final look-see before final copy edits.

Lucky me. My former step-father was a jeweller and I had the opportunity to talk to him about his craft.

And I realise now that there something in common between the wonderful work he did designing jewellery, cutting gemstones and manufacturing the precious metal fittings and writing a novel.

When you are writing your first draft, you are a miner or a fossicker, plowing through tonnes of words, digging your way through plot development and washing away the self-doubt and procrastination.

At the end of the process you know you have uncovered a gem.

It’s not ready for setting – not by a long shot. It’s rough, chipped but for those who know what they’re looking at, they will see its potential, these are your critique partners who will tell you whether or not your gem is flawed and how best show off its best potential.

Cut and polished to allow its natural beauty to shine through.

Very much like writing a novel, a gemstone has its own story to tell. What happens next is a co-operative process between gemstone and jeweler, between manuscript and writer. The stone, like the story will reveal its own truths, quite separate from the desires of the creator.

This is where you need to be sensitive. A good jeweler will examine the stone, turning it over again and again, identifying its potential. It cannot be something it is not. You may wish for a brilliant round diamond, but a particular uncut stone may tell you that it is an emerald cut instead. Experience and wisdom make you sensitive to the signs.

Then the hard work starts – grinding the way the parts that will never make it into the final. If you’re lucky there is enough there to chip away and save aspects for another story, another time. As heartbreaking as the process might seem at first – it is cathartic and exciting too as the potential of that gem of a story is realised – revealing itself facet by facet.

The End is just the beginning

The final step is polishing until it sparkles and this is the process which I’ve been doing for Warrior’s Surrender the past couple of weeks.

There is something special about going through the edits of your manuscript, where you can admire the hard work which has gone into the process – and only you know how much.

Warrior’s Surrender has gone through this process and it is now back with the publisher for ‘certification’ and quality control. They will put it in an enticing package with a beautiful cover – giving just a hint of the gem inside, waiting to surprise and delight the person who takes it home.

You hope they enjoy the end product as much as you enjoyed the creation.

Forgive me for being lyrical – I’m between writing projects at the moment and lure of the literary gem field is calling me and I cannot wait to show you Warrior’s Surrender a multi-faceted gem – a medieval romance, a mystery, a thriller, a supernatural fantasy.

It will be here soon.

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AUTHORS BLOG TOUR – A NEW APPROACH

I’ve been tagged by the amazingly talented author Eva Scott to take part in this fabulous author’s blog tour! This is something a little different and fun.  This tour is about introducing the writer who tagged you, answering a few questions about yourself and your writing, and tagging more authors to keep the train going. Here’s Eva’s blog. Now, let’s find out a little something about Eva!

Eva Scott – she writes contemporary and historical romance!!

I live on the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane in Queensland Australia. I settled here a few years ago when I returned from living and working overseas, where incidentally I met my husband in our own Great Romance.

I studied Anthropology at University with visions of living with wild tribes in the jungle and ended up working in adult education and patient experience within the Health service. You’d be surprised how wild that can be!

I have written both formally and for the sheer joy of it. I found writing helps me manage the situations life has a way of throwing at you. For while I dabbled as a freelance jounalist writing articles for magazines. Somewhere along the way I found I prefered telling colourful stories much more than imparting useful information.

My chance came when our son joined our family, allowing me to take the time off work to look after him and write in the spaces between nappy changes, feeds and fun time.

Books and reading have always been integral to life. Our wall of books is full of diverse subjects both fact and fiction, with the oldest text having been published in 1807.

Eva’s latest release is A Season To Remember, a Christmas-themed short story anthology.

It is coming out in late November and it’s free!

A Season To Remember – our gift to you this Christmas.

Here’s a little something about me!

1) If you were beginning your writing career today, what would you do differently?

Develop a better understanding about POVs and approach my writing with a bit more confidence.

2) What’s the one thing about you that might surprise readers?

I drove fast cars, smoked cigars, drank hard liquor and fired guns. I may still do some of these things.

3) Tell us a little about your main character in your latest book.

 I’m lucky enough to have two who are complete different

Warrior’s Surrender is a medieval romance set in 1077. The heroine is Lady Alfreya of Tyrswick. She has been forced by circumstances to lead her dead father’s Saxon army against Baron Sebastian de la Croix, the Norman Baron who now owns her lands.

Alfreya is a delightfully complex character. A series of disappointments has left her distrustful and her devotion to her family and to duty has forced her to make some hard decisions on her own.

Warrior’s Surrender is out on October 17.

In Three Ships my Christmas short story as part of the A Season To Remember Anthology, Laura Winter is different, she is a sweet girl-next-door who would like a romance, not realising her suitor would wash up on shore!

Laura is the daughter of a lighthouse keeper and Three Ships is a fun adventure set in 1806 Devon. It has smugglers, explosions, a surprise proposal and two cats called Admiral and Whiskey.

4) What are some of your favourites?

 

Colour – Red

Food – anything Indian or Thai

Place – anywhere with my darling husband

 

Shameless self promotion…

Tag! You’re it:

Noelle Clark                                   Amy Rose Bennett                                     Joanna Lloyd
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