Lillian Marek's Blog, page 3
July 7, 2015
Romance on the Orient Express
It is 1889. The fabulous Orient Express, only a few years old, hurtles through the darkness en route from Paris to Istanbul. A terrified young woman runs frantically through the corridor, searching for an unlocked stateroom. At last she finds one, and throws herself into the room.
June 23, 2015
Murder by Mistake, a Restoration Tragedy
“The good-looking, melodious-voiced William Mountfort played both tragic and comic lovers to perfection, and was mourned by theatergoers and colleagues alike when he died, the innocent victim of a swordfight over Mrs. Bracegirdle.”
I came across that sentence in a history of the English theater. That was it. No further explanation.
June 9, 2015
My Next Heroine
Thank you for dropping by. I hope that last week you met Linda Ford's self-sufficient single mother, Clara Weston. If you missed her, you can catch up at http://lindaford.org/blog/. She will be appearing in A Daddy for Christmas, Book I in the Christmas in Eden Valley trilogy, one of Linda's Love Inspired historicals.
June 2, 2015
Quick and Easy Recipes for Harried Authors (and others)
Confession: In an earlier life, I used to write a weekly cooking column. This was the fun part of my job, since I actually like to cook. However, at times there are just too many other things going on in your life. Like looming deadlines.
These are recipes for the harried author (or anyone else) whose family insists on eating dinner when she doesn’t have time to cook and nobody can face another slice of pizza.
May 26, 2015
Massacres old and new
Be warned. This column is not amusing or exciting. Its subject is continuing tragedy.
May 19, 2015
The Accidental Archaeologist
If you come across a portrait or photograph of the famous archaeologist, author and politician Austen Henry Layard, it is most often of him as an old gentleman with an enormous white beard. That beard is so big and white that he seems to be all beard and no person. But long before that he was a young man working in an office and longing for something—anything—more exciting.
May 12, 2015
Pamper Me With Possets
Have you ever had a posset? It's a classic comfort food. Soft and gentle, like something that would pamper and console you. And we all have times when we need comfort food. (I certainly do.)
May 5, 2015
Of Safety and Snobbery
George Stephenson was an English engineer who has been called “The Father of the Railways” of the 19th century. He was a brilliant and visionary man, but success wasn’t easy for him.The scientific establishment of his day had difficulty believeing that anything good or important could come from a man who wasn't a "gentleman" and who didn't have the benefit of a univeristy education. [image error]read more
April 21, 2015
Escape!
All is prepared for the execution. The blade of the guillotine has been sharpened, or the hangman’s noose is ready, or firing squad awaits, and then, at the last minute, it is discovered that the prisoner has escaped!
April 7, 2015
Scones and Jane Austen
Did Jane Austen enjoy an occasional scone with her tea?
I seriously doubt it, for the simple reason that baking powder had not yet been invented.
