Walk the Walk to Talk the Talk

By Terry Irene Blain On Apr 13 2012, 3:21 pm

Walk the walk to talk the talk.  I remember a comment a friend of mine made after reading a very inaccurate historical novel* (see below).   She said there ought to be a rule that you can’t write a historical novel unless you’ve been camping at least once.   I think she might have a point.  I think one of the goals of the historical writer is to bring the past alive for those in the present.  You can do all the research in the world into the history, politics, customs, costumes, etc.  And an imagination is a great thing, but the

The Artist Date: Recharging the creative batteries

By McKenna Darby On Apr 12 2012, 1:51 am in Aix-en-Provence, Artist Date, Cezanne, cooking, Julia Cameron, Le Pigonnet, McKenna Darby, perfume, Provence, The Artist's Way, write, writer

About a decade ago, when I was still struggling with the emotional blocks that interfered with actually writing the novels I’d spent my life dreaming about, a friend recommended Julia Cameron’s superb book “The Artist’s Way.” The book got me unblocked and introduced me to several creative practices that continue to enrich my life today. One practice that had slipped away from me, however, is something Julia calls the “Artist Date.” It’s a little time for you to spend with you, recharging the creative juices. It can be almost anything that inspires you, from a visit to an art gallery

PRESIDENTS’ WIVES – DOLLEY MADISON

By J.K. Maze On Apr 9 2012, 1:12 am

  PRESIDENTS’ WIVESDOLLEY MADISONDolley Madison, the wife of the fourth president of the United States, James Madison, was one of the bravest of the wives, and a very interesting woman. She was born Dolley Payne in North Carolina on May 20, 1768 to Quaker parents. Her family moved from North Carolina to a plantation in Scotchtown, Hanover County, Virginia when she was an infant. At age 15, she again relocated with her family to Philadelphia. According to Women in History, “Of the early First Ladies in the United States, Dolley Madison, wife of James Madison, fourth President of the United

Finding Inspiration: The Life and Times of H.H. Halsell

By Anne Carole On Apr 7 2012, 4:00 am in Anne Carrole, H.H. Halsell, historical romance, O.D. Halsell, Texas history, Wild West

I enjoy reading firsthand accounts of the Wild West to get the “feel” of the time period. One of my favorite authors in this regard is H.H. Halsell.  Texas born Harry H.Halsell was five years old when the Civil War ended. As a boy of six he and his brother O.D. Halsell were chased by Comanches, and survived but his uncle, George Halsell, a line rider for relative Dan Waggoner’s 10,000 acre ranch was killed and scalped.  Harry’s lifetime spanned from the Civil War to president Dwight D. Eisenhower for a total of 96 years.

The History of Wedding Gowns

By Ruth A. Casie On Apr 3 2012, 12:02 am in Ruth A. Casie, wedding. medieval

Marriage is one of the great public occasions in a person’s life at which the principals can revel in being the center of attention. For the bride, it is Her Big Day. For centuries women have tried to make their wedding dress special and memorable. Medieval Brides Royal princesses were more ‘royal’ on the wedding days. In medieval times, when royal weddings were great political events and used to seal alliances, the bride had to look majestic. She had to uphold the prestige of her country, impress the in-laws and their country with her own wealth, and if possible outdo

Ps & Ts

By Lily Dewaruile On Mar 29 2012, 4:59 am in character development, Invasion, Lily Dewaruile, marketing, Pendyffryn, plotting, sense of place, story, structure, theme, tie-in, Traitor's Daughter, writing

One of the worst things that can happen to a writer is a happy childhood, a functional family, an optimistic point of view. What can there be to write about with such poor resources, such fallow ground? And yet, we are driven, no less than our unhappy colleagues, to form words into sentences, sentences into pages, pages into stories. When we start a new story, of these, what is the first element we create to work with? People Place Plot

The Legacy of Dorothea Dix (1802-1887)

By Barbara Scott On Mar 28 2012, 7:26 am

Born to an alcoholic and impoverished scion of Boston wealth, Dorothea Dix struggled though her young years plagued by familial abuse and ill health. In spite of such obstacles, she managed to open a private school for the children of the rich at the age of 18 while also teaching poor children at home.  When illness forced her to a quieter occupation, she began writing and published many inspirational and devotional books for children, one of which was in continuous publication for more than forty-five years. 

Behold Thy Mother

By Mary McCall On Mar 24 2012, 10:51 am

Our fearless blog leader suggested we use famous women in history as a theme for posts last month during my black mold fiasco and I had trouble working the dashboard to post. I decided to save the blog for this month because it tends to be a topic most writers (even Modernist Catholics) are confused by. There was really no big question whom I would choose since I tend to address Traditional Roman Catholic themes. The only question for me is: Can I do this holy woman justice in the brief space of a blog? I answered, “Of course not.”

Women In Late Imperial Russia

By Emma Westport On Mar 23 2012, 1:30 am

For that small number of women who lived at the top of Russian society, life was divided between winters in St. Petersburg, Moscow or some other major city and  summers on family estates.  Servants cared for their every want to the point where the 15 year old Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna tried to button her own shoes during the upheavals of 1905, afraid she’d be unable to dress herself without servants when the revolution came. For those lesser members of the gentry and nobility, life was unquestionably more difficult.  Family lands were mortgaged or sold and many families slipped into

Catherine the Great

By Ally Broadfield On Mar 21 2012, 5:13 am in Ally Broadfield, Catherine the Great, Women's History Month

Good fortune is not as blind as it is generally thought to be. It is often nothing more than the result of sound, consistent actions that go unnoticed by the crowd, but which nevertheless make a particular event possible. Still more often it is the result of an individual’s characteristics, nature, and behavior. ~These are the words with which Catherine II began her memoirs.