A Wannabe Food Historian I'm having a lot of fun learning about food in Colonial Massachusetts. Not that I like to eat or anything. There's a lot to discover about the types of foods that were available then, how they were processed, and how the meals were cooked. I started following a few food historians, … Continue reading Food in Colonial Massachusetts
American History
Five Books I’ve Been Enjoying
There's a Reason They Call a Ph.D. a Terminal Degree You do feel a bit terminal (as in brain dead) when you finish a Ph.D. The other day I saw a tweet from Dr. Witch Hazel (@HazelMonforton) that summed up my reading experience while working on my doctorate: Random guy: Oh wow you have a … Continue reading Five Books I’ve Been Enjoying
What I’m Reading: The Salem Witch Trials and Some Time Travel
Here are some books I've read recently, when I found time between revising my dissertation, as well as the next books on my To Be Read list. Books I've Read Virgins by Diana Gabaldon I read the first five of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander novels while I was knee-deep in dissertatin'. I love the Outlander books … Continue reading What I’m Reading: The Salem Witch Trials and Some Time Travel
Daily Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
How Did They Live in Colonial Massachusetts? The main reason I felt drawn to writing Down Salem Way was that there wasn’t much space to explore James and Elizabeth’s lives in 1691-1692 in Her Dear and Loving Husband. We get glimpses of that time through James and Sarah’s memories, but the focus in Her Dear … Continue reading Daily Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
What I’m Reading: Lincoln and Dickens
I tend to go through these phases where I’ll read 10 historical novels in a row, then some literary fiction, then a classic or two, and then I’ll read nonfiction for weeks on end. I've been in quite a nonfiction mood these days, and I've found myself reading a number of historical biographies. Some of … Continue reading What I’m Reading: Lincoln and Dickens
Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
What Was Christmas Like in the Massachusetts Bay Colony? I started wondering what Christmas would have been like for the Wentworths in Salem in the late 17th century. I hadn't researched Christmas during that time since it wasn't necessary for Her Dear & Loving Husband and the diary for Down Salem Way begins in January … Continue reading Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Jobs in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
What Kind of Work Did They Do in Colonial Massachusetts? The North American continent was largely a question mark to those who left their European homelands behind to seek their fortunes, or, in the case of those immigrating to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, religious freedom. The immigrants may have heard great success stories about others … Continue reading Jobs in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Anne Bradstreet: An Inspirational Colonial Woman
Who is Anne Bradstreet? While researching historical fiction, occassionally I’ll stumble onto a fact, or an event, or a person that helps to bring my story to life in a way even I hadn’t envisaged. This is what happened when I discovered Anne Bradstreet while writing Her Dear & Loving Husband. As with most things … Continue reading Anne Bradstreet: An Inspirational Colonial Woman