What Is A Commonplace Book? Lately, I've been seeing many posts about commonplace books. Once I discovered what commonplace books were, I was surprised I hadn't kept one before. Then I realized that I have kept commonplace books, only I called them quote journals. Maybe you have too. The simplest way to understand a commonplace … Continue reading What Is A Commonplace Book And Why Should You Keep One?
Research
Watching the Salem Witch Trials
Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony To get myself back into the flow of life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony while I’m writing And Shadows Will Fall, I just rewatched The Crucible, which is a story I love. Whenever I teach American literature, one of my favorite lessons is always when we read and watch Miller’s work. … Continue reading Watching the Salem Witch Trials
Historical Recipe From the Oregon Trail: How To Churn Butter
When Will You Need Pioneering Skills? For those of you who have read The Duchess of Idaho, you know there's a scene where Grace is both baffled and amused when her grandmother Annabelle teaches her how to churn butter. Annabelle has a feeling that Grace will need such a skill. It's a skill Grace will … Continue reading Historical Recipe From the Oregon Trail: How To Churn Butter
Must Read Books About the Oregon Trail
Are You Reading The Duchess of Idaho? Here is a huge thank you to those of you who purchased The Duchess of Idaho, a time-travel love story set on the Oregon Trail. The Duchess of Idaho was #6 on the Time Travel Romance chart on Amazon and #4 on the Amazon Hot New Release chart … Continue reading Must Read Books About the Oregon Trail
What Was Life Like on the Oregon Trail?
Photo by James Lee on Unsplash Daily Life on the Oregon Trail One of the benefits of researching the Oregon Trail is that there are numerous primary sources written by the travelers themselves. Many of the pioneers undertaking the dangerous trail west, primarily women, kept diaries or wrote long letters to family back east. A … Continue reading What Was Life Like on the Oregon Trail?
Historical Recipe From The Oregon Trail: Johnnycakes
A Wannabe Food Historian I've lost track of the number of times I've said that if I weren't doing what I'm doing, I'd be a food historian. When I wrote Painting the Past: A Guide for Writing Historical Fiction, I waxed poetic on the charms of cooking recipes from the historical era you're writing about. … Continue reading Historical Recipe From The Oregon Trail: Johnnycakes
Researching The Oregon Trail: The Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort
The Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort in Downtown Las Vegas Visiting the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort I finally made it to the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort in Downtown Las Vegas. I’ve been living in the Las Vegas area for nearly 20 years now and this is the first time I’ve visited the Mormon … Continue reading Researching The Oregon Trail: The Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort
Creative Inspiration On The Oregon Trail
Researching the Oregon Trail Now that I’ve spent some time building up my general knowledge about the Oregon Trail, I’m starting to learn more about the culture of the era, which is always one of the most fun parts of writing historical fiction for me. I enjoy discovering how people lived during whatever era I'm … Continue reading Creative Inspiration On The Oregon Trail