Searching For New Writing Challenges Every time I write something new I set myself a challenge to do something I’ve never done before. As an artist, I like pushing myself past my comfort zone. I like experimenting and seeing what works (and what does not). Writing is like other forms of art in that once … Continue reading Discovering New Creative Challenges When Writing Historical Fiction
Down Salem Way
What I’m Reading: Life During World War II and My Favorite Fantasy Book of All Time
My reading has been eclectic lately (as it always is, actually). I've completed my research for Down Salem Way with two of these books, though I will always have a fascination with witch hunts and witch trials. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare I loved this book when I was a teenager … Continue reading What I’m Reading: Life During World War II and My Favorite Fantasy Book of All Time
Down Salem Way: Update
A number of you have asked about Down Salem Way, so here's an update. I'm pleased to report that Down Salem Way is coming along quite well. In fact, it's (slightly) ahead of schedule. The preorder date is still set for James' birthday, April 19, 2019--his 357th birthday, to be exact. I'll let you know … Continue reading Down Salem Way: Update
Did That Word Exist Then? Language in Historical Fiction
Wonderful news for James and Sarah/Elizabeth fans. The last draft of Down Salem Way is finished. Really! Okay, the book is not finished finished because it needs final edits and other odds and ends, but the light at the end of the tunnel is bright and clear and within reach. This is where the manuscript … Continue reading Did That Word Exist Then? Language in Historical Fiction
Down Salem Way: An Excerpt
After an annoying bout of illness, I'm back to bring you the second sneak peek of Down Salem Way. I'm having a lot of fun writing from James' point of view. It's allowing me a unique perspective into James and Elizabeth's lives in Salem in 1692. For those of you who have been contacting me … Continue reading Down Salem Way: An Excerpt
Down Salem Way: An Excerpt
I'm sure at this point Loving Husband Trilogy fans have put Down Salem Way into a category with Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster, and other urban legends: people want to believe in it yet no one's actually seen it, so maybe it doesn't exist after all. Rest assured, the new James and Elizabeth story … Continue reading Down Salem Way: An Excerpt
Food in Colonial Massachusetts
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
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
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