Research Resources, Ebooks, and Other Stuff

Hi everyone,

I missed my day last month since blogger wouldn't recognize any of my accounts, what fun. But I'm back and everything is fixed now.

First I'd like to let everyone know about a great resource I've discovered for researching, Questia. It's a subscription site but well worth it. I got the subscription for one year myself. So far I've searched everything from aliens to templars and Venice and found several hundred books on each. And it's not just excerpts, it's the whole book or article or even the actual transcripts of medieval court cases. Definitely saves money since a lot of these books would be in the $100 range if you could even find them. (BTW, if you sign up tell them shell91 sent you, she gets credit for it.) It's kind of like having your own library.

Another great resource I've found are news groups for your topic or topics of interest. I belong to several on templars, archaeology, and alternate history, even some on strange phenomena. Talking to people who are doing research, belong to organisations, or are experiencing events you might be wanting to write about can give your work just that little bit of extra color for the readers. A lot of these groups have link lists, files, and other resources available to their members as well.

In my other life I also do reviews for two book review sites, mainly e-books but some print as well, and you would not believe the books I see that are poorly researched or not researched at all. Another trend I've noticed is political correctness in historicals, characters behaving in ways that people of the era the book is set in just would not have acted like, all in the interest of showing how PC the author is. So how do you feel about political correctness in your historical romances? And how do you feel about ebooks?

And in some late breaking stuff, what does everyone think of the new contract clause from Simon & Schuster where they consider a book in print as long as it remains in their database and therefor theirs to do with what they please? Meaning that once they contract your book you can never get your publishing rights back so long as they have it stored on a disc somewhere whether they've been printing and selling it or not. Doesn't sound good to me at all. What do you all think?

Laundry Day!

It's a Wishy-Washy Subject

People have been washing clothes (or furs) for a long time. Most sites say that humans finally got a clue that good hygiene made for better health. I'm of the opinion that people liked to be comfortable then as now. Their skin chafed and got rashes just like ours does, so it stands to reason that they'd want to rid themselves of particulate matter just as we do. Take a look P&G's overview of laundry methods from prehistoric times until the present for good information on products used, and when.

But, lazy person that I am, I'm more interested in gadgets, so let's start a little later in the game...say, the 1800s.

The washboard appears to be invented in 1797 and none of the sources cite the inventor, so we'll let that one slide. Before that, in Lancaster, England, Mr. Rogerson received a patent for the machine he invented to 'wash, press out water and to press linen and wearing apparel.'

In the US, Hamilton Smith invented the rotary washing machine in 1858. Try as I might, I couldn't find a single picture of it or a facsimile. :sigh: The next great step forward in the history of laundry is the invention of the electric motor to drive the agitation, and in 1907, the Hurley Corporation came out with the "Thor." This washer had a wooden tub, and the motor was mounted underneath to drive the paddles. It had two drawbacks: 1) many pre-WW1 houses had no electricity, and 2) because of the unprotected motor, on occasion a laundress was electrocuted, which, shall we say, dampened their spirits some.

Before I forget, if you wanna know about the Japanese evolution of washers, try the Toshiba Museum.

The 1911 Maytag Model 42 had a swinging, reversable wringer--definitely a plus for the lady of the house! You can see many vintage washing machines on the Maytag Collectors Club page.

Several other improvements were made along the way, including the Maytag 1918 model which featured a revolving cylinder that forced water through tumbling clothes.

From the Museum of Communications: Western Electric distributed this washing machine in 1924. As an advertisement of the time said, "Here is a Clothes Washer that combines pleasing appearance with the stoutly-built mechanism needed to get clothes really clean." I dunno...we're still not quite to a machine that I'd trust with a nice blouse.

How about durability? The Maytag Model E was manufactured from 1939 until 1983. My mother had one of these, and it lasted for 30 years of heavy use. I doubt very seriously that the machines manufactured today will be able to make such a boast.

Several washing methods were developed, but only two stood the test of time: agitating (top loaders) and tumbling (front loaders ). Agitating landed the majority of the American market, but the Europeans preferred front loaders. Here's a 1950 front loader.

Whatever washing methods we choose, I'm just glad we have one. Happy writing, and enjoy your nice, freshly laundered clothes.

Jacquie

Jacquie Rogers
2006 PEARL Award Winner, Best Short Story
Faery Special Romances Available now!
Check out the book video
Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Convenience Shopping

Canned food came into its own in the 1920's. People shunned fresh fruits and vegetables in favor of this new improved, modern method of eating. Only poor people ate fresh food. This was also the time when baby formula became an attractive option over breastfeeding for new mothers.

Everyone was excited about the great new scientific innovations that made food preparation so much easier and gave them the chance to eat foods previously unavailable to the average person, like canned pineapple and vegetables in the dead of winter. Convenience foods like Campbells soup also made their way to the shelves of the newly developed supermarkets. Shopping became quicker and easier when a housewife took a shopping cart down the aisles of Piggly Wiggly or the A&P, could take her purchases off the shelves without needing the assistance of a store clerk and buy prepackaged, brand-name foods of consistanct quality rather than running the risk of buying substandard items from unscrupulous store owners.

These exciting new inventions gave the housewife more free time. It was the beginning of a brand new middle class culture. Rather than slaving away for 18 hours a day just to keep her family fed and clothed, the woman of the '20's had the time and ability to join her friends for a game of majong or to go golfing or play a game of tennis. It was the beginning of a whole new way of life for the average woman.

This has nothing to do with the rest of my post, but I found this little gem tonight and just had to share: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJC21zzkwoE

PERFIDIA Cover Flats

Just received my cover flats for PERFIDIA, a WWII thriller set inside the Third Reich in the fall of 1939. I'm w/a Elspeth McKendrick. Release is set for September.

Historical Novel Society Conference

Just a quick note--I'm about to head off to the Historical Novel Society Conference in Albany (New York, that is--my brother thought I meant California). I believe it's only their second one in the U.S., and the keynote speakers are Bernard Cornwell and Diana Gabaldon. I'm not going to try and pitch an agent since I'm terrible at that FTF stuff--that's why I decided to be a writer and not an actress. But the program looks FANTASTIC and I'll give a full report on the apparent state of the historical when I get back. (See you there, Lisa!)

Oh, and the brown Newfoundland puppy? Just because she's cute. I put brown Newfoundlands into two of my novels. Just because. They're cute.

London Calling?

This is a special week for me. My second book of my Warring Hearts series was released on May 11, Fragments of Light. It was released one year after Cradle the Light, my first book. Warring Hearts takes place during World War II, and the first book is set in London during the Blitz.

So, I’m going to write about London. If everything goes well, and my plane is on time and there are no delays, I’m in London right now, looking out of the window of my nephew’s flat, relishing in the sights and smells of this wonderful city.

This is my third trip but I never get tired of this vibrant ever-changing city. There are places I visit over and over again.

The National Gallery is one of these places. I love to view the mosaic floor which is mentioned in my book Cradle the Light. A very unusual mosaic.

What makes these mosaic difference is they look like old 'masters' but when you pay attention to the composition, you realize they aren't what they seem. Created in the 1930's by a Russian artist -– Boris Anrep -- "The Awakening of the Muses" is a modern version of the muses depicted in everyday life. The muses are portraits of real people -– Greta Garbo and the artist's Bloomsbury friends, including Virginia Woolfe as Clio, the Muse of History!

Another museum worth numerous visits is the Victoria and Albert Museum. It has a fantastic dress collection. Also, there is a sensational glass gallery with a phenomenal glass staircase.

If you are researching World War II and the Blitz, these are must-sees:

The Imperial War Museum. I was able to go into a shelter and experience the sights and sounds of a bombing during the Blitz.

The Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Musuem...enough said. You can't mention World War II without mentioning Churchill.

Cheers!
Vicki Gaia http://www.vickigaia.com

I will leave you with my book teaser of Fragments of Light:

Rotten Grapes

Some good things were discovered only by accident. The case in point for this post? The discovery of the qualities of late vintage wine. It all happened in the Year of Our Lord 1775 at Schloß Johannisberg in the lovely Rheingau, famous for its wines! At that time, Johannisberg was owned by the Bishop of Fulda. Consequently, the monks at Johannisberg had to wait for the bishop's permission before they could start the wine harvest each autumn.

In 1775, however, the messenger who was supposed to bring said permission from Fulda to Johannisberg was delayed for several weeks -- either because he became the victim of robbers or because the bishop was away hunting and thus unavailable. In any case, the monks had to watch their grapes shrivel and rot (and to add insult to injury, they probably became something of the laughing-stock of the whole area), until the messenger finally arrived with the permission of the bishop. Despite the poor condition of their grapes, the monks eventually decided to harvest them and press them. Imagine their surprise when it was discovered that the resulting wine tasted good. In fact, after some maturing, it tasted even better than good: the rotten grapes had resulted in a wine of unheard of quality! "Such wine," a contemporary records wonderingly, "has never before passed my lips!"

Today, a statue in the courtyard of the inn of Johannisberg commemorates the discovery of late vintage wine, or Spätlese. A few years ago, the story of its discovery served as the backdrop for a comic book, which started an extremely successful series: Karl: Der Spätelesereiter.

~*~

Addendum (not about wine, but about sex): today my At the Back Fence Column about lust-thought in romance went online. I was tickled pink when Laurie offered to let me write it, and I hope you'll all like the result. :)

Research links

I just remembered that I'm due to post here today. I've been terribly busy this last week as we leave for our holiday to England next Monday, so I don't have time to write an article, instead I thought I would post some research links.

I stumbled on this website. The site spans 410-1934with many historical/political events listed in chronologial order. http://www.eldritchpress.org/nh/nhd.html#1804

This is a great medieval website. It includes links and information about practically anything you can think of, from period bathing, clothing, cooking, foods, furniture, games, housing, knitting, marriage, weapons, and more. If you have the slightest interest in medieval times, try this website! http://scatoday.net/node/view/3765

Artizania antique/vintage clothing http://www.artizania.co.uk/

Corset and Crinolines http://www.corsetsandcrinolines.com/forsale.php?dep=ladies

A Victorian Elegance http://victorianelegance.com/

Heritage Studio--Costume http://www.heritagestudio.com/costume.htm

Carriage and carriage making http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=22174

http://83.1911encyclopedia.org/C/CA/CARRIAGE.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carriage

http://www.caaonline.com/caa_content.asp?PageType=Dept&Key=15

http://www.car-nection.com/yann/dbas_txt/Sty_apdx.htm

for western writers check out: http://www.caaonline.com/caa_content.asp?PageType=Dept&Key=15&MCat=1 )

That's it for me for a month. See you all at the end of June!

Rita/Golden Heart and Historicals

As many of you may know, the board of the Romance Writers of America is currently debating changing its parameters for its premiere prizes -- the Golden Heart and the Rita. The consultation period with members lasts until 1 June, and you can find the email address on the RWA website.

One of the major changes is the move to judge historicals by time period instead of the long and short. The traditional Regency category is being axed.

At the moment, as it stands, there is a problem with the long and short categories as there is no definitive way in which the word count of a book can be quickly determined. Many things such as the heavy use of dialogue, the font size can all affect how long a book appears to be. In recent years, as the move to computer count has taken hold, the price of pulp paper has skyrocketed and publisher become aware of failing eyesight, there has been an overall decrease in word count. My own publisher, Harlequin Mills and Boon recently has decreased word count to 70 - 80 k. I understand that a number of the other mainstream houses are also looking at decreased word count as well. In other words, you are unlikely to see the 150k door stops that you used to.

The RWA board in its wisdom proposes two historicals -- one up to 1820 and the other 1790 - 1945. In doing so, they chose to ignore the advice of the sub committee for three non over lapping time periods -- up to 1790, 1790-1840 and 1840-1945. The major problem with the overlapping approach is that you are creating two classes of authors -- one who can chose which category to submit to, and ones who can't. there is the possibility that an author could chose not to compete against herself if she had two eligible books out in the overlap period. Whereas another would be forced to by the virtue of her chosen time period. In other words, there could easily be a perception of it not being fair.

The Georgian/Regency time period makes up about 50% of the total historical output. If you include Victorian, you are looking at closer to 75-80%. This is unlikely to change in the near term. Some might say divide into two then 1790-1840 and all the rest. However this does a disservice to the historical reader.

There can be a case made that three time periods are needed as the time periods give very different reads. The pre-1745 is very much warrior as hero. Medieval if you will. 1745-1830 is the Industrial revolution and its manners as best typified by Georgette Heyer. After 1830, you have a more modern age with railways etc and slightly different type of hero.

Alternatively, you could say that it should be divided on the basis of complexity. Some writers chose to keep their works tightly focused on the romance, and other s explore different themes and the romance becomes but one strand. The challenge here would be to come up with a workable definition, one that can be clearly understood by judges and submitting authors.

However, nothing can happen if RWA members do not comment on the proposals. So if you are a RWA member and have not yet commented, do so before it is too late. Unless RWA members take the time to write, the current overlapping proposals will stand.

Research and writing...

I LOVE to research. Anyone who knows me, knows this. For me, it's such a huge part of my writing process. The more research I do, the more excited about my stories I get.

BUT, it has a downside too. I can get so caught up in looking for specific details, or just reading about the past that I forget to write. It's definitely a balancing act. Because I ground my stories as firmly in the past as I can, I NEED to know as much as possible. So I'll spend a lot of time tracking down sources and reading from as many different books as I can to make sure I have all the facts I need for my plot.

This slows down my writing and sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. But would I be happy crafting a plot without all that research?

How about you? How do YOU balance research and writing? Any tips you can share?

Teresa

WWII Alternate Histories

This is an addendum on a previous post on Alternate History. Despite the romance industry's insistence that WWII novels don't sell, oh, boy do they ever! It's a hugely popular time period, especially with so many of that generation dying off every day.

Two new books that are out this month are on WWII Alternate History, another hugely popular genre (the What if Hitler was killed question is probably the most popular one). They're not romance, but the plot twists sound interesting.

1945 by Robert Conroy (not Newt Gingrich who has a book of the same name)

...Military extremists, honor bound by the Japanese code of Bushido, kidnap
Emperor Hirohito hours before he's set to announce his country's formal
surrender in the aftermath of the atom bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. ~Publishers Weekly

Macarthur's War: A Novel of the Invasion of Japan by Douglas Niles and Michael Dobson

With the American navy still smarting from Pearl Harbor and (here's the twist) a
crushing defeat at Midway, Gen. Douglas MacArthur secures control of the Pacific
theater. ~Publishers Weekly

What is in a name?

Cher and Fabio are unusual in our world. They go by one name. However, a little over four hundred years ago that fact would not have caused comment. Surnames did not come into common use until about 1600.

In England the inhabitants were allowed two names. The only exception to this law was royalty, of course. They could have three.

The law was enforced, and the penalties were severe. For the first offense the offender could be tied to a whipping post and lashed. For the second offense the punishment would be more visible and lasting. He or she would have a body part removed, such as a thumb or an ear. If you were caught a third time, the price was your life. You would be hanged.

There is a court record of one poor man who insisted he had three names. Each time he was brought before the court he received the proscribed sentences until finally he was hanged. I am sure that was a deterrent for others who wanted the prestige of three names.

In the countries of Europe the naming practices differed. In Italy, as you moved from place to place your name changed to reflect where you lived. Also in Europe, if the name had a specific meaning such as tailor or cook it was translated into the new language

As people moved from country to country names changed. This was done most times to fit in better with the natives. A good example of this is in my father-in-law's family. His fourth great-grandfathers' name was William Poston Monroe Scott. This sounds as British as they come, but all is not what it seems. We are fortunate to have a photo copy of this man's journal. In it there is a small notation that his great-grandfather's name was Postonii, and he had emigrated from Italy to England. Without this piece of information we would have reached a dead end.

As people emigrated to America names often changed to become more American in sound and spelling. A good example of this is after World Wars I & II many Americans of German descent and German refugees changed their names to be more American sounding. Others had their name changed for them by workers at such places as Ellis Island. A major point to remember here is names were often spelled phonetically.

Foundlings were given names by the institutions in which they were raised. There is a woman I was helping with her genealogy who related such a story. Her father was a foundling, in England, in the early part of the twentieth century. There were no papers or other identifiers, so he was named by the people at the orphanage. Her paternal line stops with him.

Spellings of surnames change through time. There are several reasons for this. The most common one is literacy. The fact is most of our ancestors did not know how to read and write. So spelling of a surname was left to those who recorded the information, such as tax collectors and census takers. The problem was that many times they were not a lot better educated than our ancestors.

These variations in names lead to the problem of many spellings of the same name. The tax collector may have spelled the name one way and the census taker another, and both records be done in the same year for the same person.

Another reason for spellings to change is family feuds or a family member chooses to step outside the law. Two brothers have a falling-out, or one commits a crime. Then one changes the spelling to distinguish from the other family. This has happened more than most families are comfortable admitting.

No matter what your surname, just remember, the spelling has probably changed in the last four hundred years.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT (SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT): What is the origin of your surname?

I was born a McMillan. The "c" is supposed to have two lines under it, but I can't figure out how to do that.

"The M'millans are one of a number of clans -- including the MacKinnons, the MacQuarries, and the MacPhees -- descended from Airbertach, a Hebridean prince of the old royal house of Moray who according to one account was the great-grandson of King Macbeth." Source

My husband is a Ledgerwood.

"The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought the Ledgerwood family name to the British Isles. Ledgerwood comes from the name of the famous St. Leger.

Spelling variations of this family name include: St.Leger, Leger, Legere, Sallinger, Sellinger, St. Ledger and many more. First found in Kent where Robert St. Leger was granted estates at Ulcombe and became Lord of the Manor of Ulcombe." Source

RESOURCES

BBC - History - What's In a Name? Your Link to the Past

BBC - North West Wales Family History - surname history

The etymology and history of surnames

French Surname Meanings & Origins

German Surname Origin & Last Name Meaning

How to Trace the Origin of Your Surname

Irish Coat of Arms and Surname Histories

Italian Surname Meanings

Jewish Surname History & Meanings

The Norman Surname, Origins and Variations

Scottish Surname Meanings & History

Spanish Surname Origin & Last Name Meaning

Surnames - History & Origins of Names

© Deborah Brent 2005
Revised and updated May 2007

Blog by

I'm so sorry I missed my day to post, so here a blog by to let you all know that I'm technically still alive. I just buried under a mountain of edits.

We (my business partner and I) were also victims of credit card fraud, embezzlement, internet fraud and out-and-out grand larceny while we were living it up at RT last month, so the policemen (don't you love a man in uniform) and I have become fast friends.

Our illustrious leader, Carrie, was kind enough to email me a reminder before my day, but since I haven't even opened my computer since the 10th, I missed it. This would have been a good thing, since I thought TODAY was the 13th and I planned on writing something this afternoon... on guess what? Yep. Credit Card fraud. *sigh*

So I shall finish my edits and endeavor to come out of hiding in the next week or so. Thanks everyone! Oh, and Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there.

Hugs,
Marjorie

Hellyeah Moments

Note: I haven't caught up with any of this year's television -- now that the shows are winding down, we'll catch up in the summer, when it's too hot to do anything but sit in front of a fan and chug water!

My husband and I watch a lot of TV throughout the year. But we take full advantage of technology 'round our house, too, so we don't schedule around primetime TV. Between DVDs and downloads, wee able to watch whatever we want whenever we want it. Case in point: we watched the first 14 episodes of Lost, Season 3, in 2 days, while we were both too sick to do anything else.

Over the past six years of our marriage, we've collected and dropped TV shows to our repertoire. We like quirky comedies, intense dramas, great dialogue, action, and character development (we stuck with Alias even when it began to fizzle in season 3, then redeemed itself in season 5, only to make us roll our eyes so much we passed out during season 6...). We're not TV authorities because we don't like all TV, and we can close the book on a series (how's that for a mixed metaphor?) mid-season if we've gotten let down after a handful of episodes.

Last autumn, the new season rolled around and we started weeding through the new shows. One of these was The Nine. We only made it to episode two. The show has some great hooks and all, but I just don't care about it. I like the actors: I just adore the actress who plays Katherine, who played Audrey on 24, Chi McBride's great, and all the others were really good, too. I'm kind of disconcerted by seeing Scott Wolf looking older than Matthew Fox, but I can deal. But something was missing. I got to thinking about why I didn't care.

I realize that characters must have weaknesses. I don't like characters that don’t. Even Clive Cussler realizes that his superhero-like Dirk Pitt and offshoots need their share of weaknesses...even if they can swim a mile underwater with no air tanks uphill in the snow. But I don't like stories where all the characters are just plain weak, and that's the feeling I got with the close of The Nine, season 1, episode 2. It depressed me.

I think it could be rectified very easily, and maybe that's what frustrates me. You've got a cast of well-developed (if morally weak) characters, you've got great character hooks, and it's a mystery in the idea of "What happened inside the bank?" And you've got plenty of conflict: episode 2 dealt with everyone's work-related troubles, and work-related troubles are totally...well...relatable to the audience.

But the conflict didn't have any high points. I'm going to take the most conflict-driven, conflict-dependent show out there as an example here and talk about 24 for a moment. The show gives me ulcers. I worry and worry and cringe and cry and look away and, at the same time, can't force myself to quit. I love the exact characters I hate: I mean, come on, President Logan is the worst of the worst, a true devil, and I concede that he's probably the best villain in the history of television. But damn, is that guy interesting. I can see all sorts of connections between his badness and the badness of pre-Logan seasons. But amidst all the badness, the "good guys" get a win here or there, whether it's by a line or an action. And we're pulled along from win to win.

On Alias, Jack Bristow seemed to be responsible for most of the hellyeah moments. But they don't have to big, jaw-dropping turns of event, either. On Buffy, everyone got them in one form or another: remember when Dawn thought she was a Potential? There were some heavy slopes for that girl to slide down, but at the end, when she's at her lowest, Xander says the very right thing to her and boom, they both get their hellyeah moment.

I think it's the driving force behind American Idol, too. The Simon Phenomenon, I’ll call it. You meet all these different characters, and through the course of a few months the protagonists become clear. You know who you want to win, and every time they get a bad evaluation, you feel just a little bit of their disappointment or pain. The voters at home kill off the characters. And the show becomes more intense during the finals. For each harsh comment Simon has made to Your Favorite, each praise is more potent. And with each praise, you say to yourself, "Hell, yeah!"

I love writing conflict and angst, but I try to remember to write a hellyeah moment in every few chapters through my middle, to remind me why I like a character, and to keep me rooting for them. Toward the end, when things start to get very dark, readers will need to draw encouragement from the character's previous triumphs.

So what about you? Do you recall any hellyeah moments in film, TV or literature?

On the old Oregon Trail

Two thousand miles across the great American desert, fifteen miles a day (on a good day), I take a bit of offence to that I'm from Kansas, but at the time, that's what it was. This huge expanse of nothing to cross to get to the rich fertile farm lands of Oregon and the gold fields of California. Back in 1992, I worked in a Ghost Town in Montana and sitting on the shelf was a paperback that I picked up to read. Back home I reread it and stopped part way through, it stank. That was the day I said I could do better and picked up a pen and paper, hey it was 1992 how many of you had computers in the house. It was an Oregon Trail book and it started my writing career, and in researching my rebuttal, I found out that the author should have been writing fantasy. Four-six months was turned into two years. The first trip of 1842 was turned into 1839 I believe. They were rushing to stamp out the possibility of Russia establishing a colony. I can forego a little artistic license, but the six months to two years, I find unpardonable.

The real six month trips started in 1842 though a handful of people made it across in the two years previous. This was several years after Narcissa Whitman and her husband made the trip to found a mission, she was the first woman to head west and her letters back home sparked the first real interest. If a woman could do it, anyone could. Taking off from Independence, MO the route followed the rivers west, the Platte, the Snake, the Columbia, dozens other smaller ones. Some they had to cross, they used as a traveling water source and followed their banks. Only a trickle was flowing when gold was discovered jumping the numbers from hundreds or thousands a year to tens of thousands. New short cuts were discovered from miners wanting to get west faster, the Mormons crossed to Utah in the same period many of them pulling handcarts it was in their best interest to cut time off. Slowly the jumping off point moved north, from Independence to St. Joseph, MO to finally Council Bluffs, IA, the former Mormon wintering over site. They were only there for a few seasons as they made their trek to the Great Salt Lake but it set up the resources to supply them leaving and it cut several weeks off the journey. By the end of the era four months was a usual crossing.

Whole books were written to pass on vital information to those following them, a large amount of the space filled with supplies to be taken. In our time of fast food, and convenience stores carrying six months of food is a novelty. Not only that they had to hope they would have enough left to help them get through the first very lean winter as they set up their homes and farms. Or the funds to buy it in a land where there wasn’t much. A handful of stops along the way gave some chance but in a heavy travel year what those trading forts did have could very well be gone by the time you got there.

For each and every person in the party it was suggested that they carry, 200 pounds of flour, 30 pounds of pilot bread (similar to that ubiquitous hardtack), 75 pounds of bacon, 10 pounds of rice, 5 pounds of coffee, 2 pounds of tea, 25 pounds of sugar, half a bushel of dried beans, one bushel of dried fruit, 2 pounds of baking soda, 10 pounds of salt, half a bushel of corn meal, half a bushel of corn and a small keg of vinegar. Seeing as it was large families that often traveled together the amount of food alone becomes staggering. Vegetables unless pickled were non-existent. Many would add luxuries to that list, cocoa was available, a product along the lines of soup bouillon, cheese, flavored essences like peppermint and lemon. But the cost of them would of course be more, they were saved for special occasions.

The wagons in addition to carrying the supplies for the six-month journey all with only canvas to keep out the elements, also had to carry everything that would be needed to start a house and farm out of nothing. An ax, a saw and a plow, were mandatory. However, if your child would get schooling you had to bring your own books, furniture if you were lucky to have room. Think of it like having a regular sized cargo van and fitting everything you would need to eat for six months as well as everything you could possibly fit to get you started on the other end and then while one of you drove the rest walked along side it. What would be your most prized possessions that you couldn't leave behind? The cross-country railroad wasn't finished until 1869, it was a once in a lifetime trip for most. There was no chance to go back for more.

The most dangerous part of the trip wasn't Indians despite what the prejudices were, it was sickness and accident. Perhaps Indians killed 300 people in some 20 years. Deaths for all other causes estimates are as large as 30,000 deaths, but a more conservative estimate is 20,000 for the entire 2000 miles of the Oregon Trail--an average of ten graves per mile. Assuming 350,000 people emigrating, which is commonly thought, that averages to one death for every seventeen people who made the trip. Cholera was a big factor caused by drinking infected water. But many occurred from more mundane things poor sanitation practices in cooking and food storage, bad water, and poor living conditions. Diseases that we now have vaccines for but were killers then caused many more deaths; pneumonia, whooping cough, measles, small pox and various other miscellaneous sicknesses and diseases.

Fort Kearney, Fort Laramie, Fort Bridger early on, Fort Hall, Fort Boise, were all stops along the way, but they weren't vacations, most they were only there overnight, buying a few supplies if they had the money and if there were even any available. Maybe a drink. The great American desert, the Rocky Mountains, and then just as they are about to collapse from exhaustion they had to cross the Blue Mountains before finally pulling into Oregon City. The end of a journey, but not the end of the ordeal, arriving in fall they had no houses to live in, no crops stored for the winter. They still had a lot of work to do.

Fact & Fiction

Late this afternoon I returned from a tiring trip to Haiti for the day job and realized it was my blogging day at Unusual Historicals. I was going to blog about romance and history, but there's a little girl I met whom I can't get out of my mind.

I travel to Haiti and other poor countries as part of my work for a large international charity. While in Haiti this week, I met a restavek girl.

Restaveks are children who are given or sold to families in exchange for food, board and education. It comes from the French term meaning, "to stay with." Restavek children are frequently starved, beaten, sexually abused and do no attend school. They are nothing more than child slaves.

The young girl I met this week lives as a slave. To protect her identity, I'll call her Julie. She gets up at 6 a.m. to get water (many poor Haitian homes have no running water and fetch it from a standpipe) and then walks an hour to a feeding program. She gets food, brings it back and then cleans and does chores. At night she goes out on the street at 7 p.m. to sell light bulbs. She returns at 9 p.m.

If Julie doesn't sell enough light bulbs, she gets beaten. Julie talked to me through a translator and tears started dripping down her cheeks as she whispered how she was whipped with an electrical cord. She showed us her scars.

Julie hasn't seen her mother in four years. Burdened with hunger and five other children to feed, Julie's mother moved to an area where she has land and left Julie with a friend who promised "to take care of her." The friend sold her into slavery.

Julie's mother doesn't know where she is.

As Julie cried as she told me how she was beaten, I cried, too.

Restavek children inspired my third Egyptian historical, THE COBRA & THE CONCUBINE. In the story, Badra is sold into slavery at age 11, raped and beaten by a cruel sheikh. She eventually escapes, and finds happiness with the man she loves. After hearing the stories of restavek children, I wanted to create a happy ending for a child sold into slavery who finds true love in the end. This is why I write romance; because real life doesn't always deliver happy endings.

Authorities have been notified about Julie and there is a place where she can live that is solely for former restavek children. For me as an author, fiction sometimes is created from fact. Sometimes it startles and saddens me to see how both blend.

Badra in THE COBRA & THE CONCUBINE had her happy ending.

I hope and pray that Julie, the restavek slave girl, has one as well.

Historical Medicines

I suffer from migraines, very bad, very life-interrupting ones. I'm on medication, I meditate, exercise, drink lots of tea, actually cut back on my chocolate consumption (let me tell you, no easy feat), have certain scents to help with the pain (lavender), use eye packs in hot and cold for some small amount of help, and I've completely stopped eating rye bread based on one particularly debilitating migraine. (I never did figure out if it was the rye or just a bad day, but would you want to experiment with something like that?) I'm seriously worried about my liver, I take so many pain medications, and I drink enough water to fill the Atlantic at least once a year.

One thing I've never had done, and will fatally maim the first person to try it on me, is trepanation. You know, where they drill a hole in your head!

Celsus (215-300 AD) correctly described typical migraine triggers: "drinking wine, or crudity (dyspepsia), or cold, or heat of fire, or the sun." He forgot to add drops in barometer. Yup, a rainstorm'll get you every time.

Abulcasis (Abu El Quasim) (936-1013 AD)suggested putting a hot iron to the head or inserting garlic into an incision made in the temple. Please see my reactiuon to trepanation.

Ebn Sina (Avicenna) (980-1037) described migraines in his textbook El Qanoon fel Teb as "...small movements, drinking and eating, and sounds provoke the pain...the patient cannot tolerate the sound of speaking and light. He would like to rest in darkness alone." Yes please, this is perfect. Darkness and QUIET!

Abu Bakr Mohamed Ibn Zakariya Râzi (864-930 AD) noted the association of headache with different events in the lives of women, "...And such a headache may be observed after delivery and abortion or during menopause and dysmenorrhea." Er...no.

I take wonderful pain medication for this. Lovely knocks me out so I-can't-feel-a-thing drugs. Thank you modern science!

But medicine then still has a basis in today's world. I drink tea (nasty awful stuff I wouldn't wish on my worst enemny...wait, let me think. Yes, yes I would.) that has ginger, willowbark, and white-something in it. No, not white bark, that's licorice. And herbal Chinese tea that's even nastier. But hey, it works.

What ailemnts have your characters encountered? What did you use to treat them?

A History of Migranes
Avicenna
Al-Razi
Choler
Another Migraine History

Time's A-wastin'

First, I have to get my blatant horn-tooting out of the way...

LADY X’S COWBOY has received a 2007 Golden Quill Award nomination for Best Historical! Squee! It's not what we'd call an "unusual historical" per se, as it is set in England in the 1880s, but I like to think that it's unusual by virtue of the fact that the heroine, Lady Olivia Xavier, owns and runs a brewery in London, and the hero...well, he’s a cowboy. Winners will be announced in the July 2007 RWR.

Maybe it's because of the hot weather here in Los Angeles, but I'm having a really hard time concentrating on my actual work and writing. So, naturally, I turn to the internet to amuse myself and generally waste time. Some of my favorite time-suck sites:

Romance Related:
Smart Bitches Trashy Books (the name says it all)
All About Romance (reviews, title listings, discussions)
Dear Author (reviews, news, opinion)
The Good, the Bad and the Unread (reviews and coming attractions)
Unusual Historicals (obviously)

Everything Else:
Cute Overload (now my husband is addicted to looking at pictures of kittens and puppies)
Slate (good cultural analysis)
Arts and Letters Daily (a clearinghouse of interesting articles, opinion pieces, book reviews and more)
Not Martha (nesting blogger: crafts, cooking, home improvement, &c.)
Outblush and Uncrate (shopping!)
Apartment Therapy (because being a published author doesn't mean I live on an estate like La Nora)
Television Without Pity (impossible to find better, funnier and more snarktastic television recaps)
The Comics Curmudgeon (you'd never know how many people read the funny papers and mock them)
Anthropologie (always cruising the sale rack)
Banana Republic (finally, petite clothing that I'd actually wear)

I could go on, but now you have a rather intimate (and sad) look at what preoccupies me when I'm not producing more masterpieces of romantic fiction.

Tell me I'm not alone! What are your favorite time-suck websites?

Proposed Changes at RWA

RWA members have received or will be receiving proxy ballots, with voting to take place during the National Conference in July. The package includes proposed changes to the annual RITA and Golden Heart contests. For we writers of historical romances, the changes are profound.

First of all, the Board recommends that the Traditional Regency category be eliminated, "...since there are no longer any major publishers printing this type of book. Any short Regencies remaining can be entered into the new historical categories."

Previous contest years split historical entries into categories by word count, with "short" defined as fewer than 95K words and "long" defined as greater than 95K words. The Board recommends submissions now be entered by time period. The proposed categories are "Best Historical Romance to 1820" and "Best Historical Romance from 1790-1945."

Anyone with a book set between 1790-1820 will be playing odds-maker with regard to placement. Which to choose??

The year 1900 used to cap historical romance eligibility, thus the most radical change regarding these new categories is allowing for entries through the conclusion of World War II. Good news for our 20th gals!

"Rationale for changing historical categories: Again, the board wished to eliminate the word count problem. With numbers dwindling, we examined merging both short and long historical into one category but felt that the historical novel could grow in the future. We hoped to allow for the change in popularity of one time period over another by providing overlapping years. An author whose book spans many years should determine where the novel best fits."

Dwindling numbers?? *pout*

Please see your copy of Board Recommendations for full details.

So there you have it, the proposed changes as they impact our work. Members will have a chance to vote, either in person or by proxy, in July. What are your thoughts on these changes?? Do they belie structural differences between shorter, category-style historicals and longer, single-title works? Are they placing an undo emphasis on era rather than plot structure? Is the decision to give 1790-1820 "double billing" a means of splitting a popular era into two (roughly equal) piles or an unnecessary complication?

UPDATE: Have something to say? The RWA is soliciting its membership to speak out. You have until May 15th to voice your opinion. Write to gh_ritacomments AT rwanational DOT org

History Lite

One of my greatest challenges in historical fiction writing (and re-writing and self-editing) is finding the balance. Come on, you know exactly what I'm talking about if you love this genre; how do you write a compelling tale of love and betrayal, intrigue and deception while keeping the facts straight? Over many years, I've found out it nearly impossible to do.

History can get in the way of a good story. Unless you're writing alternate history, you can't have the princes in the Tower survive their imprisonment and Uncle Richard's reign during the War of Roses. A well-documented period, which almost every schoolchild and historian knows about is hard to tweak, just for the sake of a story. Well, unless you don't mind the scathing reviews that say something like, "...total rubbish," "...ridiculous, revisionist history," or "history lite...." In my case, the history of Moorish Spain has many period and modern sources readily available, (though, to my ultimate frustration, there remains a great deal of it in the un-translated Arabic texts). Despite what I'd like to write, I must accept that the Moors did lose Spain to Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492, while making significant contributions to different disciplines along the way.

It doesn't help that in addition to writing about a unique period of history, I'm also exploring a vastly different culture. As Marianne pointed out in her post, the Moorish influence on Spanish society was pervasive, with examples that exist today in the language, architecture, food and music of modern Spain. As I write, I still experience my initial fascination with the idea of a southern European country under the sway of Islam for seven hundred years. My first draft explored many facets of Moorish society, from the mundane to the exotic. After completing the second draft, I eagerly began to submit what I was sure would be the next great novel to agents and publishers, only to be told the story was not good enough –- too much history and details to care about the characters. For me, finding that balance has been its own work in progress, something I still struggle with each day as I work on the third draft.

What's the process been like for you? How do you strike that balance between engaging a reader and getting the history just right?

Sincerely,
Lisa
***
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/medieval_fiction_writers/
http://sultana1ny.tripod.com/
http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/

World's Fair 1939

The World's Fair of 1939 was held in Flushing Meadows in northern Queens, New York featured optimism and futurism as its theme.

Westinghouse took on the huge project of collecting items for a time capsule to be retreived 5000 years in the futue! The contents were chosen based upon how well they captured life in America in 1939. Some of these items are still considered essential today albeit more advanced:

Alarm clock
Bifocals
Can opener
Nail file
Keys
Silverware
Toothbrush

A few items in the time capsule I found telling of the early 20th century:

"Pertaining to the Grooming and Vanity of Women"
Woman's hat, style of Autumn, 1938 (designed specially by Lilly Dache)Cosmetic make-up kit (Elizabeth Arden Daytime-Cyclamen ColorHarmony Box, including two miniature boxes of face-powder, lipstick, rouge, eye shadow)
Rhinestone clip (purchased at Woolworth's)

"Pertaining Principally to the Grooming, Vanity or Personal Habits of Men"
Container of tobacco
Electric razor and cord (Remington-Rand Close Shaver with Westinghouse motor, General Shaver Corp.)
Package of cigarettes
Safety razor and blades (Gillette Aristocrat one-piece razor, Gillette Safety Razor Co.)
Smoking pipe (Drinkless Kaywoodie, Kaywoodie Company)
Tobacco pouch, closed with zipper (Alfred Dunhill of London)

One might think all men of 1939 did was shave and smoke!

Among other time capsule items: textiles and materials, an essay in microfilm, a newsreel, money, asbestos, toys, poker chips, seeds sealed in glass tubes, special messages from important men of the time including Albert Einstein.

Another sample of the contents of the capsule:

Our Education and Educational Systems
147.Introduction
148.Education: Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 7, pp. 964-1005149.
All The Children: 39th Annual Report of the Superintendent of Schools, New York City, School Year 1936-1937VIII.

Our Sciences and Techniques
150.Introduction
151.Science: Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 20, pp. 115-123152.
Scientific Method: Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 20, pp. 127-133153.
The Story of Science, by David Dietz: Dodd, Mead: 1938154.
The Smithsonian Physical Tables: Washington: Smithsonian Institution, Publication 3171, 1934155.
Meteorology: Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 15, pp. 343-356156.
Mathematics: Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 15, pp. 69-89157.
Portraits of Eminent Mathematicians, by David Eugene Smith:New York: Scripta Mathematica, portfolios 1 and 2158.
Telescopes: Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 15, pp. 904-909159.
Microscopes: Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 15, pp. 433-443IX.

Our Earth, Its Features and Peoples
160.Introduction
161.The World Atlas: New York: Rand McNally
162.Our Races: Introduction
163.The World's Races: Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 2, pp. 41-50164.
Explanation of the Fundamental Triangulation Net of the UnitedStates (with map)
165.Methods of Surveying: Coast & Geodetic Survey booklets, Nos.502, 529, 562, 583, Spec. No. 23, Dept of Commerce
166.Geology: Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 10, pp. 155-173167.
Exploring Down, by Sherwin F. Kelly, reprint from the Explosives Engineer, Sept.-Oct. 1935168.
The Earth: Chester A. Reeds, New York: The University Press,First Trade Edition 1935X.

Our Medicine
Public Health, Dentistry and Pharmacy
169. Introduction
170.Frontiers of Medicine, by Dr. Morris Fishbein: Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, June 1933171.
Men of Medicine: The March of Time, Issue No. 11, Vol. IV172.
Work of the United States Public Health Service, Reprint 1447173.
Report of the Surgeon General of the United States, June 30, 1937174.
Dentistry: Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 7, pp. 222-225175.1937
Year Book of Dentistry
176.United States Pharmacopeia177.X-Ray and Fluoroscopy: catalogues of the Westinghouse X-Ray Company

For infomation go to
http://www.nytimes.com/specials/magazine3/items.html

The Moors in Spain

Recently I was asked what inspired my latest story, Lord Sancho. The main character is of Moorish decent living in Spain. How did I come up with this? Researching history. I wanted my hero, a black man, to have a solid foot in the past, so I turned to the Moors.

"Moor" in medieval times referred to Muslims living in western Mediterranean and western Sahara. Generally Moors were made up of Arabs, Berbers and North African peoples. The word "Moor" comes from the Greek word mauros meaning "dark" or "very dark."

In the 8th century, Spain was raided by troops led by Tariq ibn-Ziyad. Once the Visigoth king Roderick was killed in 711, the gates for the Moorish occupation were opened. They spread through the land and by 718, the Moors dominated the entire peninsula. Their advance northward into the rest of Europe was stopped by the Franks under the command of Charles Martel in 732.

For the next 700 years, the Moors would influence the culture and society of Spain. Many married local woman, as they did not bring their own women with them. This mix of race and culture changed the face and heart of Spain.

The Moors brought a wealth of information and changes in the land called al-Andalus, modern day Andalusia. They brought irrigation systems to the dry plains and created thriving gardens that produced pomegranates, oranges, lemons, artichokes, cumin, coriander, bananas, almonds, saffron, sugar-cane, cotton, rice, figs, grapes, peaches, apricots and rice. The Moors are also responsible for introducing glasswork, glazed tiles (azulejos), silk weaving and other fine crafts along with making important scientific advances, such as those in theoretical and practical astronomy. Mathematics, the numbers we use today, were from the Arabic Moors. Much of society and culture of modern times can be traced back to occupation and influence of the Moorish culture in Spain.

Due to internal politics and troubles, the Moorish kingdom broke apart in organization in 1212. Smaller (and fragile) kingdoms feuded among each other, marking the beginning of the end of the Moorish occupation of Spain. A "Holy War" took hold and pitted the Muslim Moors against the Christians. This was fueled by the Crusades taking place, to "recapture" the Holy Lands (Jerusalem) from Muslim rule, and stop the advance of Muslim occupation into Christian lands.

In 1492, the kingdom of Granada was captured by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella’s troops, thus the final defeat of the Moors. Those Moors who refused to abandon their religious beliefs were killed or exiled. It was not the strength of Christianity that finally defeated the Moors. Much like that which caused the fall of the Roman Empire, it was the disorganization and internal strife within the ranks that spelled the end to the Moorish occupation of Spain. Their influences and stamp upon the culture, people and land will never be forgotten.

Marianne LaCroix
www.mariannelacroix.com
LORD SANCHO - Available now from The Dark Castle Lords
SEA HAWK'S MISTRESS - Coming July 18 from Ellora's Cave

Process This

Late in the day, but still here. I've had a story idea eating me whole, so it's not at all unusual to forget things like putting the cat food dish down in the cat's eating area and instead leave it on the counter and trot back to the office to bang out the next section of outline. I've gone through an entire legal pad in a very short time, and am now resorting to its matching shopping list until I can find a replacement, killed a favorite pen dead, and the particular sticky notes I've been using are not long for this world. These things matter.

In some of my preferred historical periods, my process might be considered eccentric at best, a ticket to Bedlam at worst. Normally when I talk about starting a new project, I'll prepare a compostion book with a collaged cover and attatched bookmark, and all notes go right in there, nice and easy. For work on a Georgian-set book, for example, I'll collect decorative papers by Anna Griffin to alter, distress or combine with images culled from other sources. StockXChng is a good place to start browsing for stock images of everything from people (I prefer closeups of hands, eyes, etc -- easier not to be distracted by modern clothing or props) to gardens, buildings, and miscellaneous items. There's even a menu that allows searching for images by mood. If you get the Rhapsody romance book club, the newsletters are great for images. Spread out on the floor and combine in different ways until it feels right.

If I start in a different sort of notebook (as with this project, where I started with a legal pad -- but an Anna Griffin legal pad -- flowers and paisley) then if I fill that one, I need to pick up a new one that is the same. Or close enough. It has to feel right in my hands, beneath my fingertips, and be up to getting toted around in my purse. I will become crochety if I run out, hence my now working on the matching shopping list paper that came with the fancy legal pad. I am like my historical heroines. I will make do with what I have while fighting for what I want. They had to get it from somewhere.

There's music, of course. I think a monster sprang to life when I acquired my first mp3 player. Though the entertainment factor of me trying to figure out new hardware was quite amusing for my family (I'm a scream at the offending bunch of circuits type person) the absolute joy of having Sting snuggle up to Mary Chapin Carpenter (there's an image) backed up by Meat Loaf, Eva Cassidy and Great Big Sea, all somehow mingling to whisk me back to Tudor era Scotland, Cromwell's England (he'd object, I know, but I didn't ask him) or the eighteenth century Carribbean somewhow feels right.

I'm well aware that some of the clerks in my favorite candle stores probably watch me funny when I come in and sniff things for very long periods of time, but it's important. Where else can the average modern woman find out exactly what the combination of woodsmoke, red wine and sea air can do to the senses? Leather, roses and fresh cotton? Fresh peaches and lilacs, but it's in the middle of December? Sometimes we need to know these things.

We all have peculiarities in our processes, things that those on the outside might not think go together in the general scheme of things. How on earth could we be looking right at something very modern, very straightforward and instantly be transported centuries and half a world away? I like to call it writervision. If they have to ask, they won't understand. They don't have to; for some, books are like laws and sausages. They're glad to have them, but don't really want to see how they're made.

What parts of your process make perfect sense to you but not everyone else?

National Conference

It's only May, but talk of the upcoming RWA national conference in Dallas is already picking up speed. Granted, such an undertaking -- escaping from our respective families for a week, not to mention the coordinators' massive responsibilities -- demands preparation. But beyond preparation, the national conference is the epicenter of the romance writer's year.

This July, I will attend for the first time. I am a conference newbie. From workshops to pitch appointments to the RITA and Golden Heart gala, everything will be new. I'll even get to swim! And I'll take my first solo airplane trip since May 26, 1997. Every trip since, I've had my husband or my children with me. Housewife that I am, such freedom appeals to me almost as much as the opportunities such an event presents.

My inspiration to pursue writing seriously took place in July of last year. Like most authors, I've written since childhood, but I'd never sat down and made a plan to become a professional. Then, trolling the usual romance book sites last summer, I became incredibly envious of all the ladies heading to Georgia. I want to go! So I put pen to paper and got serious about my commitments.

Last week, my Sherwood Forest-themed MS, Redeeming Will Scarlet, became one of three finalists in the Hearts Through History chapter's annual Romance Through the Ages contest in the Ancient/Medieval/Renaissance category. Allison Brandau of Berkeley will be the final judge. The winners will be announced at the chapter's annual conference awards breakfast. For me, attending will be less about the business and more about having met a goal for myself. I'm not published, but dang! I've made great progress! Now I'll jet off to enjoy the benefits.

So, for all of you Unusual Historical authors and fans, who will be attending in Dallas? What are you most looking forward to? What advice do you have for a newbie like me? Can't wait to see you all there!