Greatest Hits: Get Out the Wash Board!

By Vicki Gaia

The domestic arts were essential for keeping a decent house in Colonial America. Even so, men gave little regard to women's chores, offering a third or fourth less wages for domestic help compared to a man's wages for agricultural labor.

The majority of Americans clothed themselves in homemade woolens, linen, and "towcloth" made from flax. Daughters often took the task of spinning, and unmarried women of the household, hence the term 'spinster'. Once the thread was ready, it was usually taken to a weaver in the village in exchange for goods or labor. Weaving wasn't as widespread as spinning, and not ever household had a hand loom. The cloth had to be cut and sewn into garments. Skill with a needle and thread, and sewing, were synonymous with womanhood.

"I somehow or somewhere got the idea," wrote Lucy Larcom, "when I was a small child, that the chief end of woman was to make clothing for mankind." [The Reshaping of Everyday Life by Jack Larkin]

The process of making butter and cheese still had a mysterious air about it. This attitude lingered from the witch hunt days, when trouble with cattle and milk was enough to accuse a woman of witchcraft. While women were safe from the pyre for curling milk, the process remained a magical transformation. In a corner of the kitchen, shed, or springhouse, women churned milk into butter and cheese without worries.

Butter took over an hour to churn, and then it was kneaded and pressed into solid consistency. A talented dairywoman could make good money by packing her flavorful butter into tubs or crocks, marking it with a distinctive butter stamp, and selling it or trading it for goods. Cheese-making was more widespread north of Pennsylvania and also provided a decent trade for women.

Cooking was the center of a woman's daily life. "Women needed to know the craft of salting, pickling and smoking meat to preserve it, of making wheat or "rye and Indian" bread, johnnycake or hominy, of stewing, roasting and frying. Salt, sugar, sugar, spices and coffee had to be taken in bulk form, ground and pounded." [The Reshaping of Everyday Life by Jack Larkin]

Can you image lifting heavy iron pots to set on the hearth, or hooking it to a crane which swung over the fire? This visual is enough to make my back hurt! The quantity of kitchen equipment depended on the family's wealth. If you were lucky to be affluent, you'd have various pots and kettles, gridirons and toasting forks, and a large fireplace oven. If not, often bread was baked in ashes and there'd only be one pot to cook in.

I'm doing a load of laundry as I type this post, and usually, I complain about having to wash clothes. Spoiled me! Back then, women rose before sunrise to begin their washing day. In the morning, they scrubbed and pounded their clothes in tubs of near-boiling water and homemade soft soap - washing, rinsing and repeating the cycle. In the afternoon, the washed clothes were spread out to dry.

The Industrial Revolution was about to change the lives of women by providing convenient appliances to shorten her work load.

Places You've Never Heard Of: Gozo

By Vicki Gaia

Gozo is the 'middle sister' of the trio of Maltese islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Italy. It is situated between Malta and the smaller island of Comino. Eight miles long and four miles wide, this magical island is steeped in history older than written time.

My sister and I journeyed to the Maltese islands in search of Neolithic temples. We boarded a 25 minute ferry ride from Malta for a few days of exploration and relaxation on Gozo, and to visit the prehistoric Ggantija temples. At nearly 6.000 years old, the Ggantija temples are the world's oldest free-standing structures, and the world's oldest religious structures, pre-dating the Pyramids of Egypt and Stonehenge. What a joy when we discovered we could walk around the ruins free of restrictions. This is slowly changing, but at the time of our visit, there had yet been barriers set up to restrict access. I was in awe of the majestic stones that encircled the temple. The land itself seem to radiate an aura of mystery. Most amazing was we had the place to ourselves!

Gozo means "joy" in Castilian, and its distinctive flavor emits the very feeling of its name. The rural and pastoral landscape gives off a fragrance of relaxation.

But life on the island wasn't always pristine. The natural harbors were exposed to passing raiders, and throughout the Middle Ages, Barbary corsairs and Saracens raided the island. In 1551, it almost didn't survive the devastating raid of the Saracens, the raiders taking almost the entire population away and into slavery. Not until the knights arrived and refortified their citadel in Victoria (Rabat) did the island start to recover.

We stayed in the fishing village of Xlendi, a popular resort for divers and swimmers. Enjoying the beach and natural coves, after a long day of sightseeing, it was wonderful to relax by the water, walk the cove, and watch the sunset over the stunning seascape. I could visualize the knights of old, holding their flaming torches as they patrolled the shores for unsavory raiders.

Fashion: Lingerie Through the Centuries

By Vicki Gaia

The silhouette of a woman is formed by her lingerie. What is beneath the three piece suit can affect a woman's mood, behavior and set the tone of the events that follow.

Lingerie can be traced to the ancient civilizations. Purely functional, not used to create a fashion statement, tomb paintings show Pharaohs wearing socks to keep sand out of their toes, Minoan vases depict women athletes strapping their breasts for support. In Roman times, the early prototype for a bra was named strophium. Still, what we consider foundationwear is a relatively modern invention. Underwear (panties) were not invented until the late 19th century. Before it was considered unhealthy for a woman to wear anything underneath her petticoats!

In the Middle Ages, nobility began to wear simple linen clothes under their richly decorated dresses. It protected the expensive outer dress from their dirty body and provided a layer or warmth. Then the purpose of foundationwear slowly transformed into providing a particular shape and form--molding a woman's shape into the fad of the century.

The first corsets were invented in the 15th century. There was a rigid center called a basque, usually very decorated and even given as a love token, to be worn close to the heart. Also popular were farthingales, hooped petticoats, and bustles, a framework for the robes worn as outer garments. The farthingale was essential in creating the wide-hipped Elizabethan fashion. Exaggeration was the key fashion word for the 17th century, the women's frame achieving extraordinary proportions.

As the 19th century rolled in, the style of underwear and quantity reached its peak. The female body was wrapped in layers and layers of clothing--the bustle skirts, pantaloons, tightly laced corsets and bodices. The corset reached its extreme, literally reforming the women's body, dangerously so. They were designed to constrain and shape the body, some made of tortuous steel.

The 20th century ushered in a new age for women. They saw their clothing as a way to control them in every aspect of their lives. It was during and after WWI, that lingerie became linked with sexual politics and female emancipation. A looser, more androgynous style emerged as women had to take on more and more jobs usually held by men. Never again would women go back to being 'constrained and molded' by their lingerie.

Humans in Nature: City Parks

By Vicki Gaia

It seems when we live within steel and cement, we need to a place where we can escape and just breathe. Parks have interesting histories. During major eras, parks have served beyond being pleasure playgrounds.

Every major city has it's city park--a natural landscape for the residents where the traffic noise dims, life slows down and a person can think beyond the mundane daily tasks that takes up one's life. Nature feeds the creative soul of humanity. We cannot live in a world separated from Earth's bountiful nature.

London is amazing for all the green belts scattered throughout the great metropolis. Hyde Park, once Henry VIII's hunting ground, covers 350 acres. On any given day, you see horseback riders, joggers, people picnicking to capture the rare sunshine.

During WWII, statues were replaced by anti-aircraft guns. One could hear the ack-ack fire from the park during the terrifying Blitz. The park transformed in wartime to serve the needs of Londoners besides being a place of escape.

Royal Parks

New York has its Central Park designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux in 1853-1878. A Victorian landmark, it became the prototype of the city park movement that spread throughout Victorian America. Families could stroll along the trees, meadows and waterways, listen to concerts and go boating.

Olmstead believed pleasure parks were necessary, "in a direct remedial way to enable men to better resist the harmful influences of ordinary town life and to recover what they lose from them."

The practical purpose of a city park was to prevent the spreading of infectious diseases, curb alcoholism, promote civic pride and control the 'masses' from getting out of control.

Central Park

Golden Gate Park is one of San Francisco's crown jewels. You have the untamed wild beauty mixed with manicured landscapes dotted with museums, botanical gardens and a Japanese Tea garden. I've spent many afternoons in the park, listening to music, visiting an art exhibit, hiking the trails through Eucalyptus groves.

During the Sixties, it was the 'in place' to hang out. Several famous rock bands played for free. The Human Be-In, billed The Gathering of the Tribes in "a union of love and activism," took place in the park. It was 1967, the Summer of Love. The quintessence SF bands, Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead rocked the crowd. Allen Ginsberg sang alone, and Timothy Leary told everyone to "turn on, tune in, and drop out!"

National Golden Gate Recreation Area

CRADLE THE LIGHT Winner

We have a winner for Vicki Gaia's CRADLE THE LIGHT giveaway:

JEN!

Contact Vicki to give her your info. The book must be claimed by next Sunday or another winner will be drawn. Please stop back later to let us know what you thought of her book! Congratulations!

Book Release: LIGHT IN A HOLLOW PLACE

This week's guest is long-time contributor Vicki Gaia, here to discuss the third in her Warring Hearts trilogy, LIGHT IN A HOLLOW PLACE.

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LIGHT IN A HOLLOW PLACE is the final book in Vicki Gaia's World War II Trilogy, "Warring Hearts." In a Parisian hospital, Richard Hart fears that his blindness may be permanent, as well as the nightmarish episodes. Faced with his disability and fearing he's losing his grip on his sanity, the last person he wishes to see is his fiancée, Claire O'Neill.

Claire comes to Paris, convinced her love will lead Richard through this, and resolute about starting their life together after the war. But as Richard's episodes grow worse, he pushes Claire further away. When a dashing stranger shows an interest in Claire, she fears the gulf between her and Richard may be too great to overcome. German Ratlines, puzzle boxes, love triangles, and intrigue lead up to the final conclusion of Warring Hearts.

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Tell us what motivated you to write historical fiction.

I've been writing short stories for a couple of years when I decided to attempt a novel-length story. I've always been fascinated with history and enjoyed research. I grew up watching 30s and 40s movies. It seemed like such a romantic time but also a time of harsh realities. I wanted to find out more about World War II and so I sketched out a story based on a woman in her early twenties. The war years would shape her life and her decisions.

From my imagination, Claire O'Neill was born. A woman who grew up without a mother, raised by her famous author father, Jack. A woman who wanted to become an artist. A woman who didn't want to fall in love and get married, afraid it'd stamp out the passion within.

I had to create a strong counterpart to Claire for her romance interest. A man who was as stubborn and would fight for Claire in his own way. I came up with Richard Hart. An intelligence officer who'd been fighting the war since 1939 in Europe. A man who had mental difficulties from being a prisoner of war but strived to overcome them. A man who needed love but didn't deserve love. A man who had to chose duty over all other emotions if he was to live with himself.

From this story, Cradle the Light, first of the "Warring Hearts" trilogy, took life. The final book came out this summer--Light in a Hollow Place--concluding the story of Claire and Richard, and the end of the war.

You can read excerpts for all of my books at my website.

What did you learn from writing a WWII trilogy?

That I didn't know anything about the war! I didn't realize how ignorant I was until I began reading true accounts from this era. I spent a year reading history books and biographies and trying to infuse my story with the realities of war, not just the sentimental journey. The trick was staying true to keeping it a romance.

Each book has the same characters, but each is a stand alone and takes place in a different city. Cradle the Light begins in London during the Blitz and ends in San Francisco at the start of the U.S. entering the war. Fragments of Light is set in New York City during the middle of the war. The subplot touches on the black market of confiscated works of art stolen from the Jews and other 'undesirables' deemed by Hitler's death squads. The final book, Light in a Hollow Place, finds Richard injured and recuperating in a Paris hospital. The story begins after the liberation of Paris. The war is winding down, and 'ratlines' are forming--escape routes for Nazi officers and collaborators who must flee Europe or else face trial. Richard and Claire have a choice, to deepen their love or part ways.

Have you tackled other eras besides the 1940s?

Between writing "Warring Hearts," I'd published Eliza's Hope, a book set in the Edwardian Era in New York City. A very fun book to write! I loved researching Greenwich Village and the bohemians and suffragettes who defied tradition.

My first book published was Long Strange Trip, about a young professor who is about to trip the light fantastic with Rose Red during the Summer of Love in San Francisco. I was born in Northern California, therefore I set many of my stories in San Francisco, a city rich in history.

Now that you finished the final book in your trilogy, what are you working on?

Whew! That book almost did me in. It was very difficult to write and it went through several rewrites before it was completed. My poor critique partner was tearing her hair out as we went through plot change after plot change. Once I handed the final edits to my editor I went into a total writing funk.

I couldn't write a word and didn't want to. I had the summer looming ahead and no stories in the works, no books contracted. My slate was wiped clean but this only made writing more daunting.

Did I even want to write anymore?

After a month went by, I decided to leave behind my pity party! I gave myself permission to take time off and do what I love--travel, read, review manga, have fun with friends and family. I took two fantastic writing classes from Margie Lawson--Deep Editing and Empowering Character Emotions. This jump-started my creative juices and relit the passion for writing. Writing became fun again.

Now that you're back to writing, what's next?

I needed a challenge. Tired of writing straight historical romances, I wanted to try a new genre. I've always loved ancient history and have visited several ancient sites in my travels--Knossos, Pantheon, Roman Forum, Stonehenge, Carnac, Neolithic 'goddess' sites in Malta. I'm drawn to a good mystery, esoteric philosophy and the goddess religion.

It's recommended when you don't know what you want to do with your life, go back to the things that you love. Combining my love for research with my personal interests, I decided to write an Urban Fantasy set in San Francisco. It's about gods and goddesses and angels. What is very different from my other writings is it's written in first person perspective, from the viewpoint of my female antagonist.

While this isn't a historical fiction, it is based on mythology, and my research is as intensive. I have a thick binder sorted by several categories--gods, goddesses, ancient civilizations, mythical creatures. Writing this book has put fun back into my writing life. I don't have it contracted yet, but I hope to by next year.

Unedited excerpt from WIP, In the Shadow of the Goddess, copyright Vicki Gaia 2008:

Across the bay, the Golden Gate's trestles flickered from behind gray mist. A cold picture of orange-red steel illuminated by the full moon and street lamps. Strange were the black mass of ravens clustered around the bridge struts. I pulled at the collar of my thick wool sweater, a deep black mass of fear overwhelming my confidence.

Tendrils of fog rose up the cliffs like clinging ivy. Any moment I'd be shrouded in damp, dreary mist, blotting out the twinkling lights of the city. I prayed this wasn't an omen of things to come. I prayed my courage would be enough. I prayed my secret didn't destroy me.

I prayed but didn't believe.

The overhead branches rustled and the angel stepped out from the shadows. My neck cramped from looking up. Long disheveled hair glittered silver in the moonlight, dusting his shoulders, creating a cobweb of tangles. A face ageless and beautiful, and ravaged by eternity.

"The ravens lining the bridge struts failed to herald your entrance," I said, using my sarcasm to sharpen my wit.

The angel bowed, his arm sweeping in an arch. "Your goddess sends her most trusted servant to meet with me. I'm honored."

"I'm no servant, and you asked for me." I spit out the words through clenched teeth. The angel's terrifying beauty smothered my breath, slowly. "Why did you ask for this meeting?"

"Information, of course."

The angel's insufferable white-toothed smile provoked me. Angels weren't fluffy sweet cherubs strumming their harps in the sky. By nature, they were dangerous and cunning and shrewd.

Any final words?

I have a list of positive affirmations I keep on my desk. It keeps me in the right mind when I begin my day. I've learned this past year, it's the journey that's important, not the destination.

I want to thank all my readers for their support. I love writing a good story and hope to continue in the future.

I have several ways for readers to get in touch with me: my website, MySpace, and blog. If you want to receive my newsletter list, email me and I'll be happy to add you to the list.

Reviews:

"LIGHT IN A HOLLOW PLACE is an emotionally driven story that is loaded with descriptive details of a war-torn France, just barely coming to life again after the war. Exceptional plots and incredible characters weave an exciting tale of one couple who is trying to save their love while still fighting the after effects of the war." -- Wateena, for Coffee Time Romance

"Vicki Gaia does an excellent job guiding readers through this intricate story, introducing us gradually to the large cast of characters. Postwar Paris provides a vivid backdrop, historical details setting the scene yet not detracting from the plot. And what a plot!" -- Kimber, for Fallen Angels

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Thanks for joining us, Vicki! She's giving away an e-book copy of the first in the "Warring Hearts" trilogy, Cradle the Light. Tell us if you find any aspect of the WWII era romantic and why, or just leave a comment or question. A winner will be drawn next Sunday.

Weekly Announcements - 20 Sept 08

Carol Spradling's COST OF FREEDOM received a great review from Long and Short, and has been nominated for their "Book of the Week." You can read more about COST OF FREEDOM here.

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Elizabeth Lane's upcoming books now have release dates. THE BORROWED BRIDE will be available in November, and her San Francisco earthquake-set romance will be released in April 2009.

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Michelle Styles has received a two lovely reviews for her November UK release, A QUESTION OF IMPROPRIETY--one from cataromance and another from the Pink Heart Society.

Michelle Styles is a skilled wordsmith who can make any period of history come gloriously to life and AN IMPULSIVE DEBUTANTE is a testament to her breathtaking storytelling prowess. Sexy, stunning, heartwarming and absorbing from start to finish, Michelle Styles proves once again that she's one of the most refreshing and original voices in historical romance writing today!

You can read an excerpt of A QUESTION OF IMPROPRIETY here.

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Join us tomorrow when long-time contributor Vicki Gaia will discuss LIGHT IN A HOLLOW PLACE, the third book in her WWII trilogy from Awe-Struck.

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We'll also draw the winner of Tracy L. Ranson's PIRATES OF THE MIST. Leave a comment for your shot at winning.

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Have a good weekend. If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...

Weapons and Armies: Secret War, Secret Weapons

By Vicki Gaia

Many of us were raised on James Bond movies, especially loving all those cool weapons he had in his arsenal. There is always some truth to fiction, and in World War II, secret agents needed secret weapons. Weapons that were imaginative, easy to carry, easy to hide and use. For the OSS alone, scientist and inventors enthusiastically invented over 25,000 items, many successful.

From The Secret War: World War II from Time/Life Books, I've listed 13 of my favorites:

1. Guns that were silent and flash less were favored by OSS agents. Scientists muffled 90% of the noise of a standard issued .22 caliber pistol simply by adding a baffle of wire mesh to the barrel. This slowed the escape of gas released in the firing.

2. The "Woolworth" .45 gun was dropped to partisans in Axis-occupied Europe. Costing $1.50 each, they were parachuted by the tens of thousands. Small and compact, they were 'a great gun to get another gun with.'

3. "William Tell" was a crossbow intended to eliminate Japanese sentries and watchdogs in the Pacific.

4. One concoction, used to ignite oil, was named "Paul Revere" because it worked well for oil tanks on land, as well as oil slicks at sea.

5. Another device, a firecracker that stimulated the noise of a bomb, was used for distracting soldiers in a crowd, allowing for agents to escape. The inventor named it "Hedy" for the movie star, Hedy Lamarr...since she created a panic whenever she went.

6. There was the "Bushmaster," an eight-and-a-half inch tube clipped to a tree branch, set to fire a bullet at a specific moment. The purpose: to provoke the enemy to fire back and reveal his position.

7. There were many types of sharp objects invented. The "Smatchet" combined a heavy solid metal pommel with a machete-like blade of high tempered steel.

8. Another sharp object was a spike that an agent could strap to the arm underneath his clothing. One thrust to the eye or ear could kill the enemy.

9. The British developed a specially designed dagger for their women agents. It combined a pick-like blade with a contoured hand grip to add more power to the thrust.

10. A cool fountain pen (no ball point pens in WWII) was redesigned to fire a dart no bigger than a record-player needle. The dart's range was forty feet.

11. The OSS had the "Matchbox camera", a camera disguised as a Japanese or Swedish matchbox.

12. Specially designed latchkeys carried microfilm messages between Britain and German-occupied Denmark. Microfilm was sealed inside a hole in the key's oval handle.

13. Not all inventions made the grade. One of the craziest projects that backfired was to employ bats as arsonist by attaching walnut-sized bombs to their wings! During the testing process, several buildings were burned down to the ground!

Happy Reading!

Weekly Announcements - 11 July 08

The third installment of Vicki Gaia's WWII trilogy was released today through Awe-Struck Press. Called LIGHT IN A HOLLOW PLACE, it received this wonderful review from Coffeetime Romance:

...an emotionally driven story that is loaded with descriptive details of a war-torn France, just barely coming to life again after the war. Exceptional plots and incredible characters weave an exciting tale of one couple who is trying to save their love while still fighting the after effects of the war...But be warned; after reading this book, you will want to read the first two even more. Spicy hot love scenes completes this story making this one spectacular read.

We'll be doing a promo for Vicki's wonderful stories in September.***

Join us Sunday when Kimberly Killion will be torture and executions--and giving away a copy of HER ONE DESIRE.

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We'll also draw the winner of a copy of Mirella Patzer's BLOODSTONE CASTLE. Leave a comment for your shot at winning.

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Have a good weekend. If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...

Religious Beliefs: Religion by Ranking

By Vicki Gaia

Haven't we heard, again and again, the advice never to discuss politics and religion at a social gathering? It's bound to stir up bad feelings, and, frankly, you can never win the argument. Yet religion is a subject that's fascinated people through history. Wars are fought in the name of religion, lovers scorned, and countries divided.

I've searched the web for the top religions. The rankings I found are from around 2001. Here's the top 13 religions list by number of adherents, according to this website. There are challenges to this ranking, of course, and this is one list out of many.

1. Christianity: 2.1 billion

2. Islam: 1.5 billion

3. Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion

4. Hinduism: 900 million

5. Chinese traditional religion: 394 million

6. Buddhism: 376 million

7. Primal/Indigenous: 300 million

8. African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million

9. Sikhism: 23 million

10. Juche: 19 million

11. Spiritism: 15 million

12. Judaism: 14 million

13. Baha'i: 7 million

Here's another interesting list from the same website:

Top Religions in the U.S. (2001)

1. Christianity
2. Nonreligious/Secular
3. Judaism
4. Islam
5. Buddhism
6. Agnostic
7. Atheist
8. Hinduism
9. Unitarian Universalist
10. Wiccan/Pagan/Druid
11. Spiritualist
12. Native American Religion
13. Baha'i

According to another website, the growth rate of religions in the U.S. from the same time period shows an unusual tread:

Religions in the U.S. Based on Growth Rate (1990-2001)

1. Wiccan
2. Deist
3. Sikhism
4. New Age
5. Hindu
6. Baha'i
7. Buddhism
8. Congregational/UCC
9. Native American religions
10. Nonreligious/Secular
11. Muslim/Islamic
12. Christian
13. Taoist

Thursday 13: Popular Toys Through Time

By Vicki Gaia

Toys... sure, they are more sophisticated then when I was a child--more technical--but they serve the same purpose. Toys let's us take a break from reality--to play--to let the creative side take over.

The first toys were probably sticks and stones, but board games have been discovered over 4,000 years ago. Here's a list of popular toys through-out time as listed on the History Channel website:

1. Stone marbles - played by Egyptians, 3,000 B.C.
2. Kites - appeared in China, 1,000 B.C.
3. Iron Skates - used in Scandinavia, 200 A.D.
4. Roller skates - invented by Joseph Merlin, 1759
5. Dolls - mass marketed by an American doll maker, 1840
6. The Mansion of Happiness (designed by Anne Abbot) was the first board game sold in the United States, 1843
7. B.B. Gun - made for children and descendant of the cap gun invented after the Civil War, 1886
8. Parcheesi - westernized version of the Indian game introduced in England under the name Ludo, 1896
9. Teddy Bear - in America, toy bears were renamed Teddy Bears after President Theodore Roosevelt, 1902
10. Crayola Crayons - first introduced in 1903
11. Monopoly - created during the Great Depression, the 'get rich quick' theme caught fire, 1935
12. Silly Putty - introduced at the International Toy Fair in New York, 195013. Barbie Doll - again introduced at the International Toy Fair in 1959, Barbie was named after the inventor's daughter. Barbie became one of the nation's icons of the post war years.

The Barbie posted is the exact model of my first Barbie doll, down to the black and white swimsuit! BTW, my latest toy purchased is Nintendo's Wii. So you see, I'm still playing with toys.

Happy Reading,
Vicki Gaia

Social Movements: Surrealism

By Vicki Gaia

Artists tend to explore the shifts of social moods. They express their opinions through their imagery. And if it's good art, then it makes a person question their own perceptions. One of my favorite art movements is Surrealism. Founded in the early 1920's in Paris, this movement explored the imagery of the subconscious mind. Based on Freudianism, the surrealists tapped into the rudimentary beginnings of psychology before the subconscious became a household word.

I had the chance to see the "Surrealism USA" art exhibit. It wasn't until the thirties that surrealism caught on in the United States. "The America of the twenties, capitalist and materialist, did not fit the Surrealists' revolutionary aspirations, which was reaffirmed in isme au service de la Revolution. Yet within ten years, Surrealism would become a major artistic trend in the United States, influencing American fashion and design." (Isabelle Dervaux - exhibition book - Surrealism USA)

Major art movements develop from societies open to new ideas and thoughts. It's not surprising that Europe led the art world until World War II. During the war, European artists fled to America, especially New York. These artists had a major influence on American artists. I wrote about this in Fragments of Light. Claire O'Neill is an artist living in New York. She's enamored by the European artists, many of them well-known. Her style changes as she meets her mentors and explores new ways of painting. Here's an excerpt:

The French surrealists and the American artists gathered in their familiar circle of friends, language an obstacle to the two groups co-mingling. Richard spoke impeccable French and conversed with Marc Chagall in the corner. Claire's French was not as polished, but passable, and she spent time with many of the French artists, enjoying their viewpoint of the modern. She'd hoped to pick up useful techniques to incorporate into her work. Richard appeared comfortable with Chagall, comfortable with foreigners in general. Without their cafes, bars and meeting places for spontaneous gatherings, these exile artists felt alienated, and many suffered financial hardships. Claire understood Richard's empathy for these expatriates, experiencing his own alienation.

Turning away, she concentrated on the painting in front of her, an otherworldly landscape of oddly shaped images, juxtaposed at odd angles, but strangely balanced. The solitary landscape evoked a spiritual response to the horrors of war. Yves Tanguy's painting held mastery. Reality and imagination merged. Flirting with surrealism, Tanguy retained his unique vision and garnered Claire's respect.

After the war, New York became the new art mecca. "...exiled artists began returning to Europe after the war, the major galleries that had promoted the movement closed, and Abstract Expressionism emerge as the dominant tendency, all of which signaled the end of Surrealism's heyday in America." (Isabelle Dervaux - exhibition book - Surrealism USA)

I'll leave you with images of paintings by Salvador Dali. Many of the American surrealists dream-like and fantasy imagery was influenced by Dali.

http://images.google.com/images?q=Salvador+Dali&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf8&um=1

Happy Reading!
Vicki Gaia

Maladies & Treatments: Laudanum, The Miracle Drug

By Vicki Gaia

In my book, Eliza's Hope, I have a scene where one of my characters is taking laudanum. This was a very popular opium based drug that was falling out of favor around the Edwardian period because of its addictive quality:

Jewel stared at the innocuous bottle in her hand. She'd taken a dose last week, and it left her feeling euphoric, easing her depression. Since her first taste, she took sporadic doses, careful to hide the bottle from Eliza. She began to rely on the laudanum to get her through the day.

Eliza reached for the bottle. "It's addicting."

"Why, it's harmless." The thick glass bottle tempted her, her innards buzzing, yearning for a taste. One more dose is all. Clutching the bottle tight, she'd take one dose and toss it in the trash.

Eliza snatched the bottle from Jewel and opened the lid. Her nose scrunched. "There have been countless horror stories about this stuff."

Of course Jewel read of women getting addicted to laudanum but she had better sense. She'd never fail William and ruin their family name. Pride ran deep in her family.
Pa had lectured daily on living a clean life, and she took it to heart. But now, what did clean living get her? She had no life of her own, no husband to love.

Laudanum has been around since Paracelsus first made it into a compound, and named it from the Latin word, laudare, to praise. It's an alcoholic solution of opium, and was prepared and used widely through the 19th century for treatment of various disorders. In 1680, laudanum was introduced in England under one of the first patent medicine brand--Sydenham's Laudanum. It was a miracle drug with claims to relieve pain, to allay irritation, to produce sleep, to check excessive secretions, to support the system and as a soporific. Laudanum was prescribed for colds to Meningitis to cardiac disease to Yellow Fever in adults and children.

Doctors weren't aware of the addictive nature of opium, and laudanum and opium-based drugs were widely spread throughout the 19th century. You can imagine how taking a daily dose of laudanum would alleviate a person's aches and pains, poverty and boredom.

Laudanum was cheaper than alcohol because it was treated as a medication for legal purposes and not taxed as an alcoholic beverage. It first became a working class drug, but its use quickly spread to the middle and upper classes. According to Wikipedia, here are a few of the famous that used it:

Lord Byron
Kate Chopin
Lewis Carroll
John Keats
Charles Dickens
Edgar Allan Poe
Mary Lincoln Todd - prescribed for anxiety, hallucinations and sleep problems. This only increased her problems and led to her eventual commitment to an asylum.

This brings up the use of this drug for women's troubles. Victorian women were prescribed the drug for relief of their vague aches, depression, menstrual cramps, and to achieve that pallid complexion prized by women at the time. Its not surprising that in the United States, most users of narcotics in the 19th century were women. Besides the drug being described for women's troubles, it was frowned upon for women to drink alcohol. This proved to be a cheap and easy alternative. Easily obtained from their doctors or pharmaceutical, they could drink it, use it in a salve, shoot it up, or take it as a suppository.

Governments began to take notice and halt the use of non-medical use of opium. It's interesting that the alternative was the manufacture of heroin, thought to be 'non-addictive' alternative to opium! Under medical supervision, morphine and opium derivatives are still used today for pain relief.

The Love Cycle: Change of Heart in the Early Middle Ages

By Vicki Gaia

During the early part of the Middle Ages, Christian life meant struggling between celibacy versus marriage, passionate libido verses affectionate continence. The human body was a battle ground in the war between good and evil. There were grooming rituals, laws against tonsuring hair of a free girl or boy, and every offense against the body. Men and women could be naked together in one place only: the bed. Starting in the Carolingian era, nudity took on a sexual connotation linking it to paganism. Pagan adoration of the naked body elicited hatred and fear of the body in the Christian populace.

Salic Law--law made between 507 and 511--made it clear that an individual had no right to protection if he was not part of a family. Therefore the survival of the family became paramount, and a woman was needed to ensure the continuation of the family line. The man headed the bloodline and was the guardian of the purity of the blood. It became imperative the bride had to be a virgin.

Rape, incest, abduction and adultery had to be avoided and punished by law. Rape victims were labeled corrupted, and therefore had no future value. The raped woman lost her rights to own property, and likely had no options except to become a prostitute.

Abduction was often used by a young couple in order to extort consent from reluctant parents. If a girl was abducted, and perhaps with her consent deflowered, than the marriage was a fait accompli. The girl would never confess that she consented to being deflowered, or she'd become the man's slave, instead of his wife. So much for romance!

Incest and adultery were more serious crimes than either rape or abduction. Besides marriage between parent and child or brother and sister, marriage between a father's wife and son was considered incestuous. Burgundian Law prohibited relations with "a female relative or the sister of one's wife."

Woman were severely punished if found guilty of adultery. A woman convicted of adultery could be immediately turned out of her house. Burned to death, strangled, stoned or tossed in a river with rocks tied to her feet, many women were killed for this crime. The adulterous man got away with far lesser punishment.

As the journey progressed from body to heart, the naked body as a temple for procreation and affection turned into something all together different. Love and affection didn't come under consideration, for marriages were arranged by the parents. Women became the targets of blame for the destructive folly of love, even though most sexual offenses were committed by men.

Information came from a terrific book titled: A History of Private Life, edited by Philippe Aries and Georges Duby

Daily Life: Get out the wash board!

By Vicki Gaia

The domestic arts were essential for keeping a decent house in Colonial America. Even so, men gave little regard to women's chores, offering a third or fourth less wages for domestic help compared to a man's wages for agricultural labor.

The majority of Americans clothed themselves in homemade woolens, linen, and "towcloth" made from flax. Daughters often took the task of spinning, and unmarried women of the household, hence the term 'spinster'. Once the thread was ready, it was usually taken to a weaver in the village in exchange for goods or labor. Weaving wasn't as widespread as spinning, and not ever household had a hand loom. The cloth had to be cut and sewn into garments. Skill with a needle and thread, and sewing, were synonymous with womanhood.

"I somehow or somewhere got the idea," wrote Lucy Larcom, "when I was a small child, that the chief end of woman was to make clothing for mankind." [The Reshaping of Everyday Life by Jack Larkin]

The process of making butter and cheese still had a mysterious air about it. This attitude lingered from the witch hunt days, when trouble with cattle and milk was enough to accuse a woman of witchcraft. While women were safe from the pyre for curling milk, the process remained a magical transformation. In a corner of the kitchen, shed, or springhouse, women churned milk into butter and cheese without worries.

Butter took over an hour to churn, and then it was kneaded and pressed into solid consistency. A talented dairywoman could make good money by packing her flavorful butter into tubs or crocks, marking it with a distinctive butter stamp, and selling it or trading it for goods. Cheese-making was more widespread north of Pennsylvania and also provided a decent trade for women.

Cooking was the center of a woman's daily life. "Women needed to know the craft of salting, pickling and smoking meat to preserve it, of making wheat or "rye and Indian" bread, johnnycake or hominy, of stewing, roasting and frying. Salt, sugar, sugar, spices and coffee had to be taken in bulk form, ground and pounded." [The Reshaping of Everyday Life by Jack Larkin]

Can you image lifting heavy iron pots to set on the hearth, or hooking it to a crane which swung over the fire? This visual is enough to make my back hurt! The quantity of kitchen equipment depended on the family's wealth. If you were lucky to be affluent, you'd have various pots and kettles, gridirons and toasting forks, and a large fireplace oven. If not, often bread was baked in ashes and there'd only be one pot to cook in.

I'm doing a load of laundry as I type this post, and usually, I complain about having to wash clothes. Spoiled me! Back then, women rose before sunrise to begin their washing day. In the morning, they scrubbed and pounded their clothes in tubs of near-boiling water and homemade soft soap - washing, rinsing and repeating the cycle. In the afternoon, the washed clothes were spread out to dry.

The Industrial Revolution was about to change the lives of women by providing convenient appliances to shorten her work load.

Weekly Announcements - 18 Jan 08

Michelle Styles' A Christmas Wedding Wager has been nominated in the "Best European Historical" category in the All About Romance Reader's Poll.

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Vicki Gaia's book Eliza's Hope has received an excellent review from Romance Reviews Today:

I loved this book. I was completely pulled into the story, right from the very first page. Eliza is an amazing character, a woman with firm beliefs and the strength to stand up for her convictions. This story is steeped with the details of the time, and I could fairly hear the shouts at the suffrage rallies! ELIZA'S HOPE shows that even those with the bleakest of beginnings can overcome enormous obstacles and find their own happily-ever-after. This is truly a wonderful book."

~ Kay James

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Join us Sunday when our guest author will be Christine Burrows!

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Have a good weekend. If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie! See you next week...

Weekly Announcements - 4 Jan 08

Delia DeLeest and Jacquie Rogers have been nominated by Long & Short Reviews for best long novels of the year, Delia for It Takes Moxie (ebook) and Jacquie for Faery Special Romances (ebook and print). You can vote here. Good luck, ladies!

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Vicki Gaia's newest release, a contemporary titled Gracie and the Bad Hat is now available through Amazon in print and Kindle. Gracie has been receiving excellent reviews, this one from Kathy Samuels of Romance Reviews Today: "GRACIE AND THE BAD HAT is a heartwarming and charming odyssey through the up-and-down rollercoaster that is love." Vicki has also started her MySpace page.

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Join us Sunday when our guest will be Harlequin author Annie Burrows, who will talk about her newest release My Lady Innocent, set in 15th century England. And don't forget to comment here for your chance to win a copy of Carrie Lofty's debut short story, "Sundial."

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Have a good weekend. If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie! See you next week...

Thursday 13: Winter Solstice

By Vicki Gaia

Winter Solstice is December 21st or the 22nd, depending on the time zone!

"The winter solstice--the moment when the sun's apparent path is farthest south from the Equator--is used to officially mark winter's beginning." ~ Library of Congress

It's been celebrated for hundreds of years in all cultures across the globe. Many ancient sites were built to celebrate the solstices and equinoxes, one of the more famous: Stonehenge.

I found these thirteen fun facts/theories on the net:

1. Christmas was transplanted onto winter solstice some 1,600 years ago, centuries before the English language emerged from its Germanic roots. ~ Candlegrove Solstice Page

2. For the first time, the 2007 Winter Solstice illumination at Newgrange in Ireland will be available live on the Internet, weather conditions permitting. See the Newgrange page. The passage and chamber at Newgrange will be illuminated by the rising sun on 2007-DEC-21 between 08:58 and 09:15 GMT.

3. ANCIENT EGYPT: The god-man/savior Osiris died and was entombed on DEC-21. "At midnight, the priests emerged from an inner shrine crying 'The Virgin has brought forth! The light is waxing,' and showing the image of a baby to the worshipers." ~ Religious Tolerance; the Solstice

4. A solstice occurs twice a year, whenever Earth's axis tilts the most toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to be farthest north or south at noon. The name is derived from Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstice, the Sun stands still in declination, that is, its movement north or south is minimal. ~ Wikipedia

The ancients used Christmas holly for their winter solstice rituals:

5. Sprigs from Christmas holly trees were worn in the hair during the mistletoe rituals performed by the priests of the Celts, the Druids, at the summer and winter solstice observances. The pointy leaves of holly trees were thought to afford magical protection against evil spirits. Holly tree sprigs were also brought into their dwellings during the cold-weather months in the belief that they afforded shelter to the fairies, those tiny spirits of the forest. ~ Source: Mara Freeman; Winter Landscaping

6. For the Romans, "Holly was used to honor Saturn, god of agriculture, during their Saturnalia festival held near the time of the winter solstice. The Romans gave one another holly wreaths, carried it in processions, and decked images of Saturn with it," according to the Kentucky Cooperative Extension (the Saturnalia was the festival upon which the Christmas holiday was directly modeled).

7. There's a movie titled "Winter Solstice" made in 2004:

Landscape gardener Jim Winters is a quiet craftsman, a soft-spoken man who prefers an orderly life. His family, however, is anything but orderly. Older son Gabe is planning his escape to Florida, leaving behind any shot at a stable future with his girlfriend. Younger son Pete has retreated into a private world of anger, drift and disappointment. Jim struggles watching his sons make choices he views as disastrous compromises. It is only when he meets his new neighbor, Molly, that Jim finds a way to deal with his own life and his family's future. Written by Sujit R. Varma

8. Sacred plants of winter solstice: mistletoe, holly, evergreen, oak, ivy, wheat, frankincense, myrrh, silver fir, birch, yew. ~ Circle Sanctuary - Yule Plants

9. Drink of the solstice: Wassail is a centuries old English ceremonial cider used as an apple tree spirit offering during the Yuletide season to bless orchards and increase their yields. The word Wassail is from the Saxon for "Good Health" and a traditional toast is to hold high a cup of Wassail while exclaiming "Waes Heal!" Making and serving Wassail has been one of my favorite Winter holiday traditions.

10. Musician, Paul Winters, puts on a winter solstice event in New York. For eleven years, Winter has gathered musicians from around the world in the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York to create inspired, spontaneous music at the spiritually charged moment of the summer solstice. ~ Living Music

It can be heard on NPR radio...

Or if this isn't music to your liking...

11. Winter Solstice, a 5 piece hardcore influenced thrash metal outfit located in Lynchburg, VA, began their journey as a band in the fall of 2000. ~ Metal Blade

12. On December 21, 1928, President Calvin Coolidge signed the Boulder Canyon Project Act intended to dam the fourteen hundred mile Colorado River and distribute its water for use in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Hoover Dam, considered a wonder of civil engineering, was constructed in Black Canyon, on the Arizona-Nevada border. Often referred to as Boulder Dam, the site was officially named after Herbert Hoover, an engineer actively engaged in the dam's development and distribution of its water rights, and president-elect on this day in 1928. ~ Library of Congress

13. China and the winter solstice: As ancient Chinese thought, the yang, or muscular, positive things will become stronger and stronger after this day, so it should be celebrated. The Winter Solstice became a festival during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) and thrived in the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279). The Han people regarded Winter Solstice as a "Winter Festival", so officials would organize celebrating activities. On this day, both officials and common people would have a rest. The army was stationed in, frontier fortresses closed and business and traveling stopped. Relatives and friends presented to each other delicious food.

In the Tang and Song dynasties, the Winter Solstice was a day to offer scarifies to Heaven and ancestors. Emperors would go to suburbs to worship the Heaven; while common people offered sacrifices to their deceased parents or other relatives. The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) even had the record that "Winter Solstice is as formal as the Spring Festival," showing the great importance attached to this day. ~ China.Org

Wishing everyone a very joyful and beautiful holiday season!

Happy Reading!

Standards of Beauty:Art Imitates Fashion, Fashion Imitates Art?

By Vicki Gaia

When researching fashion trends from my 1910 novel, Eliza's Hope, I discovered how much art influenced fashion. Art and fashion were closely linked in the past, more than today. The artist didn't think anything of designing textile patterns, theater sets, dinner ware, along side of original works of art.

Paris fashion designers relied on their artists. The famed French couturier, Paul Poiret, moved in artistic circles and employed artists. "I have always liked painters." Friends with the Fauvist painter, Francis Picabia, they'd shared a love of bright colors. Poiret collected Picasso, Dufy, Matisse and other modern artists of his time. He also loved the theater, and when the Ballet Russes (Russian ballet company) first appeared in Paris in 1909, their costumes set off the Oriental craze. Poiret designed flowing pantaloons, turbans, kimonos, all in bold vivid colors, never seen before.

The American dance idols, Vernon and Irene Castle, influenced early 20th century fashion. Hemlines went up, and ankles were exposed to accommodate the new Fox Trots and ragtime dances. Satin slippers with sexy ankle straps accessorized the outfit.

These energetic dances were best performed in fitting dresses with long side slits that allowed for dramatic movements. This type of dancing required a new closeness and a certain intimacy between partners, so it was inevitably frowned upon by less liberal people still locked in Victorian mores and customs. ~ Fashion Era

I can't leave out the Art Deco movement--which started in 1900 and peaked in the 1920's. During the early Art Deco period, skirts became tubular and straight, relaxed and with a semi-fitted silhouette, reminiscent of the Empire period. This silhouette no longer required the stiff corsets, hemlines went up, as well as the waist, which rose higher and eventually disappeared.

From the Beginner's Guide to Art Deco:

What is Art Deco design? French romance, fruit filled cornucopias, images of still fountains, Oriental rugs. Coco Chanel, Egyptian tapestries, Jazz inspired pottery, lightning bolts and Zig Zags! Modernized chrome and steel home appliances, running Gazelles, pink flamingos and straight, clean lined furniture. Enameled vases, wrought iron tables, copper kitchenware, Lalique glass, and chrome ashtrays. Colorful, sexy, sleek and modern! That is Art Deco in a nutshell.

Happy Reading!
Vicki

Crime & Punishment:The Nuremberg Trials

By Vicki Gaia

The International Military Tribunal (IMT), known as The Nuremberg Trials, resulted in a desire to see the Nazi political, economic and military leadership face justice. At first, the Allies didn't agree to the form of punishment. Churchill believed they should be hunted down and shot. The French and Soviets preferred summary executions, while the Americans pushed for trials. However, at Yalta in February 1945, they all agreed to the to the prosecution of Axis leaders following the end of World War II. In August of 1945, the Allies met in London and signed the agreement that created the IMT, the Nuremberg court, and the set of rules for trial.

Nuremberg had been the site of the elaborate Nazi party rallies. Holding the trials in this city symbolized the demise of the Nazi Party. While most of the city laid in ruins from Allied bombings, the Palace of Justice, where the trials would be held, remained fairly unscathed, and had a convenient prison adjacent to it.

On November 20, 1945, twenty-one defendants were charged with participating in the conspiracy for the accomplishment of crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity and planning, initiating and waging wars of aggression. If found guilty, the punishment was ten years to life in prison or death by hanging, using the standard drop method. The French suggested a firing squad, the standard death sentence for military court-martial, but this was opposed by the Soviets who believed the Nazis were unworthy of this more dignified method.

I thought it was interesting that throughout the trials an American psychiatrist, Leon Goldensohn, interviewed the defendants. His notebooks survived, and would make interesting reading.

The results of the Nuremberg trials set in motion the establishment of a permanent criminal court, leading to the adoption of the Statute of the International Criminal Court fifty years later. The trials served the purpose of keeping the horrendous war crimes in the public's view three years after the war ended. Also the trials became a catalyst for the creations of several conventions on genocide and human rights.