tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36607290311176751212024-03-23T05:29:01.026-07:00The Unhinged HistorianAuthor Stephanie Carroll Explores the Dark Side of the Victorian Era & Gilded AgeStephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-5575372168030298012018-03-11T15:56:00.000-07:002018-03-26T17:51:16.620-07:00Interview & Giveaway with Kate Forsyth for Beauty in Thorns!<div style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am so incredibly excited to welcome Kate Forsyth, award winning author and incredible speaker. I had the lovely opportunity to meet and speak with Kate on a panel at the Historical Novel Society Conference in 2017 and I was so excited to learn she was publishing another Victorian novel and I just had to have her on the blog. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kate lives and writes in Australia. While the majority of Kate's work is also published in the US and the UK, Kate's publisher has not yet released <i>Beauty in Thorns</i> in other countries and <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Beauty-Thorns-Kate-Forsyth/dp/1925324257/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1514846896&sr=8-1">Amazon </a>currently reports that it cannot be delivered to the US. Likewise attempts to get it via ebook and audio seem to be just as difficult. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's share this interview and get her some US and UK attention so her publisher will reconsider! ;)</span></div>
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And Because it's hard to come by outside of Australia, Kate is generous enough to be giving away one copy to a lucky winner! Visit Facebook to enter! </h3>
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<b>Competition runs 3/10/18-3/17/18. </b><b>If you missed the giveaway, sign up for my newsletter or follow me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/carrollbooks">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/carrollbooks">Instagram </a>& <a href="http://www.twitter.com/carrollbooks">Twitter </a>so you always know when to enter.</b></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5EUzr4BYNNa4AT5eMCleMjOtucCQ3UVmJdgemntFqoGGYUR_cSSe_IqbZXTzfJd0Te4OKMiZY8heQOmkCbj6yVFSUfmerfU9s5aYoW8FkDl7W72IHp6e0IBrH5PeTnSkh9X6TK9OuxW3/s1600/63143au.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1287" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5EUzr4BYNNa4AT5eMCleMjOtucCQ3UVmJdgemntFqoGGYUR_cSSe_IqbZXTzfJd0Te4OKMiZY8heQOmkCbj6yVFSUfmerfU9s5aYoW8FkDl7W72IHp6e0IBrH5PeTnSkh9X6TK9OuxW3/s320/63143au.jpg" width="198" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">About Kate Forsyth</span></h3>
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<b><br /></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kate Forsyth wrote her first novel at the age of seven, and has since sold more than a million copies around the world. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Her books include </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bitter-Greens-Novel-Kate-Forsyth/dp/1250070848/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519875030&sr=8-1&keywords=kate+forsyth" style="font-family: inherit;">Bitter Greens</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, a retelling of Rapunzel which won the 2015 American Library Association Award for Best Historical Fiction; </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Girl-Novel-Kate-Forsyth-ebook/dp/B00R1B5XBW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519875153&sr=8-1&keywords=kate+forsyth+the+wild+girl" style="font-family: inherit;">The Wild Girl</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, the story of the forbidden romance behind the Grimm Brothers' famous fairy tales, which was named the Most Memorable Love Story of 2013; and </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Beasts-Garden/dp/B0134X7PRK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519875188&sr=8-1&keywords=kate+forsyth+the+beasts+garden" style="font-family: inherit;">The Beast's Garden</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, a retelling of 'The Singing, Springing Lark' set in the underground resistance to Hitler in Nazi Germany. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Recently voted one of Australia's Favorite 15 Novelists, Kate Forsyth has been called 'one of the finest writers of this generation'. She has a BA in literature, a MA in creative writing and a doctorate in fairy tale studies, and is also an accredited master storyteller with the Australian Guild of Storytellers. Read more about her at </span><a href="http://www.kateforsyth.com.au/" style="font-family: inherit;">www.kateforsyth.com.au</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">About <a href="http://www.kateforsyth.com.au/beauty-in-thorns">Beauty in Thorns</a></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Pre-Raphaelites were determined to liberate art and love from the shackles of convention. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Ned Burne-Jones had never had a painting lesson and his family wanted him to be a parson. Only young Georgie Macdonald - the daughter of a Methodist minister - understood. She put aside her own dreams to support him, only to be confronted by many years of gossip and scandal.<br /><br />Dante Gabriel Rossetti was smitten with his favourite model, Lizzie Siddal. She wanted to be an artist herself, but was seduced by the irresistible lure of laudanum.<br /><br />William Morris fell head-over-heels for a 'stunner' from the slums, Janey Burden. Discovered by Ned, married to William, she embarked on a passionate affair with Gabriel that led inexorably to tragedy.<br /><br />Margot Burne-Jones had become her father's muse. He painted her as Briar Rose, the focus of his most renowned series of paintings, based on the fairy-tale that haunted him all his life. Yet Margot longed to be awakened to love.<br /><br />Bringing to life the dramatic true story of love, obsession and heartbreak that lies behind the Victorian era's most famous paintings, Beauty in Thorns is the story of awakenings of all kinds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Interview</span></h3>
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<b>Fairy Tales & Magic</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A unifying element in your work is the fairy tale – can you tell us how that came to be such a defining aspect of your work?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I always loved fairy-tales and fairy-tale retellings as a child, and grew even more fascinated by them when I studied their history and meaning in my undergraduate degree. In time, this led me to do a doctorate of creative arts in fairy tales studies. I was interested in exploring the ways in which stories survive and adapt over long periods of time, helping to shape the human psyche. The more I studied myth and fairy-tales, and the more they worked their way into my writing, the more I loved them.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">How do fairy tales, magic and or fantasy play a role in <i>Beauty in Thorns</i> in particular?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Beauty in Thorns</i> tells the story of the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones’obsession with the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ fairytale, which he drew or painted many times over his long career. The story is told from the point of view of the women in his life, in particular his wife and daughter who were both, at various times, models for the sleeping princess. So the novel is not a fairy-tale retelling, as we normally define them. It is rather a novel about art and love and death and rebirth, and about the way that myths and fairy-tales express and release some of the deepest human fears and longings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How do you create that magical atmosphere, not only in your work but in your public speaking? (I had the pleasure of hearing Kate speak at HNS 2017, and hearing her talk was quite magical in of itself!)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I am writing a story, or telling a story, I want to create an atmosphere of intense focus and intimacy, so that the reader (or listener) is drawn so deeply into the tale that, for a space of time, they forget who they are. The real world fades away, and the world of the story takes its place, alive and true. The audience must be entranced, spellbound, amazed. They must care so deeply for what is happening in the story that their breath comes short, their pulse quickens, their mind’s eye and ear are totally engaged. To create this feeling – an almost out-of-body experience – I need to establish a strong empathetic connection between me and my audience and my characters. And I do that by making them <i>feel</i> something. Fear, hope, anger, amusement, sorrow, joy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Victorian Period</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Your books are all historical but not all Victorian, what do you focus on in your research and what do you incorporate into your writing to specifically evoke the time period in which each story is set?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is always a delicate balance between creating a strong sense of time and space, and not weighing down the prose with too much detail. I try and find what I call ‘the telling detail’ – one small detail that really helps bring the world of the story to life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In regards to research, I like to read as much as I can – both fiction and non-fiction, memoir and biography, books written now and books written then. I don’t think there’s such a thing as too much research as long as you are not tempted to laden the story with too many facts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How did you tackle the issue of Victorian language and dialogue?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I always spend quite a long time thinking about my various characters and how they might have spoken, and build what I call an ‘idiom dictionary’ i.e. a list of terms and phrases and swear words that each individual character might have used.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For example, in <i>Beauty in Thorns</i> my character Lizzie’s family comes from Sheffield and so she uses a few Yorkshire phrases such as ‘nowt for owt’. My character Janey, however, lives in Oxford and so I used old Cotswolds dialect for her –wonderful words such as ‘slosheting’ which means to walk through snow, or ‘maundering’ which means to daydream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I want my reader to understand every word my characters speak, however, and so I use the slang of the time sparingly and only when the meaning is clear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Any resources in particular you found the most helpful for Victorian atmospheric details?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Reading the work of Victorian writers such as George Eliot or Charles Dickens is always a help. Newspapers of the day. Historical non-fiction, biographies and memoirs. Books about social history (I love these! Some examples: </span><i>The Victorian House</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> by Judith Flanders, </span><i>Victorian London</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> by Liza Piccard, </span><i>How to Be A Victorian</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> by Ruth Goodman, and </span><i>What Jane Austen Ate & Charles Dickens Knew: Fascinating facts About Life in the Nineteenth Century</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> by Daniel Pool.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Beauty in Thorns</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Tell us a little bit about the artists and poets known as Pre-Raphaelite and what made them bohemian.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In September 1848, a group of rebellious young artists created a secret brotherhood that aimed to shake up and challenge convention-bound Victorian England. They believed in free love and feminine beauty, and created an aesthetic that still influences our world close on 170 years later. They called themselves the Pre-Raphaelites, because they were inspired by the art of the late medieval and early Renaissance period (i.e. before the time of the Italian painter Raphael). The key artists in the Pre-Raphaelite circle were William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who then inspired and mentored such artists and designers as Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The women who inspired them included the delicate red-haired Lizzie Siddal who posed as the drowning Ophelia for John Everett Millais, the sultry dark-haired Jane Morris who gazed out of so many canvases painted by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, strong-willed Effie Gray, who charged her husband with incurable impotence and left him in a storm of scandal, and Maria Zambaco, the fiery Greek sculptress who shocked Victorian society by posing nude for her lover.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My novel is told mostly through the point-of-view of Georgie Burne-Jones, the shy daughter of a Methodist minister who married Edward Burne-Jones, and their daughter Margaret.</span></div>
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<b>Tell us about the Sleeping Beauty paintings and how they are connected to the fairy tale we all know.</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The ‘Sleeping Beauty’ fairy tale haunted the imagination of the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones. He drew or painted it many times over the course of thirty years. For him, it was a story of resurrection and triumph over death – his mother had died when he was just six days old and his father never recovered from his grief, forcing the little boy to pray on his mother’s grave every Sunday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When his daughter Margot was fifteen, Burne-Jones began to paint her obsessively as the Sleeping Princess. She fell in love with a poet but dared not tell her father for fear of his reaction. Eventually, in 1890, his quartet of paintings, ‘The Legend of Briar Rose’, was exhibited in London. It was greeted by the public with ‘enthusiasm amounting to ecstasy’, was sold for 15,000 guineas, the largest amount ever paid for an artwork in Britain, and consequently Burne-Jones was knighted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How did this lead to your story?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have always been fascinated by the Sleeping Beauty story as well, perhaps because I was savaged by a dog when I was a toddler and spent more than six weeks in a coma. I have also always loved the art of the Pre-Raphaelites and shared their interest in myth, fairy tale and poetry. I am interested in why certain fairy-tales can have such a powerful shaping experience on the psyche, and Edward Burne-Jones’s long obsession with ‘Sleeping Beauty’ – and the extraordinary art it produced – connected with my own preoccupations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Why did you decide to tell the story of multiple women involved with this bohemian circle instead of just the one involved with Ned Burne-Jones?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I wanted to tell the story of more of the women of the Pre-Raphaelite sisterhood, but then my book would have been far too long! Their lives were just so fascinating, filled with desire, scandal, thwarted ambition and tragedy. Also, these women had been for so long the object of the male gaze, I wanted a chance to let them speak in their own voices (or at least, in what I imagined as their voices.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition, it was their lives which inspired Edward Burne-Jones. Without telling their stories, I could not have told the full tale.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How did you overcome the challenge of having multiple central characters?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I tried to make each of the four women have a strong individual voice, and I tried to make sure that each of their stories was as vivid, compelling and intriguing as possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Did you incorporate any other historical events into the story?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The action in <i>Beauty in Thorns</i> takes place over several decades, so it was impossible not to draw on what was happening in the wider world. I was most interested in the early suffragette movement and Georgie Burne-Jones’s political awakening, but other events include the Crimean War and the Indian mutiny, for example.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Writing Life</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>In one or two sentences each, tell us about your creative process.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Brainstorming story ideas: I l</b>ike to play with lots of ideas in the early stages of a novel – I find mind mapping a really useful tool, plus asking and answering all kinds of questions about character, plot, setting etc. I work longhand in a notebook, so that I record my creative processes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFX_B22K3DhmTkMM9mnh7hFnMZn4A6pFm2JVnvqwsL5nSNMcVKgImhcyVT9CdzX5hDj8AXpGUgBIvKBOwsyIJlUf4E-FsrE0lnXQ7B4Yje4WmqCPnAyyGib_F1IYfrl5bKWiSpCN1jbFYr/s1600/d845e0672a4d19306d5711836c54cfa0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1023" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFX_B22K3DhmTkMM9mnh7hFnMZn4A6pFm2JVnvqwsL5nSNMcVKgImhcyVT9CdzX5hDj8AXpGUgBIvKBOwsyIJlUf4E-FsrE0lnXQ7B4Yje4WmqCPnAyyGib_F1IYfrl5bKWiSpCN1jbFYr/s320/d845e0672a4d19306d5711836c54cfa0.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Research</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: I do a great deal of research. I like to immerse myself as deeply as possible in the period, and have a strong sense of place and time. I read everything from letters, diaries, memoirs, newspapers and novels written at the time, to historical non-fiction and novels written in later years.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Outlining & Plotting</b>: I like to outline my novel and plan its key scenes before I start. The story grows and changes as I write, but the underlying architecture rarely alters once I’ve planned it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Character Development:</b> Character is very important to me and so I spend a long time thinking about their motivation, their hopes and fears and desires, their goals, the journey of transformation they must travel. Once I have their voice speaking in my mind’s ear and their face clear in my eye’s mind, I can start writing their story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Writing First Drafts: </b>I call my first draft my ‘discovery draft’ – its when the shape of the story becomes clear to me and new ideas and inspirations push the novel to places I had not imagined. It’s my favourite part of the creative process.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Editing</b>: I always cut and edit hard. I try and remove a minimum of one-third of my first draft, and everything is rewritten and rewritten until I am happy with the rhythm and pace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Fine Tune Editing:</b> The final stage of the novel is probably my least favourite part. This is realizing I’ve over-used a word or phrase, checking every single fact, examining every single sentence and trying to make it better. It has absoluelyc rucial, however. I would never stint on it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How long does it take you to produce a book and how have you become so prolific?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It really depends on the length of the book I am writing, and how many problems it throws my way. I try to be very focused and disciplined with my writing, but there is always so much else to be done. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Usually I have one big project that takes me a year or so to research and write, and then another year or so to edit and publish. I will always have a few other smaller projects bubbling away in the background, however. It might be a collection of short stories, essays or retold fairytales, or a picture book, or something else entirely. I tend to work on those projects when I am seizing a free moment in my day, or on the weekends. Or if I’m stuck in the novel!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Your Career as an Author</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How has the following changed throughout your career:</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kate teaching at her <a href="http://www.kateforsyth.com.au/writing-retreat-in-the-cotswolds">Cotswolds Writer's Retreat</a> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Finding time to write while supporting yourself and having a life:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My first novels were written when I was in my late twenties, and I worked as a freelance journalist to support myself. I also got married and began having babies around that time. So right from the very beginning, I was juggling family, freelance work and creative work. As my novels began to find a market, I was able to cut back on the freelance writing, though to tell the truth I still do a great deal of it by writing blogs, book reviews, interviewing writers and other related activities. It was hardest when all my children were small. Once all three were at school I was able to write virtually full-time, as I could then afford to get some help in the house and with the boring administrative tasks. Keeping work and life in balance is always a challenge, however. I need to make time to spend with my friends and family, to work in my garden, and cook, and go to art galleries and the ballet and theatre, else I feel as the writing is taking up too much time and energy, and I’m missing out on other things that bring me pleasure. The closer I get to deadline, the less of these things I do!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Marketing efforts:</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dHdTIGKlkEF5Wws1eJ7B_H8Xp8jFOiZum-ElGJep2HL-jP8EeF6OEdyPrgJlGNKd5cyi2NjWhx7fRyw0uWg0bJ9LaYgBBRqp_ES5F-jCwZBMJqGGaWVShJX3MoGO5MatQxLxwBBDhBHY/s1600/Kate1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dHdTIGKlkEF5Wws1eJ7B_H8Xp8jFOiZum-ElGJep2HL-jP8EeF6OEdyPrgJlGNKd5cyi2NjWhx7fRyw0uWg0bJ9LaYgBBRqp_ES5F-jCwZBMJqGGaWVShJX3MoGO5MatQxLxwBBDhBHY/s320/Kate1.jpg" width="256" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a former journalist and magazine editor, I have a good understanding of how marketing and publicity works, which I think has been a great help to me. I tend to write a handful of feature articles for newspapers and magazines when a new book comes out, and do quite a lot of press and radio interviews. I blog about my creative processes, as well as about the books I am reading, and I write reviews for several Australian media outlets. I’m also fairly active on social media, though mainly I just post about books, and food, and gardens, and my puppy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Your perspective of the art of writing:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To me, good writing is subtle and lyrical and almost indiscernible. I want my readers to forget that they are reading, but to be swept away by the story. So I’m constantly reining myself in, subduing any authorial flourishes, and seeking clarity, harmony and rhythm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Your perspective of the professional side of authorship: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Be professional. Work hard, meet your deadlines, listen to your publishers and editors, be prepared to make cuts and changes if needed. Build bridges, don’t burn them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>In one or two sentences, what advice (artistic & professional) do you have for writers who:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Are just starting out?</b> Be brave, and take risks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Have just broken in?</b> Be kind and respectful to everyone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Are starting to gain some success?</b> Keep going!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions and appear on my blog. It is a real honor to have you!</span></div>
Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-91300675355056085372018-03-11T15:54:00.003-07:002018-03-26T17:50:10.366-07:00Interview & Giveaway: Jennifer Kincheloe & The Woman in the Camphor Trunk<div class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjia0wt84e3cs0q6zZN1rb98aK2rj9I6KFAuJKiBhFq7q3EBTcuJuVynNlxtbi93yMlBIp86t8IUxU2NtL5gJGDv_rCteNusEaf25EbiyKOgHawYIgwwS0NTcTuby4sovSLGE7LpEA22-45/s1600/B16s70tqFHS._SY200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjia0wt84e3cs0q6zZN1rb98aK2rj9I6KFAuJKiBhFq7q3EBTcuJuVynNlxtbi93yMlBIp86t8IUxU2NtL5gJGDv_rCteNusEaf25EbiyKOgHawYIgwwS0NTcTuby4sovSLGE7LpEA22-45/s1600/B16s70tqFHS._SY200_.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm so excited to welcome Jennifer Kincheloe back for a second interview on her second installment to the Anna Blanc mystery series: <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Camphor-Trunk-Blanc-Mystery/dp/1633883639/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519873521&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Woman+in+the+Camphor+Trunk">The Woman in the Camphor Trunk</a> (Amazon). (<a href="https://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_hp_tseft?advsearchKeywords=women%20in%20the%20camphor%20trunk&filterby=field-keywords">Audible</a>)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Read <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2018/03/book-review-woman-in-camphor-trunk-by.html">my review of <i>The Woman in the Camphor Trunk.</i></a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Read the behind the scenes interview: <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2018/03/jennifer-kincheloe-tells-all-behind.html">Why'd the Writer Do That?</a> Ever wonder if the author meant to convey a certain mood or if a scene was based on historical fact? Find out all the secrets behind The Woman in the Camphor Trunk.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/11/interview-with-jennifer-kincheloe.html">Read her interview </a>on the first book in this installment <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Anna-Blanc/dp/163388080X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1519873521&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Woman+in+the+Camphor+Trunk"><i>The Secret Life of Anna Blanc.</i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2017/01/book-review-secret-life-of-anna-blanc.html">Read my book review</a> of <i>The Secret life of Anna Blanc.</i></span></div>
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<b>Jennifer is also giving away a copy of the audio book! Enter via Facebook! Competition runs 3/10/18-3/17/18. If you missed the giveaway, sign up for my newsletter or follow me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/carrollbooks">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/carrollbooks">Instagram </a>& <a href="http://www.twitter.com/carrollbooks">Twitter </a>so you always know when to enter.</b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>About Jennifer Kincheloe</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jennifer is a research scientist turned writer of historical fiction. Her novels take place in 1900s Los Angeles among the police matrons of the LAPD and combine, mystery, history, humor, and romance. THE WOMAN IN THE CAMPHOR TRUNK was released in November, 2017. Her debut novel, THE SECRET LIFE OF ANNA BLANC was a finalist in the Lefty Awards for Best Historical Mystery, The Colorado Author's League Award for Best Genre Fiction, the Macavity Sue Feder Award for Historical Mystery, and is the WINNER of the Mystery & Mayhem Award for Historical Mystery and the Colorado Gold for Best Mystery.<br /><br />Jennifer grew up in Southern California, but has traveled to such places as Nicaragua, Ethiopia, and Papua New Guinea. She's been a block layer, a nurse's aid, a fragrance model, and on the research faculty at UCLA, where she spent 11 years conducting studies to inform health policy. Jennifer currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and two teenagers, two dogs, and a cat. There she conducts research on the jails.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Visit Jennifer at <a href="http://www.jenniferkincheloe.com/">www.jenniferkincheloe.com</a> or on </span><a href="http://www.jenniferkincheloe.com/">Twitter</a> - <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/jrkincheloe">Pinterest</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheSecretLifeofAnnaBlanc" style="font-family: inherit;">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">About <i>The Woman in the Camphor Trunk</i></span></b></h3>
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In early-1900s Los Angeles-- an era of courting, ragtime, suffragettes, and widespread corruption-- a socialite turned police matron tracks down the murderer of a white woman in Chinatown, while trying to prevent the outbreak of a bloody tong war.<br />
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Los Angeles, 1908. In Chinatown, the most dangerous beat in Los Angeles, police matron Anna Blanc and her former sweetheart, Detective Joe Singer, discover the body of a white missionary woman, stuffed in a trunk in the apartment of her Chinese lover. If news about the murder gets out, there will be a violent backlash against the Chinese. Joe and Anna work to solve the crime quietly and keep the death a secret, reluctantly helped by the good-looking Mr. Jones, a prominent local leader.<br />
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Meanwhile, the kidnapping of two slave girls fuels existing tensions, leaving Chinatown poised on the verge of a bloody tong war. Joe orders Anna to stay away, but Anna is determined to solve the crime before news of the murder is leaked and Chinatown explodes.<br />
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<b>The Interview</b></h2>
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<b>Set in 1908, how did you tackle this “inbetween” time period, which bridges the Victorian Era and the 1920s? Did you only use research from 1908ish, or did you use info from the larger Victorian period and or 1920s to recreate historical LA?</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkbjBf3IRd1mLlMhLfxsSZWshtffhA_gEyeBwXsd_qSCk4I4C2NaiYSp_8CMym0lqdhHSLSGw5AjsnuuUeAzIspbOr1meoORia317n9Yql4MOBo-0zicL0RimFK9RtW4oDbuVaM4JPpjE/s1600/51OA4SInSWL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkbjBf3IRd1mLlMhLfxsSZWshtffhA_gEyeBwXsd_qSCk4I4C2NaiYSp_8CMym0lqdhHSLSGw5AjsnuuUeAzIspbOr1meoORia317n9Yql4MOBo-0zicL0RimFK9RtW4oDbuVaM4JPpjE/s320/51OA4SInSWL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">The setting definitely demands research, and people don’t know a lot about the era. It’s fun surprising them. There are a ton of primary sources available from the period. Most of my storylines come straight from the newspapers from 1908 (plus or minus two years).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I also read marriage manuals, coroner’s textbooks, popular fiction, cookbooks, humorists, books on how to do laundry, court transcripts, police department annual reports, etiquette books, books on grooming, memoirs, diaries, eye-witness accounts all from the 1900s. If I could find it, I read it. I learned about the art and politics, studied photographs. I consulted with experts, read dissertations. I had an LA historian review the book for accuracy. In the process, I became an expert. So I didn’t need to borrow at all. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the process, I harvested period language from primary sources wherever I could. Jupiter, that was fun. I now know that women Anna’s age would refer to a dress as a “frock,” though an older woman might call it a gown. Some slang was the same. I have Anna say “killer” meaning excellent. Some slang has changed meaning, like “dude,” which used to mean a man from the upper crust. I have an enormous, two-volume </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Historical Dictionary of American Slang</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, that I can refer to when I’m unsure when a term came into use, and how it changed over time.</span></div>
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<b>What drew you to Chinatown crime?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In 1909, in New York’s Chinatown, a 19 year-old missionary was found murdered and stuffed in a trunk in Chinatown. I stole the storyline down to the details. I won’t tell you more about what really happen, because it’s really mirrored in the book and I don’t want to spoil it for you.</span></div>
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<b>Any other history behind the story?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes. Two Chinese slave girls were stolen and it almost started a tong war in LA. The LAPD were hunting the girls to return them to their owner and collect a $1,000 reward. I thought that was so shocking, I had to write about it. Slavery was alive and well in LA in 1908.</span></div>
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<b>You based Anna Blanc on a real historical figure (link to first interview), but in the author’s note of the Woman in the Camphor Trunk, you mentioned that after the first book released, you learned that there was another historical figure similar to Anna Blanc. Can you tell us about this other woman and how you learned about her?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was inspired to write the book by Alice Stebbins Wells, who became the first female cop in LA in 1910. But Anna Blanc wrote herself, and she didn’t resemble Alice Stebbins Wells at all. Anna’s single, young, beautiful, and the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in California. Alice was 37, average-looking, married, and middleclass. I felt like I was taking liberties with history, which I try not to do. Then I learned about Fanny Bixby, who in 1908 became a cop in Long Beach, very near LA. She was single, young, beautiful, and the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in California. The storyline for my third novel, which isn’t out yet, is inspired by events in Fanny’s life.</span></div>
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<b>How are the Anna Blanc mysteries unique in the genre of crime mystery/female sleuth?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Did you try to stick close to genre conventions or stand out?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve heard many readers say that THE SECRET LIFE OF ANNA BLANC was a book that “had never been written before.” It’s not really like any other series. The first book was my “practice book.” I didn’t think anyone would ever read it, so I just wrote what I would like to read.</span></div>
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<b>What new challenges did you face when writing the second book in comparison to the first?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The sophomore novel is notoriously difficult. I agonized over the story. You fear you can’t repeat your success. But THE WOMAN IN THE CAMPHOR TRUNK was just nominated for a Lefty Award for historical mystery, and some people like it better than book one.</span></div>
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<b>You acquired your agent and publisher with the first Anna Blanc book The Secret Life of Anna Blanc, what was it like to write the second book on contract?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Luckily, I didn’t have a contract for book two when I was struggling with it. Because the series is unusual, I think my publisher wanted to see how book one did first. I sold book two after I’d finished and got a two-book deal. I’m writing book three on contract, and it adds additional pressure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My agent’s assistant read it and gave me the thumbs up—no changes. But I had a lot of beta readers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have less time for marketing because I’ve been conducting research on the jails in Denver. But I still tweet on weekends, post on Facebook, and do readings in the region. For book one, I did a three week book tour, but I just don’t have the time now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Get in your 10,000 hours of writing, because that’s what it takes. Even though THE SECRET LIFE OF ANNA BLANC was my first novel, I rewrote it 100 times. Also, read books on craft.</span></div>
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<b>Have just broken in?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Write for yourself. Publishing is a brutal business. Keep your eye on the prize—not sales, not awards, but writing for the joy of it.</span></div>
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-54898193485160418992018-03-11T15:53:00.004-07:002018-03-11T15:53:52.696-07:00Forget Me Not - A Short Story with Magical Realism & Graveyards<div style="text-align: center;">
As some of you may remember, in 2015 I had a short story called <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forget-Me-Not-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B07827Q3LH/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520722475&sr=1-1&keywords=forget+me+not+stephanie+carroll">Forget Me Not</a></i> featured in <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/04/excerpt-from-forget-me-not-featured-in.html">Legacy: An Anthology. </a>Well in 2017, I got the copyrights back and figured why not publish the short story as an ebook sold on it's own for $0.99. So I did! </div>
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<b style="font-size: 18.72px;">ABOUT FORGET ME NOT</b></div>
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Originally published in LEGACY: AN ANTHOLOGY, "Forget Me Not" is set just after the turn of the century in Colma, California, a city where the dead outnumber the living. It follows Lauraline Rosland, a young woman who knows on the day after her 30th birthday, she is going to die. She has three days left and is determined to do something - anything - worth remembering.<br />
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<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/04/excerpt-from-forget-me-not-featured-in.html">Read an Excerpt of <i>Forget Met Not</i>!</a><br />
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<b>THE ANGEL OF GRIEF</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">I expected to be able to see her from afar but truth be told,<br />
she is one of the smaller monuments in this particular necropolis.</td></tr>
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The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_of_Grief" target="_blank">Angel of Grief</a> is a common funerary statue replicated from the original carved by the American sculptor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wetmore_Story" target="_blank">William Wetmore Story</a>, which serves as his and his wife's headstone in a Protestant Church in Rome. The statue in Colma's Cypress Lawn Memorial Park is for Jennie Roosevelt Pool, Theodore Roosevelt's cousin.</div>
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I absolutely adore this statue and really wanted to see it, but the cemetery was so big (with a major street running through it) that it took my husband and I over an hour to find it. Really, it just took us over an hour to realize that the cemetery continued on other side of the like 6 or 8-laned street.</div>
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The statue is gorgeous but sadly missing several of its fingers and surprisingly quaint in comparison to the giant statues, pyramids, mausoleums, columned sculptures and headstones throughout.</div>
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Read more about Colma on my post <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2017/10/10-creepy-facts-about-this-real-world.html">10 Creepy Facts About this Real World Necropolis</a></div>
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<b>DESIGNING THE COVER</b></div>
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What's really awesome is that my cover designer <a href="http://historicaleditorial.blogspot.com/p/editorial-services.html">Jenny Q of Historical Editorial </a>was able to incorporate an image of my favorite headstone from Colma, CA the setting of <i>Forget Me Not. </i>Learn more about Colma by reading my post <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2017/10/10-creepy-facts-about-this-real-world.html">10 Creepy Facts About this Real World Necropolis</a>.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">If You Own<i> Legacy: An Anthology</i>, and Enjoyed My Story In It - Show Your Support for<i> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forget-Me-Not-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B07827Q3LH/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520722475&sr=1-1&keywords=forget+me+not+stephanie+carroll">Forget Me Not</a></i> by posting a review on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forget-Me-Not-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B07827Q3LH/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520722475&sr=1-1&keywords=forget+me+not+stephanie+carroll">Amazon</a>!!! </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Here's How:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px; text-align: start;"><span style="color: purple;">1. Sign Into or Create Your Amazon Account<br /><br />2. Find <em>A White Room</em> Using My Link Below or By Searching.<br /><br />3. Scroll to the bottom where you can read reviews.<br /><br />4. Click Write a Customer Review.</span></span></div>
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-56196366691910478872018-03-11T15:53:00.002-07:002018-03-11T15:53:18.624-07:00Why Did the Writer Do That? A Behind the Scenes Interview with Jennifer Kincheloe<div style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b>After You Read (SPOILER ALERT!!! Come back after you read the book!)</b></div>
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I'm so excited to be doing this unique interview with Jennifer Kencheloe on her new book <span style="text-align: start;"> </span><i style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Camphor-Trunk-Blanc-Mystery/dp/1633883639/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519873521&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Woman+in+the+Camphor+Trunk">The Woman in the Camphor Trunk</a> (Amazon). (<a href="https://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_hp_tseft?advsearchKeywords=women%20in%20the%20camphor%20trunk&filterby=field-keywords">Audible</a>)</i>, the second installment of the Anna Blanc Series.<br />
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Most interviews are careful not to divulge anything before the reader actually reads the book but this interview is different. I wanted to really get behind the scenes and find out the knitty-gritty writing decisions behind this fun mystery. These are the questions I wanted answers to while reading the book and I hope some of them line up with your own. Enjoy!</div>
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<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2018/03/interview-giveaway-jennifer-kincheloe.html">Read the first <i>Women in the Camphor Trunk </i>Interview</a></div>
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Read <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2018/03/book-review-woman-in-camphor-trunk-by.html">My Book Review of <i>The Women in the Camphor Trunk</i></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/11/interview-with-jennifer-kincheloe.html">Read my first interview with Jennifer </a>on the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Anna-Blanc/dp/163388080X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1519873521&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Woman+in+the+Camphor+Trunk"><i>The Secret Life of Anna Blanc.</i></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2017/01/book-review-secret-life-of-anna-blanc.html" style="font-family: inherit;">Read my book review</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">of</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">The Secret life of Anna Blanc.</i></div>
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<b>How did you go about researching and describing details for things like</b><b> Anna Blanc’s expensive furniture and clothing and that </b><b>first Chinatown scene, which was filled with impeccable sensory details?</b> </div>
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I rely heavily on photographs from the time and have collected thousands of them on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/jrkincheloe/boards/">Pinterest</a>. One of my pages has over 4,000 pictures of dresses from the 1900s. I’ve got one of purses, one of furniture, one of hair. I’ve got street scenes from Los Angeles, and a board dedicated just to Chinatown. That first Chinatown scene, in the market, it’s straight from a photograph.</div>
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I read lots of newspaper articles about LA’s Chinatown in the Los Angeles Herald, articles about the Chinese New Year celebration and also ones about the problems in Chinatown—the mud, the rats, the lack of sewers.</div>
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<b>The various crimes and crime scenes? Are they all based on historical crimes or are they fictional?</b></div>
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The crime scene was historical. I managed to find a picture of the apartment where the trunk was found. I had to fill in the blanks and imagine some of the details – like the state of the corpse. But the trunk, the multiple pictures of her lover with white women, all historical.</div>
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<b>The police matron bloomers Anna designed, were those based on something real?</b></div>
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I based them on a women’s magazine article from 1908 about camping. The 1900s was considered “the golden age of hiking.” The article recommended pants like the ones I described, to be worn under a slit skirt. So, I just modeled Anna’s pants after the picture, using some of the actual description from the article, them embellished them with frills. And of course, Paul Poiret introduced his harem pants shortly thereafter, though Arab women had been rocking them for years.<br />
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<b><u>Dialogue/Word Choices</u></b></h3>
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<b>Both Anna Blanc books are filled with awesome period dialogue – what’s your secret?</b></div>
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I read things written during the period, like novels, eyewitness accounts, magazines, short stories, cartoons, books by humorists, and of course the newspapers. I harvested slang. Then I made a pass through the book and stuck it in wherever I could. Also, the Historical Dictionary of American Slang is great for checking when words first appeared in print.</div>
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<b>Wear did you uncover the word “Frillies” which was used to describe both jewelry and underwear. Did I spell that right? I listened to the audiobook, lol!</b></div>
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I got it from a history book dedicated exclusively to underwear 😊</div>
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<b>What has reader response to Jupiter! And other exclamations?</b></div>
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Anna’s slang has been warmly received.</div>
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<b>Let’s Start the Interrogation & Get into the Author’s Mind</b></div>
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We start out with Anna’s father having kicked her out, but he sent her all of her extremely expensive belongings – dresses, shoes, a piano, etc. He could have kicked her out with nothing, so what was behind that decision as the author?</div>
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Anna’s father loves her, in his way. He gives her most of her dead mother’s heirlooms. But he doesn’t love her enough to give her the expensive jewelry. Plus, he needs the money.</div>
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<b>It’s revealed early on that Anna has turned down Joe Singer’s proposal, which leads to a rift in their relationship – why did you decide to split them up again?</b></div>
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Before Anna took control of her life, marriage seemed her best option. The liberated Anna wants to remain in control of her life. It seemed natural that she would be hesitant to marry. Women really did become their husband’s property.</div>
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<b>Why not show the scene in the church when Anna and Joe almost kiss? It was only revealed through Anna’s reflection of it – why was that?</b></div>
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Because I liked the last sentence of that scene. I thought showing the priest storming in would destroy the romance of it.</div>
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<b>Anna has some of the most unique tastes for a historical character: whiskey, kippers, cracker jacks? What led to this?</b></div>
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She likes whiskey because she used to raid her father’s decanters. Kippers are a traditional English breakfast food, and Anna’s mother was English. The other fine foods she ate, prepared by her father’s cook, she no longer has access to. She has no culinary skills, and Cracker Jacks are easy and delicious.</div>
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<b>During the infamous honey scene, there is a sudden perspective change from Anna to Joe Singer – POV changes can be hard to detect especially when listening to the audio as I was, but it seems like that was the one and only time you did that … is that the case and if so, why?</b></div>
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I broke the rules. I did it in book one also. Joe got one POV scene. I like him to make an appearance in that way.</div>
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<b>Religious tolerance is an interesting facet of this book. For example, in one scene Anna prays to Chinese gods for the people in Chinatown, and at another point she burns a Chinese gambling charm. Yet, as a Catholic, she also criticizes Protestantism: for example when they save one of the Sing-Song girls, she says: “Well she isn’t really free, is she? Now she has to be a Presbyterian.” As a Protestant myself, I have to say I love that line. This theme is handled with grace and fantastic comic effect, but can you speak a little on the significant of this thread in the second Anna Blanc installment?</b></div>
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I was raised Presbyterian, so I think I can get away with lovingly, and hopefully with humor, shining a light on not-so-great aspects of the faith. There was a real Presbyterian missionary, Donaldina Cameron, who risked her life again and again to rescue sing song girls from the tongs. Reportedly, my great aunt Betty helped her. Donaldina educated the Chinese girls, taught them English, and when they were grown (many of them were just children) matched them with Christian Chinese men. But I imagine it was a dilemma for those girls who were forced to give up their culture and their own belief systems.</div>
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My father was Catholic, so I went to Catholic schools. I studied spiritual direction with the Benedictine nuns. Religion really interests me. If you look at Anna’s spirituality, it’s shallow, legalistic, fear based. She tries to manipulate God and the saints and see what she can get away with. It’s a commentary on the worst of American spirituality today. Also, Anna is straining against this understanding of faith. She challenges conventional thought. Her praying to the Chinese Gods was an attempt to show that—it demonstrates respect for the Chinese, and an openness.</div>
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<b><u>How Did You Get Away with It?</u></b></h3>
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<b>How did you keep the audience from figuring out who dunnit?</b></div>
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I don’t know. I just go by the feel of it.</div>
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<b>How do you keep Anna’s antics balanced with the time period and women of the period so that it’s still believable?</b></div>
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Women of the period were exactly like women today, only more oppressed. They were sexual, rebellious, intelligent, driven, and ambitious. They were scientists, inventors, detectives, artists, and especially activists. The politics of the Progressive Era were largely shaped by the agenda of women. They fought for the eight hours workday, ended child labor, reformed prisons and jails, got the vote, and (for better or for worse) got Prohibition passed. The famous temperance crusader, Carrie Nation, used to bring her ax into saloons and chop up the furniture. True, women are largely left out of history books, which favor white men, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t achieving amazing things.</div>
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<b>What’s with the naughty missionaries? From promiscuity to outright murder - did you come up with that because they are less likely to be suspected by the audience or is it based in truth?</b></div>
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The two-timing missionary is 100 percent historical. Her name was Elisie Sigel, age 19. She ministered in New York’s Chinatown and had two Chinese lovers at once. Big mistake. She ended up dead in a trunk in the apartment of one of her lovers. He disappeared, launching an international and unsuccessful man hunt. Technically, the police never solved the case.</div>
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But if you look at crime and sin, there really isn’t a group of people immune from it. This is also a commentary on religious leaders today, who sorely try my patience. Not because they sin, but because they pretend that they sin less than the rest of us. I work for the Sheriff Department, and ministers are one of the biggest sources of contraband in the jails. They can make a lot of money smuggling in drugs or tobacco. And they do.</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>No doubt, plenty of missionaries have struggled with jealousy. It’s Miss Robins daring pragmatism that is her downfall—the very qualities that allowed her to work in Chinatown in the first place.</div>
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<b>What are you working on now? What’s next for Anna Blanc?</b></div>
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I’ve got a contract for book three in the Anna Blanc mystery series, which I’ve tentatively entitled Griffith Park. It’s also based on real Los Angeles History and will be in stores in Spring, 2019. It’s about a mysterious man who shows up in Anna’s life, the murder of a young man, and a “white slavery” ring. While prostitution was legal, it wasn’t legal to exploit under age girls IF you corrupted them. If they previously had a bad reputation, exploit away. This exploitation was called white slavery.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>About Jennifer Kincheloe</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jennifer is a research scientist turned writer of historical fiction. Her novels take place in 1900s Los Angeles among the police matrons of the LAPD and combine, mystery, history, humor, and romance. THE WOMAN IN THE CAMPHOR TRUNK was released in November, 2017. Her debut novel, THE SECRET LIFE OF ANNA BLANC was a finalist in the Lefty Awards for Best Historical Mystery, The Colorado Author's League Award for Best Genre Fiction, the Macavity Sue Feder Award for Historical Mystery, and is the WINNER of the Mystery & Mayhem Award for Historical Mystery and the Colorado Gold for Best Mystery.<br /><br />Jennifer grew up in Southern California, but has traveled to such places as Nicaragua, Ethiopia, and Papua New Guinea. She's been a block layer, a nurse's aid, a fragrance model, and on the research faculty at UCLA, where she spent 11 years conducting studies to inform health policy. Jennifer currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and two teenagers, two dogs, and a cat. There she conducts research on the jails.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Visit Jennifer at <a href="http://www.jenniferkincheloe.com/">www.jenniferkincheloe.com</a> or on </span><a href="http://www.jenniferkincheloe.com/">Twitter</a> - <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/jrkincheloe">Pinterest</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheSecretLifeofAnnaBlanc" style="font-family: inherit;">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">About <i>The Woman in the Camphor Trunk</i></span></b></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzkiQznUFlURnzhwVn4X260YK_tWG5GHAo9emltG3ouNSmbvmAMTTTo6rsGeQkc0VQjGEDBcdYmLikVY6_q6Ag0X6IUzdX5UfCBtMbGOHlZmHjxi3OIyK-CjUko7oMgg5wuDCiKPnLe5w/s1600/51KR3CPutiL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzkiQznUFlURnzhwVn4X260YK_tWG5GHAo9emltG3ouNSmbvmAMTTTo6rsGeQkc0VQjGEDBcdYmLikVY6_q6Ag0X6IUzdX5UfCBtMbGOHlZmHjxi3OIyK-CjUko7oMgg5wuDCiKPnLe5w/s320/51KR3CPutiL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="213" /></a></h2>
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In early-1900s Los Angeles-- an era of courting, ragtime, suffragettes, and widespread corruption-- a socialite turned police matron tracks down the murderer of a white woman in Chinatown, while trying to prevent the outbreak of a bloody tong war.<br />
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Los Angeles, 1908. In Chinatown, the most dangerous beat in Los Angeles, police matron Anna Blanc and her former sweetheart, Detective Joe Singer, discover the body of a white missionary woman, stuffed in a trunk in the apartment of her Chinese lover. If news about the murder gets out, there will be a violent backlash against the Chinese. Joe and Anna work to solve the crime quietly and keep the death a secret, reluctantly helped by the good-looking Mr. Jones, a prominent local leader.<br />
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Meanwhile, the kidnapping of two slave girls fuels existing tensions, leaving Chinatown poised on the verge of a bloody tong war. Joe orders Anna to stay away, but Anna is determined to solve the crime before news of the murder is leaked and Chinatown explodes.</div>
Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-19811076146540631552018-03-11T15:52:00.002-07:002018-03-11T15:52:38.629-07:00Book Review: The Woman in the Camphor Trunk by Jennifer Kincheloe<div style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">'m so excited to welcome Jennifer Kincheloe back for a second interview on her second installment to the Anna Blanc mystery series: <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Camphor-Trunk-Blanc-Mystery/dp/1633883639/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519873521&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Woman+in+the+Camphor+Trunk">The Woman in the Camphor Trunk</a> (Amazon). (<a href="https://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_hp_tseft?advsearchKeywords=women%20in%20the%20camphor%20trunk&filterby=field-keywords">Audible</a>)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read my <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2018/03/interview-giveaway-jennifer-kincheloe.html">interview with Jennifer Kincheloe on <i>The Women in the Camphor Trunk</i></a> and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">read the special <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2018/03/jennifer-kincheloe-tells-all-behind.html">Behind the Scenes Interview with Spoilers Alerts!</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/11/interview-with-jennifer-kincheloe.html" style="font-family: inherit;">Read my interview with her on the first book </a><span style="font-family: inherit;">in this installment</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Anna-Blanc/dp/163388080X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1519873521&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Woman+in+the+Camphor+Trunk" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Secret Life of Anna Blanc.</i></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2017/01/book-review-secret-life-of-anna-blanc.html">read my book review</a> of <i>The Secret life of Anna Blanc.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>About Jennifer Kincheloe</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhEdqDAlMGwn2NGaiKqJMIYr7FKA_owI0PIHDRU6JD5weMI5l7dyj-b9wD7opjbxbi19sS03nPGiaA9wCIk7pvHkhpBH5ess1yPUTARWRgQGlQ_LX7zU4C-2I_tv9IR7MBYyhhubsRkQu/s1600/Jennifer_Kincheloe-300x259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhEdqDAlMGwn2NGaiKqJMIYr7FKA_owI0PIHDRU6JD5weMI5l7dyj-b9wD7opjbxbi19sS03nPGiaA9wCIk7pvHkhpBH5ess1yPUTARWRgQGlQ_LX7zU4C-2I_tv9IR7MBYyhhubsRkQu/s1600/Jennifer_Kincheloe-300x259.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jennifer is a research scientist turned writer of historical fiction. Her novels take place in 1900s Los Angeles among the police matrons of the LAPD and combine, mystery, history, humor, and romance. THE WOMAN IN THE CAMPHOR TRUNK was released in November, 2017. Her debut novel, THE SECRET LIFE OF ANNA BLANC was a finalist in the Lefty Awards for Best Historical Mystery, The Colorado Author's League Award for Best Genre Fiction, the Macavity Sue Feder Award for Historical Mystery, and is the WINNER of the Mystery & Mayhem Award for Historical Mystery and the Colorado Gold for Best Mystery.<br /><br />Jennifer grew up in Southern California, but has traveled to such places as Nicaragua, Ethiopia, and Papua New Guinea. She's been a block layer, a nurse's aid, a fragrance model, and on the research faculty at UCLA, where she spent 11 years conducting studies to inform health policy. Jennifer currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and two teenagers, two dogs, and a cat. There she conducts research on the jails.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Visit Jennifer at <a href="http://www.jenniferkincheloe.com/">www.jenniferkincheloe.com</a> or on </span><a href="http://www.jenniferkincheloe.com/">Twitter</a> - <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/jrkincheloe">Pinterest</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheSecretLifeofAnnaBlanc" style="font-family: inherit;">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">About <i>The Woman in the Camphor Trunk</i></span></b></h3>
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In early-1900s Los Angeles-- an era of courting, ragtime, suffragettes, and widespread corruption-- a socialite turned police matron tracks down the murderer of a white woman in Chinatown, while trying to prevent the outbreak of a bloody tong war.<br />
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Los Angeles, 1908. In Chinatown, the most dangerous beat in Los Angeles, police matron Anna Blanc and her former sweetheart, Detective Joe Singer, discover the body of a white missionary woman, stuffed in a trunk in the apartment of her Chinese lover. If news about the murder gets out, there will be a violent backlash against the Chinese. Joe and Anna work to solve the crime quietly and keep the death a secret, reluctantly helped by the good-looking Mr. Jones, a prominent local leader.<br />
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Meanwhile, the kidnapping of two slave girls fuels existing tensions, leaving Chinatown poised on the verge of a bloody tong war. Joe orders Anna to stay away, but Anna is determined to solve the crime before news of the murder is leaked and Chinatown explodes.<br />
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The Book Review</h3>
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Just like <i>The Secret Life of Anna Blanc</i>, I loved <i>The Woman in the Camphor Trunk</i>. Jennifer's ability to capture that charming spoiled rich girl character is inspiring. Her cheeky humor had me laughing out loud and and her twisting mysteries had me guessing to the very end!</div>
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<b>Characters</b></div>
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Once again Anna Blanc charms us with her witty banter and fresh sayings that Jennifer has termed as "Anna-isms." I liked that in this installment, Anna is paying for her outlandish actions from the first book. She's trying to make it on her own without her daddy's help, and she's not managing to pull it off easily either. That really brought a realistic and dynamic aspect to her character's journey.</div>
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We also got to experience the fun back-and-forths between Anna Blanc and Joe Singer again because they have broken up after a disagreement regarding marriage. Once again, Joe leaves us wondering, cheering, and awing all the way through. We also got to see more of several fun characters from the first novel, and we got to meet some really intriguing new characters, including missionaries, China-men mobsters and Sing-Song Girls. </div>
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<b>Story & Mystery</b></div>
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The story was brilliant and funny. Jennifer knows exactly when we need a break from the mystery and a little bit of the love story or a little bit of historical background. Very well paced, and there was a great twist at the end I never saw coming.</div>
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<b>Historical Detail and Setting</b></div>
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I was very impressed with the amount of historical research and detail work Jennifer put into this book. Her descriptions of turn of the century Chinatown in LA were incredibly well done as was her ability to capture a little known slice of history regarding the tensions between Chinatown and the rest of the city at this time.<br />
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Then of course we cannot forget the fantastic details Jennifer puts into all the fashion from shoes to jewelry. There's nothing better than Victorian designer-wear! </div>
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There's more historical detail than I can possibly allude to, from the inner workings of newspaper boys to religious tolerance and intolerance. Part of what makes these books so enjoyable is the rich historical backgrounds that we don't usually get to read about in other historical mysteries. This is the first book and first series I've ever heard of taking place in Gilded Age LA let alone Gilded Age Chinatown! </div>
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<b>Audible Perofrmance</b></div>
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This is the second Anna Blanc book that I have listened to rather than read, and I have to say the voice actress, <a href="https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Moira+Quirk&ref=a_a_search_c3_lNarrator_1_1_1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=JEQ6TAHR3JNYE07V5TR1&">Moira Quirk</a>, who does the audio version of Anna Blanc is fantastic. She gets that character down and she isn't difficult to accept as other characters either. When listening to her, you can picture Anna, Joe, and everyone else without pause. </div>
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Once again, I can't wait for what comes next for this spunky female sleuth and this rising historical novelist!<br />
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Buy <i>The Woman in the Camphor Trunk</i> on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Camphor-Trunk-Blanc-Mystery/dp/1633883639/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519873521&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Woman+in+the+Camphor+Trunk">Amazon </a>or <a href="https://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_hp_tseft?advsearchKeywords=women%20in%20the%20camphor%20trunk&filterby=field-keywords">Audible</a>.<br />
Buy <i>The Secret Life of Anna Blanc</i> on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Anna-Blanc/dp/163388080X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1519873521&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Woman+in+the+Camphor+Trunk">Amazon </a>or <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/The-Secret-Life-of-Anna-Blanc-Audiobook/B01N03DY2N?ref=a_a_search_c3_lProduct_1_2&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=C6Q5QME6F17446Y1DV69&">Audible</a>.</div>
Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-85012958949231782472017-11-15T20:13:00.000-08:002017-11-26T20:24:20.228-08:00Interview with Gothic Victorian Author Essie Fox & Giveaway<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
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I'm so excited to have as a guest today Victorian Gothic novelist Essie Fox, author of delectably, bleak titles <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Somnambulist-Essie-Fox/dp/1409121194">The Somnambulist</a></i>, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Elijahs-Mermaid-Essie-Fox/dp/1409121208/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0TX6M1SN3D7B9K3XTXQB">Elijah's Mermaid</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Goddess-Thief-Fox-Essie/dp/1409146197/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JM96PSE306W3TP080B8G">The Goddess and the Thief</a></i> and now her new book inspired by Gilded Age silent films <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Days-Leda-Grey/dp/1409146278/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=EWGFXMVDZSDMVBG8T6SB">The Last Days of Leda Grey</a>,</i> which is being released in mass paperback today. It will also be the prize in today's giveaway!!!</div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Giveaway Ended:</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Follow for future giveaways<u>:</u></b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/essiefoxauthor/">Essie Fox</a> &<a href="https://www.facebook.com/CarrollBooks/"> Stephanie Carroll</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>Also</u></b>, consider (<i>we won't force you</i>) signing up for our blogs/newsletters, which is the best way to get insider tid-bits on our work and news about new books and giveaways like this one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://eepurl.com/bDysUj">Sign up today</a> to become one of Stephanie's VIPs! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Follow Essie Fox's blog <a href="https://essiefox.com/blog/">The Virtual Victorian</a>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Choosing the Winner</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">The Winner is @Shelley_Motz_Writer</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Giveaway Book!!!</u></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtTDCAFq-RBPARCNzhJ24HWfuhQ6Op44dkAruoq2GSeMcKi0sJ5LlAVFR1kpNr40Y1UIUgFD3gp2hkAB8OYEdRSa7LrPElFcec99xl4mbr3N7pmMRnSg4kB3OTeG-vHBms6eGmUmaZDY/s1600/51sQMmgLaVL._SX322_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtTDCAFq-RBPARCNzhJ24HWfuhQ6Op44dkAruoq2GSeMcKi0sJ5LlAVFR1kpNr40Y1UIUgFD3gp2hkAB8OYEdRSa7LrPElFcec99xl4mbr3N7pmMRnSg4kB3OTeG-vHBms6eGmUmaZDY/s400/51sQMmgLaVL._SX322_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="258" /></a>Essie Fox has written three <strong><a href="http://www.essiefox.com/victorian-novels/" target="_blank">Victorian novels</a></strong>. Now, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Days-Leda-Grey/dp/1409146278/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr+" target="_blank">The Last Days of Leda Grey</a> </em>moves into the Edwardian era, and also the 1970’s, as it tells the haunting story of an enigmatic silent film actress ~ before an obsessive love affair leaves her abandoned and alone for more than half a century.<br />
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<i>“The Last Days of Leda Grey takes as its backdrop the early days of film, and peoples it with charismatic, enigmatic characters in a world that hovers between history and illusion. Meticulously researched and vividly told, it’s a richly evocative story, brimming with intrigue and suspense.”</i></div>
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<i><b>M L Stedman, author of The Light Between Oceans</b></i></div>
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View <i>The Last Days of Leda Grey</i> on </div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/d/Books/Last-Days-Leda-Grey/1409146251">Amazon US</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Days-Leda-Grey/dp/1409146278/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr+">Amazon UK</a></div>
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<i>“Luminous … Leda Grey’s world is utterly beguiling.” <strong>The Times</strong></i></div>
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<i>“Deliciously unsettling.” The<strong> </strong>Independent</i></div>
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<i><strong>“</strong>The glee with which Fox approaches her material is infectious.<strong>” </strong>The<strong> </strong>Guardian</i></div>
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<i>“A deliciously eerie affair.” <strong>Sunday Express</strong></i></div>
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<i>“A truly enchanting and magical book.” Brighton and Hove Independent</i></div>
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<i>“Wonderfully atmospheric.” <strong>Red Magazine</strong></i></div>
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<i>“Magnificently conjured. A Hitchcockian atmosphere of ‘encroaching dread’ and menace.” </i><br />
<i><strong>Historia Magazine</strong>.</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">And now, introducing Essie Fox! </span></b><br />
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Essie Fox was born and raised in Herefordshire. At Sheffield University she studied English Literature. She then went to live in London to work in newspaper and book publishing ~ after which she spent more than twenty years as a freelance commercial artist.</div>
Since 2011, Essie has been writing novels which are published by Orion Books. The first three books are ‘Victorian’, and her debut, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Somnambulist-Essie-Fox/dp/1409121194">The Somnambulist</a>, </em>was shortlisted for the UK National Book Awards, was featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club, and has also been optioned for TV/Film by Hat Trick Productions. Her fourth and latest novel, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Days-Leda-Grey/dp/1409146251">The Last Days of Leda Grey</a>, </em>moves on to the Edwardian era, and also the 1970’s.<br />
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Learn more on her <a href="https://essiefox.com/">website</a>!</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Questions About Essie & Her Work</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>How long have you been writing and how long did it take to break into traditional publishing?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">I started writing about nine years ago, after I’d worked as a commercial artist and illustrator for more than twenty years. But, I’d always had a desire to write and suddenly I realised that I needed to get on with it. So ... I took a deep breath and decided to take three years off work, as if I was going back to university to study for another degree. I told myself that if I didn’t manage to write a novel, get an agent, and a publisher during that period of time then I would return to my artwork - though as it turned out I’ve never returned because, luckily, I achieved my goals. Who knows what the future years may hold, but for now I’ve discovered my passion in life ... which is painting with words instead of a brush.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">As for the past... my first novel, </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>The Somnambulist</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">, was published in hardback by Orion Books in 2011. Since then, Orion have published three more of my historical novels, and it really has been wonderful to see the worlds of my own creation coming to life on the published page.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>What category of Gothic Victorian fiction do you write—mystery, romance, paranormal, magical realism, literary, etc.?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">I actually think my novels contain elements of all those categories.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>How do you keep a genre that’s been around since Victorian times fresh and new while also fitting the genre? Do any of the classics influence your work?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">The previous question has some bearing here because although I adhere to many of the tropes of Victorian literature I also tend to seed in elements of the paranormal - with events that may be real, or else may be in the mind of the characters. I also try to include something pertinent to my present life - something to keep the writing alive for me. For example, in </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>The Somnambulist,</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> and also </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>Elijah’s Mermaid</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">, I used place settings of East London and also rural Herefordshire, both of them having been my homes at various times in my life. In </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>The Goddess and the Thief, </i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">the novel was set in my current home town of Windsor, which means that as I walked the streets, the parks and forests all around (which haven’t really changed that much since the way they looked in Victorian times) I could almost think myself into the mind of my protagonist.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">With my latest novel, </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>The Last Days of Leda Grey,</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> which moves on to the Edwardian era, and also the 1970s, I was profoundly influenced by old black-and-white silent films I’d once seen, by the streets and vintage shop fronts in the seaside town of Brighton, and also by childhood memories of the heat wave of 1976 when England enjoyed a summer so long it resulted in a water draught. The hallucinatory nature of that heat - day, after day, after day - was a vivid inspiration for the almost hypnotic effect I hoped to recreate in the mindset of my young male journalist, who visits the aging Leda Grey in her secluded cliff top house where many ghostly things occur.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">As far as the classics are concerned, I studied Victorian literature while at university and since then I’ve continued to enjoy and also to be influenced by the work of the Bronte sisters, by Wilkie Collins, and Bram Stoker. Charles Dickens is not so much of a favourite, but he does have such wonderful characters, often with the eccentric mannerisms that I also strive for in minor characters. In addition to this, I’m influenced by the poetry of the era; increasingly by Emily Dickinson whose language is utterly compelling, and really very modern in tone.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Times, serif;">What is your favorite modern book from your own genre or a book you know readers who like your work will enjoy? Favorite classic Victorian Gothic?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">Oh, there are so many. Here is a small selection...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0xVbEKN6m4g0UQU8z232skFoWuOshiVRVT03TKOsviMMinLPfGjTIfh1i7x1IkqQ20-u1Ra32hQ3mNWLoszI2D46ZuN-NC_YfkVeS8JpY9rZhqqh9y2nORTGpZzvaz9UJ5u0pSaRTHA/s1600/the-somnambulist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="422" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0xVbEKN6m4g0UQU8z232skFoWuOshiVRVT03TKOsviMMinLPfGjTIfh1i7x1IkqQ20-u1Ra32hQ3mNWLoszI2D46ZuN-NC_YfkVeS8JpY9rZhqqh9y2nORTGpZzvaz9UJ5u0pSaRTHA/s320/the-somnambulist.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>Little Egypt</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> by Lesley Glaister. This is a claustrophobic and mesmerizing modern gothic that I cannot praise enough. When I read it recently, I loved the fact that it had some similarities to themes in my own </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>The Last Days of Leda Grey</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">. An old woman in an abandoned and crumbling house. A mysterious past, with links to Ancient Egypt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>Affinity </i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">by Sarah Waters is an intensely eerie novel with a fabulous twist in the tail.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>The Meaning of Night</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> by Michael Cox is a brilliant high-brow thriller. Great characters and plot. And, there is an equally good follow-up in </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>The Glass of Time</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>The Quincunx: The Inheritance of John Huffam</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> by Charles Palliser - which almost out-Dickens Dickens, and does so with a knowing nod because the main character’s names of John Huffam are the middle names of Dickens. And then, as the novel (it’s very long) gradually unfolds, we see so many references to Dickens’ own storylines too. An addictively entertaining and engrossing read.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>The Observations</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> by Jane Harris. Set in Scotland, this novel sees the uniquely wonderful character of Bessie Buckley taking on the job of a maid to Arabella, who lives in a fine country house. The traditional Victorian themes are told with wit and originality. Often very eerie. Often wry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">For those who enjoy a Victorian crime mystery, the </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>Hatton and Roumande</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> novels by D E Meredith are a rare treat. Intelligent, rich in period detail, and drenched in sinister intrigue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">The novels of Wendy Wallace, </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>The Painted Bridge</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> and </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>The Sacred River, </i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">are works of subtle brooding menace, highlighting the strengths and also the limitations of women in an era when they had far less freedoms and rights than those in existence for many of us today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>Do you have any writing quirks like habits/rituals or certain music or something else that gets you ready to write?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">When I’m writing a first draft I tend to do exactly the same thing each morning. I get up, go down to the kitchen and make a strong coffee with freshly ground beans, which I then take back to bed again where I work until the early afternoon - or whenever it suddenly feels ‘wrong’ to still be in my nightclothes.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Questions About<i> The Last Days of Leda Grey</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>How much of </b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i><b>The Last Days of Leda Grey</b></i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b> is based on historical events?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">Quite a lot! I have entirely fictionalized my main characters, but many early films of silent cinema were made in the English seaside town of Brighton during the Edwardian era, where photographers-turned pioneer film makers lived and worked successfully due to the remarkable quality of light - which helped a lot when they didn’t have the big studio spotlights used today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">My film director is French, with his creative passion and expertise reflecting the fantastic and magical films once made by the genius Georges Méliès. But the films of Leda Grey are darker, and also increasingly ominous, reflecting not only my heroine’s life when she was young and starred in them, but also the disturbing events that happen in the present day - when my 1970s journalist discovers the elderly Leda Grey and interviews her for an article, with consequences more sinister than he could begin to imagine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>What was your research process like: Any unique or interesting sources? What did you look into in order to build this historical setting and world?</b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3KY2Ve4pX3QFDcSmuI0vnmyq6r221E4alIRPPCGChyphenhyphen0EbC6NxfGnmFm547nHg3jcYpXrMg_acOlEE9ymuf-OVlyhtkcUFekPA5gCQ_vZlEXYFruHpjcalIINGqymD8Y8LQbyTKMXFCg/s1600/157293084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3KY2Ve4pX3QFDcSmuI0vnmyq6r221E4alIRPPCGChyphenhyphen0EbC6NxfGnmFm547nHg3jcYpXrMg_acOlEE9ymuf-OVlyhtkcUFekPA5gCQ_vZlEXYFruHpjcalIINGqymD8Y8LQbyTKMXFCg/s320/157293084.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">I read all that I could on the early film-makers and their work in the Brighton area. As so often happens when researching a certain place and time, some surprising facts did spring to light. Related specifically to the book I discovered the town of Shoreham (very near to Brighton) was used for making many open-air films, with the large stone fortress port it has (once built as protection against the French) being used as a studio, or ‘stage’. Once again, that sparkling ocean light! But Shoreham was also to become a thriving theatrical community, with many actors and music hall characters buying up disused railway carriages which were then converted as dwellings and placed along the shore. Those dwellings are known as Bungalow Town today, and I ended up being inspired to feature one in the story of </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>Leda Grey</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> - both in the past and the present day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">I also discovered that, in Brighton, there had been a taxidermist’s shop - and this is something else that I then wove into the story’s narrative. It provided a wonderful gothic theme for some of the darker elements.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">Finally, the house I imagined Leda and her family living in in Brighton is almost identical to the Brighton Regency Town House; a living museum open to the public today ... although I had not idea of this when I was writing the novel. It was therefore a wonderful surprise when the first event I spoke at for the novel’s publication happened to be in that very venue. It felt like coming home!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>What was the development of </b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i><b>The Last Days of Leda Grey</b></i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b> like? How did you flesh out the initial idea into a full blown story? Did you brainstorm, use plotting techniques like arranging note cards, or did it develop through the research and writing of it, or through some other way?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">The first seed from which the novel grew was when I visited Brighton one day and stood outside a junk shop window staring at the black-and-white photograph of an alluring star of the silent screen. This star was the American Theda Bara, in her role as Cleopatra - a film released in 1917 which is all but lost to us today. But, that look, and that exotic theme soon formed the centre of </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>Leda Grey</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">, with Leda’s final film also being very strongly related to the story of</span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i> She</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> by H Rider Haggard, with its themes of beauty, power ... and also of eternity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">From that point of initial inspiration I began to look at old images of silent films. I’m a very ‘visual’ writer, in that pictures often strike a chord that lead to an entire book. I don’t plan ahead, but I usually know where the book will start and where it will end - after which I begin to write and follow wherever the story leads me: which is sometimes down blind alleys from where I must then retrace my steps, unravel the threads and re-embark on the journey all over again. But once I’m a few chapters in - by which time I know more of the characters - I’m usually well away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>A lot of authors’ and artists’ work “says something.” Would you say your books say something and if so what is </b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i><b>The Last Days of Leda Grey</b></i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b> saying?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">Leda Grey is about aging and dying - about the loss of youth and beauty, and also the dreams we might once have had. It’s about losing those we love, and how our memories can distort the truth of events that occurred in the distant past.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">This novel made me think a lot about reality and illusion; how we tend to believe the things we ‘see’, whether or not they hold the truth. So, a withered weak old woman who had once been lovely and desired sits in a dark and crumbling house where she’s been a recluse for fifty years and shows a young male stranger the films in which she starred when young. As the images captured on celluloid flicker through the shadows, she gains a sort of ‘eternity’, forever young and glamorous, whatever her present state may be. And, while she reminisces and pines for all that has been lost, how does her visitor</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">react - sitting beside a decrepit old woman, but seeing her as she was when young, finding himself to be entranced by her luminous beauty on the screen?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>Did you have a muse, something you focused on, like an image or idea, while writing </b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i><b>The Last Days of Leda Grey</b></i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">Yes, definitely the picture of Theda Bara that I mentioned above - and all the stills from the film </span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i>Cleopatra</i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">. So exotic and alluring. I also had a picture of Theda as my computer screen saver during the time I spent writing the novel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Questions About Authorship & Publishing</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>Your first book came out in 2011 and this will be the fourth. That’s about one book a year. How do you produce new work so quickly?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">Well, I started quite late in life, but I’ve always been an avid reader, and even worked in publishing when I first left university. Since then, I’ve had a long career in graphic design and illustration - and I also had a family. But the need to write was always there, my mind constantly filled with stories - until the day I simply woke and knew I’d better get on with it before - like much character Leda Grey - I was old and it was all too late.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">Perhaps that’s why I wrote my first four novels rather quickly. However, I must confess that I’ll probably be taking longer over whatever I decide to work on next. A little more time with my friends and family, and for reading other people’s books. I firmly believe that reading good books is the best thing to inspire and feed the mind of any writer; at whatever stage in their career.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>Since 2011, your career as an author has skyrocketed, starting with your debut novel <i>The </i></b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><i><b>Somnambulist, </b></i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>which was shortlisted for the UK National Book Awards and optioned for TV/Film by Hat Trick Productions. What do you think you have done (in addition to writing amazing books) that has helped your career blast off?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">Honestly, I don’t think I’ve done anything but write ... and then hope!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">I think I had a sprinkling of luck, mixed with a shedload of hard work. But the main thing about writing is to keep on, to be true to yourself and your story, and not to be dispirited by seeing other people’s success when you feel yourself a failure. You’re not. But this can be a long, long game, a process during which you must be true to yourself and not try and write for ‘the market’. What is successful this year will probably have worn itself out by the time you’ve written and published your own book. Write from the heart and with integrity. An editor can always pick up on that sense of authentic originality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>How do you craft beautiful prose? Which writers would say have inspired your style and voice?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">I love the work of so many authors. I think I’ve been most influenced by Sarah Waters, Angela Carter, and Wilkie Collins for my Victorian novels. But I also absolutely adore the work of Kate Atkinson, Helen Dunmore, and Maggie O’Farrell. Beautiful prose. Wonderful books. Stories told from the heart.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5Uq6MmqxJ5YEj4JtoZuj47_3PxfEZ63EjnYpV7XM5JbPKctU5dBBXlX1XbE1v2odT1Q3Jc24L-8aWk6JXtjhbp99Nkj9JWpwab9aHaUEsyEcc1Jp-KkvbgqfIGGitjghwzNQuloYtZw/s1600/vv-header1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="900" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5Uq6MmqxJ5YEj4JtoZuj47_3PxfEZ63EjnYpV7XM5JbPKctU5dBBXlX1XbE1v2odT1Q3Jc24L-8aWk6JXtjhbp99Nkj9JWpwab9aHaUEsyEcc1Jp-KkvbgqfIGGitjghwzNQuloYtZw/s320/vv-header1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>How much of your marketing comes from you and how much comes from your publisher?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">This is a tricky one. It varies from book to book. However, I will say that that in general things have changed quite a lot in the UK market of late where debuts seem to be the books generating most interest and excitement in the world of publishing. If you are a brand new author you have more chance of being selected as a lead title, with the benefit of a marketing plan and budget to promote your work. If not, the whole thing may well be left to the more random ‘word of mouth’ - which means an increasing onus on writers to promote themselves and their work as much as they spend time writing. It’s not an easy balancing act. I do know several people who’ve given up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;"><b>How do you balance your writing life with the marketing, blogging and business aspects of writing? And how do you balance all of that with the rest of your life?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">I try to do what I enjoy, and then it doesn’t feel like work. I love blogging and hope to connect the readers of my blogs with my books, even though the features are often on quite different historical subjects. But that feeds my need to learn as well - and often leads to a whole new book!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , serif;">I also really like the performance aspect of speaking to a live audience - though I get very nervous beforehand. The literary events I’ve enjoyed the most have been mixed affairs with authors and also musicians - with our contributions complimenting shared themes or calendar events. So inspiring and great fun, and something I could never have imagined doing before I began to write. Sometimes, I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s really happening.</span><br />
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<b>To enter the giveaway (11/16/17-11/26/17)</b> - please follow <u><b>BOTH</b></u> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/essiefoxauthor/">Essie Fox</a> &<a href="https://www.facebook.com/CarrollBooks/"> Stephanie Carroll</a> on Facebook <u><b>OR</b></u> share this interview & tag BOTH <a href="https://www.facebook.com/essiefoxauthor/">@EssieFoxAuthor</a> & <a href="http://www.facebook.com/carrollbooks">@CarrollBooks</a> on Facebook. <b><u>Also</u></b>, consider (<i>we won't force you</i>) signing up for our blogs/newsletters, which is the best way to get insider tid-bits on our work and news about new books and giveaways like this one.</div>
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-55751216662401797952017-10-11T10:38:00.000-07:002017-10-11T10:38:23.316-07:00Lesser Know Facts About the Winchester Mystery House<div align="left" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken from the Winchester Gardens. By Stephanie Carroll</td></tr>
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If you like this post, you may also like <b><a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2017/10/historical-details-for-writers-from.html">The Most Useful Historical Details for Novelists from the Winchester Mystery House. </a> Or <a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2017/10/10-creepy-facts-about-this-real-world.html">10 Creepy Facts About a Real World Necropolis.</a></b><br />
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I recently visited a famous Victorian oddity, the <a href="http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/explore-the-house/curiosities/" target="_blank">Winchester Mystery House</a> in San Jose, California, but unlike most tour-goers my
interests weren’t just in the historical quirks of a rich woman
with an architectural addiction. I was interested in the ideas and
inspiration, along with the historical details I could glean
from a place like the Winchester.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1a0OJSFteMH0CSp6kVadsFLkCZUrNJPH82-jvkMstgSUcqA8KnEziCNZCGYAmvoihmntt3yTXZvBTr1Pp6s1G3-fa8ug0K80YToFRHOs8taoeRl0S3EUsXl1PLRVY0-W1biUJJ5f08z4/s1600/door+to+nowhere.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="505" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1a0OJSFteMH0CSp6kVadsFLkCZUrNJPH82-jvkMstgSUcqA8KnEziCNZCGYAmvoihmntt3yTXZvBTr1Pp6s1G3-fa8ug0K80YToFRHOs8taoeRl0S3EUsXl1PLRVY0-W1biUJJ5f08z4/s320/door+to+nowhere.PNG" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The door to nowhere.</td></tr>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">The History </span></u></b></div>
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For those who don’t know, the Winchester Mystery House is a bizarre
mansion built by the wife of the heir to the Winchester fortune (<a href="http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/explore-the-house/museums/" target="_blank">the gun that won the west</a>). </div>
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After a series of devastating
tragedies that ended with her losing all of her dearest loved ones, including her daughter and husband, Mrs. Sarah Winchester turned to the popular Victorian world of <a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2013/08/christophers-ectoplastic-travels-in.html" target="_blank">Spiritualism</a>.<br />
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Spiritualists were believed to have the ability to contact the dead
and the one who Mrs. Winchester visited confirmed what she had already begun to believe, that she was being
haunted by the spirits of people killed from the Winchester guns. The only way to appease the dead, according to the
medium, was for Mrs. Winchester to build a house and to never stop
building it, not for one minute.<br />
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According to <i><a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/heiress-gun-empire-built-mansion-forever-haunted-blood-money-built-it-180959712/#YbkMoKKUKxQszBVm.99" target="_blank">The Smithsonian Magazine</a></i> online, Mrs. Winchester had 16 shifts of workers (paid three times the normal wage) working 24-hours a day nonstop from 1886 to the time of her death in 1922. The product of that is the San Jose
mansion, which has curiosities like doors that lead to nowhere, rooms within rooms, twisting corridors, and stairwells that lead to the ceiling. That's just to name a few.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By Stephanie Carroll</td></tr>
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Some say Mrs. Winchester, who visited a medium table every day to
determine the work of the next day, was crazy.<br />
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Others say she built
the house in such a way to confuse the spirits haunting her.<br />
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Still more say built a house that only made sense to the spirits who were
directing her (one of my favorite theories).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrkqbZ4hv_H-YcvNXB_pf4-1qiGre5-0UnerAszPh3wwq46UOq-GTBTF2Uptw-_7wUwfDBHXp73NBfKVILYSxrntbsw_Qax8QaoMdJzKAY2g3T35HuyPk828A_WRvZ-CeigacVSSjgjs/s1600/stairs+to+ceiling+with+woman+in+it.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="564" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrkqbZ4hv_H-YcvNXB_pf4-1qiGre5-0UnerAszPh3wwq46UOq-GTBTF2Uptw-_7wUwfDBHXp73NBfKVILYSxrntbsw_Qax8QaoMdJzKAY2g3T35HuyPk828A_WRvZ-CeigacVSSjgjs/s320/stairs+to+ceiling+with+woman+in+it.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A woman shows how the Winchester stairs lead to the ceiling.</td></tr>
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Then some say the quirks of the house are due to
the fact that Mrs. Winchester, having lost her loved ones to the spirits, didn't care if their demanded penance work made sense. So if she didn’t want stairs, she just walled
off the stairs without worrying about the fact that it looked bizarre to just have stairs going nowhere.<br />
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Finally, many of the people who have visited and who work at the house argue that it was her life's work, her form of expression, a way to make meaning out of the chaos. And in some way, isn't that a poetic query? Was she truly haunted by ghosts or by the memories and regrets that haunt many of us in this world?</div>
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<b><u>How Does this Help Writers?</u></b></div>
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I think it goes without saying that the Winchester Mystery House is
awesome for writers of the Gothic, Victorian, haunted house, ghost and
magical realism genres. In fact I'm pretty sure the Winchester was inspiration for a similar house in the fabulous magical realism novel <a href="https://www.amazon.com/House-Spirits-Novel-Isabel-Allende/dp/1501117017" target="_blank"><i>The House of Spirits</i></a> by <a href="https://www.isabelallende.com/" target="_blank">Isabel Allende</a>. This house is featured in the novel, not the movie. I want to say I heard that in a note at the end of the <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/The-House-of-the-Spirits-Audiobook/B01DKVFQBS/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1507066102&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Audible audio book</a>, but I can't say for sure. If anyone knows, feel free to confirm or deny in the comments.</div>
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Writers take ideas from real life all the time and historical novelists thrive on using facts to inspire fiction. If you'd like to find out some of the architectural details that you can use in your work, check out my accompanying post on <b><a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2017/10/historical-details-for-writers-from.html">The Most Useful Historical Details for Novelists from the Winchester Mystery House. </a></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUHL4NOW34Vo46npnM1lhWtRtF5ilZCiPvB5zM8Vnpa_oInBPwwOYvtejl49TLO-8-EnsPh1Yf3X9cHJTjvyFLiAUkfpolAhPDBjp7rraPDNmGWHLTLKXLvEyOTI2GMpiw6VZdm0nZTo/s1600/IMG_20170424_161543063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUHL4NOW34Vo46npnM1lhWtRtF5ilZCiPvB5zM8Vnpa_oInBPwwOYvtejl49TLO-8-EnsPh1Yf3X9cHJTjvyFLiAUkfpolAhPDBjp7rraPDNmGWHLTLKXLvEyOTI2GMpiw6VZdm0nZTo/s400/IMG_20170424_161543063.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many strange fountains and statues in the Winchester gardens.<br />
By Stephanie Carroll</td></tr>
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When Isabel Allende wrote <i>The House of Spirits</i>, the internet wasn't as big of a thing, and it wasn't as easy for people to know so much about everything, so if you just have a lady hearing spirits building a crazy house, it's going to be obvious that you are using the Winchester as inspiration (which is fine as long as you are up front about it with readers). However, what I think people really get a kick out of is when authors use details that are lesser known but are still based in fact.<br />
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So below you will find some of the lesser known things about the Winchester Mystery House that might be useful to you as inspiration or if you're just curious. Also, my accompanying post on historical details might also be of use: <b><a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2017/10/historical-details-for-writers-from.html">The Most Useful Historical Details for Novelists from the Winchester Mystery House. </a></b><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">The Winchester Mystery House: </span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">What You Don't Usually Hear About.</span></u></b></div>
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<b>Llanada Villa</b><br />
Mrs. Winchester didn't call it The Winchester Mystery House. She called it <a href="http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/blog/see-gardens-winchester/">Llanada Villa</a>.<br />
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<b>A Simple Farmhouse</b><br />
At the core of the Winchester Mystery House is a simple 8-room farmhouse that Mrs. Winchester purchased several years before she began construction. She didn't tear down the house but just built up and all around it. You can still see remnants of the outside of the farmhouse inside the walls of the current house. Awesome!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_2r2GXdFaEHWYrL3ItAw5fPGbFw6AdeTgnyHvBe7cXb5nWfSwFIb2m-_tGEOIeU0zvH2FZf88DNK9mcx3P9R-d9GCuIlLhOmdDlqr4e1TIy8I0W3gDukXwBQwU1xwl0Oo8M0xZPmK94/s1600/IMG_20170424_161528138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_2r2GXdFaEHWYrL3ItAw5fPGbFw6AdeTgnyHvBe7cXb5nWfSwFIb2m-_tGEOIeU0zvH2FZf88DNK9mcx3P9R-d9GCuIlLhOmdDlqr4e1TIy8I0W3gDukXwBQwU1xwl0Oo8M0xZPmK94/s640/IMG_20170424_161528138.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By Stephanie Carroll</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>A Place Where the World Turns Upside Down.</b><br />
I love the way <a href="http://pamelahaag.com/">Pamela Haag, Ph.D.</a>, author of <i><a href="http://pamelahaag.com/books/">The Gunning of America</a></i>, puts it in <i><a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/heiress-gun-empire-built-mansion-forever-haunted-blood-money-built-it-180959712/#YbkMoKKUKxQszBVm.99">The Smithsonian Magazine</a></i> online article:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>Details
are designed to confuse. In one room, Winchester laid the parquetry
in an unusual pattern: When the light hit the floor a particular way,
the dark boards appeared light, and the light boards, dark.
Bull’s-eye windows give an upside-down view of the world. <u>Even
these basic truths, of up and down, and light and dark, could be
subverted.</u></i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<b>Occult symbols and numbers</b>.<br />
Mrs. Winchester took the occult pretty seriously, so serious in fact that she incorporated symbols like spider webs and numbers like 7, 11, 13, and 52 in a variety of the architecture. Windows are the primary place where you will find the spider webs although they are also in gates, but the numbers are all over the place.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7C0F-rNRQAZF1nsrfigJZ9mjQTv6LPI1txmd8ZT7A4NyXILcKvqYeFo8LnJbgRHwlofeVmydzrzR_D_-eZa6JQBvuHgHEEpzRhiLdCWkp7F3vQYlciljvehIe0YBJKT2DsyimnRgeVHY/s1600/spider+webs.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="1110" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7C0F-rNRQAZF1nsrfigJZ9mjQTv6LPI1txmd8ZT7A4NyXILcKvqYeFo8LnJbgRHwlofeVmydzrzR_D_-eZa6JQBvuHgHEEpzRhiLdCWkp7F3vQYlciljvehIe0YBJKT2DsyimnRgeVHY/s400/spider+webs.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spider web windows courtesy of the <a href="http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/legal/terms-of-service/">Winchester Mystery House</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There's a staircase in the shape of a Y that has one set of 7 stairs and two sets of 11, each one taking you to a different area of the house. There are 13 bathrooms, and 13 windows in the 13th bathroom. Many of the ceilings have 13 panels. She even signed her will 13 times and divided it into 13 parts.<br />
<br />
The number 52 has to do with a deck of cards, each symbol having spiritual meaning. Also 13 x 4 is 52, which is the number of the plot she is buried in. I imagine 13 wasn't available.<br />
<br />
<b>Unique Architectural Elements and Design.</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Mrs. Winchester knew a thing or two about architecture, but she liked to do things her way. For example, a lot of the pillars and columns throughout the house are upside down because she felt they were more structurally sound and load bearing that way. It turns out <a href="https://www.pbs.org/flw/buildings/scjohnson/scjohnson_interior.html" target="_blank">Frank Loyd Wright</a> thought so too, so not everything she did was all batty.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/blog/tag/crystal-bedroom/">The Crystal Bedroom</a> is a room kept private from tours for preservation purposes. The wallpaper was made with crushed mica, so that it reflects light and sparkles when light hits it. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepLHUku5-Ic9y7rLV-graZ8-RG7TKDNS3kU9HOsDosb7oBX7L35xxZ0ilmPnfeC_GsDVtJM_eaoWHvKA2Mg5gwM-3JEJ2jw_bXf9VDqHcKdtt73pfnCrqMoOOCOBq344AWMlImyaJEqc/s1600/crystal+ballroom.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="1129" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepLHUku5-Ic9y7rLV-graZ8-RG7TKDNS3kU9HOsDosb7oBX7L35xxZ0ilmPnfeC_GsDVtJM_eaoWHvKA2Mg5gwM-3JEJ2jw_bXf9VDqHcKdtt73pfnCrqMoOOCOBq344AWMlImyaJEqc/s640/crystal+ballroom.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crystal encrusted wallpaper from the<br />
Crystal Bedroom courtesy of the <a href="http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/legal/terms-of-service/" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Winchester Mystery House</a><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>The Seance Room, where Mrs. Winchester went to commune with the spirits, had three exists but only one possible entrance. If I remember correctly this was achieved through doors with knobs only on one side. This room is described as being hidden by tour guides, but to me it felt like it was the center of the house. It was super simple and small, but had 13 hooks for hats.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>She also used <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightwell" target="_blank">light wells</a>, which were like interior skylights, to bring light into lower parts of the house and to see who was at the front door, but the way she had them installed (like in the middle of the room) was just a little weird.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>She had this one window installed that had special crystals in it, so when the light hit it, it glitters and shows beautiful coloration, but then she had a building put up to block the sun from ever shinning through, a seemingly symbolic decision. I tried but could not find a picture of this online, and when I toured the mansion, photos were prohibited. If anyone knows of one, comment it up!</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The Witch's Cap is the part of the house that looks like a witch's hat. Whether it was intentional or not, the shape of the roof makes it so that when you stand in the center and speak it sounds like your voice is surrounding you. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAtB7wuLiImWRPctjCdz6X4vzRgsTyL0xNXDQaJAebKdHrege_vSHjLFII2d9cQBtDQT3-hLQMO9S7vGS3WB6yKAWl_5UF8ddo2MkF5u_QAStG-ssCw0RgplFU7AcYQKtmhZztH3tls8/s1600/witches+cap.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="1125" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAtB7wuLiImWRPctjCdz6X4vzRgsTyL0xNXDQaJAebKdHrege_vSHjLFII2d9cQBtDQT3-hLQMO9S7vGS3WB6yKAWl_5UF8ddo2MkF5u_QAStG-ssCw0RgplFU7AcYQKtmhZztH3tls8/s640/witches+cap.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The inside of the Witch's Cap<br />
courtesy of the <a href="http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/legal/terms-of-service/" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Winchester Mystery House</a><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>The upstairs conservatory has elevators and removable floors, so all the plants in the entire house could be brought to one room and watered all at once. The conservatory is gorgeous by the way.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<b>There are 161 Rooms Discovered ... So Far.</b><br />
Yep, historical excavation and preservation is ongoing at the Winchester. Mrs. Winchester did so much of walling stuff up that rooms are still occasionally uncovered. The most recent was around 2016 with the discovery of the Daisy Room, which I discuss more in the next point.<br />
<br />
<b>Mrs. Winchester Trapped ... Literally </b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjE-WPkjglvf0rJTkHBRHM8BBSkJochDZUzoQhTmtHj-5sUYTrcOyPiLM3xficwxTi2_Djryz334YyeoCy8b4gVwJoDc-kdk9uIVx3wkXKbl4Gv41y8Byn7XEu58RiF9bROIDDXT-Pusc/s1600/daisy.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="509" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjE-WPkjglvf0rJTkHBRHM8BBSkJochDZUzoQhTmtHj-5sUYTrcOyPiLM3xficwxTi2_Djryz334YyeoCy8b4gVwJoDc-kdk9uIVx3wkXKbl4Gv41y8Byn7XEu58RiF9bROIDDXT-Pusc/s200/daisy.PNG" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Daisy Room.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Mrs. Winchester lived a rather isolated life in her house, but during the 1906 San Francisco quake, she was actually trapped in what has been termed the Daisy Room because there are daisies on the glass windows.<br />
<br />
In the "Daisy Room" the windows were made of Belgian optical glass, which makes everything outside look larger and distorted. According to servant stories, s<a href="https://sf.curbed.com/2016/6/23/11994078/winchester-mystery-house-architecture-history" target="_blank">he looked out these windows while trapped took this as a sign that the house could never be finished and blocked off that section of the house after her rescue.</a><br />
<br />
This room was only recently discovered and opened to the public according to <a href="http://abc7news.com/society/new-room-found-at-san-joses-winchester-mystery-house/1548352/">ABC News</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Early Handicap Accessibility </b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFN4qXoa_Ez40hc2nba7GSc5zQYdbtDBw4TukenZ69n84VIhpLLCd_rLOJazMHFP7STzutObkMcbAPlnWetyfHCsG-2CN4Je7lIUUQwolKvltDXrzZ9h-PjkZpZX6BkPThbNQmNe1zSo/s1600/IMG_20170424_161954855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFN4qXoa_Ez40hc2nba7GSc5zQYdbtDBw4TukenZ69n84VIhpLLCd_rLOJazMHFP7STzutObkMcbAPlnWetyfHCsG-2CN4Je7lIUUQwolKvltDXrzZ9h-PjkZpZX6BkPThbNQmNe1zSo/s320/IMG_20170424_161954855.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Fountain in the Gardens<br />
By Stephanie Carroll</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Easy rider stairs were installed in various areas of the house because as Mrs. Winchester aged, she could barely lift her feet in order to climb the stairs. Easy riders have only a tiny bit of lift, which makes them easier to traverse for seniors. However, the small amount of rise per step requires far more distance for the stairs to rise up to a certain level. This forced workers to have these stairs zig-zag back and forth up and up to get to the destined floor. The effect is weird!<br />
<br />
<b>The House was Self Sustaining</b><br />
The Winchester Mystery House isn't just a house, it was a self-sustaining world of it's own. Many of the servants lived on the land, and it had many other buildings, including at least one servant's house around it. It even had it's own orchards and fruit drying house. A gravity system took throughout from the top down while a special boiler pushed heat from the basement up. Many other innovations put into place has led tour guides to call Mrs. Winchester ahead of her time in conservation and sustainability. Who would have thunk it!<br />
<br />
<b>Open to the Public</b><br />
Historically, the grounds of Winchester were open to the public who could come and enjoy the beautiful statues and gardens. For a long time it was like a park for San Jose. From the outside, the Winchester is actually a gorgeous place. It's only once you go inside that you see the potential for the freaky.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Ballroom Has Already Inspired Some</b><br />
The room they call the ballroom (which probably wasn't actually a ballroom as it's far too small - it was more likely a place for entertainment because Victorians often hired musicians and theater troops to perform in their houses) inspired the look of Disney's Haunted Mansion ballroom!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxRfeKNH_5pNCjoffTQiKfY89tBxl8SY-JGOd4NJtYc7_8V0rcOVJfTVT6mqqgDEJMdbfvVjG4QfHZc5q5Q74GMQZtksRKttBUgA7c9QVVYqGTtReEB1Wz4jN2t88YjnscErAr51EZvM/s1600/ballroom.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="1124" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxRfeKNH_5pNCjoffTQiKfY89tBxl8SY-JGOd4NJtYc7_8V0rcOVJfTVT6mqqgDEJMdbfvVjG4QfHZc5q5Q74GMQZtksRKttBUgA7c9QVVYqGTtReEB1Wz4jN2t88YjnscErAr51EZvM/s640/ballroom.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ballroom courtesy of the <a href="http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/legal/terms-of-service/" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Winchester Mystery House</a><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Mysterious Shakespearean Clues</b><br />
One of the things I found the most interesting were these Tiffany glass windows in the "ballroom" Mrs. Winchester had installed with lines from two separate Shakespearean plays incorporated into the glass. My tour guide, as well as others who have visited the house, suggest that these two quotes hold some sort of hidden clues or answer to the mysteries of the house. These are the tall windows you can see at the back of the photo above.<br />
<br />
The first from the window on the left reads:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>These same thoughts people this little world.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
According to <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/heiress-gun-empire-built-mansion-forever-haunted-blood-money-built-it-180959712/" target="_blank"><i>The Smithsonian Magazine</i></a> online, this is from the prison soliloquy in Shakespeare's <i>Richard II.</i> At this point in the play, the character King Richard was deposed as king and trying to create a world within his cell using only his imagination.<br />
<br />
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_ZsOfJjILJQMlQYJeeV2spue49a28IxIt9oLgBQHgKFxTW4eECR76BjEQZo1Mxg7OFf0abL7YjJL0ZWjbWwhpc92hzRHYiI_T461NN_MxkMzgY6XIrAkkGcsdNephBQis6ezC5q2dk4/s1600/ballroom+window.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="498" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_ZsOfJjILJQMlQYJeeV2spue49a28IxIt9oLgBQHgKFxTW4eECR76BjEQZo1Mxg7OFf0abL7YjJL0ZWjbWwhpc92hzRHYiI_T461NN_MxkMzgY6XIrAkkGcsdNephBQis6ezC5q2dk4/s320/ballroom+window.PNG" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of the <a href="http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/legal/terms-of-service/" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Winchester Mystery House</a><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This almost makes sense within the context of the mystery house, but the second quote, not so much. It reads:</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Wide unclasp the tables of their thoughts.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
This quote is from Shakespeare's <i>Troilus and Cressida</i>. According to <a href="https://www.shmoop.com/troilus-cressida/act-4-scene-5-translation.html" target="_blank">Shmoop </a>this line comes from the middle of a paragraph where Ulysses is basically calling a woman a slut after she flirts with a few characters. I'm no literary critic, but I don't see the connection. Perhaps, it had a personal meaning for Mrs. Winchester ... I feel like these quotes would make more sense if swapped to read: "Wide unclasp the tables of their thoughts." Then: "These same thoughts people this little world." But that's now the order she chose.<br />
<br />
Honestly, when you read the quotes without understanding the Shakespearean context, but taking the Winchester context, it kind of makes sense, but would Mrs. Winchester have that much forethought? Who knows? That's why it's a mystery.<br />
<br />
<b>The Ballroom Safe</b><br />
A final mystery was discovered in the ballroom - a hidden safe. Those who discovered it expected riches beyond their wildest dreams, but all they found inside were two locks of hair, that of Mrs. Winchester's deceased daughter and her husband.<br />
<br />
<br />
Regardless of the various mysteries, theories and legends surrounding the Winchester Mystery House, one cannot deny that Mrs. Winchester was a fascinating example of a character and artist of her time. Her form of finding solace or meaning will inspire and creep people out for who knows how long, and we as fellow artists can take a few notes from her and use them to inspire our own work. So authors and artists, maybe even some architectural students, have at it!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLRuHgG5WVU1CMa4uzg8m5tdtYZViCrej7Zv-WfKklB3JUsrwdRDjEINwUFwgxjAmD3Slq8O0pEAOHUydpfaA3nxzhoSbVaY9qqIg8pjJ-a7dfjP35KJNGGiOKeIWwdIW7XRyEHUVl3I/s1600/IMG_20170424_161431207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLRuHgG5WVU1CMa4uzg8m5tdtYZViCrej7Zv-WfKklB3JUsrwdRDjEINwUFwgxjAmD3Slq8O0pEAOHUydpfaA3nxzhoSbVaY9qqIg8pjJ-a7dfjP35KJNGGiOKeIWwdIW7XRyEHUVl3I/s640/IMG_20170424_161431207.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By Stephanie Carroll</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
Don't forget to check out my corresponding post <b><a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2017/10/historical-details-for-writers-from.html">The Most Useful Historical Details for Novelists from the Winchester Mystery House. </a></b><br />
<span id="goog_483627900"></span><span id="goog_483627901"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>And tell me what do you know about the Winchester that can be included in this list?</b></span><br />
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-65065110965056983512017-10-11T10:37:00.001-07:002017-10-11T10:37:51.468-07:00The Most Creepiest Victorian History for Halloween!<div style="text-align: center;">
Every Halloween I like to write some especially dark and creepy posts on Victorian history so here are my best posts on the topic!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1ONQvGGs9648qLzTag9KypPmEo2XsMeEG6Mg1NJugcSIdAYZn_olxll2U0eWXSg9tUVJhed7Ohlhai4WKZ3967HAEHLEt3MikT9NYCJU_JbYYgHUwm-PUY644APwJKT3U_U08OQXrLLi/s1600/IMG_20170425_143003821_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1ONQvGGs9648qLzTag9KypPmEo2XsMeEG6Mg1NJugcSIdAYZn_olxll2U0eWXSg9tUVJhed7Ohlhai4WKZ3967HAEHLEt3MikT9NYCJU_JbYYgHUwm-PUY644APwJKT3U_U08OQXrLLi/s320/IMG_20170425_143003821_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><br />
Photo by Stephanie Carroll</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-87250357832118114912017-10-05T15:05:00.004-07:002017-10-05T15:58:56.656-07:00Historical Details for Writers from the Winchester Mystery House<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLRuHgG5WVU1CMa4uzg8m5tdtYZViCrej7Zv-WfKklB3JUsrwdRDjEINwUFwgxjAmD3Slq8O0pEAOHUydpfaA3nxzhoSbVaY9qqIg8pjJ-a7dfjP35KJNGGiOKeIWwdIW7XRyEHUVl3I/s1600/IMG_20170424_161431207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLRuHgG5WVU1CMa4uzg8m5tdtYZViCrej7Zv-WfKklB3JUsrwdRDjEINwUFwgxjAmD3Slq8O0pEAOHUydpfaA3nxzhoSbVaY9qqIg8pjJ-a7dfjP35KJNGGiOKeIWwdIW7XRyEHUVl3I/s640/IMG_20170424_161431207.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photos are by Stephanie Carroll except where otherwise stated.</i></td></tr>
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I recently visited a famous Victorian oddity, the <a href="http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/explore-the-house/curiosities/" target="_blank">Winchester Mystery House</a> in San Jose, California, but unlike most tour-goers my interests weren’t just in the historical quirks of a rich woman with an architectural addiction. I was interested in the ideas and inspiration, along with the historical details, I could glean from a historical Victorian house/mansion.</div>
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This post specifically deals with historical details I gathered from the Winchester as a historical Victorian home. For more on the creepy, whimsical side of the Winchester, check out my post <span style="text-align: center;">Check out my accompanying post on </span><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2017/10/lesser-know-facts-about-winchester.html">The Most Interesting Stuff You Don't Usually Hear About the Winchester Mystery House. </a> </b><b>Or <a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2017/10/10-creepy-facts-about-this-real-world.html">10 Creepy Facts About a Real World Necropolis.</a></b><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">The History </span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">or Backstory Rather </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">(Oh Crap it's Up Front)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrwnly2N-h_sWfAWi6dSErVu56KP88C4DQHrDUN4JmBpdQBcDypj81XGcNogipkfNHNclgs-v7oMFxPehjCGJPRaDwVBjQYhYIkil5QyNI-L4tiJoyRqAlcE_S6cUFz8g1NnNAC_SS0k/s1600/IMG_20170424_161649506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: -webkit-left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrwnly2N-h_sWfAWi6dSErVu56KP88C4DQHrDUN4JmBpdQBcDypj81XGcNogipkfNHNclgs-v7oMFxPehjCGJPRaDwVBjQYhYIkil5QyNI-L4tiJoyRqAlcE_S6cUFz8g1NnNAC_SS0k/s400/IMG_20170424_161649506.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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For those who don’t know, the Winchester Mystery House is a bizarre mansion built by the wife of the heir to the Winchester fortune (<a href="http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/explore-the-house/museums/" target="_blank">the gun that won the west</a>). </div>
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After a series of devastating tragedies that ended with her losing her dearest loved ones, including her daughter and husband, Mrs. Sarah Winchester turned to the popular Victorian world of <a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2013/08/christophers-ectoplastic-travels-in.html" target="_blank">Spiritualism</a>. Spiritualists were believed to have the ability to contact the dead, and the one who Mrs. Winchester visited confirmed what she had already begun to believe, that she was being haunted by the spirits of people killed from the Winchester guns. The only way to appease the dead, according to the medium, was for Mrs. Winchester to build a house and to never stop building it, not for one minute. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEbP9aFS93Lx7jnkjP_LrADgmG-VK65mC5cjQQj3gjatkY49efeYdzzZ7YCCiISJ3O8dpOj8p59VYv0_ZG_xxm51Tn24qRe_aOZm6FFjV6rcBW0lUqN2BdUofDDx4KI42KaTn_1cU5TI/s1600/IMG_20170424_161756658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEbP9aFS93Lx7jnkjP_LrADgmG-VK65mC5cjQQj3gjatkY49efeYdzzZ7YCCiISJ3O8dpOj8p59VYv0_ZG_xxm51Tn24qRe_aOZm6FFjV6rcBW0lUqN2BdUofDDx4KI42KaTn_1cU5TI/s400/IMG_20170424_161756658.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Door to Nowhere</td></tr>
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According to <i><a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/heiress-gun-empire-built-mansion-forever-haunted-blood-money-built-it-180959712/#YbkMoKKUKxQszBVm.99" target="_blank">The Smithsonian Magazine</a></i> online, Mrs. Winchester had 16 shifts of workers (paid three times the normal wage) working 24-hours a day nonstop from 1886 to the time of her death in 1922. The product of that is the San Jose mansion, which has curiosities like doors that lead to nowhere, rooms within rooms, twisting corridors, and stairwells that lead to the ceiling. That's just to name a few.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklWbIKJofGbK8XcJ36nm7-3X18AqCOPtB4XO3Eq_nhObqsAMDEZ3PXd7AoTlqau_6AuMFZf824VcWAZNCc2UbbNApau7X3renHrmX-XZESKjkFc0VYy_JYzgo5z_uPnSm33JfCgp7OjM/s1600/IMG_20170424_161625638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklWbIKJofGbK8XcJ36nm7-3X18AqCOPtB4XO3Eq_nhObqsAMDEZ3PXd7AoTlqau_6AuMFZf824VcWAZNCc2UbbNApau7X3renHrmX-XZESKjkFc0VYy_JYzgo5z_uPnSm33JfCgp7OjM/s400/IMG_20170424_161625638.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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Some say Mrs. Winchester, who visited a medium table every day to determine the work of the next day, was crazy.<br />
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Others say, she built the house in such a way to confuse the spirits haunting her.<br />
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Then others say, she built a house that only made sense to the spirits who were directing her (one of my favorite theories).<br />
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Some say the quirks of the house are due to the fact that Mrs. Winchester, having lost so many loved ones, just didn’t care about little things like making sure the house made sense. So if she didn’t want stairs, she just walled off the stairs without worrying about the fact that it looked bizarre to just have stairs going nowhere.<br />
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Finally, many of the people who work at the house argue that it was her life's work, her form of expression, a way to make meaning out of the chaos. And in some way, isn't that a poetic query - Was it spirits haunting her or simply memories and regrets?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVoffG1R2PiWxODQSKFmjEPCgIoGfmxltvnaQhPLAEUsBfe_5YSIOwbqi1EpU-KdApwnvT08PFQtvtRBmpzoucJJqO5tmfY8AttmfPakqfYP6OGtSaM2XKQoFOaOA9lX3NTSqgK6kSCI/s1600/IMG_20170424_161736563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVoffG1R2PiWxODQSKFmjEPCgIoGfmxltvnaQhPLAEUsBfe_5YSIOwbqi1EpU-KdApwnvT08PFQtvtRBmpzoucJJqO5tmfY8AttmfPakqfYP6OGtSaM2XKQoFOaOA9lX3NTSqgK6kSCI/s400/IMG_20170424_161736563.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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<b><u>How Does this Help Writers?</u></b></div>
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I think it goes without saying that the Winchester Mystery House is awesome for writers of the Gothic, Victorian, haunted house, ghost and magical realism genres. In fact, I'm pretty sure the Winchester was inspiration for a similar house in the fabulous magical realism novel <a href="https://www.amazon.com/House-Spirits-Novel-Isabel-Allende/dp/1501117017" target="_blank"><i>The House of Spirits</i></a> by <a href="https://www.isabelallende.com/" target="_blank">Isabel Allende</a>. This inspired house is specifically detailed in the book, not the movie. I want to say I heard about it in a note at the end of the <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/The-House-of-the-Spirits-Audiobook/B01DKVFQBS/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1507066102&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Audible audio book</a>, but I can't say for sure. If anyone knows, feel free to confirm or deny in the comments.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Writers take ideas from real life all the time and historical novelists thrive on using facts to inspire fiction. </span><span style="text-align: center;">As a historical novelist, this is one way I do research and find these little details that color my historical worlds - I visit Victorian houses and take note of how things worked. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">So below you will find historical details about the architecture and home life that could be applied to other settings in a Victorian historical novel. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Again, if you are looking for something more specific to the weird Winchester history, check out my other post </span><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2017/10/lesser-know-facts-about-winchester.html">The Most Interesting Stuff You Don't Usually Hear About the Winchester Mystery House.</a></b><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">The Most Useful Historical Details </span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">I Got from the Winchester Mystery House</span></u></b></div>
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<li><b>Lath and Plaster.</b> Walls in houses this old were not made using dry-wall. Up until the 1950s, they used <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lath_and_plaster" target="_blank">lath and plaster</a>. This is why in old homes that are decaying, you see horizontal wood panels underneath chipping plaster. You don't see that in modern homes. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EE_bPUf55wtgphO_AXQ8-S24oG7_8MQ5uhIpABpK9APVOzF4OQXyDLCwKOgyGQBiVSlF-ZQHRnLhBPDiqFKk7vM9TumFHSZ6qpWCrEedllke4i0LgiisQ9OiKabsxWFDTPL0Dh6IG18/s1600/lath+and+plaster+from+crystal+bedroom.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1119" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EE_bPUf55wtgphO_AXQ8-S24oG7_8MQ5uhIpABpK9APVOzF4OQXyDLCwKOgyGQBiVSlF-ZQHRnLhBPDiqFKk7vM9TumFHSZ6qpWCrEedllke4i0LgiisQ9OiKabsxWFDTPL0Dh6IG18/s640/lath+and+plaster+from+crystal+bedroom.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A look at lath and plaster from the Crystal Bedroom courtesy of the <a href="http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/legal/terms-of-service/">Winchester Mystery House</a>.</td></tr>
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<li><b>Queen Anne Revival.</b> The house was built in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Anne_style_architecture">Queen Anne Revival Style.</a> Check out the awesome diagram on Victorian architecture below.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcCb9pYj13-P643NoX8OIJC5BpLutn0KQ862IeC7E0tQfEgtj8Hc0z0_JMxudebcnD5W7cKulPunxnnEiSRvkYH0-Pi5_XomhKQlAeJG9M9swEaiFe6NbgJYe78jOVAQjAUU3gANvV98/s1600/IMG_20170424_161746914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcCb9pYj13-P643NoX8OIJC5BpLutn0KQ862IeC7E0tQfEgtj8Hc0z0_JMxudebcnD5W7cKulPunxnnEiSRvkYH0-Pi5_XomhKQlAeJG9M9swEaiFe6NbgJYe78jOVAQjAUU3gANvV98/s640/IMG_20170424_161746914.jpg" width="640" /></a></li>
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<li><b>Witch Cap. </b>A witch's cap is the term used for the pointed part of a Queen Anne roof.</li>
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<li><b>Fish-Scale Shingles.</b> The shingles on much of the outside of the house were common at the time and are called <a href="https://homebuilding.thefuntimesguide.com/cedar_fishscale_butt_shingles/">fish-scale shingles</a>.</li>
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<li><b>Gingerbread Woodwork</b>. The decorative wood ornamentation on the outside is referred to as "<a href="http://www.empire-woodworks.com/">gingerbread</a>."
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrwnly2N-h_sWfAWi6dSErVu56KP88C4DQHrDUN4JmBpdQBcDypj81XGcNogipkfNHNclgs-v7oMFxPehjCGJPRaDwVBjQYhYIkil5QyNI-L4tiJoyRqAlcE_S6cUFz8g1NnNAC_SS0k/s1600/IMG_20170424_161649506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
<li><b>Dust Corners. </b><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=dust+corners+for+stairs%27&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwik0ve3s9XWAhUhS2MKHekIBUIQ_AUICygC&biw=1229&bih=548" target="_blank">Dust Corners</a> were used in the stairs to prevent having that dust build up that is impossible to work out even with a broom. Quite ingenious. I want some. These little corner pieces were quite decorative and really added to that Victorian-loved clutter feel. <i>I don't have pictures for all of these atmospheric details but you can view many of them, like dust corners, in this <a href="https://www.tripsavvy.com/winchester-mystery-house-tour-in-photos-2993783?utm_content=20151013%3futm_source=pinterest" target="_blank">TripSavvy</a> article.</i><div>
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</ul>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglURmqE1KtKW6uJ0BtOjoRLv4ivnMynFC5s9ilRR1CNPWI1jmziuhWrvkaNNKZeiLpFhlME-5wiKfZ4LAswFTDh6niidUzRnHWW-m6pJhexFflBWByIatw97hJmgSVTKNGcsVydEYiQ78/s1600/IMG_20170424_161730524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglURmqE1KtKW6uJ0BtOjoRLv4ivnMynFC5s9ilRR1CNPWI1jmziuhWrvkaNNKZeiLpFhlME-5wiKfZ4LAswFTDh6niidUzRnHWW-m6pJhexFflBWByIatw97hJmgSVTKNGcsVydEYiQ78/s640/IMG_20170424_161730524.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Witches Cap and Fish Scale Shigles</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><b>Wallpapaer. </b><a href="https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/tpsd/wallpaper/sec1.htm" target="_blank">Antique wallpapers</a> were made of wood pulp and seed oil. The result is a thick and gorgeous piece of home decor. With this level of craftsmanship, it's no wonder the Victorians loved their wallpaper. It was some <a href="http://blog.english-heritage.org.uk/beautiful-wallpapers/" target="_blank">serious art</a>! It also gives an all new level to the images we think of while reading <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/11/gothic-horror-story-or-victorian-womans.html" target="_blank">"The Yellow Wallpaper."</a></li>
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<li><b>Redwood. </b>Termites don't like redwood. Mrs. Winchester had her entire house built out of redwood, and it's believed that warding off termites was her reasoning.</li>
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<li><b>Fluer-de-lis. </b>A common decorative symbol, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleur-de-lis" target="_blank">fluer-de-lis</a> (floor-de-leece) is a stylized lily often used for saints like St. Joseph, and since France was predominantly Catholic, it became a popular symbol and used throughout their decorative culture. This eventually spread and became popular elsewhere, including in the US. I found this out because a Tiffany glass window in the Winchester incorporates the fluer-de-lis. </li>
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<ul style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AFleur_de_lys_(or).svg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="By Sodacan The source code of this SVG is valid. This vector image was created with Inkscape by Sodacan. (Arms of the Kingdom of France) [CC BY 1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/1.0), GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Fleur de lys (or)" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Fleur_de_lys_%28or%29.svg/128px-Fleur_de_lys_%28or%29.svg.png" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Fluer-de-lis symbol created<br />by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fleur_de_lys_(or).svg" target="_blank">Sodacam </a>via<br />Wikimedia Commons, CC</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li><b>Light Well. </b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightwell" style="font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Light wells</a> are like interior skylights used to bring light into lower parts of a house (which was an important thing before electricity). They were also occasionally installed above front doors so people could see who awaited outside. Of course the way Mrs. Winchester had them installed (like in the middle of the room) was just a little weird.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMs9NlCwH6fA7-rY3UXmIA2Y_PYZ3g48F_Z5z06bOKUhAbuYyvQLwtsKGJlsNEYtVud0cpQR_dOekztyJ9LPswTKQoTUe5TndNOvthA_4LSOUwvM9TSjVo-WPMmR-Qq14fGV3XXvnQkE/s1600/colored+south+conservatory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMs9NlCwH6fA7-rY3UXmIA2Y_PYZ3g48F_Z5z06bOKUhAbuYyvQLwtsKGJlsNEYtVud0cpQR_dOekztyJ9LPswTKQoTUe5TndNOvthA_4LSOUwvM9TSjVo-WPMmR-Qq14fGV3XXvnQkE/s640/colored+south+conservatory.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The South Conservatory with a light well in the middle of the room. Source: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/234890936787599104/">Pinterest</a>. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I love collecting these little details but it feels like there is just so much more that could be added to this list. Got something to add? Send me a comment! I'd love to include your addition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Also check out my accompanying post <b><a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2017/10/lesser-know-facts-about-winchester.html">The Most Interesting Stuff You Don't Usually Hear About the Winchester Mystery House.</a></b></span><br />
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-32163424599653225962017-10-05T14:32:00.002-07:002017-10-07T11:49:22.485-07:00Tools & Resources I Use to Research Historical Novels<div style="text-align: center;">
For my October 2017 quarterly update, I'd like to not only tell you about what I'm working on, but also give you some insight into how I go about doing said work.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjB8G8fmFHmtPbf87euf2R4jPwO1JN_7V6yVvi_qSukeTqzteUsJw6MlzX0hHIUQtzGcMl6a17h9rJptP8C-W8Q9sz09dWi3-QH-atgevTACnAWedCxAHAmzydzgb2QRkrm8vduq1yVM/s1600/21722771682_a875308366_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjB8G8fmFHmtPbf87euf2R4jPwO1JN_7V6yVvi_qSukeTqzteUsJw6MlzX0hHIUQtzGcMl6a17h9rJptP8C-W8Q9sz09dWi3-QH-atgevTACnAWedCxAHAmzydzgb2QRkrm8vduq1yVM/s640/21722771682_a875308366_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/10857883@N05/21722771682/in/photolist-z6yTdf-z7A7Qa-yPZm5A-9Gy5F-UhzA5r-UqrNds-TfyxPZ-Uf1osC-Uu6piV-yPZmed-z6yTps-8SFda-UqsVMJ-Uf2gcd-UqrvP5-Uqs7tL-b3XbBn-b3Xmwn-b3Xj12-b3X6xT-b3XuEH-31dJvq-b3XCip-b3XcTk-b3XfUe-b3XnEX-b3Xwe6-b3X55P-6Z2Ew1-6YXG14-6YXEoD-6YXGET-6Z2Hsd-6YXF7c-8xiP7-6YXFpk-6YXFGk-6YXGiD-9M6GZK-b3XAur-b3X8vc-b3Xyce-b3X1jn-b3XoZB-b3XexP-b3X3mB-b3X9Re-5donpa-5dsHg3-5dokZe">John 6536 via Flickr cc.</a></td></tr>
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If you are <a href="http://eepurl.com/bDysUj">following my newsletter</a> (hint, hint), then you know my current <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2017/07/the-ghosts-of-lady-leonora-tankerville.html">WIP (Work in Progress)</a> is loosely based on the history of Chillingham Castle in Northumberland, England, so I'm going to tell you all about the tools and resources I'm using to build this novel so far. </div>
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If you are like, hey what about <i>The Binding of Saint Barbara</i>? Don't worry, my new agent <a href="http://catehart.com/">Cate Hart</a> of <a href="http://www.corvisieroagency.com/">Corvisiero Literary</a> is preparing to submit it to publishers, but it's a long process so for now all we can do is wait and prepare the next book. Don't worry, I'll keep you updated. ;)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u> Tools & Resources</u></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Google Maps</span></b></div>
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If you are an author, this is one of the most amazing and least utilized tools out there. Google maps used to require you to download software, but now adays, you use this tech on your phone when you are getting directions! </div>
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I use it to get an idea of my historical setting when it's not possible for me to visit in-person because, sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but authors are totally starving artists - especially those at the beginning of their careers, i.e., me. </div>
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Anywho, Google maps does a couple of things that is incredibly useful:</div>
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1. <b>Bird's Eye View</b></div>
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This can help you get an idea of the setting's surroundings, orientation and other little things. For example, if you know a room is on a certain part of the castle and let's say you want your character to stand in there and look at the sunset, well how do you know that part of the castle faces in the right direction for the sunset? Awwwww, now you're gettin' it.</div>
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For me, it helped me figure out that the wall fortifying Chillingham doesn't go all the way around the castle. Clearly, they were only expecting raids from one direction - Scotland.</div>
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2. <b>In-Person or Street Views</b></div>
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There is a little yellow guy in Google Maps that you can grab (with your mouse) and place at a location in map where you want to see the In-Person or Street View, which basically lets you look at the location as if you were standing there yourself. It makes a big difference. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ10UE_H88iKmSUofvW_PNFJNQhBm-3bzvSFNfMwbxrdD8VHtzoTC9igE12eyn1naHMJ2dtVZqjwKwugk9DSK00nR0B81HAft7aUdAUwj8cUoavvYrlvXI-aMD1pXaXbRe8ZljGKLvXvE/s1600/98444367_e622b6f30e_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ10UE_H88iKmSUofvW_PNFJNQhBm-3bzvSFNfMwbxrdD8VHtzoTC9igE12eyn1naHMJ2dtVZqjwKwugk9DSK00nR0B81HAft7aUdAUwj8cUoavvYrlvXI-aMD1pXaXbRe8ZljGKLvXvE/s640/98444367_e622b6f30e_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/netnicholls/98444367/in/photolist-9Gy5F-UhzA5r-UqrNds-TfyxPZ-Uf1osC-Uu6piV-yPZmed-z6yTps-8SFda-UqsVMJ-Uf2gcd-UqrvP5-Uqs7tL-b3XbBn-b3Xmwn-b3Xj12-b3X6xT-b3XuEH-31dJvq-b3XCip-b3XcTk-b3XfUe-b3XnEX-b3Xwe6-b3X55P-6Z2Ew1-6YXG14-6YXEoD-6YXGET-6Z2Hsd-6YXF7c-8xiP7-6YXFpk-6YXFGk-6YXGiD-9M6GZK-b3XAur-b3X8vc-b3Xyce-b3X1jn-b3XoZB-b3XexP-b3X3mB-b3X9Re-5donpa-5dsHg3-5dokZe-5dosdk-5dsFS9-9qR9xy">by David Nicholls via Flickr cc.</a></td></tr>
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This helped me get a feel for what it's like right outside the castle's front door. And it helped me figure out that the front door doesn't lead into the castle but into the castle courtyard. The awesome stairwell inside the courtyard leads into the castle. That's a really important fact for when I describe my heroine walking inside and I could have really easily missed it.</div>
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3. <b>Inside Views</b></div>
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Okay, it's not a walking tour, but you can click on different areas of some locations to see pictures people took there. This is new tech, so right now, I can tell the locations showing up on the map with these pictures are not accurate to where the rooms are located within the castle, but someday they will perfect this, and it will be freaking glorious!</div>
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Check out <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Chillingham+Castle,+Chillingham,+Alnwick+NE66+5NJ,+UK/@55.5258582,-1.9060334,370m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x4887568b6f7089d7:0x89fe951876ecc11c!8m2!3d55.5258582!4d-1.9038394">Chillingham Castle via Satellite</a> for yourself.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Classic Literature </span></b></div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_of_the_Opera"><i>The Phantom of the Opera</i> by Gaston Leroux</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZnc_DftNOMMJnbQEGj2vsuHOusbAh64keDEcg5y2V0hyh2h84WZvOzron8HCeQXuHmaez01-p9UKcB6hGOAcbJaE4GT2sMCNmm2pi09N_7rg4oBHJvlZoh4prOxlgiLUNpDY_Ug1KpA/s1600/Gaston_Leroux_-_Le_Fant%25C3%25B4me_de_l%2527Op%25C3%25A9ra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="270" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZnc_DftNOMMJnbQEGj2vsuHOusbAh64keDEcg5y2V0hyh2h84WZvOzron8HCeQXuHmaez01-p9UKcB6hGOAcbJaE4GT2sMCNmm2pi09N_7rg4oBHJvlZoh4prOxlgiLUNpDY_Ug1KpA/s400/Gaston_Leroux_-_Le_Fant%25C3%25B4me_de_l%2527Op%25C3%25A9ra.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cover or 1921 <i>Le
Fantome de l’Opera</i></div>
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by Gaston Leroux, </div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_of_the_Opera#/media/File:Gaston_Leroux_-_Le_Fant%C3%B4me_de_l%27Op%C3%A9ra.jpg">Public Domain, </a></div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_of_the_Opera#/media/File:Gaston_Leroux_-_Le_Fant%C3%B4me_de_l%27Op%C3%A9ra.jpg">via WikimediaCommons</a>.</div>
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Did you even know this started as a book? Actually, before that it was published as a serial in France from 1909-1910. I'm using this because my story has a phantom stalker probably something that comes from this story, which I explain further under "plays."</div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haunting_of_Hill_House"><i>The Haunting of Hill House</i> by Shirley Jackson</a></div>
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This is a classic haunted house and suspense novel written by Shirley Jackson in the 1960's, and people have compared my novel <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/p/test.html"><i>A White Room</i></a> to it, so I figured it would be a good one to read in preparation for this book.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Plays and Movies Too</span></b></div>
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The <a href="https://ustour.thephantomoftheopera.com/">Phantom of the Opera Play</a>/Musical</div>
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For me, discovering <i>The Phantom of the Opera</i> was a journey, and it has always stuck with me like my own little theme music. The first time I heard the music from Frank Loyd Wright's adaptation of <i>The Phantom of the Opera</i> for the stage was a magical moment for me as a child and as an artist. The first time was when a teacher played it in my first-grade class for reason's I do not recall, but I remember thinking it was the most beautiful music I had ever heard. However, as a child I didn't have the wherewithal to remember a title or anything to find it later. It disappeared like like smoke in the breeze. </div>
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But then later when I was maybe between 10-12 years old, my best friend and soul-sister played it for me, explaining that her mother had played it to her. I was so excited to have rediscovered the music, I remember jumping for joy.<br />
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Shortly thereafter, her mother played the entire soundtrack for us in the car and explained the amazing story while she drove us to the mall 45 minutes away in Santa Clarita.<br />
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To finish this all off with a nice nummy cherry, a few years later, our mothers took us both to see the actual play in Los Angeles. We got to wear fancy dresses and go to a nice restaurant before heading to the theater. I remember watching that play sitting forward with wide eyes. And the seeds for a future novel were planted.</div>
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And the journey of discovering <i>The Phantom of the Opera </i>continues as I mentioned that I only recently learned it started as a novel. </div>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293508/">Phantom of the Opera movie</a></div>
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Well I mean of course I saw the movie! Didn't you read the above, I'm practically stalking this story through space and time. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/N91AL8sAh9o/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N91AL8sAh9o?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zeqqhA5Z3A">The Secret Garden</a></div>
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Specifically the 1993 movie version of Frances Hogdsen Burnett's <i>The Secret Garden</i> has been an inspiring factor in my work for a long time. This was another piece of art I first experienced as a child and it left it's mark on my creative soul. </div>
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A lot of people don't realize it, but this is a Gothic story, even though it's not scary. The scene when Mary is sneaking through the house through secret doors and discovering parts of the house that have been closed off and consumed by nature - yeah, you might notice some similarities in my WIP.<br />
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Interestingly enough this is not a part of the story taken from Burnett's original work. This part is original to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Garden_(1993_film)">1993 movie</a> directed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnieszka_Holland">Agnieszka Holland</a>. I remember this moment of the movie conjuring up such fanciful imagery in my mind of exploring an abandoned great house like that. Yeah, it's stuck with me. I just hope I have enough writing chops to recreate that sense of mystery and wonder.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1zeqqhA5Z3A/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1zeqqhA5Z3A?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsOVtbsMKtA">The Haunting</a> based on <i>The Haunting of Hill House</i></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oquZifON8Eg">Crimson Peak </a></div>
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I really enjoyed this movie, and it was great to watch in preparation for this WIP. Actually, what I realized from watching it wasn't what I should do but what I shouldn't. Nothing against <a href="http://deltorofilms.com/">Guillermo del Toro's</a> work because it's great, but it helped me realize that Gothic's have so many tropes you got to find a way to embody the genre without giving people the same exact thing again and again.<br />
<br />
del Toro of course did a great job reinventing these cliches. The reason I came to this realization is that I saw a lot of the ideas I had for my book already happening in his movie (similar ideas at least). My point is that if you want to stand out the Gothic genre you have to dance on a very thin line between working with the genre and also being new and intriguing. Again, I hope I've got the chops. </div>
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<a href="http://kellylink.net/">Kelly Link's</a> <a href="http://kellylink.net/books/magic-for-beginners-old"><i>Magic for Beginners</i></a></div>
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That's why I read a little Kelly Link too because she does dark stuff in unique and crazy ways you would never expect. Another big inspiration for me.</div>
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Gothic Novelist <a href="https://www.leannareneehieber.com/">Leanna Renee Hieber's</a> book <i><a href="https://www.leannareneehieber.com/books/">Twisted Tragedy</a></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2017/07/what-happens-at-historical-novel.html">I spoke on a panel with Leanna</a> a couple months ago at the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=historical+novel+society&oq=historical+novel+s&aqs=chrome.0.0l2j69i60j69i57j0l2.2499j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8">Historical Novel Society Conference</a> and she writes the perfect kind of books for getting yourself into the Gothic mood!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Previous Failed Manuscripts - LOL!</span></b></div>
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You may remember last year or the year before, I tried to write a Gothic novella in one month, and I succeeded, but it was the kind of garbage that is so bad you don't even want to try to fix it. You might say this WIP is me taking another crack at it. I'm taking some of my favorite scenes from the failed MS and building off of those for certain scenes in my WIP. It's mostly the beginning stuff. The end is when everything went to the crows!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Google Books</span></b></div>
<div>
What would I do without Google Books? Google Books is great for out-of-print, old and reference type stuff that is hard to find elsewhere. Also, sometimes new stuff too. Here are a few of the books that I found useful for research:</div>
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<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=uqMMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PP16&lpg=PP16&dq=chillingham+castle+courtyard+stairs+description&source=bl&ots=4xs8F68A_E&sig=sx-peMiJy8Xml7zi9vbqRE7MRRM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9uYjg6MDWAhUV-2MKHb7QD_MQ6AEINzAF#v=onepage&q=chillingham%20castle%20courtyard%20stairs%20description&f=false"><i>Historic Houses of the United Kingdom: Descriptive, Historical, Pictorial </i></a> Circa 1892 - no author listed. </div>
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<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=oQL_AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=chillingham+castle+courtyard+stairs+description&source=bl&ots=HbQgoicvZV&sig=x6CxGqnyPLC-dOLXkgglx4S7mqw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9uYjg6MDWAhUV-2MKHb7QD_MQ6AEIRTAI#v=onepage&q=chillingham%20castle%20courtyard%20stairs%20description&f=false">Chillingham Castle by Mark Fisher</a></div>
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<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=frq_6tAVRdYC&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201&dq=1890s+northumberland+dialect&source=bl&ots=CEYaPoCue9&sig=y9xJWOT28QIGfCxISAtXg0pDIZM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi2uv7Ox8PWAhUIjlQKHblTC8sQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=1890s%20northumberland%20dialect&f=false">A Dictionary of North-East Dialect</a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">In-Person Research</span></b></div>
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<div>
Check out my recent visits to some creepy awesome Gothic locations like a<a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2017/10/10-creepy-facts-about-this-real-world.html"> <b>real-world Necropolis</b> </a>and <a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2017/10/lesser-know-facts-about-winchester.html"><b>The Winchester Mystery House</b>.</a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Official Websites</span></b></div>
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This might seem like the easiest thing, but what can I say, these were great resources for information, official history (which is important when dealing with a famous hunted house), and detailed images of my historical setting.</div>
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<a href="http://www.chillingham-castle.com/Index.asp">Chillingham Castle Official Website</a></div>
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<a href="https://chillinghamwildcattle.com/history/greys/">Chillingham Ancient White Cattle Preservation</a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQ1yvUwLo_NDitow1KaflZnI9N2XIAwYx8ERjomtvYqUK2mORoWX2gq6jjH_kvoYLDMxkhsvCjaf18JmxoTPskSnO3BHuVNRHHPZg7NHCLklb9MyDhIk5pL-MDEhdHIZeIOQJEDqYZXo/s1600/6597000873_82294c7e50_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQ1yvUwLo_NDitow1KaflZnI9N2XIAwYx8ERjomtvYqUK2mORoWX2gq6jjH_kvoYLDMxkhsvCjaf18JmxoTPskSnO3BHuVNRHHPZg7NHCLklb9MyDhIk5pL-MDEhdHIZeIOQJEDqYZXo/s400/6597000873_82294c7e50_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/berilia/6597000873/in/photolist-b3Xmwn-b3Xj12-b3X6xT-b3XuEH-31dJvq-b3XCip-b3XcTk-b3XfUe-b3XnEX-b3Xwe6-b3X55P-6Z2Ew1-6YXG14-6YXEoD-6YXGET-6Z2Hsd-6YXF7c-8xiP7-6YXFpk-6YXFGk-6YXGiD-9M6GZK-b3XAur-b3X8vc-b3Xyce-b3X1jn-b3XoZB-b3XexP-b3X3mB-b3X9Re-5donpa-5dsHg3-5dokZe-5dosdk-5dsFS9-9qR9xy-nLhrqf-2tdkTc-nfVkS2-ndT2Mw-eb9Arz-54Wb8g-eaYL84-b3WRUH-ebPANZ-ecUo5V-54WafH-ebDsMG-ebDsdC-ed13DY">by Amii & David via Flickr cc.</a></td></tr>
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A unique thing, I hope to work into the story, is that Chillingham has been home to an ancient breed of white cattle for some centuries now. These wild cattle managed to escape human interference and eventually came under the protection of past castle inhabitants and today a preservation society.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Google Images</span></b></div>
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Goodness, Google should be paying for all this endorsement ;) I wish. Seriously though, another fantastic resource for description purposes.<br />
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<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=chillingham+castle+courtyard+description&tbm=isch&imgil=Z-X6cdEzuxr2vM%253A%253B3GOoedB_exnefM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.flickr.com%25252Fphotos%25252Fmikealexandersmith%25252F5940044085&source=iu&pf=m&fir=Z-X6cdEzuxr2vM%253A%252C3GOoedB_exnefM%252C_&usg=__H7_QPcjSV9ksrFlXhRkZkcbO_uQ%3D&biw=1229&bih=587&ved=0ahUKEwjb2vjo1sXWAhVU5GMKHWCjBqUQyjcIMw&ei=UsPLWdvpENTIjwPgxpqoCg#imgrc=Z-X6cdEzuxr2vM:">Chillingham Courtyard</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.google.com/search?biw=1229&bih=548&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=chillingham+gardens&oq=chillingham+gardens&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i24k1.5872.6909.0.7257.7.7.0.0.0.0.83.488.7.7.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.7.486...0j0i8i30k1.0.xGYKmFCtWG0">Chillingham Gardens</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.google.com/search?biw=1229&bih=548&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=chillingham+inside&oq=chillingham+inside&gs_l=psy-ab.3...38844.39343.0.39572.6.6.0.0.0.0.109.452.5j1.6.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.2.133...0i8i30k1j0i24k1.0.2GB-Wu86fog">Chillingham Rooms</a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Youtube</span></b></div>
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Youtube is another incredible resource for research that I don't think a lot of people consider. I used it for listening to related music, just to get that vibe, but more importantly for getting a feel for the setting inside and out. Plus, I also used it for getting a feel for the accent and dialect of Northumberland.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdcVBzDmrPU&list=PL-qMDFdES2AopmHbKlv296IRN3K6p-TUm">Phantom of the Opera Music</a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CdcVBzDmrPU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CdcVBzDmrPU?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<b>Chillingham Youtube Videos</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbTXFaZCow0&t=629s">Ghost Hunters International - Chillingham Castle</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94IeVnxGUNI">Most Haunted: Chillingham Castle</a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/94IeVnxGUNI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/94IeVnxGUNI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD0dYZSBIKg">Chillingham Part 1</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3km6S39Ioo8&t=47s">Chillingham Part II</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b91ksHUfgPc&t=343s">Haunted History: Chillingham Castle</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNNWAQm4OwM">Exploring Chillingham Castle</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB_QvT4uXYI">Around Chillingham Castle</a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tB_QvT4uXYI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tB_QvT4uXYI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<b>Northumberland Accent Youtube Videos</b></div>
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Accents and dialects are one of the hardest things to research for me, but Youtube is a huge help. I first did some internet research that determined the name of the accent in Alnwick, Northumberland is called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geordie">Geordie</a>. Once I had that, I could search for all kinds of things to help me get ideas for expressing this accent through my characters.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uur3btDYBXM">Geordie Accent Part 1</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQond9IRtAY">Geordie Accent Part 2</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2woc46LXkw&t=438s">Learn a Geordie Accent</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2zJG2QCnEw">Geordie Dictionary</a><br />
This video is helpful and adorable. </div>
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<b style="font-size: xx-large;">What resources do you use to research your work?</b></div>
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-39402492214932159562017-10-02T17:45:00.002-07:002017-10-05T15:55:43.538-07:0010 Creepy Facts About this Real World City of the Dead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4WNby7Pc35xUSQk5_Szz6u53J0l1jJcrWZznNRSntGqSupWOdh2H5wPBUIA5aa0fJdgCf6eHwbu9UhZ_m5jnZN0LxUCBNgzuJCfbgTgrnA9i4Of4T6OyqiTaLLpel7Lc23UkO79cGH8/s1600/IMG_20170425_134806730_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4WNby7Pc35xUSQk5_Szz6u53J0l1jJcrWZznNRSntGqSupWOdh2H5wPBUIA5aa0fJdgCf6eHwbu9UhZ_m5jnZN0LxUCBNgzuJCfbgTgrnA9i4Of4T6OyqiTaLLpel7Lc23UkO79cGH8/s640/IMG_20170425_134806730_HDR.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All photos in this post were taken by Stephanie Carroll unless otherwise specified.</td></tr>
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Colma, California is a city of more people dead than alive. It is
where most of San Francisco buries their dead, and it’s the setting
of my short story “Forget Me Not” (<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/04/excerpt-from-forget-me-not-featured-in.html" target="_blank">read an excerpt</a>) originally published in <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/p/test.html" target="_blank">Legacy:An Anthology</a>. So how did the city come to be? Just in time for
Halloween, here’s 10 Creepy Facts About this Real World City of the
Dead plus a ton of pictures from my visit:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuGQ_qiNoVwUcSJMLVy2-P6oeppo1frH_l3sz5wBJV-Mv7V5l82OA4z8-KoNJaOhcQHBKZswfDpZ39GfUP7V9W_d7IqAb3w-TnjDFXOjqrOF3vz9KRheMojw-yLtT25ypNJNOv27ZIoU/s1600/IMG_20170425_143546631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuGQ_qiNoVwUcSJMLVy2-P6oeppo1frH_l3sz5wBJV-Mv7V5l82OA4z8-KoNJaOhcQHBKZswfDpZ39GfUP7V9W_d7IqAb3w-TnjDFXOjqrOF3vz9KRheMojw-yLtT25ypNJNOv27ZIoU/s640/IMG_20170425_143546631.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHRFweGsDGAlQo8q_eWD0gLF75DX14P94xfg-RD56dHTKbEFWfX620Ottx1d5yuWxs_4HkHKOUBhqAe-8N8vkEgLE9873wMC4E8qRmjZYuLp_enw1xsAR-XclEk8-5wXtuk9wdiXNrrI/s1600/IMG_20170425_143419298_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHRFweGsDGAlQo8q_eWD0gLF75DX14P94xfg-RD56dHTKbEFWfX620Ottx1d5yuWxs_4HkHKOUBhqAe-8N8vkEgLE9873wMC4E8qRmjZYuLp_enw1xsAR-XclEk8-5wXtuk9wdiXNrrI/s640/IMG_20170425_143419298_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqaqlLFmnyhPBhXL81WDPcAHLZHMb9I-6wITHpsd0vL5j0IZ3lNs-lq7oYppqHYg2cml4082Dz0gVe3Y1qrzkT5snjb7gDetk7V71qXPS0q7lQt_roluC4H7YzrARbXPVjKQixV-rKE8/s1600/IMG_20170425_133745988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqaqlLFmnyhPBhXL81WDPcAHLZHMb9I-6wITHpsd0vL5j0IZ3lNs-lq7oYppqHYg2cml4082Dz0gVe3Y1qrzkT5snjb7gDetk7V71qXPS0q7lQt_roluC4H7YzrARbXPVjKQixV-rKE8/s400/IMG_20170425_133745988.jpg" width="400" /></a>1. The History:<br />
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According to the <a href="http://www.colmahistory.org/history.html" target="_blank">Colma Historical Association</a>, on March 26, 1900, the city and county of San Francisco passed an ordinance prohibiting any further burials in the city. By the 1880's San Francisco already had 26 cemeteries all of which were filling up fast. There was a fear that they would run out of room because the 1849 gold rush brought thousands out west along with disease and a high death rate.<br />
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Then on January 14, 1914, San Francisco sent out eviction notices to everyone with deceased relatives buried in city limits. Many of the these graves were relocated to Colma, which is just south of San Francisco. Colma was a popular choice because it had easy access by rail, road and street car. For those who could not afford the $10 reburial fee, their relatives were reburied in mass unmarked graves.<br />
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2. Colma was founded as a Necropolis in 1924 for fear of future evictions of the deceased.<br />
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3. Colma has at least 17 cemeteries.<br />
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4. According to a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/09/us/09cemetery.html?ex=1323320400&en=0aa1719b7d513007&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss" target="_blank">New York Times</a> article, as of 2016, Colma had about 1,600 living residents and about 1.5 million dead ones.<br />
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5. Funereal Processions cause the worst traffic jams in Colma, so town residents receive phone blast messages to warn them when to expect delays due to the number of expected mourners.<br />
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6. Famous inhabitants include but are not limited to:<br />
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<ul>
<li><b>William Randolph
Hearst - </b>his family's Greek-inspired mausoleum is surrounded by 16 ionic columns but is oddly unmarked.</li>
<li><b>Wyatt Earp </b>- often has American flags surrounding his tombstone.</li>
<li><b>Levi Strauss</b> - you know like Levi Jeans.</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoc0XJxUvMaFfxmYZHEMUJe5I9fcPkdaiGCTNxjlOq3nHr2pmET4zREsqInJy6rd-0W1YZYI5bq4OiHfYZMtSO3uvM4oBk34ZWVOubAnuJ47D-C4eUIUwyY2H2yrC8_pRPXsK_1aCdepA/s1600/IMG_20170425_141723373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoc0XJxUvMaFfxmYZHEMUJe5I9fcPkdaiGCTNxjlOq3nHr2pmET4zREsqInJy6rd-0W1YZYI5bq4OiHfYZMtSO3uvM4oBk34ZWVOubAnuJ47D-C4eUIUwyY2H2yrC8_pRPXsK_1aCdepA/s640/IMG_20170425_141723373.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Possibly William Randolph Hurst's???</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><b>Joe DiMaggio - </b>visitors often leave bats leaned up against the headstone.</li>
<li><b>Abigail Folger</b> - you know like the coffee, oh, and the Manson victim.</li>
<li><b>Phineas Gage</b> - a man who in 1848 had a tamping iron blow through his skull and brain after an explosion and lived to tell the tale. His body is in Colma, but his head, along with the tamping iron, are at Harvard Medical School, according to the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/phineas-gage-neurosciences-most-famous-patient-11390067/?no-ist" target="_blank">Smithsonian</a> website. </li>
<li><b>Tina Turner's DOG -</b> wrapped in her fur coat. This brings me too ... </li>
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7. Yes. There is a pet cemetery. According to another New York Times article <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/06/sports/football/the-town-of-colma-where-san-franciscos-dead-live.html" target="_blank">"Colma, California, a Town of 2.2 Square Miles, Most of it 6 Feet Deep,"</a> plots at the Pets Rest Cemetery and Crematory are in high demand, ranging from $550 to $850. Those on a budget opt for cremation, starting at $130.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the pet cemetery.</td></tr>
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8. The city is often called "The City of the Silent" or "The City of Souls."<br />
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9. Residents, although few, have embraced their "death heritage" and have a lighthearted approach to death. Most businesses in the town are funeral related. Wedding pictures and even ceremonies sometimes take place at some of the cemetery lawns or within their chapels. </div>
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10. This lightheartedness is ever present in their town motto: "It's Great to Be Alive in Colma!"<br />
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<b>Bonus:</b><br />
11. Colma has multiple cemeteries that are for specific religions and nationalities including Chinese, Jewish and Italian.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQUlN9RbxqDVY3WWZQYMqt0YyGyZStExparQvUt5NQoeMUTtJa5QOTKyGpUGnZ8QBYUEHWvo7XWa-AWQhe3LDPoOwOr060qPVP8T9QxjzKCLWAOAZ1nQgpZMp2YGWgigsLuqASS2LnB4/s1600/IMG_20170425_142614855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQUlN9RbxqDVY3WWZQYMqt0YyGyZStExparQvUt5NQoeMUTtJa5QOTKyGpUGnZ8QBYUEHWvo7XWa-AWQhe3LDPoOwOr060qPVP8T9QxjzKCLWAOAZ1nQgpZMp2YGWgigsLuqASS2LnB4/s400/IMG_20170425_142614855.jpg" width="400" /></a><b>SUPER BONUS: </b><br />
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12. The Angel of Grief:<br />
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The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_of_Grief" target="_blank">Angel of Grief</a> is a common funerary statue replicated from the original carved by the American sculptor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wetmore_Story" target="_blank">William Wetmore Story</a>, which serves as his and his wife's headstone in a Protestant Church in Rome. The statue in Colma's Cypress Lawn Memorial Park is for Jennie Roosevelt Pool, Theodore Roosevelt's cousin.<br />
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I absolutely adore this statue and really wanted to see it, but the cemetery was so big (with a major street running through it) that it took my husband and I over an hour to find it. Really, it just took us over an hour to realize that the cemetery continued on other side of the like 6 or 8-laned street.<br />
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The statue is gorgeous but sadly missing several of its fingers and surprisingly quaint in comparison to the giant statues, pyramids, mausoleums, columned sculptures and headstones throughout.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see her fingers are broken off the dangling hand.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me checking out the monument while holding the <br /><i>Legacy: An Anthology</i> book which has my story set in Colma, California.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfSkUijo2qUfX7T-stt7CAUmSpvib213lJ46h28e86UcYQN2Kl7ND8qGXVk3JaDErIPpXy88Yv7xgXo6bkHDzn_l9JnGY9yg7PmkdPKNRFJV5gMW_UUlvFW1-X80G2HxXPsv5oUMv9Cs/s1600/IMG_20170425_142605605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfSkUijo2qUfX7T-stt7CAUmSpvib213lJ46h28e86UcYQN2Kl7ND8qGXVk3JaDErIPpXy88Yv7xgXo6bkHDzn_l9JnGY9yg7PmkdPKNRFJV5gMW_UUlvFW1-X80G2HxXPsv5oUMv9Cs/s640/IMG_20170425_142605605.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I expected to be able to see her from afar but truth be told, she is one of the smaller monuments in this particular necropolis.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Any interesting facts about Colma you can add to the list?</b></span></div>
Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-47346499095434496542017-07-21T15:31:00.002-07:002017-07-21T15:31:09.915-07:00The Ghosts of Lady Leonora Tankerville & Chillingham Castle - WIP<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></o:p>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjolEl9iwe9xBareBx7c0D1blW7IuNx6sf84esYkcQi3BTBRwYsF7z7wMA8odeFnB-kEaijgxDlb_gJUN8s6J9lOcTzuOh8u6qTOnwuWgENOUv9MlSa79J4ihlddh5Z1d0S0ncWE09G-Da/s1600/21722772332_81ea2c6760_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="640" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjolEl9iwe9xBareBx7c0D1blW7IuNx6sf84esYkcQi3BTBRwYsF7z7wMA8odeFnB-kEaijgxDlb_gJUN8s6J9lOcTzuOh8u6qTOnwuWgENOUv9MlSa79J4ihlddh5Z1d0S0ncWE09G-Da/s320/21722772332_81ea2c6760_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;"><a href="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5675/21722772332_81ea2c6760_z_d.jpg">Chillingham Castle via Flickr cc</a></td></tr>
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I’m pretty darn excited about what I’m working on now that the <i>Binding of Saint Barbara</i> is done (although there's still the production phase). I’ve had a story in my head for a while now about a Victorian/Gilded Age American heiress being married off to a seemingly boring English aristocrat and then being wooed by someone else via letter – a mystery man; a phantom! It's <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/shows/downton-abbey/">Downton Abbey</a> meets <a href="http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/">Phantom of the Opera</a>. All I needed was some history suitable for this - and yes this is a new tactic for me, coming up with the story and matching it to a history discovered later.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now before I tell you about this history, a little backstory: If you’ve been following my blog/ newsletter for a while, you might recall a Halloween or two back, I tried to write a Gothic novella in a month. I succeeded, but the story was so rushed, I kind of put it to the side until I could figure out what to do with it. Well I was thinking of taking the parts of it that I like and meshing them with this new story. As you may remember, the main character in that novella was named Lorena.<br />
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Okay, back to the story of finding the history for my story.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;">Lady Leonora Tankerville, formerly<br />
Leonora Sophie Van Marter</td></tr>
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So I was looking through this awesome nonfiction book called <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Marry-English-Lord-Marriage-Snobbery/dp/0761171959">To Marry an English Lord</a></i>, which contains an appendix just listing American heiresses who married English nobility during the Gilded Age (it was kind of a trend in the <a href="http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/gildedage.htm">nouveau riche</a> circles). I was searching for someone who married around my desired time frame and someone who married an Earl and there she was: Leonora Sophie Van Marter. </div>
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Her name is Leonora and my main character's name was Lorena! That seemed like a sign, so I looked up her history and whoa! It just so happens she lived in what is considered to be one of the most haunted castles in England!!!</div>
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Leonora Van Marter married Lord Ossultan who later became the Earl of Tankerville. His seat was Chillingham Castle in Northumberland. It wasn’t the man but the castle that really interested me. This place is dreary! </div>
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<a href="http://www.chillingham-castle.com/Castle.asp?S=2&V=1&P=2">Chillingham Castle</a> is also in the middle of moorland and heath, which was something I had really wanted in the Gothic novella. It’s also a legitimately scary place—considered haunted with good reason!<br />
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It’s located near the Scotland border and was a strategic fortress during many horrific border feuds during the medieval period. It was a key location during the fighting with the Scottish army and William Wallace (i.e. <a href="http://www.chillingham-castle.com/Castle.asp?S=2&V=1&P=13">Brave Hart</a>) in the 1290s, and Wallace murdered the women and children of the aristocratic family <a href="https://chillinghamwildcattle.com/history/greys/">(the Greys)</a> seated in the castle at the time by burning them alive. It was also the location of countless horrific torturing and murdering of people for various reasons. Even members of the nobility <a href="https://chillinghamwildcattle.com/history/greys/">(the Greys again)</a> seated in this castle were horribly tortured and killed by each other when they split loyalties between the Lancastrians and Yorkists in the 1300s. Sir Ralph Grey (Lancastrian) actually ordered that his own son be draw and quartered alive along with various other family members.</div>
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The stories of hauntings and ghosts are numerous and include a blue flashing light that appeared before a spot in the wall, which turned out to have a young boy in blue clothing buried inside. Oh and the amount of times people have found bones buried in floors and walls all around the castle is insane! There’s tales of a woman walking out of the paintings and of another woman appearing inside a locked pantry asking for water (some believe she was poisoned). There are tons and tons of stories surrounding this castle, several of which were experienced by Leonora herself.</div>
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But here’s where things get really exciting for me as a novelist considering all of this for a story … I kept reading all of these ghost stories, and it turns out the person who wrote them all down for our modern-day reference was none other than Leonora Van Marter after she had become Lady Leonora Tankerville! </div>
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<b>And if you are a subscriber to my newsletter, you can read her writings yourself so if you haven't already, </b></div>
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<b><a href="http://eepurl.com/bDysUj">JOIN MY JOURNEY TODAY!!!</a> </b></div>
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A spectacularly interesting history, which of course is going to inspire and amazingly interesting story. =) </div>
Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-18465612658306994052017-07-21T15:30:00.002-07:002017-07-21T15:30:43.638-07:00How I Found My Agent & How Twitter Helped<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b>Big News! <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I have some exciting news!!!! I’ve received publisher interest for <i>The Binding of Saint Barbara,</i> and I have officially signed with a literary agent, Cate Hart of <a href="http://www.corvisieroagency.com/">Corvisiero Literary Agency</a>! Hip, hip, hurray!!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>A Little about Cate Hart and Corvisiero Literary Agency: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.corvisieroagency.com/">Corvisiero Literary</a> is a growing boutique agency, which means they are small enough to give their clients more attention but big enough to still negotiate great deals for their authors. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQxmdpC7ffzck4IAPdL8f7v-y4W3oZOM8hKexfDZZtXOvG7z4phi1zs48FB_m86r_ItW-IMcdd6FR8bFXTLo4LIf71adttH9VhbiBXu2sW95QGfGTP4u3HTlLEuBShqD0aH-T5-3WHIGy/s1600/Cate+Hart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQxmdpC7ffzck4IAPdL8f7v-y4W3oZOM8hKexfDZZtXOvG7z4phi1zs48FB_m86r_ItW-IMcdd6FR8bFXTLo4LIf71adttH9VhbiBXu2sW95QGfGTP4u3HTlLEuBShqD0aH-T5-3WHIGy/s1600/Cate+Hart.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;">Cate Hart of Corvisiero Literary Agency</td></tr>
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You can follow Corvisiero on <a href="https://twitter.com/corvisierolit">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/litagency">Facebook</a>.</div>
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Cate Hart has experience as an author and editor and uses that knowledge to help her clients grow in their careers for the long term. She loves the Gilded Age and <a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/2016/07/the-difference-between-magical-realism.html">magical realism</a>, making her a perfect fit for my craziness. I'm so excited to be working with her! </div>
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You can find Cate on <a href="https://twitter.com/CateHart">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/catehartagent">Facebook</a>, or on her <a href="http://catehart.com/">website</a>.</div>
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<b>How Do You Get an Agent Exactly?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Getting here involved getting rejected ... a lot! In fact, I received so many rejections that I can’t even guess at the number. I freely chose not to keep track. So what was the "big break" as they call it? Believe it or not, it actually began on Twitter. </div>
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<b>The Pitch & The Twitter Pitch</b></div>
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Agent submissions are done via an emailed pitch letter called a query, but there has become a recent trend of holding “<a href="http://carissa-taylor.blogspot.com/2013/01/contest-madness.html">pitch events</a>” on Twitter. A variety of agencies, writers, and bloggers hold these events, and they work like this: on such and such day, you can pitch using Twitter's 140 character-format (a challenge not unlike the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAI-oaVgRT4">elevator pitch</a>) and using the event hashtag (<a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/pitmad/">#PitMad</a> for example) plus genre hashtags (#HF for historical fiction).<br />
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If an agent is interested based on your Twitter pitch, he or she "Hearts" it, which is Twitter's version of a "Like." The agents generally Tweet instructions for how to pitch them if they heart your pitch. More detailed instructions are available at each Twitter Pitch event's homepage but that’s the gist. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, this is something I was doing in addition to the regular agent submission process, but it felt more efficient because you don't have to pitch blind. You only pitch those who have already shown interest. Nevertheless, my finding Cate wasn't that easy. </div>
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<b><br /></b><b>When a Publisher Makes an Offer Before an Agent</b></div>
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First, I received a heart from a small publisher and after sending my official email pitch and the manuscript for review, I was made an offer. I could have just signed with the publisher without an agent, but a big part of an agent's job is negotiating contracts, so they are generally better at getting good terms.<br />
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Plus, my interest in an agent is a little more long-term. Many agents also serve as partners in the literary process, from creation to signed deal. That was the kind of person I was looking for because I'm in this for the long-haul, and I was looking for someone who could help me navigate the industry. With a small publisher interested, that gave me an advantage with agents because it shows the manuscript is attractive enough to garner interest. </div>
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So I then contacted the agents I had already submitted to and informed them of this offer. This is common and polite practice in the industry. I also queried a few new agents who I thought might be interested and informed them up front that I already had an offer. Cate Hart of Corvisiero was among this group, and she loved the book! </div>
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After that, Cate contacted me and set up a good time for a phone call to make sure we were compatible. I had to do another round of informing other agents that I had an offer. Again, this isn't just an advantage, but also a polite courtesy, as agents really don't like it if they get interested in a manuscript and call the author only to learn that the author already signed with someone else. We hashed out the final terms, I signed, and now I have representation! </div>
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<b>How Long did it Take to Get an Agent?</b></div>
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This is something I remember looking into myself, and I remember finding a lot of posts that made it sound like so and so sent out one query or was looking for only a month before they found an agent, but I have a suspicion that those people may have only been referring to their most recent round of pitches because most people try for a really long time. For example if I just started with the Twitter part and didn't mention all the rest of my efforts, it might seem like it came easy but that's so not the whole story.</div>
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So I have multiple answers to the question: How long did it take? </div>
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<li>From the time I started writing my first book: 9 years</li>
<li>From the time I started writing my second book (the one the agent is interested in): 7 years</li>
<li>From the time I started pitching the second book: 6 months to 1 year.</li>
<li>From time of Twitter Pitch: 2-3 months </li>
<li>From time I received agent offer: Little over 1 month. </li>
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I was surprised by the time it took after I got the agent offer. I really was imagining I'd sign in a week or something but I had no idea how the time adds up when you have to inform the other agents who you've submitted to and meticulously go over the contract with the assistance of a <a href="http://www.abovethedottedline.com/">legal professional.</a><br />
<b><br /></b><b>So What Happens Next?</b><br />
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It means we are one step closer to getting <i>The Binding of Saint Barbara</i> in your hands! Hip Hip Hurray!!!! Cate will start by talking with the publisher who showed interest and a few others until we work out some terms and sell the book. Once it’s sold, we will get to work on getting it out to the readers—that’s you!!! Yay!!!! <o:p></o:p></div>
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In other words, we are one step closer but there is still more work to be done, so … I’ll keep you updated!Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-5092322882091662682017-07-21T15:29:00.002-07:002017-08-13T12:29:51.374-07:00What Happens at a Historical Novel Society Conference?<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Historical Novel Society Conference in Portland, Oregon 2017<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I've been talking about the Historical Novel Society Conference in Portland for over a year now, so I wanted to let you know how it went. </div>
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It was a really exciting event for me because ever since I attended my first writers’ conference in San Francisco in 2012, I’ve wanted to be one of those authors talking on a panel. I’ve done plenty of readings, public speaking, and even teaching, but this was my first time on panels! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tm9obgFTZmK0vjtBtHi9BUIjgtrlC5dpXB3eBBUUskTIXADBG9RbBtmokNy75pBgAyLY0BuvNdiRBnIAVe8hbIaen52kMBYIDiIEVoQ5_t-3DX70hIudWArffG5ej5Pf87IFpt2U7Weo/s1600/IMG_20170622_130011850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tm9obgFTZmK0vjtBtHi9BUIjgtrlC5dpXB3eBBUUskTIXADBG9RbBtmokNy75pBgAyLY0BuvNdiRBnIAVe8hbIaen52kMBYIDiIEVoQ5_t-3DX70hIudWArffG5ej5Pf87IFpt2U7Weo/s320/IMG_20170622_130011850.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">View from the Portland Hilton</td></tr>
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It was a really neat experience because I didn’t just get invited to be on a panel, I also proposed a Victorian/Gilded Age panel and invited authors to speak on it with me. Also, the authors I got to speak with were really talented and award-winning. Some of them I knew and some I knew of. It’s always awesome to get to meet and work with a successful author in your area.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzZoDD142YhUxHeiZTkXVoBqtlZypKO1zBcnAFupeN-jTF6cobXoyoXBGfjDSnVEP-ZZglPqTW4-G47aAlzpgttUwAYPBn-Y0o_Ab8D0upMtJc4dkkW3JNEAylHIoqwZQVo7GEGcyUmCS/s1600/me+with+kate+forsyth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="462" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzZoDD142YhUxHeiZTkXVoBqtlZypKO1zBcnAFupeN-jTF6cobXoyoXBGfjDSnVEP-ZZglPqTW4-G47aAlzpgttUwAYPBn-Y0o_Ab8D0upMtJc4dkkW3JNEAylHIoqwZQVo7GEGcyUmCS/s320/me+with+kate+forsyth.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Myself (far left), Kate Forsyth (middle) and moderator Anna Limbrick (right)<br />
on the Fairy Tale, Magical Realism, and Paranormal Panel.</td></tr>
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I highly recommend all of their books, and if you like my stuff then you will also like theirs: I spoke on a Fairy Tale, Magical Realism and Paranormal panel with <a href="http://www.kateforsyth.com.au/">Kate Forsyth</a> and <a href="https://www.leannareneehieber.com/">Leanna Renee Hieber</a>, and I spoke on a Victorian panel with <a href="https://nicoleevelina.com/">Nicole Evelina</a>, <a href="http://ammandamccabe.com/">Amanda McCabe</a> and again <a href="https://www.leannareneehieber.com/">Leanna Renee Hieber</a>. It was a real honor to get to speak with all of them. I also want to give a big thank you and shout out to author <a href="http://medievalmysteries.net/">Susan McDuffie</a> and Anna Limbrick for moderating.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition to the panels, I also got to meet and learn from tons of new and experienced authors. These conferences are always so inspiring and just make you feel connected to the industry.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Some highlights: </b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The conference opened up to the public on Saturday for a massive book signing event!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6drV0kFJoqdT4SF7iispfrhFZb7l7eJkjxP0HsrO7PKsx7E7TdDhaDm6zOYFwhytyF4uSb78rSRU5O70BmY5qclvrgjStz6g6S4H9kibfMbSaYL9xoSY4Fl-CNHMctEUEOjfg1rsDMiu/s1600/IMG_20170624_163312308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6drV0kFJoqdT4SF7iispfrhFZb7l7eJkjxP0HsrO7PKsx7E7TdDhaDm6zOYFwhytyF4uSb78rSRU5O70BmY5qclvrgjStz6g6S4H9kibfMbSaYL9xoSY4Fl-CNHMctEUEOjfg1rsDMiu/s320/IMG_20170624_163312308.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I got to visit the famous <a href="http://www.powells.com/">Powell's Books</a> but I was so tired once we got there that we didn't stay long.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNLJMXaSfPhAUHUqAlmsE17Nb2pd3OwBa46oawhPt_7Eq6cCOY87cdXcgBwLhcQBXPbxCMXVXPFn_IYCADALhSiRx_KLtH8LESvx3Z7qZXELeKLxWJZFwgkMprKuxIfHWSFGVpgCL0QBX/s1600/IMG_20170623_212701999_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNLJMXaSfPhAUHUqAlmsE17Nb2pd3OwBa46oawhPt_7Eq6cCOY87cdXcgBwLhcQBXPbxCMXVXPFn_IYCADALhSiRx_KLtH8LESvx3Z7qZXELeKLxWJZFwgkMprKuxIfHWSFGVpgCL0QBX/s320/IMG_20170623_212701999_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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They had a fantastic workshop called Hooch through History, which was a big hit! I hope to get some more info about this topic up on my blog in the future because I just love it!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiH6gvzBR4-gpz2R7Sm079gOm3uXjTHfUlbFNVih6hQuOEseiCAIFb1sIES63ZouUoexuD88fw2v_PzRJvSafYoBt1Qz6DxhR5Sz6ehqqYKFN8A0q9BKBAFUlX7IU81cNQvg2b1kWZlkN/s1600/IMG_20170623_183915058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiH6gvzBR4-gpz2R7Sm079gOm3uXjTHfUlbFNVih6hQuOEseiCAIFb1sIES63ZouUoexuD88fw2v_PzRJvSafYoBt1Qz6DxhR5Sz6ehqqYKFN8A0q9BKBAFUlX7IU81cNQvg2b1kWZlkN/s320/IMG_20170623_183915058.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">In the photo you can see the gin martini (center), an empty<br />
Bellini (left) and in the far upper right corner, absinthe.</td></tr>
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And finally to finish things off, a Masquerade Ball and lessons in the Regency Era card game <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whist">Whist</a>.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">The local Jane Austen Society taught whist and Regency Era dancing on the final night.<br />
Pictured here is writer and blogger <a href="http://www.theitaliansouth.com/" target="_blank">Sandra Frykholm</a> (in top hat).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Regency Dancing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">And Regency costumes!</td></tr>
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All in all, it was a really fun time and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to do it!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Author Nicole Evelina (left) and myself (right).</td></tr>
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If you have a question about Writer's Conferences or the Historical Novel Society Conference, feel free to post a comment.</h2>
Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-65172111827775809272017-07-21T15:28:00.001-07:002017-07-21T15:28:30.606-07:00Victorian Houses of the Pacific Northwest<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Last I wrote, we had arrived in Washington in our animal-stuffed RV and were in pursuit of employment and we still are. It’s only been two months since our arrival, but it feels like it’s been six or maybe ten. Nevertheless, we have faith that God has a plan for us here and we are just waiting for him to reveal it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the meantime we’ve been taking advantage of the amazing Washington weather and doing free things in nature like visiting parks and whatnot. However, if you’ve been following me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/carrollbooks">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/carrollbooks">Twitter</a>, or <a href="http://www.instagram.com/carrollbooks">Instagram</a>, you may have also noticed all the pretty Victorian houses, which I’m also including here with a few more details. I wish I could include a detailed history of all these locations, but I just don't have the time, so instead I'm linking each location to said history in case you wish to explore a little more.<br />
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Also please note that every house pictured below may not be considered a Victorian. I also included fun houses and other neat locations. Mostly Victorians though.<br />
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<a href="http://www.historylink.org/File/7904">Bellingham, Washington</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgz2WcV3IO8TRmysuc10KCpx25A3-9OptzPCJzpio_heaUHKJbyn0g9nbidV_rr88WzEgr97t3v-nYTt4-e4ZJlZXHe_2StoIKMYMpl7nfZLT-amcl6Z_oAM4aAa_UTgDqxONExzE6uJW/s1600/IMG_20170611_142011839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgz2WcV3IO8TRmysuc10KCpx25A3-9OptzPCJzpio_heaUHKJbyn0g9nbidV_rr88WzEgr97t3v-nYTt4-e4ZJlZXHe_2StoIKMYMpl7nfZLT-amcl6Z_oAM4aAa_UTgDqxONExzE6uJW/s320/IMG_20170611_142011839.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">It's like a stairway to a secret garden!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgf_hJngDaHEg8HrT7bh78DrU7eFeY3D6EVfgSsCvvELa7y14Ssxag_Lo9u0SisLX3W7-ZHiExTlfJIN4W78HAuLgTXNET49piXi1mY_MlNdzgGDfU5r6gTFVjrh-DkUr6QG70J3K1hPj/s1600/IMG_20170611_142124415_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgf_hJngDaHEg8HrT7bh78DrU7eFeY3D6EVfgSsCvvELa7y14Ssxag_Lo9u0SisLX3W7-ZHiExTlfJIN4W78HAuLgTXNET49piXi1mY_MlNdzgGDfU5r6gTFVjrh-DkUr6QG70J3K1hPj/s320/IMG_20170611_142124415_HDR.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;">Raja chillin'.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.lovelaconner.com/about-la-conner/la-conner-history/">La Conner, Washington</a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Above and below are a couple pictures of the downtown area which is crazy cute.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDbgqvdDCgzK-6n7sQCgW8FJWf7bptWJH_IwqjPj7sKuERTSHyqgiK4AEOJa3NaWr7J8p_suWizRssuOGu2sEBV3VdL2ao_D56-HIykgZLjZKL5mItVNuttFcVbL14tRqCzef-Jx01miS/s1600/IMG_20170702_151741871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDbgqvdDCgzK-6n7sQCgW8FJWf7bptWJH_IwqjPj7sKuERTSHyqgiK4AEOJa3NaWr7J8p_suWizRssuOGu2sEBV3VdL2ao_D56-HIykgZLjZKL5mItVNuttFcVbL14tRqCzef-Jx01miS/s320/IMG_20170702_151741871.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">This is just a cute coffee shop my husband<br />
and I used for wifi while in La Conner. Super cute but not Victorian.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Vvh2g0ISEajW8LHsuRXNSch6fzN23cF8lPr7AEmGGjVv7ViBkvz5n7rk5yOx6y02L4ocboyYJkYUu4QRGUIUKSm09nPPuKrr7uOrmtjROx9WsEYZm43J9tRj8LuTdgm9hppBazqtm5PI/s1600/IMG_20170702_151752042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Vvh2g0ISEajW8LHsuRXNSch6fzN23cF8lPr7AEmGGjVv7ViBkvz5n7rk5yOx6y02L4ocboyYJkYUu4QRGUIUKSm09nPPuKrr7uOrmtjROx9WsEYZm43J9tRj8LuTdgm9hppBazqtm5PI/s320/IMG_20170702_151752042.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Another view of the coffee shop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTws7a1MfLzg5vyom0Thtvg0xEy6zk4cSSq6dEp_DQpt7Hz2BHJHtkYaM-75X2e407d62MZNpG9YEgdXthxKwHOjnzg3mpyOYWORwFVwZyp11Wy5tGedHPNEFRQS-98tV6OcFg5nIkkjD/s1600/IMG_20170703_130640716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTws7a1MfLzg5vyom0Thtvg0xEy6zk4cSSq6dEp_DQpt7Hz2BHJHtkYaM-75X2e407d62MZNpG9YEgdXthxKwHOjnzg3mpyOYWORwFVwZyp11Wy5tGedHPNEFRQS-98tV6OcFg5nIkkjD/s320/IMG_20170703_130640716.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0vKyOK3kZN07xHZbJb5txNPoybxElSqz0Hqa1Vrux4WKbhXeZxw9vy8Apbjv0y5I-MmgZgUf-m-8xPtS_mlpA3lXovFw1f6U8VnysNIc51LnRumcQTVWCNUwzhq9EAe-2QIULQw9hPDD/s1600/IMG_20170703_130759445_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0vKyOK3kZN07xHZbJb5txNPoybxElSqz0Hqa1Vrux4WKbhXeZxw9vy8Apbjv0y5I-MmgZgUf-m-8xPtS_mlpA3lXovFw1f6U8VnysNIc51LnRumcQTVWCNUwzhq9EAe-2QIULQw9hPDD/s320/IMG_20170703_130759445_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">This house was clearly renovated and not sure about it's date but so cute!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKA7qUblfSNNPI_eYwZlbhqNYUjr2nP8FXbqHPgcE6T4LP98MWHfJN25syFcfOqg4k4UkOIxf57jDiv4fO5I1KAobj90e7bmAzjDku0xclPYicrJ37kkK54jkmAi7ctO3DOZUfk-1dTsk/s1600/IMG_20170703_130814610_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKA7qUblfSNNPI_eYwZlbhqNYUjr2nP8FXbqHPgcE6T4LP98MWHfJN25syFcfOqg4k4UkOIxf57jDiv4fO5I1KAobj90e7bmAzjDku0xclPYicrJ37kkK54jkmAi7ctO3DOZUfk-1dTsk/s320/IMG_20170703_130814610_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqviQdeOjl3fANxa67pOYiPspcG6ZGl_zjexu3FdON1GCihEWrjsEicx8bk04M3xENOSVjbwdY8lH6qABkSyXzJmjGuZH76KD_UrKTM7nledva1NXTFvl6f3BpMFscOfpVqyNOFeqnyroV/s1600/IMG_20170703_130912124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqviQdeOjl3fANxa67pOYiPspcG6ZGl_zjexu3FdON1GCihEWrjsEicx8bk04M3xENOSVjbwdY8lH6qABkSyXzJmjGuZH76KD_UrKTM7nledva1NXTFvl6f3BpMFscOfpVqyNOFeqnyroV/s320/IMG_20170703_130912124.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Not sure when this was built but look at the crown molding below!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CquNnlduojImCM97d-DWzLt7H3uaNsMrUf6joKu4Dw3IF30uyAYXu8XsLenw85mKndeYBZb90cShQev4Ue5djmeiW-0g4N-ZHd-qYpMyVFV3_8xhyBaK_QYxQR6-5l92y8JniiTDHxzL/s1600/IMG_20170703_130925318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CquNnlduojImCM97d-DWzLt7H3uaNsMrUf6joKu4Dw3IF30uyAYXu8XsLenw85mKndeYBZb90cShQev4Ue5djmeiW-0g4N-ZHd-qYpMyVFV3_8xhyBaK_QYxQR6-5l92y8JniiTDHxzL/s320/IMG_20170703_130925318.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRPoXzB_WXvFCGEbA7lF6cbBwkQvidDq_89Wup1hPS28kFc4f9YVLhjO_VikQdHH8VbbrI808h8jzJ0P7fnm2pxEoPHLw0ZEBYIm4fH3S2PIWhRdCLSFEwobpZBMiCsJGhtT7HARvFLBK/s1600/IMG_20170703_130915715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRPoXzB_WXvFCGEbA7lF6cbBwkQvidDq_89Wup1hPS28kFc4f9YVLhjO_VikQdHH8VbbrI808h8jzJ0P7fnm2pxEoPHLw0ZEBYIm4fH3S2PIWhRdCLSFEwobpZBMiCsJGhtT7HARvFLBK/s320/IMG_20170703_130915715.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.ci.blaine.wa.us/135/History" style="text-align: center;">Blaine, Washington</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpQmKahcqI-mwW83tK4rGXF7ComG61cUox-1vLSUtLLV5F6zYfQXGICPTVaaOB0YjMiwB-82mXTxXbEVb8QqY8A5700qCTXEqvbAhIU0fUm9do8Hp9JXkdK-KSPJ1_1gCkCKGqOOi5eiu/s1600/IMG_20170610_150103737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpQmKahcqI-mwW83tK4rGXF7ComG61cUox-1vLSUtLLV5F6zYfQXGICPTVaaOB0YjMiwB-82mXTxXbEVb8QqY8A5700qCTXEqvbAhIU0fUm9do8Hp9JXkdK-KSPJ1_1gCkCKGqOOi5eiu/s320/IMG_20170610_150103737.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIX2LCNct05ABXH9WLY1FHqBfYvE8q73MaVIT8BtbkJQV56zvnupFmd0U6I0wujJ5NwbSQ1iJYbdc-fQVJIkf3GTYn0r26oFxt80Z5wGJEqCUYdKgnOY7NWEJlMWQSns0YwIw74R8Unx8/s1600/IMG_20170610_150039963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIX2LCNct05ABXH9WLY1FHqBfYvE8q73MaVIT8BtbkJQV56zvnupFmd0U6I0wujJ5NwbSQ1iJYbdc-fQVJIkf3GTYn0r26oFxt80Z5wGJEqCUYdKgnOY7NWEJlMWQSns0YwIw74R8Unx8/s320/IMG_20170610_150039963.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiUFzQCxZdqHy9ygiHROcfVwxUMUltpZdb8DWhGZ6OR165S77xitVKBN2GrLtmeGp7yvVBdwXJ3Bo2fExd07qTmmAb7nM2LhCgvjBlhKH2K5mLdeoH2ikaz6r3b-LptGBLPgMpYGyOZNb/s1600/IMG_20170610_150006022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiUFzQCxZdqHy9ygiHROcfVwxUMUltpZdb8DWhGZ6OR165S77xitVKBN2GrLtmeGp7yvVBdwXJ3Bo2fExd07qTmmAb7nM2LhCgvjBlhKH2K5mLdeoH2ikaz6r3b-LptGBLPgMpYGyOZNb/s320/IMG_20170610_150006022.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvg9f6xJY8BbbOtQoi2AbjyA7Fmweup6OfTaGIaW_CGSARth_SI-nXpQRSTpgsr_1fziz5POM9g4-JQsY6MVtBXEpi7D29B-m52qqLt5hqhr5Oqv4ZuZBFUVq20oGJDKNCLaQJ8GeLF6nN/s1600/IMG_20170610_150153638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvg9f6xJY8BbbOtQoi2AbjyA7Fmweup6OfTaGIaW_CGSARth_SI-nXpQRSTpgsr_1fziz5POM9g4-JQsY6MVtBXEpi7D29B-m52qqLt5hqhr5Oqv4ZuZBFUVq20oGJDKNCLaQJ8GeLF6nN/s320/IMG_20170610_150153638.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k9BOnIoPVpVV-Yd-1LaeCctTR6SlA7nFB_3Q-aAO1jqjwOz143agEhIpJQabHhCRC4XBhjtPw72hG8RlaRVKn_hyHO2QzL93npQL9pJr-6ZlBo8o_HSWi30C5biFadWv-khOaHIvV6-e/s1600/IMG_20170610_151725279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k9BOnIoPVpVV-Yd-1LaeCctTR6SlA7nFB_3Q-aAO1jqjwOz143agEhIpJQabHhCRC4XBhjtPw72hG8RlaRVKn_hyHO2QzL93npQL9pJr-6ZlBo8o_HSWi30C5biFadWv-khOaHIvV6-e/s320/IMG_20170610_151725279.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Cute!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pK9N-NI3QLMIcUYI09E5qumgWa1YKaX_BS9bOsGAZRBrveVLHKD3o69Ues7PISih3lqBzY6bA-y5bycSsUeOVJWyHjJFq5dVY8cfH0A5jBxWcc1p-fYQ93wZCivSRTwHRlX5TVGsVAbE/s1600/IMG_20170610_152629375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pK9N-NI3QLMIcUYI09E5qumgWa1YKaX_BS9bOsGAZRBrveVLHKD3o69Ues7PISih3lqBzY6bA-y5bycSsUeOVJWyHjJFq5dVY8cfH0A5jBxWcc1p-fYQ93wZCivSRTwHRlX5TVGsVAbE/s320/IMG_20170610_152629375.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">This house might not look super Victorian but it has<br />
a plaque stating that it dates back to 1902 as pictured below.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDt_hpJOL2HuwAcnSN8-EIxto2nvH97FtIvq0SEAdAwXwzWB3A6cHfkbuZcu4ND3LogAm29XAtFSHxdaTsbcxONBsqjFs9M3R34B7Zf60DdjYXjdMguE4p6l_aBdcHNgkKbq0v2FwoNNd/s1600/blaine+house+cropped+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1116" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDt_hpJOL2HuwAcnSN8-EIxto2nvH97FtIvq0SEAdAwXwzWB3A6cHfkbuZcu4ND3LogAm29XAtFSHxdaTsbcxONBsqjFs9M3R34B7Zf60DdjYXjdMguE4p6l_aBdcHNgkKbq0v2FwoNNd/s320/blaine+house+cropped+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.historylink.org/File/8393">Lynden, Washington</a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbCrFjkWtCVq9-1KaLJ2OU6xsvwer72ZNlR4XTjRsF-SnsPPb4m2awKJJIgXxGCTU99ZTW-LGyqhP3qOPyr74MXkvr-2fGwytGGQirY0d29j7TCxKQZxWKwB1oZll1DOINMSm0A-9XX4N/s1600/IMG_20170604_153642601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbCrFjkWtCVq9-1KaLJ2OU6xsvwer72ZNlR4XTjRsF-SnsPPb4m2awKJJIgXxGCTU99ZTW-LGyqhP3qOPyr74MXkvr-2fGwytGGQirY0d29j7TCxKQZxWKwB1oZll1DOINMSm0A-9XX4N/s320/IMG_20170604_153642601.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">This house caught my eye because it's purple<br />
and has a bronze painted tower in the back as pictured below.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVWkUd0un7u_Bj4ZS6xGs3Qll5zsnnlFKwnWn9lh0DJh4W60HikNlEYvlw6ZGDX9G3Orh6i0djtN43WlRUDHQR7yuB2j39UtnRMwsZ5nihP5dwQ4EweRq5tl1FQUQHFzi_AVlfV7cvmaz/s1600/IMG_20170604_153716061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVWkUd0un7u_Bj4ZS6xGs3Qll5zsnnlFKwnWn9lh0DJh4W60HikNlEYvlw6ZGDX9G3Orh6i0djtN43WlRUDHQR7yuB2j39UtnRMwsZ5nihP5dwQ4EweRq5tl1FQUQHFzi_AVlfV7cvmaz/s320/IMG_20170604_153716061.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAAE7W3gpbiVozt0H7Vp07IJ0s8C4rEreWgENRbPAyxoP_308QMnjKhNP6axtnPssmIaNZkxNOM86-ui8fsNFbDhk8ywey-BUci35x8okLz9_vDTF2n5Ns1gd1zt5Rwq42iGh8lAPGX80/s1600/IMG_20170604_153658100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAAE7W3gpbiVozt0H7Vp07IJ0s8C4rEreWgENRbPAyxoP_308QMnjKhNP6axtnPssmIaNZkxNOM86-ui8fsNFbDhk8ywey-BUci35x8okLz9_vDTF2n5Ns1gd1zt5Rwq42iGh8lAPGX80/s320/IMG_20170604_153658100.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=31">Admiralty Head Lighthouse</a> at<br />
<a href="http://parks.state.wa.us/505/Fort-Casey">Fort Casey</a> on <a href="http://whidbeyisland.us/all-about-whidbey-island/">Whidbey Island</a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjJVV9r46G_3TUXWDcllT5LvZ6hcm2DrqVd9Z-v04pUZR3ZHm8bcxbnFA-eS5uGfaFrBjUc152ZhpWI5MjxIUeuf55m00Sa1Tr8p3J1ww8ZH9iT-PeTy95lRqWszvM10KsZk4bskRrDDw/s1600/IMG_20170708_173830322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjJVV9r46G_3TUXWDcllT5LvZ6hcm2DrqVd9Z-v04pUZR3ZHm8bcxbnFA-eS5uGfaFrBjUc152ZhpWI5MjxIUeuf55m00Sa1Tr8p3J1ww8ZH9iT-PeTy95lRqWszvM10KsZk4bskRrDDw/s320/IMG_20170708_173830322.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">This misty photo was taken while leaving Fort Casey<br />
but it's definitely Whidbey Island.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqz4N554J4w9GYatNVet8Jd3C2pTT2reLRPy6a-czpUO4kZ1SCHCEU0cXDDfx8VOs1pL3d0e7KkFL_RvYXqU5X-zFjlX8CZJkwrk7yAYRANoK4oOkJY9BqbTNl6sEfZiQhWlKNtTzYY_v/s1600/IMG_20170708_174544531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqz4N554J4w9GYatNVet8Jd3C2pTT2reLRPy6a-czpUO4kZ1SCHCEU0cXDDfx8VOs1pL3d0e7KkFL_RvYXqU5X-zFjlX8CZJkwrk7yAYRANoK4oOkJY9BqbTNl6sEfZiQhWlKNtTzYY_v/s320/IMG_20170708_174544531.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoqmvw22Fwqff9Rk-CaXMjFPc4dH7KWPWFlOJ4olMMkpdubK3SSdCnPTzpqjy23Ad87BC9mgVDaLs08BjFcWL28CQSRWQ_FQNiNubQWqGP8CIMeeTlGxh5FTb78GOce6E1scphYmKloXD/s1600/IMG_20170708_174745229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoqmvw22Fwqff9Rk-CaXMjFPc4dH7KWPWFlOJ4olMMkpdubK3SSdCnPTzpqjy23Ad87BC9mgVDaLs08BjFcWL28CQSRWQ_FQNiNubQWqGP8CIMeeTlGxh5FTb78GOce6E1scphYmKloXD/s320/IMG_20170708_174745229.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIJLJS9btZWx-N3WmWmqeUlWKHlVhYuLRcwO80sqnr0kPwlVShVSlO8ltw2a7OxqWUU6RSv3UuBYx0LgSzdxer_QWy8cqCtOUSfW4JEyYGWvVVgiw7Ul0yPhygzhtVJia-jAfgQjeIVAc/s1600/IMG_20170708_174607244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIJLJS9btZWx-N3WmWmqeUlWKHlVhYuLRcwO80sqnr0kPwlVShVSlO8ltw2a7OxqWUU6RSv3UuBYx0LgSzdxer_QWy8cqCtOUSfW4JEyYGWvVVgiw7Ul0yPhygzhtVJia-jAfgQjeIVAc/s320/IMG_20170708_174607244.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGME3x8NVuEGeKQ6FfYj5ti3B_4yFcxfMFOquZ32gtPliHEw-Yr95UyvPEaTfc52t1b4srvzL3EBq7zypYe0Wr7Y24eDZdftb_sEmppP5R7vT5EjEE_OqtoL90eXOvdf0OoxclXKLnA2j/s1600/IMG_20170708_174710706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGME3x8NVuEGeKQ6FfYj5ti3B_4yFcxfMFOquZ32gtPliHEw-Yr95UyvPEaTfc52t1b4srvzL3EBq7zypYe0Wr7Y24eDZdftb_sEmppP5R7vT5EjEE_OqtoL90eXOvdf0OoxclXKLnA2j/s320/IMG_20170708_174710706.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">They were closed by the time we got there (whoops)<br />
but I got a pic of the spiral staircase through the window, just for you!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
Coupeville (a picturesque town on Whidbey Island)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL74ytwnPShcMkLn3jmK2hFcAwMsxG3p9WL5zckLct1u70ZsLFmJw9gSKxoLXRf3mj5WQLBHILlDfZjBmms0FakW2txFtMfXYmX89rZxWqyqj8ueTG3iEsPhQ78PjMJutkRQdtk9uWw_pV/s1600/IMG_20170708_181921520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL74ytwnPShcMkLn3jmK2hFcAwMsxG3p9WL5zckLct1u70ZsLFmJw9gSKxoLXRf3mj5WQLBHILlDfZjBmms0FakW2txFtMfXYmX89rZxWqyqj8ueTG3iEsPhQ78PjMJutkRQdtk9uWw_pV/s320/IMG_20170708_181921520.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Notice the sign to the right. It's for sale!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTF8GLLVzL1_OBiUW7vjHi4a_RGw19miecE0qIoUkYtzAg7nls4wK6jQXZshkW0niIERN-ONbu8Gu6cWMYnh4VoT3SSkuHYgDiaQ0A2hEblZJguNmMUDco8P6gO1-tXyq3KXe1YV20S3Td/s1600/IMG_20170708_181621135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTF8GLLVzL1_OBiUW7vjHi4a_RGw19miecE0qIoUkYtzAg7nls4wK6jQXZshkW0niIERN-ONbu8Gu6cWMYnh4VoT3SSkuHYgDiaQ0A2hEblZJguNmMUDco8P6gO1-tXyq3KXe1YV20S3Td/s320/IMG_20170708_181621135.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzOGaPqnhCRvgX2lVetDdv7FTwSA0asByFBxM03VpUhdmRNmSy3gkAohJ5TiTSz967u6qL2kMv3UxB5fT7lJUc75PxLapfm1cQxQlOfNcU8m0OLnAk20hBN4E0FEiBMCmHMTeOTryPcCt/s1600/IMG_20170708_145209091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzOGaPqnhCRvgX2lVetDdv7FTwSA0asByFBxM03VpUhdmRNmSy3gkAohJ5TiTSz967u6qL2kMv3UxB5fT7lJUc75PxLapfm1cQxQlOfNcU8m0OLnAk20hBN4E0FEiBMCmHMTeOTryPcCt/s320/IMG_20170708_145209091.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBrtYME0gY2ungPOVThDckC_3JRcetty6zrFWGzreDi39HOiEKQjWPhiBHT48LNqKyYoECaB1Z7AUk5RerC50gdV1bMel-ApyNscbS5hOSxD5d66q5_XTIwtW8mctyUqSjjYw8wxup6i3/s1600/IMG_20170708_145212919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBrtYME0gY2ungPOVThDckC_3JRcetty6zrFWGzreDi39HOiEKQjWPhiBHT48LNqKyYoECaB1Z7AUk5RerC50gdV1bMel-ApyNscbS5hOSxD5d66q5_XTIwtW8mctyUqSjjYw8wxup6i3/s320/IMG_20170708_145212919.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">It's a BNB!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYodDZnNQCxvDlR-YAkMq1TzEujbgclnMjddEc-nHW-FR6MwRrN4YtA6oWVMBaa_GerSbbhjsQzYld4NVgki5NA1X5qJ7u-jO-z7Kzmj44BgRR9MHRJ5MYGi-3ATY7M2qPJ549xDDPRAP/s1600/IMG_20170708_145219890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYodDZnNQCxvDlR-YAkMq1TzEujbgclnMjddEc-nHW-FR6MwRrN4YtA6oWVMBaa_GerSbbhjsQzYld4NVgki5NA1X5qJ7u-jO-z7Kzmj44BgRR9MHRJ5MYGi-3ATY7M2qPJ549xDDPRAP/s320/IMG_20170708_145219890.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6g6lGtEPPKfNJMbaZKNqsxOnejZfVRgVwQFzWKabqxhPxDbcJKAJuOBTYuyx-oOZWEkl3gcKmKHp_qu5Um0W-3IgAog9hQCDZ8hbLVMvjeSFecWBhJqZCWk-VdxbU_Jp3NQOQbtDMMhjk/s1600/IMG_20170708_145648376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6g6lGtEPPKfNJMbaZKNqsxOnejZfVRgVwQFzWKabqxhPxDbcJKAJuOBTYuyx-oOZWEkl3gcKmKHp_qu5Um0W-3IgAog9hQCDZ8hbLVMvjeSFecWBhJqZCWk-VdxbU_Jp3NQOQbtDMMhjk/s320/IMG_20170708_145648376.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Also a BNB.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wN7EeOcnex5JgbEflLxwXurU_4HkjZBSsvKlrmJu8ZCP3kq1j-SSoU7QzeCRt56i7gxwMr-wbvaOD7yw3TYDhxfnqUEINcFM-UJoQxT0TWptceaxF6cY4K6H2ZBzkM4jUVxiVgft_zA9/s1600/IMG_20170708_145918054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wN7EeOcnex5JgbEflLxwXurU_4HkjZBSsvKlrmJu8ZCP3kq1j-SSoU7QzeCRt56i7gxwMr-wbvaOD7yw3TYDhxfnqUEINcFM-UJoQxT0TWptceaxF6cY4K6H2ZBzkM4jUVxiVgft_zA9/s320/IMG_20170708_145918054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0OhCbUZeDl-ov7g_tuMfDsfD0Ee4f_p1Zw9d5hURkRbK_foLlRETVozjrFo9M7dYirAiUOVUtoYbIxshm_avt489J1-RxWBUujDEKQuqSA9gycWKlk7yrYbdHCOp57oOoyJbL1Cz4RSh/s1600/cropped+pin+coupeville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1488" data-original-width="1312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0OhCbUZeDl-ov7g_tuMfDsfD0Ee4f_p1Zw9d5hURkRbK_foLlRETVozjrFo9M7dYirAiUOVUtoYbIxshm_avt489J1-RxWBUujDEKQuqSA9gycWKlk7yrYbdHCOp57oOoyJbL1Cz4RSh/s320/cropped+pin+coupeville.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Is that another for sale sign? Ooooo!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Hope you enjoyed these Victorians! </div>
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-28294348449745765902017-03-21T11:17:00.001-07:002017-03-21T11:17:05.378-07:00What Early Readers Are Saying About The Binding of Saint Barbara<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>Before I get to the feedback, I'd like to give you a brief update on the status of The Binding of Saint Barbara. It is finished and ready to begin the publishing process but for various reasons I am attempting to pitch to agents and publishers before going directly to indie publishing again. Unfortunately, the process of pitching agents and editors is can take a lot of time, so I'm still in the waiting phase. I'll keep you updated on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/carrollbooks" target="_blank">social media </a>and via the <a href="http://eepurl.com/bDysUj" target="_blank">newsletter</a> so make sure you are <a href="http://eepurl.com/bDysUj" target="_blank">subscribed</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/carrollbooks" target="_blank">follow me</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Now for early reader feedback:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBtA4XfHkdHqKvL2t8eFEbgaQHyZa3jf2ewAl0rgoHuAOgo4ssBuk0epzXry0fal25pT3Cx4n9_DB_Jh9W8KSdpmRU54gKwBeyi0G2ThOpCkpkcTP2Io84G1i9a2i8da1uoh1aRmfw1I/s1600/kincheloe.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBtA4XfHkdHqKvL2t8eFEbgaQHyZa3jf2ewAl0rgoHuAOgo4ssBuk0epzXry0fal25pT3Cx4n9_DB_Jh9W8KSdpmRU54gKwBeyi0G2ThOpCkpkcTP2Io84G1i9a2i8da1uoh1aRmfw1I/s200/kincheloe.webp" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jennifer Kincheloe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"Stephanie Carroll spins a mesmerizing tale of love,
captivity, the power of death, and the depths of memory. This is a vivid,
fascinating, thought-provoking book. I couldn't put it down and can't wait to
read it again." <i>—<a href="http://www.jenniferkincheloe.com/my-books" target="_blank">Jennifer Kincheloe</a>, award winning author of The Secret
Life of Anna Blanc and The Woman in the Camphor Trunk. </i></div>
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It’s a book that I would read again and again. It was a page turner. It’s one of those books that when I sit down to read it, I get frustrated when I have to stop and do something else. —<i>Laura Jones </i></div>
<div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
… right around the 50% mark it
picked up like an avalanche and I couldn’t put it down. I finished the whole
second half in one night. … I loved the gothic atmosphere and the historical
events. I love learning about things I don’t know about. —<i><a href="https://nicoleevelina.com/the-books/" target="_blank">Nicole Evelina</a>, award winning author of Madame Presidentess and other novels.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFohaQeMtItiJeC561hqCNhZsOtFC9eJ3MzYK-8l3q83Eo7JvfA6_6idwGH7WvRZ6rpt099NMW0egujF6qsBKUYmRocmEF8R2_j8XzfzaaP1SIOOniGNPj06uEdq0BSlbdBa_s0i0VoOWo/s1600/nicole+bio+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFohaQeMtItiJeC561hqCNhZsOtFC9eJ3MzYK-8l3q83Eo7JvfA6_6idwGH7WvRZ6rpt099NMW0egujF6qsBKUYmRocmEF8R2_j8XzfzaaP1SIOOniGNPj06uEdq0BSlbdBa_s0i0VoOWo/s200/nicole+bio+pic.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicole Evelina</td></tr>
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</i></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I really enjoyed the story
itself, very unusual to what I normally read. I liked that it filled multiple
genres: mystery, fantasy, coming of age. . . . I was swept up into the story
half way through the first chapter. –<i>Krystal
Andersen</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByhe1UKW3bFebsNuaowX8qGzmPJgTCgd21XMG4IjQvPSUD0pWUYlpxt9eobTtMzu4T5h_lXIvtBll1QEFIjL81bgOilVQmvN2YmS6YLQegH8_xHs6m-NiIt97SAmm6HR4CvA8bjCAjmY/s1600/Allison+Hiltz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByhe1UKW3bFebsNuaowX8qGzmPJgTCgd21XMG4IjQvPSUD0pWUYlpxt9eobTtMzu4T5h_lXIvtBll1QEFIjL81bgOilVQmvN2YmS6YLQegH8_xHs6m-NiIt97SAmm6HR4CvA8bjCAjmY/s200/Allison+Hiltz.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allison Hiltz</td></tr>
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I liked that <i>The Binding of Saint Barbara</i> adds dimension to a dark topic, allowing the reader to circle around the moral complexities of the nation’s first electrocution without forcing a particular reaction. <i>—<a href="http://www.thebookwheelblog.com/about/" target="_blank">Allison Hiltz</a>, founder of The Book Wheel Blog & The 30 Authors Event and </i><i>Candidate for Aurora City Council</i><i>.</i></div>
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Stephanie Carroll's ability to portray Victorian characters never fails to impress, and her portrayal of the historical events leading up to the controversial first death by electrocution was nothing less than gripping all the way up to the final heart-wrenching moments. <i>–Rene Miller Parades, Instructor of History, West Hills College </i><br />
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[Stephanie] did such a great job with [the villain]. I really fell for it. I thought he was genuine and then WHAM! He’s such a sick bastard and you are so talented for making him so twisted! (Actually, I may be a little afraid of you now.) —<i>Nicole Evelina, award winning author of Madame Presidentess and other novels.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u><i>THE BINDING OF SAINT BARBARA </i></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">(In Progress)</span></div>
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Inspired by and set amidst one of the most controversial decisions in American history—the first death by electrocution—<i>The Binding of Saint Barbara</i> follows the story of the people who came to know, fear, and love the condemned ax-murderer during the year he awaited his death in Auburn Prison in 1890 New York.</div>
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Charlotte Durston hasn’t stepped outside the walls of the castle-like fortress of Auburn Prison since she was a child. Her overprotective father, the warden, makes sure everything she needs is provided, so she has no need to go out nor does she have a need to interact with the inmates until now. At seventeen, she is desperate for a normal life and for people to treat her like an adult. Her parents agree to send her to Bernard College in Manhattan where she can have a proper coming out in society, but first she must prove she is responsible and can manage herself even around the worst sort of people.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Her father tasks her with ministering to the newest inmate, the first man condemned to the electric chair. However, in an effort to impress the man she loves, Guard Daniel McNaughton, Charlotte gets too close to the cell, and the prisoner reaches through the bars and strangles her until she loses consciousness. The trauma should have ended when Daniel pried the prisoner’s fingers from her throat, but from then on, Charlotte is plagued by panic attacks intermingled with flashes of memory—someone leading her through a lightning storm in the middle of the night.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Charlotte is still determined to leave her cloistered life and begs for another chance, but the next inmate she meets not only has information that could determine the outcome of the electrocution appeal and save the man who tried to kill her, he also knows something about Charlotte, a secret about a lightning storm that happened over ten years ago. As the memories become ever more vivid, Charlotte realizes that night is the answer to why she cannot break free from her prison and that it must hold the key to her escape.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Experience one of the most controversial decisions in American history – the world’s first death by electrocution – through the eyes of those who witnessed it and the man who endured it.</span><span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Incorporating historical newspaper articles and the battle between Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and Nikola Tesla—Stephanie Carroll mesmerizes readers by interweaving history and intrigue to create a seamless exploration of the good and evil in us all.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>A Little More About the Characters </u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>in <i>The Binding of Saint Barbara</i></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Experience one of the most controversial decisions in American history – the world’s first death by electrocution – through the eyes of those who witnessed it and the man who endured it.</span><span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><b>Charlotte Durston</b> is a prisoner in New York’s Auburn Prison – but she isn’t a criminal, she’s the warden’s daughter. Under the thumb of highly moralistic parents, she hasn’t stepped outside the walls of the castle-like fortress since she was a child. It’s for her protection, or so they say, but at 17, Charlotte is desperate for a normal life in the adult world. In order to prove herself, she sets about ministering to the newest inmate, the first man condemned to the electric chair, a good deed she will come to sorely regret.</span><span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><b>Guard Daniel McNaughton </b>sees everything from his post outside Kemmler’s cell. Though slowly falling for the one woman he’s forbidden to love, he can’t deny the oddness of Charlotte’s bloody fingers or the ghosts in her eyes, nor can he turn a blind eye to the unsavory advances of one of the inmates toward her. He is also all too aware of the war within the warden’s family and the battle going on in Kemmler’s soul. As he fights to help the condemned man find salvation, Daniel also confronts his own weaknesses, praying to find the strength and steel to protect those he loves. </span><span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><b>William Kemmler</b> is the first man to walk through the prison’s gates who will not leave again. Fighting an addiction to alcohol, a looming death sentence and his own personal demons, he unwittingly sets off a chain of events that not only determines his chances at redemption, but leads Charlotte down a dark path of visions and panic attacks intermingled with flashes of memory that may or may not be real, causing everyone around her to question her sanity.</span><span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Warden Charles Durston</b> is posed to make history when as the first warden to oversee an electrocution, but a terrible secret from his past haunts him as he fights for the legality of this so-called “humane” method of execution. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Inmate Michael Bradley </b><span style="background-color: white;">is a survivor. Struck by lightning as a boy, he is more than he seems. This two-bit con man has information that could determine the outcome of the electrocution appeal and knows something about Charlotte, a secret that is key to why she can’t break free from her prison. As the only person that holds the key to her escape, he wields more power than anyone suspects – a position he intends to use to his full advantage.</span></div>
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<o:p><b>Gertrude Durston</b>, has spent her life serving the less fortunate within the cold stone walls of Auburn Prison, and she has gained a level of authority she values more than she even realizes, but she is ready to risk it all. She is so determined to save William Kemmler's soul that she is ready to sacrifice anything, including her marriage and public ridicule by breaking a prisoner out of Auburn Prison so he can testify on Kemmler's behalf.</o:p></div>
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<o:p>The actions of these individuals will not only change the course of history but the course of each of their lives.</o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.8px;">Read about the </span><a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/02/the-history-behind-my-novel-in-progress.html" style="line-height: 20.8px;">history of the first death by electrocution!</a></span></div>
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-3497945795246643312017-02-28T13:41:00.001-08:002017-02-28T13:41:42.708-08:00Join Me on an RV Adventure through History!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S5Bh-JPFwGk?list=PL6MukZ25xsdKmFsBhYwjQRCUKlRde4Pi4" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;">Our lab Raja in the RV.<br />She loves the captain seat.</td></tr>
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This video is the first of many that my husband and I have been making in preparation for our RV adventure, which will involve us visiting a variety of locations that are of significance to Gilded Age & Victorian history up the west coast from Southern California to the Northern part of Washington. We are doing this as a fun part of us moving from Cali to Washington.<br />
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However, we don't like to do things in the most easiest or normal ways, so instead we got a used RV and renovated it. This video is a walk-through that shows you the before renovation. If you want to skip ahead, this video is linked to 17 more videos detailing the renovation and moving process. I'm going to share more of these videos in the coming weeks on this blog and my Unhinged Historian blog, but not every single one because I think our adventure in history is going to be of more interest to you.<br />
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Still, I want to get you caught up on what's been going on and what we've been doing for the last year because it's why you haven't heard much from me as of late.<br />
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Also, here is a little timeline to help you keep track of what's going on:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemDrPOk0aPKGsfBO-am2VCUMl3EQ1TPZg5g1ul3Y40D3fXVmmAqJta93kbOwAHlARDiPCMexnDbIVcIjSMydJd-3eXATihwc1ZFSQr7WcqgKY4oTDgaRJjLBc86m2rB1Ic1hHkxBtwosl/s1600/13227792_10205488828734717_1375761719256765522_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemDrPOk0aPKGsfBO-am2VCUMl3EQ1TPZg5g1ul3Y40D3fXVmmAqJta93kbOwAHlARDiPCMexnDbIVcIjSMydJd-3eXATihwc1ZFSQr7WcqgKY4oTDgaRJjLBc86m2rB1Ic1hHkxBtwosl/s320/13227792_10205488828734717_1375761719256765522_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;">Picture from a trip to Northern Washington</td></tr>
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<b>April 2016</b><br />
My husband decided to leave his job, and we realized it was the first time he wasn't in the military and wasn't tied down to a job, so we could actually go wherever <b><u>we </u></b>wanted (which we've never done in our entire adult lives). After much discussion of climate, culture and nearby family members, we chose Northern Washington.<br />
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From April to August we did a lot to our house to make it ready to put up for sale while my husband finished up his degree in computer software engineering and I finished up my second novel. At this point, my husband didn't try to get another job in the area where we lived because we had his GI Bill while he attended college. Besides, we expected to leave relatively soon, so he didn't feel it was ethical to start a new job when he would have to quit in a few months.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrDPL4tKanKSiDSIfftU6KHsk8VSN98qSlPz4ps5upOQb1heGOKr4wQ5ZsySOhLLLnPktvR7TTPyYsOWGH2_-CiSG_m4P0bn2YmZP7UQpc4QjfR0UupfbKo1DKvFXRZmCymKfQOP2VT-H/s1600/12795295_10204964129497564_4154521519688392945_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrDPL4tKanKSiDSIfftU6KHsk8VSN98qSlPz4ps5upOQb1heGOKr4wQ5ZsySOhLLLnPktvR7TTPyYsOWGH2_-CiSG_m4P0bn2YmZP7UQpc4QjfR0UupfbKo1DKvFXRZmCymKfQOP2VT-H/s400/12795295_10204964129497564_4154521519688392945_n.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;">We completely renovated two bathrooms,<br />put in a new shower and claw-foot tub. </td></tr>
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<b><br />August 2016</b><br />
We listed our house expecting to sell it in a month and head up to Washington by October. My husband had also started the process of applying for jobs in Washington.<br />
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<b>September 2016</b><br />
Nothing. No one wanted the house; we weren't even getting walk-through's and no one had offered my husband a job in Washington despite many phone interviews. We lowered the price of the house, and told ourselves it would be okay but for how long? My husband graduated from college that month, which was great but it meant we no longer would receive a chunk of GI Bill cash that was keeping us from depleting our accounts. I decided to get a job and started doing marketing part time for a small car dealership.<br />
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<b>October 2016</b><br />
Still nothing. We started getting worried. We were just hemorrhaging money. Of course my husband was now actively looking for jobs in Washington and had several companies fly him out for interviews. Unfortunately, it turned out he's at this point in his career where he can move up from being a supervisor to a manager, but he doesn't have enough experience for people to be interested in giving him a full moving package. We lowered our price again. We also started to freak out but just a smidge.<br />
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<b>November 2016</b><br />
Okay, by this point we had started to panic a little. We lowered the price again, and we hoped the end of the election season would end the freeze on house-buying. Apparently, house sales go down around elections of new presidents because people fear things will change radically, especially with the political opponents of 2016. We started to get more views but still very little action.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_H1wMnKOb6r3zG1qyrL1CgPupZfVx61tjhtI3kFmSdwCJasA0IcdzpZF89RoX_F4Bilo_EAfp_KwdqnkOgqpqtJn6hGy7kkXcUWZJsLYFAEbZ8zfAxHqDFbdKC3CcBnYLfg1JY5_QlqJ/s1600/16711608_10207310909485597_6304531021259582638_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_H1wMnKOb6r3zG1qyrL1CgPupZfVx61tjhtI3kFmSdwCJasA0IcdzpZF89RoX_F4Bilo_EAfp_KwdqnkOgqpqtJn6hGy7kkXcUWZJsLYFAEbZ8zfAxHqDFbdKC3CcBnYLfg1JY5_QlqJ/s400/16711608_10207310909485597_6304531021259582638_n.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;">This was my poor husband after he'd done<br />a full day of repairs underneath the house.</td></tr>
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<b>December 2016</b><br />
The holidays. No one was even looking, and we were really unsure as to how to proceed. We started talking about my husband throwing in the towel and getting a job come the new year. Then suddenly one day somebody literally showed up on our doorstep wanting to buy our house out right, no inspections or anything. We thought we were saved, but then it turned out to be a total low-ball and the individual refused to negotiate.<br />
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<b>January 2017</b><br />
Right after the low-ball experience and right after Christmas, we got the miracle from Jesus that we were praying for. Someone put in a serious offer, and we went into escrow after lowering our price like five times over six months. It was a really difficult and stressful process because by this point were were seriously almost out of money but we had to pay for various repairs and issues that came up during the inspection process.<br />
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<b>February 2017</b><br />
Nevertheless, we closed escrow February 24, and headed to Southern California to spend a couple of weeks with some of our family before heading up to Washington. Thankfully we got a little money from the sale, so we are no longer freaking out financially and are just praising God and Jesus for getting us through this.<br />
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This is where we are at in the process as I'm writing this post so what's next?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMc25-kJKoZsLxrHfcc97RWPgRuIOnTTweN8FQAkEGFpqsPGeRF-kBsiktQodeUkkEIf_3qv2Z8TPrdgnq2V3uhYtd0nPxAWFl5wLojV05zaNWgkYr_oVZH23ezv-0brOerLdBXZNicSLr/s1600/16266253_10207161121740997_962740994291594137_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMc25-kJKoZsLxrHfcc97RWPgRuIOnTTweN8FQAkEGFpqsPGeRF-kBsiktQodeUkkEIf_3qv2Z8TPrdgnq2V3uhYtd0nPxAWFl5wLojV05zaNWgkYr_oVZH23ezv-0brOerLdBXZNicSLr/s320/16266253_10207161121740997_962740994291594137_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;">This was from right after we signed the escrow papers.</td></tr>
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<b><u>Our Plans for the next few months:</u></b><br />
<b>March 2017 </b><br />
We are going to visit family and make our final adjustments to the RV. Then we will start a two week journey up the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington hitting up beaches, forests, and historical landmarks of interest for the Victorian Era and Gilded Age in America.<br />
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I'm super excited and I hope you are too because I'm taking you on this journey with me!!!!!! So stay tuned!!!<br />
<br />Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-46040455948485416592017-01-14T17:08:00.000-08:002017-01-14T17:08:12.642-08:00Book Review: The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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<b>Official Book Description</b></div>
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<i>It's 1907 Los Angeles. Mischievous socialite Anna Blanc
is the kind of young woman who devours purloined crime novels—but must disguise
them behind covers of more lady-like books. She could match wits with Sherlock
Holmes, but in her world women are not allowed to hunt criminals. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Determined to break free of the era's rigid social roles,
Anna buys off the chaperone assigned by her domineering father and, using an
alias, takes a job as a police matron with the Los Angeles Police Department.
There she discovers a string of brothel murders, which the cops are unwilling
to investigate. Seizing her one chance to solve a crime, she takes on the
investigation herself. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>If the police find out, she'll get fired; if her father
finds out, he'll disown her; and if her fiancé finds out, he'll cancel the
wedding. Midway into her investigation, the police chief's son, Joe Singer,
learns her true identity. And shortly thereafter she learns about blackmail.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Anna must choose—either hunt the villain and risk losing
her father, fiancé, and wealth, or abandon her dream and leave the killer on
the loose.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>My Thoughts</b></div>
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I really, really enjoyed <i>The Secret Life of Anna Blanc.</i> It was a fun and an adorable romp into America’s Gilded Age Los Angeles. Author <a href="http://www.jenniferkincheloe.com/">Jennifer Kincheloe</a>
kept me constantly guessing, smiling, and laughing out loud – for real not just lol style. <o:p></o:p></div>
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First thing, as a Gilded Age historical novelist myself,
I was blown away by the unique history that went into this book, which is based on a real police matron. Kincheloe did a fantastic job of incorporating interesting historical details from turn of
the century LA, to the world of crime, to the inner workings of police matrons,
to the world of prostitution, to upper class fashion. It all ties back to setting, and I really enjoyed that as most Gilded Age and Victorian novels take place in New York or England - especially for crime and mystery novels. It's rare to get this kind of look at the West Coast without it being a western. </div>
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Kincheloe is also very talented at characterization. The
main character Anna Blanc is like a Scarlett O’hara type but even more
lovable. I don’t know how, but Kincheloe managed to make naivety,
self-absorption, and stubbornness into hilarious and again lovable traits! Anna
Blanc is also caring, tenacious, and especially daring. Building a character
like this really shows the skill of the author. Supporting characters were also
great fun, especially Joe who makes a perfect side-kick and romance. He’s
gritty and just a little bit bad. I loved him!</div>
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The overall story is exciting and interesting too, not to
mention really good at keeping you guessing. I don’t usually go for mysteries
or crime novels as I fear they will be predictable, but that was not the case
here. In fact this book is making me completely reevaluate my opinions of these types of books because this was so good! I was sure I knew who the bad
guy was, or that I had guessed who it was, at least once in my many attempts,
but in the end I was still surprised, not only by who but by how it perfectly
rounded out the plot. I was also intrigued in the side-plots, from the criminal
rapists (not the main murder mystery) to the question of Anna Blanc’s
engagement.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But what really made this story shine for me were the
little things. The use of language both historical and just in different
character’s voices was awesome. I loved that her side-kick, Joe, had this thing for
singing and that Anna shouted things like: “Oh biscuits!” and
“worse than a rattlesnake cupcake.” Then there was this ongoing thing that Anna
would say about “doing what any sensible woman would do in that situation” which
would be followed by something utterly hilarious!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I should also mention that I listened to the audio
version and the narrator Moira Quirk was quite talented. She did
all kinds of voices and accents that brought the story to life.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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All in all, I was really impressed with this book and how
much fun it was to read/listen to. Jennifer Kincheloe is a master of comedy,
character, plot, Gilded Age history, and especially writing. I cannot wait to
read the second installment in her Anna Blanc series! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><i>The Secret Life of Anna Blanc</i> is available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Anna-Blanc/dp/163388080X">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_hp_tseft?advsearchKeywords=the+secret+life+of+anna+blanc&filterby=field-keywords&x=0&y=0">Audible</a>, and wherever books are sold. Visit <a href="http://www.jenniferkincheloe.com/">Kincheloe's</a> website and join her email list to receive all kinds of unique historical books and goodies. </o:p> </div>
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<o:p><b>About the Author</b></o:p></div>
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Jennifer is a research scientist turned writer of
historical fiction. Her novels take place in 1900s Los Angeles among the police
matrons of the LAPD and combine, mystery, history, humor, and romance. Her
debut novel, THE SECRET LIFE OF ANNA BLANC was a finalist in the Lefty Awards
for Best Historical Mystery, The Colorado Author's League Award for Best Genre
Fiction, the Macavity Sue Feder Award for Historical Mystery, and is the WINNER
of the Colorado Gold for Best Mystery.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jennifer grew up in Southern California, but has traveled
to such places as Nicaragua, Ethiopia, and Papua New Guinea. She's been a block
layer, a nurse's aid, a fragrance model, and on the research faculty at UCLA,
where she spent 11 years conducting studies to inform health policy. Jennifer
currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and two teenagers, two
dogs, and a cat.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Visit Jennifer at <a href="http://www.jenniferkincheloe.com/">www.jenniferkincheloe.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.twitter.com/@jenkincheloe">@jenkincheloe</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/jrkincheloe">www.pinterest.com/jrkincheloe<o:p></o:p></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheSecretLifeofAnnaBlanc">www.facebook.com/TheSecretLifeofAnnaBlanc </a><o:p></o:p></div>
Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-42365486301985413512016-10-04T16:38:00.000-07:002016-10-04T20:35:25.121-07:00Historical Fiction Inspired by The 1872 First Female Presidential Candidate<div style="text-align: center;">
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Did you know that Hilary Clinton is not the first female presidential candidate??? Author Nicole Evelina did, so she wrote a book about it and she re-enacted it, so I couldn't pass up the chance to interview her just in time for the elections!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Interview with historical novelist Nicole Evelina author of <i>Madame Presidentess<o:p></o:p></i></span></b></div>
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Nicole Evelina is a multi-award-winning historical fiction and romantic comedy writer. Her most recent novel, <i>Madame Presidentess</i>, a historical novel about Victoria Woodhull, America’s first female Presidential candidate, was the first place winner in the Women’s US History category of the 2015 Chaucer Awards for Historical Fiction. She is also the author of romantic comedy <i>Been Searching for You</i> and award-winning historical fiction <i>Daughter of Destiny</i>, the first book of an Arthurian legend trilogy that tells Guinevere’s life story from her point of view.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://nicoleevelina.com/">https://nicoleevelina.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Victoria Woodhull is relatively unknown. What inspired you to write about her? How did you find out about her?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I learned about her by seeing a picture of her with an alluring caption on Pinterest, of all places. The caption said, “Known by her detractors as ‘Mrs. Satan,’ Victoria Claflin Woodhull, born in 1838, married at age fifteen to an alcoholic and womanizer. She became the first woman to establish a brokerage firm on Wall Street and played an active role in the woman's suffrage movement. She became the first woman to run for President of the United States in 1872. Her name is largely lost in history. Few recognize her name and accomplishments.” I immediately had to know more and began my research. I mean, any woman called “Mrs. Satan” is someone I have to get to know!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Why did you choose to write about her in particular?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Not only is Victoria fascinating, but the fact that she’s been nearly forgotten motivated me. As a historical fiction author, I’m attracted to the stories of people, especially women, who are in danger of being lost to the pages of history. Bringing those stories to light and making sure their heroines are remembered by future generations is my personal mission. I wanted to help get Victoria’s name back in the history books where it belongs. I also wanted to help people envision her as a living, breathing person in a way you can’t typically do in a historical text. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that she called my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, home for a while as well – in fact, it is where she met her second husband.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>If Victoria were alive today, what do you think she would think of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I think she would view Hillary as a political daughter of sorts and get along very well with her. Both women are intelligent, ambitious and tenacious. They have both been through extremely personal attacks in the media (the newspapers of Victoria’s day were as vicious as our news media is today), been caught up in family scandal and underestimated because of their sex. I don’t think Hillary’s email scandal would have bothered Victoria in the least because she was accused of blackmail several times throughout her life. (We can’t know if it was ever true of her, but we do know her mother and her sister Polly were serial offenders.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Having no political background, but a strong reputation in business and a lot of money, I think Victoria could probably relate to Donald Trump more than you might think on first glance. However, she was not one to suffer a fool, so she would not put up with his anti-female, anti-name-the-group rhetoric. She was a suffragist and a Communist (in the sense of being for worker’s rights) so she would tell him where to step off very quickly. She was also surprisingly learned for a woman without much formal education, so she’d be quick to rebuff his emotional attacks with logic and facts. Plus, she was a great speaker and I have no doubt could hold her own in a debate with him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Tell us How You Got Involved with a Re-Enactment of the 1872 Election?<o:p></o:p></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCur0j-S1ao6jiKynz29yrdrBGr8eQdVuCEzgNI4oDQVSOsa3xwaAlr2B5jfVPNBCaOQ9phnpiAi96V2-4zDmDFP11PYm0Q6fkaWDGM3NR5nV6TZypu_cu_QtIoQaRU71Pz7hyp54QgaLb/s1600/nicole+reenactment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCur0j-S1ao6jiKynz29yrdrBGr8eQdVuCEzgNI4oDQVSOsa3xwaAlr2B5jfVPNBCaOQ9phnpiAi96V2-4zDmDFP11PYm0Q6fkaWDGM3NR5nV6TZypu_cu_QtIoQaRU71Pz7hyp54QgaLb/s320/nicole+reenactment.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Nicole Evelina (left) with a Victoria Woodhull reenactor.</td></tr>
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The reeenactment was an out of the blue thing for me. I had a booth back in July at a Women’s Expo where I was selling books and I overheard someone mention President Grant, which isn’t something you hear in everyday conversation. So I politely inserted myself into the conversation by mentioning I just learned a lot about him in researching my book about Victoria. It turns out that the woman who make the remark works at Ulysses S. Grant Park here in St. Louis. That was when she told me they were going to hold a re-enactment of the election of 1872, something I later learned was four years in the planning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Because that’s the election Victoria ran in, I immediately asked if there was anything I could do to help. While their rules prevented me from selling books in the gift shop or on-site, I was asked if I’d like to “campaign” for Victoria – period costume and all. It was so much fun! They allowed me to give out post cards and talk about my book. And as it turns out, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/victoriawoodhulldocumentary/?fref=ts">Rebecca Rou</a>, who is filming a documentary about Victoria, saw my tweet about the event, hopped a plane and came out to the event to capture footage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Read Nicole's <a href="https://nicoleevelina.com/2016/09/16/reenacting-the-election-of-1872-pictures-included/">blog post</a> on the reenactment for more.<br />
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<b>What is the most unusual thing you learned about Victoria in your research?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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There are a lot of unusual things about her, from her upbringing to her family’s antics (things you couldn’t make up) and her unconventional attitudes toward sex, marriage and the role of women. But what most fascinated me is that she was a Spiritualist and believed she had clairvoyant and healing powers. Victoria’s mother encouraged her and her sister Tennie in this belief and her father used these gifts to make money even when the girls were very young. Victoria maintained her whole life that she was guided by the spirits, especially that of the Greek orator Demosthenes, whom she identified as her spirit guide. She claims he predicted her success in New York as well as her candidacy. She said she consulted the spirits regularly and was even President of the national Spiritualist’s association at one point.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What’s one interesting thing you learned while researching this novel?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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That the suffrage movement wasn’t all roses and sisterhood like I expected. That was the picture Hollywood and my high school textbooks painted. But the suffrage movement was actually broken into two competing factions in the mid-1800s, the American Womans Suffrage Association, led by Lucy Stone, that endorsed suffrage state by state and were more conservative, and the more radical National Woman Suffrage Association, led by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, which advocated for federal women’s suffrage. Victoria was a member of the later for several years. In addition to being split ideologically, the women often disagreed and fought with one another more than you would think, penning unflattering articles and messages about one another and speaking out publically against each other. The rift between the two major groups wasn’t mended until 1890, when they joined as the National American Woman Suffrage Association.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>How long did it take you to write Madame Presidentess?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I did about six months worth of research before writing. The writing itself took about nine months and I edited for another several months. So in total, about a year and a half.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Victoria Woodhull</td></tr>
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<b>How closely does your novel mirror history?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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It’s as close as I could make it without this being creative non-fiction. I’d say it’s about 70% accurate. I made up some secondary characters and one of Victoria’s affairs is fictional (but it was inspired by a rumored affair). Of course, as with all historical fiction, most of the dialog and details are made up, but all of her speeches, courtroom testimony, articles and even a few lines of dialog are taken from historical evidence. We even have descriptions of her home in Murray Hill and her brokerage office. Thanks to the biographers, we also have records of actual words from Cornelius Vanderbilt, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Catharine Beecher and Susan B. Anthony, all of which were used in the novel where possible. The authors notes at the end of the book go into great detail on what is accurate and what is not and why.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What kind of research did you do to make this book come to life?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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My main references were newspaper articles from the time and biographies of Victoria, starting with the fanciful one she commissioned from Theodore Tilton during her lifetime and Emanie Sachs’ scathing account published just after Victoria’s death, through more recent works such as <i>Other Powers: The Age of Suffrage, Spiritualism and the Scandalous Victoria Woodhull</i> by the recently deceased biographer Barbara Goldsmith, <i>Notorious Victoria</i> by Mary Gabriel and <i>The Woman Who Ran for President </i>by Lois Beachey Underhill. I also read quite a few books on women’s lives in mid-to-late-19th century America, as well as the on suffrage movement and electoral politics at the time (voting was very different and not nearly as anonymous then as it is now). For those who are interested in my sources, I have a complete reference list on my website here: <a href="https://nicoleevelina.com/the-books/madame-presidentess/research/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">https://nicoleevelina.com/the-books/madame-presidentess/research/</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Who was your favorite character after Victoria?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I had a ton of fun writing Victoria’s larger-than-life parents, but my favorite has to be Victoria’s sister, Tennie. As Mr. Vanderbilt would say she “has spunk.” She was so authentic and didn’t care what anyone thought. If you told her a woman couldn’t do something (like smoke cigars or curse, both of which Tennie did), she’d go and do it in style a) because she wanted to and b) to prove you wrong – and she’d do it in public. The one thing that irritated me about her was her co-dependence on her parents, especially her mother, and how she could be so incredibly loyal to them after all they put her through. I’m guessing it has to do with how she was raised and probably kind of brainwashed by them. But there’s not a lot of historical evidence about her mindset, so that’s one of the places where I had to make a writer’s leap.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTGhh7yPFQ2BsB8dubsHxS75Bp6VEYtJ9ZR2l6b5Xj8H-MaXfhZ2MiLlOS-trguColhYJRzj02027drI4Vqhqdd84PAK-JcJ0OLbYjesJkl4Rz_nARHekMA1IoGhpg3wQdhx7J3p8Lsgi/s1600/woodhull+pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTGhh7yPFQ2BsB8dubsHxS75Bp6VEYtJ9ZR2l6b5Xj8H-MaXfhZ2MiLlOS-trguColhYJRzj02027drI4Vqhqdd84PAK-JcJ0OLbYjesJkl4Rz_nARHekMA1IoGhpg3wQdhx7J3p8Lsgi/s1600/woodhull+pic+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Victoria Woodhull</td></tr>
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<b>Do you have another project in the works? If so, what is it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Once Madame Presidentess is out and the election is over, I am going to concentrate on writing <i>Mistress of Legend</i>, the third and final book in my Guinevere trilogy. This book will cover the end of Guinevere’s life, including the fall of Camelot and what happens after. In my version, she certainly doesn’t live out her days in a convent! I will also begin research for a WWII-era historical novel about a Catholic nun who helped hide Jews and aided the resistance in France. She was a victim of the concentration camps and should be on the path to sainthood, but few people outside of her native country know her name. As far as I can tell, there is only one book written about her in the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What is your focus in historical fiction?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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To rescue little-known women from being lost in the pages of history.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Pen Name</b>:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nicole Evelina<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Why I picked it</b>:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nicole is my real first name and Evelina is a variation of my mom’s name. It’s Celtic name meaning “bright.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Why a pen name</b>:<o:p></o:p></div>
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My real last name is impossible to spell, remember or pronounce.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Favorite books</b>:<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m a firm believer that to be a great writer, you first have to be an avid reader. I estimate that I’ve probably read several thousand books in my 30+ years on this planet. A few of my favorites are:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Interred with Their Bones</i> by Jennifer Lee Carrell<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Juliet</i> by Anne Fortier<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>A Discovery of Witches</i> by Deborah Harkness<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>More About Nicole<o:p></o:p></u></span></b><br />
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Nicole’s debut novel, <i>Daughter of Destiny</i>, the first book of an Arthurian legend trilogy that tells Guinevere’s life story from her point of view, was named Book of the Year by Chanticleer Reviews, took the Grand Prize in the 2015 Chatelaine Awards for Women’s Fiction/Romance, won a Gold Medal in the fantasy category in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and was short-listed for the Chaucer Award for Historical Fiction. <i>Been Searching for You</i>, her contemporary romantic comedy, won the 2015 Romance</div>
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Writers of America (RWA) Great Expectations and Golden Rose contests.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfLkYZkfuKfq74iZp-eYYH5zoVIb5UJjUsujEBhwDeFKLutbKLa_9xuUqdNmUAIqMYQoVrMKBk0NVuCbtMyW9677sDjj61FoLHpoLQ9QtPPNXIWytXGWxGnLQIPqHKfing0uJEaxklykw/s1600/been-searching-for-you-ebook-cover-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfLkYZkfuKfq74iZp-eYYH5zoVIb5UJjUsujEBhwDeFKLutbKLa_9xuUqdNmUAIqMYQoVrMKBk0NVuCbtMyW9677sDjj61FoLHpoLQ9QtPPNXIWytXGWxGnLQIPqHKfing0uJEaxklykw/s200/been-searching-for-you-ebook-cover-large.jpg" width="133" /></a>Nicole’s writing has appeared in The Huffington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Independent Journal, Curve Magazine and numerous historical publications. She is one of only six authors who completed a week-long writing intensive taught by #1 New York Times bestselling author Deborah Harkness.</div>
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Her website/blog is <a href="http://nicoleevelina.com/">http://nicoleevelina.com</a> and she can be found on Twitter as well as on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram. Her email address is nicole [dot] evelina [at] att [dot] net.</div>
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-3704769607016400142016-10-04T16:37:00.004-07:002016-10-04T16:37:45.368-07:00The Agent Waiting Game<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiwmqzfJnsb4grwKjocM1HhEge398A8K-wi-q839DTtRTHUFwPlh4KPgzdeQppAmrPyaBOJh25FIOow1wWo8d8ZqHaJGZMkIrI9CjJY4ZVcHpLXf3BPX31bWdD9hGZxZ-6afnEpaF_qyV/s1600/3514141273_c821d3afe8_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiwmqzfJnsb4grwKjocM1HhEge398A8K-wi-q839DTtRTHUFwPlh4KPgzdeQppAmrPyaBOJh25FIOow1wWo8d8ZqHaJGZMkIrI9CjJY4ZVcHpLXf3BPX31bWdD9hGZxZ-6afnEpaF_qyV/s320/3514141273_c821d3afe8_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/coriehowell/3514141273/in/photolist-6mwTLD-btwupX-6oFNCa-6NzYWW-q8G9B-6yWBCr-6R5Pgp-dLV1R5-8fpFJZ-522mNJ-7Rq9X4-pzmZeE-7S3zre-8kqEot-c57o9b-jNEZ2-4AVnG4-8ktSzh-8ku9vW-8ktJCG-8kqFJF-8kqFV8-8krgjD-8kuwaY-8kqWcZ-8ktPu5-8ktMro-8kqP8M-fm8ER-7PrpMZ-K2z5-a2td4M-8ktJZA-8ktRuC-8ku1ZG-do6mnA-2adNn1-8ktRdY-8P6qok-8kr92T-8dczD6-6UuKBg-8ktKu9-9DUupF-8kukPq-8kqBWV-8kuyzE-8kunD3-8ktJPN-8ktK9q">By Corie Howell via Flickr cc.</a></td></tr>
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I'm in the middle of a lot of waiting games right now. My husband is waiting to hear back about out-of-state jobs, we're waiting to get buyers for our house, and I'm waiting to hear back from literary agents as I’ve been shopping <i>The Binding of Saint Barbara </i>around. It’s been an interesting process when I compare it to how it went with my first novel <i>A White Room</i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/running_like_an_antelope/2817131824/in/photolist-5hWx9m-kmnaYP-eueQCh-4mmwpT-eiAwub-eduZYW-iYWrcD-aoNg4w-a1kPrb-pZGn74-cDRdR1-qBQkBk-jBa4pr-jdHyeq-5MKuUS-jphCQV-jB99VR-Mp7JG-6hFcsR-n9UuYn-CL6BiC-djKR-6fNBQr-9fTRcr-6fSQGQ-A8Dj4-6fNEmt-nz78mn-a6jRDT-pJcuuA-6fNCoV-6fSHdG-qGztLV-jp67Ud-6fSHrC-9aWiS5-6fSGWA-64Wigb-6fNEVF-9XoYim-6fNDXH-6WheUA-a7imXS-6fND18-5gt6YF-6fSRMQ-6fSQWL-6fNBor-6fSQvm-6fNFWV">By Jim Hutchison via Flickr cc.</a></td></tr>
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With that one I wrote dozens of queries and sent them out to hundreds of agents and all I ever got back were rejections. Each time when I got nothing back, I’d return to my novel and ask myself if it was really ready yet and if there was a way to make it better. Then I’d do another round of editing, and I did this for two years, from 2010 to 2012.</div>
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By the end of that two years, I felt like I had queried every single possible agent there was who represented my type of book. Finally, I had a lucky break when a top agent from a top house gave me actual feedback about the book—the first agent to ever give feedback—but at the same time he also rejected me. This told me that it was good enough to get his attention, so I took his suggestions and made the changes. Then another lucky break! I was attending my very first writer’s conference, the <b>San Francisco Writer’s Conference</b>, and it just so happened he was one of the agents that was participating in the pitch sessions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">This was during the conference.<br />
Can you believe my hair? I was trying to look responsible. ;)</td></tr>
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So I went to the conference and pitched him, a very nerve-racking two minutes. They had speed dating style pitch sessions where authors get to pitch a bunch of agents with only two minutes and thirty seconds to do so; however, you have even less time than that because you are supposed to leave time to let them ask questions.<br />
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The particular agent who I was interested in did things differently. He just asked to read your first couple of pages. It turns out sitting there silently while an agent reads your first page is more uncomfortable and frightening than trying to sell them your book in one sentence. Then he looked up and said, “I’ve read this before.” To which I responded gleefully, “Yes.” Then with a suspicious tone, he asked “What, did you think I wouldn’t remember?” My eyes bulged. “No. No, I hoped you would remember. I hoped you would think it got better.” Heart thudding, nails digging into palms. “All right,” he said. “Send me the manuscript.”<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pulpolux/2220895649/in/photolist-4ofEUi-d79ZWm-2id2dk-LtQFV-atxkPo-9vYVjP-cadkCj-f2jC5V-8swZ1y-9JUcad-gM66Z-oYnMVT-4edexE-nB844-a7p7M-7gATgP-a7p6W-9rfgFh-kRnCz-snoirG-3qhQP-f712Wb-akogwe-5BKV5W-5WT7Ao-fYZBP-iCAcf-aBA6JJ-d1VENG-9Ti743-8bRWJc-8XtAU9-aSU7Ht-bxJUgo-boA4g9-eE7eoK-sq7yhn-5GzvmN-7xvoCj-8JF1r1-9nSo78-7XSgVs-qYJ5ga-CLtYi-a2DqCX-riWQAt-ejPGc5-6w3uGs-4SbWWe-7zLoAG">A job interview by Pulpolux !!! via Flickr cc.</a></td></tr>
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I wasn’t as confident after that suspicious look he gave me, but still more confident about him than the others I’d met. I sent the book to him and he responded with interest, explaining that he and his assistant read the manuscript and liked it but wanted to see a few changes. He made sure it was clear that even if changes were made, it wouldn’t guarantee that he’d take me on as a client. I knew he had to say that just to be safe, but with all the attention and time he gave my book, of course he would take me on ... right? He sent me a word document with a list of requested changes, a list that was three pages long! So I made the changes in about two months and sent it back. This was it. After two long years of hunting agents and after four years of writing and editing my novel, I was going to have representation.</div>
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Nope.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He passed. Just like that. It was pretty devastating, but I also saw the positive. This told me that the novel had potential, and I had just gotten free content editing from a big New York City agent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At that time, the indie publishing revolution was gaining momentum, and I had done some research on it before the conference. After that final rejection, I decided it was time to move forward on my own. It turned out to be the best decision I could have made because after trying to acquire an agent for so long, I was just desperate, and I was willing to give up just about anything to see my book in print. If I had gotten an agent and a publishing contract at that time, I would have agreed to terrible terms and terrible royalties and rights. I would have regretted it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_NNfRtB0Lq62R-qifV8wdAddhMq8gaqvfhJUAkilpVpmx8de08i6dJROZ0Nmeu-D7rfHspLOPdF7qUAxQxfj6tkQ3xOOQREOO4LAqxx2S6EHIwi0Glij49gqTLDmK1ZMn6WN9aMcw_lVR/s1600/1003883_601294273222943_613402601_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_NNfRtB0Lq62R-qifV8wdAddhMq8gaqvfhJUAkilpVpmx8de08i6dJROZ0Nmeu-D7rfHspLOPdF7qUAxQxfj6tkQ3xOOQREOO4LAqxx2S6EHIwi0Glij49gqTLDmK1ZMn6WN9aMcw_lVR/s320/1003883_601294273222943_613402601_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">My very first signed book.</td></tr>
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This time around, I’m approaching the process in very much the same manner as before, doing my research, writing the best query I can, but this time I don’t have that desperation. I feel confident that if I don’t interest an agent or publisher, I can always just do it myself. I feel confident that I’m familiar with the industry, the process of getting agents and publishers, and the important parts of negotiating contracts. I actually have a negotiating advantage because of that confidence.<br />
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As of right now, I’ve had three requests to see the manuscript, and all within either a day or a week of sending a query. Still, if I get an agent but can’t stand the publishing contract terms I have to choose from, I can still walk away and do it myself.</div>
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<b>A couple of disclaimers ...</b><br />
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<u>If you have a first book</u> and are getting nothing but rejections, this is not a thumbs up to just self-publishing. I spent years editing my book, I put it through beta readers on multiple occasions, got the agent feedback, and I hired an editor to give me feedback on the concept and general writing, and that was all before I got into copy editors and whatnot.<br />
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A lot of industry types suggest that if you are getting nothing but rejections to move on and write your next book. This is still fantastic advise. By the time you get that second book done, you will have a higher quality of product to sell, and you will know a lot more about the industry just from general research. Then whether you go indie or traditional, having multiple books to start with means a higher chance of making better profits.<br />
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<u>Why even bother with the agent process </u>when I had such a positive experience with self-publishing? Well, even though I wouldn’t give up my indie experience, I would prefer a situation where I didn’t have to do as much of the production work so that I could focus on the writing work. This is something that has become especially clear to me recently. I’m really good at doing things myself and making sure they are done right, but I have to put myself into it almost 100 percent, and I have found it difficult to do that and give as much time to writing as I would like.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So where am I on writing books? Check out my <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2016/10/working-on-new-series.html">Working on a New Series</a><b> </b>post on that very topic!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-51056018164078444202016-10-04T16:37:00.001-07:002016-10-04T16:37:02.313-07:00I'm working on a new series!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0KkduWqPvrAdmCbjOO99sFD4p-5qPwdc-Z8D5iTPv7BVLlrcaHwQXfamaoXLje36xSOPa_iZPF6YEpPnTRv0nE-LXp8AdcmdMWbLYtNK36KXwOFLZ5z_DccNi3kTv9YK4yrFRgF3spPz/s1600/3841163711_a925fb31cb_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0KkduWqPvrAdmCbjOO99sFD4p-5qPwdc-Z8D5iTPv7BVLlrcaHwQXfamaoXLje36xSOPa_iZPF6YEpPnTRv0nE-LXp8AdcmdMWbLYtNK36KXwOFLZ5z_DccNi3kTv9YK4yrFRgF3spPz/s320/3841163711_a925fb31cb_o.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sepblog/3841163711/in/photolist-6RqY9x-7LpE8y-7o6WNB-nPnzT2-xLTiEq-as1u3G-6N1NS5-7LkFBT-ceqhcy-8xeYMS-8xeZ5L-39VLm3-bGGgo-as1Ch9-7KGLbu-2cmWTj-p6Yyzo-7wNG9K-arpRsg-ERYh5-8cPJs2-8bTx96-8npkrr-7DWWTY-7NovtG-8xSc4i-q8CEGR-2S2Jcs-92z1m9-da3jXL-95E1R5-9sFA8g-rp3qn5-8cPH58-dRCabM-acvCco-6D8v3H-bsWbsr-2Vui8-8LTwAU-8qn7SW-7DWWTU-bV6JeK-aFxBvi-2W31F-aFxuTH-7DnmFk-7LpDHj-cVvNCm-5a4R1R">Typing Content by Search Engine People Blog via Flickr cc.</a></td></tr>
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It's October 2016, and it's author update time, so where am I on writing books? After coming to a stopping-point with <i>The Binding of Saint Barbara</i> (I can’t say it’s finished until it’s published and right now I'm waiting to <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2016/10/the-agent-waiting-game.html">hear back from agents</a>), I took a little writing break because I was really burnt—to a crisp black! When I cooled off, I considered the couple of rough drafts I had hanging around, and I kept finding myself drawn back to the original idea that inspired me to write a novella around this time a year or so ago. You may remember, I wrote a <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/02/p-margin-bottom-0.html">post</a> about it.</div>
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The original idea was to write about a Victorian heroine struggling with chronic pain and illness (inspired by my own struggle with chronic pain) on the English moors, incorporating elements of both Gothic and magical realism, but without paranormal themes. Then I saw this photo of a prominent Victorian spine specialist, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2493005/">Dr. Lewis Albert Sayre</a>, observing a half nude woman suspended in his contraption, and well, you know how it goes with me and my images of inspiration.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Dr. Lewis Albert Sayre and his treatment for scoliosis.</span></td></tr>
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Ultimately, the novella I wrote sucked! At the time I was trying to learn to write fast, and also overcome my fear of clichés, so I ended up writing a sloppy tale of Gothic tropes. Boo! But now, having grown past those hang-ups, I have some new plans for this premise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I can’t divulge everything, but basically I employed a visual plotting system to help me come up with some ideas that I really like. Not only am I planning to turn the novella into a novel, but I’m also considering making it a three or even five-part series. This just goes to show that I don't do short very well - lol!<br />
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The series would focus on several stages of life for the heroine, Lorena. Right now I’ve plotted three books, the first focuses on Lorena’s attempts to overcome her chronic illness as a young girl after her father sends her to a sanatorium/asylum, the second book focuses on her debut in upper class Gilded Age society and her marriage to her second choice because invalids aren't easily married off, and the third book would focus on her adoption of an orphaned child because invalids couldn't have children very easily.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m not dedicated to the specifics yet because a lot of that will come out in the research stage, which is what I’m working on next. Even though at this point, I am extremely familiar with the Victorian world, I still have to conduct research because I need details from the specific Victorian world I’m interested in. Plus, for me at least, the research stage is where a lot of my story development occurs. While researching one aspect of my story, I’ll learn historical points of interest and those will inspire ideas for scenes and characters.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Keep in mind that last year, I had completely different plans for this story and next year it might look completely different than I’m expecting it to look right now. This is the nature of creation, for me at least, which is actually funny because I am the ultimate planner, but I can’t plan or know where my art is going to go.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So to keep up, check out my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/carrollbooks/new-novella-research/">Pinterest Board</a> where I’m keeping track of all my research resources.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And read my post on <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2016/10/the-agent-waiting-game.html">The Agent Waiting Game</a> to find out what's going on with<i> The Binding of Saint Barbara.</i></div>
Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-62522694032576148592016-08-10T11:37:00.002-07:002016-08-10T11:37:54.522-07:00The Particular Sweet Sadness of Aimee Bender's Magical RealismI recently discovered the fantastic magical realist/surrealist author <a href="http://www.flammableskirt.com/entrance/">Aimee Bender</a>, and I just loved her anthology <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Color-Master-Aimee-Bender/dp/0307744191"><i>The Color Master</i></a> and just devoured her fantastic novel <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Particular-Sadness-Lemon-Cake/dp/0385720963"><i>The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake</i></a>.<br />
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<b><u>Other posts on this topic:</u></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2016/07/the-difference-between-magical-realism.html">The Difference Between Magical Realism, Surrealism, and Slipstream</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/09/tips-tricks-for-writing-magical-realism.html">Tips and Tricks for Writing Magical Realism</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/09/everything-you-want-to-know-about.html">Everything You Want to Know About Magical Realism</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/09/popular-magical-realistic-books-films.html">Popular Magical Realist Books and Films</a></div>
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I don't usually do book reviews, but I really have to recommend these two and probably anything else Aimee Bender has up her sleeve.<br />
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<i>The Color Master</i> is full of unique and fun short stories. Not every single one is magical or surrealist, but they are all great! Also, I really love that these stories are varied in length, some only being like two pages. They are also easy to read, which is a major plus as literary fiction goes. Plus, it's almost as if each one contains an important lessons about the art of writing or about a particular fiction technique. I don't think she intended that, and it might just be me noticing because I'm a writer. Last thing I got to mention is how awesome the cover is! The title words are actually sewn in different color thread, which corresponds to the short stories "Tiger Mending" and "The Color Master."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilM-MU1EOcHypqcKJpMqCzJWgf8H2f0zX84KW-OHamyiramHNLEnt5aiiXShMq_CHalS9IRk1TUFcA7PhKi8ytHSjrklfoWlWGhSkCn2G28IYeE1hNIiCLJ2JLMzF6E0xVKR-xxrc9MJ1v/s1600/color+master+threads.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilM-MU1EOcHypqcKJpMqCzJWgf8H2f0zX84KW-OHamyiramHNLEnt5aiiXShMq_CHalS9IRk1TUFcA7PhKi8ytHSjrklfoWlWGhSkCn2G28IYeE1hNIiCLJ2JLMzF6E0xVKR-xxrc9MJ1v/s320/color+master+threads.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Close up of the unique cover design of <i>The Color Master.</i></span></td></tr>
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I was planning on reading maybe one or two of the stories, to just get an idea for her writing style and use of magical realism, but after reading the very first story, I was so hooked!<br />
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This was "Appleless." First off it's short, which is really smart to start out with in an anthology is you ask me. Secondly, it immediately draws you in with all the unique descriptive language related to apples, and then with the strange way the story about apple obsession and addiction turns into something much darker that is portrayed in such an intriguing way, that you almost don't realize the horror of it at first. What's really interesting is how I wanted to devour the story itself, because of it's scrumptious word-choices and intriguing voice, and that feeling kind of paralleled the obsession of these apple addicted characters.<br />
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After that, how could I not want to read everything in this book!<br />
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"Tiger Mending" was sweet and strange and fantastic. The story is told from an outsider perspective (fiction technique) whose sister is a master at sewing and is recruited to venture to another country (I want to say India, forgive me if I'm wrong) to do some extremely important but secret work. She insists on taking her sister (the narrator) who in comparison to her is just going nowhere with her life. She works at a fast food joint and doesn't seem to care about self-improvement. Whenever a story is told from an outsider perspective, the story might seem like it's about the character of focus, but really it's about what's happening to the narrator, and it's really interesting to learn about the narrator through her telling of this surreal tiger mending adventure.<br />
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Fun side note. It just so happens that around this time, I heard this song called "Tiger" by a band called MyPet, which is fun because <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ_HYmirvnY">MyPet Tiger</a>, get it? Anyway, the song reminded me of this story, so I Tweeted the song and how it reminded me of the story to <a href="https://twitter.com/AimeeBender">Aimee Bender</a>, and she responded "Love that!" It's not that the video or lyrics match up to the story. It's more of the unique sound and tiger element. I don't know, it just connected for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLl4yFec2Z15mpiURY1RFt-6YGg3OWXh0z6SAHlNcrbcmdcZRjbJBpiXq9YNWvVC_LL7me87oFshe9QCVHwQXbLsZZiLZWrZC85jSGdLtemINPmsobuVK1xGBr8sLK_nglISJzH55ylSaU/s1600/aimee+bender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLl4yFec2Z15mpiURY1RFt-6YGg3OWXh0z6SAHlNcrbcmdcZRjbJBpiXq9YNWvVC_LL7me87oFshe9QCVHwQXbLsZZiLZWrZC85jSGdLtemINPmsobuVK1xGBr8sLK_nglISJzH55ylSaU/s1600/aimee+bender.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Aimee Bender</span></td></tr>
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"Faces" was really strange and one of those stories that just kind of makes you think. The ending was what made me feel like there was some sort of important lesson to be learned regarding fiction writing because at the end there wasn't really any resolution or major change for the character.<br />
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I did some reading and discovered that when it comes to short stories, there is this idea that it's not your job as the writer to solve the characters problems or fix things for them but to just to tell their experience and struggle with the problem. The point is that sometimes as writers we force solutions or change upon our stories and characters because we feel we have to, but some writers say we don't. Aimee Bender shows that it can be done with this one, in my opinion.<br />
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"The Fake Nazi" was another one that made me wonder about fiction technique and endings. It was a strange one, but really had a lot to say. It was particularly interesting to get a feeling for what it must have been like for the country of Germany after WWII. As Americans, we don't think about it, but the people of Germany had to keep on living life and had to deal on a mental and emotional level, and many must have struggled with a level of guilt for events they were never involved in or even knew about.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKv1wF4VsbmmeozZ_cmf-u5p1CKDZBavhfKkizzNz19OhrQkF6Q3-U8ND7_24b_qQ95uhEH12a6GgIshchWN7-OpVysn_z7OukxX2DfsML8RTMkjUFU6gYesQ2tdCUS2gKz2U998166SE2/s1600/lemon+cake+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKv1wF4VsbmmeozZ_cmf-u5p1CKDZBavhfKkizzNz19OhrQkF6Q3-U8ND7_24b_qQ95uhEH12a6GgIshchWN7-OpVysn_z7OukxX2DfsML8RTMkjUFU6gYesQ2tdCUS2gKz2U998166SE2/s320/lemon+cake+2.jpg" width="207" /></a>"The Color Master" for which the anthology is named, was a beautiful piece that flooded the mind with fantastic hues and imagery. There was definitely magical realism in this one and a strong use of the distant perspective, another one of those fiction writing techniques I mentioned. It made me want to play with the distant perspective more in my own work. Unlike some of the previous stories, this one was dealing with darker things but in a lighter way, and the ending was just right, bittersweet and satisfying.<br />
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Speaking of bittersweet and satisfying, <i>The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake</i> was an award winner and best seller, and it's become one of those few books that spoke to me on a personal level, but first let's talk story, characters, and magical realism.<br />
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The story is told from the perspective of Rose Edelstein who on her ninth birthday discovers that she can taste people's emotions in the food they cook. She doesn't just taste surface emotions, but the deeper and darker layer of struggle that a person has in their lives at that moment. She first discovers this in her mother's homemade lemon-chocolate cake, when she tastes her mother's sadness and dissatisfaction with her life in general. Quite a lot to swallow for a nine-year-old!<br />
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Although this magical realist gift is the catalyst for the story, it's only one part of the plot line. Really the story is about Rose's relationship with her family and with the world. What I really love about this book is that it maintains a key facet of magical realism, and that's the realism part. A lot of times the realistic side of magical realism gets lost in all the magic, but in this novel, Aimee Bender mastered the realism of the internal and often secret struggles of a "normal" nuclear family, the type that looks like what society says is great on the outside, but really there is struggle, secrets, and heartache deep within the layers.<br />
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This is why the story really spoke to me personally. The family's struggles were quite similar to struggles I experienced growing up in a nuclear family. Much of what Rose went through on a psychological and emotional level felt so familiar to me. As a child, it's difficult to understand how or why, but you can sense things from family members, like dissatisfaction with life or a pulling away from the world. It was like Bender had magically reached inside of me and pulled out feelings from my own life to instill in this book, almost as if instilling emotions into a lemon chocolate cake.<br />
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The other thing I have to say about this book is that the last line was one of my favorites in recent reads, one of those absolutely perfect, satisfying, and yet so bittersweet. Don't read it first because it might give something away. Read the book right, leaving the best for last!<br />
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The next one on my list to read is Aimee Bender's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Flammable-Skirt-Stories/dp/0385492162"><i>The Girl in the Flammable Skirt,</i></a> so I'll make sure to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/carrollbooks">Tweet</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/carrollbooks">Facebook</a> post what I think. =)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU92FX-15692oFgpolbKVCfuYU1BC2ydIiHx7oariWI3Jk8hHi2vmwuggXvdY5X4git_kVSVk6aJcSaF96K-o1GqSNlhahwK2C15kDf9XIe2KHvyFN3sVa9iJPI3WLKq0R17TNxdj0G4/s1600/holding+books.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU92FX-15692oFgpolbKVCfuYU1BC2ydIiHx7oariWI3Jk8hHi2vmwuggXvdY5X4git_kVSVk6aJcSaF96K-o1GqSNlhahwK2C15kDf9XIe2KHvyFN3sVa9iJPI3WLKq0R17TNxdj0G4/s200/holding+books.png" width="200" /></a><b>About Stephanie Carroll</b><br />
<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/p/blog-page.html">Stephanie Carroll</a> is the author of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/White-Room-Stephanie-Carroll/dp/0988867400/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470851394&sr=1-1&keywords=a+white+room">A White Room</a></i> and "Forget Me Not" featured in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Anthology-Adria-J-Cimino/dp/0692346953/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470851407&sr=1-1&keywords=legacy+an+anthology"><i>Legacy: An Anthology</i>.</a> She blogs about magical realism, her research into the Victorian Era and Gilded Age, writing, and life in general at <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/">www.stephaniecarroll.net</a> and at <a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/">The Unhinged Historian</a>. She also founded <a href="http://www.unhingedandempowered.com/">Unhinged and Empowered</a>, a blog for Navy wives and girlfriends.<br />
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-68665660623067436472016-07-18T11:31:00.002-07:002016-08-10T11:35:18.138-07:00The Difference Between Magical Realism, Surrealism, and Slipstream<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPXAijL6qcur-BSwZskECzYvlBP0Zv9Gq-qNb6htnEt7vpAgzY4sCuzn_m4uXJxLBbZ5cvAJqvSkNSGkXpFFYZ9jwcoF2WbxUwN-Y8bzUZP6kfC7nGLvHt6sMr_V3zLZscA_bSgFyrAbD/s1600/cover_color_master.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPXAijL6qcur-BSwZskECzYvlBP0Zv9Gq-qNb6htnEt7vpAgzY4sCuzn_m4uXJxLBbZ5cvAJqvSkNSGkXpFFYZ9jwcoF2WbxUwN-Y8bzUZP6kfC7nGLvHt6sMr_V3zLZscA_bSgFyrAbD/s320/cover_color_master.jpg" width="206" /></a>I've been reading Aimee Bender's <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Color-Master-Aimee-Bender/dp/0307744191">The Color Master</a>,</i> and it's just fantastic, so I started doing some research on her, and I noticed that some people said she does magical realism and others say she does surrealism and all of a sudden slipstream was in there. So I did what I always do in these circumstances - research spree! Here's what I found:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">What is Magical Realism or Magic Realism?</span></b></div>
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Okay, this one I already knew as I work with it in my own fiction. Magical realism or magic realism is a genre of fiction and film that blends magical elements with reality in a way that blurs the edges until seamless. The stories are generally, but not always, characterized by a unique tone and atmosphere of wonder, magic, mystery, or just a sense of strangeness.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKzhFVLeN1kYsLJWcdKgCb-f_XriJw3Xf1tq9HQA_VTSyIFXCe17qf9Y032s2a52SvYvUQQ66v6oDplfPaEB-FKndFDOI4Wn5Jk1rRuORoc6OvR_0OMmLaPcK5jzgLxP2LeCfTVmYzBmP/s1600/100+yrs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKzhFVLeN1kYsLJWcdKgCb-f_XriJw3Xf1tq9HQA_VTSyIFXCe17qf9Y032s2a52SvYvUQQ66v6oDplfPaEB-FKndFDOI4Wn5Jk1rRuORoc6OvR_0OMmLaPcK5jzgLxP2LeCfTVmYzBmP/s1600/100+yrs.jpg" /></a>Magical realism originated in Latin-America and is closely tied with Catholicism and religious blending often seen in Latin American culture. According to <a href="http://www.britannica.com/art/magic-realism">The Encyclopedia Britannica</a>: <i>“Magic realism, chiefly Latin-American narrative strategy that is characterized by the matter-of-fact inclusion of fantastic or mythical elements into seemingly realistic fiction. Although this strategy is known in the literature of many cultures in many ages, the term magic realism is a relatively recent designation, first applied in the 1940s by Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier, who recognized this characteristic in much Latin-American literature. . ."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>Notice it says that these techniques have been around and in many cultures for many centuries but it wasn't really designated into a genre until the 1940s and it was in response to these Latin American authors.<br />
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It goes onto say: <i>"Prominent among the Latin-American magic realists are the Colombian Gabriel García Márquez, the Brazilian Jorge Amado, the Argentines Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortazar, and the Chilean Isabel Allende.”</i><br />
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For a really in-depth look at magical realism, check out my posts <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/09/everything-you-want-to-know-about.html">Everything You Want to Know About Magical Realism</a>, <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/09/popular-magical-realistic-books-films.html">Popular Magical Realism Books</a> & Films and <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/09/tips-tricks-for-writing-magical-realism.html">Tips and Tricks for Writing Magical Realism.</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">What is Surrealism in Fiction i.e. Surrealist Literature?</span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: montserrat, sans-serif; line-height: 19.5px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Persistence of Memory</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: "montserrat" , sans-serif; line-height: 19.5px;">, oil on canvas, by Salvador Dalí, …</span></span></td></tr>
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According to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Surrealism">Encyclopedia Britannica entry on Surrealism</a>, the movement came out of the period between World War I and World War II and was an expression of frustration with the way rationalism had destroyed the world. Thus these artists' and authors' creations destroyed reason with fantastical and nonsensical imagery and ideas. </div>
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According to <a href="http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-surrealism-definition-artists.html">What is Surrealism in Literature</a>, the poet <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andre-Breton">Andre Breton</a> founded and propelled the genre by publishing <i>The Manifesto of Surrealism</i> in 1924, Paris.</div>
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Surrealism deals a lot with Freudian theories like <a href="http://www.freudfile.org/psychoanalysis/free_associations.html">free association</a>. Artists and authors try to blend the unconscious mind with the conscious. They use a lot of juxtapositions and contrasting imagery and metaphor. <a href="http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-surrealism-definition-artists.html">What is Surrealism in Literature</a> also says that surrealism challenges readers to tap into the sub-conscious, think beyond what society has to say, and look inside one's self for answers. It creates fantastical, logic-defying, and dreamlike worlds using poetic styles and techniques instead of traditional linear plotlines.</div>
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Check out <a href="http://flavorwire.com/313636/10-essential-surrealist-books-for-everyone">10 Essential Surrealist Books for Everyone</a> for some examples.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">What About Slipstream?</span></b></div>
Slipstream is another genre that came up in my research. According to <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/slipstream-fiction-goes-mainstream-1423072888">Slipstream Goes Mainstream on the <i>Wall Street Journal</i></a> sci-fi author <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/03/12/catching-up-with-cyberpunk-pioneer-bruce-sterling-at-sxsw/">Bruce Sterling </a>coined the term in 1989 to describe fiction that "slips" in and out of a variety of genres, most commonly sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, creating work that "makes you feel strange."<br />
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The article refers to many authors that are also known for their magical realism or surrealism, including Kelly Link, Aimee Bender, and Karen Russell. However in a <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/03/15/karen-russell-vampires-lemon-grove-interview/1991325/"><i>USA Today </i>interview</a> with Karen Russell, the author says she's not sure if the term magical realism works for her writings, and that she finds it difficult to put any label on her work.</div>
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For more on this, the article <a href="https://electricliterature.com/oh-slippery-slipstream-who-is-the-weirdest-genre-of-them-all-755bead4389c#.q2myxe9l3">Oh Slippery Slipstream</a> has a much more in-depth analysis of the origins of the term in late 1980s sci-fi community that is quite interesting.</div>
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Check out <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/may/28/top10s.slipstream"><i>The Guardian's</i> Top 10 Slipstream Books</a>, <a href="http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com/Best-Slipstream-Books/525">the Best of Slipstream Stories</a>, or <a href="http://www.thereviewreview.net/publishing-tips/seeking-slipstream-list-resources">Slipstream Resources</a> for some examples.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">What's the Difference Between Magical Realism, Surrealism, and Slipstream?</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9Pd2DXtDqgvCdHRhBWXEQO12BVA6y9betOGHoD9k1uA-rJ70vi-1tJqcL09ZinpiHstXOtR85K8v0P3sxN7ol1GkuamMYP9w9GVc1FMHtPA-XRVHX5nXaIx7gIbqw4_XgJUBs6BSqXKu/s1600/kelly+link.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9Pd2DXtDqgvCdHRhBWXEQO12BVA6y9betOGHoD9k1uA-rJ70vi-1tJqcL09ZinpiHstXOtR85K8v0P3sxN7ol1GkuamMYP9w9GVc1FMHtPA-XRVHX5nXaIx7gIbqw4_XgJUBs6BSqXKu/s1600/kelly+link.jpg" /></a>Obviously, each genre/technique has a different origin story and thus different characteristics. Magical Realism comes out of Latin American countries where natives cultures blended their old belief systems with Catholicism over time. This led to a culture where the idea that magic can blend with reality is really not a strange idea at all. </div>
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Magical Realism also maintains a sense of reality while Surrealism and Slipstream destroy it. It seems like there is a general feeling that magical realism is also lighter in nature.<b> </b>T<span style="text-align: center;">he interviewer in the </span><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/03/15/karen-russell-vampires-lemon-grove-interview/1991325/" style="text-align: center;"><i>USA Today </i>interview</a><span style="text-align: center;"> with Karen Russell said Russell's work seemed like it dealt too much with death to be considered magical realism. As someone who writes darker magical realism, I'm not sure if I agree with this, but it's something to consider. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Surrealism, like slipstream, defies logic, but it does it in a very specific way, by using contradictory imagery and ideas in an effort to spark something within the reader's or author's subconscious mind. </span><span style="text-align: center;">In an interview with Aimee Bender on </span><a href="http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/margin/BenderQA.html" style="text-align: center;">Distortion comes From the Truth</a><span style="text-align: center;">,</span><span style="text-align: center;"> Bender says that both magical realism and surrealism apply to her work, but that surrealism is dealing more with juxtapositions and moving away from what makes sense. It also moves away from using traditional plotlines and timelines, which is something Bender is known for.</span></div>
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Now slipstream, also defies logic and reason, but seems to go even further, not having the specific constraints of surrealism. It was born out of the need for a word to describe a type of fiction that didn't quite fit into the sci-fi genre or any other genre because it borrowed from so many. The only thing that seems to link slipstream works together is that they are all very fantastical and defying logic.<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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It's kind of hard to determine the difference between these genres mainly because when you seek out an example, you find books that are considered as being all three of these genres, and I'm no expert. Keep in mind that this is what I've concluded are the differences based on this research. I think to really find out for sure, we are all going to have to run and read some of these examples.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>What can your research or experience tell us? </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU92FX-15692oFgpolbKVCfuYU1BC2ydIiHx7oariWI3Jk8hHi2vmwuggXvdY5X4git_kVSVk6aJcSaF96K-o1GqSNlhahwK2C15kDf9XIe2KHvyFN3sVa9iJPI3WLKq0R17TNxdj0G4/s1600/holding+books.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU92FX-15692oFgpolbKVCfuYU1BC2ydIiHx7oariWI3Jk8hHi2vmwuggXvdY5X4git_kVSVk6aJcSaF96K-o1GqSNlhahwK2C15kDf9XIe2KHvyFN3sVa9iJPI3WLKq0R17TNxdj0G4/s200/holding+books.png" width="200" /></a><b>About Stephanie Carroll</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/p/blog-page.html">Stephanie Carroll</a> is the author of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/White-Room-Stephanie-Carroll/dp/0988867400/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470851394&sr=1-1&keywords=a+white+room">A White Room</a></i> and "Forget Me Not" featured in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Anthology-Adria-J-Cimino/dp/0692346953/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470851407&sr=1-1&keywords=legacy+an+anthology"><i>Legacy: An Anthology</i>.</a> She blogs about magical realism, her research into the Victorian Era and Gilded Age, writing, and life in general at <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/">www.stephaniecarroll.net</a> and at <a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/">The Unhinged Historian</a>. She also founded <a href="http://www.unhingedandempowered.com/">Unhinged and Empowered</a>, a blog for Navy wives and girlfriends.</div>
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-91152973717840924472016-07-06T16:22:00.000-07:002016-08-10T11:35:39.325-07:00Bertillon Records: The Victorian Fingerprints<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytdpjmORv0OigPMm8sztgd-M9VF4KqDhKFgWniB7k09ikvsveaQfRsl-vutxy90NWKkHWJZaJo76EpUXO7bJMHVOqmnVREgLzP2C_VsayxrubxZh37lJwMq2FPX7LebZ6EVHAcsDI01s/s1600/620measurement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytdpjmORv0OigPMm8sztgd-M9VF4KqDhKFgWniB7k09ikvsveaQfRsl-vutxy90NWKkHWJZaJo76EpUXO7bJMHVOqmnVREgLzP2C_VsayxrubxZh37lJwMq2FPX7LebZ6EVHAcsDI01s/s320/620measurement.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Measurements taken for the Bertillon Record</td></tr>
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It always makes me particularly sad when I have to cut out a scene that has a really neat bit of historical research in it. One of those deleted scenes from <i>The Binding of Saint Barbara</i> (my novel in progress as of July 2016), involved The Bertillon Record.</div>
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For those of you who like crime fiction or detective stories, you will really enjoy this. Before fingerprinting, they had a different kind of record system to keep track of people in the penal system.<br />
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These records involved taking down detailed information about the person, things like height, weight, physical, and facial characteristics, etc. It also included a photograph, i.e. the first mug shots.<br />
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According to <a href="http://www.nleomf.org/museum/news/newsletters/online-insider/november-2011/bertillon-system-criminal-identification.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/?referrer=https://www.pinterest.com/">Bertillon System of Criminal Identification on The National Law Enforcement Museum</a>, a French criminologist named Alphonse Bertillon came up with the system in 1879, and it was introduced in the United States when the Illinois State Penitentiary warden, R.W. McClaughry, translated the system from French to English. It quickly became widely used.<br />
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However, by the turn of the century, <a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/usmsforkids/fingerprint_history.htm">fingerprinting</a> was in use and being included in the Bertillon Record. After an incident of <a href="http://www.nleomf.org/museum/news/newsletters/online-insider/november-2011/bertillon-system-criminal-identification.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/?referrer=https://www.pinterest.com/">mixing up two prisoners</a> with the same name and remarkably similar Bertillon Records, fingerprints began taking over the identification system.</div>
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<a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/59629/alphonse-bertillon-and-identity-criminals">Mental Floss</a> has a fantastic article on The Bertillon Record as do these others:</div>
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<a href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov/visibleproofs/galleries/technologies/bertillon.html">The Bertillon System on Visible Proofs</a></div>
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<a href="http://jimfisher.edinboro.edu/forensics/bertillon1.html">Alphonse Bertillon: The Father of Criminal Identification</a></div>
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<a href="https://criminocorpus.org/en/museum/alphonse-bertillon-and-identification-persons-1880-1914/">Alphonse Bertillon and the Identification of Persons (1880-1914)</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Anthropometry">Anthropometry on New World Encyclopedia</a></div>
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<b><b>About Stephanie Carroll</b></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/p/blog-page.html">Stephanie Carroll</a> is the author of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/White-Room-Stephanie-Carroll/dp/0988867400/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470851394&sr=1-1&keywords=a+white+room">A White Room</a></i> and "Forget Me Not" featured in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Anthology-Adria-J-Cimino/dp/0692346953/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470851407&sr=1-1&keywords=legacy+an+anthology"><i>Legacy: An Anthology</i>.</a> She blogs about magical realism, her research into the Victorian Era and Gilded Age, writing, and life in general at <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/">www.stephaniecarroll.net</a> and at <a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/">The Unhinged Historian</a>. She also founded <a href="http://www.unhingedandempowered.com/">Unhinged and Empowered</a>, a blog for Navy wives and girlfriends.</div>
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Stephanie Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3660729031117675121.post-33342392639217699212016-06-29T14:58:00.001-07:002016-08-10T11:35:50.148-07:00Asthma in the Nineteenth Century Gilded Age<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsGwMP1Zj4QEebm2ZxaBwDa5IuoyTgrW2Zd35lHjsHGxpOQUMJKC_wyYO3oUp1zEfPCMXobI9BrpsTbQQZPEQztlDLCwRppCYhA9amEqme7ekGDljUmCEYSLzs_7jzv4TGNpzzfm6RcZ-/s1600/asthma+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsGwMP1Zj4QEebm2ZxaBwDa5IuoyTgrW2Zd35lHjsHGxpOQUMJKC_wyYO3oUp1zEfPCMXobI9BrpsTbQQZPEQztlDLCwRppCYhA9amEqme7ekGDljUmCEYSLzs_7jzv4TGNpzzfm6RcZ-/s320/asthma+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So if you follow me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/carrollbooks">Facebook</a> or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/carrollbooks">Twitter</a>, you already know that as of June 2016, my novel <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/2015/04/the-binding-of-saint-barbara.html"><i>The Binding of Saint Barbara</i></a> is in it's final stages, and I have officially begun shopping it around. Eeeee, so excited. Anyway, it may surprise some that even in these late stages some significant content changes can still occur, and one interesting change that has happened as a result of my last edit is the decision to give one of my characters asthma.<br />
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The character I'm giving asthma to is guard Daniel McNaughton, who is based on a real person. In my book and in real life, this guard was the primary day keeper for the condemned ax-murderer William Kemmler who became the first man to die in the electric chair in 1890 Auburn Prison, Auburn New York.<br />
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The real Daniel McNaughton was an older gentleman, but in the story I have made him young and the initial object of Charlotte Durston's affection. He is a a man who is trying to make something of himself. His hope is to have this appointment guarding William Kemmler turn into a promotion. He has a personal stake in this because his father was a drunk and hardly could keep a job, forcing Daniel's mother to work until she died. Daniel has committed himself to giving no attention to women or courting until he has established a career that can support a family.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbw4Bqlzi7HH-I7BeOK5Ibq_MME-kyowtjTWu8qUeJpgeuXoD9r7g2yQ5Ch8TSn582wtq0dpgNDqN-98sjit39UrfbZkPq1KAhVW5XPlSUW8aI6a78smKkUybxstbYCsWtyZRIGuqYS96/s1600/asthma+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbw4Bqlzi7HH-I7BeOK5Ibq_MME-kyowtjTWu8qUeJpgeuXoD9r7g2yQ5Ch8TSn582wtq0dpgNDqN-98sjit39UrfbZkPq1KAhVW5XPlSUW8aI6a78smKkUybxstbYCsWtyZRIGuqYS96/s640/asthma+1.jpg" width="409" /></a></div>
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Plus, he wants a woman who is like is mother, strong and capable, neither of which Charlotte can manage, so she is the last person who attracts his attention. Nevertheless, in her efforts to stand out to him, she gets herself attacked by the condemned murderer while on Daniel's watch. This leaves Daniel's future in jeopardy as her father now wants to blame someone for the attack. It also forces Daniel to keep a special eye out to make sure Charlotte doesn't get into anymore trouble.<br />
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My first set of beta readers haven't responded to Daniel the way I thought they might. They don't really seem to have strong feelings for him one way or the other so I was looking for a way to make him more interesting or sympathetic and as I read back through the manuscript after my beta readers, I realized there are many scenes where Daniel is put into positions where he is out of breath, and it occurred to me that his situation would be a lot worse if being out of breath was a really bad thing for him. (Always make things harder for your characters!)<br />
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Now all his stakes are higher. His job is such a big deal because he's been hiding his asthma and normally wouldn't be able to get a job like prison guard because of it. Plus, every time he has to do something physically or emotionally intense, he's in danger of not only getting exposed but of getting an attack so bad he can't recover. It's added depth to his backstory and personality in general, not to mention an fascinating historical footnote!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilckaCfPkNE-LFhOF7YNxgXuPWiaPlIdqt5hKP8s_jOF0SyAgeqQ6juYu90Y8yy4VW9HBQHWIMKKnh9PqOQ52qyCa-TXuHOQ-P_d6WMuaT7xT7FMstsqr4bOXMgif9x1GWp_kR3Z-19nQD/s1600/asthma+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilckaCfPkNE-LFhOF7YNxgXuPWiaPlIdqt5hKP8s_jOF0SyAgeqQ6juYu90Y8yy4VW9HBQHWIMKKnh9PqOQ52qyCa-TXuHOQ-P_d6WMuaT7xT7FMstsqr4bOXMgif9x1GWp_kR3Z-19nQD/s320/asthma+3.jpg" width="274" /></a>Obviously, they didn't have albuterol inhalers in the nineteenth century, so what did they do for asthma? There were many <a href="http://hardluckasthma.blogspot.com/2012/01/1800-2012-evolution-of-back-door.html">interesting treatments</a> like ozone paper, but the two main remedies for asthma were black coffee and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2844275/">stramonium</a>, which was smoked through non-tobacco <a href="http://medicalhistory.blogspot.com/2014/11/asthma-cigarettes.html">cigarettes</a> and or from powders. The latter is what I used in the book. I have Daniel light the powder and inhale it that way.<br />
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I also learned that chronic coughing is an important symptom of asthma, which I didn't know and which actually led me to my doctor who said my post-bronchitis cough might actually be a sign of adult onset asthma, something that is common where I live in the Central Valley of California.<br />
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One account from <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2844275/">Divine Stramonium: The Rise and Fall of Smoking for Asthma</a>, which cited <i>Marcel Proust: letters to his mother, 1956, </i>was<i> </i>really interesting. It came from a letter by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrien_Proust">Dr. Adrien Proust</a> father of the novelist <a href="http://www.proust-ink.com/biography/">Marcel Proust</a>:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdfcYMQ5LtoAOOTi_qzitvQWE6z4hH-nD1pr5ZFXb0je5PI7ZkWHO1nQwmyRRMh4tGUN-hOV-ITsfKPk6dCPkcxM_z3EIMMGv2iPXbNt8AIM6tglkDoDRKQLNuIpGa_N9WDI1CXEE0EVD/s1600/Adrien_Proust_1834-1903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdfcYMQ5LtoAOOTi_qzitvQWE6z4hH-nD1pr5ZFXb0je5PI7ZkWHO1nQwmyRRMh4tGUN-hOV-ITsfKPk6dCPkcxM_z3EIMMGv2iPXbNt8AIM6tglkDoDRKQLNuIpGa_N9WDI1CXEE0EVD/s320/Adrien_Proust_1834-1903.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26668416">Dr. Adrien Proust </a></span><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26668416"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">by Paul Nadar</span></a></div>
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<i>‘Misery of miseries or mystery of mysteries?’ That is the title of a chapter in one of Dumas’s novels, which would apply very well to me at the moment. Yesterday after I wrote to you I had an attack of asthma and incessant running at the nose, which obliged me to walk all doubled up and light anti-asthma cigarettes at every tobacconist’s I passed, etc. And what’s worse, I haven’t been able to go to bed till midnight, after endless fumigations, and it’s three or four hours after a real summer attack, an unheard of thing for me.</i></blockquote>
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<b>Here are the main resources I used to find this information and there's some really neat stuff about this in these articles so check them out:</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/153250/history-medicine/">The History of Asthma Medicine</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/98565/century-remedies/">19th Century Asthma Remedies</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2844275/">Divine Stramonium: The Rise and Fall of Smoking for Asthma</a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hardluckasthma.blogspot.com/2012/01/1800-2012-evolution-of-back-door.html">Evolution of Back Door Bronchodilator</a></div>
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<a href="http://hardluckasthma.blogspot.com/2012/01/history-of-back-door-bronchodilators.html">1800-1985: Asthma Cigarettes</a></div>
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<a href="http://medicalhistory.blogspot.com/2014/11/asthma-cigarettes.html">Asthma Cigarettes </a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU92FX-15692oFgpolbKVCfuYU1BC2ydIiHx7oariWI3Jk8hHi2vmwuggXvdY5X4git_kVSVk6aJcSaF96K-o1GqSNlhahwK2C15kDf9XIe2KHvyFN3sVa9iJPI3WLKq0R17TNxdj0G4/s1600/holding+books.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU92FX-15692oFgpolbKVCfuYU1BC2ydIiHx7oariWI3Jk8hHi2vmwuggXvdY5X4git_kVSVk6aJcSaF96K-o1GqSNlhahwK2C15kDf9XIe2KHvyFN3sVa9iJPI3WLKq0R17TNxdj0G4/s200/holding+books.png" width="200" /></a><b>About Stephanie Carroll</b><br />
<a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/p/blog-page.html">Stephanie Carroll</a> is the author of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/White-Room-Stephanie-Carroll/dp/0988867400/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470851394&sr=1-1&keywords=a+white+room">A White Room</a></i> and "Forget Me Not" featured in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Anthology-Adria-J-Cimino/dp/0692346953/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470851407&sr=1-1&keywords=legacy+an+anthology"><i>Legacy: An Anthology</i>.</a> She blogs about magical realism, her research into the Victorian Era and Gilded Age, writing, and life in general at <a href="http://www.stephaniecarroll.net/">www.stephaniecarroll.net</a> and at <a href="http://www.unhingedhistorian.com/">The Unhinged Historian</a>. She also founded <a href="http://www.unhingedandempowered.com/">Unhinged and Empowered</a>, a blog for Navy wives and girlfriends.<br />
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