We arrived home yesterday afternoon, just in advance of some mighty thunderstorms that rolled through all last night. While we were gone, other storms took down a huge loblolly pine which fell across our driveway. We had to arrange for its removal to an area out of the way from Maine. We had a grand time, eating lobster and more lobster, whole body clams, scallops, mussels, Atlantic halibut and more lobster. Oh, and those delicious little wild Maine blueberries in scones, waffles, pie and crisp. We had to bring back some jam. The views in the evenings while dining were wonderful. While I was there I popped into an antique shop and discovered a Staffordshire ware plate that spoke to me because it depicts the courtship of Priscilla Mullins by John Alden (both origine Mayflower passengers) as immortalized by Longfellow. WWL imagined a triangular courtship with Myles Standish asking Alden to speak for him to gain Priscilla’s hand. All fabricated of course – there is no record of this happening – but it makes for a good story. I enlarged the back photo so you could see the plate had been for Smith’s store in Plymouth (I wonder how it got to Maine?) in 1957. Smith’s was an upper end gift store my family used to patronize for wedding gifts and oogling, but it’s been closed for probably 30 years. My book signings went well – sold out the first and most of the third books in Boothbay and Camden – and I plan to return to Damariscotta in October for their Pumpkin Fest to sell more of Death by Pumpkin, since one of the festival events inspired the book. I visited the Boothbay Brewery for an incredible lobster roll and slaw made from vegetables (including kale) grown on the brewery’s farm and sampled their beers. The brewery might be featured in my next book – it even has a friendly ghost. All in all an pretty fun time, but then I always have a good time in Maine. 0 0
I’m on vacation, as you all know, but couldn’t miss re-posting this from Terry Tyler. As the author of a just published new book, I support this most whole-heartedly. ******* On Monday 25th July, book blogger Rosie Amber wrote this post encouraging readers and writers alike to post a short review on Amazon for any book they’ve read and enjoyed. The idea is that, from August 1st, everyone who reads this uses their Amazon account to post just one review on one book that they’ve read (but feel free to carry on if you get in the swing!). You don’t even have to have read it recently, it can be any book you’ve read, any time. The book does not have to have been purchased from Amazon, though if it is you get the ‘Verified Purchase’ tag on it; however, if you download all your books via Kindle Unlimited, as many do these days, they don’t show the VP tag, anyway. Remember, this isn’t the Times Literary Supplement, it’s Amazon, where ordinary people go to choose their next £1.99 Kindle book. No one expects you to write a thousand word, in-depth critique; I don’t know about you, but I’m more likely to read one short paragraph or a couple of lines saying what an average reader thought of a book, than a long-winded essay about the pros and cons of the various literary techniques used. Yes, those are welcome too (!), but no more so than a few words saying “I loved this book, I was up reading it until 3am”, or “I loved Jim and Vivien and the dialogue was so realistic”, or whatever! Why should you write a review? They help book buyers make decisions. Don’t you read the reviews on Trip Advisor before deciding on a hotel, or any site from which you might buy an item for practical use? Book reviews are no different. If the book is by a self-published author, or published by an independent press, the writers have to do all their promotion and marketing themselves ~ reviews from the reading public is their one free helping hand. The amount of reviews on Amazon helps a book’s visibility (allegedly). If you love a writer’s work and want others to do so, too, this is the best possible way of making this happen. It’s your good deed for the day, and will only take five minutes! Off we go, then! A few more pointers: If you need any help with writing your review, do click on Rosie’s post, above. A review can be as short as one word. The shortest one I have is just two 🙂 You don’t have to put your name to the review, as your Amazon ‘handle’ can be anything you like. No writer expects all their reviews to be 5* and say the book is the best thing ever written; there is a star rating guide on Rosie’s post. Would you like to tell the Twittersphere about your review? If so, tweet the link to it with the hashtag #AugustReviews ~ and thank you! I will do one blog post a week featuring these links: The #AugustReviews Hall of Fame (thank you, Barb!). If you have a blog and would like to spread the word about #AugustReviews, please feel free to copy and paste this blog post, provide the link to it, re-blog it, or whatever ~ many thanks, and I hope you will join in to make this idea a success 🙂 THANK YOU! 0 0
We’ve been in Maine for several days now, weather warm and blue skies. I have personally eat my way through lobster, clams, mussels, scallops, and Atlantic halibut. I discovered a wonderful dish called nage, which is pieces of lobster, scallops, mussels and shrimp cooked in an aromatic court bouillon. This is the view from the deck where we had this spectacular dish. I’ve chatted my way through two book signings, one more to come on Saturday and sold out at one store! We plan to come back at the beginning of October to sell my latest, Death by Pumpkin, at the annual Damariscotta Pumpkin Fest and do a reading at a local library. Everyone has commented positively on the cover, so huge thanks to everyone who helped me choose it! 0 0
La Petite Boulain is the first of a series of novels that will follow the life of Anne Boleyn (this is Above all Others; The Lady Anne Book 1) by Gemma Lawrence, author of The Bastard Princess and The Heretic Heir, both about the daughter of Henry VIII who would become Queen Elizabeth. Anne Boleyn has been the subject of many books, either about her or about the Tudors. I counted 45 on Goodreads alone, by some impressive historical fiction authors such as Antonia Frasier, Philippa Gregory, Jean Plaidy, and Nora Lofts, to name a few. Many of them I have read because I am in love with the Tudor story, so I looked forward to this book. In La Petite Boulain, the early years of Anne’s life are explored in depth, beginning with her happy childhood at Hever Castle in Kent with her sister Margaret and her parents, who were courtiers to both Henry VII and Henry the VIII. While still very young, Anne sees Henry VIII and is infatuated with him, even from a distance. Women in those times were always used as pawns by their parents to enable the family to rise in the ranks. Anne is no exception and at the age of twelve is sent to is sent to the Court of Burgundy to be tutored in court ways and manners by Margaret of Austria. An intelligent girl, Anne not only learns the various arts and language necessary for a courtier, but becomes an astute observer of court life and politics. As a polished young woman, she is sent to the court of France to be a lady-in-waiting to the Princess Mary Tudor, Henry’s sister, who was to wed the aged Louis XII, king of France. Eventually, she is recalled to England by her father, following the death of the Duke of Buckingham. The reader is reminded of her fate, as the story is bookended by her thoughts and observances during her time in the Tower of London, awaiting her possible execution. What I liked about this book: The author did an exception and detailed job with the historical detail, from the food to the clothing. I loved being immersed in the minutiae of life in that age. The politics of the royal courts, which defines everyone’s life and fate, are laid out crisply and understandably. Religion becomes a part of this, as Martin Luther teachings took root in the Christianity of the commoners. The reader becomes drawn into Anne’s life and sees through her observations and thoughts the fate and treatment of women during that time. It also becomes clear why Henry would become so infatuated with her, as she learns well the lesson of enticing men with beauty, talent and intelligence, but never succumbing to their entreaties and wants. This prompts the question of whether Anne was really in love with Henry, or simply playing the political role of desirable courtier to advance her family. The next book may provide an answer! What I did not like: The book is very heavy in exposition, mainly very lengthy descriptions of Anne’s thoughts. The dialogue that interspersed these long passages was well-imagined and a relief. Also, Anne’s constant wonderment and delight in the beauty and magnificence of the royal courts and nobility was somewhat overwhelming and at times slightly tedious. I deliberately read The Heretic Heir right after completing this book, to see if this were the author’s writing style. It is, but The Heretic Heir, in my admittedly limited opinion, is better. All in all, I do recommend La Petite Boulain. I came away with a clearer picture of Anne herself and the time in which she lived. She became a real person, and even those who are not rabid fans of the Tudors will love the historical detail and reach an understanding of this complicated woman. I look forward to the next book in the series. About the author Gemma Lawrence is an independently published author living in Cornwall in the UK. She describes her writing thus: “I write mainly Historical Fiction, with an emphasis on the Tudor and Medieval periods and have a particular passion for women of history who inspire me,” but she has not limited herself to one genre. Her first book in the Elizabeth of England Chronicles series is The Bastard Princess (The Elizabeth of England Chronicles Book 1), the second is The Heretic Heir (which I read and loved). Gemma can be found on Wattpad (https://www.wattpad.com/user/GemmaLawrence31) and on Twitter @TudorTweep. La Petite Boulain can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Petite-Boulain-Above-Others-Lady-ebook 0 0
I’m off to Plymouth MA for a high school reunion and some research on Thursday and then on to Maine the following week, hopefully to sell some books and definitely to eat lobster! So I will only be checking everyone’s blogs occasionally. Will have a book review or two to fill in… Seafood, ho! 0 0
Death By Pumpkin will be available on Kindle on July 19th! The band is playing and you can pre-order a copy while tapping your feet to the music. HUGE thanks to everyone who made this possible. 0 0
I could mean a hard tack on my sail boat, but actually I want to introduce you to the hard tack the Pilgrims ate as one of their staples during their 66 day voyage on the Mayflower. As many of you know, I am writing a historical novel about one Pilgrim in particular, and as a treat (?) for one of my critique groups reviewing the early chapters, I made some for them to try. Hard tack is is a simple type of biscuit or cracker (my friends who tried it said it tasted like a Saltine), made from flour, water, and sometimes salt. In the absence of perishable food, it’s a cheap and long-lasting source of sustenance, commonly used during long sea voyages, land migrations or military maneuvers. It derives from the slang word for food used by British sailors: tack. Synonyms are cabin bread, pilot bread, sea biscuit, sea bread, ship’s biscuit, or ship biscuit, and it has also been sarcastically called dog biscuits, molar breakers, sheet iron, tooth dullers and worm castles. It is baked HARD, and can keep for years if kept dry. For example, during our Civil War, hardtack shipped to Union and Confederate storehouses had been made and stored during the 1846–48 Mexican-American War. For long voyages, hardtack was baked four times, rather than the more common two (as in the recipe I will provide), and was usually made months before it was needed. Hard tack is softened by dunking it in brine, coffee, or any liquid of choice. Soldiers during the Civil War would often get hard tack with insect infestation, usually of weevils. They would crumble it into their coffee, the insects would float to the top, where they could be skimmed off, and the coffee plus sodden hard tack then eaten. Here is my hard tack recipe, made in the traditional way without sugar, butter, and milk. Ingredients: 3 cups of white flour 2 tsp salt 1 cup of water Instructions: Preheat oven to 375o. Gradually mix in the water until a dough is formed that doesn’t stick to your hands. One cup is just about right. Roll out the dough into a square no more than 0.5 inches thick Cut the dough into 9 squares. Using a nail, make a 4 x 4 grid of holes deep into the dough in each of the squares. Put the squares individually on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 30 min. Turn the squares over and bake for another 30 min. Allow the squares to cool thoroughly before attempting to eat! My group found this hard tack interesting, and two of them asked for the recipe. One wants it for her diet and the other wants to make it for cruises on his sailboat. Go figure! 0 0
Now for a little of the food that shows up from time to time in the Rhe Brewster Mysteries: Fifteen minutes later we were chatting amiably in the Irish Setter Pub, which was apparently the only Irish eatery in northern Maine. The menu offered bangers and mash, Celtic chicken, and shepherd’s pie, but Robert ordered what he told me was his favorite dish: corned beef with boiled cabbage, potatoes and carrots. In my family this was known as a boiled New England dinner, derived from the traditional Irish meal of beef and boiled cabbage. I ordered the same. “I wouldn’t have taken you for Irish,” I teased. “Well, I grew up right here in Aroostook country, which you probably know was settled in part by the Irish. They came from the coffin ships carrying sick and dying passengers from Ireland to Quebec during the potato famine. Many of the survivors then walked across the border to escape further British rule.” Death by Pumpkin is now on Amazon, but the real release date will be in about nine days, when it becomes available on Kindle. N.B. With Create Space, once you approve the final copy – which enables you to purchase books for your readings, family and friends – the book automatically is posted on Amazon. 0 0
I published this piece a while back and thought you might enjoy reading it again. I think many of us are probably fuzzy on the details of why we celebrate the 4th. Our celebrations are distracting: picnics and barbecues and parades and fireworks. A joyous day to recognize our freedom and those who fought and sacrificed for it and those continue to do so even today. The legal separation of the original thirteen colonies was voted on by the Second Continental Congress on July 2, 1776, when the colonial representatives approved a resolution of independence put forth by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. What a momentous vote! None of the men present could predict the future, what would happen to them or to the independent country they now declared in existence, and the bravery they took in doing so must have been heavily weighed by fear for the future. The Declaration of Independence, a statement of the reasons for this decision, had been prepared by the so-called Committee of Five (John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, Robert R. Livingston of New York, and Roger Sherman of Connecticut) appointed by the Congress, with Thomas Jefferson as its principle architect. The Congress debated the content and wording of the Declaration, and approved it with all signing it on July 4. During this time of debate, John Adams wrote in a letter to his wife Abigail: “The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” Ben Franklin agreed, but from the outset, the public preferred to celebrate independence on July 4, the date the Declaration was signed. What’s most interesting is that even though Jefferson, Adams and Franklin all wrote they had signed that day, many historians believe the Declaration was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776. The first recorded use of the name “Independence Day” occurred in 1791, and the U.S. Congress made Independence Day a paid holiday in 1938. The most heart-rending association with the Fourth of July, at least to me, is that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. They were fierce political opponents with very different opinions on government, Jefferson a bit of a libertarian radical for his time, and Adams a bit of a buttoned-down conservative. But they were friends. After the death of Jefferson’s wife in 1782, Jefferson was sometimes a guest in the Adams’ home, where Abigail Adams and Jefferson became friends as well. This friendship results in 380 letters written between 1777 until their death. You can read these letters in a book entitled The Jefferson-Adam Letters: The Complete Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams by Lester J. Cappon (Editor): https://www.amazon.com/Adams-Jefferson-Letters-Complete-Correspondence-Jefferson/dp/0807842303 So to the men who gave us this great nation: my unending and heartfelt gratitude on this July Fourth. And to all of you who stop by: Happy Fourth of July!! 0 0
Death by Didgeridoo is the first in the Jamie Quinn Mystery series. It is a is short, really quick read – a straightforward mystery. The premise is simple: Jamie Quinn is a sometime lawyer who is currently dragging herself through the motions of living as a result of the death of her mother. She is pulled back into her profession by a phone call from her mother’s sister, Aunt Peg. Peg’s son, Adam, a young adult with Asperger’s syndrome, has been taken to the police station after being found standing over the bloody body of Spike, owner of a music store and former member of the rock group The Screaming Zombies. Adam took music lessons from Spike, had blood on his hands and is the owner of the didgeridoo used to bash in Spike’s head. Jamie, who is not a criminal lawyer, calls her friend Grace, who used to be a public defender, for advice, because she is going to have to confront Nick Dimitropoulas. Nick is the greasy, politically motivated state’s attorney and is determined to indict Adam. Jamie consults with the smart public defender, Susan Doyle, who is assigned Adam’s case and who tells Jamie to find an investigator to run down various leads. Jamie calls Duke Broussard, an investigator who owes her a favor from when she handled his divorce. Identifying and ruling out Spike’s enemies as the murderer occupies Duke and Jamie for the remainder of the book. What I did like about Death by Didgeridoo: the light, somewhat quirky sense of humor; and the nicely developed main characters: Jamie, Aunt Peg, Spike (the victim, even though he was already dead at the start of the book), and of course Duke. Duke – a tan, alcohol-soaked, woman chaser – may be one of my all-time favorite investigators. The dialog was good, except for the texts between Jamie and Grace, which were a little too complex for that medium and came across as stilted. There are a few things that I didn’t like. First, Jamie, in addition to telling her story, frequently breaks the fourth wall and speaks to the reader directly. It’s an option to engage the reader, but not one that I personally prefer because it takes me out of the story. I wanted further development of other characters; however, as I said, this book is short and thus doesn’t allow much space in which to do that. I hope future books will accomplish this. Finally, the formatting really distracted me after a while. I was hoping for a somewhat more complicated mystery. This one was very simple, with a limited number of possible suspects, and proceeded directly from point A to point B with no complications. That being said, I think this book will appeal to quite a few mystery readers, definitely a beach read. I’d like to see more in the other books in this series. About the author: Award-winning author, Barbara Venkataraman is an attorney and mediator specializing in family law and debt collection. She is the author of “Teatime with Mrs. Grammar Person”; “The Fight for Magicallus,” a children’s fantasy; a humorous short story entitled, “If You’d Just Listened to Me in the First Place”; and two books of humorous essays: “I’m Not Talking about You, Of Course” and “A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities,” which are part of the “Quirky Essays for Quirky People” series. Both books of humorous essays won the “Indie Book of the Day” award. Barbara Venkataraman is an attorney and mediator specializing in family law. She is the author of “The Fight for Magicallus,” a children’s fantasy, “If you’d Just Listened to Me in the First Place,” a humorous short story and two books of humorous essays: “I’m Not Talking about You, Of Course,” and “A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities,” which are part of an ongoing series entitled “Quirky Essays for Quirky People.” Her Jamie Quinn cozy mystery series includes: “Death by Didgeridoo,” “The Case of the Killer Divorce,” “Peril in the Park,” and “Engaged in Danger”. Coming out in 2016, “Jeopardy in July”. All of her books are available on Amazon Kindle. 0 0
