From timeslips, Viking warriors and fantasy worlds to contemporary romance and historical mysteries, the Wenches have been reading up a storm this month. Check it out! (And don't forget to share your reading list with us!)
Pat: Now, for a completely different twist. . . A Murder In Time by Julie McElwain This is essentially an historical timeslip novel, with a murder mystery, a contemporary story arc, and a hint of romance. Who could ask for anything more?
Susan here - and here we are, a full year into making our way through this peculiar time on Planet Earth. And today I'm bringing to the blog a refreshed assortment of quotes and thoughts and pretty pictures to help us as we go along.
In our family, all the adults have been vaccinated now, which is a very good thing. And we are still being just as careful as before, mostly staying home, not seeing much of family and friends beyond the virtual, and staying masked and distanced when we do venture out. One of our sons is still treating covid patients in a major hospital, and that's a dose of reality that keeps us all aware. My husband I both work at home most of the time, and being dedicated introverts, that's just fine with us -- and a year later, we’re not climbing the walls quite yet.
But now and then, the stress and the strangeness of it creeps in, and I’m turning more and more to things that help me relax, stretch, clear the mind, fill the reserves.
“You used to be much more … muchier. You’ve lost your muchness,” said the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland.
And I don’t want to go there, nor do you. Let’s all keep our muchness as we navigate our way through this Fire Swamp (while blithely mixing metaphors). I hope you are faring well, and finding your own way through the swamp.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes – and some favorite images – that I hope will brighten your day.
“Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.”
--Jane Austen, Emma
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all –
--Emily Dickinson
"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering." –A. A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh
“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” —Hermann Hesse
"Peace is always beautiful."
-- Walt Whitman
Seeing the Elephant
by Mary Jo
Once more I'm crashing toward the end of a story, in this case a Christmas novella scheduled for the A YULETIDE KISS anthology that will be out this October.
Sooooo....I'm also once again recycling an older travel blog, this time of our marvelous safari in Botswana. Just rereading it made me want to go there again!
So once more:
On September 8th, 2016, late in the evening, I pressed "Send" to email the manuscript of Once a Rebel to my editor. And the next morning we flew to Africa. I wrote 7K words that last day in order to have a semblance of an ending. I do not recommend this. <G>
But the safari in Botswana was wonderful. Nothing like going off the grid when you've just finished a book! I'd had no particular awareness of Botswana until I read the first No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books by Alexander McCall Smith. Born in what is now Zimbabwe, McCall Smith was a law professor at the University of Botswana for many years, and his love and understanding of Southern Africa are profound.
Christina here. The hero of my latest book The Runes of Destiny is a Viking merchant who trades in all kinds of goods - whatever will make him the most profit. However, when I researched the type of things he would be likely to bring on a trip to Miklagarðr (Byzantium), I became fascinated by one in particular – amber. The more I read about it, the more I came to appreciate it, and I could well imagine how pleased a Viking woman would have been to receive such a gift – who wouldn’t be? It also seemed like the ideal trade goods – it was easy to transport, didn’t take up much space, and was highly sought after everywhere, plus in some places you could actually pick it up for free! (If you knew where to look).
I occasionally write about dyslexia because it affects a number of my friends and family members, and it interests me. Despite scientists having known about this affliction since the 1870s, it was rarely acknowledged even in the 20th century.
Anne here, and today I'm talking about a little excursion I took recently with a small group of writer friends. It's still a huge and rare pleasure to get out of the house and meet up with friends, and we were lucky to have gorgeous weather for it as well.
Ripponlea is a National Trust house and garden in Melbourne and they are currently showing an exhibition of costumes used in the film Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears.
It was supposed to be staged last year when the movie was released, but because of CoVid and Lockdown it was postponed. But now things are loosening up again, and the exhibition has finally opened.
Some of you will know the Phrynne (pronounced fry-nee) Fisher books by Kerry Greenwood, and also the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries TV series. The Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears movie is the latest development.
Nicola here! Today is St Patrick’s Day, the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland, and if you’ve read Wench Susan’s post earlier in the week you will already be in the mood to celebrate with a pint of Guinness and some delicious soda bread!
Whilst the harp is the official symbol of Ireland, found everywhere from Guinness glasses to official coinage, the shamrock is another symbol that is as widely recognised and popular. It is said that this little sprig of green was important to the druids and that St Patrick used it to explain the concept of the trinity in his teaching, as it has three leaves.
The original shamrock has been identified as being either the lesser or the white clover, although down the centuries there has been a lot of discussion amongst botanists as to what genus of plant it actually was. Normally it has just the three leaves; if you find one with four then that is especially lucky! References to it in medieval literature refer to beautiful fields of it in flower – there is a story that St Brigid decided to stay in County Kildare when she saw a meadow clothed in glorious shamrock/clover flowers.
Continue reading "Celebrating The Shamrock on St Patrick's Day!" »
Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to you!
Susan here - This week most of us will find a way to celebrate the Irish and Ireland on Saint Patrick’s Day, whether it's wearing green or heading to the pub (although this year, the brighter idea is to stay home, eat fish and chips, maybe pour a Guinness or a whiskey or some Irish coffee, and watch The Quiet Man or Derry Girls). One of my grandfathers was Irish, the son of an Irish minister from County Cork who brought his young family of four sons, including my grandfather as a wean, through Ellis Island. I have Irish on both maternal and paternal sides (the DNA tests and ongoing genealogy tree indicate that I’m about 47% Irish, in a blend of Scottish, English, French, Italian, and even a smidge of Jewish way back). But this week I’m all about my Irish side, and March 17th is a day to be proudly wearin’ the green while we all celebrate even the slightest degree of Irish blood. And if it’s not in your DNA, it may be in your heart, in your love and attraction for the incomparable, irrepressible, charming, feisty, poetic, the profound and unforgettable Irish and their beautiful land.
Beginning as a celebration of St. Patrick’s life, St. Patrick's Day has come a long way. Patrick was a 5th century British son of a noble house, enslaved and brought to Ireland; he escaped, yet returned once he became a priest, bringing Christianity to the pagan Celtic Irish. From that humble start grew the myth of clearing the snakes (pagan beliefs?) out of Ireland, and from there to wearing green, displaying shamrocks, drinking green beer, singing Irish songs in pubs, eating Irish fare, dyeing an entire river green (Chicago) and generally loving all things Irish or even remotely Irish for one fine day. And it has become, it seems, as big a deal in America as it is in Ireland, with the tremendous importance and impact of Irish immigrants and their descendants throughout the history of America.
One of the most powerful aspects of St. Patrick's life and story, I think, is the "Breastplate of Saint Patrick," the prayer he is said to have composed himself in the 5th century--and its style is very much that of ancient Celtic invocations. Part of it reads:
I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the Sun,
The whiteness of Snow,
The force of Fire,
The flash of Lightning,
The velocity of Wind,
The depth of the Sea,
The stability of the Earth,
The hardness of Rocks...
I haven’t been to Ireland yet, and will get there someday. I feel as drawn to the culture and history of Ireland as I am to Scotland and all the places in the wide Celtic world. My novels are set in Scotland for the most part, and I haven’t yet explored in my writing the deep love and fascination I feel for Ireland and Irishness; that’s another someday as well. Here’s a list of a few of my favorite Irish things, in no particular order …
-- The Turret Stair, Frederic William Burton, National Gallery of Ireland—voted Ireland’s favorite painting. Mine too!
--The Book of Kells, ca. 800, Trinity College Library – a stunning illuminated book. Here’s what Thomas Cahill has to say about the Irish and books, in How the Irish Saved Civilization: (one of my personal favorite books, btw) -
Wherever they went the Irish brought with them their books, many unseen in Europe for centuries and tied to their waists as signs of triumph, just as Irish heroes had once tied to their waists their enemies' heads. Where they went they brought their love of learning and their skills in bookmaking. In the bays and valleys of their exile, they reestablished literacy and breathed new life into the exhausted literary culture of Europe. And that is how the Irish saved civilization.
--Irish pubs and fish and chips, including local lovely Irish places such as An Poitin Stil near Baltimore, where I sometimes meet Mary Jo to nosh on fish and chips and soda bread (as soon as this Covid thing clears out of our lives, that’s the first place I’m going!). While I’m not a fan of beer, I do love the atmosphere of a good pub.
--A new favorite, the inflatable Irish pub – I’d love to have one of these in my backyard! https://inflatable.pub/
--Celtic jewelry – I have many pieces and love each one, silver spirals, knotwork designs, much of it Irish made and as lovely as it gets.
--TV shows and movies set in Ireland — so many favorites! Here are just a few that capture a sense of Ireland and Irish: The Quiet Man, Waking Ned Devine, The Commitments, and a wonderful TV series, Moone Boy, starring the irrepressible Irish charmer, Chris O’Dowd (of the hilarious IT Crowd, where his Irishness also shines).
A new favorite is Derry Girls—a smart, funny, endearing comedy series about schoolgirls in Ireland during the troubles of the 1990s. It is frequently flat-out hilarious, quintessentially Irish and charming, and so delightful that we’ve binged it a few times in our house. Here's a trailer.
Anne here with the other Word Wenches, farewelling Joanna Bourne, who has been such a beloved member of our community for more than ten years.
I first "met" Jo through her writing. It was 2008. I was in New York for a conference, and meeting with my editor. I was in her office, about to leave, when I said, "Is there anyone you think I should be reading? She pulled The Spymaster's Lady from her shelf and handed it to me. It hadn't yet been published — Jo and I shared the same editor. I read The Spymaster's Lady on the plane on the way home and wow! It blew me away.
I met her in person in 2009, the night she won her first RITA for the Spymaster's Lady. It was a thrilling night all around. Wench Jo Beverley presented her with it — seems Joanna was almost fated to become a Word Wench.
I interviewed her here, and the following month Joanna joined us as a word wench. This was her first post. And since then she's become a valued member of the word wench family. You can catch up with her previous posts here — there's a wealth of Jo-reading. And now, over to the other wenches . . .
From Pat: Jo, I totally wish you well in your retirement but secretly hope the imps of creativity crawl out of their holes and start chewing on your fingers. Your brilliant, funny, creative mind needs a good outlet, and I need my Job fix of humor on a regular basis. I’ll miss you so much!
For those of you who have only read Jo’s books, dig around on the Wench blog and look for her epistles. Humor lurks under every word and insight. Behind the scenes, when the wenches are talking, she’s even funnier and pithier. And if you haven’t read Jo’s books, do so now! As you can see by her pictures, she looks like a mischievous imp, not an evil mind who grips you by the throat and won’t let go!
Dear All,
A sad announcement from me today. It’s got me all philosophical and remembering.
I joined the Word Wenches a decade ago. They’ve been most excellent years. I’ve been productive in my writing, found a sympathetic niche for my blog posts, got to know the readers who gather here, and been supported all this time by the fellowship of Wenches.
It’s been great fun.
Writing is a solitary business. It’s many hours of sitting at a desk, staring at the wall and, from time to time, typing madly, muttering to yourself. When you’re a writer you know precisely where the guillotine stood in La Place de la Revolution. You can ask the mailman, “If she murders somebody and he deserves it, does she have to regret it?” and he backs away quietly.
Our writing buddies understand this and sympathize. We keep each other sane. Thank you, Word Wenches. Sanity is good.
Now I get to the meat of the matter.
These last couple years I haven’t got much written. The old brain doesn’t work as well as it once did. The creaky body no longer stands up to the physical and emotional demands of the writing job.
It’s time for me to retire and put my feet up and let the dog and cat climb into my lap and keep me warm. I have a decade of TV shows to catch up on. I started knitting a scarf for my sister a couple of years ago. I may finally get it finished.
So I’m bowing out of the Word Wenches, with regret and gratitude, filled with good wishes for everybody.
Jo
Andrea here, As the first day of Spring creeps closer, I’m also musing on a far more sobering mark on the calendar. For me, this week marks the one year anniversary of start of the pandemic lockdown in my local area. And though there are now some glimmers of light—there’s limited indoor dining, schools have re-opened for hybrid learning—most of us still feel restricted in the things we can do.
One of the things I miss most is traveling, especially as the days grow longer and weather warms up, inviting one to get up and go explore! But as hopping on a plane to some faraway place doesn’t yet feel like a good plan, I’ve been doing some fun armchair adventuring instead, traveling to exotic destinations. So, I thought I’d invite to take trip with me down the Nile!
An interview with Alissa Baxter:
By Mary Jo
I'm delighted to have as my guest today my friend Alissa Baxter, a South African romance writer who has written a trilogy of sweet Regency romances with heroines who have unconventional interests. The first, The Earl's Lady Geologist, has just been released.
Kirkus Reviews called it, "A playful and poignant historical romance that’s certain to please fans of the genre."
Bestselling author Mimi Mathews said, “A gentle Regency romance, full of sweetness and intelligence. Alissa Baxter’s writing is period perfect.”
An Amazon reviewer said, "At times touching, at others humorous with snappy dialogue between the main characters, this was an entertaining and satisfying read from beginning to end."
There's also a fun video for the book.
Nicola here. I imagine that a lot of people are, like me, missing their visits to historical houses and heritage sites, and can’t wait for a time when we can all go out and enjoy them again. Country house visiting has, of course, been a hobby for tourists for hundreds of years. One of the best descriptions of it in fiction comes from Pride and Prejudice, when Lizzie Bennett, in company with her aunt and uncle, visits Pemberley on their trip to Derbyshire. They are shown round by the housekeeper, giving Lizzie the chance to reflect on the house she could have been mistress of if only she hadn’t turned down Mr Darcy. The fact that Lizzie thinks that Mr Darcy is from home only to discover he’s just arrived, adds a wonderful, romantic twist to the story.
It’s fun to think that in normal times we can gawp at grand houses in the manner of our ancestors although these days a lot of places provide more entertainment for the visitor than you might have got in the eighteenth century with shops, tea rooms, exhibitions, talks and lots of activities for children. Heritage sites compete for our business in contrast to the past when it was considered an honour to be allowed to visit the home of the Duke of Wherever.
Word Wenches is a blog featuring seven authors, plotting in the present, writing about the past. . . and improvising the rest. Authors include Mary Jo Putney, Patricia Rice, Anne Gracie, Susan King aka Susan Fraser King, Nicola Cornick, Andrea Penrose, & Christina Courtenay.
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