Author Discussion Group discussion

Welcome to the last event of the day! Let's jump right in with any questions you have for Jodi. I have plenty here, but feel free to chime in at anypoint and ask questions or make a comment. We love to hear from readers.

And remember, this is your LAST chance to enter the mega giveaway going on today. The winner will be announced after 8PM! http://bit.ly/18SPrRO

To start us off I have a question from Gaele Hi:

I spent many years in the Boston area – with repeated and frequent trips to the more notable historic sites and events in the area – but rarely were the women more than a footnote or a ‘mother of his children’ entry. While personal family history had several different stories passed down – the actual materials to confirm or investigate were few from the women. What particular difficulties did you encounter in researching and finding contemporary accounts of the women?

I'm writing now...actually, I found a fair number of memoirs. There's a book, whose title I forget, that has collected a dozen memoirs by women during that time period. That was invaluable...

By that time literacy was fairly high, so even farm women wrote letters. Women kept diaries, too. Ladies, keep your diaries--they're important!

From Elise VanCise:

What challenges are there when one is writing historical fiction?

So many. For me, part of the fun is the challenge of making things accurate. I may be one of two people in the world who know that so-and-so's mother was dead at his Harvard graduation party, but I won't have his mother appear at the party if she was "actually" dead! Harder--but I'm learning--is to get the narrative voice and dialogue right. You can't be literal (since no one knows how they really spoke), but you don't want to pander to our current linguistic style, either.

From Naomi Leadbeater:

The book definitely inspired me to cook, and to remember all the recipes my grandma made, some of which we still make today. I know this is old school, but we still do pie baking days on the farm (you know pick the apples, core the apples, make 60 pies...) Have you ever taken part in something like that, or what memories can you share about cooking in your home?

What do you think is the most common reason that the women of Lizzie's time aren't more celebrated - is it the (what I feel is a very paternalistic) view of history and history makers - or is it just that the men had better PR ?

Well, every year for many years we went to a friend's house in Harvard, Massachusetts. We went apple picking, and then a dozen of us would sit at a table and prepare maybe a dozen pies. Amazingly fun! My own mom was a great cook, but we ate very healthily and low fat, since my dad had a "bad heart." Turned out that was totally incorrect, and he lived for 96 very healthy years. But we didn't bake a lot of sweets. I still really want to make Lizzie's Spoils of War Orange Cake. I'll post the link here to a read who did bake it, and it looks AMAZING. She said it tastes amazing, as well.

From Brian Kuhlman:

Tell us about your writing process – what is your daily routine for getting things going?

scroll down a bit for the recipe:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/...

Gaele wrote: "What do you think is the most common reason that the women of Lizzie's time aren't more celebrated - is it the (what I feel is a very paternalistic) view of history and history makers - or is it ju..."

Interesting question, Gaele. Well, in terms of "dramatic" events, the men were it. The women's domain was the home and the farm. Women worked very hard in the gardens and in the house. That was an 80-hour-a-week job. But I found drama even in this work. I suppose that men didn't find much about the women's life "noteworthy," and so didn't record it.

From Sadie Johnson

What did you teach during your tenure at Harvard? How have your experiences there influenced your writing?

Jodi I know a lot of the most important documents for the American Revolution (About the REBELS) are housed at the National Archives UK at KEW and I wondered if in your research you made use of any docs there

Pavarti wrote: "From Brian Kuhlman:
Tell us about your writing process – what is your daily routine for getting things going?"

When I'm actually writing--as opposed to researching or editing--I'm pretty inflexible with myself. I've got to write 3 pages minimum every morning. I write by hand (yeah) and usually I end up writing more than 3 pages. But even when I travel, I don't let myself do whatever I'm traveling to do until I write those pages. Editing, I try to set a page number as well--edit 20 pages a day, for example. The part they haven't invented a good system for is inputting my edits on the computer (oh, yeah--did I say I edit by hand?? Definitely. I don't like to stare at a computer screen when I write--or edit, apparently. Research is a little more leisurely. That takes maybe six months before I begin the writing...

Pavarti wrote: "From Sadie Johnson
What did you teach during your tenure at Harvard? How have your experiences there influenced your writing? "

I taught expository writing to Freshmen. It had a huge influence on me--mainly because I met very gifted women writers for the first time and realized I didn't have to be a man to be a writer! Also, teaching students the elements of good writing really meant teaching myself. I was so young at the time!

M.C.V. wrote: "Jodi I know a lot of the most important documents for the American Revolution (About the REBELS) are housed at the National Archives UK at KEW and I wondered if in your research you made use of any..."

This is interesting...what have they got, do you know? I didn't use them--I suppose since the politics was backstory in The Midwife's Revolt. Do you have a website address for them? I'd love to check it out.

Pavarti wrote: "Welcome to the last event of the day! Let's jump right in with any questions you have for Jodi. I have plenty here, but feel free to chime in at anypoint and ask questions or make a comment. We ..."

Do I post my question to you? Jodi I know a lot of the most important documents for the American Revolution (About the REBELS) are housed at the National Archives UK at KEW and I wondered if in your research you made use of any docs there

Jodi wrote: "for the first time and realized I didn't have to be a man to be a writer! "

I know exactly what you mean. I was convinced I couldn't be taken seriously as an artist because I wasn't a man for YEARS. I could be "talent" but not the inspired genius. So glad we learned how wrong that was.

Jodi wrote: "M.C.V. wrote: "Jodi I know a lot of the most important documents for the American Revolution (About the REBELS) are housed at the National Archives UK at KEW and I wondered if in your research you ..."

They have HUGE files as we were their colony. I thought you may have used it to look for espionage or from their perspective LOYALISTS, Benedict Arnold's house in London has a plaque that reads something to the effect of American Patriot.

My last question is from Alexa Bigwarfe:

Did you come across any stories of women who really did dress up like men and spy or is that aspect of The Midwife’s Revolt completely fiction?

Jodi wrote: "M.C.V. wrote: "Jodi I know a lot of the most important documents for the American Revolution (About the REBELS) are housed at the National Archives UK at KEW and I wondered if in your research you ..."

Here is their site, you can request documents on-line http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ it is located near the Botanical Gardens at KEW in the outskirts of London, they house all the most important documents from all the colonies

My heroine of the next book in the series lives with her loyalist family...I will definitely check it out. Of course, for me, I need certain facts and not others. When I read that Stephen Holland was a counterfeiter and that there were certain people looking to bring down the revolution, that's all I needed to fire my imagination to create a plot against the Adamses.

Pavarti wrote: "Jodi wrote: "for the first time and realized I didn't have to be a man to be a writer! "

I know exactly what you mean. I was convinced I couldn't be taken seriously as an artist because I wasn't ..."

Pav, I've got to send you a photo of me in high school: I wore a tie and jacket. Seriously. My women writer friends from the bad old days still tease me mercilessly about my early lack of respect for women. But who taught me to have any? I had to teach myself...

M.C.V. wrote: "Jodi wrote: "M.C.V. wrote: "Jodi I know a lot of the most important documents for the American Revolution (About the REBELS) are housed at the National Archives UK at KEW and I wondered if in your ..."

Awesome. Thank you! I'll check it out this weekend.

M.C.V. wrote: "Jodi wrote: "M.C.V. wrote: "Jodi I know a lot of the most important documents for the American Revolution (About the REBELS) are housed at the National Archives UK at KEW and I wondered if in your ..."
If nothing else, this could provide me an excellent excuse for going to London...

Jodi wrote: "My heroine of the next book in the series lives with her loyalist family...I will definitely check it out. Of course, for me, I need certain facts and not others. When I read that Stephen Holland w..."

I have only had a chance to read part of Midwife's Revolt I feel that fire in your imagination burns bright and your words convey an amazing and full picture!

M.C.V. wrote: "Jodi wrote: "My heroine of the next book in the series lives with her loyalist family...I will definitely check it out. Of course, for me, I need certain facts and not others. When I read that Step..."

Thank you! TMR will be, I believe, the first of a trilogy. The second one is in editing, and I hope to research the third this winter. Then...who knows? Maybe back to the "real" world. Or maybe not.

I can't wait to read the next book! Any ideas on when you are hoping to publish it?

I'm sending it to my agent at the end of September (she says, beginning to hyperventilate). So...if conventional publishing can get its act together quickly, next year.

Jodi wrote: "M.C.V. wrote: "Jodi wrote: "My heroine of the next book in the series lives with her loyalist family...I will definitely check it out. Of course, for me, I need certain facts and not others. When I..."

I think it lends itself to be a brilliant trilogy! Best wishes for the GREATEST success, and may you only return to the "real" world if you wish to do so.

M.C.V. wrote: "Jodi wrote: "M.C.V. wrote: "Jodi wrote: "My heroine of the next book in the series lives with her loyalist family...I will definitely check it out. Of course, for me, I need certain facts and not o..."

Well, my characters have to stop having kids. Anyone hear of a tubal ligation back then??

Ha.Ha.Ha. No not ligations, but they may have had "other ways" I think I read somewhere that the first form of birth control came from Bedouins crossing desserts and afraid their camels would get pregnant so they knew that if they inserted a pebble in the female Camel's ... well you know where, that they did not get pregnant and they did not need a night camel watcher.

Whaa? How does the pebble help? Nevermind! Well, I may have to kill off my last narrator before he has children to tell any tales....

Well it was like the beginning of the IUD a foreign object there prevents conception

Jodi wrote: "Whaa? How does the pebble help? Nevermind! Well, I may have to kill off my last narrator before he has children to tell any tales...."

Well it was like the beginning of the IUD a foreign object there prevents conception

Interesting. I think colonial women just tried to sleep in a different room...not sure how successful they were at that.

I need to learn how to be better at Goodreads chatting, forget when a REPLY is a reply and when it should be a comment.

M.C.V. wrote: "Ha.Ha.Ha. No not ligations, but they may have had "other ways" I think I read somewhere that the first form of birth control came from Bedouins crossing desserts and afraid their camels would get p..."
Apricot and fig seeds - there's something in the Victoria and Albert - I think if I remember right - about that. :)

Jodi wrote: "I'm sending it to my agent at the end of September (she says, beginning to hyperventilate). So...if conventional publishing can get its act together quickly, next year."

Oh I love that idea...

And that's a wrap! I'll announce the winners in a few minutes but the $10 gift card from this event goes to...
...
...
Andrea!

The history of condoms is fairly interesting. I kept trying to imagine whether my characters would have had access to them. I'm pretty sure not. How'd we get on this topic, anyway? :-)

Go, Andrea!

Jodi wrote: "M.C.V. wrote: "Jodi wrote: "M.C.V. wrote: "Jodi I know a lot of the most important documents for the American Revolution (About the REBELS) are housed at the National Archives UK at KEW and I wonde..."

UVM archives also have a ton of contemporary info of the time.. in fact my family has several diaries from 1780 - 1830 there - Stone - Nichols collection. It was invaluable to have those - found in a trunk in one of the old family homes in Vt - shipped straight up without being disturbed from Cambridge with an early ancestor .

Bravo Andrea! And this was a delight!

Hi Jodi,
Your writing sounds very intriguing. I'm new to goodreads, so, I'm still learning my way around so please bear with me. :) Do you have any thoughts about visionary fiction? That's the genre I write. I wrote 2 novels on the subject of visionary romantic environmental adventure fiction. Also, if I may please ask, are you still doing the giveaway? I'm confused with all the comments and I wasn't sure it was still continuing. I'd love to enter and participate. Thank you for your kind feedback. Peace :) <3