American Historical Fiction discussion

Hey ya'll--

If you want to let other members know about any giveaways, events, etc., this is the place! Let's try to keep them out of the discussion threads. If you've posted a notice under another topic, please re-post it here. Thanks!

Hello all -
I will be in Buffalo, New York on April 15th at the downtown Buffalo Library for an author's talk and book signing at noon, to discuss the novel "Bridges - a Tale of Niagara". This is a story set in 1962 about five young men's adventure going out onto the forbidden 'ice bridge' of Niagara Falls. Embedded in the novel are four additional historical stories involving Niagara consisting of the Hermit of Niagara, the Underground Railroad, the day the Falls stopped and the massacre at Devil's Hole. You can check it out at www.bridgesataleofniagara.com. If anyone is in the area or knows any friends who are, come on out, I would enjoy meeting and talking with them or you.

Want to walk the Niagara Gorge? See real adventure in God's showroom? come to http://dklevick.wordpress.com/2011/04...
and join me on walking the gorge. Grab your rain gear and bury your fear - here we go...

For anyone interested in the Civil War, I have a blog post up about Robert Smalls, a slave in Charleston who took off with a steamer and piloted his way to freedom early in the war. It's such a nice bit of history, I would've loved to have incorporated it into my novel, but it just wouldn't fit. (Hence the blog posting.)

http://karenlynnallen.blogspot.com/20...

Great story! and great history! These are the lessor known events and people who bring American history alive. Thank you for sharing this. Looking forward for more. Will also check Beaufort 1849
dk

Karen, I left a comment on your blog. Your story about Smalls would make a perfect entry for the Relevant History feature on my blog. Would you like to be a guest on my blog?

Suzanne Adair

d.k. and Suzanne, thanks for your comments! My very favorite part of Robert Smalls's story comes in the second half of his life, which will be a future blog posting. As I said in my post, how I wish I could've somehow put it all into Beaufort 1849, a novel of antebellum South Carolina, but the story's scope (8 months in 1849 and a brief dip into December of 1861) meant much was left on the cutting floor, so to speak. Suzanne, I'd love to be a guest on your blog. I'll contact you directly.

--Karen

Today Writers Who Kill posted my essay "The Things We Do For Research," originally posted in 2009 on another blog. Please join us, learn what crazy hoops writers of historicals jump through to conduct research, and let us know what you think.

Also today, Red Adept Reviews posted a five-star review of Paper Woman , the first book of my historical mystery/suspense series set during the Southern theater of the Revolutionary War.

And Paper Woman will be featured on Blog Tour de Force Thursday 21 April. Mark your calendars, and stop by on the 21st. You could win a copy of Paper Woman.

Suzanne Adair

Gotten lot of questions about what is the 'Ice Demon' in 'Bridges - a Tale of Niagara'. I address teh questions in the link below. Like to know your thoughts.
dk

http://dklevick.wordpress.com/2011/04...

An update on The Improbable Story of Robert Smalls:

Robert Smalls, the Sequel

http://karenlynnallen.blogspot.com/20...

Nose Tweaking, the Ultimate Insult

http://karenlynnallen.blogspot.com/20...

Even Andrew Jackson was a victim . . .

Yahoo and yippee! Finished and submitted!

I've turned in the manuscript for the sequel to The Tory Widow The new novel is titled THE TURNING OF ANNE MERRICK and will hit the shelves in spring of 2012.

The Tory Widow is set in New York city 1775-1777, and TURNING picks up in 1777 as the characters move on to Saratoga, Valley Forge and occupied Philadelphia.

It feels great to get cooking on the third book in this American Revolution trilogy, which will focus on the southern theater.

Christine wrote: "Yahoo and yippee! Finished and submitted!

I've turned in the manuscript for the sequel to The Tory Widow The new novel is titled THE TURNING OF ANNE MERRICK and will hit the shelve..."

Congrats, Christine!

And it'll be good to have more fiction out there about the Southern theater when so much attention has been placed on the Northern theater. All of mine are set in the Southern theater.

Suzanne Adair

A couple of new posts up:

Real Books--A Vanishing Species?
http://karenlynnallen.blogspot.com/20...

The Civil War is Apparently Not Over
http://karenlynnallen.blogspot.com/20...

Hi Karen,

Blogger must be experiencing indigestion. Yours is the third blog on which I've tried to post today, and I received an error message each time. Here's what I intended to post:

The Revolutionary War was actually our first civil war, after which the Congress missed abolishing slavery by something like one vote. The economic morass festered for almost eight more decades before erupting in what we think of as the Civil War. Robert E. Lee's father, "Light Horse Harry" Lee, was a cavalry officer in the Southern theater of the Revolutionary War.

Anyone who thinks the Civil War is over should visit Atlanta, GA. :-)

Suzanne Adair

That's a good point--in the end, the Civil War was the result of the original conflict between the colonies over slavery that had been papered over but not resolved. I think the founding fathers hoped future generations would be wise enough to work the problem out when they could not. Wishful thinking, perhaps, but I suppose they had a lot on their hands at the time. However, the language about slavery that found its way into the Constitution (of a country supposedly founded on the idea that all people have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness) shows an incredible level of cognitive dissonance at best.

In researching my book, I was struck (and even touched) by how proud South Carolinians were of their role in the Revolutionary War even as late as the 1840s. The town of Beaufort practically worshiped Lafayette.

Sorry Blogger was being difficult!

the language about slavery that found its way into the Constitution (of a country supposedly founded on the idea that all people have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness) shows an incredible level of cognitive dissonance at best

Yeah, my initial reaction every time I encounter an instance of this in my research is to think, "Wow, they were sooo in denial." Many of us today wonder how guys like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson could have owned slaves at the same time they condemned the practice. While some of it was economic -- many wealthy landowners depended on slavery to remain solvent -- we must understand that these people were products of an 18th-c society and its ideology.

Moving ahead to the 19th century, Abraham Lincoln was considered "radical" by his countrymen for espousing the view that blacks were humans, not animals. At the same time, he maintained the view that whites were superior to blacks, leading some analysts in the 21st century to proclaim him a racist. A recent Relevant History guest author on my blog, Warren Bull, covered these points well, and the comments from blog visitors that day are enlightening, too.

Here's where it's important to place the deeds and views of the historical figure in context. The level of dissonance these guys felt wasn't nearly as great as what we would feel if thrust in the same situations. A big mistake that many writers of historical fiction make is to ascribe 21st-c ideology onto people from the past.

Suzanne Adair

May is Texas Writers Month.
Comment to win Stephen Harrigan's historical novel, Remember Ben Clayton,
at http://stephaniebarko.com/2011/05/03/...

Some of my very favorite people live in Texas. I love San Antonio...the Riverwalk. The Alamo looks bigger if you see it at night, and there are great restaurants.

Suzanne wrote: "Hi Karen,

Blogger must be experiencing indigestion. Yours is the third blog on which I've tried to post today, and I received an error message each time. Here's what I intended to post:

The Revol..."

I know, right?! Wow!

Hi-- I'm giving away 3 copies of my Civil War romance novel, Thorns of Eden, right here on Goodreads. Enter to win your copy at http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

Good luck!

Diana Ballew
www.dianaballew.com

ooohh, excellent Diana! I entered! *fingers crossed*

Good luck, Jenny!!

Diana

Good morning everyone! Who wants to win a free Kindle? Digi Books Cafe is running a fun contest. It's a treasure hunt and only takes a moment. Details are on my webpage. Good luck!

Diana Ballew
www.dianaballew.com

Hello, Early-Modern and American history fans,

I'm writing a novel about Mary Barrett Dyer (the Quaker who was executed in 1660 Boston for civil disobedience), and have just opened a dedicated blog on 17th-century English and American culture. There are 8 articles so far, with many more to come, including some guest posts.

Come over for a visit, comment, follow, click to resource links, etc. http://marybarrettdyer.blogspot.com

Great site, Christy! I love your 17th century bookshelf!

Hey, all. I wanted to tell everyone about the giveaway I'm doing for Calling Crow, Book One of the Southeast Series. Set in the American southeast, Calling Crow tells the story of the Spanish Conquest of American primarily from Calling Crow's POV. There are two follow on books: Flight of the Crow and Calling Crow Nation. Originally published by Putnam, I wanted to make twenty copies available via giveaways so people would know the new, revised edition is available. Please register to win a copy. Best!Calling Crow: Book One of the Southeast Series

My new book, Regulated for Murder, is LIVE!

Historical mystery author Susanne Alleyn interviews my redcoat detective Michael Stoddard on her blog today. Please stop by, learn a little about Michael, and leave a comment.

Suzanne Adair

On my website http://bonnershouse.com , the blockbuster blog, 'Avoiding Literary Pratfalls' is appearing for a limited time. In the blog I explain how attention to detail can be maintained through the use of a compendium. You might enjoy a couple of the sample pages there too.

This was a guestblog on http://www.allandouglas.com/blog/ last week. Thanks to Allan for goading me into writing this

Two free books are given away each week at my new website http://www.mruthmyers.com

Stop by and win either a paperback of one of my previous titles or an ebook of my new 1930s mystery NO GAME FOR A DAME featuring private eye Maggie Sullivan.

I just finished the 1st round edits on Much Ado About Madams, book 2 of the Much Ado series (Much Ado About Marshals is the first book). Yay! Now off to the editor and with a little luck, I'll have an ebook by the first week of December and a print book in January. Still need cover art, though. Melange Publishing is working on it.

Jacquie wrote: "I just finished the 1st round edits on Much Ado About Madams, book 2 of the Much Ado series (Much Ado About Marshals is the first book). Yay! Now off to the editor and with a litt..."

Congrats and good luck with the Madams. Whatever they say about me is a lie.

Ken wrote: "Congrats and good luck with the Madams. Whatever they say about me is a lie."

Hahaha. I'll never tell. Only thing is, I couldn't use your name in that book because Ken is my brother's name. Send me your middle name and I'll get it in there. Seriously, I have one character I want to rename. (He's a good guy.)

I'm currently running a special to where if you join my newsletter you can download my ebook for free! 'Eyes Behind Belligerence' is about 2 Japanese-American families surviving war, racism, and internment camps. http://kpkollenborn.com/mailing_list.htm

K.P. wrote: "I'm currently running a special to where if you join my newsletter you can download my ebook for free! 'Eyes Behind Belligerence' is about 2 Japanese-American families surviving war, racism, and in..."

I did subscribe to your list, but can't figure out how to download the whole book and not just the first chapter (you can reply to delta606@aol.com)

I'm gifting 5 copies of my historical novelette, THE PLOT AGAINST MARLENE DIETRICH -- A novelette of mystery, romance, and German intrigue on the eve of World War II. Alex Rada is determined to find the perpetrators of the final plot against the iconic Marlene Dietrich. Historical fiction woven against the background of race and ethnicity that evokes the gritty feel of 1930’s New York, and of romantic Hollywood.

Send an e-mail to ahro@aol.com The first 5 people will be gifted a Kindle download.

I will email you the link! Now, which would you prefer? PDF or ePub?

K.P. wrote: "I will email you the link! Now, which would you prefer? PDF or ePub?"

A PDF is fine, thanks.

K.P. wrote: "I will email you the link! Now, which would you prefer? PDF or ePub?"

K.P. - still have not received the PFD link for your book. I'll e-mail you as well

Heads-up if you like historical mystery, suspense, and romance. In honor of Thanksgiving, I'm posting Relevant History essays 17–27 November 2011 on my blog, each with a gratitude and thanksgiving theme, and with the goal of showing you how thanksgiving throughout human history has looked. Authors will be giving away their books during the week. Here's the author lineup:

o 17–18 November: Suzanne Adair
o 19 November: Suzanne Tyrpak
o 20 November: Peg Herring
o 21 November: Margaret Lake
o 22 November: M.E. Kemp
o 23–24 November: Suzanne Adair
o 25 November: Gwen Mayo
o 26–27 November: Suzanne Adair

Stop by and leave a comment today. You may win a copy of Regulated for Murder: A Michael Stoddard American Revolution Thriller, my recently released historical thriller.

About Relevant History: For many, high school history was boring and extraneous. In this feature on my blog, guests show just how non-boring, non-extraneous history is to people in the 21st century.

Suzanne Adair

Hi all,

New member here. I waved hello in the intro section, so I guess I'll introduce my historical suspense novel, The Sulphur Cure, here!

The story takes place during the Depression, on the grounds of a crumbling health resort. I created a website with more info.

www.thesulphurcure.com

The publisher expects a late January/early February release.

My Civil War horror novel A FINE LIKENESS has just been released. Although I've had several short stories and a novella published, this is my first novel. I've also written books on Missouri history and Civil War history for publishers such as Osprey and Globe Pequot.
The blurb and link are below.

A Confederate guerrilla and a Union captain discover there’s something more dangerous in the woods than each other.

Jimmy Rawlins is a teenaged bushwhacker who leads his friends on ambushes of Union patrols. They join infamous guerrilla leader Bloody Bill Anderson on a raid through Missouri, but Jimmy questions his commitment to the Cause when he discovers this madman plans to sacrifice a Union prisoner in a hellish ritual to raise the Confederate dead.

Richard Addison is an aging captain of a lackluster Union militia. Depressed over his son’s death in battle, a glimpse of Jimmy changes his life. Jimmy and his son look so much alike that Addison becomes obsessed with saving him from Bloody Bill. Captain Addison must wreck his reputation to win this war within a war, while Jimmy must decide whether to betray the Confederacy to stop the evil arising in the woods of Missouri.

Length: 95,000 words (390 pages)

http://www.amazon.com/A-Fine-Likeness...


thanks for reading!

Sean McLachlan
civilwarhorror.blogspot.com

If you go to Susanne's Historical Mystery blog you can read an interview with Annie Fuller, the protagonist for my Victorian San Francisco Mystery series.

If you comment you have a good chance of winning an free print or ebook copy of either Maids of Misfortune or Uneasy Spirits.

See http://susannealleyn.wordpress.com/20...

M. Louisa Locke

Maids of Misfortune
Uneasy Spirits

Susanne Alleyn does a great job interviewing historical sleuths on her blog and extracting a feel for the historical period. If you haven't yet read the interview with protagonist Annie Fuller, do check it out!

Suzanne Adair

Criminal Element has post on the Harpe brothers, Revolutionary era serial (or spree) killers operating, initially, under the aegis of Loyalist troops.
http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/...
w/ some source materials listed as having their own bibliographies.

Liz wrote: "Criminal Element has post on the Harpe brothers, Revolutionary era serial (or spree) killers operating, initially, under the aegis of Loyalist troops.
http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/......"

Wow! That's some pretty wild and awful stuff. You know you're bad when Tarleton doesn't want you. Think any of it's true?

Jenny wrote: . . . Think any of it's true?/i>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpe_br...

Liz wrote: "Jenny wrote: . . . Think any of it's true?/i>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpe_br..."

Hmmm...says the article needs verification and source citation. I'm more swayed by that historical marker. I don't doubt they lived and were murderers, I just wonder how many of the details are true. They would make a good (though awful) book subject!

Much Ado About Marshals is up for a Goodreads Giveaway--three signed copies. Drawing is Dec. 11th, so throw your name in the hat soon!

Jenny wrote: They would make a good (though awful) book subject!

I can see the Harpe Brothers in a miniseries on HBO. If Tarleton didn't want them, it's because he realized that they wouldn't adhere to the discipline of the British Legion and would disrupt the unit.

Suzanne Adair