We're talking about Summer this week. I love summer! My kids are home, the weather is gorgeous, and I'm no longer dealing with those nasty winter blues which I ALWAYS get.
Our favorite thing to do in the summer is to go to the park. We pull out the picnic basket, fill it with goodies, grab the doggie and head off to Mt. Pleasant. It's a beautiful area with a few very cool (difficult) hiking trails.
This is Mt. Pleasant. The rocks sticking out is where we hike up to. You might be able to see a speck of white there. Well, that's a person. LOL
My girls (from a few years ago) at the park with our dog, Cinnamon. Yes, she's sitting on the bench with them, begging for a bite. LOL That's SO not sanitary!
This is the view from the top of Mt. Pleasant. We're pretty sweaty by this time. LOL Then of course when we get home, the kids cannonball into the pool. Yes, they have it oh so rough. LOL Honestly, if we didn't have that pool I wouldn't get any writing done at all!
And as I look at that date I realize I really need to take more pictures!
So what's your favorite summer activity? *** And I'd like to add that Taking Chloe is #2 on the Samhain bestseller list! Yay! Thanks to all who bought a copy!
Imagine living in a most tempestuous time. A period when hysteria rose to, and surpassed, a fevered pitch. Resulted in a din that swelled over the seaboard and blanketed surrounding communities. Blame it all on jealousy and resentment? Perhaps on the fact a woman who lived in the farthest cottage was comelier than you? That sexual curiosity spurred experimentation more than most cared to admit?
By now you may have guessed the point in time most piquing my interest is that when innocent villagers were accused of casting spells, cavorting with evil and bringing ruination upon their Puritan neighbors. My fascination and quest to discover the root of this discontent goes back to my teen years. One of the classics I’ve most enjoyed reading is THE SCARLET LETTER by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Of course his great-grandfather, Colonel John Hathorne, presided over The Salem Witch Trials.
I’ve often pondered how I would have dealt with the blow of wagging tongues and pointing forefingers casting me as a witch? As someone deemed improper and in league with the Devil? As a woman who’s always embraced Freedom of Speech, and believed a person is innocent until proven guilty--even though these blessings weren't in evidence back then--I would have likely bitten my tongue in two while fighting the urge to air my defense against such aspersions. The very moment I would have dared act as my own counsel, such temerity and strong will would have branded me a sinner—one of those who dabbled in potions, saw yellow birds and dreamed of things a proper woman wouldn’t.
On visits to Salem, Massachusetts, I’ve delighted in conducting historical research and admiring the architectural splendor of a town so richly steeped in history and mystery. I don’t hold to the notion hags ever stirred bubbling cauldrons brimming with Eye of Newt, snakes and other sundry items from Satan’s kingdom. Certainly some fashioned candles from hog fat and churned butter. Some stirred bowls of stew. But witches wearing billowing capes and pointed black hats are not what I’ve envisioned.
Human nature is something great minds strive to explain. A fungal infestation of rye may have affected the behavior of the young women who fell into fits in the courtroom. As well, we must realize these women, these spastic accusers, were of an impressionable age. An age when they were sexually developing and curious as to the ways between men and women. I’m of the belief bundling boards were ineffective barriers when a sexually aroused man and woman were lying in the same bed. Sexual indiscretions and unwed mothers happened in Salem Village of yore. And were these young women tempted and taught more than their school and church lessons?
What really sparked those seasons of discontent in the sleepy village of Salem? I’ve written two stories that explore the “witch” lore and legend—one is a historical erotica romance, the other is a contemporary erotica romance. A third tale is plotted. Those of you who’ve read HELLE IN HEELS and my latest erotica romance, TO HELLE AND BACK AGAIN, will know of my fictional nod to the time period about which I’ve blogged today.
HELLE is damned if she does and damned if she doesn't...
Here’s wishing you all many happy reading and researching moments…
Shawna Moore TO HELLE AND BACK AGAIN -- Ellora's Cave Exotika TORMENTED -- EC (Recommended Read at Alternative-Read.com and Dark Angel Reviews) ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave Exotika HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave Exotika Shawna's Myspace Helle's Myspace
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear that famous line from Gone With the Wind? Rhett Butler walking away from Scarlett? The movie itself? The tumultuous time in history the movie depicted?
Not me. I think of my sister.
You see, GWTW was her favorite movie. Even as a little girl, she was obsessed. Her copy of Margaret Mitchell’s novel was in tatters by the time she was a teenager. That was before VHS tapes, DVD’s and the internet of course, so whenever the movie came on television, it was a big to-do in our house. I can remember lazy Sunday afternoons spent watching it with her while she quoted the lines right along with the characters. Used to annoy the heck out of me. Now the thought of it just makes me sad.
My sister passed away four years ago this month. Pancreatic cancer is a horrible disease; fast and unforgiving. But I have my memories, and any mention of GWTW always makes me smile.
From the costumes, the elaborate sets, the plot and characters, Gone With the Wind is considered one of the greatest and most memorable films of all time. Shot in 1939, the film’s first public screening was held two months before it was actually finished. On the evening of September 9th, the producer, David Selznick, showed up at Fox Theatre with the film reels in hand and explained to the manager that he’d picked his theater for the first-ever showing. The manager was allowed to tell the crowd about the preview, but was forbidden to release the name. Theater-goers could stay or leave, but no one would be readmitted after it started.
Here’s what they saw:
The film editor, Hal Kern, was quoted afterward as saying: When Margaret Mitchell's name came on the screen, you never heard such a sound in your life. They just yelled, they stood up on the seats...I had the [manually-operated sound] box. And I had that music wide open and you couldn't hear a thing. Mrs. Selznick was crying like a baby and so was David and so was I. Oh, what a thrill! And when "Gone with the Wind" came on the screen, it was thunderous!
Could you imagine that kind of reaction to a movie now? How exciting that must’ve been. GWTW truly is a legacy. I’m glad it’s one of my memories and that I can remember it as something that always made my sister happy.
Me and my big sister, probably somewhere around 1973 or 1974
Thanks for letting me share.
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As a side note, I’d like to remind you of Red Sage Publishing’s 15th Anniversary! To celebrate, Red Sage is throwing a party! Every party needs presents, and here’s a gift that could win you the July Secrets anthology and Calista Fox’s new novel, Object of Desire!
Here’s how to play the party game:
Kidnap this logo!
Simply send an email with the subject line “Ransom Note” to eRedSage@gmail.com. Inside this email, include a link back to this blog and the kidnapped logo.
Then we will both be entered into a drawing to win free trade paperbacks! Every time one of you sends a ransom note with a link, we will be entered again! Each Ransom Note is worth two entries in the drawing -- one for the person who sends the Ransom Note, and one for the linked blog or website (me!). And we both can win!
Want more chances to win? Kidnap this logo yourself, and then I can enter again by sending a Ransom Note linking to your blog or website!
The more times we enter, the more chances we have to win! But get your entries in by June 30. Red Sage will be drawing the winners on July 1!
Group blog or website? No problem! Just be sure to sign your post so they know who the winner should be!
I've been in love with the Regency period ever since I read my first Georgette Heyer novel many, many years ago. I don't know if it's something about that era or simply the way Heyer portrayed it, but if I could slip back in time I'd enjoy being catapulted to Regency England.
First the clothing - women's clothing seems to have been fairly comfortable - none of the tight lacing, huge bustles, high necks, or cumbersome petticoats of other eras. Even the shoes looked cute! The men's clothing seemed daring and dashing too - powdered wigs had gone out of style and tight and sexy pantaloons could show off a man's muscular thighs to advantage. A man could top off his pale yellow pantaloons with a coat from Weston of blue super-fine, fitted over broad shoulders.
The amusements - Vauxhall Gardens, masquerades, a voucher for Almack's, comedies by Sheridan at the theatre. If a man was a Corinthian, he could indulge in boxing at Jackson's. If he was a tulip of fashion, he could stroll along Bond St. twirling his walking stick. If he was a real out and outer, he could ride neck-or-nothing in his curricle.
Which brings me to the language. Heyer's characters use the most wonderful, colorful expressions. A spinster was an ape leader or a tabby. To be drunk was to be in one's cups, disguised, foxed. A beautiful woman was a diamond of the first water. You could be bacon-brained, have a by-blow with your Cyprian, enact a Cheltenham tragedy when you're punting on the river tick, try to gammon someone and end up Friday-faced. And if you've ever read much Regency romance, especially Heyer, you know exactly what those phrases mean.
I think the food would kill me - literally. They drank ale in the morning along with their steak. (No wonder there are so many terms for being drunk!) Their evening meals consisted of several courses, so it's a good thing those empire-waisted gowns were loose fitting!
I know I'm not the only one enamored of this period in history given that so many historical romances are set during the Regency. Heck, there's even a specific category called Regency Romance. Did all of these Regency fans get hooked on Georgette Heyer like I did? I don't think anyone else had written Regency romances before Heyer started writing them in the 40's/50's. Even her first few romances like The Black Moth and These Old Shades were set before the Regency. Of course, Jane Austen wrote about this time period as well, but it was HER time period. She was just writing contemporaries!
I'm not sure how many people still read Georgette Heyer. I know there are a few websites and a few groups dedicated to her (because I belonged to one for a few years), but today I don't run into many people who read Heyer, or even know who she is! I tried to get one of my friends hooked on Heyer by sending her three of my favorite Heyer books - The Black Sheep, Venetia, and The Grand Sophy. She never mentioned them after I sent them, so I'm assuming I didn't hook her. When I do discover someone who also has a love a Heyer, I get really excited. This happened recently with the mom of a kid on my kid's soccer team. Don't know how we got on the subject - perhaps discussing the movie, The Duchess, which was about the Duchess of Devonshire. Anyway, when we both discovered we were Heyerphiles, we were ecstatic and talked about her endlessly.
So that's why I'd like to be transported back to Regency England for a few months - of course, I'd need to be transported as a wealthy member of the Ton!
Oh, and Sourcebooks has been republishing Heyer's novels in trade with absolutely beautiful covers. I've started collecting a few and one day hope to have all of Heyer's romances. (So if you ever want to buy me a birthday present....)
I have a confession to make. I LOVE old black and white movies. I've always watched them, even as a kid. Some of my best memories were sitting up late at night watching an old black and white Bette Davis movie. Let's face it, no one could do wicked quite like her! She's truly one of the greats in my mind.
One of my favorites was All About Eve. Bette plays Margo Chaning, an aging (yeah, like 40 is old! Sheesh!) actress who is being bumped out of the way by the new gal in town.
A famous quote from the movie, that I know we've all heard:
"Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy night."
But one of my personal favorites is actually:
Birdie Coonan “There’s a message from the bartender. Does Miss Channing know she ordered domestic gin by mistake?”
Margo Channing “The only thing I ordered by mistake is the guests. They’re domestic, too, and they don’t care what they drink as long as it burns!”
And then there's the horror movie classic, Psycho. This was the first movie I could remember seeing that had a shocking twist at the end. Creepy doesn't begin to describe this line:
Norman Bates:
"She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?"
And there's the classic book and movie, Rebecca. I loved the book, but fell in love with Laurence Olivier who played Maxim de Winter in the movie. Definitely the ultimate tortured hero if you ask me.
This was a classic line.
Maxim de Winter:
"I can't forget what it's done to you. I've been thinking of nothing else since it happened. It's gone forever, that funny young, lost look I loved won't ever come back. I killed that when I told you about Rebecca. It's gone. In a few hours, you've grown so much older."
Do you have a favorite black and white movie? Certainly I'm not the only one here! :)
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In other news. I just had a new ebook release yesterday at Samhain Publishing. Taking Chloe, 3rd book in my Vaughn Family series is now available for purchase! Yay!
Here's a bit about it:
The only way to keep what he has…is to surrender everything. The Vaughn Series, Book 3
Merrick Vaughn couldn’t be happier with his life. His business is jumping and his marriage to the love of his life is about as good as it gets. At least, that’s what he thinks…until Chloe announces she wants to separate.
Stunned doesn’t begin to cover it, but it quickly becomes clear that she’s dead serious. And if he doesn’t take action, as in now, he’s going to lose the only woman he’s ever loved.
The last thing Chloe wants is a divorce, but she can’t go on living with a virtual stranger who spends all his time—and hers—behind a desk. It’s tearing her apart, and taking a break to sort out her thoughts seems her only recourse.
Then Merrick offers a wicked proposition: go to Hawaii with him for one week’s vacation. After that, if he hasn’t successfully changed her mind, he’ll let her go. No questions asked. There’s only one caveat. She must agree to give him complete control.
Chloe’s intrigued and scared. One week in paradise might bring them closer—or be their ultimate undoing.
Warning: This story contains graphic language, a touch of voyeurism, anal sex, and husband-and-wife lovin’ in lots of sinful positions. Have your significant other handy!
People sometimes wonder why I set my romance stories in the early 1600s. Is this my favorite time period? Would I like to travel back to that time?
It isn't an often-done period when it comes to historical romance. Everyone is so used to stories set in medieval times or Regency or Victorian. I just had to be different, didn't I? Yeah, I do like to be unique. But there is a specific reason I chose this time period and it has to do with kilts.
My historically set stories are Scottish and I wanted my heroes to wear the great kilt or belted plaid aka feilidh-mhor (great wrap) or a breacan-feile (tartan wrap). My research told me those were not worn until at least 1575 or perhaps slightly later. So if I accurately wanted my hero in a great kilt I couldn't put him in medieval times (although I love medieval stories.) No, I couldn't pull a Braveheart and ignore historical accuracy completely.
I have visited the wonderful Tartan Museum in Franklin, NC as part of my research. http://www.scottishtartans.org/kilt.html or http://albanach.org/kilt.html are among the best websites for researching kilts and other Highland dress. I want to quote something from the website:
"The truth of the matter is that only one document has yet been found that dates from before 1600 and without a doubt describes a belted plaid, the earliest form of the kilt. It is an Irish source, written in Gaelic. In the Life of Red Hugh O’Donnell written by Lughaidh O’Clery, we read of a group of hired mercenaries from the Scottish Hebrides, employed by O’Donnell in 1594."
"These were recognized among the Irish by the difference of their arms and clothing, their habits and language, for their exterior dress was mottled cloaks to the calf of the leg with ties and fastenings. Their girdles were over the loins outside the cloaks." ~Matthew. A. C. Newsome Scottish Tartan Museum
The girdles in this case would refer to belts and the mottled cloaks would be the plaid. A few more examples of early kilts. The red one is Lord George Murray about 1746. The second one shows two ways to wear a kilt, with the top portion used as a cape for warmth, or with the top portion secured at the shoulder. The third pic is Lord Mungo Murray, around 1680.
The below picture would be considered a small kilt, which came much later. Notice the top portion of the plaid is missing.
For the purposes of my stories, I also needed the Highland clan system to still be firmly in place, so they had to be set before 1746 and the battle of Culloden. And because of the plots of a couple of my novels, I needed a time period of relative peace between England and Scotland. So that's why I chose the reign of King James I & IV. He was king of Scotland first, then at Queen Elizabeth's death, he became king of England too.
Once I decided this time period would fit the needs of my stories, I delved into it to learn all I could about King James and his time period. But I couldn't focus on him and England completely because my stories predominantly take place in Scotland.
Some of my stories (like Devil in a Kilt) are time-travels. Would I like to time-travel back to 1621 Scotland? Hmm. That's a tough one. In one way I would like to... if I knew I could get back to modern day! I do like my modern conveniences, health and safety. There is nothing particularly romantic or appealing about the reality of the time. There were plague epidemics going on at various times, not to mention revolts, rebellions, riots, and clan feuds. One could be tortured or hanged for something minor. Hygiene at the time was abysmal, whether personal or in the streets. When I was in Edinburgh, I took a tour of Mary King's Close and the tour guide was not shy about presenting the gruesome facts of the 1600s. And since we were right there on that narrow, steep, dark (now underground) alley, it was all very easy to visualize. The furthest thing from a romantic fantasy.
I do escape into my stories and mentally travel back to 17th century Scotland, but I must put my own romantic spin on them. I'm not writing a history textbook; I'm providing fun entertainment and that means a hot man in a great kilt who bathes regularly. :)
Check below for a way to enter to win a copy of my book, to be released in July!
Kidnap This Logo!
And You Could Win!
To celebrate its Fifteenth Anniversary in June, Red Sage is throwing a party! Every party needs presents, and here’s a gift that could win you the July Secrets anthology and Calista Fox’s new novel, Object of Desire!
Here’s how to play the party game.
Anyone can play! All you have to do is “kidnap” this logo and post it on your blog or website. Copy and paste the jpg image of the anniversary gift to your own blog or website to kidnap it. Be sure to include these instructions so people know how to play!
Invite your readers and friends to send an email with the subject line “Ransom Note” to eRedSage@gmail.com. Inside this email, they must include a link back to your kidnapped logo.
Then you and your friend will both be entered into a drawing to win free trade paperbacks! Every time one of your readers sends a ransom note with a link, you will be entered again! Each Ransom Note is worth two entries in the drawing -- one for the person who sends the Ransom Note, and one for the linked blog or website. And you both can win!
Want more chances to win? Invite your readers and friends to kidnap this logo, and then you can enter again by sending a Ransom Note linking to your friend’s blog or website!
The more times you enter, the more chances you have to win! But get your entries in by June 30. We'll be drawing the winners on July 1!
Group blog or website? No problem! Just be sure to sign your post so we know who the winner should be!
I know what you’re thinking, and no, this isn’t going to be a history lesson. You can get that anywhere. It could be about important first dates in history, but that’s not it either, mainly because I would have had to do a tremendous amount of research to be historically accurate. I’m guessing there’s not a lot of information floating around about Antony and Cleopatra’s first hook-up or whether Napoleon and Josephine hit the local burger joint their first time out or just hung out an made faces at peasants.
Nope, this post is about famous historical figures I would date. Have you ever watched a documentary on, say, Albert Einstein, and wondered what it would have been like to go out on a date with him? Okay, maybe not, but I have. I love men. They fascinate me, especially the smart ones. So of course, Einstein’s at the top of my list. Why not? He’s a man, first of all. He’s also smart, had a great sense of humor and could laugh at himself, was quite a looker, and he could also play a mean violin. Handsome, witty, and cultured. Would I have dated him? Oh yeah!
Who else would I have dated? Hmmm. There’s Ben Franklin, a man near and dear to me for so many reasons. He was a printer and writer, and with me being a writer and all, I think we’d have gotten on famously. I think he’d have even liked some of my more erotic works. Heck, knowing his reputation, he probably would have been a valuable resource when doing research, if you know what I mean. He was a veritable font of knowledge and also an inventor. I wonder just how inventive ole’ Ben got sometimes, considering he impressed French women with his prowess, which is no small feat. Can you see the attraction now?
There’s also Leonardo da Vinci. You’ve gotta give a guy who can make a woman famous just by painting her smirk a chance. Smart, inventive, talented…I’d have definitely wandered the countryside of Vinci with him any time.
Robert Louis Stevenson is one of my favorite authors, and although he wasn’t always in the best of health, which restricted his activities, I’d have gone out with him in a heartbeat. Some of his stories contain such entertaining whimsy that it’s hard not to want to have been there as he told his tales to his neighbors in Samoa. Tusitala, as they called him, also had a penchant for the macabre (think Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), as do I. I imagine our first date would have been quite an adventure, or, at the very least, quite interesting.
And Poe...a talented, moody Southern gentleman. Who could resist? Sure, he was a little unstable, but he certainly know how to woo. Just ask the ladies he corresponded with throughout his life. He could pick up chicks via long distance way before social networking was even invented. Now that's charm!
So now you have my list of historical figures I would date. How about you? Who in history would you have dated? Why?
Just something to keep in mind the next time you're watching the History Channel. :)
My girls (from a few years ago) at the park with our dog, Cinnamon. Yes, she's sitting on the bench with them, begging for a bite. LOL That's SO not sanitary! 
Then of course when we get home, the kids cannonball into the pool. Yes, they have it oh so rough. LOL Honestly, if we didn't have that pool I wouldn't get any writing done at all! 
Then of course when we get home, the kids cannonball into the pool. Yes, they have it oh so rough. LOL Honestly, if we didn't have that pool I wouldn't get any writing done at all! 
So what's your favorite summer activity?
Creepy doesn't begin to describe this line:
