My last novel, Out of Stone, which takes place in 1920, is set in a in a town, Ramapo River, that I created partly from my memories of Saddle River, New Jersey, the town I grew up in from the time I was nine until I finished college. Those memories,… Read More »Worlds Upside Down by Ann Elwood
In June 2000, a rough draft of the human genome was published, a map of all human genes. Although still two years to completion, this draft was a milestone. In the dying days of his administration, President Clinton declared; “Without a doubt, this is the most important, most wondrous map… Read More »A Too, Too Simple Coupling by G. S. Johnston
One of the best parts about writing historical fiction is reading about historical events and weaving them into the story. One of the worst things about writing historical events is having to adhere to what happened in history, especially when a beloved character dies. I had to include the death… Read More »Research Discoveries from my Medieval Mysteries by Sarah Woodbury
Etruscans loved shiny things. The more glittering and ornate the better. The most stunning examples of jewellery and art came from the era known as the ‘Orientalizing’ period from Circa 720-575BCE. This was a time when Phoenician and Greeks were attracted to Etruria due to its rich metal deposits. The… Read More »Ancient Bling by Elisabeth Storrs
The idea of the daily bath has had its ups and downs throughout human history, but it got an enthusiastic thumbs-up during England’s Regency era, when Beau Brummell – the period’s authority on all things fashionable – insisted on taking an hour-long soak every day. Bucking a popular theory of… Read More »Bath Time with Beau Brummell by Libi Astaire