The Portal to Hell

When I decided to focus this month’s blog topic on the Confederate Prisoner of War Camp in Elmira, NY, I was amazed to discover how many websites out there are devoted to this subject.  Many, many years ago, in the days BC (before computers, LOL—or at least before everyone had computers) I attempted to [...]

Civil War Spies

In recent months my research has taken me down some fascinating roads.  I started out researching Civil War spies, in particular those who served the confederacy.  What would make someone risk their life for a cause, not in the brave, bold manner of a solider, but in the covert, dangerous role of spy? What I [...]

Historic April

In keeping with my current research topic, I was planning to talk a little bit today about female Civil War spies and how their courage and resolve helped shape the outcome of the Civil War. But my muse refuses to cooperate (hopefully it will be more accommodating next time around.)
Hoping to inspire a blog, [...]

Confessions of a Grammar Snob

As a writer, I pay close attention to words and their use (my husband might argue that I pay a little too much attention.). I have to —my job, my professionalism, depends on it. The rest of the world doesn’t have to be quite so vigilant.

But a recent headline announcing that the second largest [...]

Civil War Hero: Mary Edwards Walker, MD

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “Civil War hero?” For a lot of people, it’s probably a stone monument you’ve seen in a National park. Or maybe the black and white image from a school textbook of Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant or Stonewall Jackson.

What about Mary Edwards Walker, [...]

Social Etiquette in the Victorian Era

Do you ever run into this problem when researching? You begin researching one specific thing, which leads to something else that intrigues you, so you decide to learn more about that—and so on and so on until you’ve spent so much time reading and researching, you haven’t had time to write!(That’s my excuse, anyway, and [...]

Veteran’s Day

I actually had a different blog in mind for this morning, but then I realized what day it was.  This just felt more appropriate.
With the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, World War I (known as The Great War, to my grandmother’s generation) ended. However, actual fighting ceased seven months earlier [...]

Tuesday Ten: Victorian Etiquette

As a writer, I’m usually leery of challenging myself, but there are times when it turns out to be fun. And I don’t merely mean making the leap from historical writing to contemporary and back again. I’m talking about moving outside of my comfort zone.

To put it quite simply: my [...]

Taking a (day) Trip Back in Time

This past weekend, my family and I took a little day trip back in time. Not far from where I live in Rochester, NY, there is a jewel known as the Genesee Country Museum. Situated on 600 acres of beautiful farm land in Genesee County, NY, it’s a collection of the art and architecture [...]

Tuesday Ten: Fascinating Fourth Facts

I really debated which way to go with this week’s Tuesday Ten; I thought about doing a blog on the time line of events leading up to the Signing of the Declaration of Independence; and I considered doing some Fourth of July trivia. Neither one really fit into the Victorian era, both were interesting [...]