Gossip and News: How 17th Century French Peasants Shared Information

We can’t live without our phones, email, TV, and podcasts. How did the people of yore manage? In a 17th-century French village, news traveled at the pace of footsteps and farm carts, stitched together by habit, ritual, and the human love of a good story. Most peasants lived within a few kilometers of one another … Continue reading Gossip and News: How 17th Century French Peasants Shared Information

Creative DIY Marketing: Design Your Own Bookmarks

Some would say my time is better spent writing, but I’ve had a heck of a good time designing my book covers,  business cards, posters for book fairs, book signings, art shows, and other book selling opportunities. That’s creative, too, right? I’ve used  PicMonkey.com, for years to edit my digital photographs or use their stock photos … Continue reading Creative DIY Marketing: Design Your Own Bookmarks

Mystery Monday – Ghost Stories

Writing historical fiction novels is like researching a ghost story….you get to know dead people. Now that the Halloween month is upon us, I was wondering if the same legends occur in various parts of the country.  Do you in other states have this same sort of story?  In southwest Chicagoland, we have Resurrection Mary, … Continue reading Mystery Monday – Ghost Stories