Treasure Hunting

 

Available at www.bookswelove.net

          

  Can you believe it’s September already? While our world isn’t exactly all roses at the moment, let me take you back in time to September 5, 1856. On that day near Parkville, Kansas, 150 people lost all their possessions as they were tossed into the river when the Steamboat Arabia, on which they traveled, hit a tree limb and sank within minutes. (And you thought you were having a bad day.) Note that at this time there was no travel insurance, either for the people or for the 200 tons of cargo the Arabia transported. Although no lives were lost, possessions and cargo sank beneath the river and would not be rediscovered for another 130 years.

Over the years since 1856, many people have searched for the Arabia as there was a reported large quantity of whiskey on board which would fetch quite a sum at market. When it was finally discovered and unearthed in 1988 in a Kansas cornfield there was no whiskey, but there was a treasure-trove of pre Civil War goods heading for the wilderness around Omaha, NE. The first intent by the salvagers was to sell the treasure but they decided to restore and preserve, thus we now have a wonderful working museum down at River Market in Kansas City.  It’s not your traditional treasure of gold and silver but rather a time capsule of the 1850s. I was amazed at the amount and diversity of goods aboard the steamboat.

Everything from buttons and shoes to construction tools and preserved pickles are artfully displayed in the museum. On any given day, visitors can watch preservationists diligently working on other uncovered items that tell a story not readily available in our history books.

            Even though the Arabia museum is a work in progress and the restoration of artifacts continues, Dave Hawley (one of the original treasure hunters) has continued searching for other steamboats. The Missouri River has an estimated 300-400 sunken riverboats, many of which are now deep beneath farm fields as the river has changed course over the years. In 2016 he finally located the Malta, a steamboat sunk in 1841, loaded with Indian trading supplies for the American Fur Company.

 Aboard the side-wheeler steamer was cargo for Peter Sarpy, Papin & Robidoux and other Chouteau trading posts and merchants along the Missouri River. Once metal detectors hit a strong signal they drilled for a core sample which resulted in finding 150 gold buttons, fabric, well-preserved ceramics and a large iron hook. But as of today, the Malta is still 37 feet underground as the cost of excavation is around $3 million. You can find out more at Malta | The Arabia Steamboat Museum | Kansas City (1856.com).

            From the time the Arabia museum opened, I have been an avid visitor anytime I’m in town. The evolving displays fascinate me; the history of the river and steamboats lure me into a past which I know was much harsher than how I romanticize it. Yet that is what fiction writing is about – taking a real event and spinning a tale of romance and intrigue. I love entwining the past with the present and especially like having the museum at my fingertips for research. I invite you to come aboard the Arabia with me on her last fateful journey by getting a copy of “Hold On To the Past” (available at www.bookswelove.net.).

Sunken steamboats on the river or storm-wrecked sailing vessels on the ocean – these are the settings for legends, tall tales and great historical novels.

 

Barb Baldwin

http://www.authorsden.com/barbarajbaldwin

https://bookswelove.net/baldwin-barbara/

 

Nobody likes a Shady Beach by Vanessa Hawkins

 

  Vanessa Hawkins Author Page

So every month I say I'm going to get a head start on this blog so's alls I gotta do is sit back and eat Cheetos on the 8th, and every month here I am, arse in chair, struggling to figure out what I could possibly write to inspire/entertain my small train of followers who are now used to being disappointed in me...

Deep inhale... she'll get it right eventually...

But this time allow me to let you know why I am late. This time I actually have an excuse, believe it or not... I was on vacation! My family and I went to PEI which, if you are unfamiliar with Atlantic Canada, means Prince Edward Island. It's a small province east of New Brunswick, home to red 

sandy beaches, lots of potatoes as well as hay bales the size of three cows tipped together.

Hay there!

We stayed in a cottage somewhere within the middle of nowhere, saw beach goats and had a grand ol' time with family. At one point I think there was a bonfire, and we did go see Ripley's Believe it or Not, but honestly I thought the attraction was pretty... uh, well... BELIEVEABLE to say the least.  

Sorry Ripley...

The real horror story was when I found three spiders, an earwig and one beetle from dimension enormous in the bathroom over the course of a few days. Also, when I was packing, I had one spider--not included in aforementioned army of nasty cottage bugs--run over my leg in its desperate attempt to flee the premises. I actually went to bed thinking of it that night... I have spider PTSD... 

It's a joke!

But despite the mental AND emotional anguish of fending off so many minibeasts, Prince Edward Island was a fun time. I brought my spawn, who got to see her cousins for the first time, and despite being a Covid baby she was NOT super awkward around other human beings that she hadn't had the fortune of meeting before. Success! And what a heartwarming sight! My cardiovascular unit at least tripled in weight and height before it leapt up out of my throat at the sight of the beetle from big town...

So all in all, a good trip and WITHOUT having to take any... uh... medical grade enhancers... *ahem keep it kid friendly, Vanessa...* 

Wait... if you knew you were going on vacation why didn't you just plan in advance and write the blog a bit EARLIER in preparation for the intended time away? If you were any sort of decent human being with even a MODICUM of forethought, you would have prepared SOMETHING for those people who continue to drag themselves through your hastily scrawled drivel every month! How do you expect to ever make it as a writer if you can't even commit to THAT? How do you expect people to keep putting up with you? How do you--

And so did those Cavendish potatoes... Till next time!

I live in bear country by J. S. Marlo

 

 

J. S. Marlo's BWL Books

In "Mishandled Conviction", Violette and her pregnant daughter flee in the forest to escape their abductor only to encounter a mama bear with her two cubs. To describe the bear encounter, I use the phrase If it’s brown, get down. If it’s black, attack. If it’s white, you’re dead, but how true is this statement?

 

 

I live in Wood Buffalo, Northern Alberta. As of August 11, there has been 134 black bear encounters in the municipality since the spring. 59% of these encounters occurred in residential areas. Late summer and fall are active months for black bears as they will eat as much as they can before going into hibernation, so that number will rise in the weeks to come.

The only bear I saw so far this summer was  a cub crossing the street ten feet in front of my car. I did stop to let him cross safely, but no, I didn't get out. I didn't see his mama, but she couldn't have been far since that cub was too young to fend for himself.

In Wood Buffalo, there are only black bears, but black bears aren't always black. They come in different colours: from cream, to cinnamon, to brown, to black, and almost everything in between.

 

When we use the term "brown bear", we mean a grizzly bear, not a black bear with brown fur. It is actually important to know the difference between a grizzly and a black bear in order to know how to react to them.

 

Though grizzlies are generally bigger than black bears, you can't rely on colour or size alone to differentiate them. A grizzly has a prominent shoulder hump and an elongated face, unlike the black bear who has no obvious hump and a more rounded face. Their toes aren't aligned the same way, so their prints are different. Grizzlies also have longer claws, though I would rather not come within distance of being able to see their claws.

So, should you fight back if you encounter a black bear, or lay down if you come across a grizzly? In most cases, that would be the right thing to do, but before you reach that point, there are a few other things to do--and not do.

 

First, if you see a bear, DO NOT RUN! And never turn your back to a bear.

If the bear hasn't seen you: move away cautiously.

If the bear saw you: speak calmly, wave your arm slowly, and back away. Get ready to use your bear spray, which should be clipped to your waist and not hidden at the bottom of your backpack.

If the bear charges, and your spray doesn't work,  fight the black bear but lay down for the grizzly (protect your head with your arms) as you have very slim chances of winning a fight against a grizzly. That being said, if the grizzly doesn't lose interest in you after a few minutes and start biting you, you may want to fight back.

 

In practice, these worst-case scenarios don't happen very often. There are ways to minimize your chances of dangerous encounters: hike in groups, make noise, stay on the trails, pay attention to paw prints and scats (fresh poop means bear nearby), carry bear spray and know how to use it. Humans aren't on black bears' or grizzlies' menu, but bears will react if they are startled, if they feel threatened, if you stand in the middle of their berry patch, or heaven forbid if you come between them and their cubs.

Bottom line: Don't be afraid to enjoy the outdoor, but stay ALERT! And don't forget, bears are good climbers.

 

 A quick note on white bears, aka polar bears: they are at the top of the food chain. No human ventures into polar bear territory without a loaded rifle unless they want to become a midday snack. So, if a polar bear is charging at you, and your finger isn't on the trigger, I'm afraid that bear will be the last thing you'll ever see.

 

For more information on how to play safely in bear country, Read the Alberta BearSmart Guide

Happy Reading & Stay Safe

JS

 

 

J. S. Marlo's Website

 

Brand New Website by Eileen O'Finlan

 

Click here for purchase information

 

Click here to visit Eileen O'Finlan's website

I knew the time to renew my contract with the company that built and maintains my website was coming up and I was dreading it. The annula fee was exhorbitant. Besides that, I wanted a new look, something that felt more me. Don Lutz, the husband of my friend and fellow writer, Jane Willan, had built a beautiful author website for Jane so I asked him how much he would charge to build one for me. His answer - ice cream. That was a fee I could afford.

Don and I met to discuss what I was looking for, what feel I wanted, how I envisioned presenting my author brand. I gave him a quart of chocolate ice cream. He built a basic site. We met again for a training session in which he taught me how to design the pages, create links, upload pictures, and whatever else I thought I might do on the site. He also linked the sign up box for my newsletter to my email marketing platform creating a smooth transition and worked with my previous site host to get my domain name transfered to me. I gave him another quart of chocolate and a quart of black raspberry.

I now have a website I love, one that I feel reflects me and my brand perfectly. I have one more meeting with Don coming up so he can help figure out how to design the rest of the pages I want to add. I will bring more ice cream. 

This, by the way, isn't just any ice cream. For years I have purchased my milk from a local dairy farm. They make other dairy products as well. Their ice cream is beyond belief. Hancock Dairy Farm uses primarily Ayershire cows which give the creamiest milk so everything they make from it is utterly (udderly??) delicious! Don's reaction to his first taste of their chocolate ice cream was, "Now this is what ice cream is supposed to taste like!" Once a week during the season, I stop on my way home from work at the farmer's market to pick up my milk which allows me to avoid the delivery charge I pay during the rest of the year. At the same time, I pick up Don's ice cream (and maybe some for myself). Hmmm...if they have it, perhaps I'll pick up some of their amazing chocolate cheese for Don to go with his ice cream. Maybe some for me, too.

Check out my new website here!

The ice cream-making cows at Hancock Dairy Farm 

in Barre, Massachusetts

Writing a Historical Novel ~ Part One ~ Choosing Names for My Characters by Rosemary Morris

 

To learn more about Rosemary's work please click on Grace, Lady of Cassio.

My new novel, Grace Lady of Cassio, the sequel to Yvonne, Lady of Cassio, is a classic, fact fiction, medieval romance set in Edward III’s reign, has been released as a paperback and an e-book.

I am often asked; “How do you write a historical novel?”

There is no right or method to write any novel, so authors have different methods. Some plunge in with no preparation, others plan each chapter before they write the first paragraph.

I spend a long time thinking about the characters. Before I begin a new novel, I must become acquainted with the hero, heroine and other important protagonists.

It takes me a long time to choose appropriate names. The first names of most medieval English males and females derive from their religion. For example, Yvonne stems from Ivo, in old French, Ive (s) and St Ives is said to have come to England from Persia In Latin the meaning of gratia is Grace.  Gracia, Grecia, Gricia occur in 13^th and 14^th century and may represent Grace. These examples justify my appropriate choice of Christian names in the first and second stand-alone novels about The Lovages of Cassio. I am equally careful to choose suitable names in my novels set in Queen Anne Stuart’s reign, 1702-1704, and those set in the ever popular Regency era.

Medieval parents’ choice of names was conservative. Although the choice for new-born sons and daughters were limited, I imagine that, in common with 21^st century parents, some medieval mothers and fathers had earnest discussions about what to name their babies. Apart from being baptised with saints’ names or their derivatives, sometimes children received the first names of legendary figures, famous people, or royalty.

As the saying goes, I think it is worthwhile ‘going the extra mile’ to carefully select my character’s names, bearing in mind they should be appropriate for their social class. While researching my novels I discover lots of names that have gone out of fashion. For example, I chose Richelda for the heroine in my novel, Tangled Love, set in Queen Anne’s reign.

I neither invent improbable names which are glamourous, nor do I choose recently invented names such as Shanna or Sky. I also stick to conventional spelling instead of using a different one, for example Maree instead of Mary or Richearde instead of Richard which would jerk me out of the story.

Recently, I read the first few pages of a historical romance in which the hero and heroine’s exotic first names would only be found in today’s kindergartens or primary schools. I discarded the novel because, in my opinion, I did not have faith in a historical novelist who could not be bothered to choose appropriate names for characters will not accurately create past times for her readers.

 

http://bookswelove.net/authors/morris-rosemary

 

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk