The Importance of Good Background Development and Research, By H Paul Doucette

 Hi everyone,

I have been fortunate over the course of my writing career to meet many people who

have read my stories and who have generously offered their impressions of my ‘style’. The

three main comments I receive (as opposed to criticisms) have been about the dialogue,

minimal narrative and the historical backgrounds and settings. The first two are generally

considered the cornerstones of story writing, however, I believe that as characters and their

interactions (dialogue) are fundamental components so to are the settings in which they live.

For my stories, I strive to create settings as though they were another character in the

story, telling their own tale. Settings are canvas upon which our players live their lives and

behave, or misbehave, as the story dictates. As such, we must ensure that we give our

readers a place to set their feet, where they can follow the characters down dark streets, into

their homes, places of work, etc. The settings give them dimension and us an understanding

behind their motives.

Settings require careful and accurate development. Remember, many of our readers

likely have lived or are living in very similar, recognizable settings. The best and easiest

setting to construct is the drawn from we already know; our own place. However, in my view,

that is not enough. A good setting is viable, recognizable and, in many cases, have a sense of

history. Therefore, take the time to research your setting; infuse it with ‘life’, something that

happened, that was once.

Your characters will thank you by being seen as believable and your readers will want

to visit your ‘places’ to check up on the people they have met.

A last thought for your consideration. If you can create a believable sense of place

maybe consider giving your characters the chance to tell your story. Remember: your

narrative ought only to be use to bring the reader to the threshold of the story, let them

discover the intention behind the action.

Just a thought.

Thanks for reading this and I look forward to reading your opinions.

H Paul Doucette

How to make the unnatural seem natural by Tobias Robbins

My book, The Remnants of Pryr,  comes out this February. 

Visit my BWL Author Page here: https://bookswelove.net/robbins-tobias/

When one of the ancient founders of Pryr returns after a long exile and claims the world will end, the nations must adapt and learn to work together. If not, the Breath of Ruination will bring about a world-ending catastrophe. The kaleidoscopic cast, including gods, assassins, poets, and scientists, provides interlocking accounts in this geo-political drama that dates back to the founding of civilization.

 

I really wanted my story to have a “believable unbelievability” to it. That is to say, I wanted my fictional world to feel as close to real as possible but still be distinct from our real world. For the natural environment, I tried to focus on balancing out the scientific components to make it seem legitimate, while also adding wild fantasy that would give it a visual uniqueness.

 

Fireweed- It is so named because of its bright red color and the burning sensation caused by the thorn's poisonous coating. Thin, wiry it grows to knee height. Thorns are barbed and intended to break off easily allowing more time for the poison to spread.

Scourge fungus- White mushrooms that grow in patches. Their fast-growing roots emit a digestive enzyme that breaks down flesh as easily as metal or stone. Spores grow and spread quickly. Fire must be used to cleanse the infected area if the rare Harken dirt can not be found.

Grasp grass- Carnivorous trap-setting plant. Its roots burrow a deep hole and its blades grow long enough to fill the hole to appear as normal short grass. Once a creature steps into the pit, the blades curl inward pulling in to digest the creature with acidic resin excreted at the bottom of the hole.

 

Cloven steed- Quadripedal mammal with a long neck and head. Each leg ends with feet that are made of four small hooves clumped together. Easily trainable for riding and combat. 

Dune leviathans- Large insectile body composed of many segments each with a set of stubby spikes that help it travel under loose sand. Its head has four forward-facing horns that it uses to dig or use for protection. 

Shaggy monohorn- Heavy four-legged creature large enough for one rider. It has a single horn between its eyes used to gore other creatures. Its long matted hair collects mold and bacteria giving off a repulsive odor.

Bloodhunter bats- Tiny mammals with wings that are lined with sharp bone along the edge for slicing creatures mid-flight. As blood is drawn the bat uses their circular, jagged-toothed mouths to suction on, and lash at the cuts with their spiked tongues. 

Light-eyed grazer- Medium-sized quadruped with thin legs and quills running down its back. It has three horns and can be found in a variety of colors. 

Scissor-beaked turtle- Large, shelled reptile, suitable for riding into combat. The mouth comes to a long point of hard bone that when closed acts as a scissor. 

 

Fuming Plateau- Located near the eastern coast of Pryr. Geysers of steam almost constantly erupt with varying sizes. The columns of steam take on the color of chemical deposits, red, yellow, green, and blue. Bioluminescent bacteria give the geysers a glow. 

Garnet Forest- Enormous stone trees with no leaves and jagged spikes and crooked blades for branches, they can grow high enough to reach clouds. They are commonly in a reddish hue such as burgundy or even brown. 

Acidic Sea- Acid content in water breaks down tissues such as flesh and plant fibers. Given enough exposure it will eat away at metals as well. The sea surrounds the supercontinent of Pryr. 

Neon Canyons- A labyrinth of caves and crevasses; some large enough to contain whole cities. The smooth translucent stone has glowing neon gas veins streaking just below the surface, constantly lighting the canyons.

 

 

Notions of Promotions

 

A lovely promotion for Seven Aprils!

Find my books here!

A writer acquaintance of mine once achieved her lifelong goal...to have one of her books reach New York Times best seller list. This was a great promotion in her mind. She said, "Now I know how my obituary will start-- 'New York Times best-selling author...'"

In life as well as art, we receive many promotions. My dad served in the United States military (National Guard and Army) for much of his long life. He first achieved the rank of Sergeant. His men loved the way he looked after them and called him "dad" even though he was in his twenties. While in Europe during World War II, his superiors thought him officer material. They sent him for a crash course in recently liberated Paris, after which he became a lieutenant and back into the field of war with new duties. So, as he often laughed about later, a scrappy son of Irish and French Canadian immigrants from Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, who dreamed of going to West Point, became a commissioned officer and a gentleman by way of the Sorbonne, Paris. What a promotion!

Sgt. Charbonneau

I love my promotion to mother. For the rest of my life, I will be known as the mother of three wonderful human beings, Abby, Marya, and Lawrence.

More recently, daughter Marya's decision to become a mother gave me another promotion...to grandmother. Wow, this one is totally undeserved and great fun! 

Desmond and his grandma up to no good together

In my work life, I was so pleased to be asked to become a co-author with Jude Pittman of the Canadian Historical Mystery Series. I've long been a reader and admirer of the series of novels based in the Canadian provinces that BWL publishes. So to be asked to contribute to it? A great honor and promotion!

What are the promotions of your life, dear readers? I hope you've had many and that they've brought you joy.

My Road Trip Through Croatia and Slovenia

                                           Please click this link for book and author information

In September my husband Will and I flew to Split, Croatia, to visit our son Matt, who is living there for a year. Before leaving, Will plotted a 10-day road trip from Split through mountains, lakes, and charming towns in Croatia and neighbouring Slovenia. Matt took a holiday from work to join us.  

Our trip began with a couple of glitches - the long range weather forecast predicted rain and unseasonably cool temperatures and the airline lost our luggage with our warm and waterproof clothing. Our first stop on the drive was the Mall of Split, where we bought rain ponchos, umbrellas, toothbrushes, and spare t-shirts, underwear and socks. 

Day two was Plitvice National Park, about three hours north of Split on the scenic mountainous route. We spent six hours at the popular park walking by hundreds of waterfalls and clear, green lakes. The views were awesome and we were comfortable in our five layers of clothes. The rain held off until the end of our walk, but I wore my poncho the whole time for warmth. 

Selfie on the lake boat ride

The following day, we drove to Slovenia. The highway wound past cornfields and picturesque towns, including Novo Mesto, birthplace of Melania Trump. At Ljubljana airport we were reunited with our luggage, which Split Airport had eventually located and kindly flew to our next destination. Dressed in our warm jackets, we enjoyed an evening walk in Ljubljana's downtown riverfront cafe area which buzzed with people and activity. It was lovely to see the castle, buildings, and bridges lit up on a dark clear night.    

In the morning, we rode the funicular up to the castle that dominates Slovenia's capital city. The highlight was the tower lookout's 360-degree views of the surrounding area. The recent precipitation had fallen as snow on the mountaintops, which made the city's backdrop extra spectacular. 

After our Slovenian lunch of sausages and cabbage soup, we had dessert and cappuccinos at the rooftop restaurant in Nebotičnik Skyscraper (12 stories) for more panoramic views until rain chased us into the National Museum of Slovenia. The museum portrayed the history of Slovenian peoples from Neanderthal to the present time.  

Oldest musical instrument in the world - 60,000 years old Neanderthal flute from the Divje babe cave

 

From Ljubljana, we settled in Lake Bled for three nights. On our first walk, the lake was stunning in the late afternoon light. 

In the morning, we walked up to Bled Castle and around the lake. At the far end, we hiked to a viewpoint with views of Bled Island and Bled Castle. The day's weather was perfect - sunny and high of twenty degrees Celsius (68 F).  

A lite lunch at the Bled Castle cafe 

Bled Island with church in middle of the lake, Bled Castle at the far end

On our second full day in Bled, we did a day trip to Vintgar Gorge. Since COVID, the Triglav National Park has set up a system of timed entries and one-way trails to reduce congestion during the crowded summer season. We found the gorge didn't outshine similar ones in our Canadian backyard, but the return path with views of Bled Castle and valley villages made the trek worthwhile. The park charges 10 Euro per person which includes helmets for protection from falling stones and banging your head on the rocks jutting out from the side of the gorge's narrow boardwalk trail. 

The following day, we set out for the Julian Alps, took a wrong turn, and found ourselves in a five-mile tunnel. Half-way through it, Matt's phone pinged: "Welcome to Austria." Oops! Our car rental was only insured for Croatia and Slovenia. At the Austrian end, a lineup of delivery trucks stretched for miles. 

To avoid getting stuck in the lineup, Matt found us a route through Austrian villages and a mountain pass back to Slovenia. We stopped at Kranjska-Gora, a resort town that reminded of us of Banff in our home province of Alberta.    

For several hours, we drove the fifty switchbacks (they are numbered) up and over the Vrsic Pass. We stopped at viewpoints with vistas of craggy mountains and a Russian Chapel constructed by WWI Russian prisoners of war who built the road. Many died in the process and are buried near the chapel. 

Mountain sheep brought traffic to a halt on a switchback turn

Saturday was caves. First we visited Predjama Castle, built in the mouth of a cave. Guiness World Records lists it as the world's largest cave castle. The original owner was a robber baron who possibly used the 12 miles of tunnels leading into the mountains to hide his booty. 

View from castle cave window

Postojna Cave was massive, impressive, and fun. A 10-minute train ride took us deep into the cave. A guide led us on an hour-long walk through the multitude of formations. The walk ended at aquarium of olm, a cave salamander completely adapted to life in underground water. Since food isn't plentiful in caves, olm only eat every ten years. Scientists estimate their average lifespan is 68.5 years. 

Matt, Susan, & Will on train

Olm in aquarium 

After the caves, we left Slovenia, re-entered Croatia and headed for the coast. Our last days of the road trip were sunny and warm. We took the slow and winding coastal route back to Split, stopping at seaside towns and villages. 

The summer-like weather prompted us to swim at one of the numerous beach coves along the coast. Quite a change from our cool, rainy days at the start of our drive and a fabulous finale to our road trip.   

        

  

         

 

    
 

Criminal Identification, Old School by Karla Stover

 

                                             

https://bookswelove.net/stover-karla/ 

for information and books purchases

BY THE SAME AUTHOR: 

   Available through BWL Books

Parlor Girls

Wynter's Way

Murder: When One Isn't Enough

A  Line to Murder

     In the late 19th and very early 20th centuries, law enforcement practiced the Bertillon method of criminal identification which claimed that the body parts of individuals had unique combinations of measurements and that comparing these measurements could be used to distinguish individuals.

     Alphonse Bertillon was a French criminologist who developed this anthropometric system of physical measurements focusing on the head and face, to produce a detailed description of an individual. This system, invented in 1879, became known as the Bertillon system, gained wide acceptance as a reliable, scientific method of criminal investigation. In 1884, French police used Bertillon’s system to capture 241 repeat offenders, helping establish the system’s effectiveness. Gradually, law enforcement agencies began to create archives of the stats of known criminals, which contained his or her anthropometric measurements such as height, head breadth, arm span, sitting height, left middle finger length, left little finger length and left foot length as well as full-face and profile photographs of the perpetrator (now commonly known as "mugshots.") 

    The Bertillon system was introduced in the U.S. in 1887 by R.W. McClaughry, Warden of the Illinois State Penitentiary at Joliet. McClaughry translated Bertillon’s 1885 edition of Signaletic Instructions Including the Theory and Practice of Anthropometrical Identification from French to English, and its use in the States became quickly and widely accepted.   

     In 1904 the government decided that all Chinese who failed to qualify for residence in the United Stated would be deported and that photographs, records of their appearance, and Bertillion measurements would be kept on file

      It's December 1906, and Deputy Sheriff Thomas Maxey of Kittitas County in Washington State, has been asked to come to Tacoma to see if he can assist in identifying Louis Hemeter as the murder of Elsie Milhuff in Renton the previous summer using Bertillon and fingerprinting identification of which he was an expert. Hemeter was a traveling watch repairer and, at the time of his arrest, said his name was John Doe. Maxey, went to Renton and found two well-defined fingerprints on the girl’s clothing which the local authorities had missed. He took copies of the prints and came to Tacoma to compare them to that of Hemeter.

     Hemeter was found guilty and sent to the prison in Walla Walla where he was held on a ward for the insane. 

    Fingerprints aside, in 1906, a Tacoma city councilman named Wilkeson began campaigning for the city to adopt the Bertillion method to help with future identifications. The police department was interested; however it took five years for the city to approve the request. 

     On December 27, 1911, the Tacoma Times headline was “City Salary List Boosted Sky High.” Nine thousand dollars was added to the city’s payroll and 7 new jobs were created, among them a Bertillon superintendent, interesting because by then Bertillon identification was on the decline. The decline began in 1903 when a man named Will West was committed to the penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas, where he was photographed and measured. His measurements were found to be almost identical to a criminal at the same penitentiary named William West, who had been committed for murder two years earlier and was serving a life sentence. In addition, their photographs showed that the two men, thought not related, bore a close physical resemblance. Confusion surrounding the true identities of the two men ensued and it was their their fingerprints which identified them. Thus began the decline and fall of the Bertillon system. It never quite recovered its exclusive status as the preferred criminal identification system. Nevertheless, Harry Smith, Tacoma's new employee, spent 6 weeks learning the system and then a department was set up for him in the squad room.

       Not long after this he was called to testify in the trail of Joe Parrot accused of murdering Fred Weiss. What was interesting about this trial is that Weiss had specially made shoes to accommodate an overly long toe on one foot and the need for a built up heel on the other. Weiss’s daughter and the man who made the shoes both testified that these were shoes taken from Parrot. However, it wasn’t until Smith took the stand that Parrot got nervous. Smith said, “He was the most nervous man I ever measured”

     Then farmers got on the band wagon and began taking nose prints of their cattle which they claimed were all different.

    Alphonse Bertillon is referenced in the Sherlock Holmes story The Hound of the Baskervilles when one of Holmes's clients refers to Holmes as the "second highest expert in Europe" after Bertillon.

    As late as 1921, when actor Fatty Arbuckle was accused of the murder of Virginia Rappe, his Bertillion measurements were taken.

       However, by the 1920s, Bertillion was on the way out. The measurements were often inaccurate; it was difficult to apply to children; and women's hair made exact measurements virtually impossible, as showed in the William / Willie west episode, some people just resembled each other, and it took a lot of file space to keep all the records. Then there was the Parisian police's inability to discover the theft of the Mona Lisa. The thief left finger prints on the frame and he had been their "guest" on a previous occasion. However, their records were "Bertillon" rather than fingerprints.

    In 1924, the FBI took over America's fingerprint cataloguing but some elements of Bertillon, i.e. unusual features, scars and tattoos were kept.