THE HANGMAN'S TREE

Sitting on a bar stool on the very spot over 1,000 hangings took place in the 1800’s might spook the average person, but for the hearty customers of the Hangman’s Tree Lounge, it’s a reminder of the gold rush era when the town overflowed with prospectors and unfortunates. Not all those hung were guilty of a crime; some were put to death just in case.

In 1849 Placerville, California, was called Hangtown and was considered one of the major camps in the gold country. Originally known as Old Dry Diggin’s, the town’s notorious and frequent hangings accounted for the name change. It still hovers today in the form of disembodied spirits that haunt the town, the cemeteries, the old buildings and surrounding mountains and hills. Miners, weary of the crowds in Coloma, came looking for fertile ground in which to pan and placer mine. Old Dry Diggin’s proved to be a rich find.

Unfortunately as news spread, Hangtown became overrun with prospectors, the ever hopefuls, and as always, the element of greed and deceit. Claim jumping, murders and lawlessness became commonplace. The question was no longer who to hang, but how many at a time.

Justice was quick. A trial and hanging often happened on the same day – sometimes for trivial offenses as patience was no sanctity in those days. Kicking a man’s dog could cost you your neck and touching his gold could cost you 39 lashes before the hanging.

In 1849 three desperados were hung at the same time. Rumor has it they were given 39 lashes and were close to death from the beatings. Townsfolk hung them anyway. History has conflicting stories as to what their crime was. Some accounts say robbery, others say cheating at cards and a nasty fight afterwards that ended in a murder. Their remains were apparently not worth the trek to boot hill because they were buried behind the tree, now a parking lot beside Highway 50. A memorial is now in place. It reads:

“Somewhere here lies the remains of the three unfortunates hanged in late 1849 from the oak tree in the feed corral. After a fair trial by the vigilantes, this incident changed the name of Dry Diggin’s to Hangtown. Let us not judge too harshly, for those were rough days of the Great Gold Rush. “

The Hangman’s Tree Lounge sits directly over the spot of the official hangman’s tree. Folks at the lounge see a ghost downstairs and sometimes floating above, which would be at the height of the scaffolds. In front of the lounge is a yellow Historical Marker, No. 141. Everyone knows once you enter this old building, you’ll feel the ominous, the aura of another time.

A patron mentioned that she had come in for a beer. When she went to the restroom, she saw a man coming out of the ladies room and thought it was odd, but assumed the men’s room was out of order. He was dressed in black with a top hat so she assumed he was dressed in costume. A few years ago a workman was startled to see a tall man in black walk through the wall from the Hangman’s Tree part of the building, stand in front of him and silently disappear. He quickly left the building and didn’t return until the next day when there was sunlight.

Staff members say the most startling thing is the shot glasses. They put them on the shelf and then find them in with the ice. If they had fallen, they would have landed on the counter. To get into the ice they would have had to fly.

Hanging from his neck from the second story of the building is “George,” a mannequin dressed in 1800 attire, his hands tied behind his back. He adds to the mystique of Placerville and the aura of the area. He’s been hanging there for about 55 years now.

I worked in an art gallery just down the street and always waved to George on the way to work in the morning. One day he was gone. My heart caught in my throat. How could he not be there for me to greet? Later I found out it’s customary to take George down every so often and give him a new set of clothes and clean him up. Much to my relief, in a few days he was back.



This information was taken from The Incredible World of GOLD RUSH GHOSTS, Written by Nancy Bradley and Robert Reppert. Photo by Marlene Urso.

Tuesday Ten: Civil War Trivia

I thought I’d go for a total change of pace this time around and post a Tuesday Ten about my second favorite subject… the Civil War. I know this is usually Susan’s territory, but my husband just brought home the greatest book the other day, and I’ve had my nose stuck in it every chance I get. It has lots of short, interesting facts about things to do with the Civil War—the kind of facts that writers like us just love because you never know what will spark an idea for a story.

Anyway, here I thought I’d share some of the more interesting ones I’ve come across for our Tuesday Ten.

• The two warring capitals, Washington D.C. and Richmond Virginia, were less than 100 miles apart.
• Jesse Grant, father of General Ulysses S. Grant at one time worked for Owen Brown—father of the notorious abolitionist John Brown.
• While not an excellent student –he was 21 in his class of 39 at West Point- Grant was one of the academy’s most skilled riders ever.
• Union General Winfield Scott served under every president from Jefferson to Lincoln and was on active duty as a general from 1808 – 1861. Longer than any other person in American history.
• Southerners called the Reconstruction period in the south “Yankee Rule.”
• The surrender terms at Appomattox in 1865 permitted that every Confederate cavalry soldier take his horse home with him. This provision was requested by Lee (and accepted by Grant). Both men realized that once the former soldiers returned to civilian life they wouldn’t be able to work their farms without a horse.
• According to some analysts, the most significant single federal operation of the war was the blockade of Southern ports.
• Among the many names for the Civil War: The War Between the States; Mr. Lincoln’s War; The War Against Northern Aggression; The Second American Revolution; The Lost Cause; The War of the Rebellion; the Brothers’ War; the Late Unpleasantness; The Uncivil War, the War of the Southrons; the Great Rebellion; the War for Southern Independence; the Second War for Independence (hey, I could have done my whole Tuesday Ten on just those!)
• General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was featured on the highest denomination bill issued by the Richmond government. He was the only general to be pictured on its currency.
• During the war James Butler Hickcock, a.k.a. “Wild Bill” was a Union spy in Missouri.

Source: Civil War: Untold Tales of the Blue and Gray by Westside Publishing.

Today's the Day!

Release day! The day I've long been waiting for ... The Wild Rose Press released my short vampire romance story, Eternity Waits.

Here's an excerpt that I hope whets your appetite.

Alexandra Ivanov gazed with longing at the tall, manly soldier before her. His musky, masculine scent caused her to shiver with desire. Sandy-colored hair fell in waves on both sides of his tanned face. Alexandra had spied him on her forays through the outskirts of the army camp. Each time she'd seen him, he'd been alone, but she'd waited until tonight to approach him.

Since the war began, she'd not lacked for fresh blood. These lonely, young soldiers, so far from home, were all too willing to allow a strange, loose woman to wrap her arms around them. The army blamed the deaths on a vicious, nocturnal animal roaming the woods at night.

But this man carried the essence of her long lost love. Alexandra felt drawn to him, like to no other. Centuries ago, she'd lost the one and only man she'd ever truly loved.

She moved closer to the soldier, his long, lean-muscled form not unlike Dimitri's. He gulped, but lowered his rifle and didn't back away.

"Why are you here?" He clawed absently at his collar while his gaze locked on hers.

Heat swept through her at the sight of his throbbing pulse. Although hungry, she wouldn't take too much from him. She didn't want to kill him. Yet.

For more info on Eternity Waits click here.

Tuesday 10 - Russia

10 Key Russian Events 1839-1901

The Victorian Era was a time of expansion. With expansion inevitably comes war. Russia was no exception. Her history of expansion was ancient, and by 1839, her boarders reached to the Pacific, Black Sea, Baltic Sea, and Arctic . She tried reform – failed – tried again – endured revolution, revolution, revolution, and held tightly to her land. Everything that happened here directly resulted in both WWI and in the 1917 Revolution. 50 years of policies, rebellions, reforms, setbacks, and power plays reshaped the world as they knew it into what we do today.

1. Crimean War 1853-1586 between Imperial Russia (and the Bulgarian volunteers) and the United Kingdom, Ottoman Empire, France, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. Really, it was all France’s fault…in 1851, a coup d'état put Napoleon III in power who then instructed his ambassador to the Ottoman Empire to force the Ottomans to recognize France as the "sovereign authority" in the Holy Land.

The Russians didn't like this, made counterclaims, and reminded the Ottomans of two treaties, 1757 and 1774. The Ottomans then reversed their earlier decision, renounced the French treaty, and insisted Russia was the protector of the Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire. Napoleon III responded with a show of force. England joined. France bribed Sultan Abdülmecid I. Russia eventually lost. It was a crushing blow to their moral, country spirit, and people.

2. The Treaty of Aigun 1858. Established the modern borders of the Russian Far East. Its provisions were confirmed by the Beijing Treaty of 1860. Significantly, the Treaty was never approved by the Xianfeng Emperor.

3. Emancipation reform of 1861. "It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below.” Though he carefully guarded his autocratic rights and privileges, Alexander II reformed. This particular one amounted to ending the serf dependence previously suffered by Russian peasants. The legal basis of the reform was the Tsar's Emancipation Manifesto of March 3, 1861 (February 19, 1861 (O.S.)). The Manifesto granted full rights of free citizens to serfs and prescribed that peasants would be able to buy land from the landlords. It didn't totally work.

4. Judicial reform of Alexander II 1864. Generally considered one of the most successful and the most consistent (along with the military reform), it created a completely new order of legal proceedings. The main results were the introduction of a unified court system instead of the cumbersome set of Estate-of-the-realm courts, and fundamental changes in criminal trials. The latter included establishment of the principle of equality of the parties involved, introduction of public hearings, jury trial and the institution of a professional advocate.

5. Alaska purchase 1867. Russia was in financial straits and feared losing their Alaskan territory without compensation in some future conflict, especially to their rivals, Britain. Therefore, Alexander II decided to sell the territory to the US. The purchase price was $7.2 million (about 1.9¢ per acre). American public opinion was generally positive, but some newspaper writers and editors had negative feelings about. Don’t they always? Can’t please everyone…but Washington approved it. After all, Russia had been a valuable ally of the Union during the Civil War, while Britain had been a nearly open enemy. It seemed wise to help Russia while sticking it to the British.

6. April Uprising 1876. Insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire, the indirect result of which was the establishment of Bulgaria as an independent nation in 1878. What did this have to do with Russia? On July 8, 1876, a secret treaty prepared for the division of the Balkans between Russia and Austria-Hungary, depending on the outcome of local revolutionary movements. Almost makes you think of WWI, doesn't it.

7. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. With a rise in nationalism in Balkans, the Russians used that unrest to see its goal of reversing territorial losses suffered during the Crimean War and reestablishing itself in the Black Sea. Russia annexed Southern Bessarabia and the Kars region.

8. Alexander II assassinated 1881. Ignacy Hryniewiecki of the Narodnaya Volya, or the People's Will was responsible. Though he hesitated between strengthening the hands of executive power and making concessions to the widespread political aspirations of the educated classes, he tried, which was more than any tsar or tsarina had since Catherine the Great. (And she needed the support of the nobility, so her reforms were minor.)

9. Alexander III became tsar. Finally a man of self-control. Unfortunately, he had no intention of limiting or weakening the autocratic power he inherited. He knew what changes he wanted to implement before he became tsar, and let it be known. He wanted national principles in all spheres of official activity; a homogeneous Russia—homogeneous in language, administration and religion. He died in 1884…his son, Nicholas II became tsar, and we all know how that ended up.

10. Russification of Finland 1889-1905. Aimed at the termination of Finland’s autonomy. It was a part of a larger policy of Russification pursued by late 19th-early 20th century Russian governments which tried to abolish cultural and administrative autonomy of non-Russian minorities within the empire. Finland and Russia had several skirmishes throughout the beginning of the 20th century, even while both fought the Nazi’s in WWII.


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/1113655.stm
www.pbs.org/weta/faceofrussia/timeline-index.html
www.infoplease.com/spot/russiatime1.html

Tuesday Ten--Food

Shoot! It’s my turn for Tuesday Ten. I totally forgot until this morning. So I’m pulling stuff out of my bag and came up with food. Food is always fun. So lets explore what our Victorian ancestors liked to eat, particularly Americans. I’m going through books and menus to come up with this list.

1.) Champagne. Lots of it for the aristocrats anyway and I suspect for some of the upper middle class as well. I’m not sure why it was so prevalent, (mostly in the latter part of the century) but it was so much that I believe Ned Greenway, who was to San Franciscan society what Ward McAllister was to New York Society, was originally a champagne importer. At the very least he was much admired for the amount of champagne he could drink.

There was, interestingly, a nasty disease that killed many European grapes and thus destroyed whole vineyards during the Victorian era. Whether or not this had something to do with the love of champagne, though, I don’t know. That's something that will require some more in-depth research.

2.)Duck. This is on pretty much every menu I’ve come across.

3.) Tarrapin—turtle. Lots and lots of turtle eaten at this period of time. The big kinds, not the little snapping turtle that we most of us are familiar with. It was a delicacy, don’t ask me why. As I recall they found the turtles off the North Carolina coast. I suspect this is when people started creating Mock Turtle soup.

4.)Ices—Again, on every menu. Often served at balls too. You couldn’t go anywhere social without coming across ices. I assume the term “ices” referred to fruit ice, but you find a lot of ice cream as well.

5.) Oysters—I’ve talked about oysters in other blogs. They were everywhere, probably because they were cheap and filling. There were oyster houses all over New York.

6.) French—not a food I know, but I thought I’d point out that a LOT of the menus I see from the era are in French. And these are from several different books. What I have found to be especially annoying is that when I try to translate them using an internet translator, they don’t translate. I honestly don’t know how any of these people figured out what they were eating. Which of course, comes across in my books. . .

7.)Celery—yeah that veggie that you eat when you’re dieting. My husband’s grandmother called it rabbit food. It was a delicacy to Victorians, given prominence on the table. It even had its own holders. No, I totally do not understand it. You can find a Victorian celery holder for the bargain price of $995 here:

http://pages.showcaseantiquecenter.com/11540/PictPage/1922920121.html

8.) Beer—It didn’t come into prominence really until after 1850 or so with the influx of German immigrants according to Savory Suppers and Fashionable Feasts. But according to this site there were a few breweries before mid-century:

http://www.beerhistory.com/library/holdings/chronology.shtml.

It does seem, though, breweries did start popping up all over the mid-west in mid-century. As we moved west, breweries started popping up out there too—San Francisco in 1849, Colorado in 1859. Still, beer came in kegs and barrels. It was later in the century before you could get a bottle of beer.

9.)Beef/pork. From what I’ve read, Americans ate quite a bit of pork at the beginning of the century. It was pretty much a staple. But by mid-century we start seeing more and more beef, and much, more more after the Civil War. I suspect this is due to the combination of canning, refridgeration (as in rail road cars and ice boxes) and of course the Texas long horn, all of which gave us the cowboy era too. After the Civil War, the East could not get enough.

10.)Chocolate—all right this isn’t really a “Victorian food” per se. But romance writers are often addicted to chocolate—it’s the serotonin thing, I think. So when I started writing this, I believed that chocolate during most of the Victorian era was a flavoring, and for cocoa. But as I research I see that “modern” chocolate came into play in England in 1840ish. The 1851 Expostion in London exhibited bon bons and chocolate creams! Yay, I could have survived as a Victorian after all. I also find this very comforting as I have a Civil War era heroine addicted to chocolate. Now I see this is possible (it would have to be imported but she’s rich) so it works. Yay!
http://www.chocolatemonthclub.com/chocolatehistory.htm

Ghiradelli, by the way, started making chocolate in San Fransisco around 1865 or so. Those lucky Califorians!
http://www.ghirardelli.com/about/history.aspx


So that's my 10. A lot of this, by the way, is off the top of my head from having done this research for so many years. If I get a chance, I'll add some more sources later. Along with the blog on TB I was going to do, and the one on the Sultana too. . .

Oscar the Ghost

During the Gold Rush days the American River Inn, built in 1853, was known as the American Hotel. This historical landmark, located in Georgetown, California, is known for its hospitality and loneliness...and its ghost. A gruff old miner haunts Room 5. He abruptly makes his presence known on a whim, but despite his disheveled appearance, he rarely frightens the guests. A man of tender nature, he loves three things – honeymooners or happy lovers, Room 5 of the Inn, and his long-dead girlfriend for whom he’s still pining. Rumor is that he last saw her in Room 5.

The American Hotel was constructed over a productive lode known as the Woodside Mine. It’s been told at one point as much as $90,000 worth of gold was pulled from the earth within a two-week period. Then, as if in retribution the mine claimed the lives of many of the hardworking men by trapping them within its confines. The ground slowly sucked the air out of the trapped miners, but did not spit them out. A basement wall hides their grim story.

Oscar, the ghost, survived the disaster. He was a hearty soul of the 1800’s. He must have made an impact on the townsfolk as his name is synonymous with Georgetown even to this day. He is remembered by stories passed down through generations as a gruff old poke, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, ambitious and anxious to find his fortune. If there was a gold strike, he was the first to pick up a shovel. He was fearless in the rickety mine shafts and tapped off river channels.

Oscar had a romantic heart and foolishly lost it to a nameless “woman of the evening.” Many years her senior, he was smitten enough to dream of making her his wife. They had long talks before and after lovemaking. She told of missing her family in the east and of making enough money to return there.

Just above the Woodside Mine that he’d once worked, his death came quickly. When he wasn’t searching for gold, he worked as a carpenter on the hotel property to be near his love. History shows he was quite jealous of her. A heckler, who was a former client of his girlfriend, insisted on belittling her name. After words were spoken between the two men, a scuffle prevailed and in the heated moments that followed, the aggressor shot Oscar dead on the steps of the American Hotel. His body died, but his spirit remained.

The ghostly activity seems to center around the top of the stairs and in Room 5. When new owners started renovating Room 5,
they felt very uncomfortable in the room. On a hot day they felt chilled when something would brush past them. They could physically feel it, but no one was there. What’s interesting to note is that none of the guests have been terrified of Oscar. Even though he is gruff looking, he’s a friendly ghost and smiles at the lovers as he walks through the rooms as if he belongs there. He especially takes pride in appearing to honeymooners as if he wants to be a part of their happiness.

A statesman and his wife checked into Room 5. At 3:00 a.m. a man dressed in old, tattered clothes walked through the closed door. (Oscar always enters through the door that opens onto the balcony and leaves through the door at the top of the stairs. It makes no difference if the door is open or shut, he doesn’t take time to fiddle with it.) Their light switched on for no reason and the ghost smiled as he continued walking through the closed door to the hall. They both heard Oscar’s footsteps seemingly go down the stairs to the main part of the house, but admitted neither of them got out of bed to check. Their light then went off. When the statesman turned the light knob, it went back on because the lamp had been turned off the entire time. Electricians were brought to check out the problem, but found no possible electrical reason for the annoying fiasco.

Because a woman’s voice is sometimes heard from the depths of the unknown inside the Inn, it’s interesting to learn that soon after Oscar’s death a beautiful woman of the evening attired herself in her finest negligee and, with liquor in hand, leaped to her death from the balcony of the American Hotel. The doctor noted that her neck was broken instantly. Could it have been preceded by a broken heart?

Tuesday Ten: Victorians & Vampires

I'm completing research on a new short vampire story set during the Civil War and bought a book on the origins of vampire lore.

Although I knew Dracula was published during the Victorian era, I hadn't realized how many novels and stories during the period revolved around vampires. Aside from Dracula, though, these vampires weren't your classic blood-suckers. There were a lot of variations as there is in vampire legends and folklore around the world.

1) Edgar Allen Poe's story "Ligeia" (1838) is the tale of a dead woman who brings back the corpse of her husband's second wife.

2) Smyth Upton's novel, The Last of the Vampires (1845) held that vampirism was a special form of magic.

3) G. M. W. Reynold's Faust (1847) reflected the same theme where vampires used sacrifice to obtain life, pleasure and power.

4)W. Harrison Ainworth's Auriol (1850) is a tale of immortality gained through human sacrifice.

5) In 1853, the first English language novel, Spiritual Vampirism was a story about energy draining vampires who could be men or women.

6) Two more novels in 1890 and two in 1897 also featured energy draining vampires.

7) Vampires by Julian Gordon (1891) used vampirism as a metaphor for the destructive relationship between the characters.

8) In 1892, in The Lost Stradavarius, a sorcerer drains energy from musicians who play a certain violin.

9) In a story by W. L. Alden in 1894, a teacher's talents are absorbed by one of her students.

10) And of course, the king of all vampire novels, Dracula, by Bram Stoker came out in 1897.

Source: The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters by Rosemary Ellen Guiley: Checkmark Books, 2005.

Scandalous Victorian, Caroline Clemmons

It's interview day! I keep forgetting! Here she is, Caroline Clemmons.


Why do you write historical?

I love history. When I was a child, my favorite time was when my dad would tell stories about his family coming to Texas and the adventures they encountered in daily life. It seemed exciting to me, plus that time with my dad was special. That probably made history special. As a small child, I had loved Roy Rogers, so learning one of our ancestors was a Texas Ranger for a short time and another a sheriff impressed me. The first novels I read were historicals--Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain. Then I spent a time reading all the Nancy Drew mysteries with an occasional historical thrown in, but history remained important to me. After I had my fill of Nancy Drew, I always chose historicals over contemporary stories. Now, I read all over the industry, but I prefer writing historicals.

What part of the Victorian era/setting do you write in?

I love the entire nineteenth century and read voraciously from Regencies to Victorians. I especially love writing post- Reconstruction Texas, though, particularly the 1880's.

What is it about the era that most intrigues you?

It's less controversial to deal with because there was no slavery and the Civil War was over. At the same time, it was before telephones and autos so people on ranches and in small towns were still somewhat isolated. The stiff rules of city life back East didn't apply as stringently. People were judged more by their character than their lineage. Families often had no one but themselves on whom they could rely. It was a difficult time, but one with considerable opportunity for those willing to work. It bred strong personalities and close-knit families.

Where do you get your information?

I've done extensive research, and have my favorite books to consult. I especially like a Texas book titled LONE STAR. It's not as dry as many research books. Ha. In our area of Texas, I was fortunate enough to visit a ranch which has been in the same family since 1859 and have the book written by the current owner, THE PAINTED POST. This is about that ranch in North Central Texas, and the ranch house includes the original cabin structure which now is used as the home's bathroom. There's another family, the Kemp family, in our area who have an open house each spring when the bluebonnets are in bloom. They have the cabin built by the Shaw ancestor, and have moved in other homes representing each era up to a Craftsman type brick on the hill above the little village they've arranged. It's like a little tour through the area's history. The owner has furnished them with appropriate antiques for each home. I take every tour of antique homes in our area, visit ranches, do whatever I can to immerse myself in the history of Texas. Whenever I've travelled around the state, I've visited sites I've considered for a book. My family history has also helped me. When I've visited other areas in which my family lived, I've toured early structures, touched the hand-hewn planks, listened to the stories told by the surviving family members. History inspires me.

What are you working on now?

I'm currently working on a book about an unusual heroine [aren't we all?] who believes herself to be a klutz with no skills, but who learns she is an amazing woman who can adapt and defend herself. While her stepfather was alive, he protected her from his two sons, but now he's died. Her two worthless stepbrothers have used her as collateral in a high stakes poker game and lost her to an evil man, and she's on the run. She encounters the hero, obviously, or there'd be no romance. His past and hers are intertwined to add lots of complications.

How many books have you written?

Written or sold? LOL Different numbers.
I've sold three historical romances and one novella. I have another book on an editor's desk awaiting her decision. I have several "under the bed" which will never see the light of day and several others I hope will sell eventually.

Do you write outside of the Victorian era, genre?

Yes, I've written the first of a series of contemporary cozy mysteries about a woman who manages her family's garden center and landscape center, and have completed the first three chapters of the second book in that series. I also have the first of a second series about an eccentric mystery writer [pf course there's no connection to me] who sees crimes everywhere and hope that will also be a series. I am plotting my marketing strategy now for those.
.
What challenges have you faced in your career?

The most damaging thing for my career was a really bad agent who almost killed my career. She talked a good story to me, but was not doing what she promised. She's no longer approved by RWA, by the way.

I've also had periods of poor health, like the four month bout with pneumonia and bronchitis I went through this winter. For years, my mom depended on me for transportation and assistance and that required a lot of my time, but--sadly--she died last year.

One of the greatest challenges currently is the difficulty of breaking back in to publishing. There are so many good writers now, that it's really tough for anyone who's not sold recently and didn't have a best seller or huge fan base to make a sale. I'm not giving up, though.
Conversely, my husband is very supportive, so he doesn't mind when I desert housekeeping for the computer, and he's a great help.

What is you writing schedule like?

It varies. Some days I can write ten pages, some days none. The most I've written is thirty, but it's rare to have the stamina and uninterrupted time to get that many pages done. I like Merline Lovelace's plan to do five pages a day. That's doable.

Tuesday Ten: Luck of the Draw

With The Model Man released and my work load gradually easing up, I’m finally able to get back to the historical research I’ve started—and abandoned—and started again—so many times.

My hero is a sometime-snake-oil salesman, not above taking money from innocent farmers who are convinced he can make it rain or selling the odd elixir guaranteed to cure all ills. But more often than not he makes his living as a gambler (just so long as he’s not making an honest living, this guy is happy. Some hero, huh?). And like most gamblers from the old west, he’s not above using gadgets and gizmos to eliminate chance and tilt the scales in his favor.

Here are some of the things I’ve come across in my research that he –and other cardsharps like him--might have used to ply his trade.

Blue tinted spectacles. This one threw me. I never dreamed they had anything this advanced in the Old West. These enable the wearer to detect the phosphorescent ink on marked cards—which is invisible to the naked eye.

Card Trimmer. This could be used to mend the frayed edges of an old deck—or to shave a tiny portion from certain cards to make them easy to find in the deck.

Corner rounder. The companion to the card trimmer. Used to cut new corners on an entire deck, or to mark particular cards by slightly altering the corners.

Card pricker. This little brass plunger would drive a needle into the face of the card and raise a tiny mark on the back—think Braille—the dealer could tell by the positions of the bumps which cards were sliding through his fingers.

Marked Cards. The most popular and the thing that first came to my mind. Special markings on the cards reveal their value to the dealer, usually by a symbol innocently hidden in the design on the back of the deck. This symbol would rotate clockwise depending on the face value of the card. (Suits were less important than number cards in many games, so they were often left unmarked.)

Holdouts were ingenious devices designed to let the gambler "hold out" certain cards and play them when the time was right and the pot was full:

Sleeve holdout. This device featured an extra wide cuff that buckled around the wearer’s upper arm and extended a playing card into his palm when he bent his elbow.

Breastplate hold out. This was sewn inside the gambler’s coat and attached by a long cord to his boot. He could conceal or produce an entire hand of cards simply by stretching or bending his leg.

Hold out vest. This vest had a single strip of elastic sewn into it to hold a card or two—and included an additional loop for a small pencil used to mark cards.

Fanny pack hold out? LOL. Not sure what this one was called. But a pouch that looks amazingly like a fanny pack was strapped about the waist under the gambler’s vest. It contained a spring-loaded frame that would hold several cards or an entire deck in reserve for just the right moment. Like the breastplate holdout, it was manipulated by the wearer’s leg.

The Kepplinger holdout. The finest of its class and undoubtedly the most famous of the holdout devices. This harness of pulleys, cords and telescoping silver-plated tubes reached from a man’s forearms down to his knees. The gambler would activate this device by simply spreading his knees ever so slightly and the claw like “sneak” hidden beneath two layers of a special double shirt sleeve moved the cards into his hand. For a description and a drawing http://cardshark.us/holdouts_frs.shtml

Source: The Old West Time Life Series: The Gamblers.

And http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holdout

And the Winner Is....

Thanks to everyone who left a comment here on the Slip Into Something Victorian blogsite as part of my contest to win a free e-copy of The Model Man.

Release day is finally here and my five-year-old son is all set to draw a name from the basket as we speak.

And the winner is... Delilah Marvelle!

Congratulations, Delilah! Please contact me at nmccaffreyauthor@yahoo.com and let me know where to send it!

Last Chance to Enter!

I can hardly believe release day is almost here! This is the last excerpt I'll be posting from The Model Man. Tomorrow I'll draw a name from all those who have commented here for the past three weeks to see who will be the winner of a free e-copy.

~*~

For a moment he stood there, watching her watch him. Electricity arced across the short distance separating them.

She lowered her gaze. Even though the shadows hid her face, she didn’t want to risk him reading anything in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

“No, that’s not your style.”

If he only knew her style. The one that had her secretly ogling his body whenever possible.

Okay, that was it. She was out of here. Uncurling her legs, she rose. “I was just going inside.”

“You don’t have to go because of me.”

Oh, yes I do. “I should get back to work. I do my best writing this time of night.”

He folded his arms over his chest. “It’s past midnight.”

“This is when I write. Usually until around two. And I’m near deadline.” She glanced down at his bare, masculine feet. Damn the man, even his toes were sexy.

“I won’t see you until tomorrow night so you should have plenty of time to write. I have an early tee time in the morning. Then I have to take care of some family business.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “With a last name like Calavicci, ‘family business’ sounds ominous.”

He laughed. “We’d be more likely to make a pizza for someone than break their thumbs.”

Thumbs. She refused to give into temptation and look.

“I’ll leave the limo in case you want to go somewhere.”

“I won’t. I really should spend the day working.”

He smiled. “I always had this image of you holed up in a cabin in the woods somewhere with an old typewriter.”

Derek had always had an image of her? The thought warmed her just a little. “No cabin, no typewriter. Just a golden retriever at my feet.” Sweet, lovable Barney. She hoped he wasn’t giving her mom too much trouble. “Are you getting ready to go out somewhere?”

He slid his hands into his pockets and stepped closer. “Where would I go?”

“I don’t know, out to a club or something.”

“When the whole world thinks I’m here making love to you?”

Heat flooded her cheeks, but then she suspected that was his intention. “I’m sorry. You’re doing this for me and here you are stuck in this hotel room.”

“I thought I was doing it so I wouldn’t get sued.” He closed the distance between them. Instead of sitting on the love seat or one of the other chairs, he sat on the table directly in front of her. The position brought his naked chest to her eye level, and she had to force her gaze to settle elsewhere. It flitted up, over his abdomen, his lips, his eyes before finally landing on the balcony railing over his shoulder.

“I had no idea what M.J. was up to. I didn’t know about any of it.”

“I know that.” His voice took on a gentle tone. “And I wouldn’t have agreed if I hadn’t wanted to do it.”

She pulled her gaze back to his and found the fire simmering there. “Because you didn’t want to get sued?”

He smiled almost boyishly. “No.” He reached out, capturing her wrist to pull her forward between his open legs. “Hell, no.” He brushed his fingertips from her cheek to her chin, his thumb tugging at her lower lip.

His gaze darkened, focused on her mouth. He bent toward her, and she tilted her head for his kiss. But he stopped and lifted his gaze, eyes locked onto hers. The thumb on her lip slipped lower, knuckles slowly brushing down her throat to follow the deep vee of her sweater.

She caught her breath as he grazed the hollow between her breasts. The touch sent a shockwave of pleasure straight through her.

“Am I still moving too fast for you?”

Tuesday 10 Easter!

How many sound familiar to you?

10 Victorian Easter traditions:

Decorate Easter eggs – not from a kit, more’s the pity, but by using cranberries, beets, spinach greens and orange and lemon peels.
Greeting cards – bunnies, chicks, or a cross printed with a simple “Happy Easter” or spiritual greeting

Church – um…pretty self explanatory there.

Lilies – the flower of the holiday, according to the language of flowers, Lily (white) - Virginity; purity; majesty; it's heavenly to be with you

Panorama sugar egg – They look like they’ll rot your teeth in a second. Or break them. Can you eat these?

Easter bonnets – a traditional start to spring, any Easter bonnet would be guaranteed to be fashionable, flirty, and fun. And in the newest colors of spring.

Easter parades - The first public Easter parade in America occurred in 1860 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, when families strolled along the Boardwalk in their new spring finery after the Sunday service.

Chocolate eggs (and bunnies) - bunnies were symbols of fertility (you’ve heard the saying?), and chocolate eggs abound during the late 1800s.

Maundy Money - could be ordered from the bank or mint by anyone. The tradition dates to King Edward I or II, when the monarch washed the poor’s feet (not all of them obviously) and gave them money. This explains it much better than I could: Maundy Money an Easter Tradition

Easter Baskets – where else would you fit all the goodies in?

The latest style

I just got my hair cut. Ok, not just, 2 weeks ago, but am still getting used to it. I donated 13 inches of hair to Locks of Love, and regret only that last inch. I’ve never had hair this short…except possibly back in the day that whole Dorothy Hamill ‘do. But it’s best not to reminisce on styles better left to the history books.

During the long era of Victoria, there were many popular styles, you can’t have one last 60 some years, it just isn’t done.

But let’s talk about inventions. Crimping for instance. I know, I know, it harkens back to that ‘80s best left to the history books style. It was the rage for nearly 30 years.

Invented in 1872, by Parisian hairdresser M. Marcel Grateau, crimping pulled the hair over a hot iron, making it wave. The "Marcel wave" consisted of loose waves arranged around the head. Since there was no spring action on the curling iron/heating tongs, it was opened and closed by hand. The Marcel wave remained popular for almost half a century, and helped usher in a new era of women's waved and curled hairpieces, which were mixed with the natural hair.

The hot irons damaged hair, burning it with that nasty burnt hair smell. Since hair was never cut, heavy perfumes were used to mask the odor.

Pearson's Soda Works

Built in 1859 Pearson’s Soda Works was used as a brewery, soda works, and ice cream parlor in the Gold Rush days. More often than not, ice blocks, beer, soda, butter and other perishables were stored in the 155 foot tunnel cut into the hill behind the place. The narrow mine tunnel at that time extended in a u-shape through the mountain, ending near the Empire Theatre down the street.


It’s rumored a second mine tunnel was started in an old house behind the Empire Theatre and ran under Placerville, California, coming out somewhere in the vicinity of what is now Coloma Street. Several years ago I had occasion to go into that old house. The shape of the roof makes it look Asian.
While I was inside, the owner started telling me about the history of the place. He took me into a back room and showed me a hole cut into a rock wall. As I remember it, the space was about two feet wide and maybe five feet long. He said the tunnel coming from the Soda Works was used by men who didn’t want to be seen coming in and out of the Chinese run bordello. There were several of these holes cut in the building and they were used by the prostitutes as their “beds” when the men would come for their “comfort.” It amazed me that anyone could be so desperate as to use the small, uncomfortable space.

An upper floor was added to the soda works building in 1897 and, although some restoration was inevitable, the majority of the original building is still the same along with fixtures and keepsakes. The beautiful stained glass doors were brought from a gambling hall in Montana, the hanging globes from the old San Francisco library, and marble bathroom fixtures from the ancient Tahoe Tavern.

The building is damp, it’s drippy, and from sunset to sunrise, it’s also dark. Shadows glide effortless through the old place. Spirits whisk by in the reflection as employees clean store mirrors and windows. Labored breathing is heard permeating the thick rock walls of the empty old mine shaft inside the structure. Stories about ghosts have been told for years.

There’s a burly man with a bald head in the mineshaft at the back of the main part of the building. He ordered psychic Nancy Bradley out of the tunnel. He told her women were not welcome past that particular point. She determined it was not a ghost, but a spirit. Two women spirits from the 1800’s sat in old chairs in the alcove to the right of the tunnel. They seemed to get a kick out of the old codger getting his comings up when Bradley told him he had no authority anymore. As it turned out, the spirit’s name was Charley and he was about 40 years old, but looked much older. He’d been a victim of a cave in. Several large rocks came down and hit him in the back of the head. Even though the wound was severe, he didn’t die immediately. Afraid to move him, the miners left him in the mine shaft as they ran to get the doctor. He told her he was dead before the doctor returned with the men. Bradley asked him why he stayed in the place where he died. “I am not always here,” he said, irritated. “I come and go when I want. I am here to protect people from the mine, but also because of THEM!” He pointed to the two women in the alcove.

Bradley inched her way past the spirit to the two women. “What are you doing here?” she asked. They were dressed in frills, full skirts and ragged stockings. One had a blouse that fell off one shoulder. They were clearly not washerwomen or wives. “We stay for the money,” the one that called herself Louise said. “And he’s one of our best customers.”

Information taken from “The Incredible World of Gold Rush Ghosts, by Nancy Bradley and Robert Repppert.

Tuesday Ten—Victorian Disasters

In one of my manuscripts, my hero is haunted by a past in which he seems to be constantly surrounded by disaster (in truth, he subconsciously seeks them out). This required me to actually research disasters in the 19th century. Yes, there is actually a book about the history of disasters titled The Pessimist’s Guide to History by Stuart Flexner with Doris Flexner. It chronicles disasters from The Big Bang until 1991, along with some very, very funny commentary. There’s even a timeline of disasters in the back of the book broken out by the kind of disaster. For those of us with a wry sense of humor, this is pretty amusing.

So, without further ado, here are the 10 I chose from the Victorian period. I tried to stay within the boundaries of North America because that’s the area I write about.
I’m putting them in the order more of personal interest than anything else.

1.) 1883, Krakatoa Erupts—August 26th and 27. So explosive was the eruption that it shook houses a hundred miles away, and the most spectacular of the explosions were her 2,900 miles away. Worse, the ferocity of Krakatoa’s eruption induced another 15 volcanoes in the area to erupt. 50 square miles of land sank into the sea, along with 2/3 of the island of Krakatoa. And you know what happens then—a tsunami traveling as far as South America. In the end the volcanoes sent 5 cubic miles of debris into the area for a period of about 2 years, blocking out the sunlight. It was blamed for a drop in temperature in North America during the 19th century.

2.) 1878 Yellow Fever Epidemic in Memphis Tennessee. It broke out in mid-august. 25000 people fled the city. 20,000 stayed behind, of which 5,000 died. Public disorder, resulted. It finally ended in October.

3) Ohio train wreck--1876. A blizzard hit on the night of December 29th, slowing the progress of the Pacific Express, carrying 150 passengers. For all that, it still left Ashtabula Ohio. Around 8:00 pm it crossed a bridge, 160 feet long. The bridge collapsed, plunging the train into Ashtabula Creek. The fall turned over heating stoves, which set parts of the train on fire. The passengers that managed to survive the fall, the fires, the freezing and crawl to safety then had to face the snow storm. 92 people died.

4.) Peshtigo Fire, 1871—The same winds that caused the Great Chicago Fire stirred this one up too. Drought had already caused tiny fires to spring up in the woods and grasslands surrounding Peshtigo Wisconsin. The winds hit, turning the tiny fires into walls of flame, of which the 2000 residents of the city had not warning. Worse, Peshtigo was surrounded by swamp—and swamp gas, methane. When the fire hit the swamp the gas exploded, making the air so hot that anything that was combustible burst into flames. In the end Peshtigo was destroy and about 1400 people died.

5.) Great Chicago Fire, 1871—There are sites and books dedicated to this. It was the most destructive fire in American history, basically burning Chicago to the ground on October 8th and 9th. 90,000 of the city’s 335,000 were left homeless. 17,500 buildings were destroyed.

6.) Explosion of the Sultana 1865—Susan Macatee might know more about this, since the Sultana was a steamboat transporting Union soldiers up the Mississippi after peace was declared. I actually have a book about this and hope someday to blog about it (don’t hold your breath, though—I’ve got quite a few blogs I’ve never done J). Anyway, the Sultana was carrying 2134 soldiers, although it only had a capacity of 376. It left Vicksburg for Cairo Illinois on April 24th. A leak in one of the boilers was repaired at
Memphis. To no avail. It blew on April 27th, 8 miles north of Memphis. Men were crushed under steam stacks, burned or drowned in the water after jumping over board or being pushed. It’s estimated 1,547 died. Ironically many of the passengers had survived as inmates of the infamous Andersonville prison, only to be subjected to this.

7.) 1851-1855 Tuberculosis Epidemic in Britain—I’ve blogged about TB before, the scourge of the 19th century. During this period it killed approximately 250,000 people.

Here’s an interesting fact that I discovered while checking out tuberculosis—Thoreau died of TB at the age of 44. But that’s not really part of the Tuesday Ten.

8.) 1848, The Voyage of the Omega—Lots of ship deaths on the list of disasters. In this specific case the ship, a British emigrant ship, lost its sails during a storm. The passengers were transferred to three other passing ships. One of those sank killing 115 people. Another ran out of water killing 70 of the Omega’s passengers. Interestingly enough, the Omega made it back to port safely.

9.) 1845 Quebec Fire—This is for Jenn who writes about Victorian Canada. On May 28th, a nasty wind whipped up a fire that started in a tanner, spreading it through parts of Quebec. The fire destroyed approximately 1,500 buildings, and killed some people, but exactly how many is not known.

10.) 1841, Hurricane in Saint Jo, Florida—Just because we can’t forget weather as a natural disaster. This one struck in September, destroying all the buildings and killing 4000 people. The town no longer exists.

And just because I found another natural disaster (so this is 11) a couple tornadoes destroyed Natchez Mississippi. One hit in May 1840, killing 317 people. The second one hit on June 16th 1842, killing another 500 people. I guess the 1840’s were not a good time to be living in Natchez.

Other interesting books:

Diesease and History Frederick F Cartwright, Michael D. Biddiss

Viruses, Plagues & History, Michael B.A. Oldstone

Living in the Shadow of Death, Sheila M. Rothman

The Sultana Saga, Rex T. Jackson

Braving the elements, The Stormy History of American Weather, David Laskin

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I’d like to wish everyone a very happy St. Patrick’s Day. And since this is the Scandalous Victorians blog, I’d like to tell you a little bit about Canada’s historical connection to my favorite country in Victorian times.

During the Great Famine of 1845-1850, thousands of starving Irish refugees fled to Canada, as well as the United States and Australia.

The conditions on the so-called “coffin ships” were brutal. Typhoid, dysentery, and other diseases ran rampant, and many died on the voyage that was supposed to take these people to a new and better life. Hundreds of children were orphaned, either on the ship, or later, at the quarantine station called Grosse Ile, not far from Quebec City.

But these children, as lost and bewildered as they must have felt, were not entirely alone. At that period in history, Quebec was mostly populated by French Catholics, who were eager to take in these children of their own faith. Not only were they welcomed with open arms, but most were able to keep their Irish surnames. So a little bit of Ireland survives in Montreal today.

It’s seen today in the Black Rock, also known as the Irish Stone, which stands at the approach of Montreal’s Victoria Bridge. During the construction of that bridge, the first bridge to span the mighty St. Lawrence River, workmen discovered human remains of Irish immigrants to Canada. They decided to erect a large stone that bears this inscription:

To preserve from desecration the remains of 6000 immigrants who died of ship fever A.D. 1847-8, this stone is erected by the workmen of Messrs. Peto, Brassey and Betts employed in the construction of the Victoria Bridge A.D. 1859

The Model Man - excerpt

Come celebrate with me!

To celebrate my first full length contemporary release, anyone who leaves a comment on our blog site between now and my release date, March 28^th, will be entered into a drawing to win a free e-copy of The Model Man. If you’ve got the late winter blahs, this is just the story to heat up your nights!

~*~

Here is an excerpt from the opening scene of The Model Man:

Derek Calavicci opened the door to his penthouse apartment and stepped inside. Home, although it never really felt that way. At one time the navy and pewter color scheme, so carefully chosen by the designer, the expensive but tasteful furniture and state-of-the-art gadgets had soothed him. But not lately. He set his keys on the kitchen counter and picked up a stack of personal mail waiting there.

Gabrielle, his younger sister and personal assistant, strolled into the room. Dressed in her robe and fuzzy pink slippers, she had a toothbrush sticking out of one side of her mouth and a towel wrapped around her head. She often stayed at his place when he was gone, and judging from the clothes, shoes and magazines strewn about, she had done so this past week.

“So, how was Tokyo?” she asked around the toothbrush.

“Fine.” He put his hands to his hips and glanced around the apartment. “It’s a good thing I pay the cleaning lady so well.”

She moved to the kitchen sink to spit out a mouthful of toothpaste. “How did the bourbon commercial go?”

“It was fine.”

“Did you get lucky?”

He didn’t answer her, merely shook his head in wonder.

“Okay, for other guys it’s getting lucky. For you it’s par for the course. So… did you?”

“Would I tell you if I did?”

“You’re always so grumpy when you get home from these things.”

He headed for the sofa and flopped down, finally allowing the exhaustion of the long flight and the time change to overtake him. “There’s a fourteen-hour time difference between here and Tokyo. I’m beat.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, grateful that he was no longer in motion. Not in a plane, not in a limo, just sitting still.

“Hope you aren’t too jet lagged, you’ve got an early flight in the morning.”

He raised his head just enough to look at her. “Where the hell to now?”

She laughed and headed toward his desk. “You really are out of it. The Romantic Moments conference starts this weekend.”

“Christ.” He dropped his head back down. “Little wonder I’m more comfortable in hotels than in my own home.”

“You’re never here,” she agreed, holding out a note pad for his inspection.

“What am I supposed to do with that?”

“It’s your messages. Your voice mail filled up twice so I had to write everything down.”

“I’m too tired to read them. Anything important?”

“Mmm, depends on what you call important. Or who.”

“I’m afraid to ask.”

“Let’s see… Megan called. She’ll be at the conference in Florida; she’s really looking forward to ‘hooking up’. She’ll be in room eight-twelve. Amber, also going to the conference, is in five-seventeen. Oh, and Shannon is going to be in New York next weekend and she’d like to … well, I’m not about to repeat it. Is she double jointed or something?”

“Damned if I can remember.”

“Anyway, there’s another page and a half of these.”

“I’ll look at them later.”

“Good idea. Oh, and Frankie called. About nine times.”

“What the hell did she want?”

“You. Under her tiny, little thumb. When are you going to fire her and get a new manager? One who doesn’t want to run your life.”

“Why bother when I can just avoid this one as much as possible?”

“She wants to make sure you two are on the same flight tomorrow so she can go over a few things with you on the way down,” Gabby spoke over her shoulder as she headed to the kitchen. “Something about the ‘Flawless’ campaign. You know, that new line of men’s cologne and skin care products you’re promoting.”

He raised his head again. “And?”

She returned, holding out a bottle of water and gave him a triumphant smile. “And I made sure to book you on a different flight.”

“Good girl.” He unscrewed the cap and took a long drag. “What do I have going on today?”

“I canceled everything when I realized you were getting back so late. Thought you might want a little break.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t forget Anthony’s engagement party is tonight.”

“I can’t believe my kid brother is getting married. Did I buy them something nice?”

“Besides paying for the wedding? Crystal. Expensive and impractical, just your style.”

“I’m such a nice guy.”

“Well, you’d better be prepared to answer the inevitable from the relatives tonight.”

“You mean the ‘and when are you going to settle down’ stuff?” Now that he’d turned thirty, that was all anyone wanted to know. His younger brother’s engagement had only made it worse.

“Exactly. At this point, I’m beginning to think you’re commitment-phobic myself.”

“I’ve got nothing against commitment.” He raised his feet to set them on the coffee table. “But whenever the urge strikes, I lie down until it passes.”

“Yeah, I know. Preferably with a blonde or a redhead.”

1860s Cosmetics

Although no respectable woman of the 1860s would be seen wearing "face paints", they did use some form of cosmetics.

Creams and lotions were used to soften skin as well as bleaching lotions to give the desired lily white appearance.

Moisturizers also were used to combat the effects of lye soap and cleaning chemicals, as well as other abrasives.

They used oil to dress their hair and keep it in place in the confined styles popular in that time period. Herbal rinses softened and brightened hair and henna and dyes were used for coloring.

Cologne and perfume in scents of Lavender, Rose, Orange Blossom and Gardenia were used lavishly.

They used powder beneath the clothing for comfort and to keep them dry and also used it on their face and hands to keep their skin pale, especially for evening events.

Rouge was the only color they applied and was used sparingly. Just a small circle beneath the outer corner of the eyes and a touch to the center of the lips. Full lips were not considered fashionable.

Source: 'Helpful Hints & Timely Tips', Fanny & Vera
The Citizens' Companion, Oct.- Nov., 2006, p. 43.

The Bathing Machine

I’m on vacation in Puerto Rico this week, a working vacation – seriously! I am writing! 20 poages so far! Still, I thought I’d share a short cultural history of the beach while I’m enjoying the 80 degree sun and hiding from the cold winter the Northeast is experiencing.

You may now throw tomatoes at me, I’m ready.

Victorian beach goers typically wore a bathing costume that covered far, far more than it revealed, yet the outfit was still considered immodest. They exposed their legs, after all. I can only laugh at the image of a proper Victorian seeing a modern beach filled with skimpily clad people baking under the hot sun.

While researching the costumes, I came across the Bathing Machine, which I’d always heard of but never really understood what it did. I mean sure, they had to change someplace, but would they call it a machine?

Er, no, not exactly.

The picture is c1829 but not much changed between then and a century later.

I’m sweaty just looking at those outfits! Nothing refreshing about them.

In fact a Bathing Machine was a carriage you could stand up in. You entered it as you would a carriage, but then changed within its confines. Their clothing was stored high up to avoid getting wet, because it was then rolled into the water. I mean that quite seriously, since traipsing about the beach in your costume was scandalous.

So was traipsing about with a member of the opposite sex, since men and women enjoyed the ocean is separate areas. Hence the need for the machine, I guess, even though if they really were in different parts of the beach, you’d think it wouldn’t matter. Apparently, it did. This practice was mostly in Britain and her colonies, but popular in other Western countries as well.

By the 1920s the Bathing Machine was extinct, since frolicking in the water with your husband or wife - or, heaven forbid, a suitor - was more socially acceptable.

http://century.guardian.co.uk/1899-1909/Story/0,6051,126381,00.html
http://www.victoriana.com/Etiquette/bathingmachine.htm
http://www.jasa.net.au/seaside/Bathing.htm

Scandalous Victorian, Cynthia Owens

Why do you write historicals?

I love history. I think it would be great to go back in time and experience it first-hand. There’s a story in my family that one of my ancestors on my dad’s side sailed up the St. Lawrence River and discovered Canada some 26 years before Jacques Cartier. Of course, Cartier got the credit! Another ancestor, this one on my mother’s side, was one of the Filles du Roi, a “king’s girl” sent from France to marry one of the habitants (settlers) in New France (now Quebec) in the 17th Century. So I guess it’s inevitable that I love history.

It’s the people in history that interest me. Ordinary people going through what were some pretty extraordinary times. My first novel, In Sunshine or in Shadow (Highland Press, December 2006), is set in Ireland, just as the country was beginning to recover from the Famine. I took a cast of characters, all ordinary people, and plunged them into the extraordinary situation of trying to bring their little village of Ballycashel back to life after starvation, tyranny and betrayal had nearly destroyed it.

Ordinary people…

What part of the Victorian era/setting do you write in?

I’ve written two stories, In Sunshine or in Shadow and its sequel, Coming Home, that are set in post-Famine Ireland, 1850 and 1867 respectively. Playing for Keeps, a second sequel to In Sunshine or in Shadow, is set in 1860 Baltimore and Philadelphia.

After that, I’m planning a series of novels set mostly in Victorian-era New York City, just after the Civil War. They’ll still have an Irish theme, though, since the heroes are veterans of the Irish Brigade.

What is it about the era that most intrigues you?

Again, it’s the people. The ordinary people struggling to survive, the extraordinary people rushing through their social whirl. What went on behind the closed doors? What were their lives like, their hopes and dreams, their passions? That’s what I love to discover.

Where do you get your information?

Everywhere! Books, movies, magazines, and of course, the Internet. As far as the Irish part is concerned, it helps that my mother-in-law is Irish. While I’ve been writing Playing For Keeps, my current work-in-progress, I had an actor friend help me with research for the hero, who is also an actor.

What are you working on now?

Well, let’s see. Coming Home, a sequel to In Sunshine or in Shadow, is under consideration with my editor right now, and I’m revising the second sequel, Playing For Keeps.

I’ve starting researching a new five book series. The books will all be stand-alone stories, but will be interconnected by the heroes, who met as boys on a coffin ship to America from famished Ireland. They grew up together in New York, and fought together during the American Civil War in Thomas Francis Meagher’s Irish Brigade. Now that the war is over, the real stories begin. The first book, Deceptive Hearts, features an ex-boxer/cop and a wealthy society lady who seems to be running a high-class brothel.

How many books have you written?

In Sunshine or in Shadow is my first published novel, but it was the fourth full-length manuscript I’d written. Since then, I’ve completed a second and am working on the final draft of a third.

Do you write outside the Victorian era, genre?

No. I like the time, the glamour, and the excitement of new discoveries. It was a fascinating era.

What challenges have you faced in your career?

Probably a lot of the same challenges most writers face. Enough rejections to paper the walls of my office (or “creative corner,” as I like to call it.) Writer’s block. The busyness of a home life with a husband and kids. And self-doubt. Is my writing good enough? Will anyone want to read what I write?

What is your writing schedule like?

Total insanity! I’m an early riser, so I try to be at my computer by 5:30 a.m. I check e-mail, update my Myspace account, do promotional stuff – anything business related until about 7:30 or so, when my kids get up and get ready for school.

Once the kids are gone, I’ll get to the serious business of writing. I spend a few hours each morning, and at least one or two hours in the afternoon, either writing, re-writing, or researching, depending on what I’m working on.

Read my reviews:
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http://thebestreviews.com/review36554
http://tcm-ca.com/reviews/1512.html

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