Historical Fiction, History, Research

A Brief History of Lighthouses

Shores of Chaos: Shipwrecked came about from my love of lighthouses and all things related to the seashore. I went to my first lighthouse when I was about eleven and have been enchanted by their architectural design and their purpose for existence ever since. I chose to set my story in the 1890s as this… Continue reading A Brief History of Lighthouses

Historical Fiction, History, Research, Wanderer Among Shadows

The Parkers, Why Were They Accused?

So now that my book has been released on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VCL542T), I’ll share some more of the historical details with you on the subject matter. I’ll try not to give away too many spoilers in this post, but do not read further if you don’t want any. In this post I will attempt to give… Continue reading The Parkers, Why Were They Accused?

Historical Fiction, Reading

Five Fiction Books to Read for this Halloween

In my previous post, I talked about “Five Non-Fiction Books to Read for this Halloween.” In this one, I’m giving you five fiction books to give you goosebumps (pun intended). https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375803017/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=genblackwood-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0375803017&linkId=db4029872573470f7fe1e965893316fe The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury This is the story of eight boys who go out trick or treating on Halloween night only to… Continue reading Five Fiction Books to Read for this Halloween

Historical Fiction, History, Research, Wanderer Among Shadows

The Puritans and Mental Illness

*Cover image: Detail from T. H. Matteson's "The Trial of George Jacobs, Austust 5th, 1692'' In my previous blog post, Interesting Things I Learned about the Salem Witch Trials and the Puritans, I briefly discussed how 17th century Puritans were more supportive and tolerant of the mentally ill than later generations. In this post, I… Continue reading The Puritans and Mental Illness

Historical Fiction, Reading, Research, Writing

The Best and Hardest Things about Writing

Here’s a quick little list of what I like best about writing and some things I find hard about it. I’ll be taking Labor Day off, so see you in two weeks!   Hardest- Writer’s block Any writer will agree that getting stuck during the writing process sucks. You’re on a roll, the ideas are… Continue reading The Best and Hardest Things about Writing

Historical Fiction, History, Research, Wanderer Among Shadows

Interesting Things I Learned about the Salem Witch Trials and the Puritans

(Cover image: Statue of Rebecca Nurse and her sisters at the Salem Wax Museum) During the course of my research of the Salem Witch Trials I found out some interesting things that I think would be fun to share with you all. Likewise, there are some random but fascinating facts about the Puritans that I… Continue reading Interesting Things I Learned about the Salem Witch Trials and the Puritans

Historical Fiction, Research, Writing

My Chaotic Writing Process

I want to take you all on a journey through my writing process. I’ll get a bit long winded in this, but hopefully you’ll find some of it interesting. It may even give some of you greater insight when reading my novels. Proceed if you dare. Any story starts with inspiration. Being a historical fiction… Continue reading My Chaotic Writing Process

Historical Fiction, History, Research, Wanderer Among Shadows

Fun and Frustration: Researching the Salem Witch Trials

If you’re a nerd like me (I used to say “I’m a nerd and proud of it” back in high school, that’s how much of a nerd I am), then researching a historical topic you’ve been interested in since you were a little kid can be a fun journey. But if you’re also like me,… Continue reading Fun and Frustration: Researching the Salem Witch Trials

Historical Fiction, Writing

Why I Choose to (and Needed to) Become a Writer

Ever since I was little, I have been writing stories. It started with short stories, often with accompanying illustrations. These first forays into writing were the result of a child with an overactive imagination, and probably some boredom with reality as well. Then, at the age of twelve I wrote my first full length story.… Continue reading Why I Choose to (and Needed to) Become a Writer