I’ll admit when writing Shores of Chaos: Shipwrecked, I was driven by nostalgia for my love of all things related to the seashore. Two of those things are the boardwalk and seaside amusement parks. I personally have always loved walking up and down the boardwalks, looking for cool things to buy or fun games to… Continue reading A Good Ole Time: Seaside Amusements and Boardwalks
Tag: American History
Come One, Come All to the Story of American Vaudeville!
Above image: Poster from the Sandow Trocadero Vaudevilles , 1894 A fun thing I included in one of the chapters of my novel Shores of Chaos: Shipwrecked is a turn of the century vaudeville show. American Vaudeville was an entertainment form in the United States from the 1880s to the 1930s. Vaudeville shows consisted of… Continue reading Come One, Come All to the Story of American Vaudeville!
The Evolution of the American Insane Asylum
Above image: Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, NJ, demolished 2015 Something I decided to add to the final draft of Shores of Chaos: Shipwrecked was the 19th century insane asylum. For most of us when we think of the typical Victorian or Gilded Age insane asylum, we think of grim, filthy places where… Continue reading The Evolution of the American Insane Asylum
Postpartum Depression in the 19th Century
One of my goals with my writing is to help those suffering from mental illness. In Shores of Chaos: Shipwrecked I tackled postpartum depression (PPD). In my first draft of this story, I unfortunately fell into the trap of making a villain out of my character, Frances Ashman, who is suffering from this illness. For… Continue reading Postpartum Depression in the 19th Century
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
The History of Christmas Traditions and Symbols- Part 2
Here’s some more history behind our favorite Christmas symbols to put you in the holiday mood! Santa Claus The story of Santa beings in the 3rd century AD when a monk helped the poor and sick and became St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children. His veneration spread throughout Europe over the centuries where his… Continue reading The History of Christmas Traditions and Symbols- Part 2
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?
The History of Christmas Traditions and Symbols
Hey everyone, I know it’s been awhile since I posted. I’ve been busy with work and getting my book finished. Yes, my book is all edited and currently awaiting registration at the copyright office! But while you wait for the book to be available, today I’m putting you in the holiday mood. So, ever wonder… Continue reading The History of Christmas Traditions and Symbols
Five Non-Fiction Books to Read for this Halloween
Now that we’re in spooky season, here are a few books to read to get you in the mood. Each one is filled with history or interesting stories from places around the world. So pick up one of these and improve your knowledge of all things creepy! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1782491430/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=genblackwood-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1782491430&linkId=49fd7904afb80cbdc5d12bf860deeef0 Creating your Vintage Hallowe’en: The Folklore, Traditions,… Continue reading Five Non-Fiction Books to Read for this Halloween
The Spooktacular History of Halloween
Spooky season is upon us everyone so here’s a post discussing Halloween’s history. Modern Halloween as we know it has its origins in ancient times. It began with the Celtic festival of Samhain, pronounced sow-en or sah-when. Samhain was first celebrated thousands of years ago by the Celts. It was the last harvest festival of… Continue reading The Spooktacular History of Halloween
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
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
Visiting New Jersey’s Historic Sites- Part I
New Jersey is famous for many things, but its history should get more recognition. There are several places in New Jersey that are the site of where an important event took place or are home to buildings of historical significance. In what I plan on being a series of posts, I will talk about many… Continue reading Visiting New Jersey’s Historic Sites- Part I