Steampunk Saturday, holiday edition

'Tis the season for holiday cheer, and what better way to celebrate than with a look at a traditional Victorian Christmas.

Oh Tannenbaum!
The evergreen tree has long been a symbol of life during the long winter months and celebrated long before the Victorian Era, but it was Prince Albert who brought the first Christmas tree to the royal family. A tintype of the royal family's tree set a trend and afterward, to be fashionable, every Victorian home had one.
Christmas trees in the Victorian Era were decorated with simple hand-cut decorations, tinsel and tin cut ornaments like stars and snowflakes. The trees were lighted with tiny tapes - which would sometimes prove extremely hazardous.
Paper cornicopias filled with nuts, candies and fruit were also hung on the tree. Sometimes small gifts were hung on the branches.

A Caroling We Will Go
The tradition of carolling began in England before taking hold in America. Carolers would travel from home to home in hopes of being invited inside for something warm to drink. Carols that were most popular were : God Rest ye merry Gentlemen (mentioned in Dicken's A Christmas Carol), Silent Night, The First Noel, Wassail Song, and The Holly and the Ivy.

Christmas Feast
In Victorian times, life was centered around the family, especially at Christmas time. Not just immediate family gathered to celebrate but aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents. On Christmas morning, the family gathered for Mass and then for the Christmas dinner. Goose was especially popular in England while Turkey was most popular in America. Christmas Pudding was a special treat that even had a day set aside, the Sunday before Advent, for stirring and preparing. It is a combination of raisins, beef, prunes, sugar all packed in a cloth and put into a pot to cook.

Steampunk Saturday, vol. 4

 

The best part of writing historical fiction is the research. So early in my current WIP I have ballroom scene where the hero and heroine dance. This required research on late Nineteenth ballroom dancing. A quick Google search came up with the amazing website that talked about primers published during the Victorian Era on everything from the correct dancing formations to dinner party etiquette.

 THE WALTZ is most likely one of the most enduring ballroom dance to have carried from the Nineteenth Century to the modern era. I won't even begin to explain the steps - there are hundreds of Youtube vidoes for that. From looking at the vidoes, it was a sweeping and turning dance that became popular during the height of the Victoian Era. The Quadrille and Cotillian, the prior dances that dominated ballrooms, was more prevalent in the early part of the Nineteenth Century. Think Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy.





THE DANCE CARD in simple terms was a way for ladies to keep track of who they were promised a dance throughout the ball. Generally, on the left side was pre-printed list of the dances for the evening and on the left were lines where men could "pencil in" for selected dances. The dance card was used in the United States starting in the middle of the Nineteenth Century as Americans strove to mimic Victorian social etiquette set by London society and held balls more frequently as a way to forget for the moment the horrors of the Civil War. By the beginning of the Twentieth Century, dance cards fell into disuse as gender boundaries and strict etiquette rules changed.


THE BAND was vitally important to a successful ball. Just looking at website for Kalamazoo listed several dozen quartets for hire for any type of social gathering, whether it was a wedding or a ball.



White and Sherwood's Band (White’s Quadrille Band), ca. 1880. (W. S White: far right)

History Room Photograph File P-572

As promised, next time we'll discuss the Victorian ladies garments and baubles.



 

Steampunk Saturday, vol. 3

That moment when you realize that the coolness of Steampunk just went viral....Target has these shoes for sale. If you want them you can buy them HERE.

Speaking of clothing, a gentleman's accroutrement in Victorian times was very important. Kind like the man who never leaves the house with out his designer watch, iPhone, ect.

Gentlemen carried a pocket watch. Punctuality was an admirable quality desired in a gentleman and future husband. (Becasue let's face it ladies, the modern feminist sensibilites we hold dear - independence, for one - were not so readily shared among our ancestor sisters. Unfortunately, it WAS all about finding a good husband.)

Cufflinks. The hero can't have his shirtsleeves flapping about, getting in the way, and looking just plain ungroomed with out them. Of course, gentlemen of wealth and prestige would have several pair of cufflinks for various occasions, ranging from

high society functions like balls or attending the opera down to everyday use. (the ones shown on the right are of the Art Nouveau style)

The walking cane or walking stick. Not necessarily for the aid of walking, but looking stylish while carrying a weapon of defense. A gentleman of wealth was a target of opportunity for those less fortunate but bold enough to try and mug him. (I said try.)

Stickpin or cravat pin. The stickpin, some times elaborately jeweled or simply, sometimes matching the cufflinks, held the gentleman's cravat in place. Man did they know how to do brooding at the Turn of the Century.

These are just a few of the many things that made up a part of the Victorian Gentleman's dressing gear....Next time, the Victorian Lady's trousseau(not just for her wedding.)

Steampunk Saturday vol. 2

Well, as you can see a weekly blog post this did not become, but for a good reason. I spent the last two weekends reading a most fantabulous book called The Dark Unwinding by fellow Mid-South SCBWI and Nashvillian, Sharon Cameron. In a word it was amazing. Of course I love all things steampunk, Victorian, English and gothic. Believe me the book had it!! I highly recommend it.

I don't like to spoil, but I will say that the opening line immediately hooked me in!!!

BUY IT HERE

Book blurb from Amazon :  

A spine-tingling tale of steampunk and spies, intrigue and heart-racing romance!

When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it. With twists and turns at every corner, this heart-racing adventure will captivate readers with its intrigue, thrills, and romance.

(CHECK IT OUT HERE.)

This pocket watch instantly caught my eye. So I just had to check out the webshop called Dracula Clothing.com. Not only the watch but the name of the specialty shop caught my eye.

Never forget before there was Edward Cullen there was Count Dracula - and Gary Oldham plays a wicked sexy Victorian count!

The online shop lists prices in Euros(too bad) so it's European, but the costumes and accessories are sooooooo pretty. I want all of it.

Steampunk Saturday, vol. 1

Hark! A new weekly blog post from yours truly (Okay really this is just an effort for me to be more committed to posting). Introducing Steampunk Saturday. A day devoted to all things Victorian, Steampunk, ultra-cool, gadgety, whimsical, and eclectic....just like me!


What I love and find most fascinating about the world of steampunk is the ability to find things that actually existed at the time period and twist into something fun in stories.

The above advertisement caught my eye, and there's even a blog post HERE at the Virtual Dime Museum that exposes the mystery.

It seems that one of the Whiton's novelties was a mysterious image that suddenly appeared out of thin air. According to the blog post, the mysterious image was a trick using "an ordinary silver print" minus the solution that would make it visible. One way to make the magic image appear was with smoke. Thus the magic pictures were placed in novelty cigars.

Now wouldn't that a be cool way for a secret agent to receive pictures meant for his or her eyes only.





 

I'm Getting A New Design...Soon

What's on the iPod : Ramble On (cover) from the Pickin' On Series



photo by D'Arcy Norman

If you've noticed, the main website has been down. The good news is that soon, very soon, I will have a new look!! I'm excited.

On the other hand, I'm a bit dismayed. See the thing is RWA has made some changes to their rules and bylaws and such. There's a huge debate going on at the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood website, HERE, and most likely all over the web.

I'm a member of RWA, my local chapter and the online chapter YARWA. I'm also a member of Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI for short).

I will admit I read the cliffnotes version of the announcements RWA made at Nationals this past July. Meaning, I read the posts on the above website and on the YARWA loop. The gist of the announcement is that RWA is changing the requirements or the judging criteria for both the Golden Heart contest and the RITA award. Golden Heart is for unpublished and RITA is for published works of fiction. The new emphasis is on the romance. They've even eliminated the Suspence with Romantic Elements category. In fact, RWA (supposedly) has asked chapter presidents to go through their member roster to determine who in the chapter does not "officially" write romance and ask those member to degrade their member status to associate. That means paying the same membership dues as the other members but losing the right to vote, hold office or enter the GH and Ritas.

I write YA and I'm a sucker for a good love story. All my YA manuscripts have a romance, but that's not the plot. In fact for YA it SHOULDN'T be the plot at all. Many other YARWAians are outraged by the changes, because the last thing that a good YA novel should focus on is a romantic relationship. Case in point - the trouble with Twilight. I loved Twilight, don't get me wrong, but it really is nothing more than girl meets boy, girl loses boy so he won't eat her, and then girl gets boy back. And a lot of sighing and lip biting.
But I've heard so many other YA authors say that their stories are not just a love story but a real plot with romance thrown in. And these days, publishers are rejecting those "just young adult romances" too.

At this time, we don't know where we stand. Two years ago, it seemed like RWA was out to count-out and condemn the e-published authors because of small to no advances. Now, it feels like the witch hunt has turned to those of us who write stories where it's more than just falling in love, but a good plot with a sexy hero and beautiful heroine that know that if they fall in love they face even more obstacles. And it's the plot of the story, the adventure, the goals that keep the hero and heroine apart. It's not just a romance but a something more, only complicated by the attractions of the opposite sex.
And it's not just YA but suspense and mysteries.

And ... That's all.

Music! Music! Music!

       

What's on the old skool CD player : Charlie's Angels Soundtrack

With one heck of a music week here in Nashvegas, aka Music City, winding down...if you didn't know, both the CMA music fest as well as Bonnaroo took place over the past five days...I've had music on the brain, a lot.

I didn't attend either festival. I'm not one to camp out in a farmer's field for four days with a gazillion ripe people in southern humidity and heat, not unless its for the Foo Fighters - who haven't played Bonnaroo EVER. And I (as a true Nashville Native) can say I do not like country music, but if I turn off the volume on the TV, I will stare at Luke Bryan ALL. DAY. LONG.

With music flowing around town like water, it's no surprise that I've been building my playlist for the new super seekret WIP, searching for just the right songs that capture both a rock beat but also lends to a wild west feel.

Obviously, this song is on my playlist...

***(Insert image of Jon Bon Jovi strumming guitar on desert rock outcropping with drive-in behind showing scenes from Young Guns II) 

If you don't know Blaze of Glory or have forgotten the Young Guns II anthem, you can listen to it HERE.
And I also dug up some old Richie Sambora solo stuff from the Red Shoe Diaries and a little Bad Company, tossed in Adele's Set Fire to the Rain as the hero and heroine's tortured love song and now I have an awesome playlist.......

Hope everyone has recovered from one heck of a rockin, jammin weekend.

Know of any other music festival you would die to attend, or would avoid at all costs...leave a post! Or know of a great western themed rock anthem.....

Finding Inspiration

What's on the iPod : Mystery of You by Red

I'm one of those strange birds that believes in destiny, fate, and signs...the conversation between the Oracle and Neo in the Matrix flaots through my mind about this time.....and liek the Oracle, I just smile.

It's challenging sometimes to find the next "right" project to work on, especially after the last one ended up shelved. It happens. But that fear settles in and you get half way through maybe two chapters and you start reguessing your ability. The voices in your head are no longer your characters but the evil naysayer who doubles as evil internal editor. So you put aside that project and hope to find one that is even better.

Three weeks ago, I flew into Chicago for the Romantic Times Conference, a little bummed about having to shelve the start of another project. But if I am always the pessimist in everything else I do, it is because ALL my optimism is in my writing and future goal to be a published, full-time writer. Sooooo, having the good luck to be surrounded by hundreds of like-minded people who wanted nothing more than to talk books, ideas, characters, and poor dead Mr. Pamuk (if you don't watch Downton Abbey - you should), I was determined to come up with an idea for my next project. I ended up with two....one safe and one treading dangerous territory. Well, dangerous for me. See I like happy, happy, joy, joy. I want romance, especially the heartwrenching will they-won't they kind. But to write a genre I've never ever read, no know nothing about....is a little dangerous for me.

So I toyed between "safe" idea and "dangerous" concept....I even wrote out the first few pages, a little plotting on the "safe" idea. I wanted to ignore "dangerous" concept...it scared me....but I kept thinking about it, even Googling some old "case files."

And then I saw this 

....and I knew!

So I may be quiet on online these days, just realize it is beacuse I have found inspiration and I am about to face the real fear of going into uncharted territory...hopefully for the best.