When I’m getting ready to start writing a new book, I take the time to find out what was going on during the historical period in question.  Normally I’m looking for wars, major battles, presidential elections, economic crises, inventions, new laws—any event that might change the lives of my characters. When my story is set in Charleston, South Carolina or the Low Country between Charleston and Savannah, I check the weather conditions, too. That’s a region prone to hurricanes, major temperature fluctuations, insect infestations, earthquakes, and lethal epidemics.

 

This time, however, I was in for a surprise. I was getting reading to write Henrietta’s Journal, set in Charleston in the 1830s, and I wanted to know if there had been any hurricanes. The period turned out to be relatively quiet on the weather front. Only a couple of tropical storms threatened, and those barely brushed the city. I was not expecting to find two major astronomical events. They were both so spectacular that I had to write them into my story. What caught me most off guard was the realization that just as I would be getting ready to announce the upcoming publication of this new book, two similar events would be happening  in South Carolina in 2017.

 

The first event was a massive storm of meteorities witnessed all across the South on November 13, 1833. No mere meteor shower, this! People were terrified, many declaring that the world was coming to an end as the sparks seemed to be falling all around them. The occasion was the Leonid Shower, which occurs in mid-November every thirty-three years. In 1833, the earth’s orbit took it very close to the orbit of the comet Tempel-Tuttle and was said to have caused some 100,000 shooting stars per minute. Another legend says that the song “Stars Fell on Alabama” was written to commemorate the event .  And witnesses declared that this famous woodcut was an accurate depiction of what happened.

 

Now, in 2017, we are told that an even greater meteor storm will fill the skies on Saturday, August 12. This one comes from the Swift-Tuttle comet and is called a Perseid shower. Although articles on the internet are claiming that it will be the brightest shower in human history, its expected 300 shooting stars per hour cannot hope to rival what Henrietta Ainesworth witnessed in 1833. Still if you want to get a feel for what Henrietta’s experience was like, it wouldn’t hurt to look up at the sky on Saturday night.

Stay tuned to hear about the second event.

Now that the Katzenhaus Summer Promotion is officially over, we’ll be moving on to some major announcements  about upcoming books. Let’s start with the answers to last week’s quiz questions.

Beyond All Price is a historical novel, based on the real life story of Nellie M. Chase, a Union nurse during America’s Civil War. She had eloped at the age of nineteen with a man she later discovered was a "drunk, a gambler, a liar, a forger, and a thief." She was strong enough to escape from that potentially abusive relationship and resourceful enough to find a job as wardrobe mistress for a theater. The woman with whom she shared a single room in a squalid tenement took an overdose of opium in an effort to escape a life of prostitution. Nellie joined the Union Army, because life in the midst of a war seemed safer than the one she had been living.

She found a home with the 100th Pennsylvania Regiment, a band of volunteers whose nickname was “The Roundhead Regiment” because of their strong religious beliefs. She believed so passionately in her country’s cause that she displayed a soldier’s bravery. Her skill and compassion led one of her patients to write, “Even here, amid the roar and carnage, was found a woman with the soul to dare danger; the heart to sympathize with the battle-stricken; sense, skill, and experience to make her a treasure beyond all price.” 

She was equally at home managing a southern plantation full of abandoned slaves, a battlefield operating station, or a 600-bed military hospital. But after the war, her deep-seated need to dedicate her life to a worthy cause continued to drive her efforts until she faced an enemy more lethal than war.

 

Amazon Reviewers'  comments:

 

". . . Not a huge history buff, I wasn't sure what to expect. I loved falling in love with Nellie Chase and her passion. She has a passion for helping where help is needed. She comes alive on page one when she insisted to speak with the commander and enlist as a volunteer with the Roundheads. She battles with an opinionated man of the cloth that has "No use for women in the war". Her kindness, her spunky attitude and her survival will have you cheering her on. I found myself sad when I finished the book and had to say goodbye to Nellie. The author, Dr. Carolyn Schriber, does great job to include History notes at the end of the book; titled "Authors notes". In my kindle edition, the pictures did not download. Thank you Dr. Schriber. I wish you were my history teacher. Maybe then I would be a history buff. But you surely have started me on a search for well written fun American history."

 

 

 

". . . Every week I randomly download a free book from Amazon just to have something on the side to pass free time. Most of the time the free books are either okay or poorly written (I'm not complaining because they are free, but just stating my general consensus). Therefore, I was quite surprised when I found this little gem. This book is an easy read and I was able to easily sympathize with the main character. The details in the book are very descriptive and the author highlights the book with many historical references, which the history buff in me "geeked out" at the well written historical allusions. You can tell the author wanted to pay respect to the actual life of Nellie Chase and her contributions and wanted to stay as close to the truth as possible concerning her and the Civil War. I really appreciated finding this in a historical fiction book and commend the author for her passion that is shown throughout the book. This is definitely a recommended read!"

I never set out to write love stories, but I soon learned that when you write about people, their love stories are sure to follow. In my new book, Yankee Daughters, set in the years between 1885 and 1920, the pages are full of love stories, as Katerina Grenville tries to find suitable husbands for each of her eight daughters. I’d love for you to read about their adventures and Katerina’s successes and failures.  

 

So my Valentine’s Day gift to you is a Kindle copy of the book for less than a dollar. Yes, you can get it — for this weekend and through Valentine’s Day — for  $.99, which is as low as Amazon will let me set the price. This is my way of saying “I love you” to my readers. Click on the cat below to order. 

I’m hoping you say “I love you” back by supporting me and my books. Here’s how you can do that: